God's Commandments Bring Happiness

Divine Guidance

Remember how our parents would teach us rules when we were young? Rules like not playing in the street or not playing with matches. Remember how sometimes the rules seemed like a burden, like our parents must have invented them to keep us from doing the things we really wanted to do—the things we thought would make us happy? As we grow up we learn how important these rules are, how we could have been seriously injured or even killed if we had not obeyed.

Like our parents growing up, God gives us commandments to help keep us focused on what is most important and how to stay safe. All of His guidance is meant to keep us safe, help us stay close to Him and, in the end, to give us more freedom and happiness.

The word "commandment" might make us think of the Ten Commandments—a list of "Thou Shalt Nots"—God does not only tell us what we should not do, but He also tells us what we should do. His greatest hope is for our eternal happiness, so we can be sure that His commandments are not restrictive rules, but they are divine guidance meant to protect us from harm and lead us to better ways of living. (Read more at http://mormon.org/commandments.)

Road Signs

Have you ever gone on a long road trip before the age of GPS?  One that required changing freeways and highways and many confusing directions?  It can be very difficult to get from the starting point to the end destination on these trips.  To help with such endeavors we have resources like maps and road signs to guide us through our journey.  If we know where we want to go we can follow the signs that guide us in that direction.

I've learned that commandments are very similar to road signs.  We are on a long journey of sorts right now, working our way through this life with the hope of making it back to the presence of God.  The path can be confusing, often sins disguise themselves to look like good actions or thoughts.  It is by following the commandments set by God that we can make it through life with the least amount of physical, emotional and spiritual pain.

Commandments Bring Happiness

Elder Robert D. Hales, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has explained:  "These commandments are loving instructions provided by God our Father for our physical and spiritual well-being and happiness while in mortality ... The commandments are not a burden or a restriction.  Every commandment of the Lord is given for our development, progress, and growth."  Elder Hales continues by quoting Joseph Smith, "God has designed our happiness ... He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed." ("If Thou Wilt Enter In Life, Keep the Commandments," April 1996 General Conference.)

When the Lord commands us to stay away from substances it is because those substances are harmful to our bodies.  When we are commanded to do things it is because those things will benefit us.  Closing, I again use the words of Elder Hales:

"How I love the commandments of the Lord!  They guide and protect us and allow us to return back into the presence of our Heavenly Father.  If we faithfully obey the commandments, we are promised the blessings of eternal life."

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Those who desire to know more about the commandments of God, or have any questions concerning the things mentioned above, you can ask missionaries here.

The Principle of Change

From the LDS Gospel Library

Recently I had the privilege of listening to a couple General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The first, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy, spoke about how the gospel of Christ encompasses the principle of change.  This means that if earlier in our lives we have made decisions that have hurt us or others, or if we have developed destructive habits, we do not have to say, “That’s just the way I am,” but we can change.  How is this change possible?  With the help of Christ!  Elder Hallstrom gave three steps to make this change and become a happier person:

1. Gain eternal vision.  We must see that we can be better than we are.
2. Be willing to make commitments.  By making commitments we promise to become the better person that we know we can be.
3. We must show self-discipline.  We have to put for the effort to change.

If we do these three steps the Lord will take care of the rest.  In the book of Ether from the Book of Mormon, the Lord informs us:  “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27.)

How can the Lord make a weakness, such as addiction, a strength for us?  This is because of the atonement Christ performed for us in Gethsemane.  The prophet Alma taught:

“And he [Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which he saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.  And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12.)

We learn here that Christ not only made forgiveness possible through atoning for our sins, he not only broke the chains of death through the resurrection, but he gave us the promise of change.  By taking all temptation and suffering upon himself he became our advocate in these troubling times.  By coming to him he can help us change and show us a happier life.  We can find examples of this kind of change throughout the scriptures, from Saul the persecutor who became Paul the apostle to the woman forgiven of adultery.  When the Lord enters our life we can leave behind the troubles and grow in joy.

The second General Authority I listened to was Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  He appropriately followed the talk on change with the following message:

“Your Heavenly Father loves you, and his Son Jesus Christ loves you.  You are not just a lost grain of sand on an eternal beach that nobody knows but yourself.  You have a Heavenly Father that loves you.”

Our Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to the earth to perform the Atonement.  Christ performed this Atonement out of the love he has for all of us, and through the Atonement we have the opportunity to become better than we are today.

