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

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

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: A Song of the Righteous

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Want to know more about Mormonism?  Ask a missionary here.

Back to the Beginning of 'Mormonism' - Prayer

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

"If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
-James 1:5,6-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Let Brotherly Love Continue"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Read also:
- Short Scriptures Have Great Power

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

McConkie on Life's Purpose

While reading Andrew C. Skinner's "Third Nephi - The Fifth Gospel," I came across the following quote by Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

"Viewed from our mortal position, the gospel is all that is required to take us back to the Eternal Presence, there to be crowned with glory and honor, immortality and eternal life.  To gain these greatest of all rewards, two things are required.  The first is the atonement by which all men are raised in immortality, with those who believe and obey ascending also unto eternal life.  This atoning sacrifice was the work of our Blessed Lord, and he has done his work.  The second requisite is obedience on our part to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.  Thus the gospel is, in effect, the atonement."

What I believe he is saying is that the entire purpose of life is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which can be toned down to two parts:  The atonement and our obedience.  The atonement was Christ's role to play, and he did so,  In Gethsemane he atoned for our sins, on Golgotha he died, and in the sepulcher he was resurrected.

That leaves the second part, for us to obey the commandments of God.  In order to obey them though, we must know what they are.  Often I think when we hear the word "commandments" we think of the ten commandments as set forth by the Law of Moses:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3; Mosiah 12:35)

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. (Exodus 20:4; Mosiah 12:36)

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. (Exodus 20:7; Mosiah 13:15)

4.Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8; Mosiah 13:16)

5. Honour thy father and thy mother. (Exodus 20:12; Mosiah 13:20; Matthew 19:19)

6. Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13; Mosiah 13:21; Matthew 19:18)

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14; Mosiah 13:22; Matthew 19:18)

8. Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15; Mosiah 13:22; Matthew 19:18)

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness. (Exodus 20:16; Mosiah 13:23; Matthew 19:18)

10. Thou shalt not covet. (Exodus 20:17; Mosiah 13:24)

When Christ came to live out his mortal ministry on earth he brought with him the higher law, one to replace the fulfilled Law of Moses.  This higher law was given during the Sermon on the Mount. This sermon includes the Be-attitudes, and greater commandments.  This sermon can be found in the New Testament's book of Matthew chapter 5.  It is by following these commandments set forth here by the Savior that we may inherit the rewards of immortality and eternal life talked about by Elder McConkie.

Learn More:
Click the link below to read more about the Atonement:
https://ourpurposeinlife.wordpress.com/why-were-here/atonement/
Click the link below to read what more people have to say on the purpose of life:
http://mormon.org/faq/purpose-of-life/

Hosanna Shout - Reflecting Words of Thomas S. Monson

Because of the upcoming dedication of the Brigham City, Utah temple I have been doing some reading on the topic.  In the April session of General Conference in 2009, Thomas S. Monson made the following remark:

"In the near future we will be dedicating the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, and then in the coming months and years there will be many more dedications.  We look forward to these occasions.  There is something about a temple dedication which prompts a reevaluation of one's own performance and a sincere desire to do even better."

What is it about a temple dedication that prompts one to reevaluate and with to do even better?  I feel it has much to do with the Hosanna Shout.  And to help those that have not been a part of a Hosanna Shout understand it, I will explain the roots of that practice.  The roots of the Hosanna Shout can be found in the Holy Bible.  In the book of Matthew chapter 21 we find the following:

"And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
"Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her:  loose them, and bring them unto me.
"And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them...
"And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
"And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
"And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David:  Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
"And Jesus went into the temple of God..."
- Matthew 21:1-12 -

The word "Hosanna" means "Save us now," or "God save us."  At the time of Jesus the Jews were in bondage to the Romans.  In the city of Jerusalem could be found a Roman government building of sorts where they ruled over the Jews.  When Jesus began his journey into the city the people came to greet him as their Savior from the Roman rule.  They, in a red-carpet kind of way, laid out their garments and waved palm leaves shouting Hosanna, that is to say, "God save us from the Romans!"

