The Man Called Joseph Smith

Photos From LDS Media Library

The name of Joseph Smith is known across the globe, far and wide.  Some connect this name with an inspirational prophet, and others with a wicked religious group.  And yet others have no opinion on the name, but have simply heard it.  Who is the man with the name known all around the world?

His fame started when he was still a teenager.  In his own words:  "It caused me serious reflection then, and often since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age ... should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day" (Joseph Smith-History 1:23).  It began with  when he prayed to the Lord to know which church he was to join.  He was a God-fearing boy that wanted to do what was right in the sight of God, and the first step was to join the pure religion of Christ.  However, he didn't know which religion contained the pure gospel, and so he prayed to find an answer.  In response to this boy's honest and sincere prayer, a vision appeared in front of him - God, the Father of heaven and earth, alongside His Son, Jesus Christ - descended to teach Joseph Smith concerning the true doctrine of the Lord.

The Calling of a Prophet

The First Vision

In biblical times it was typical for God to appear to his next prophet, calling them to their work.  And, as odd as it sounds, it is not unheard of boys being called to be prophets for the Lord, to guide his people.  Samuel, one of the most recognized prophets in the days of the Israelites, was called when a young child.  When the Lord's people lacked a leader to speak the divine word, a new prophet was called to the work.  Going back to the last known time prophets were called - when the Lord Jesus Christ personally lived on the earth - the New Testament teaches us that after the death of Christ, the rest of those that followed his teachings were persecuted, and eventually put to death as well.  Other religions sprouted back up, restoring the parts of the gospel that they could based off of tradition and scripture, but the pure gospel as taught by Christ was no longer available.  This was foretold by Christ and his apostles.  Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that "that day [when Christ comes a second time] shall not come, except there come a falling away first" (2 Thes. 2:3).

As in ancient times, to restore the lost truths, God needed to call a prophet to bring them back to light.  This he did when he visited Joseph Smith in 1820.  In answer to the young Smith's question - no church at that time contained the full gospel, because it was lost with the death of the ancient apostles, and Joseph was to be the prophet that restored the lost truths again to the world.

Prophetic Scripture
With the restoration of these truths came new scripture:  The Book of Mormon.  This is in accordance to the Lord's divine pattern.  What is the Bible, if not a collection of continual scripture written by prophets as ages passed?  Moses wrote four books of the Old Testament, and brought the Mosaic law from Sinai, then new scripture to the people.  We could go through the Bible and see all the prophets that have brought forth new scripture during their calling to lead the people - Isaiah recorded the most notable Messianic prophecies of any prophet, Jeremiah was writing new revelation approximately 600 B.C., thousands of years after Moses' original records, and so on.

Scripture brought forth by the prophets were most often direction from the Lord to the people of that time period.  The Mosaic law was given by God to the Israelites, to be followed until the birth of the Savior, who would present a higher law.  Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and many others, received revelation from the Lord to the kings and rulers of their times, to guide the people through secular hardship.  When Joseph Smith restored the gospel in our time, the Lord had to reveal new direction specifically for our times.  Alongside the Book of Mormon - a spiritual guide for our lives - came the Doctrine and Covenants, which contains secular guidance.  Later came the Pearl of Great Price and other biblical writings, to further teach us spiritually.

Priesthood Authority
With the restoration of the gospel and God's word, must of necessity come the restoration of authority over spiritual matters - the Priesthood.  Since earliest days in the Old Testament we read of the priesthood.  The lesser, or Aaronic, priesthood was ordained upon Aaron the priest, and all his generations after him until the time of Christ.  This priesthood gave the priests authority to perform the outward ordinances of the church - baptism, sacrifices (later the Lord's supper taking place of sacrifices), among others.  The greater, or Melchizedek, priesthood was ordained upon the prophets, allowing them the authority from God to preside over spiritual matters - ordinations, blessings, healing, and other matters.

On May 15th of the year 1829, the man known as John the Baptist appeared in the presence of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, ordaining them to the Aaronic priesthood.  John was the last prophet of the Bible to fully exercise this authority, baptizing and preparing people for the coming of the Messiah, being the Elias who was prophesied to come at that time.  Therefore, it was through him that the priesthood was again ordained onto another prophet.  Sometime following the visit of John the Baptist came the visitation of Peter, James and John the Beloved - the three presiding apostles in the ancient church.  These three ordained Joseph and Oliver to the Melchizedek priesthood.  With these two priesthoods Joseph Smith had the authority to restore the gospel and organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I Believe...
Although I did not know the man called Joseph Smith, I have studied his words and deeds, and prayed concerning the Church he organized in 1830.  I believe with all my heart that this is the true church of God, containing the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, which, if we follow, we will return to live in the kingdom of heaven.