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Want to know more? Ask a missionary here.

"Does God Care About Me?"

There may be times in our lives where we ask ourselves questions like "Is God really there?" "Does God care about me?" or "How can I know that God loves me?"  Maybe in these trying times we are going through illness, loss of a job, or some other tough situation.  It can be very difficult to feel God's love in such circumstances.  What can we do when this happens to us?  I will share three ways in which I have found comfort knowing of God's love when I have been in such a place in my own life.

1. Guidance Through Scripture
In my teenage years I was unsure how I felt about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or religion generally.  However, a time came when I had a mental collapse and didn't know what I wanted.  In my journal I described it as thus:

"Physically I was fine afterward, but I wanted to die... Eventually my thoughts drifted towards a friend's question:  When was the last time you read the Book of Mormon?  I didn't know why, but I knew I had to read the book."

While reading I learned of someone who felt much like I did then.  His name was Alma Jr.  Alma explains how he came to know of God's love when he wrote:  "I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.  Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart:  O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.  And now, behold, when I thought this I could remember my pains no more" (see Alma 36).

As I read about the story of Alma Jr. I knew I could also feel the same way that he did if I prayed to the Lord as he did.

2. Comfort in Prayer
Quoting my journal again, after closing my scriptures I found a quiet place where I could have complete privacy, and "I then said the shortest prayer of my life.  'God, do you love me?'  The feeling I got was one big powerful, 'Of course I do.'"  At that moment I felt a peace I had not known before, or in Alma's words I could remember my pains no more.

After that short prayer I felt confidence in myself, love towards God, and hope for what I could still do in life.

3. Strength From Others
Returning from my prayer I talked with a couple close friends of mine.  They could sense I was having a hard time and one of them said, "God loves you, and we're here for you.  You'll get through it."

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Of course going through such times is never an easy thing and could take a long time to do, but when we read the scriptures, pray for help from the Lord, and use the added strength of friends and family we can get through these situations.  We can all have the assurance that I received that God is really there, he does care about us, and even loves us.

"Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: “That love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.” Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart." (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Like a Broken Vessel, 2013.)

If you would like to read the Book of Mormon visit http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
And if you'd like to talk more about the scriptures, prayer, or religion in general visit http://mormon.org/chat

The Divine Role of Prophets

Prophets carry a divine mission – to guide God’s people and express the Lord’s will for the world. It is not an easy thing to do, nor is it often the popular thing to do, but throughout history mankind has been blessed to have prophets to give them warnings and advice. First and foremost in the mission of a prophet is to teach the people concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

A Glimpse of the Past - Moses
The most famous example of a prophet may be Moses of the Old Testament. He was called by the Lord through the burning bush on the mountain to free God’s people from the grasp of the Pharaoh. Through God’s power, the plagues of Egypt, Moses was able to carry out his mission to free the Children of Israel from Egypt. However, Moses’ calling did not end with leaving Egypt. Throughout the Holy Scriptures we see that once a man is called a prophet he is a prophet until he dies. In Moses’ case, he had to then teach the Children of Israel the ways of the Lord and how to leave behind the ways of Pharaoh.

In addition to being their spiritual leader he was also being their physical leader, guiding them to the Promised Land – the land promised to their fathers – Canaan. While in the wilderness Moses showed repeatedly that Jehovah is God, and that the people should follow Him. A snake was raised up on a stick to remind the Children of Israel of the Atonement of Christ:

"Behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live...  Cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins" (Alma 33:19, 22).

On Mount Sinai God gave unto Moses the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. It was also in this wilderness that the Tabernacle was constructed. In replace of the practices of the Egyptians, sacrifices were offered unto God, symbolic of Christ’s death for men.

The last thing concerning Moses I will mention is the Mosaic Law that was given by God to the Children of Israel. The laws given, the commandments that took part in it, all pointed to Christ and the work He had yet to do during His mortal ministry on earth.

"And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled" (2 Nephi 25:24).

Are There Modern Prophets?
The scriptures teach us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is also evident in the Holy Bible that God used prophets to teach his people from the time of Adam through the New Testament – a period of many thousands of years. If God followed this system for so long, and is an unchanging God, one can suppose he would do the same for us today.

