Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because God is real. He desires us to return to live with Him in Heaven. This life has an end and I wish to learn and do all I can to make sure that once I stand before my Maker in Judgment day, I will have done all that He has required to enter into His Holy Place.
We did not come here on accident or without a purpose. We lived before we came to this Earth and we will live again after we die. However, exactly where we will live after we die, is up to us, NOT God. He has given us countless examples and witnesses of His divine love for us and desire for our return, however, He cannot force us to be good. That is our choice. If we choose to listen to the Prophets and do all they say, then will we be rewarded with the promised blessings of a place in Heaven. It would not be fair or just to reward those who traveled through this life with careless abandon and no desire to follow God's commands the same place in Heaven as those who made constant efforts to do good, to live God's commands and follow Christ's example.
I am a Mormon because I believe God has a plan. That plan is given to His Prophets...in times of old as in modern times. God called Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses. He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ. And He has not stopped loving or caring for us once His Son returned to live with Him in Heaven. He has continued to call Prophets, with the same authority and power as given to those who used to carry a cane and wear a tunic...He speaks and directs the current Prophet today. His name is Thomas S. Monson and just as those who followed Noah and got in the boat and were saved temporally, all those who listen to Prophet Monson have the same promise and will be saved spiritually.
I know this is true because I have asked God in prayer if He calls Prophets today and my prayer was answered.

Gratitude

Lately, I've been learning more about and earnestly trying to have more gratitude. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. What an amazing principle it is. I thought it was more of a thing of saying 'thanks' when someone did something nice for you. How little did I know. My husband and I were asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting, our 4th time in under a year, and this time, instead of asking for help to prepare a talk, I asked for help to learn the doctrine. I wanted to really understand Gratitude and not just prepare a talk on it. Marjorie Hinckley was right, Gratitude will give you a touch of refinement that can come in no other way.
Being grateful, and making more conscious efforts to do so, has helped me see more of and be grateful for, the blessings that I normally take for granted or think are commonplace. I have most definitely found out that what our Prophet Thomas S. Monson promised was true, I have gained a closer relationship with Heavenly Father in looking for, acknowledging and showing thanks for His blessings He has so very freely and frequently given me. What a lucky and looked over girl I am.
My dad once taught me about Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life and how we do not need to look around for what else the world or anyone else has to offer. I've tasted if God's love. I loved it. It was sweet. Why should I look anywhere else for happiness, success, or acceptance? Yet, everytime I choose to allow myself to wish for or want the material things or luxuries this life seems to so freely offer, I choose to look elsewhere for happiness. With a grateful heart, I would see no lack, but a life rich with all the things I need and a few areas overflowing. This makes me happy. Not the comparing to others or what's out there, not giving into advertising's gimmicks to make me think that what I currently have isn't good enough, modern enough or attractive enough. On whose standard? Well, with my heart becoming more and more full with gratitude, I'm having less time and room for wanting, wishing or feeling a lack for more. I like this new feeling. The Prophet's words and promises are true. I think I'll let this trend stick around.

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Jesus Christ. The Atonement and Resurrection is real

I have a little 2 year old boy who still doesn't speak much. His vocabulary is probably still down to about 25 words. But today, he taught me something....

During lunch, we went over all the people that love Brenden. I usually start by saying, "Daddy loves Brenden" ... and then Brenden picks it up by saying, "Mommy" to which I say, "Yep, Mommy loves Brenden", then B says "Pop Pop", "Aunty", "Sissy", to which I repeat how each one of them loves Brenden. We usually end with "And Jesus loves Brenden".

We have a picture of Jesus hanging in the kitchen and he usually looks up at it and points to Him when we get to that part, but this time, after I said, "Jesus loves Brenden", he said, "Ouch. Up." and pointed to the ceiling.

I can't help but think he was referring to the suffering and Atonement Jesus made for us after which He was resurrected and lifted "Up" to Heaven.
Why else that combination of words?