You Can Be Free of Addiction!

One of the most difficult trials that we face in this life is that of addiction.  I do not speak of specific addictions, but I speak to any of those who have addictions of any kind.  I believe it is true that no one else knows quite exactly what it is that you are going through.  However, there are others that have gone through (or are still going through) the same addiction that you are.  In that sense, these people can be a great strength in trying to help get out of addiction.

Fortunately for all of us, there was a man who lived in the Meridian of time that knew (and knows) exactly what it is that we go through, whatever our problem.  Of course, this person is the Savior Jesus Christ.  He is called the Savior for a reason.  Because of his Atonement performed for all of us, if we go to him and use his grace when we can't do everything ourselves, he will literally save us from our afflictions - even addiction.

How Can Christ Help Us?
Now, maybe you wonder how he can know exactly what we go through if he lived 2,000 years ago, and lived a perfect life, committing no sin.  True, you may say, he suffered in Gethsemane, but does he really know what my problem is like?  C.S. Lewis, the famous Christian writer, gave the following insight.  (For our current purpose, I suggest replacing the word "temptation" with "addiction.")

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.  A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means.  This is an obvious lie.  Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.  ... You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down.  A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. ... We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight against it:  and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means."

It is true that Jesus never gave into temptation, and was therefore never trapped by an addiction, but it is because of this that he understands just how strong the temptation is.  Never in his life did Satan stop trying to tempt him.  At times the father of lies used the Jewish leaders to tempt Christ, at times he used those that knew Him, at other times he used other dark spirits, and the devil even resorted to tempting the Lord himself.

Alma, an ancient prophet, taught that Christ would suffer "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...of his people. 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, italics added.)

Overcoming Weakness Through Grace
We can go to the Savior to be clean of addiction.  The Lord told another ancient prophet:  "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).

This scripture teaches us that the Lord knows we have these weaknesses, but they do not always have to be a part of our lives.  God does not see our addictions as a part of our soul, but something our soul needs to overcome to be stronger.  "Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward."  (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "You Can Do It Now!")

The Lord told Ether that his "grace is sufficient" for all of those that come unto him.  How can we use God's grace?  First, we must do all that we can ourselves, by following the commandments of God, by using the tools and strength of people around us to do all that we have the power to do, prayerfully.  And then, when we have done our all, the Lord will make up for what we cannot do.  The promise is there in the scriptures, that if we approach God humbly through prayer, after doing all that we can do, then he will make our weakness, our addiction, a strength for us - we will no longer be caught in the pain of it.

Additional Help

• Overcoming Pornography
• LDS Addiction Recovery Program

Learn Wisdom

There is something different about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), something that isn't found in other religions.  This church strongly emphasizes the importance secular education - learning fine arts, math, science, language skills, etc.  Why is it that a religion would speak so strongly on a worldly topic?  We can find the answer in the scriptures.

The Holy Bible
The best way to learn anything wholesome is to look to the example of the Savior during his earthly life.  Luke tells us that "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."  The first of the four things Luke focused on was an increase in wisdom.  In the Jewish culture, he naturally would have learned much about the Old Testament and the prophecies of the many prophets, but he also learned other useful subjects.  For example, Joseph, husband of his mother Mary, was a carpenter, and so we can be sure he learned the skills of a carpenter.

Peter, in his second epistle, tells us to "add to [our] faith virtue and to virtue knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5).  He is teaching us that it is important to learn the things of the spirit, to increase our faith in God, but it is just as important to add knowledge of other things to that faith.

The Book of Mormon
In addition to the Holy Bible, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has three additional books of inspired scripture.  One of which is the Book of Mormon.

It is a common theme in the Book of Mormon for a father to teach his son many things, religious and non-religious.  The very first verse of the book reads:  "I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father" (1 Nephi 1:1), and later this same man, Nephi, tells us what he learned from his father.  He learned not only prayer and scripture and fasting, but he also learned how to read and write Hebrew and Egyptian.  He was taught how to plant and harvest crops.  He was even later taught how to build a boat.

Enos, another prophet, tells us that his father taught "his language, and also the nurter and admonition of the Lord" - one being secular and the other religious.

