The Christ of Mormonism

'WELCOME' by Del Parson
http://www.delparson.com/

Who is Jesus Christ?
He is the Son of God, the Only Begotten in the flesh.  He dwelt with God before the world was made, and was chosen then to be the Christ of all mankind:

Abraham 3:27
27. And the Lord said:  Whom shall I send?  And one answered like unto the Son of Man:  Here am I, send me.  And another answered and said:  Here am I, send me.  And the Lord said:  I will send the first.

He created the earth:

John 1:3
3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In the Old Testament he was known as Jehovah, the great I AM.  The people of the New Testament knew him as the Christ, the Redeemer and Messiah.  During the Meridian of time he came to earth and "went about doing good." (Acts 10:38.)  In the last days of his life he atoned for all men in Gethsemane, and soon after died at Golgotha (also known as Calvary) on the cross:

Alma 7:11-12
11. 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.
12. 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.

After three days he was resurrected from the tomb:

1 Corinthians 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

He implemented the sacrament among his followers for them to always remember his sacrifice for them.  In the latter-days, early nineteenth century, he returned to earth to restore his church:

Joseph Smith-History 1:17-19
17. ...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!
18. My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join...
19. I was answered that I must join none of them...

His church was restored - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;" (Ephesians 2:20).

One future day he will return to the earth yet again, this time the King of Kings, in all his glory, as the Son of God.

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More on Mormonism - http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ
See also 'The Living Christ' - http://jesuschrist.lds.org/
Any Questions? - http://mormon.org/chat

Mormon Music: Elder Czubak's 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing'

Greetings readers!

This post is a little different than my others.  The song below was recorded and performed by myself and is now presented here to you.  The song is "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," and is a personal favorite of mine.

As I may have mentioned before, click the following link to learn more about Mormonism: http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ

You can also view more of my videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/teaguerchubak/videos
And, should you have any questions concerning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ask a missionary here: http://mormon.org/chat?cid=sgo-csm-tc

History of Mormonism Hymns - Lead, Kindly Light

My past post was on the history of Mormonism hymns, more particularly The Spirit of God.  As this post is my 50th and must be special, I will continue on with a history of Mormonism hymns and share the story of my favorite hymn - #97 Lead, Kindly Light.

The Story Behind the Hymn:
John Henry Newman was the man behind the words now know as hymn #97.  In a General Conference address in October 2000, Virginia U. Jensen shared Newman's story as follows:

"As a young priest traveling in Italy in 1833, Englishman John Henry Newman encountered emotional and physical darkness when illness detained him there for several weeks.  He became deeply discouraged, and a nurse who saw his tears asked what troubled him.  All he could reply was that he was sure God had work for him to do in England.  Aching to return home, he finally found passage on a small boat.
"Not long after the ship set sail, thick fog descended and obscured the hazardous cliffs surrounding them.  Trapped for a week in the damp, gray darkness, the ship unable to travel forward or back, Newman pled for his Savior's help as he penned the words we now know as the hymn 'Lead, Kindly Light.'"
- Virginia U. Jensen, Lead Kindly Light -

Words of the Hymn:
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom; lead thou me on!  The night is dark and I am far from home; lead thou me on!  Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene - one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on.  I loved to choose and see my path; but now, lead thou me on!  I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, pride ruled my will.  Remember not past years.
So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on over moor and fen, over crag and torrent, till the night is gone.  And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Scriptures Behind the Hymn:
There are many scriptures that could be used as an example to show what is being said in this song, but I'll select only a few.  First and foremost comes to mind John 8:12:

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:  he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Shown in both the scripture and the hymn is the statement that Christ is our light.  When we follow him we are not lost.  A second scripture I'll use is found in the Book of Mormon.  This scripture speaks on Christ's power to disperse the darkness of sin and mistakes.  Not physical darkness but spiritual and metaphorical darkness.

"He knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness - yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God-" (Alma 19:6)

These are just a couple of the many scriptures that could be used to show Christ as our guiding light.  Just as the song says, so long Christ's power hath blest me, and sure it still will lead me on.  And he will do the same for everyone, even those that feel like they've gone too far from the light.  As was said in the post 'A Joyful Lesson From Alma Jr.,' the end result can always be the same:  Our souls can be filled with joy as exceeding as was our pain.  The light of Christ can reach anyone, and then we can live in the light.

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Lead, Kindly Light sheet music: Hymn #97 sheet music
Any questions concerning Mormonism?  Ask a missionary!

History of Mormonism Hymns - The Spirit of God

When people consider the history of Mormonism what is often thought of is the first vision, restoration of the priesthood, formation of the church, or the Book of Mormon, etc.  But there is much more!  In the English hymn book there are hundreds of hymns, each one with its own history.  These can also be considered an important part of the history of Mormonism.

