None of us are perfect, and none of us ever will be in this life, but with the touch of the Master's Hand, even Jesus Christ, we can become perfect, even as He is.
Here are some great quotes about the Atonement of Jesus Christ from the scriptures and from modern prophets. I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and for the enabling power of the Atonement. :)
Atonement
"The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity."
—David A. Bednar
"For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made. For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice."
—Alma 34:9-10, Book of Mormon
"I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name."
--Alma 5:48, Book of Mormon
"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable [of the laborers in the vineyard], but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."
—Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"The message, ministry, and Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior, is our essential family curriculum. No scripture characterizes our faith better than 2 Nephi 25:26: 'And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.'"
—Elder Quentin L. Cook,
"I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf. ... The darkness of death can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life,’ spoke the Master. ‘He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.’"
—President Thomas S. Monson,
To everyone who is looking for a chance to share the gospel, I would like to direct your study to Alma 13:24:
"24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory."
People ARE being prepared to hear the gospel! The real question is, are we prepared to recognize them?
Two years ago I had the incredible opportunity of attending a summer music camp at Julliard School of Music in New York City. I knew going into this program that I would be the only member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was really excited for this opportunity to share the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ with someone.
Before I left I made sure I had a copy of the Book of Mormon that I could give away. I knew that the gospel blessed my life so much and I really wanted to share it. I prayed that I would be able to have the courage to share the gospel.
When I got to my dorm room I met my roommate, Liz. She's the second one on the left. I just KNEW I was going to tell her about the gospel. All week long I looked for opportunities to talk to her, but it just wasn't happening. She knew I was a member of the church, but she didn't seem to care. I invited her to come to church on sunday but she had plans and I began to get a little discouraged. I really wanted to share the gospel. Why wasn't this working?
On the last day I was in New York I began to accept the fact that I probably wasn't going to share the gospel with anyone. I was a little sad because I really wanted a missionary experience. Growing up in Utah makes it easy to miss those experiences. As I was packing my bags, Shirin, the girl on the right, came up to me and asked me why I was different. She noticed I was happy all the time and that there was a peace about me. I told her it was because of my belief in the gospel and we ended up talking for two hours about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. The spirit was so strong testifying of truth as I invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it.
I haven't heard from her since that day and probably will never know what the end of that story is, but I will forever be grateful for the missionary opportunity the Lord blessed me with. Because I was prepared, He gave me the opportunity to share the gospel, but it wasn't with the person I thought it would be. People are being prepared. Hearts are being softened. Heavenly Father's children are looking for peace and forgiveness that comes through the Atonement of Christ,
AND
Heavenly Father knows who those people are.
I would invite everyone to pray for missionary experiences. Not just a chance to tell people that you don't drink coffee because you're a mormon. Pray for experiences to teach people about the gospel of Jesus Christ and to invite them to act! Pray to have Heavenly Father put people that have been prepared in your path and seek to recognize them. If we are preparing and seeking missionary opportunities, the Lord will put people in our path who are searching and ready to accept the fulness of His gospel.
I often find myself wondering why it's easier for some people to believe we just happen to be here because of some big bang than it is to believe that we were created by God. We live in an increasingly scientific world where people are constantly demanding proof. What I find interesting is that in the matter of why we are here, there is no proof. No one can prove WHY we are here. They may try to and be fairly accurate in proving HOW we got here, WHAT caused us to be here or WHERE we came from. People can usually trace WHO we came from and WHEN. But the reason why I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is because it answers WHY we are here.
Our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. We are here to "prepare to meet God." We came to earth with the desire to learn what is necessary for each of us to return to live with our Heavenly Father and become like Him.
The Book of Mormon is full of teachings from ancient prophets about the Plan of Happiness our Heavenly Father has for us. God continually calls prophets to teach His children how to return to live with Him. The prophets teach about His plan and invite each of us to repent and turn to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Book of Mormon also gives us messages of hope. There are many who fall away from the truth, who lose faith, who aren't sure where to turn, who were raised in less than ideal situations. Through the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ we have hope. We know we aren't lost and we know we can return. Our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return to Him.