Last night, at 2 am, Brenden climbed into our bed and I asked him if he had bad dreams, to which he replied yes. He's only done that once before. Trent took him back down to his bed, set the heater to go on for another hour, and told him everything would be alright.

I wonder if Brenden was comforted by Jesus last night, made the bad dreams go away, and let him know that he really was loved, and then today Brenden remembered the Atonement and Resurrection: "Ouch. Up." (how? I don't remember telling him that Jesus suffered alot of pain and death for him and then was lifted up to Heaven).....yet, after telling him that "Jesus loves Brenden", he said "Ouch. Up." and pointed heavenward. He probably knows it better than I do.

Jesus Christ sure does love the little children.

Joseph Smith

I just wanted to share my thoughts and beliefs about the Prophet Joseph Smith. First of all, I am so grateful to know that God loves us enough to call a Prophet. He still cares and is involved in our lives. The Prophet Joseph Smith is evidence of God's loving concern for His children in these latter days and not just during Biblical times. I believe that Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, and Moses were all Prophets. They were men who were choosen and actually spoke with God. They had a divine communication with the Heavens to help guide and direct the people of their times. Noah's ark would not have been much help to Moses as he parted the Red Sea, and vice versa. Each Prophet was needed to lead the people of their time, according to the 'needs' of the time and could not rely on the revelations received through past Prophets. The same is true for our day. We cannot simply rely on the revelations given to Moses and Abraham, as times have changed. God knows we need as direct and continuous revelation as Adam, Abraham, and Noah all had.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth during His personal ministry among the children of men, He organized a Church. Christ set up the Church to give all God's children a chance at hearing the gospel and choosing for themselves whether they would show their faith and make the efforts to follow Christ or not. He even called His Apostles and gave them direction and authority to continue leading the Church after He was gone. Unfortunately, even the 12 Apostles knew that the Church would not last and would eventually fall into an Apostasy, the same that has occured thoughout the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul, among others, prophesied of an Apostasy to the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Christ had been crucified and resurrected by this time and the people knew that He was to return again. However, they thought the Second Coming was immenient but Paul assured them that it would not happen until after the Apostasy, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, excet htere come a falling away first...". The Apostasy did happen as all the Apostles were either killed or rejected and the authority to act in God's name was taken when the people refused to listen to God's choosen leaders. The gospel is too precious and too great a priviledge to give to a world who will not listen to Christ nor His Apostles. If they were not going to listen to Jesus, and would crucify Him, they were definitely not going to listen to those He chose to continue His teachings. The world went through a dark time until 1820 when a young boy of 14 years old, confused at all the differing religions who all interpreted the Bible a different way, went to ask God the Father which of all the churches was correct. God told us in 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." Joseph believed that God was serious when He made that promise, so he went to God in prayer and received an answer. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the young boy and told Joseph that none of the Churches were correct, that the authority was not found on the earth. He called Joseph to be a Prophet and open up a new dispensation in the latter days.

I believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ both appeared to Joseph Smith. I believe that they called him to be a Prophet because they do not change the method with which they communicate with their children here on the earth. They called Prophets anciently and they continue to call Prophets today. They cared about their children in Biblical times and gave them direction according to their needs, and They continue to operate in the same loving manner. They still hold the power to call Prophets and have used that power to do so in our time. We are just as loved as those who listened to Moses preach and lead the people. We still are given direction and assistance as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob provided to their people to help them come unto Christ. The only true way to know whether Joseph Smith was called by God himself to be a Prophet is to do as James directs, that is, to ask God. Pray to find out if God has opened the Heavens once again and established a Prophet, with the correct Priesthood authority and revelation to lead and guide His Church. Either Joseph Smith was a Prophet or not. There is no other option. If you ask God with a sincere heart, with faith that you will receive an answer and intend to act upon that answer, God will fulfill His promise as He has said He would. He loves us.