W. W. Phelps (William Wines Phelps) wrote the words to fourteen of the hymns in the current hymn book of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  One of the earliest and most notorious of his hymns is The Spirit of God (Hymn #2).

The hymn The Spirit of God is a message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter-days.  Contained in its lyrics are many lines from scripture, such as the following from the Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer, found now in the Doctrine and Covenants (one of Mormonism's standard works):

"And also this church, to put upon it thy name.  And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb!  And let these, thine anointed ones, be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shout aloud for joy.  Amen, and Amen." (D&C 109:79-80)

At the closing of the Kirtland, Ohio temple dedication this hymn was sung by the congregation, and it has been sung at temple dedications ever since that day.

Lyrics of the Hymn:

The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!  The latter-day glory begins to come forth; the visions and blessings of old are returning.  And angels are coming to visit the earth.

We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!  Let glory to them in the highest be given, hence forth and forever, Amen and amen!

The Lord is extending the Saints' understanding, restoring their judges and all as at first.  The knowledge and power of God are expanding; the veil over the earth is beginning to burst.

We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!  Let glory to them in the highest be given, hence forth and forever, Amen and amen!

We'll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit, to spread forth the kingdom of heaven abraod, that we through our faith may begin to inherit the visions and blessings and glories of God.

We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!  Let glory to them in the highest be given, hence forth and forever, Amen and amen!

How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion shall lie down together without any ire, and Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion, as Jesus descends with his chariot of fire!

We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!  Let glory to them in the highest be given, hence forth and forever, Amen and amen!

If you'd like to learn more about Mormonism you can chat with a missionary:
http://mormon.org/chat?cid=sgo-csm-tc
Learn more about W.W. Phelps and The Spirit of God:
http://www.mormonchannel.org/history-of-hymns/22

Born of Water and of the Spirit - Mormonism Baptism

In the Meridian of time a man named Nicodemus shared an interesting conversation with Christ.  Jesus told the man of the Pharisees that "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Confused concerning how to be born again he asked, and received the response, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-5)

We all know that Christ was not speaking of a second physical birth, as Nicodemus supposed he was, but rather he was speaking of a spiritual birth - baptism and conversion.  Man must be born of water and of the Spirit.  Mormonism, like most other Christian denominations and sects, believe in baptism and conversion.

This birth of water is being baptized by immersion in similitude of Christ.  The water is a representation of the grave and we are to be lowered fully under the water in representation of death and brought back out in representation of Christ's resurrection.

After understanding the purpose of baptism, as a representation of Christ and through it showing our willingness to be like him, and being baptized, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is then confirmed a member by the laying on of hands.  In this confirmation the person is given the "gift of the Holy Ghost." (Articles of Faith 1:4)

This gift of the Holy Ghost allows the person the opportunity to have the companionship of the Spirit, so long as that person lives worthy of that companionship.

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Would you like to know more about Mormonism or baptism? Ask a missionary here.

Mormonism: Immortality and Eternal Life (Moses 1:39)

Many of you may know this, but for those of you who do not, I will explain.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) has more book of scripture than just the Holy Bible.  It is not uncommon for religions to have multiple books of scripture.  Mormonism has four scriptural books:  The Holy Bible (containing both the Old and New Testaments), the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.  The passage I wish to expound upon today is taken from the Pearl of Great Price.

In the Book of Moses, in the Pearl of Great Price, chapter one verse thirty nine, it reads:

"For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

There are many ways one could branch out from this, but I wish to do so this way:  First I will explain immortality and second eternal life.  There is a difference between the two, and in connection with the above quoted verse it is important to understand.  Here we go.

Immortality
As the word describes, immortality is to be immortal, to live forever.  Mankind is now mortal (as is discussed in detail here and here).  But through the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ mankind will one day become immortal through the resurrection (discussed a bit more in detail here and here).  In this way the first half of the previously quoted verse has come into being.  God's work of bringing about immortality has been fulfilled.

Eternal Life
Second comes eternal life.  Eternal Life is a degree greater than immortality.  Immortality is to live forever and eternal life is to liver forever with God, in the Celestial Kingdom.  Only those that have lived worthily to receive this will have eternal life.  (Discussed more here.)

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If you have questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormonism, Jesus Christ, or any other church topic chat with a missionary here.

"A Family Is Forever" - Mormonism and It's Temples

Among the many posts and articles I have written is one simply entitled "Temples," about the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Temples are central to marriage.  It is the goal for all members to make it to the temple.  There is even a children's song which begins:  I love to see the temple, I'm going there some day.