The Lord, Jesus Christ, did a couple significant, often overlooked, things at this time.  If he was truly going to go to war and save the Jews from the Romans he would have rode into the city on a horse.  But it says in the scripture that he was riding a colt, which was then a sign of peace.  He did not wish to make war with the Roman government.  Secondly, when he entered into the city, rather than going to the Roman government he turned and went to the temple.  I feel that by doing this while they were shouting "Save us" he was pointing out to them that he was not there to save them from a government rule, but from the bondage of sin.  He was saving them, but not as they expected it.

His first actions after that momentous entrance into the city was to cleanse the temple of traders and thieves, and then to heal the sick.  By so doing he was teaching these people the importance of the temple.  The temple is to be a holy place where people go to fulfill ordinances that save them from the bondage of sin and be healed (coupled with the power of the Atonement that Christ would soon perform).

These scriptures emphasize, in part, why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds such revered feelings towards temples.  It is a place where people can go to be closer to God and Salvation through the Savior.  And as we strive to be closer to God at the temple, and by following the example set by Christ, we are prompted to make a reevaluation of our own performance and obtain a sincere desire to do even better.

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If you have any questions about the temple or Thomas S. Monson you can ask a missionary.  They will do their best to answer any questions.  Missionary Chat Here

In The World, But Not of The World

There is a popular phrase among the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that goes, "In the world, but not of the world."  This short line holds two important ideas.  The first being that we live in the world, and the second being that we try to not be of the world.  The popular phrase comes from the scripture in the Bible that says, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:16).  I want to take this simple line and separate it into its two parts.  And after talking about each part I'll talk about why they are important together.

In The World...
To explain why we must be in this world, must be born at all, we would need to explain the very purpose of life on earth.  To briefly share it, when we were in heaven, before life on earth, we were only spirits.  Our God was the only one with a physical body, all of us only had a spirit.  God proposed a way for us to obtain a body as well as a spirit, which plan is called the Plan of Salvation.  God's plan was for us to come to this earth and live with a physical body, proving we can overcome the temptation that come with these bodies, and make it back to his presence.  If we do so, following His commandments to the best of our abilities, we are then granted Eternal Life, or Salvation.  But a body was needed, otherwise we are incomplete, only a spirit.  This was taught by Joseph Smith when he said, "No person can have this salvation except through a tabernacle" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 306).

(To read more on the Plan of Salvation, visit OurPurposeInLife.wordpress.com)

...But Not of the World
When Christ or a prophet or an apostle speak of not being of the world they are often referring to moral standards.  Gordon B. Hinckley, former prophet of the Church, has shared the following passage on this topic:

"They live at a time when a great tide of evil is washing over the earth.  It seems to be everywhere.  Old standards are discarded.  Principles of virtue and integrity are cast aside.  But we find literally hundreds of thousands of our young people holding to the high standards of the gospel" (The Church Grows Stronger, April 2004 General Conference).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has published a pamphlet with the name, "For the Strength of Youth."  This pamphlet contains 19 sections, each focusing on one standard or area (i.e. Honesty, Music, Language, etc).  These are not all the standards that are talked about inside the Church or world, but they are some of them.  At the same time that members of the Church hold to these standards, those that are of the world are lowering these standards.  Lying, cheating, stealing, promiscuous activity and many other things have been increasing world-wide.  While this is going on, the Church teaches being not of the world, meaning we need to stick to the higher standards.

The Importance of the Two Together
I go to the Bible and Book of Mormon to help explain the importance of these two phrases together.

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16; see also 3 Nephi 12:14-16).

I will explain it a little backwards now.  We must not be of the world, not lower ourselves to the standards of the world, so that we may have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  And we must be in the world, with that Holy Ghost, so that we can be a light and example unto those that do not have this Holy Ghost that may want it through us.  Earlier I quoted President Hinckley, and now I finish that passage with, "They are improving their minds with education and their skills with discipline, and their influence for good is felt ever more widely" (The Church Grows Stronger, emphasis added).  With the light of Christ in our lives we can spread the happiness of the gospel.