Los Angeles, CA Temple

This is a departure from a 'regular' post. It is a letter I received via email from a lady who works in the temple. I thought it was a light of hope in the midst of some pretty bleak times going on in the world. Hope you enjoy. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.


My dear family, brothers and sisters, friends and leaders:

My heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude to our
Heavenly Father for His tender mercies and mighty miracles
in our behalf. I just have to share this with you. As most
of you know, I am a Temple ordinance worker and work the
morning shift in the LA Temple every Saturday. Today, I had
the privilege of translating sister Martz-the new assistant
Matron's-message during our devotional.
She started like this "The prophet Joseph Smith said
that no unhallowed hand would be able to stop this Work from
progressing. These past few weeks when mobs have combined
and armies have gathered against the saints, the Lord has
protected His house". She went on to say that those,
like her, who were inside the Temple when mobs were
surrounding it, did not realize how scary and terrifying
this looked on TV to the rest of us, because inside the
House of the Lord all was calm and there was peace abundant.
After Proposition 8 passed, the Temple began receiving
threatening calls and mail from those opposing it. They
were warned that more than 5000 people would come to the
Temple and burn it to the ground, and stop Its work. The
first Thursday when the mob came, the new LA Temple
President called the Salt Lake City Temple Offices for
instructions. He was instructed to call the local police and
to insure the safety of those attending the Temple by
closing
the gates. The assistant Matron said today, that it was a
tender mercy from the Lord that the mob chose that Thursday
to come since they had only one person coming to receive his
own endowment that day, which he received in time to leave
before trouble started. The LAPD and the FBI responded
quickly to the Temple Presidency's summons and patrolled
the grounds and kept the mob from entering the same. Most
of them had never been there before and expressed their
surprise at how beautiful and peaceful all around was. They
were invited to come back during the Christmas season to see
the lights and they promised they would. On Thursday,
November 13th, sister Campbell, a secretary in the Temple,
was opening the mail and upon opening a large manila
envelope found inside a smaller one. When she opened this
one, a white powder flew all around her desk. She thought
this could be related to the demonstrators and feared the
worst-ANTHRAX. She contacted the
President, who in turn called the Salt Lake City Temple
office again for instructions. The FBI, the LAPD, and even
the SWAT teams were once again in the grounds to
investigate, and the Temple once again had to close from
around 11:30 AM to 5PM. They closed the gates and were
instructed to keep all the people there wherever they were
found at the time. Those in the parking lot had to remain in
the parking lot. Those entering the Temple had to remain in
the first floor and those already upstairs were taken to the
Celestial Room. Then, the miracles began to happen: A
brother serving as a recorder that day is a Microbiologist
by profession and used to deal with hazardous substances
every day. He was the first to say the white powder in the
envelope was only talc, and put every one at ease. Then the
sister coordinator upstairs was impressed to call upstairs
to the sealing area, and said "They said we can't
go down but no one said we can't go up, and I
have many people in the Celestial room with their
ceremonial clothes on ready to work. Could they do some
sealings?" As it happened, there were four sealers
present that day and they ran four sealing sessions non stop
while the Temple was closed. Downstairs, someone else
thought to invite those in the Lobby to do some
initiatories, which they promptly did for all those hours
too, brothers and sisters alike. Among those waiting in the
parking lot there was a large group of young men and women
with their leaders who had come to do Baptisms for the dead,
and who waited patiently all those hours and decided when
the Temple was reopened to go ahead and fulfill their
assignment instead of driving back home. The Temple reopened
in time for the 5:30 PM session. The next day when recording
the ordinances, they discovered that they had performed 2000
sacred ordinances on Thursday, only one less than the day
before when three stakes had been visiting the
Temple. Once again the assistant matron reminded us of the
words of the prophet Joseph Smith, "No unhallowed
hand can stop the Work from progressing...". But, this
is not all, a prophecy was fulfilled also. When the new LA
Temple President was set apart by President Uchdorft of the
First Presidency, he received a blessing and these words
were pronounced: " The time has come for the LA Temple
to come out of obscurity and become an Ensign for
Righteousness to the world under your presidency." The
pictures of the Temple have been shown on TV, newspapers and
the internet, not only in this country but worldwide. People
of other faiths have called and sent letters to the
Temple thanking the Church for defending marriage and
protecting the family, and commenting how impressed they are
by how beautiful and majestic the Temple looks . One
minister of an African American church, who by his own
admission had harbored ill feelings against the Mormons
before
said " I am impressed by your integrity and Christ
like behavior, and even if I am not ready to consider you my
brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be first
cousins!". I asked the assistant matron if I could
share her comments and she said to go ahead. I can only add
my own testimony that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints has the power and authority of God on
earth. God Lives and Jesus, His only Begotten Son and our
Savior is coming soon to redeem His people. I am grateful to
know this and I pray we stand firm, steadfast and immobile
while the prophecies of the signs before His Coming are
fulfilled. "Be not afraid, only believe" He has
said, and also " What I the Lord have spoken, I have
spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and
the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall
all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice
of my servants, it is the same." I testify that this is
true and
testify it in the Holy Name of Whom I strive to serve,
even Jesus Christ. Be faithful and safe is my humble prayer.
Your sister in Christ, Patricia A


