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.

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

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?

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

What is Mormonism: Articles of Faith - Article #8

What is Mormonism? - Article of Faith #8.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Mormonism - Help From the Savior

Today I want to share one of my favorite Mormonism scriptures out of the Book of Mormon.  As I typically do, first the scripture and then my thoughts.

- 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.  

Often the part that is emphasized is his taking upon him all of our sins.  Of course that part is true, which is why repentance works, but he did much more than that.  Also shown in this scripture is that he died so that he could bring about resurrection (by first being resurrected himself).  But he did more than that.

I love this scripture so much because it says he even took upon him our pains, sicknesses, and infirmities so that he may succor his people.  This means he knows our sorrows, our physical problems and moral weaknesses.  Because of this he can help us in any situation, knowing perfectly how to succor us, having felt it all himself.

I find it wonderful that we have a Savior that cares so much about us, that if we pray and have faith and follow him then he will give us aid with our infirmities.

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If you have any questions on Christ's Atonement, Prayer, Mormonism or anything else relating to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then you can simply ask the missionaries your questions (by clicking the picture below).  They will do their best to answer any and all questions.

Withstanding Temptation Through Christ

Today's Mormonism message comes from the recordings of St. Matthew.  When we need guidance what better place can we go for help than the scriptures?  And who could be a better teacher than Christ himself?  With that knowledge I'm going to use a story of Christ to explain how we can resist the devil's temptations (and therefore be closer to Christ).

As I typically do, first I'll share the story and then give my explanations and thoughts.

JST Matthew 4:1-11
1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be with God.
2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights and had communed with God, he was afterwards an hungered, and was left to be tempted of the devil,
3. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5. Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple.
6. Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:  for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:  and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8. And again, Jesus was in the Spirit, and it taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9. And the devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:  for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11. Then the devil leaveth him...

In the beginning of this, before the Tempter even approached Christ, we read that Jesus was fasting and 'communed with God.'  This is one thing we can do to withstand temptation.

Joseph B. Wirthlin has said:
"Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful.  It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit.  It can strengthen us against time of temptation."

After fasting many days the devil approached Jesus, tempting him.  In reply Christ says, "It is written," and then goes on to quote scripture.  Scriptures are another tool we can use to withstand the devil's temptations.  In reading the scriptures we learn the stories of Christ, we learn the gospel, and most importantly we learn about our relationship with God.  And with this knowledge we are better prepared to face trials and temptations.

A family, in the July 2012 Liahona magazine, wrote the following:
"We read the scriptures and study the teachings of Jesus Christ with our parents every evening.  When we hear Church leaders speak in conference and quote stories from the scriptures, we recognize the teachings because we have studied them in our family.  We understand the importance of daily scripture study.  We know we are Heavenly Father's children, that He lives, and that He and Jesus Christ love us."

When we know that Jesus and Heavenly Father love us and we love them, then we are more likely to listen to God's will over the devil's.

The next time Satan approached Jesus Christ to tempt him, Jesus answered with, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."  Again Christ is showing his knowledge of the scriptures.  With a knowledge of the scriptures comes a knowledge of the commandments of God.  If we know God's commandments then we should already know for ourselves that following Satan's temptations is wrong.

The final time that the devil tempted Jesus the reply from the Savior was, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."  In addition to the scripture just quoted I'd like to add another one:

"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (3 Nephi 13:24)

With these statements by the Savior we can learn a great truth in connection to withstanding temptation.  If we are serving Christ then we cannot be serving Satan.  We serve Christ by going to church, by showing charity, by doing temple work, etc.  When we are doing these things we are building stronger defenses against temptation.

And now a quick summary.  These are some things we can be doing to withstand the temptations of the adversary, as shown by Christ is his mortal ministry:

• Fasting
• Prayer
• Scripture Study
• Learning/Following the Commandments
• Follow Christ (Church participation, Temple work, etc.)

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As is always the case, if you have any questions you can ask the missionaries. (Click the picture below.)

Mormonism Jokes (and story): Crickets and Seagulls

Mormonism History Jokes:  Crickets and Seagulls | Arie Van De Graaff

Many of the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  When they arrived they were poor as pertaining to money, food and clothing.  But they had strong spirits.  Finally reaching a place where it seemed no one could disturb them they began preparing for the winter that lay ahead.  The winter was long and cold and many of the saints died.  But eventually the spring came.

With winter behind them the people began planting wheat and other crops.  As the wheat grew and was nearing the harvest time a new sort of trouble came upon the Mormons - Crickets!  This was not mob persecution or illegal arrests, but this was a plague of crickets.  The pioneers fought back as well as they could, trying to kill the crickets, but there were too many.

The saints set a day for fasting and not much later a new surprise came upon the valley - Seagulls!  The people at first thought the birds came to eat whatever the crickets left over, but miraculously the seagulls ate all of the crickets and then left.

The following poem was written by Beverly Cochrane, published in the July 2011 Friend magazine:

The Seagulls

When pioneers went way out west,

They planted precious seed.

But when the little plants grew up,

The crickets came to feed.

The pioneers fought crickets off

With hoe and cloth and flame.

They battered hoards of crickets down,

But still more crickets came.

Pioneers prayed for relief,

And Heavenly Father listened.

He sent some hungry seagulls

On a flying rescue mission.

And when the crickets were all gone,

The seagulls flown away,

The pioneers said, 'Thank you,'

As they knelt in the fields to pray.

Want More?

