The Redemption and the Resurrection

I'd Really Like to Write More

2010-11-15T23:29:00.002-06:00

I'd really like to write more, but family circumstances prohibit me. My wife and children are my priority, and I haven't been able to write. So if you read my blog, you've already figured out that I will not be able to write more. Thus, I bid you adieu.

-Craig

Prerequisite Three: God Has Established Laws as Part of His Plan (Part Three)

2010-08-22T19:48:00.001-05:00

God’s Law Reveals God’s Nature

You may have read this heading and said, “Now, hold on. What does knowing God’s nature have to do with our salvation?” The answer to your question is, “Everything.” Jesus Christ defined eternal life―salvation―just before He suffered in Gethsemane and on Calvary: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3. God has promised eternal life to the faithful. That is, He has promised to reveal them His nature, His attributes, His character, His face, and even Himself. If we don’t know who He is, we will never live forever in His presence. And ultimately, we will never know him until He parts the veil that separates Him from us, shows us His face, and speaks with us as one friend speaks to another.

And God, to a modern prophet, revealed how we can know Him: “This is eternal lives—to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law.” D&C 132:24. So by receiving God’s law, we will know Him.

How will we know Him? You’ve heard the saying, or something similar, “If you want to know a man, walk a mile in his shoes.” By keeping the Law, we walk in God’s footsteps, we walk in His shoes. That’s because each commandment is an expression of Divine Nature:

And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature [those who disobey the Law], or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; . . .

Alma 41:10-11. Therefore, those who live contrary to the Law live contrary to God’s nature. So God’s nature is the Law. Thus, God doesn’t worship idols. He doesn’t use profanity. He honors the Sabbath day. God does not murder. Nor does He violate the laws of chastity. He doesn’t steal. He doesn’t lie. And He doesn’t covet. He obeys the law of sacrifice. He loves all His children. He is just. And He is merciful. He is Perfect.

And Jesus Christ demonstrated that it is God’s nature to obey the Law. Although He was tempted in all things, Jesus never violated the Law. Hebrews 4:15. He even kept the commandments that would not serve Him. The perfect example of this is Jesus’ decision to be baptized. Baptism is for the remission of sins, and those who are “whole need no physician.” Moroni 8:8. Yet even though He had no sins, the Whole submitted His will to the will of the Father to “fulfill all righteousness.” Matt. 3:15; 2 Ne. 31:5-6. Jesus was baptized because God had commanded that every accountable person must be baptized. That was enough for Him. He didn’t ask, “Why?” He didn’t say, “I don’t need baptism. I’m perfect.” Rather, He said, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Matt. 3:15.

And Jesus’ righteousness both pleased God and revealed God’s nature to us. In all that He did, Jesus showed us the Father. John 14:9-12. If God the Father had been in Jerusalem and Galilee instead of Jesus Christ, nothing would have changed. He would have healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the lame to walk, given sight to the blind, rebuked sin, forgiven sinners, blessed the children, suffered for our sins, died, and been resurrected. He would have fulfilled all righteousness by observing and obeying the Law.

So if we want to know God―want to have eternal life―we need to obey the Law. All of it! Even the commandments that we don’t like and those we think will not serve us. It’s the only way to know Him.

Prerequisite Three: God Has Established Laws as Part of His Plan (Part Two)

2010-08-14T22:07:00.001-05:00

God’s Law and God’s Love

Love is the perfect motivator. Not only does it dictate our ends, it also tempers our means. This was never more evident than it was with our Savior. His constant call was, "Come, follow me. I know the way to joy and peace. Do what I'm doing, and you'll get there." During life's battles, He was always on the front lines. And He never asked anyone to do anything He wasn't willing to do Himself.

And it was love that motivated Jesus' atoning sacrifice. Never had man or woman suffered, nor will man or woman ever suffer pain to the degree that Jesus suffered in Gethsamane and on Golgotha's cross. In an incomprehensible way, Jesus shrunk beneath the aggregate of mankind's sins, but glory be to the Father, Jesus partook of the bitter cup because He so loved the world and His Father, our Father, so loved the world.

How stunning to think that as the Roman soldiers scourged Jesus, spat on Jesus, mocked Jesus, and drove nails through Jesus' hands and feet, He suffered it "because of his loving kindness and his long suffering towards the children of men." 1 Nephi 19:9.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the greatest manifestation of God's love for us and the greatest gift of all the gifts we have received from God. We have received more gifts than we can number from God, and all of them are to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. Moses 1:39.