Doctrine and Covenants
The Lord instructs us in the book of Doctrine and Covenants to "be instructed ... of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms."  He additionally tells us the reason for this learning:  "That ye may be prepared in all things." (D&C 88:77-79)

Joseph Smith also taught the reason for this pushing learning of secular things as part of religion:  "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection" (D&C 130:18).

Pearl of Great Price
In this book of scripture we have the words of Moses and Abraham.  Abraham tells us that he greatly desired to be "one who possessed great knowledge ... and to possess a greater knowledge" (Abr. 1:2).  Moses records that the children of Adam and Eve were "taught to read and write" (Moses 6:6), and later explains that the Lord "gave unto them their knowledge, in the day [He] created them" (Moses 7:32).

Finally we come to the knowledge that God is all-knowing in the additional words of Abraham:  "And the Lord said unto me:  These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all" (Abr. 3:19).  That is to say, even in the life after death we will continue seeking knowledge.  One man will have more knowledge than another, having spent more time learning than the last, until we reach God, who has all knowledge and all wisdom.

A Living Apostle's Words
Elder Russell M. Nelson, apostle in the LDS Church, tells us, "In the Church, obtaining an education and getting knowledge are a religious responsibility.  We educate our minds so that one day we can render service of worth to somebody else."  (Russell M. Nelson, "Focus on Values.")

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, knowledge of all subjects are important.  Many of the things we learn will be useful in this life for ourselves, and many others will be of use to those around us, but all wholesome things we learn will be a blessing to us.

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Additional Information
If you desire to read more, visit:

• The Holy Bible
• The Book of Mormon
• Doctrine and Covenants
• Pearl of Great Price
• Russell M. Nelson

Or, if you'd like to talk to someone further about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you can chat with a missionary:  http://mormon.org/chat

*Photos by Melvin Lans

Be Our Valentine - 10 Years of Family Tradition

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction...

James 1:27

Ten years ago my family started a wonderful tradition that has gone on to bless many people in our area, ourselves included.  It all started through the kindness shown to us by a kind elderly lady who lived next door.

Mary Jones - the Lady Next Door

Mary Jones did as much for our family as she was able, which mainly included bringing us baked goods - cakes, pies, and other treats.  So when her husband, Ken, passed away we desired to do something for her.  What our family decided upon was to host a dinner for her and her other friends who are widows for Valentine's Day.

It was a most joyful experience and we knew we had to do it the following year, but this time we invited all of the widows in our area.  This is a lot more than simply informing them of the dinner and asking them to come.  We go to the lady's home a few weeks beforehand and visit with them.  It is more than a dinner, but it is making new friends, making friends with people that may not have many friends or get much time to talk.

At the dinner party itself there is a program that our family does for the women in attendance.  Myself and all of my siblings share a talent, whether it be with the piano, guitar, artwork, story-telling or something else.  Being the 10th year of this tradition (a full decade!) we did more than ever before, and I wrote a special song for the occasion:

I still remember the lady who lived next door to us

She had a charm and beauty that radiated more than anyone's

Our family desired to return her kindness in some way

10 years ago the least that we could do was say:

Won't you be our Valentine?

Be with us on this special night

No need to be alone

Come on to our home

Be our Valentine

What a joy it was to spend the night with all of our lovely guests

Dinner and games with Mary Jones and her friends

The following year invitations went out to everyone

Who were alone on a day that celebrated having fun

Won't you be our Valentine?

Be with us on this special night

No need to be alone

Come on to our home

Be our Valentine

Over the years the numbers seem to grow on us

Making new friends, meeting old ones, and sharing our love

We hope you enjoy the time spent with us today

There's just one last thing that we would all like to say:

Won't you be our Valentine?

Be with us on this special night

No need to be alone

Come on to our home

Be our Valentine

It is a wonderful occasion for all of us present.  The wonderful ladies get a nice night out with other people in a similar situation, and we get to experience the joy that only comes from helping others.

Repentance is a Gift!

"Light of the World" by Howard Lyon

While discussing sin and the need of repentance with a friend of mine, my friend said to me:  "Too many people think of repenting of sins as a punishment from God.  That is simply not true.  That is not the way God sees repentance, and that is not how he wants us to see it.  Repentance is a gift!  It is a chance to be clean of sin and try again."  At that moment my entire perspective of repentance changed, and with that change came a greater love for God and his Atonement.

The Need to Repent
The holy scriptures teach us that no unclean thing can dwell in the kingdom of God.  When we commit sins we are no longer spiritually clean, and therefore are not fit to be saved in the kingdom of God, unless we rid ourselves of the sins committed.