(Photos found from websites:
http://www.kendalldavenport.com/los_angeles_temple.html
http://ldspictures.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/los-angeles-temple-at-christmas/ )

Pray Always

Every year we have General Conference, where members and friends from all over the world gather for two days to hear the Prophet's voice and other leaders. A talk by one of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Bednar, spoke on Praying Always. (Click here to read the full text). I really enjoyed his words and those quoted from scripture helping me to understand more of the purpose of prayer and how to make my prayers more meaningful. Here is a brief section of his talk regarding how our prayers can and should be connected and linked together:

"Consider this example. There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with Heavenly Father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone. For example, as we pray, we might:

Reflect on those occasions when we have spoken harshly or inappropriately to those we love the most.
Recognize that we know better than this, but we do not always act in accordance with what we know.
Express remorse for our weaknesses and for not putting off the natural man more earnestly.
Determine to pattern our life after the Savior more completely.
Plead for greater strength to do and to become better.

Such a prayer is a key part of the spiritual preparation for our day.

During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance—even as Alma suggested: “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord” (Alma 37:36).

We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.

At the end of our day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And our evening prayer also is a preparation for meaningful morning prayer.

Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to “pray always” (Luke 21:36; 3 Nephi 18:15, 18; D&C 31:12). Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His faithful children."

I am grateful to God for inspiring His servants to help me learn how I can improve my worship and relationship with Him through a basic and simple principle, such as Prayer. It has made a difference in my life as I try the word and taste of its fruit.

Personal Testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

My name is Trent(Nicole's husband), and I want to take a couple minutes to share my testimony. I know that my Heavenly Fathers lives and loves me. I know that I am his son. I know that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Redeemer. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and through a living prophet, they established their true church once again upon this earth with the proper authority and modern revelation. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. I know that through God's power, he translated the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I know it to be true scripture, for God has confirmed it unto me. I know the Bible to be the word of God. Lastly, I testify that our modern day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has been called by God to be our prophet in these latter days. I know this to be true, for the spirit has confirmed it unto me.