I once heard the comparison that believing this world could be created by a big bang is the same as believing that if a printing press exploded you would get a dictionary. You may laugh, but think about it, this world is an amazing place, with so many things going on. There are billions of people, all unique. Everyone has something to contribute. Everyone has hopes, dreams, desires, and fears. It makes me sad to think that people really believe that all happened by chance.
God knows each on of us. He created each of us. And by learning about His plan we can understand WHY we are here. Like I said, the why can't be proved, but it can be felt. If we exercise faith in our Heavenly Father and learn of Him, we will begin to see why. We may not understand everything, but we can know that He loves us, and we can know that things will work out.
Don't let science rob you of faith. In an article I recently read it says this: "While it was once an integral part of the landscape of society, the place of religious belief in public space is now frequently contested by polarized ideological camps. But the categories of faith and reason, scripture and science, religious and secular do not have to be mutually exclusive. These spheres overlap and can benefit from one another when approached with fair-mindedness, humility and wisdom. Mormons welcome truth from whatever source and take the pragmatic view that where religion and science seem to clash, it is simply because there is insufficient data to reconcile the two. "
(http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-and-modern)
Satan wins when he gets one of God's children to think that they aren't important, that they are merely the result of some random explosion, with no purpose, no progression, no hope. We are so important to our Heavenly Father, and we must not forget it.
When I was a little girl this was one of my favorite songs to see. We have a video recording of me when I was two years old jumping up and down on my moms bed singing this song.
The temple really is a sacred place. It is the house of God, a place where we go to learn about our Heavenly Father and to strengthen our relationship with Him.
When I was little I also thought that the blessings of the temple were outside of my reach. I thought that you had to be extra special or extra good to go inside. I thought that only the really important people could go in. What's wonderful about the temple though, is that the requirements to go into the temple are within all of our reach.
In order to be worthy to attend the temple we need to be living the standards of the church. If we are in good standing with the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we have a testimony we are qualified to enter the temple. What a blessing that is!
Temples are a place of peace. The world is in so much turmoil and it is really easy to get caught up in everything and not be able to see straight. As we enter the house of the Lord our understanding is clear. We are reminded of our purpose on earth and we are able to set our priorities straight.
I am so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the greatest blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that we are given in the temple. My family can be together forever!! I am so grateful for this knowledge!! I know that the Priesthood power of God is on the earth today and this is the reason why we have these wonderful blessings of the temple.
I pray that we all can prepare to go to the temple. If you have already been, go again. If you have not yet been, prepare to go. As we live worthy of a temple recommend we are entitled to the blessing and guidance of the Lord.
I don't have a whole lot of time to write today, so I just thought I would share an uplifting message. I would just like you to know though, that you are NEVER alone. The Savior, Jesus Christ, has been where you've been. He knows you and He loves you and if you will turn to Him He will wrap His arms around you.
“When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet.”
So I want you to ask yourself why? Why do you believe in God? Why do you follow the commandments? Why do you read the Book of Mormon? (Or if you haven't, why?) Why do you follow the prophet? Why do you believe in the Plan of Salvation?
As a teenager I did a lot of babysitting, and I loved it. One thing that always amused me though was when a three year-old would get on a "why-rant". They would come up with this never-ending list of "why" questions and expect me to be able to answer all of them. Often times the questions were ridiculous, but sometimes they were very thought provoking.
It is easy to get annoyed when asked many "why" questions, but I think children have it figured out. If we don't understand the "why" then it makes the "what" important. For example. We read our scriptures every day. That is the what. Why? Because as we read we learn more about Christ and we can be taught by the Spirit the things we must do.
We go to church. Why? Because it is a commandment of the Lord. Let's ask why one more time. The Lord commands us to go to church to partake of the sacrament. Why? To renew the covenants we made at baptism. To be spiritually renewed and to receive strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
What's beautiful about the gospel is that we can come to know and understand the why's? We don't have to take anything at face value. There is always an answer. The answers come through study. We can study the Book of Mormon, we can ponder things in our heart, we can pray to ask our Heavenly Father. As we sincerely seek answers to the why we will find them.
When we understand the why or the gospel, it makes living the what easier. The why helps us understand our divine potential, our potential to be heirs to the kingdom of God.
One of the questions I am frequently asked is: "If God really does love us, why does He let bad things happen to good people?" As I watched this video, I began to understand it a little more.