The Lord’s Church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – was restored in 1830 by a man named Joseph Smith. With the restoration of the gospel came the restoration of the call of prophets, the first prophet in modern-days being Joseph Smith. Since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith God has again guided his church through these divinely called men, and has given his word to the entire world. The current prophet of the Lord is Thomas S. Monson. Through him we may receive the word of the Lord, and be guided through the difficult circumstances of life.

But we must follow the teachings of the prophet.  Apostle Oaks teaches:  "It is not enough to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the gospel is true.  We must take the high road by acting upon that knowledge.  It is not enough to know that President [Thomas S. Monson] is God's prophet.  We must put his teachings to work in our lives." (Be Not Deceived, 2004.)  Eventually, by following the counsel of the prophets, we can again return to the Kingdom of God to live with Christ.

Faith is a Verb

Jesus Christ - Media Library

There are two parts to having faith in Jesus Christ - the first being to have "a firm belief that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  It means believing that He suffered for your sins and afflictions (Faith in Jesus Christ)."  When I hear most people talk about having faith this is the part they focus on.  However, there is a second part to it that is just as important:  to act on that belief.

Go, and Do

After giving the parable of the good Samaritan the Lord asked who was a true neighbor to the injured man.  The response he received was "He that showed mercy on him."  To this the Savior said, "Go, and do thou likewise." (Luke 10:37.)  Likewise we learn from James:

"Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man say, Thou hast faith, and I have works:  shew me thy faith without works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works... Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (James 2:17-18,22.)

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us many things during his mortal ministry:  Prayer, the sacrament, the Beatitudes, etc.  We also learn many things from him through the many revelations and teachings of prophets throughout the Old Testament and Book of Mormon, but we must not only know these things in our minds, but must know them in our hearts - we must act on them.  It is good to know how to pray, but it will do no good if we do not pray.  Understanding the sacrament, or Lord's Supper, is wonderful, but we must partake of it also.

Faith Taught By a Living Apostle

Elder David A. Bednar, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teaches:

"True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to righteous action.  The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that 'faith [is] the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness; and that it is also 'the principle of action in all intelligent beings' (Lectures on Faith).  Action alone is not faith in the Savior, but acting in accordance with correct principles is a central component of faith." (Ask in Faith, April 2008 General Conference.)

Christ - The Perfect Example of Faith in Action

The Lord taught us again and again throughout his life that we must serve others.  James, of the New Testament and someone who was close to Christ, wrote that "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27.)

Never did Jesus turn away someone that came to him for help.  He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cured leprosy and many other ailments.  He not only taught us how to serve, but he showed us how to do it.  He forgave those that did wrong against him or others, and then showed them how to be a righteous person.

And, in the final moments of his mortal life, he showed faith in his Father's Plan of Salvation by giving his life for us.  He not only taught the atonement, but he lived the atonement, for all of us.

It is important to know the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to have faith in the Lord, but to show our faith we must act on it.  For "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23, emphasis added.)

Becoming Pure Through Jesus Christ

Why Do We Need An Atonement?

In the Book of Mormon the Lord Jesus Christ declared, “No unclean thing can enter into his [God’s] kingdom;” Because we are all human and err this scripture may be discouraging.  But the Lord continues, “Therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end” (3Nephi 27:19).  What does Christ mean when he says we must wash our garments in his blood?

Alma Explains the Atonement

In the meridian of time Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born on earth with a physical body.  The prophet Alma explained:

“And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:10-12)

Just as Alma prophesied, Christ suffered all the pains and sins of mankind in the Gethsemane garden.  When he did this he acted as our mediator with God on behalf of our sins.  Jesus paid the price of our sins and so if we listen to him he will clean our souls of the sins we have committed, making us pure again.  Through this purification in the Savior we are then able to enter the kingdom of Heaven, being clean of all sins.

An Apostles Testimony - Boyd K. Packer

President Boyd K. Packer, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has expressed his feelings on this event in these words:

“No matter what our transgressions have been, no matter how much our actions may have hurt others, that guilt can all be wiped out.  To me, perhaps the most beautiful phrase in all scripture is when the Lord said, ‘Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.’”

*Click here formore quotes by President Packer.

As was expressed in the words of Alma and Elder Packer, because of Christ’s atonement we are able to repent of sins we commit and become clean again.

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Would you like to know more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
- Mormon.org/Chat
- The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Strength In Prayer

Introduction
Today I speak of a favorite topic of mine - prayer.  The first Article of Faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says that, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."  Prayer is a way for all of us to commune with God, our Eternal Father.  We do so in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son, and through the influence and power of the Holy Ghost.