Baptism Explained

Baptism is the first saving ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ordinances, as defined by LDS.org, are "sacred rites and ceremonies.  Ordinances consist of acts that have spiritual meanings.  Ordinances can also mean God's laws and statutes."  A saving ordinance is an ordinance of the gospel required to return to the Celestial Kingdom, or the Kingdom or God.  Christ taught this truth to Nicodemus, of the Pharisees.  Record of this can be found in John chapter 3.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
- John 3:3-5 -

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit.  What exactly does this mean?  Joseph Smith clarifies by saying, "Baptism is a holy ordinance preparatory to the reception of the Holy Ghost; it is the channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered. (History of the Church 3:379)

Baptism is a symbolism of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The water represents the grave.  We, when baptized, are submerged under the water representing death, and are brought back out just as Christ was resurrected and brought back to life.  In this way we are born of water.  We are born of the Spirit when we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  This is different than the gift of the Holy Ghost, which we receive after baptism.  Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost means we are now able to have the companionship of the Spirit, so long as we live according to the commandments of God.  Joseph Smith taught, "Baptism is a covenant with God that we will do his will" (Discourses, 273).  We are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and when we live righteously we obtain the companionship of the Holy Ghost, meaning we have the Spirit with us.  In this way we are born of the Spirit.

Just how important is the ordinance of baptism?  For this we can look to the life of Christ.  Jesus, as mentioned earlier, taught that no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God without this ordinance, and not even he, a perfect person, was excluded from this.  The Gospels record that the Savior was baptized by John the baptist in the Jordan River.  Through his example we know that no one is exempt from this ordinance.

This is further understood by the many references and sermons given about baptism in holy scripture.  The book of Acts reads:

"Now when they heard this, thy were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
- Acts 2:37-38 -

In the book of Moses, of the Pearl of Great Price, we learn that even Adam, the first man, was baptized.

"And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water.
"And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit."
- Moses 6:64-68 -

This has been practiced since the days of our first parents.  And now, having learned of the importance of the ordinance, must understand how it is performed.  Is the person supposed to be completely buried in the water, or is it more of a sprinkling on the head?  Or is it something between these two?  Again we can look to the scriptures for the answer.  Written in the Book of Mormon is the following:

"And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.
"And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water."
- Mosiah 18:14-15 -

So why is it that we must be buried by submersion?  I have touched upon this earlier when talking about the symbolism of baptism to the death and resurrection of Christ.  Now let's read the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith:

"The word baptize is derived from the Greek verb 'baptiso,' and means to immerse or overwhelm, and that sprinkle is from the Greek verb 'rantiso,' and means to scatter on by particles" (Discourses, 92-93).

Baptism, the word itself, means to immerse and anything other than to fully immerse in water does not follow under the word "baptism."  One is fully immersed in the water, representing a burial in the grave, and is then brought out of the water, as a spiritual re-birth, representing the resurrection.

Now understanding the importance and process of baptism we must ask - When is someone supposed to be baptized?  This doctrine is taught in many ways in our world today, but what is the correct answer?  Like before, the scriptures hold the answers to even this question.  But first let's return to the words of Joseph smith, "Baptism is a covenant with God that we will do his will."  To covenant with God to follow his commandments we must first know his commandments and be in a state of understanding them.  There are people that are in a state of innocence, not fully knowing good from evil yet.  And who are these people?  Children.

Let's read the words of Christ to Mormon:

"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God.  Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them;"
- Moroni 8:8 -

Young children are still learning and are not at an age of accountability.  What is the age of accountability?  "And I will establish a covenant with thee," God told Moses, "that thou mayest know for ever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old" (JST Genesis 17:11).  Thus we learn that a person need not be baptized until at least eight years old.  That is the age of accountability.  This does not mean that a person needs to be baptized right when they turn eight, but that is the time when this ordinance is now available to them.  At any age from this point on, so long as the person understands the commandments of God and seeks to follow them they can be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

And what of those children who die before they turn eight and have the opportunity to be baptized?  Again the Prophet answers, "All children are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the moment they leave this world they are taken to the bosom of Abraham" (Discourses, 273).  Through the Atonement of Christ they are saved.