As hard as we may try, there is no way we will ever be able to repay our Father and Savior for their gifts to us. But what do they ask of us to say thank you? They ask us to keep the commandments. Mosiah 2:22.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments," Jesus pleaded. John 14:15. Additionally, Jesus summed all the commandments into the two Great Commandments: Love God and Love Your Neighbor. Matthew 22:37-40. Thus, to love is a commandment.

Like it or not, love and the commandments are inseparable.

And it is precisely because God loves us that He has given us commandments, some of which may seem excessively restrictive. But consider this: If there were no commandments, there would be no sin, and if there were no sin, there would be no condemnation. Without condemnation, there would be no need for a Savior.

Jesus didn't have to go through the agony of Gethsemane or the horrors of Golgotha. The easy way, the painless way, would've been to withhold the law, commandments which God knew we would break anyway.

As evidenced by God's willingness to give us commandments that we would not always follow and His willingness to send His Son to satisfy the demands of the broken commandments, there is more to the commandments that the restriction of our "freedom."

Commandments are an invitation to become like Christ and our Heavenly Father. They possess a fullness of joy. They know true happiness. And obedience to each commandment tempers our characters and natures until we become like Them, "purified as [they] are pure." Moroni 7:48; 1 John 3:3.

What we do not recognize when we sin is that by so doing, we are acting in a manner contrary to the nature of God and contrary to the nature of happiness. Alma 41:11.
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With each commandment, God is pleading with us to be happy!

Additionally illustrative of God's love is His treatment of the sinner. Regardless of our religious denomination, we often receive the counsel to hate the sin but love the sinner. And Jesus showed us how in John 8:1-11:

While at the temple, the Pharisees brought before Him a woman caught in adultery, only murder and denying the Holy Ghost are worse sins. See Alma 39:5. "The law says," they quoted, "such shall be stoned. What sayest thou?"

Jesus, paying little attention to them said, "Let he among you his without sin cast the first stone at her."

Convicted by their consciences, the mob dispersed, and Jesus was alone with the sinner.

"Has no man condemned thee?" Jesus asked.

"No man, Lord."

"Neither do I condemn thee; Go and sin no more."

The time for final judgement was not yet, and there was still hope for this woman, a daughter of God, caught in sin's snare. But her hope and future happiness hinged on sinning no more, for if she continued in sin, Jesus would have no choice but to condemn her on the day of judgment.
But I suspect Christ's love for her in not condemning her while unequivocally condemning her sin wrought so powerfully upon her that she went and sinned no more. And she began living in accord with the nature of happiness.

In the Americas, after Jesus' ascension and resurrection, He commanded the leaders of His Church to forbid the unworthy from participating in the ordinances of the Gospel, but instructed them, "ye shall not cast [the unworthy] out from among you, but ye shall minister unto [them] and shall pray for [them] unto the Father, in my name; and if it so be that [they] repent[] and [are] baptized in my name, then shall ye receive [them], and shall minister unto [them the ordinances of my Gospel]." 3 Nephi 18:30.

When we recognize that the commandments are a manifestation of God's love for us and are calculated to bring us joy, it becomes much easier to obey. And it becomes easier for us to follow the example of Jesus as we deal with those who are caught in sin.

Prerequisite Three: God Has Established Laws as Part of His Plan (Part One)

2010-08-08T21:41:00.003-05:00

We cannot escape laws. Laws touch every aspect of our lives, from the stars in the heavens to the smallest subatomic particles. The stars obey laws of fusion to shine and produce energy. They obey the law of gravity and exert their influence through it. The planets obey the same law as they orbit the stars. Our own Earth obeys the laws of meteorology, geology, chemistry, physics, biology, and plate tectonics, among others. The electrons, neutrons, and protons forming atoms obey the laws of electromagnetism and the laws governing the strong and weak forces. Traffic laws govern our behavior in our cars. Tax laws dictate how much money we have to pay to the government. Water laws direct the distribution of rain water and spring runoff. And this list can hardly be called a beginning! There are laws upon laws that govern our lives.

I’ve tried to think of any aspect of my life that isn’t affected by some law, and so far I can’t. For example, my decision of what to eat for breakfast implicates laws of nutrition that govern my physical health: If I constantly eat food that is high in calories, I’ll get fat; if I eat food high in cholesterol, I run the risk of stroke or heart attack; if I eat rancid meat, I’ll grow ill and vomit; if I don’t drink enough water, I’ll become dehydrated; if I eat poison, I’ll die. Even what I choose to wear involves law: If I choose to wear shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals without a coat in the middle of a snow storm, I’m ignoring the laws of thermodynamics and will inevitably freeze; if I wear revealing clothing, I’m ignoring the laws of modesty and chastity. The choice to brush our teeth is how we obey dental law. Taking a shower complies with laws that keep us clean and healthy. What time we go to bed is a choice whether or not to obey the laws that govern how our body recuperates and recovers from our daily activities. So laws affect everything we do, whether we like it or not.