Why does Mormonism consider temples to be such great buildings?  Again I'll take the words from the children's song:

"For the temple is a holy place where we are sealed together.  As a child of God, I've learned this truth:  A family is forever."

The Family is what the gospel of Christ is all about.  All people are the children of God, the Father.  There is nothing He wants more than for us to live again in His kingdom.  Likewise, on a smaller scale, everyone on earth has a family.  The relationship of this earthly family is just as important as our spiritual family.  The gospel includes the opportunity for our families to be together forever, even after death.

Inside the temple couples are sealed together not just "till death do us part" but for eternity.  Also in this sacred setting inside the temple families can be sealed together for eternity.

There are other wonderful things that happen inside the temple, but this is one of them.

"A family is forever."

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Interested in More?
 - Mormonism: http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ
 - Temples (the article mentioned above): http://www.squidoo.com/those-crazy-mormons-temples
 - Ask a missionary here if you have further questions: http://mormon.org/chat?cid=sgo-csm-tc

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Mormonism in the First Vision

While looking over my blog last night I realized I have yet to share the story and significance of the 'First Vision' experience of Joseph Smith.  The account of Joseph's prayer in the grove of trees near his house goes back to the absolute beginning of the History of Mormonism.  I have written many posts concerning Joseph:  Meeting Moroni, the Gold Plates, Translation, the "Missing Pages," and even the vision with Sidney Rigdon, but I must now do the first vision.

Let us go back to the beginning of it now.  Joseph Smith grew up in the very early 19th century in New England.  This area at that time was going through the Second Great Awakening.  The 'Awakening' was a type of religious movement that was big in the New England area.  Christian denominations were working hard at this time to bring new people into their church.  This urge to get new members was so intense there were many arguments between the religious groups.

The family of Joseph Smith were religious, like most people at the time.  Some members of the Smith family went to one church while some others went to another church.  And there were members that did not attend a church, not knowing which one best fit their personal religious beliefs.  Joseph Smith was one that did not join a church.  He did not know which to join.  But all these religions believed to teach from the Bible and the Smith family had a Bible.  So this is where the young Joseph turned for help.

In the beginning of the book of James Joseph read the following verse:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him as of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

*You may recognize that scripture from the post "Back to the Beginning of 'Mormonism' - Prayer."  If you'd like to go in more depth on that scripture check out that post.

The scripture simply explains that if a person needs guidance, especially spiritual guidance as was Joseph's case, then they could pray to God and receive the answer.  Understanding this, the young Smith decided to do just that.

Joseph chose the grove of trees near his house to say this prayer.  And now I'd like to use Joseph's own words:

"Having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.  I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak.  Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction - not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being form the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being - just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the birghtness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.  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 Smith History -

Standing in front of young Joseph Smith were God, the Father, and Jesus the Christ.  Having prayed to learn which church to join he then asked the two divine beings which church he should join.  The answer was that none of the churches at the time held the full gospel of Christ and so Joseph was not supposed to join any of them.  But the time would come that the true gospel of Christ would be restored to the world.

That church, formed by Joseph Smith in 1830 and restoring the gospel of Christ, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

*If you'd like to better understand what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes (what some people refer to as 'Mormonism') visit this post:  "What is Mormonism?"
You can also chat with a missionary about the Church and ask your questions here: Chat with a Missionary.

Back to the Basics: Prayer

At the moment I'd like to go back to the basics.  Not the basics of 'Mormonism' alone, but to the basics of all Christianity:  Prayer.  I do not know of a Christian religion that does not pray to God.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no different.

What is prayer?  For the answer I turn to 'Guide to the Scriptures' as published by the Church of Jesus Christ.  "A reverent communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings."

One definition of 'reverence' is "deeply respectful."  If we think of prayer as a deeply respectful communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings, then we can see that prayer is more than simple spoken words.  Prayer can be spoken or silent.  Quoting again the guide to the scriptures we read, "A person's thoughts may also be a prayer if they are directed to God."  God knows our thoughts (see Matthew 12:25, Luke 6:8, etc.) and therefore we can pray through thoughts.  The Book of Mormon teaches, "He commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples.  And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts." (3 Nephi 20:1)

Why should we pray to God?  To answer this question I turn to the LDS Bible Dictionary.  "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part."

I love the record of St. Matthew because it shows this:

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
"Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
- Matthew 7:7-11 -

God is the father of our spirits.  He knows what we need and how to give it to us, we simply need to ask him in faith, as St. Matthew has written.  Before this life we lived with him as his children, and if we live according to his commandments we will live with him again after this life.  (Learn more about that here.)