Atonement

There are few things in life I am more grateful for than my family. One of these is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know the Atonement is real. I know Jesus Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane and paid for sins committed by the entire world. After he endured all that pain and suffering, "which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink— Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men" (D&C19:18-19) He then willingly took the beatings of the guards and people as they began to crucify him. Then to have to die a traitors death, all because He loved us first. And to have all the pains suffered from the Garden of Gethsemane return to him on the cross. I often wonder what the reunion of the Son of God would have been as the Father embraces His most obedient Son. It truly was only but a moment of suffering in God's time, and we have the most incredible promise possible-to receive all that the Father hath if we endure it well. I'm very grateful for a speaker I heard a few years ago tell us that "enduring to the end" was not meant to be something of a long and bleak experience, but instead can and should be something to look forward to-enduring to the end. We get to show our God that we have faith in Him, not in any devices of man or our own strength, but His power and timetable. It is very difficult to wait on God's timetable sometimes and I wish things would happen when I want, but that would not be teaching me many Godlike qualities. My faith is dead though, according to James, if I do not bring forth fruit. The fruit of faith is repentance. To repent is to change ones heart. If there are things I should change, I change them. If I have not been doing something, I need to start. If I need to stop doing something, I stop. To say that I cannot change because, "that's simply who I am", is the same as denying the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He paid for all sins. Not most of them, or part of them, but all. If there is anything in my behavior or person that is not a thing Jesus would do, or that I would be comfortable doing in the presence of God, I need to change it. To not do so is not showing proper gratitude for our Savior who suffered for the world, and each individual. It's like receiving the greatest gift man could ever receive but putting it aside simply because I cannot let go of the former habit/behavior or I don't want to make the effort of letting it go and changing it. Many songs have been written and many books, stories and parables have been given to help man and our finite mind comprehend something infinite and glorious. I hope to come to comprehend a greater portion of the Atonement and all its power sometime in my life, but only if I'm willing to work (have faith and repent) to get there. Our God is great.

Reflections of Christ

A beautiful slide show of photographs of scenes from Christ's life. Either click on the title or here to view. Very well done. Mark Mabry is the photographer and has been highly sought after for his work. His work was featured at the popular Mesa Arizona Easter pageant in the Visitors Center and as the Tribune reported, "Attendance to see the photos and video has been as high as 1,000 per day since it opened." Click here for the home page.

General Conference

Twice a year, during the first of April and the first of October, we all gather as a wide body of members and friends to listen to the Prophet and Apostles and other church leaders. General Conference is what this special meeting is called and click here to read about what General Conference is. This is one of my favorite times of year, and it's not because my dad makes the greatest homemade cinnamon rolls, but because I feel as the people must have in Moses' time or Abraham or Jacob or even the great orator Paul of the New Testament. They must have been excited and anxious to learn of the Prophet coming to their town to give them the words of God. I wonder if they went around and told their families and friends who it was that was coming and what that meant to hear the words of a Prophet of God. We now read those words that they heard first hand so many years ago.
On Saturday we were able to participate in a solemn assembly to sustain the new Prophet of the Church. President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away on February 27, 2008 and President Thomas S. Monson was called and sustained to take on the mantel of Prophet, Seer, and Revelator for all members and friends worldwide. In the solemn assembly, each quorum of the Priesthood was able to stand and sustain Thomas S. Monson as the Prophet of God. Below is a picture of the gesture one makes to signify that they sustain the newly called person.
As President Thomas S. Monson walked to the pulpit and began to speak to us, I was amazed that not only do I get to hear him speak, but churches and homes all over the world were also able to simultaneously hear the Prophet's voice. This has not happened in dispensations of the Church in the past. As President Monson spoke, I could feel the love of Heavenly Father. I know that He is aware of our situation, circumstance and happenings of our time just as much as He was concerned and cared for the people during Moses' dispensation, and Isiah and the Apostles of the New Testament. He spoke to His people so many years ago because He loved them, and He speaks to us today, because He loves us. He did not loose the power to call Prophets and speak to them, nor has He stopped caring. I know that just having a Prophet on the earth is a sign of God's love and hope for the welfare of His children on earth.