Everyone will have trials in this life, that comes from living in an imperfect world. Brittany has been given a talent, as the Lord talks about in the New Testament. He gave ten to one, five to another, and one talent to a third. They were able to do what they wanted with the talent, but they were to be held accountable for the talent.
Brittany has been given a talent in her love of others, in her artistic skills and her willingness to give, but I also think another talent she has been given is her sickness. Because Brittany is sick, she is blessed with a more acute awareness of the trials of others. Her heart has been changed and she has chosen to reach out and help others. She knows what it's like, as the Savior does, and she is able to give comfort to others. Why did this "bad" thing happen to Brittany? I can't be sure, but I know that she is blessing hundreds of people through her example of love and service.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people because the Lord knows that those people are strong. He knows that their example through their trial will touch the lives of the children of men and that many will be grow from her example and seek to make the world a better place.
In Alma 14 the missionary companionship of Alma and Amulek are forced to watch their people burn.
"10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the apower of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. 11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in aglory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the bjudgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the cblood of the dinnocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."
The Lord is not going to take away our agency, and He is not going to take away the agency of those who choose to do bad. Of course He does not want to see us suffer, but when we understand the Plan of Happiness we know that all will be made right. Everyone will be held accountable and this life is just a temporary state.
As we develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we will not be relieved of our trials. In fact, Satan will probably work extra hard on us to keep us from turning to the Savior. The wonderful thing is that as we do develop faith, we are able to clearly see that there is a plan. The Lord is aware of us and if we turn to Him, we will be strengthened through our trials and we will grow closer to Him.
If you would like to learn more about the Plan of Happiness, or you know someone who would like to learn more, please check out http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/
I know the Lord loves us. Sometimes bad things happen, but it's not because God doesn't care. If we turn to Him through the bad times we will be strengthened and we can know for a surety that He is indeed there. I know this to be true. I am so grateful for Brittany and her sweet example to the world that though she has been dealt a difficult talent, she can multiply it and allow it bless all the world.
The Lord really does know each of us, and He loves us more than we can even imagine.
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;" DC 18:10
This last week we got our monthly newsletter. In it contained "missionary moment" where one of the missionaries shares an experience they had. This particular experience was shared by the sisters who are now in the area I last served in. They shared about a couple who they are teaching. The husband had not really been interested in the gospel or the Book of Mormon, but he would sit in on lessons. The sisters asked him if he would just try reading the Book of Mormon. He said he was just too busy. The sisters were prompted to tell him that if he made time for God, God would make time for him. They challenged him to read one verse a day and think about it for a few minutes. They checked in with him a few weeks later and he was so excited to report that he had been blessed with a new job that required less hours of him, thereby allowing him more time to spend with his daughter.
What a neat experience? They really were prompted by the spirit and they all saw the blessings of being obedient. This experience though had special meaning to me for a different reason. I have been struggling the last couple of weeks feeling like I am enough, or that I am doing enough. I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time being here because I don't feel like I am doing any good. What's neat about this experience though, is that I found this couple mentioned above. We had knocked on their door weekly for three months trying to contact them and the last week I was there they were finally home.
What if I had given up on them? What if I hadn't decided to come on my mission? Their souls are worth enough to Heavenly Father that He sent hard-headed me to an area where I would knock a door until it was opened. He loves that family and He wants them to have the gospel.
The worth of my soul is great to Heavenly Father too. He loves me enough that He inspired the sisters to share this story with the mission office so I could know that I am making a difference.
The Lord loves each of us, and wants us to be happy. He really does know us, and if we will take a second each day to recognize His hand in our life, we will come to realize that He is there, He knows us, and He is trying so hard to reach us so we can feel of His love.
This movie is just another example of God showing His love for "one of the least of these." I watched this earlier today and was reminded the worth of souls, every soul, is so great.
Don't give up, don't let the adversary let you think otherwise. God loves you!!! He knows you, and He you are worth it to Him.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I love this book with all of my heart, and the more I read it, the more I learn how to apply it to my life. As we study the Book of Mormon we come to find the messages in the book that were prepared just for us. The Lord knows each of us, and as we are obedient to His commandments He promises we can have the Spirit with us.