I like to think of it this way - Do you remember going on a vacation for the first time without your parents?  Or you can even think of it as moving out of home for the first time.  Most people in these situations want to call their parents to talk with them, share the exciting times and get guidance.  Likewise, the parents await to hear from their kids in these circumstances to share with the child in their excitement and to offer their guidance.  Prayer is no different.  We are a long way from our spiritual father and he is willing to talk to us if we are willing to talk to him.  He will share in our excitement, misery, or pain.  He will give us guidance and counsel as needed.

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Want to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 'Mormonism,' or prayer?  You can chat with a missionary here and you can ask all of your questions.

Mormonism Music - Spencer Mangum

In a recent post I wrote about why music is important to Mormonism.

*You can read this post here:  A Song of the Righteous.

Today I would like to spotlight a single musician that means a lot to me personally.  His name is Spencer Mangum and he writes his own arrangements of LDS Hymns.  I may spotlight his music every so often on this blog, and to start off I use this song:  I Need Thee Every Hour.  His version is a piano instrumental, but I will provide the lyrics to this lovely hymn nonetheless.

Hymn #84 - I Need Thee Every Hour

I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord.

No tender voice like thine can peace afford.

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee!

Oh, bless me now, my Savior; I come to thee!

I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby.

Temptations lose their power when thou art night.

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee!

Oh, bless me now, my Savior; I come to thee!

I need thee every hour, in joy or pain.

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee!

Oh, bless me now, my Savior; I come to thee!

I need thee every hour, most holy One.

Oh, make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son!

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee!

Oh, bless me now, my Savior; I come to thee!

*More music by Spencer Mangum can be found here.

Mormon Mothers

I want to make this post in appreciation to mothers, more particularly with the women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Many people criticize Mormonism because they say women do not have any important roles in the religion.  Elder Quentin L. Cook, in his General Conference address titled 'LDS Women Are Incredible!' has said, "Much of what we accomplish in the Church is due to the selfless service of women."  In the same address Elder Cook said the following:

"Sisters have key roles in the Church, in family life, and as individuals that are essential in Heavenly Father's plan... We pointed out that the most important organization on earth is the family, where 'fathers and mothers are...equal partners.'  Neither one is financially compensated, but the blessings are beyond description."

This morning I was reminded of a wonderful story from the Book of Mormon.  The story is often referred to as "The Stripling Warriors" story.  Before I say more I will share the story of the young warriors.

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Some background:
In the great war going on in this part of the Book of Mormon there are three groups to know about:  The Lamanites, the Nephites, and the people of Ammon.  Years before this war a missionary by the name of Ammon, a Nephite, went to the Lamanites and converted them and brought them back to the lands of the Nephites.  These converts are separate than the Nephites, however, because they vowed to never fight a war again so long as they lived.  After they made the promise to night fight the Lamanites, out of anger, came against them and killed many of them, until the remainder of the people were able to flee to the safety of the Nephites.

The time came though that the Lamanites were about to take over the Nephites in many of their strongholds.  These people of Ammon, with compassion, were ready to disregard their vow to never fight a war so that they could help their Nephite friends in battle.  The Nephites did not want them to break their promise though, and the answer was the sons of these Ammonites.  The sons had not made the promise that their fathers did, and they came out to join the Nephites to fight the Lamanites.

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And now I go to the account as recorded by Helaman (the captain over these boys) in the book of Alma chapter 56.

"Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?
"And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.
"For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me:  Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
"And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying:  We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

After their great battle Helaman writes:

"I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain.
"But, behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength;"

Quite often, and appropriately, people recount this story to show the power of the faith of these two thousand young men.  Through their faith they were able to go into one of the most intense wars of the times and come out without a single one of them being killed in battle.  But I wish to change the focus of this story slightly this once to the mothers of these men.

As mentioned earlier, the parents had covenanted to never to fight again.  As a result many, if not most, of the fathers had been killed by the Lamanites.  These two thousands boys were raised by their mothers.  This most assuredly was tough for both the kids and the mothers, but those mothers knew what was important to teach their kids and they were not afraid to do so.  The outcome was that an entire generation was raised in immense faith.  This was faith strong enough to preserve every last one of them even in the face of war.  Mothers, past and present, have a wonderful power and do a great work.

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Any questions concerning Mormonism?
Ask a missionary here!