Help In Trials
In our lives on earth all of us face hardships and trials, many of which may seem too hard to deal with ourselves.  How do we get through these trials, after doing all that we can do?  The Savior has promised, "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24).  In prayer we may ask for help in these times, and we shall receive if we do so in faith.

Help With Temptation
Sometimes we are not having a physical hardship, but we are suffering temptations that we do not know how to get away from.  Elder Boyd K. Packer, in a General Conference address, has informed that, "When temptation comes, you can invent a delete key in your mind-"  One of these delete keys can be to say a silent prayer in our mind.  This is confirmed with the scripture found in the Doctrine and Covenants, which says, "Pray always that you enter not into temptation" (D&C 61:39).

Conclusion
Returning to the words of Elder Packer, he has said, "Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we were sent to earth to endure."  However, we can always ask for the strength to overcome these hardships and disappointments.

"Learn to pray.  Pray often.  Pray in your mind, in your heart.  Pray on your knees.  Prayer is your personal key to heaven.  The lock is on your side of the veil." - Elder Boyd K. Packer

I love prayer, and know that when we pray in faith we are communicating with God, our Father, and he helps us in return.

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To learn more about prayer, visit the following sites:

- Back to the Basics:  Prayer

- Receiving Answers to Prayer

- Chat with a Missionary about Prayer

From Mormonism's History - The Word of Wisdom

In the early history of Mormonism a revelation now called the Word of Wisdom was given to Joseph Smith (now section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants).  This Word of Wisdom contains some instruction on how to keep the body healthy.  Among these are the following:

What's In the Revelation?
"That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good," (v. 5), "And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly," (v. 8), "Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving." (v. 11), "All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts," (v. 14).

Not everything bad for the body is listed in this revelation, neither is all that is good for the body listed here.  Joseph Smith has said in relation to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves."  This also holds true with the Word of Wisdom.  The principle is presented and members of the church govern themselves over it.  Things that can be harmful to the body should not be given to the body, and things that are good for the body should be used.

A Real-Life Example
In a General Conference address, October of 1996, Elder L. Tom Perry shared a story of an athlete on a track team.  His team was at a competition.  The night before the coach of the team asked all the athletes to have a small glass of wine, thinking this would help them be on the best game the following morning.  The boy refused to take the wine, but the rest of his teammates did have some.  The following morning every athlete except the boy that refused the wine was ill, some of which unable to race.  This boy, however, went out to his races, winning race after race throughout the competition.

To listen to Elder Perry's full address, watch the video below:


More on the Word of Wisdom:
Read more on the Word of Wisdom here at the following sites.
https://www.lds.org/topics/word-of-wisdom
http://www.squidoo.com/those-crazy-mormons-word-of-wisdom

If you have any further questions you can ask the Mormon missionaries.
http://mormon.org/chat

Mormonism Teachings: Enduring to the End

*Photo from Wikimedia Commons*
by James Padgett

An oft said phrase in the teachings of Mormonism is this:  "Endure to the end."  This line can be found numerous times in the Standard Works of the Church.  The question asked in relation to this is - How does one endure to the end?

In an earlier post I have tried to answer this question using the example of Christ found in the book of Matthew (See Withstanding Temptations Through Christ).  I now come back to this topic using the example of Job, of the Old Testament.  The prophets of the scripture have all had their great trials and tribulations - Moses leading Israel; David fighting Goliath; Elijah with the prophets of Baal; etc. - but the man that impresses me the most with perseverance is Job.

Job, in the beginning of his record, had it all - land, house, workers, crop, animals, etc. - the scripture says that he "was the greatest of all the men of the east."  In addition to this he was also a man of great faith in Jesus Christ.  It is written "that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." (Job 1:3, 1 respectively)

There came a time in his life that he was greatly tempted of the devil to see whether or not he would still be a man of great faith.  At first his herds were taken, his servants were taken, and even all of his children were taken from him.  Job's reply to all of this was:  "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither:  the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)

Photo:
'Welcome' by Del Parson

The lesson I get out of his reply is that we are all born with nothing.  All things on the earth, and the earth itself, were created by the Lord, and anything we gain in this life is thanks to him.  We should thank the Lord for the things we have while we have them.  And when those things are no longer in our lives we can be glad we had them when we did, and know the Lord is still in charge.