The First Presidency: Prophet Thomas S. Monson (sitting), President Henry B. Eyring (1st counselor), President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2nd counselor)
Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT

God is real

I recently went through a few events in my life that were fairly difficult. I knew that I should turn to God and trust in Him and He would answer my prayer. I personally wanted a miracle to occur and for my spouse to be healed without having to go to the hospital. I knew the money that we would have to spend on the many hospital bills would set our other hopes aside for awhile longer. We had just finished paying for the last 2 hospital bills (lung collapse and removal of bone cement that was placed when a tumor took the bone) and this next round of hospital bills was not a welcome site, nor very "fair" in my mind. I was praying so hard that God would just heal him so that he would not have to go to the hospital again and knew that God had the power to do so. We said a prayer together and called our home teachers over so that they would exercise the Melchizedek priesthood which they hold to give him a blessing. I prayed several times before they got to our home that God would heal him through His priesthood power which these men would exercise. After the blessing they left and my husband decided that he didn't feel too terrible, but not completely healed, so we would wait until the next day. Upon barely getting my eyes open the next morning, I asked him if he felt better. He said no, and we packed up our things and dropped the baby off at a friend's house to go to the hospital. After the xray we were told that his lungs had collapsed again, but not as bad this time. Instead of a chest tube, they put him on oxygen and told him he would have to be monitored and then take another xray the following day to see if improvement has been made. The following day it was only 25% better. I was worried that they were going to keep him for 2 days, not find enough improvement and then put a chest tube in him which would keep him for several more days. I felt frustrated at not knowing what was going to happen and torn between being with him and taking care of the baby. I continued to pray earnestly that God would heal him and that my husband would be able to return back home soon. I did not want to burden my sister or friend much longer to take care of our baby but at the same time I did not like the idea of leaving him all alone in the hospital for so long. I decided that if this was a test of my faith and commitment to God and obeying His will instead of mine, I would show God through my actions that I believed that He was still mindful of us and our individual situation and that there was some reason which I did not quite understand yet for these many setbacks.

I knew that just because I read my scriptures, said my prayers, went to church and paid my tithing that I would be free from trials. This was a heavy one to me, but I was anxious to show God, not just tell Him, that I was willing to submit to His will and do all that I was asked or endured and do so cheerfully. It changed everything once I decided that trials will not change or disappear, but how I react to them can make or break me. It is not the trial that is the determiner of how strong or faithful I am, it is how I react to the trial. I read in 1 Nephi 11:17 "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things". Isn't that what faith is all about? Believing in something that I cannot see, or quite understand? I know God is there and that He heard every one of my pleas to Him to heal my husband and give me strength. He felt just as horrible as I did and just as much pain as my husband felt. He grieves when we grieve and He rejoices when we rejoice. Just after my husband came home from the hospital after a 4 day stay, I asked God for some help with something very small, but meaningful to me, and He answered it beyond my expectation. I still don't know the reason for the trail, but I do not that my relationship with my Heavenly Father was strengthened and my faith in Him grew. I feel like Nephi-not knowing the meaning of all things, but do know that God loves all His children. Knowing this has made all the difference. I know that this was not the end of my trials, but I do have faith that God is very mindful of each and every one of us, our individual situations and feels our pains as well as our joys. He is our Father in Heaven and like a perfect Father, knows what is best for us in the eternal viewpoint. Prayer is the way I am able to speak with such a kind and attentive Father in Heaven, and scriptures is one of the ways that He speaks to us. I know that Christ too suffered something very great and more than I can comprehend, and asked His Father in Heaven to also take it away from Him, but that He would willingly submit to God's will. To follow Christ is not always the most easy way to travel, but it is very worth it. He is the creator of the world and has many children on the earth to attend to. I take great comfort in knowing that although He commands even the elements on the earth, He also takes the time to listen to my quiet pleas and finds no greater joy than helping His children come and learn more of Him.

Prophets and Presidents

I recently watched the DVD called "Presidents and Prophets" and felt that I was highly educated regarding the Prophets of the Church and the Presidents of the United States. I had no idea how much interaction the Presidents have had with the Prophets. I went on a family vacation shortly after watching the DVD and on the way home from my niece's baptism, we talked about the events discussed in the DVD the whole way home and felt a greater appreciation for both the Prophets and the Presidents of the Church. Below is a short description of what Michael Winder discovered as he researched the relationships between the Prophets and the Presidents. I highly recommend it! I learned alot!