Missionaries of Mormonism

I am certain that many of the readers of this blog are not only people unfamiliar with or outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but many of the readers may be members of the church.  Maybe some of you have an understanding of what the church explains, of what 'Mormonism' is, and some of you may not.  With that knowledge I do my best to write about these topics in a way that everyone understands.  Coming to mind right now are the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

"With marvelous new methods of communication, ever larger proportions of the audience for our conferences are not members of the Church - yet.  So we must speak to those who know us very well and those who know us not at all.  Within the Church alone we must speak to the children, the youth and young adults, the middle-aged, and the elderly.  We must speak to families and parents and children at home even as we speak to those who are not married, without children, and perhaps very far from home."
- Holland, An Ensign to the Nations, April 2011 -

That message of Elder Holland's was given in explanation to the talks given by General Authorities of the Church, but I feel it also applies to missionaries and even members of the church as a whole.  But in this post I wish to speak specifically on missionary work.

Nearly every Christian religion has missionaries.  Simply put, a missionary is a person sent to an area to teach those people about what they have (religion, education, medical help, etc).  Missionaries are not foreign in this world.  Religious missionaries are not foreign either.  Just like other religions, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has missionaries as well.

There are different types of missions that people can serve in the Church.  The most well-known is called a "full-time" mission.  A full-time mission is a proselyting mission.  The missionaries that serve this type of mission do so for 18 months (for girls) and 2 years (for boys), beginning at age 18 (for boys) and 19 (for girls).  They are often known for the way they dress.  Here is an example:

These missionaries are sent to an area of the world, as an apostle directs them, to live with other missionaries.  In their assigned area they teach people interested in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about what it is that members of the Church believe.

A second type of missionary are the "couple" missionaries.  These missionaries are married couples, that serve in an assigned area like the full-time missionaries, but they serve with their spouse rather than an assigned companion.  Some of these couples teach about the Church in interested people's homes, but some couples do other work for the Church.

And the third type of mission is called a "service" missionary.  In most cases those that service this kind of mission are those that are honorably excused from a full-time mission due to health or other reasons, but still want to serve for the Church.



And finally I will finish with one last question and answer:  Why do members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spend so much time and money to serve missions?  I know I cannot answer for all people that do this, but I can give my own answer.  Simply, it is joy.  Lehi taught his kids that "men are that they might have joy," (2 Nephi 2:25) and that is the great push behind missionary work.  The gospel taught by the Church brings us happiness and we simply want to share that happiness with whoever wants it.

If, after this post, you have additional questions concerning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormonism or missionaries, you can do a couple things:
1. Leave a comment with your question(s).
2. Ask a missionary yourself here.

Mormonism: A Song of the Righteous

I love music and have yet to make a post concerning this subject, and so I must now do so.  From what I have seen and heard, music is a big part of many religions.  Sabbath meetings often start and end with music.  This is not singled to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  But it is music in Mormonism that I wish to talk of today.

The First Presidency has included a preface message in the LDS Hymn books.  This message expresses the importance of having music in three areas of life - Church meetings, the home, and our personal lives - and so it is these three areas that I wish to focus on.

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Music In Church Meetings
From the First Presidency preface we read:
"Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings.  The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord."

This is not new.  Even the apostles in the Bible used hymns for similar purposes.  In Colossians it is recorded, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)

Hymns carry a message of Christ.  They talk of Christ, they rejoice in Christ and they preach of Christ.  It is for this reason that the Lord told Joseph Smith, "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me," (D&C 25:12).

When a faithful follower of Christ sings a song about Christ does not this sound like a prayer unto him?  When congregations sing these songs they help each other come spiritually toward God.

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Music In Our Homes
Again returning to the Presidency message we find the following:
"Ours is a hymnbook for the home as well as for the meetinghouse.  We hope the hymnbook will take a prominent place among the scriptures and other religious books in our homes.  The hymns can bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members."

This morning I came across a story that shows this.  The story is told by Elder Dallin H. Oaks:

"Last spring some of our children and fourteen of our grandchildren had a family outing in the mountains.  One of our activities was a meeting to share experiences and testimonies.  We gathered at the appointed time, but the little people were only gathered in body.  The large spirits in those little bodies were clamoring for more of the exciting outdoor activities they had been enjoying.  The cabin where we met was too small to contain them, and it seemed as if a dozen restless children and their outcries were ricocheting off the walls in every direction.  Grandparents will appreciate the apprehension I felt at trying to sponsor something serious in that setting.
"Suddenly the instinctive wisdom of young mothers rescued our efforts.  Two mothers began to sing a song familiar to the children.  Others joined in, and within a few minutes the mood had changed and all spirits were subdued and receptive to spiritual things."
- Worship Through Music, October 1994 -

Through spiritual music siblings can put down their disputes, and families can be brought together in happiness.