After being tested with the things around him, and proving himself faithful, Job was tried again.  This time with physical ailments.  From head to foot he was covered in boils.  His reply to this one?  "What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10)

His comment echoes a great truth:  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  Life doesn't always go perfect, even if you are doing your best to be righteous and faithful.  Sometimes a challenge presents itself.  It is in those times that we must do our best to keep our faith strong in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our challenging circumstances, let us remember these words of Job:  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:  but I will maintain mine own ways before him.  He also shall be my salvation" (Job 13:15-16).

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Listen to Al Fox share her feelings on how and why we should press forward, enduring to the end with faith:

 

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If you have any questions concerning the teachings of Mormonism that are not explained here, ask the Mormon missionaries.  They will help answer any of your questions:

Missionary Chat | http://mormon.org/chat

Mormonism Teachings: Cleansing Through Christ

One of the great teachings of Mormonism is that of repentance.  Through repentance a person may be cleansed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Previously I have shared a page about Christ's healing power with the Legion.  Now I'd like to share another scripture story of his healing power, that of Naaman the Syrian captain.

Although these two stories - Naaman and Legion - are physical healing, they equally show what the Lord can do for us through repentance.  First I will share the story, and then add my thoughts on the repentance side of it.

2 Kings 5
1. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria:  he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
2. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
4. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel.  And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
7. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8. And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?  So he turned and went away in a rage.
13. And his servants came near, and spake unto him and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God:  and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Naaman had leprosy, which was one of the most feared diseases at this time.  Moses' law taught that if a man had leprosy he was to live alone outside of the city (see Leviticus 13:45-46).  To make matters more humiliating for Naaman, Elisha told him not to wash in the clean Abana or Pharpar rivers, but to wash in the filthy Jordan.

Like that of Legion, this must have seemed like a worst-case scenario for Naaman.  He was unclean and was told to wash in an unclean river.  But, with the encouragement of his servants, he did wash in Jordan and was cleaned of his unclean disease.

I believe this to be a testament that Christ is the master-healer.  No one can become too unclean through sin to be healed by the Atonement.  The process of repentance is real and the cleansing through Christ is real.  Like Naaman and Legion being clean with physical problems, we can be clean of sinful problems through Jesus Christ.

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If you have further questions about repentance you can read more about it here:

Forgiveness is a Gift

Or you can ask a Mormon missionary here:

http://mormon.org/chat

Mormonism Basics: The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Introduction

The center of Mormonism is Jesus Christ (see MormonTopics.org). Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Only Begotten. Before the world was made he was with the Father and there was chosen to the be Savior of the world. In the Meridian of Time he came forth to do his work to redeem mankind from the fall of Adam. He finished his mortal ministry with what is called The Atonement. It was here that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died, and three days later was resurrected. It is this atonement that I will talk about on this page.

Gethsemane

Jesus Christ, in the garden of Gethsemane, did something that no mortal man can do.  The scriptures tell us that he knelt and prayed in the garden, bleeding from each pore, and took all mankind's sins upon himself.

Nothing I have read or heard speaks of the atonement of Christ in a more profound or personal way than those of Elder Bruce R. McConkie, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

"We do not know, we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane.

"We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his Father had given him.

"We know he suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death.

"We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains of penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in his holy name.

"We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink the bitter cup.

"We know that an angel came from the courts of glory to strengthen him in his ordeal, and we suppose it was mighty Michael, who foremost fell that mortal man might be.

"As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies - this suffering beyond compare - continue for some three or four hours." (The Purifying Power of Gethsemane, General Conference, April 1985.)

Golgotha | Calvary

After his agonizing experience in Gethsemane the Lord was arrested and taken to the leaders of the day - Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod - to be tried as a blasphemer.  His sentence was to be scourged 39 times, and then crucified in Golgotha, on the hill Calvary.

On the cross he again felt the pains of Gethsemane.  This he did until he was able to say to God, the Father, that his work on earth was finished.

Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

The Atonement, in its entirety, was not completed until three days later.

After the Savior of the world died on the cross he was moved to the tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea.  Here Nicodemus, Joseph, and others that believed and loved him in life, placed him in linen and spices.

Three days later, in a way that none of us can fully understand, Jesus Christ reunited his spirit and his body, and was the first to be resurrected.  In so doing he broke the fearsome bands of death and completed the Atonement.