This week's Book of Mormon lesson comes from 2 Nephi 4. Lehi has just died and Nephi is watching as his family is about to be torn apart because of the choices of his brothers. He is lamenting and is sorrowful, but he is also certain that if he trusts in God, God will take care of him. Verses 26-30 were especially touching, and they read:
26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptation, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
Life can be rough. We are met with all types of trials, whether from our own choices, choices of others, or things we can't control, but when we let ourselves get caught up in sorrow or sin we are letting Satan win. It is important to feel sorrowful when we make mistakes, because that draws us to repent, but it is important to distinguish between sorrow for sin and discouragement.
We are all imperfect, and we live in an imperfect world. Things are going to go wrong. People are going to make mistakes. That is all part of the plan. We are here to learn and here to grow. As we learn from our mistakes and repent we gain experience and we come closer to Christ.
Lesson: Let us no longer droop in sin. I love the mental image this provides. Shake of the chains of Satan. If there's something you need to change, DO IT! Then you can rejoice in Christ. Following Him is not the easy way, but anything worth having is worth working for. If we are doing our best to follow Christ, repent of our sins, and keep the commandments, then we need not droop in sin. We need not become discouraged, because the Lord will fill us with hope and our faith will increase.
I love the Book of Mormon. I know without a doubt that this book is from God. It was translated by the power of God by His prophet, Joseph Smith. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself! Have the faith to open the book and open your heart to the witness of the Holy Ghost.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 2 is a short little revelation, but it touches on a very important topic.
"1 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of aElijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and bdreadful day of the Lord.
2 And ahe shall plant in the hearts of the children the bpromises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
3 If it were not so, the whole aearth would be utterly wasted at his coming."
One of the greatest blessings of the restoration of the gospel is that we are able to perform sacred ordinances for ourselves, as well as for our ancestors who have passed on. While Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were in the Kirtland Temple the prophet Elijah restored the keys of the Priesthood that allow us to do proxy temple work for those who did not have the chance to go to the temple when they were young.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 110:
13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious avision burst upon us; for bElijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:
14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
15 To aturn the bhearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—
16 Therefore, the akeys of this bdispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful cday of the Lord is near, even at the doors.
Now, I am no professional at family history work, which is why I am SO very grateful for the church's website, which is an excellent resource for finding our ancesters.
I have always had an interest in doing family history work. My dad is a convert to the church and there has not been much work done on his side of the family. It's been a wonderful journey to search out my ancestors. As I search them out I feel the reality of the fact that we truly are all children of God. He loves all of us. We are all brothers and sisters and we have a responsibility to love and help each other. I know that as we search out our relatives we feel a closeness to them and a closeness to our Savior as we are helping our ancestors make the covenants that will allow them to return to live with God again.
This is my cute family, and right in the center is my mom. I've blogged about families before, but because mother's day is so close, I am going to focus on the importance of mothers in the gospel.
When I think about the knowledge I've gained in my life, the root of most of it comes from the simple things I was taught by my mother at a very young age. She began teaching me very simple things and as I grew the things she taught me became more complex. One of the things she taught me that I will never forget is that if I put my trust in the Lord and follow Him, He will always take care of me.
My mother is a great example of trusting in the Lord. One specific example I can remember came during a time of financial difficulty in my family. My parents were constantly discussing the amount of bills they had compared to the income and things just weren't working out. My mother knew though that if she paid her tithing first, the Lord would somehow make things work out. And you know what? He did. He always does. The Lord promises to bless us if we keep His commandments and I know the Lord keeps His promises.
This is just one of the many lessons my mother taught me through her example. In the world today I don't think the role of mother is given the credit it should be. Motherhood is an eternal calling from God. It is one of the most precious gifts Heavenly Father gives to His daughters. He allows them to love, raise and teach His spirit children. That is a great trust. The role of a mother is sacred and precious and can bring out the greatest joy we are capable of experiencing in this life.
With that joy and blessing also comes a great responsibility. We are trusted with God's children. The home is the place where we are able to learn about our Savior and grow in a loving environment. Despite what the world says, the mother is primarily responsible for nurturing their children.
I love the scripture in Alma 56 about the 2000 stripling warriors. They went to war in order to protect their families, and they went forth with faith:
"47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the aliberty of their bfathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their cmothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their amothers, saying: We bdo not doubt our mothers knew it."