The Story of America's Presidents and the LDS Church

By Michael K. Winder

Which U.S. President attended school in the Kirtland Temple? Which President first borrowed a copy of the Book of Mormon from the Library of Congress? What did JFK and LBJ do for the LDS Church? Which U.S. President spoke at an LDS youth conference? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this groundbreaking documentary that explores the story of Ameria's Presidents and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You'll discover surprising facts and unexpected relationships as you follow the rise of the LDS Church from obscurity to an organization with political clout. You'll be entertained by amusing anecdotes that highlight personalities of United States Presidents and the Lord's prophets. And you'll be amazed at the story behind the stories that interweave the fastest-growing church in the United States with the highest office in the land.

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a book of scripture written by ancient prophets. I will give a brief summary of what it is and then talk about what it means to us by having it. It begins in about 600 BC and ends around 421 AD. The first prophet in the Book of Mormon was named Lehi, and he in turn handed the record down until Mormon compiled a great portion of it, then his son, Moroni finished it, buried it and later appeared to Joseph Smith and showed him where to find the volume of scripture. It took Joseph Smith about 55 working days to translate the entire work. In contrast to the Book of Mormon, the Bible took 4 years to translate (the King James Version) and was done by a group of learned men. Joseph Smith had no more formal education than a 3rd grade level. The purpose of the Book of Mormon is "to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever-And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations" (title page of Book of Mormon). It was written by prophets and translated by a prophet, Joseph Smith. In 2005, the Book of Mormon had been translated into 106 languages and 51,000,000 copies have been distributed in the past 10 years.
I love this book. It really has shown me greater peace than I would have otherwise known and has brought me to know my Savior in a more personal way. The Book of Mormon prophets wrote "we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins." I take comfort in knowing that if my children grow up reading this book, they will know where to look to receive a remission of their sins, which brings a peace only Heaven can give. I can personally say that this very thing has happened to me. Things don't always go the way I would like, I have bad days, make wrong decisions that leave me saddened, angry, or just unhappy. This is not the way that Heavenly Father wanted us to go through this life. Because of the trails we would all face in this life, God called prophets to reveal to us His Plan for us all to return to live with Him. This is what the Book of Mormon does. It is a road map that shows me the things I must do in order to receive the eternal life promised to the faithful. One of my favorite things taught in the Book of Mormon is on the Atonment. One of the Book of Mormon prophets, Alma, went to preach to a people in the land under which he never had before gone to preach. He spoke about Jesus Christ and His mission and wrote,
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12)
There are so many beautiful truths in this scripture. I love knowing that Jesus Christ Himself came down to earth from Heaven so that He could do for us what no man could do for themselves. Because of Him, I will live again. Because of him, I can repent which gives me the greatest peace-a peace that cannot be found on the earth, it is only a thing that Heaven can give. We are taught that the Lord gives us his Holy Spirit as a foretaste of the joy of eternal life. I love that knowledge that every time I feel of the Holy Spirit, it is a piece of the Heaven and eternal life that I will enjoy after this life if I am faithful during my time here on earth. I feel the Holy Spirit when I read the Book of Mormon. It is one of the quickest ways for me to feel the Holy Ghost because I am overwhelmed by the promises of God given to me through God's chosen prophets, such as the promise above of forgiveness and mercy.
Alma used the word succor in describing how the Lord would tend to us when we need him to recover sin or sickness. Succor means "to run to the rescue" (according to Merriam-Webster). I know that Jesus Christ has a personal interest in our lives. He wants us to be happy and have joy. To help this come to pass, Christ rushes, or runs, to our aid. He always has and He always will. This is a promise from Him, given through another one of His prophets, Alma. What kind of Savior do you picture when you read the above scripture? The Savior I picture as I read and re-read the above scripture is one who is full of mercy, compassion and finds joy when we are happy and turn from our sins. The Redeemer that Alma describes to us is exactly the Redeemer that all the other prophets in the Book of Mormon describe. Nephi also described Christ as he taught,
"O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world." (Helaman 5:9)
Moroni also wrote the words the Lord spoke to him, showing more of God's mercy and love for 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)
I see here a God who helps us become strong. One who is deeply concerned with our state here on earth and with His help, we can become stronger.
Finally, at the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni knew that he was sealing the records up for the last time before they would come forth and be made known unto those of the whole earth, so he wrote these last parting words,
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the powers of God." (Moroni 10:32)
The words of these few prophets mentioned are just a taste of the great wealth of truths and promises given to us with love by God's prophets. How else would God communicate such important and great truths to us than by His prophets? How can we know if someone speaks for them self or for God? By trying the fruits. I have read, pondered the meaning of the words in the Book of Mormon and then tried to live them. I have found a greater happiness in this life because of the words of comfort and peace from the Book of Mormon. What would you give up to find God's peace? Would you give something so small as a little bit of time and dedicate a serious study of the Book of Mormon? What would you loose by reading? Nothing more than time. More importantly, what would you gain by reading the Book of Mormon? The chance to hear God's voice through His prophets and truths that inspire, uplift and help to make us desire to be better, to live more righteously, be more like Christ. These are all things that the Book of Mormon does for me, as well as millions of people all around the world. "The promise of comfort and peace is nestled in every chapter and verse of the Book of Mormon. We need only approach this book prayerfully and with faith, and the Savior's peace will permeate our searching." (Ensign Jan 2008).