In Closing

The Lord did all of this for each and every person who lives on the earth, that we may again live with God in heaven again.  He took all sins upon him that we may be allowed to repent of these sins and be clean again (see Forgiveness Is A Gift).  And he was resurrecting, opening the gates for the resurrection of all mankind.

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*All photos taken from LDS.org's Media Library.

As is always the case, if you have questions about Jesus Christ, the Atonement, or any other topic relating to Mormonism, just ask the missionaries and they will help you.
http://mormon.org/chat

Testimonies Throughout Mormonism's History

Yesterday I made this video containing testimonies of eight of the sixteen latter-day prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism).  The prophets contained in this video are:

David O. McKay | Joseph Fielding Smith | Harold B. Lee | Spencer W. Kimball
Ezra Taft Benson | Howard W. Hunter | Gordon B. Hinckley | Thomas S. Monson

I love listening to the words of these prophets.  Their teachings help us live happier lives, be better people, and, most importantly, come closer to Christ.  I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be the church that has been set up through the guidance of the Lord himself, by the hands of Joseph Smith and his successors.

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If you would like to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ, or Mormonism, check out some of the following sites:

Mormon Topics | http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ

LDS | https://www.lds.org/

Mormon | http://mormon.org/

If you have further questions there are missionaries ready to help answer your questions.  Just ask.

Chat with a Missionary | http://mormon.org/chat

What is Mormonism: Articles of Faith - Article #8

What is Mormonism? - Article of Faith #8.

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

The Bible
The Holy Bible is a marvelous book of holy writ.  Contained within its pages are many of the teachings, prophecies and revelations of the ancient prophets, and even those of Christ himself.  Four of the books are of the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Truly this is a sacred volume of scripture.

So why do we say it is the word of God only so far "as it is translated correctly"?  One must understand that the scrolls and documents and other manuscripts that are now recorded in the Bible are thousands of years old.  The New Testament took place approximately 2,000 years ago, and the Old Testament before that.  These books have been rewritten time and time again for centuries.  In addition, these scriptures were originally written in Hebrew and Greek.  They have been translated numerous times before they have become what they are today, in our English.  As the Bible was translated more and more, some of the passages have been altered.

To learn more on this we can go the words of Nephi, an ancient prophet that was shown the history of the Bible.

"...Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record  and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.

"Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.

"And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away."
- 1 Nephi 13:24-26 -

In summary, some passages have been lost to time, some have been removed by people, but the Holy Bible, if read and understood correctly, contains the word of God and is a book of holy scripture.


The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ
The Book of Mormon does not have the same history that the Bible does.  It was not translated time and time again with time, but only once.  After the records now called the Book of Mormon were complete, the prophet Moroni hid them where they would not be disturbed until the Lord wanted them to be found.  That was approximately 420 A.D.  In the early nineteenth century the Lord sent again Moroni, now as a an angel, to guide Joseph Smith to the place he hid these records.

Just as the Bible is a record of ancient civilizations, and the spiritual teachings, prophecies and revelations, etc., so is the Book of Mormon.  The Bible is a record of the tribe of Judah and the Book of Mormon is a record of part of the tribes of Joseph.  The Bible in the Old World and the Book of Mormon in the New World.

Together these two canonized books of scripture contain the full gospel of Jesus Christ, and are the words of God.

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To learn more about Mormonism, visit here: http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ
More on Mormonism's belief of the Bible: http://www.squidoo.com/mormonisms-take-on-the-holy-bible
Ask any questions you have here: http://mormon.org/chat

What is Mormonism: Articles of Faith - Article #9

This post is another addition to the "What is Mormonism?" series of posts.  In this post I'll discuss the ninth Article of Faith.

We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

It is oft mentioned in the scriptures that God is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (see 2 Nephi 27:23; Mormon 9:9; Hebrews 13:8).  This scripture is an important part of Mormonism.  In Article 6 I talked of the restitution of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This restoration came when the Lord Jesus Christ, and God, the Father, visited the later-to-be-prophet Joseph Smith, just as he had done with the prophets of past dispensations.  We believe that God had spoken to his prophets in Biblical times just as he did with Joseph Smith (for example see Deuteronomy 34:10).