These warriors had such a strong testimony of the Savior that they did not fear going to war for a noble cause. They knew the Lord would protect them. They knew this because of their mothers.
I am so grateful for my mom. I love her dearly. I know that it is largely because of her that I knew what path I wanted to take for my own life.
I understand that no mother is perfect and no family situation is perfect, but I do know that happiness in the family comes when founded upon the teachings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. If we want a happier family, focus on Jesus Christ and His teachings. It is never too late to turn to the Savior and rely on the enabling power of His Atonement. He lives and because He lives we can live again too.
One of the things I miss the very most while being on a mission is my Utah mountains. I absolutely love being outside, hiking, camping, swimming, running, climbing, you name it. I love the feeling of being completely exhausted after a long day of exploring. I love to be outside because it gives me chances to think.
“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” -Dr. Seuss
One of the things I thought about on my most recent hiking adventure is the beauty that surrounded me and the amount of people that would never have the chance to see what I was seeing. There are truly some amazing things to be seen on the backsides of mountains. Things that can be captured in a photograph or on a canvas. Things that can't adequately be described with words. Things that have to be felt as much as seen.
This reminded me of gaining a testimony. My testimony came step by step, one mountain trail at a time, you could say. Was it easy? No, generally not. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
The mountain seen I saw from Provo Peak (elevation: 11068) was viewed after 6 hours of hiking. It included sunburns, sticking nettle, mosquito bites, and weed scratches. It followed poorly-planned trails that had to be backtracked and recharted. It followed overgrown fields of bushwhacking. It was not easy, but I think that's what made the view at the top so much more incredible.
In life I feel like we are always climbing mountains. These mountains can lead to some of our most treasured memories and experiences, but the journey there is what makes the view at the top worth it. Like I mentioned earlier, often times it's things that have to be felt as much as seen.
Gaining a testimony is much the same way. It can be difficult. We may not know which route to take. We might look at that mountain and think... NO WAY!!! But, as we take the mountain one step at a time, we find ourselves climbing. We can look back and see the progress we make. The top is often hidden from our view, but as we keep walking, we show our faith that the top will come.
And when we hit the top, what a view!
As we excercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, be baptized with the Priesthood Authority of God, and receive the Holy Ghost, we have entered into the path where we can endure to the end, and eventually reach that peak of eternal life living with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.
Gaining a testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, is the most important thing we can gain in this life. We can come to know Him through the restored gospel. Jesus Christ lives!! He has a prophet on the earth today, President Thomas S. Monson. The life we can have if we follow His teachings is similar to the beauty of the view at the top of the mountain. It isn't the easy road, and it isn't the road most choose to follow, but those who choose to follow Jesus Christ will find a peace and joy that cannot be compared to anything else.
I am not really sure where this blogpost will be going to be honest, but as I was on lds.org I was looking for an idea to blog about this title jumped out at me.
As I read this title I thought, what is my duty to God? Pretty good question, right? Am I doing my duty? Have I been doing my duty? Is my duty done? Will it ever be done? These are just a couple questions that ran through my head.
Ironically though, I think the answer is very simple, so simple in fact, that it is something we as missionaries recite every day. It's something we desire to teach to everyone. It's the core of our religion.
The answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Sound familiar?
In the premortal life, we all agreed to follow Jesus Christ's plan for us. We know that because we are here on earth. We agreed that we would come and be tested. We would use our agency, for better or worse, and we would have a Savior. We would be able to rely on the Savior and His Atonement in order to return and live with our Heavenly Father again.
The plan centers on Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Without it, we would have no way of returning to God. The instance we made one mistake we would no longer be able to live in God's presence because "no unclean thing can dwell with God" (1 Nephi 10:21). We knew this, and we agreed to follow our Savior.
Jesus Christ came to the earth and set an example for us. He showed us the way we need to live in order to return to Him. He taught the people principles of faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. He organized His church and established His doctrine.
Christ taught that in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He made it clear that it is only through Him we can return. "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32).
After Christ died the fulness of the gospel was no longer on the earth. As discussed in previous posts, Joseph Smith restored the fulness of the gospel to the earth. One of the things he did as a prophet was restore simple truths, such as "Webelieve that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Article of Faith 1:4).