We now approach the final topic of baptism:  Baptism for the dead.  From the apostle Peter we hear that "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34).  If this be the case then there must be a way for every person to receive the saving ordinances.  As was just said, some children die before the age of accountability and therefore do not receive the ordinance of baptism.  There are also those who died without the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ or the knowledge of baptism.  If God is no respecter of persons then there must be a way provided for all of these people to receive this ordinance as well.  The way provided is what is known as baptism for the dead.

This baptism for deceased members of mankind is not a new doctrine.  We can find teachings of it in the Holy Bible.  Consider the words found in 1 Corinthians:

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?  Why are they then baptized for the dead?"
- 1 Corinthians 15:29 -

This practice is done today by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  A member of the Church, by one with the Priesthood, is baptized, as a proxy, for a deceased person.  "By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died," we read on LDS.org, "Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors.  Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf."

The last part of that quote is important, so let's go over it again.  "Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done on their behalf."  We understand from this that simply because a proxy has been baptized for them on the earth, the people, now in the Spirit World, are not automatically made a member of the Church.  It is still their choice, as it is in life on earth, to follow the commandments of God and accept the ordinance done for them.  Through this practice of baptizing for dead ancestors, all people of the human race are offered the chance to be born again by water and the Spirit and receive the saving ordinance of baptism.

Parable of the Beam and Mote

For the first time I have read for myself the parable given by Jesus Christ concerning the beam and the mote.  I have heard the parable many times but I had never read it before now.  Before I continue I'll share the parable as recorded in the book of Matthew in the Holy Bible.

Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:  and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
-Matthew 7:1-5

A note I'd like to make:  This was given as part of the Sermon on the Mount.  This particular sermon was among the most notorious sermons given by Jesus, and therefore of all Christendom, because this was when the Higher Law was presented to the people of Israel, to take place after the fulfillment of the Law of Moses.  This higher law replaced "an eye for an eye" with "turn the other cheek."  The great commandment was now - Love the Lord, thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and the second commandment - Love thy neighbor as thyself.  In this parable Christ is trying to teach these great laws to the people.

His words begins with the words, Judge not that ye be not judge.  Joseph Smith, when he went through the Holy Bible with the Urim and Thummim, translated this verse to read:
"Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged" (JST Matt. 7:1, italics added).

It is human nature to judge.  Judgments in our minds happen too fast to realize at times.  Sometimes we see people, and based on how they look, think they belong in some clique or other.  But first impressions are not always accurate, and Christ is trying to teach this.  People tend to see the problems in others without looking at the problems of themselves.

Christ, in this parable, speaks of a mote in another and a beam in us.  In Greek, the word 'mote' means a speck or splinter, and the word 'beam' refers to a wooden post used in constructing houses.  Now notice who it is that has the tiny speck and who it is that has the large mote in the eye.  It is us with the large mote that try to rid others of a tiny speck.  Christ teaches, First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote of thy brother's eye.

The Lord in this parable is trying to teach the people, in both ancient days and these latter-days, to work on ourselves, our own faults.  We all make mistakes, and all have problems, and so it is right for us to first clean our own selves of these things.  And once we have cleaned ourselves of these things we then understand better how to help others with them.

The Man Called John the Baptist

John, son of Zacharias, is one of the most known men in the New Testament because he was the one that baptized Jesus Christ.  When his father was visited by Gabriel we learn these other great things about John:

"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
"And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:15-17).

From this we learn that he followed what is now called the word of wisdom, meaning he refrained from wine and other harmful substances.  He was also a great missionary, teaching many of Christ.  From an exceeding young age he had the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the Lord, to guide and teach him so that he could prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.

