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).