So, let's tie the ends together. This life is the time to prepare to meet God, and it's only through Jesus Christ that we can meet God. We can only meet God it we are clean and we have an example of how to be clean set before us. It seems to me that our duty to God is to live His Gospel, to have Faith that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God and that He truly did Atonement for our sins. When we have that faith we are led to repentance, which is the source of cleaning ourselves. Once we make the efforts to show God we desire to follow Him, we are baptized, which allows us to enter that path, the only path, to return to God. We receive the Holy Ghost which allows us to always have the Spirit with us in order to endure to the end in following Christ the rest of our lives.
This is our duty brothers and sisters, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we learn about it, study it, live it, teach it, share it, we will be fulfilling our duty to God. And He will bless us a thousand times over for doing it.
This is my family. I love them SO much!! The family is ordained of God and is the most important social unit. The family is essential to God's plan. We are put in families to learn and to help each other grow. The family is meant to be eternal. In this picture the building behind my family is a temple. In the temple we make covenants with God and we are able to have our families sealed together so they can live together for eternity.
Satan knows how important the family is, and he is attacking it at all fronts. He knows that if he can break families apart he can also pull people farther away from God. He fights through things like divorce, homosexual relationships, abuse, pornography, drug addictions, anything and everything that can be used to break families apart.
The prophets know how important family relationships are. The prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley read this proclamation in a meeting in 1995 and I would like to invite everyone to read it again and ponder on what this proclamation means.
The Family
A Proclamation to the World
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
I would like to just point out a few things. First, the first paragraph states that this comes from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That means this comes from God by divine revelation. They proclaim the divinity of the family and its importance in God's plan for us.
We learn in the next paragraphs that God has a plan for us. He loves us. We each have a specific role to play and a purpose to fulfill. We have things to learn and experience in this life to help prepare us for th elife to come.
We each have a responsbility to obey God's commandments and treasure the beautiful gift of life. We will find joy when we follow God's plan for families.
I know the family is ordained of God. No family is perfect. There are many families that are broken, many people who come from abusive situations. There is hope. Through the Savior's Atonement we can hope to have a better life. Wrongs can be righted. Wounds can be healed. It starts with us. It starts with our willingness to obey God's commandments. Learn of Him. Trust in His Atonement.
This is our unique message to the world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored! Why is that important? Let me tell you.
God loves us. He is our loving Heavenly Father. He knows each of us. We lived with Him before we came to this earth. We came to this earth to learn and gain experience so we could eventually become perfect as He is. He presented a plan for us, which is centered around Jesus Christ, and if we follow that plan, we can live with Him forever.
AWESOME!! Right? If we follow Jesus Christ, we will be able to live with God forever. We can become perfect as He is. Well, let's keep going. This plan was that we would all come to earth with the ability to choose. God would send us to families where we have the opportunity to grow in the gospel of Christ. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have this in their lives. There are billions of imperfect people and no family is perfect, but through the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can come to find peace in our lives and love in our homes.
Our Heavenly Father has given us prophets that lead and guide His church. Prophets speak directly with God and teach what God would have us know. This pattern is seen throughout time in the bible. The prophet calls a prophet, and has done so at the beginning of each dispensation ("A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth." Bible Dictionary). When a prophet and God's authority is on the earth, it is a dispensation.
As we see throughout time, many people choose not to listen to prophets and God takes His prophets off the earth for a time. This is called an apostasy. Easy enough? When people won't listen, God will not continually send in prophets trying to teach them.
What's wonderful though, is that when people are ready, God will call prophets again. The greatest of all is Jesus Christ. He came to earth as the Son of God, and also as a prophet. He established His gospel, which is that we must have Faith in Him and His Atonement, we must repent, be baptized by proper authority, receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. Though He was perfect, though He was the Son of God, the people still rejected Him, and after He was crucified and His apostles killed, His authority was again taken from the earth in what we call the Great Apostasy.
This Great Apostasy is also known as the Dark Ages where people didn't have the truth. Many very good men sought to find the truth and reform the corrupt religions of the time, hoping to come as close to the truth as they could, but recognizing that only really truth and authority can come from God.