Why was this man such a spiritual giant?  For this we should look to his parents, Zacharias and Elisabeth.  Luke describes them by saying, "They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6).  These two people were righteous followers of Christ as well, no doubt teaching their son to do likewise.  The story of John is often talked about, but before I do so I'd like to share the story of both Zacharias and Elisabeth, his parents.

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Zacharias

Zacharias was a temple worker, one that rightfully held the keys of the Levitical Priesthood.  Once a year a priest was chosen, by casting lots, to enter the Holy of Holies and offer up a prayer on behalf of all Israel concerning the coming of Christ.  While this priest burns incense and prays in the Holy of Holies, the people of the land pray outside the temple.  This particular year Zacharias was the chosen priest to perform the prayer.

Because Zacharias was a worthy Levite, he was able to pray to the Lord and receive an answer through revelation or ministering angels, if necessary.  While at the altar the priest also prayed that he and his wife would have a child before they got too old.  Zacharias at this time was fifty years old, or nearing that age.  In reply to his prayers the angel Gabriel (Noah of the Bible) came to him.  The heavenly messenger explained to the priest that he and his wife would have a son, who was to be named John.  He then recited to the Levite the scripture, written above (Luke 1:15-17), about John being the prophet to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.  When Zacharias showed shock and disbelief at first upon hearing these words the angel took away his ability to speak until the angelic words had been fulfilled.

Although it is true that Zacharias was cursed with the loss of speech until John should be born because of his disbelief at the words of Gabriel, this should not take away from the righteousness of this man.  After fulfilling his duties in the temple he returned home to his wife where he shared the news to her, and they continued living worthily to raise the prophet John.

The day came when King Herod issued an edict, or decree, to kill all young boys in an attempt to rid the land of the young Jesus.  The young John was only six months older than Jesus and was also one of the age to be killed, under this decree.  At this troubling time we learn of the last righteous deed performed by the faithful Zacharias.  Joseph Smith explained:

"When Herod's edict went forth to destroy the young children...Zacharias caused his [John's] mother to take him into the mountains, where he was raised on locusts and wild honey.  When his father refused to disclose his hiding place, and being the officiating high priest at the Temple that year, was slain by Herod's order, between the porch and the altar" (Teachings of Joseph Smith, Section 5, p.261).

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Elisabeth

Elisabeth, mother of John, and Mary, mother of Jesus, were cousins.  At the time the angel told Mary she'd be the mother of Christ he also told her "thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son" (Luke 1:36).  After the visit of the angel Mary traveled to Juda, where Elisabeth and Zacharias lived, to visit her cousin.  In the account kept by Luke it is written that John "shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15).  Exactly that was shown at the time Mary visited Elisabeth.  The records says:

"And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost" (Luke 1:41).

When the mother of Christ entered the room and spake, John, in his mother's womb, was filled with the Holy Ghost and leaped.  At this moment Elisabeth was also filled with the Holy Ghost and declared, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb" (Luke 1:42).  Through those few words we can see that Elisabeth was still a righteous woman and kept the commandments of God.  We know through scripture that the Holy Ghost does not dwell with unholy people, and she received the Holy Ghost.  In addition to receiving the Holy Ghost she praised God.

When she delivered her baby and the family gathered together, all of her family tried to tell her to name the boy after his father, as was custom at the time to name the child after a family member.  Although eight months after her husband was visited by Gabriel and told to name the child John, she had not forgotten or strayed from his words.  She informed the family that his name was John.

While John was only 1-2 years old Elisabeth was asked by her husband to take young John into the mountains, to avoid the evil decree of King Herod.  From that time until the ministry of John Elisabeth raised him in the wilderness.

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John

As was talked about earlier, John was filled with the Spirit of the Lord from an early age, even from his mother's womb.  In the wilderness he was raised by his mother in the ways of God, and fed off of locusts and honey.  He lived this way until the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when he was about thirty years old (Luke 3:1,23).  In that year John was informed of God to begin his preaching unto the people.  As was prophesied by the prophets before him, he led the way for Christ to come.  He taught repentance and baptism, and baptized all who were ready for the ordinance.  This he did until the baptism of Jesus.