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Music In Our Personal Lives
Back to the Presidency:
"In addition to blessing us as Church and family members, the hymns can greatly benefit us as individuals.  Hymns can lift our spirits, give us courage, and move us to righteous action.  They can fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace."

Elder Oaks has stated that "Sacred music can help us even where there is no formal performance.  For example, when temptation comes, we can neutralize its effects by humming or repeating the words of a favorite hymn."

Spiritual songs can bring our very thoughts back to the will of the Lord.  Through music we can invite the Holy Ghost to dwell with us.

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Trials and Tribulation

Yesterday I went to Institute.  For those that do not know, Institute is a school of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is a place for those that are not a part of the Church to learn what 'Mormonism' is all about.  And it is a place for those that are a part of the Church to learn even more about 'Mormonism.'  While studying in the Book of Mormon yesterday someone pointed something out to me that I had not noticed before in this way.  We were reading in the book of Mosiah.

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The Background Story:
There are two groups of people at this time, the Lamanites and Nephites.  The Nephites in the north and the Lamanites in the south.  A number of people of the Nephites decided to try and get back one of their cities, called Lehi-Nephi, in the south that the Lamanites had taken over many years previous.  They made a truce with the Lamanites and began to live in Lehi-Nephi.

A generation passed by.  The first king of this small group of Nephites had died and his son, Noah, became the king.  King Noah was against everything religious.  When some of the people in his city began teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ King Noah sent his army to kill them, but they took off into the wilderness.  Just after that time the Lamanites returned to Lehi-Nephi and defeated the armies of Noah.  They agreed to spare the lives of Noah's people if the people would give the Lamanites half of everything they had.

In time the Lamanites came across the religious group of Nephites that had fled into the wilderness.  They then began to rule over these Nephites.

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And now to the point of it all:
Here are two groups of people that are now in bondage to the same people.  So let's now read the account as found in the Book of Mormon.  First one group, and then the other, and then we'll compare.

Group 1:
"And it came to pass that the people began to murmur with the king because of their affliction; and they began to be desirous to go against them to battle.  And they did afflict the king sorely with their complaints; therefore he granted unto them that they should do according to their desires.
"And they gathered themselves together again, and put on their armor, and went forth against the Lamanites to drive them out of their land.
"And it came to pass that the Lamanites did beat them, and drove them back, and slew many of them."

This account makes me think of the "fight or flight" theory.  They couldn't run because of the Lamanites surrounding their city, and so they fought back.  But in fighting back they lost many lives.  But their story continues.

"And it came to pass that their continual cries did stir up the remainder of the people of Limhi to anger against the Lamanites; and they went to battle, but they were driven back again, suffering much loss."

They decided they had to fight again.  They were desperate to get out of here and thought it must be done through war.  But they lost many lives again.  And now the story continues again.

"Yea, they went again even the third time, and suffered in the like manner; and those that were not slain returned again the the city of Nephi.
"And they did humble themselves even to the dust, subjecting themselves to the yoke of bondage, submitting themselves to be smitten, and to be driven to and fro, and burdened, according to the desires of their enemies."

*This account was taken from the book of Mosiah chapter 21 verses 6-13.

Group 2:
"And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.
"And Amulon [the wicked ruler over them] commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.
"And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying:  Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage."

*This account was taken from the book of Mosiah chapter 24 verses 10-13.

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Now the comparison:
Group one took the "fight or flight" state of mind, and because they couldn't run they attacked.  But the attacking did more harm than good for them.  The second group realized that there is a third option.  It is not simply "fight or flight," but "fight, flight, or pray."  The very same thing that happened to the first group happened to the second group.  But they prayed first and then went out and worked.

And now we must consider the outcomes, not just the way they went about things.  The first group lost many lives, possibly thousands, because their reaction was to fight against their oppressor.  The second group was saved from their situation by the hand of the Lord because they prayed for God's assistance and then did what the Lord told them to.

That is what this is all about.  These two great stories in the Book of Mormon show how to deal with rough situations.  We can fight back and face the damage that may happen to us, or we can pray for help and then do what the Lord tells us to do to get out of there.

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Learn more about The Book of Mormon or request a free copy.

Back to the Beginning of 'Mormonism' - Prayer

When people hear the word 'Mormonism' they often think first of Joseph Smith.  That makes sense in a way, as Joseph Smith was the prophet that restored the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but we must remember how "Mormonism" started.  As a teenager Joseph, not of any church, wanted to know which church he was supposed to be a part of.  He found way to the answer through the words of the ancient apostle James:

"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.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
-James 1:5,6-

More times than not, after this scripture is read people tend to move on to how Joseph prayed to know the truth and then the other things that came about from the Lord through Joseph Smith.  But, unlike most people, I'd like to stop here and focus on this scripture itself.  There are two verses, so lets take one at a time.