After hundreds of years of being lost though, His gospel is again on the earth in it's fulness. In 1820 a young boy, Joseph Smith, was confused about which church to join. Here's his story. (This is the hour version, so if you don't have time now to watch it, I recommend finding a time you can.)
Joseph Smith was 14 years old. He was living in a time of religious revival. He was taught to love God, to pray, and to study the bible. He knew that spiritual truths come from God and he trusted in the promise in James 1:5 that states: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."
Joseph retired to a grove of trees and knelt in prayer, having faith that his prayer would be answered.
And it was.
In his own words, "I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me ... when the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, "This is my beloved Son, hear Him."
Joseph saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and they told Him that none of the churches on the earth at that time had the fulness of the gospel, but that Joseph would be the means of restoring the church in its fulness.
There's that word again, RESTORE. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the RESTORED gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the exact same church that Christ Himself organized while He was on the earth.
Bold claim, right? Well, I don't expect you to take my word for it. The Lord knew the world would need a way to know that the church has been restored, which is why, through the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is the proof and comes with a promise (as seen in this post) that if we will "ask God" with "real intent" we can know "the truth of all things" by "the power of the Holy Ghost" (Moroni 10:3-5).
I know that if we pray in faith, the Lord will answer our prayers. I have come to know for myself that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true church on the earth. I know God loves each of us and wants us to return to live with Him.
I don't want you to take my word for it, read the Book of Mormon and ask God. Then go and do. Talk to the missionaries, turn your life towards Christ, and enter the path that leads to eternal life and happiness.
First off, if you are reading this, it is April 6th, 7th or 8th and you haven't been to mormon.org/easter, GO NOW!!
In honor of the Easter holiday this weekend I would like to focus my blog today on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ was resurrected after three days and He came to His people in Jerusalem. He showed them the prints in His hands and His feet. He invited all to come unto Him. Then He said, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16) He then left the people.
What's neat though is what happened next. Christ came and visited His other sheep, in the Americas. This wonderful visit is recorded in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi. In chapter 9 Christ first talks to the people. He says "Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God ... I came unto my own, and my own received me not And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled." (v 15-16) and in 3 Nephi 11:10: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world."
He then proceeds to teach the people that He has come to fulfill the work of His Father, and that it is only through Him that we can return to live with God again.
Wow! I am just filled with gratitude for my Savior. He lives! He loves us! We have the fulness of His gospel on earth and it is so neat that we have the proof in the Book of Mormon. This year I realized that the Easter story is made complete by the chapters in 3 Nephi. It is a reminder to us that Christ still lives, He loves us, and He is the way to return to live with Him.
I hope you enjoy this clip. I know He lives and I am so grateful for it. I am grateful for the hope and peace that comes through His Atonement. I am grateful He loves us enough to provide a way for us to return to live with Him. He is my Savior, He is my King. He is my Joy and my Song. I love Him and I know He lives!!!
For the next series of posts I plan on focusing on different stories from the Book of Mormon and the lessons we can learn from them. In trying to decide where to start, I thought that the best place to start would be the promise that Moroni gives us when we read the Book of Mormon.
In Moroni 10:3-5 it reads:
"3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and bponder it in your chearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest the gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may aknow the btruth of all things."
What a beautiful promise. It follows the Lord's teachings that we "receive no witness until after the trial of our faith" (Alma 32:21). Moroni clearly teaches us that is we read the Book of Mormon we can remember how merciful the Lord is. How merciful He is in showing His children the way, in providing a way for the children of men to know who Jesus Christ is and to know that He is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).
So, first step, read. Read and treasure up the words. Recognize that the message of the Book of Mormon is a message of love, a message of mercy from the Lord.
Next, ask God if these things are not true. I have read the Book of Mormon a number of times and I would think it safe to say that anyone who does sincerely read this book would at least hope that it would be true. The message is so sweet. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He has provided a way for us to return to live with Him. His way brings happiness and peace. He will guide us throughout our lives if we let Him. He will forgive us. He loves us. So once we have read these sweet messages, the next step is to ask God.
Not just ask God though, we must ask with a "sincere heart, with real intent, having faith." That's probably the hardest part I would think. We just can't ask God casually. We have to REALLY want to know, to the point that we will act on the answer we get. We have to be willing to follow Christ once we have received a confirmation that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, just as the Bible is. We have to be intent on doing what the Lord asks of us in answer to our prayer. Like I wrote about last week, faith is a principle of action. If we are sincere, have intent and have faith in Christ, we will act.