Questions Welcomed!

This is the beginning of a blog dedicated to answering and discussing topics related to the Doctrine and Practices that the "Mormons", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believe in. I am not hired by the Church, nor have I been asked by the Church to run this Blog. I do this of my own free will and mainly because there are ALOT of misconceptions about the Mormon church. I know that many have 'heard' or 'seen' things about the Mormon people or the Church as a whole, and while some of these things are true, there are regrettably many that are not. One of the best ways to find out whether these things are true, is to ask a practicing Mormon. The Church has a website: Mormon.org where you may find out about the Doctrine and Beliefs of the Church as well as ask questions to a missionary (See the 'Ask a Question' link on the top of the mormon.org website). So in addition to that option, I hope to run this blog so that if there be any who would like to ask a member in a spirit of curiosity or clarification, that is why I am here.
The best way to begin would be to let you know of our core beliefs. These are called the Articles of Faith and came about because "The Prophet Joseph Smith first wrote them in a letter to John Wentworth, a newspaper editor, in response to Mr. Wentworth's request to know what members of the Church believed. They were subsequently published in Church periodicals. They are now regarded as scripture and included in the Pearl of Great Price" (lds.org).

1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
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.
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

I have been taught these things my whole life, but amazingly, I continue to grow in my belief of these Articles of Faith the more I strive to live by them. One can only truly know of the truth of these things by 'trying it out', living by it. This is what Christ Himself taught during His Mortal Ministry in John 7:17, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." The only way to know of the truth of a principle or doctrine, is to 'do' it, live what it says. This shows God that you are willing to exercise your faith in something that you do not have proof of and we have His promise that He will let us know. I have personally experienced the wonderful gift of receiving an answer from God. It is one of the most prized gifts we can hope to attain. A Heavenly answer from a Loving Heavenly Father to one of His children. He knows us by name, and as Christ said in Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered", He knows us even more than we know ourselves. The God I am taught to believe in and worship in this Church is a very Real, Loving, Kind, Just and Merciful God. He actively hears my prayers-every single one that I offer to Him, and He will answer if we are sincere, have faith and real intent- meaning that we intend to act upon the answer we receive whether that be to go to Church, repent, read the scriptures more; that we will put actions to our words (James 2:17-20).