After Christ was baptized by John, the prophet had fulfilled his earthly calling of preparing the way of and baptizing the Lord.

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Resources and Further Reading:

Birth of the Messiah - Maxwell Institute
The Book of Luke - Holy Bible
Zechariah (Priest) - Wikipedia

Sacrifice - Typifying of Christ

Sacrifice has been a part of the life of Christ's people since the days of Adam.  After leaving the Garden of Eden Christ "gave unto them [Adam and Eve] commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord" (Moses 5:5).

In those days sacrifice was giving the best firstling of the flock to the Lord upon an altar.  This was implemented in the beginning so the people of Christ would always have a reminder of the Lord's atoning sacrifice that would be made for them.  It is for this reason other sacrifices were not pleasing to the Lord, as was the case with Cain, son of Adam.
"And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord ... But unto Cain, and to his offering, he [the Lord] had no respect" (Moses 5:19, 21).
Cain's offering of fruit was not a respectable offering because this offering was not the sacrifice they were commanded to give.  The sacrifice of the firstling of the flock was a reminder of Christ, where as the fruit was not.  Adam was taught this when an angel explained it to him:
"After many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying:  Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?  ...This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth" (Moses 5:6-7).

Throughout the thousands of years before the Meridian of Time all prophets and people of God offered up these sacrifices.  In these ancient times there were actually four types of sacrificial offerings.  These offerings were explained by Elder Bruce R. McConkie as follows:

"Of all the Mosaic performances, none typified the atonement better than their sacrificial offerings.  These were of four general kinds:  1, Burnt Offerings symbolized the entire surrender of the Lord's people to him and his laws.  They were sacrifices in which a covenant of service and devotion was made.  2, Sin Offerings were the means whereby the whole congregation of Israel, based on repentance, was freed from sin... 3, Trespass Offerings were designed to cleanse individuals from particular sins, especially those committed through ignorance.  This forgiveness was predicated upon repentance.  4, Peace Offerings were sacrifices of worship and adoration and gratitude to the Lord for the fellowship that existed between him and his people" (A New Witness of the Articles of Faith, McConkie, pg. 116).

The type of sacrifice made depended upon the reason for making the offering, but all of them were done with a firstling of the flock upon an altar.

The four sacrifices, or sacrificial offerings in general, were one of the key points of the Law of Moses.  Moses was originally given the 'Higher Law,' which contained a different form of sacrifice, but due to the wickedness of the people he was required to present a simpler law, or the Law of Moses, in which these sacrifices were contained.

To understand the 'Higher Law' that contained a new form of sacrifice we must look to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth himself during his mortal ministry on earth.  One example of a time Jesus taught the higher law is when he gave what is commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount, found in the Holy Bible.  Relatively few of the people in Jerusalem, however, listened and followed these teachings, but after his resurrection he visited a civilization in the Americas and taught them a similar sermon.  This sermon can be found in the Book of Mormon, as written:

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets.  I am not come to destroy but to fulfill; For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all be fulfilled.  And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled.
"...Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God; But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment...
"Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery; But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart...
"And again it is written, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is by God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool..." (3 Nephi 12:17-18, 21-22, 27-28, 33-35).

That is not everything spoken in this sermon, but it is enough to explain the point.

Christ had fulfilled the Law of Moses and it was time to implement the greater law among his people.  Before it was "an eye for an eye" and now it is "turn the other cheek."  Likewise the ways of sacrifice had changed.  Before Christ's crucifixion the proper way of sacrifice was to give the first lamb of the flock to the Lord.  The lamb in symbolism of the Lamb of God giving himself for the sins of the world.  Now that this great sacrifice had been fulfilled, we are to sacrifice by serving the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, in remembrance of the life of Jesus Christ.  This was also explained to the Nephites when Christ appeared to them.

"And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
"And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 9:19-20).