And finally, our answer will come by the Holy Ghost. We can know the truth of ALL things. Not just some things, not just an occassional truth here or there. The introduction to the Book of Mormon tells us just a few of the truths we are promised we can know if we follow the pattern Moroni described. It says:
"Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah."
I would like to echo many prophets in inviting everyone to read the Book of Mormon. You don't have to take my word for it, you don't have to take your parent's word for it, you don't have to take the missionaries' word for it, you don't have to take the prophet's word for it. Test it. Take Moroni's promise as a challenge. Read the Book of Mormon sincerely and with real intent and I know the Holy Ghost will testify to you that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
I love the Book of Mormon with all my heart and I know it is true. I am so grateful for the prophets that wrote the teachings of Christ for our day. I am so grateful that Joseph Smith humbled himself before the Lord and translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God. I am grateful to have a prophet on the earth today. Read the Book of Mormon and let it change your life.
Alma 32:21: "And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for thinsg which are not seen, which are true."
This topic has come up a lot for me this last week and the question for me has been why is that one of the first principles of the gospel? (See Articles of Faith 1:4).
First, what is faith? Well, Alma gives us a pretty good definition. Chapter 32 is wonderful to give us a foundation on how to build faith. We must give place for the seed, and if it be a good seed, it will grow. (v. 26-31)
Faith is a verb. In James 2:17-18 states: "Even so afaith, if it hath not bworks, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my afaith by my bworks."
We see examples of faith throughout the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Abraham had faith in offering his only son, Isaac. Nephi had faith in building a ship to take his family across the water. Abinadi had faith to share the gospel. Joseph Smith had faith to pray. Faith is a principle of action and it is really neat to see it in action.
When I think of faith, I think of something that is contantly changing. It can grow, and it can shrink. When we exercise faith in something good we see the good fruit that comes of it. For example, if we exercise faith in prayer we can receive spiritual witnesses from God that He is there, that He is listening, and that He wants to bless us. As we exercise faith to read the scriptures we can receive answers to our prayers as well as increased knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As our knowledge about Jesus Christ increases, our faith in Him and His Atonement also increases.
One might argue, how can you really have faith? Alma say we have faith in things "which are true." How can we know if something is true? Easy, we have to give place. This presents a lot of controversy though. Where do we draw the line? Do we allow every single possible thought to give place and see which ones are good? This type of thinking is flawed, because there are so many different things to give place for, where do you even start?
Let me create an analogy that may help this make more sense. The left end of the diagram represents all of the things we can have faith in. Faith in money, faith in people, faith in scriptures, faith in family, faith in Jesus Christ. If we use the definition of Alma, we need to have faith in good things in order for faith to grow. As we exercise faith in good things we are able to see more clearly what things are good. For example, if we have faith in Jesus Christ and we see that's a good thing and we exercise it, we can see that having faith in His teachings is also good, while having faith in the wealth of the world may not be such a good thing.
You still with me? We have to start broad. We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ. That truly is the first step. We must come to understand that His teachings and His example really are good and true, that it is through Him we can find happiness. When we have exercised faith in Him our faith is stronger and we have the courage to narrow in a little more and have faith in His teachings, faith in His prophets, etc.
This may have answered questions, or it may have created more, but I would just like to add that I know that faith is the first principle of the gospel for a reason. We have to exercise faith to do something. If we don't have faith, meaning a willingness to act on things we believe are right, then our faith can't grow.
The Bible Dictionary states: "Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11:1; Alma 32:21), and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation." I know this is true. If you don't know where to start, start with Jesus Christ. Pray to know if He is your Savior. Study the scriptures, learn for yourself. The Spirit will testify to your heart. You will feel happy. You will want to know more. You will want to ACT. Once you know that much, learn His teachings, and continue to let your faith grow.
I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know His gospel brings true happiness. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life and I want everyone to know the good news. Give place for the seed!
![Frederick G. Williams described the origin of the Kirtland Temple design. "We [The First Presidency] went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and the Building appeared within viewi](http://josephsmith.net/Static%20Images/unknown_kirtland_MD.jpg)