Because God is the same today as yesterday, we believe he speaks to his modern prophets (currently Thomas S. Monson is prophet of the Church).  An example of modern revelation is the Word of Wisdom given to the Prophet Joseph, recorded now in the Doctrine and Covenants section 89.  And because God is the same today as he will be tomorrow, we believe revelation will be given to prophets in the future.  We do not know what these future revelations will be, but we believe they will pertain to the kingdom of God.

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If you have any questions concerning Mormonism or the Articles of Faith that have not been answered in this post, the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be happy to help answer your questions.

http://mormon.org/chat

What is Mormonism: Articles of Faith - Article #13

Continuing with the "What is Mormonism?" series of posts, I now add Article of Faith #13.  This is the final Article of Faith.  It is as follows:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.  If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Number thirteen is my personal favorite of the Articles of Faith.  This final point of belief leaves a person with hope of the future.  One day there can be found a future of honesty, truth, chastity, benevolence, and virtue, among other good and praiseworthy traits and standards.

I do not pretend to say that hard times won't come.  We all know that no matter how righteous a person strives to be, challenges will enter life.  Consider the prophets in the scriptures.  They were prophets of the Lord but they still had their problems.  Think of Joseph Smith, a martyr for the gospel of the Lord.  It was the President Joseph Smith that said, "The nearer a person approaches the Lord, the greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of His purposes."

But we have already "endured many things" that the adversary has thrown at us.  Elder James E. Faust has given us these words of comfort:  "He [the devil] can have no power over us unless we permit it" (The Great Imitator, 1987).  So we strive to obtain the good things in life to the greatest of our abilities, with the hope of being able to endure all things, making life better for us and those around us.

If, after reading this series on the Articles of Faith, you have any questions on Mormonism or Joseph Smith or anything else pertaining to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ask the missionaries by clicking the picture below.

Receiving Answers to Prayer

Once a month, in the Ensign and Liahona magazines, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives a special message to its readers.  This month the message was written by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor to President Thomas S. Monson, on the topic of prayer.  I will be quoting parts of his message on this page, but if you are interested in reading his full article you can do so here:  The Voice of the Lord.

I have touched on the meaning of prayer in the post - "Back to the Basics:  Prayer" - and if you'd like to learn about that you can visit that post.  This time, to follow along with President Eyring's message, I'd like to talk about answers to prayers, and how they are received.

As mentioned in my previous Prayer page, prayer is "a reverent communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings." (LDS Guide to the Scriptures - Prayer).  If we are going to speak to the Lord, it is only natural that he answer us, thus creating that communication with God.

How do we get answers to our prayers?  Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve, has said, "as in the gospel itself, the first principle is faith."  He then goes on to say that following faith one must have humility (The Lord's Way, pp. 33-34).  President Eyring echoes these words, saying, "Humility and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are the key."  If we are humble and believe that God will answer us then we will receive his answers.

Taking from President Eyring's article, we learn why we need faith and humility:

"Over and over in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord requires faith and humility before he gives His help.  One reason for this is that His answers may not come in the way we expect.  Neither will they always be easy to accept."

He continues with the example of his ancestor:

"My great-grandfather Henry Eyring prayed fervently to know what he should do when he heard the restored gospel taught in 1855.  The answer came in a dream.

"He dreamed that he was seated at a table with Elder Erastus Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and with an elder named William Brown.  Elder Snow taught the principles of the gospel for what seemed to be an hour.  Then Elder Snow said, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to be baptized and this man [Elder Brown] ... shall baptize you.'"

Although it is a rare occasion for prayers to be answered in such a way, it can happen in a vision (see 1 Nephi 8:2; Acts 10:10-16).

Many times answers to prayers can be found in reading the scriptures.  This is not strange when one realizes that many recorded scriptures are simply the answers to prayers asked by prophets in ancient times.  Answers to those prayers can help answer our prayers.  I remember a few years ago needing help with some problem I had.  After going to the privacy in my room I prayed about it and once I opened my eyes I saw my Book of Mormon.  Opening the Book of Mormon I found a scripture with my answer.

Among the most common ways a prayer is answered is through the whispering of the Spirit.  In an interview with Mr. Wallace, of 60 Minutes, Gordon B. Hinckley was asked how he communicates with the Lord.  President Hinckley answered him with by quoting from the book of 1 Kings.

"And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind:  and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:  and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:  and after the fire a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-12).

The Book of Mormon also speaks of the Spirit of the Lord, the still small voice:

"They heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center ... and did cause their hearts to burn" (3 Nephi 11:3).