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James 1:5
"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."

In his mortal life Christ told us more than once to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9).  The Lord does not want us to live in ignorance.  When we are in need of wisdom or guidance or any other assistance he would that we ask God.  James is plainly telling us here that we can pray to God for answers and will receive them.  Some have said something similar to:  "This was written two-thousand years ago and does not apply anymore."  To reply to this I go to the words of Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews.  Paul writes:

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
-Hebrews 13:8-

If Christ could do it in the past, he can do it in the present.  If he can do it in the present, he will be able to do it in the future.  That is what Paul is trying to teach here.  And so, applying this to James' scripture we know that God can answer any prayer, liberally and without upbraiding (reproach), just as he has done in the past, and just as he will in the future.

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James 1:6
"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

To gain the needed wisdom mentioned in the previous verse we need to ask with faith that we will receive our answer.  But how does a person receive the faith necessary to do this?  This is a common question, and a good one.  I will answer this, in part, using words from the Book of Mormon.  Alma and Amulek, two prophets of the Book of Mormon, tried to teach this very same thing.  Here is a portion of their words:

"Now, as I said concerning faith - that it was not a perfect knowledge - even so it is with my words.  Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.  But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."
-Alma 32:26,27-

No one is expected to have perfect faith to begin with.  As Alma spoke, "even if ye can no more than desire to believe" then work with that.  He goes on to compare faith to a seed, something that Christ has done in the New Testament.  Faith is very similar to a seed.  Begin with a desire and work with that.  As you gain a testimony from that desire, as small as it may be, you then have something bigger to work with.  And as the seed of faith grows your ability to work with faith grows, until you can do what James has written:  "ask in faith, nothing wavering."

Summing it all up, we can see that God will answer our prayers and give us the needed guidance and wisdom, so long as we ask in faith.

"Let Brotherly Love Continue"

Today, rather than writing as I normally do, I'd like to share my favorite biblical scripture and then expound upon it.  I may use additional scriptures from the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenant or Pearl of Great Price.  I may expound upon some Mormonism teachings or I may simply share personal thoughts.

My favorite scripture in the Holy Bible is found in the book of Hebrews, chapter thirteen and verse one:
"Let brotherly love continue."

Whenever I hear or speak these words what comes to mind is the question a certain lawyer in the Meridian of Time asked Jesus Christ.  This experience can be found in the record of St. Matthew, chapter 22 verses 35-40:
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment."

Why is the greatest commandment to love the Lord?  Why does this take precedence above all other commands?  I have spent much though on this and can give my best guess.  We are told to love the Lord with "all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."  This is not saying, "Think of God every Sunday," or, "Pray to the Lord when you feel like it."  If a person loves God as that scripture says to, then that person would not want to do anything to disappoint God.  Loving someone with all our souls is a love that would do anything for them.  We would never intentionally hurt someone we love that much.

If we love the Lord our God with all our hearts and soul and mind, then we will, as just mentioned, we will do our best to not disappoint or hurt the Lord.  This may lead us to ask, "What would hurt the Lord?"  I think this is a simple question to answer.  When the children of Israel were led out of Egyptian bondage they were given commandments that he wanted them to follow.  I'd imagine when the Israelites followed these commandments the Lord was very pleased.  And when they did not follow these commandments I think the Lord was hurt by it.  What were these commandments?  Exodus chapter twenty reveals the answer:
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. Thou shalt not covet.

These ten things are what the Lord asked the children of Israel to follow, now referred to as the Ten Commandments.  Taken one at a time, or all together, these are all things that any person who loves the Lord with all their hearts, souls and mind would do without needing to be asked.

If we love the Lord completely and thoroughly will we need or even want to worship another god?  Especially a man-made one. If we do not want to worship another god would we bother making a graven image?  If we do not want another god then we do not want a graven image of one.  What comes next is vainly using the Lord's name.  If we love God with all our hearts would we not treat his name with reverence?  The Sabbath day, often called the Lord's day, is just that.  Following the previous three commandments and moved with love towards him, we would want to have a day set apart for worship, to stay away from the worldly things.

The remaining commandments do not seemingly have to do with God as the previous ones do, but when looked at closer we can see that they do as well.  Going back to the lawyer and Christ we read next in the record:
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

What does this second commandment have to do with the first?  Why do all the law and the prophets hang upon it?  And what does it have to do with the remaining ten commandments?  Just as we would do our best to help out and refrain from hurting the Lord when we have a deep love for him, so we would treat our neighbors should we hold the same love for them.  This is doubly so when we know that all people are God's children and therefore we should respect them as we would respect Him.