More on the History of Mormonism: http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ

More from the 'Mormon Cartoonist,' Arie Van De Graaff: http://www.mormoncartoonist.com/

Talk to the Mormon Missionaries: http://mormon.org/chat

Mormonism Jokes (and story): Enos

Mormonism Jokes:  Enos | Arie Van De Graaff

The story of Enos, as recorded in the Book of Enos.
1. Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man - for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord - and blessed be the name of my God for it-
2. And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.
3. Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4. And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
5. And there came a voice unto me, saying:  Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
7. And I said:  Lord, how is it done?
8. And he said unto me:  Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen.  And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.
- Enos 1:1-8 -

Want More?
More on Mormonism: http://mormontopics.org/eng/christ
More from the 'Mormon Cartoonist,' Arie Van De Graaff: http://www.mormoncartoonist.com/
The Full Story of Enos: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/enos/1?lang=eng
Talk to the Mormon Missionaries: http://mormon.org/chat

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.

---

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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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.

---

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:
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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.

What is Mormonism: Articles of Faith - Articles #2 / #3

This post is the next section of "What is Mormonism:  The Articles of Faith."  That first post briefly summarizes what the Articles of Faith are, and you can find it by clicking here (in case you have not read it).  Following that post I wrote a page explaining the first article, which is called, "Mormonism: The Articles of Faith - Article #1," and in case you missed it you can find it by clicking here.  This page is looking in detail at articles two and three, which are:


We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.


Both the second and the third articles of faith go together in explanation.  They are both related to the fall of Adam and Eve, and the atonement of Jesus Christ.  And so, to begin, I will explain the fall and the atonement.

In the beginning God created Adam and Eve in the garden called Eden.  When Eve, and later Adam, ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil against the commands of God they were then sent out from the garden and the presence of God.  Their eating the forbidden fruit brought about mortality to the world.  Mankind was no longer fit to dwell in the kingdom of God, and should there not be some atonement for this fallen state of man, no one would again be able to return to Celestial Kingdom.

To help explain the implications of the fall, and the importance of an atonement, I'll quote the prophet Alma with my own commentary.

"And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see that they became subjects to follow after their own will.  Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness."
The fall of our first parents brought about two death:  temporal and spiritual.  The first is to physicall die, which became possible when the mortal body was obtained   The second is to be cast out of the presence of God, which happened when they were driven from the garden of Eden.

"And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.  And now, there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought upon himself because of his own disobedience."
Because mankind is no longer worthy to be in the presence of God, having sinned, if they were to die without a way for forgiveness, they'd spend eternity in the misery of knowing their sins.

"Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice.  Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.  And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence."
What Alma is teaching here is that because man hadsinned, mankind would have to be punished for their sins or God, being just, would no longer be God.  But because God is merciful he provided the plan of redemption, a way to be forgiven.  The problem is that even with the plan of redemption someone has to pay for the sins committed, because justice cannot go unanswered.

"An now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of jstice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also."
To answer the requirements of justice, God being just, a Savior was chosen to pay the price for sin.  This is Jesus Christ, God's son.  But the question could be asked, "Why did God's son need to be sent to atone for man's sins?  Could not a man atone for his sins?"  Alma continues,

"Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul." (Alma 42:10-16.)
The son of God needed to atone for sins because the atonement had to be as eternal as the fall.  The fall, if no atonement, would be eternal.  Mankind would be in a fallen state forever.  Therefore the atonement had to be eternal.  The atonement had to cover all the sins of all mankind.  To further explain why Christ needed to atone for mankind Alma teaches, on another occasion:
"It must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.  Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another.  Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother?  I say unto you, Nay.  But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonemetn which will suffice for the sins of the world." (Alma 34: 10-12.)

The third article of faith says that mankind may be saved through the atonement, explained above, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.  Alma now explains the importance of having laws, and how following them brings our salvation.

"Now, how could a man repent except he should sin?  How could he sin if there was no law?  How could there be a law save there was a punishment?"
This is straightforward:  A law has two parts - if you obey the law you are rewarded, and if you break the law you are punished.  But you cannot be punished for breaking a law if there is no law, and you cannot be rewarded for following a law if there is no law.

"Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse of conscience unto man.  Now, if there was no law given - if a man murdered he should die - would he be afraid he would die if he should murder?  And also, if there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin.  And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature?"
As explained before, if there was no law then man cannot be punished, nor rewarded.  Also, however, if there was no law then man would not be afraid to sin.

"But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God." (Alma 42:17-22.)

The law was set in the garden of Eden, which Adam and Eve broke, bringing about the punishment of forever being in an eternal state.  But because God is merciful he allowed a way for repentance by giving his Son to atone for the sins of the world, if they would obey his commandments.  So if people obey the commandments of God they can be forgiven of their sins through the atonement that Christ paid.  This repentance allows us to return to the presence of God with a clear conscience.  However, because God is just as well as merciful, if a person does not follow God's commandments then it is as if an atonement for their sins was not made for them and they have to pay the price of justice.

And now, having that lengthy explanation given, we can go back to the two articles of faith and explain them one at a time.

The second article of faith says, "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression."  As shown previously Adam's transgression (the fall) has been taken care of by way of the atonement.  The fall brought spiritual death to all people, but the atonement repairs the bridge back across that spiritual death.  It is only the sins that a person commits himself that he is judged for.

The third, continuing on from where the second leaves off, is that not only will men be judged only for their own sins, but man can even be saved from these sins if they are obedient to God's will.  The demands by justice for our sins have been paid for through the atonement if we repent of them.  This is the blessing of mercy and justice working together.

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