That scripture ends by saying it caused their hearts to burn, which is another way to receive an answer - through feelings!  Oliver Cowdery, scribe to Joseph Smith, was told in answer to his own prayer that the Lord will "cause that your bosom shall burn within you" (D&C 9:8).

The final way to receive an answer that I will mention in this article is through other people.  They may not know it, but often times an answer to prayer comes through others.  I know families that were in need of food and prayed for a way to receive some when a neighbor decided to bring over some food.  I've seen this happen with other things, such as a person needing yard work done and a neighbor offering to help.

If we look out for such things mentioned above (and even others not talked about) we will see that the Lord does answer all of our prayers, in his way.

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Follow this link to learn more about the beliefs of Mormonism: http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ

If you have any questions on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ask the missionaries here.  They will do their best to help you out.: http://mormon.org/chat

All photos on this blog post are taken from the LDS Media Library.

Mormonism: A Living Prophet

Thomas S. Monson
Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Photo taken from LDS.org

Apostle M. Russell Ballard was once asked the question:  What makes Mormonism different than other religions?  His answer was a question of his own:  If Moses was alive on the earth today, would you listen to him?  The interviewer responded, saying, "Of course!  Everyone would listen!"  Elder Ballard responded by saying that is what makes us different than other churches.  We have a prophet that has the same authority Moses had in Biblical times.

The Church of Jesus Christ does have a modern-day, living prophet to watch over and lead the church.  As the 6th Article of Faith explains, "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."  Among the ancient Church of Jesus Christ were prophets to give the will of the Lord to the people.  The Doctrine and Covenants explains further the role of a prophet:

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same" (D&C 1:38).

A prophets speak to the church the will of the Lord.  I have heard the question, "What is the need for a prophet to speak on behalf of the Lord when I can pray to the Lord myself?"  While it is true that we can pray to the Lord for ourselves and learn what God wants us to do, we cannot do so on behalf of the entire church.  The church does many wonderful things on a global level - such as sending necessities during natural disasters, or giving food to those that do not have the money for it themselves.  These are things that have been organized by our prophets according to the revelations and inspiration they have received from God.

The prophet is also often called a "seer" or "revelator."  I will only briefly discuss these as I have at an earlier time made a post on this topic specifically.  You can read that earlier post here, if you want to know more: Seers Ancient and Modern.

A Seer, as defined in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Guide to the Scriptures, is "a person authorized of God to see with spiritual eyes things which God has hidden from the world... A seer knows the past, present, and future."

And a revelator is a person with the authority to reveal the will of God to the people.  In this way he is able to guide the people of the Church in righteous ways.

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As is always the case, if you are confused about anything I have said here, or have any additional questions concerning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), you are welcome to ask the Mormon missionaries your questions here: http://mormon.org/chat.

What is Mormonism: Articles of Faith - Article #6

A while back I began a series of posts called, "What is Mormonism?" in which I gave my thoughts on the Articles of Faith.  I will now do some more on that.  This post is on Article of Faith #6, which reads as follows:

We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

This article explains just what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints professes to be:  the same church that Christ formed during his ministry.  We believe that during Jesus Christ's mortal life he set up a church.  This can be seen in the words of Paul, when he said:

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
- Ephesians 4:11-12 -

We believe, as the Article of Faith says, in that same organization.  I now add an excerpt from the words of Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

"I realize that this is quite a claim, especially when we consider all of the other organizations that profess similar authority.  And many of those organizations have been around much longer than our Church.  How can we claim Heavenly Father's full authority when others can trace their ecclesiastical roots back through the middle ages to the time of Christ Himself?  Quite simply, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that God's full authority was lost from the earth for centuries following the mortal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles..." (M. Russell Ballard, Our Search For Happiness, pp. 26).

The apostle Paul spoke of the time this authority would be lost when he wrote "for that day [the Second Coming of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first," (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  Peter, another ancient apostle during the time of Christ, wrote of a "restitution of all things" that must come before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:20-21).  How can there be a restitution without a falling away?

We believe that this restitution of all things began in the early nineteenth century when young Joseph Smith prayed in a grove of trees and the heavens were again opened with a new dispensation.  (Read more about the First Vision of Joseph Smith here.)

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If you have any questions concerning Mormonism, Joseph Smith or the Articles of Faith, please ask the missionaries your questions by clicking the picture below.  They will do their best to answer any of your questions.