What was once done to remember to look forward to Christ is now done to remember to look back at what he did.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has further explained it as thus:

"The incomprehensible suffering of Jesus Christ ended sacrifice by the shedding of blood, but it did not end the importance of sacrifice in the gospel plan.  Our Savior requires us to continue to offer sacrifices... in effect, to offer a small imitation of His own sacrifice by making sacrifices of our own time and selfish priorities" (Oaks, Sacrifice).

As Christ Jesus spent the days of his mortal ministry serving people, so must we do now.  He blessed the elderly, the children, those who had deficiencies.  Whenever there was someone he could help, he helped.  Not everyone on earth has the ability to give back sight, to heal lepers, to walk on water, but all people have the ability to visit a widow(er), to clean up a neighborhood, to get to know a lonely person.  That is the kind of sacrifice we are asked to make now.  To sacrifice our time and abilities to help those that we can.

You Have One Wish...

If you were granted one wish, what would you wish for?  Some people are smart and would ask for more wishes, but I consider that cheating and not part of the fun of the game.  If you could have any wish, other than more wishes, what would you ask for?

Magically having a wish granted has been part of people's imagination for many years.  When I was a kid my friends and I would challenge each other to see who could come up with the greatest wish.  One of the most common wishes I've heard is, "I wish to live forever."  A couple thousand years ago that is exactly what happened.  On two occasions a select few men were granted one wish.  The first account can be found in the Bible.

"Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?  Follow thou me.
"Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die:  yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" (John 21:20-23)

To some people that scripture can be a bit confusing.  Joseph Smith was one of the people confused about this and so he asked the Lord if the apostle, John the beloved, truly was granted to wish to live forever.  Through the Urim and Thummim, a tool used to receive revelation, Joseph was shown "a translated version of the record made on parchment by John," (Doctrine and Covenants section 7 heading).

This is the record they received in revelation:

1. And the Lord said unto me:  John, my beloved, what desirest thou?  For if you shall ask what you will, it shall be granted unto you.
2. And I said unto him:  Lord, give unto me power over death, that I may live and bring souls unto thee.
3. And the Lord said unto me:  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, because thou desirest this thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
4. And for this cause the Lord said unto Peter:  If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?  For he desired of me that he might bring souls unto me, but thou desiredst that thou mightest speedily come unto me in my kingdom.
5. I say unto thee, Peter, this was a good desire; but my beloved has desired that he might do more, or a greater work yet among men than what he has before done.
6. Yea, he has undertaken a greater work; therefore I will make him as flaming fire and a ministering angel; he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth.
7. And I will make thee to minister for him and for thy brother James; and unto you three I will give this power and the keys of this ministry until I come.
8. Verily I say unto you, ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy in that which ye have desired.

This second record of John's clears up any confusion from the first record in the Holy Bible.  Both John and Peter were granted their wishes.  John was granted power over death so that he could teach the gospel to more people.  Peter was granted place in God's kingdom when he life on earth was finished.

As I have said earlier, this is not the only time someone has been granted this wish to live forever.  The second time this happened was not long after the first, but took place on the other side of the world.  The first was in Jerusalem and the second was on the American continents.  After Christ was resurrected he visited the faithful people in the western hemisphere of the world.  Like before, he called twelve apostles to teach his gospel with him and after he left.  Just before he left these people he asked each of the twelve the one thing they wanted Christ to do for them.  The record of this can be found in the Book of Mormon.

The account of the twelve apostles' wish, as found in 3 Nephi chapter 28:

1. And it came to pass when Jesus had said these words, he spake unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them:  What is it that ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?
2. And they all spake, save it were three, saying:  We desire that after we have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom.
3. And he said unto them:  Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest.
4. And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himself unto the three, and said unto them:  What will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto the Father?
5. And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto him the thing which they desired.
6. And he said unto them:  Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
7. Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.

This time nine of the twelve asked the same thing Peter asked before, to live in the kingdom of God after their life on the earth.  And three asked for the same that John asked for, to live forever on the earth to teach the gospel.

Both accounts are really cool to think about.  These took place roughly two-thousand years ago.  Although it has been so long, if these men were really granted what it says they were it means they could be living near us at this moment.  That's a cool thought.