And now we get to the remaining commandments, with that knowledge in mind.  Honor thy father and thy mother.  Parents should be given proper respect by their children.  With some unfortunate exceptions, parents have the wisdom that only comes with age and experience.  A mother or father that love the Lord will raise their children to do so.

Next comes the command to not kill.  I personally take this to mean someone should not kill anyone, including themselves   All people are the children of God, as mentioned before.  And all people have great potential.  No man or woman should have the right to take away the life from another man or woman.  "This life," as Alma teaches in the Book of Mormon, "is the time for men to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32).  When a person is taken early from this preparatory life they lose that time.

God commands next to keep from committing adultery.  In the Sermon on the Mount Christ expands on this by saying, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)  Thoughts lead to actions and so our thoughts must be pure as well as our actions.  But if we love God, and love his children, we would show proper respect towards them, and not do these things with them.

The next two are quite similar:  Theft and false witness.  Theft, robbery, cheating, lying, stealing, plundering and robbery, as well as many other things, can all fall under these two great commandments.  Just a couple days ago I came across the following quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Every man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him.  But a day comes he begins to care that he does not cheat his neighbor.  Then all goes well."
When we show this Christ-like love towards our neighbors we will then not want to rob or lie to them, and when they see that we do not want to do such things to them they will likely not want to do such things back to us.  "Then all goes well."

We come finally to the tenth commandment:  Thou shalt not covet.  Most people now days would use the word 'jealousy' to explain this commandment.  Refrain from jealousy.  Becoming jealous of another person's possessions leads to thoughts of wanting to obtain those possessions, which then leads to the previous commandments.

How did all of this start?  I go back to the very beginning of this page, to my favorite Bible scripture:  Let brotherly love continue.  Only four words.

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Read also:
- Short Scriptures Have Great Power

If you'd like to know more about Mormonism, the Ten Commandments, the Holy Bible, or any other gospel topic, talk to a missionary about one:
Ask Someone Here

A Joyful Lesson From Alma Jr. - Mormonism Teaches Repentance

For the past little while I have shared some posts relating to Mormonism.  In brief, 'Mormonism' is a word some people use when talking about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or what the Church believes.  This particular post is on the topics of repentance and atonement.

"Repentance," as defined as LDS.org, "is one of the first principles of the gospel and is essential to our temporal and eternal happiness.  It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings.  It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, about ourselves, and about the world."  Repentance, in short, is the process to change.  Big or small, whatever the sin, repentance is a gift to become a happier person.

The atonement is what makes this all possible.  Again using definitions from LDS.org, the atonement "to atone is to suffer the penalty for sins, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him or her to be reconciled to God.  Jesus Christ was the only one capable of carrying out the Atonement for all mankind.  Because of His Atonement, all people will be resurrected, and those who obey His gospel will receive the gift of eternal life."

Due to the effects of the Fall of Adam, all people would fall short of the Celestial Kingdom without some sort of atonement to redeem them from this fall.  That is what the atonement does.  Christ has paid the atonement for mankind to rise above this fall, on condition that they follow him.  If they do so they will return to the kingdom of God.  (This is talked about in more detail in my previous post, here.)  But everyone makes mistakes, and repentance is the process to get past these mistakes.

The scriptures contain countless examples of repentance.  In the Bible there can be seen the conversion of the great missionary Paul, before named Saul.  But the example I wish to use is from the Book of Mormon.  This is the story of Alma Jr.  Alma, much like Saul of Tarsus, went around persecuting those that believed in Christ.  This is his story, as he himself told it to his son Helaman, found in Alma chapter 36:

6.  For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way.
7.  And behold, he spake unto us, as it were the voice of thunder, and the whole earth did tremble beneath our feet; and we all fell to the earth, for the fear of the Lord came upon us.
8.  But behold, the voice said unto me:  Arise.  And I arose and stood up, and beheld the angel.
9.  And he said unto me:  If thou wilt of thyself be destroyed, seek no more to destroy the church of God.
10.  And it came to pass that I fell to the earth; and it was for the space of three days and three nights that I could not open my mouth, neither had I the use of my limbs.
11.  And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words - If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God - I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.
12.  But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13.  Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
14.  Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God di rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
15.  Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
16.  And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17.  And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, 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.
18.  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.
19.  And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20.  And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21.  Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains.  Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
- Alma 36:6-21 -

When people follow the steps of repentance it is rarely through such a dramatic way as it was for Alma.  But the end result can always be the same:  Our "souls [can be] filled with joy as exceeding as was [our] pain!"

If you have questions on repentance or the atonement, you can ask someone here and they will be happy to answer your questions.