When Jesus Christ performed the Atonement he took upon himself our sins.  This means that he paid the price for all sins that we commit in our lives, making it possible to be free from them.  The Lord, having paid the price even with his life, set the rules to follow to be forgiven of our sins.  These rules are the things he has commanded us to do - faith, baptism, repentance, charity, etc.  "In paying for your sins," teaching a manual of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Jesus did not eliminate your agency or personal responsibility - He will not make you clean against your will.  To receive His help and strength, you need to exercise faith in Him, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and choose to follow His teachings for the rest of your life."

To further help us understand the need to repent of our sins, a prophet of the Book of Mormon explained:  "the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins" (Helaman 5:10).  That is, if we die without forsaking our sins we will not be saved, but if we have done our best to follow God's commandments and quit our sins, we will be saved through the grace of God - his Atonement making up for anything we could not do ourselves.

There is Always Hope
One may say to themselves that they have committed too many sins to be forgiven, that they are too far from God to be saved.  Do not think this, as this is not true, as difficult as it may seem at the time.  In a great address on the need of repentance, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave this message:

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness ... but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.  It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines."  ("The Laborers in the Vineyard," General Conference Address, April 2012.)

The path to being forgiven of our sins is not an easy one, and will lead us through much pain for the wrongs we have done.  Perhaps that is why, as my friend said, "too many people think of repenting of sins as a punishment from God."  But if we trust in the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ, we can not only get through our difficult times but can also be forgiven of them, bringing into our lives a new hope and love.

Helping Others

Helping those in need was what Jesus Christ was best at.  He spent his life serving other people.  From Mormon.org we read:

He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. He blessed those in need. He served by teaching. Even as a twelve-year-old boy, he was "about [His] father's business" (Luke 2:49). It may be overwhelming to try to live up to Christ's perfect example of service, but we can remember that even our smallest actions show our determination to be like Him. When we visit the sick or the lonely, we are being like Jesus. When we help our neighbors fix their roof, when we serve a meal to someone who needs it, when we donate to disaster relief, when we forgive those who offend us, we are serving as He would serve. Serving like Jesus Christ has a cleansing effect on us. It helps us understand the idea that our time, talents and possessions are not just our own. (Read more here.)

 As previously noted, there are many ways in which we could help other people.  I will give one example from my life.  As Valentine's Day approaches, my family is preparing for our annual Widow's Dinner.  This tradition started ten years ago when our neighbor's husband passed away.  She was a kind lady that was always showing her kindness to us through loving words and baked goods.  Wanting to show our kindness in return, we planned a dinner for her and some of her friends who were also widows on Valentine's Day, so they would not be alone on this special day.  Over the years the dinner has grown to include a great number of elderly women from the neighborhood.  We play games, eat dinner and share stories.

There are countless ways to serve others:  we can share our time with someone who is lonely, or tutor someone that needs help with schoolwork, or even play games with someone that needs a friend.  It may be difficult to get out and do things for other people who we may not know, but as we do so we will be filled with a joy that we could not otherwise find.

"When we love somebody, we show it by doing something nice. So learn to serve: find a need and fulfill a need. Surprise people with a good deed they hadn't planned on. We have that opportunity at home, at school, and at church."

(Russell M. Nelson, "Focus on Values")

Help from the Book of Mormon

"The Book of Mormon teaches us truth [and] bears testimony of Christ. ... But there is something more.  There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.  You will find greater power to resist temptation.  You will find the power to avoid deception.  You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.  The scriptures are called 'the words of life,' and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon" (Conference Report, Oct. 1986).

The above words were shared by President Ezra Taft Benson, previous President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He spoke those words long before I was even born, but it wasn't until just a few years ago that I understood the power of its application.

I have grown up with a bad case of manic-depression, to which I thought there was no cure.  Of course I have medications that help, but the eventual depression was always bound to come back at some point, and I felt trapped.  Not knowing how to feel better I met with a friend who told me I needed to read the Book of Mormon.  I'd read the book before and knew it wasn't about mental illnesses, or depression, or anything of that sort, but out of respect and love for my friend I followed her counsel and got the book out again.

For the first few days nothing changed about my situation, but over time I did notice something strange.  I found that when I read my Book of Mormon in the morning I was able to focus more during the day, free of the distractions of depression.  Additionally, I noticed that when I read at night I was able to get to sleep much faster and sleep better than I did beforehand.  Although it is not specifically mentioned in President Benson's address above, I would add to all who need help with depression (or other mental illnesses) can find help and comfort through reading the Book of Mormon.



Want to know more?

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