Truly, where there is a kingdom, there is a law.

So often, we chafe when someone mentions commandments, laws, or rules. We think they rob us of our freedom. After all, the fastest way for someone to spoil a good time is to tell you that what you’re doing is wrong. Inevitably, we bristle and lash out, “How dare you tell me what I can and can’t do! I’m no robot!”

But if that’s our attitude when we’re reminded of the commandments, laws, and rules―what I’ll call “the Law” from now on―we’ve got a lot to learn. The Law, at least Eternal Law, does not exist to spoil our fun. Belief in God mandates a belief in Divine Purpose. And unless we believe that God exists only to keep us from having a good time, there must be something more to the Law. That is, the Law must form part of God’s Divine Purpose for us, His children.

The Law is perfect, and God expects us to live it perfectly. Thus, we need to study the Law, understand its role in God’s plan, and strive to obey it.

If we don’t, we will never reach our potential. And we will never understand the greatest gift any of us have received or will ever receive: the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus came, after all, to satisfy the demands of the Law. He is the only One who obeyed the Law perfectly. And in His success comes our salvation.

So what is the purpose of the Law? I suppose that an entire book could be written about why God has given us His Law. But I won’t try to do that. Instead, we’ll talk about the Law as it relates to our eventual salvation (being brought back into God’s presence because of the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ) and sanctification (being made holy through the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ) or damnation (being cut off from the presence of God because of our sins).

For the next few weeks, we'll discuss how the Law will lead to salvation and sanctification or to damnation.

Prerequisite Two: God Has a Plan for Us (Part Five)

2010-08-01T21:19:00.003-05:00

The Resurrection and Final Judgement

Eventually, every spirit that is in the Spirit World, whether righteous or wicked, will be reunited with its physical body, never more to be separated by death. The resurrection is a free gift made possible through Jesus Christ, and even the most wicked people who ever lived will be resurrected. We’ll talk about why everyone will be resurrected a little later on, but what we need to remember today is that the resurrection is a manifestation of God’s love for us and His desire to bless all of His children.

But even though all will be resurrected, not everyone will receive the same reward. After we are resurrected, we will all stand before the throne of God to be judged (2 Nephi 2:15–22; Helaman 14:17–18). As is common among many religions, there are many Latter-day Saints who feel that God is looking for any excuse to thrust them to Hell. But the opposite is true. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want to give us everything They possibly can for our final rewards. J. Reuben Clark, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and member of the First Presidency said:

I believe that [God’s] juridical concept of his dealings with his children could be expressed in this way: I believe that in his justice and mercy, he will give us the maximum reward for our acts, give us all that he can give, and in the reverse, I believe that he will impose upon us the minimum penalty which it is possible for him to impose.

(Quoted by Thomas S. Monson, "Mercy—The Divine Gift," Ensign, May 1995).

Christ will judge us according to what we did with the light and knowledge that we have received and according to the desires of our hearts. Ultimately, He will either reward us with an inheritance in one of three degrees of glory or damn us to an eternity in Outer Darkness (Hell).

The Degrees of Glory and Outer Darkness

The three degrees of glory are The Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, or the Telestial Kingdom. (Consider 1 Corinthians 15:40–41; 2 Corinthians 2:12). And all of them are Heaven, the glory and beauty of each excelling that of the Earth. Outer Darkness is not a degree of glory and is reserved only for the most wicked.

The knowledge of these kingdoms was restored in our day to the prophet Joseph Smith. In 1832, while studying and clarifying certain passages of the Bible, Joseph and his companions read John 5:29. The power of the Holy Ghost descended upon them, and a vision opened before Joseph and his scribe, Sidney Rigdon. The other men in the room did not see the vision but felt the power of God filling the room. Occasionally, Joseph would say, "What do I see?" and then he would describe what he was seeing. Sidney would then reply, "I see it, too." Occasionally, Sidney would say, "What do I see?" and then he would describe what he was seeing. Joseph would then reply, "I see it, too."

After the vision closed, Joseph and Sidney wrote down the vision as best they could, and we have it today as section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

The Celestial Kingdom (D&C 76:50–70).

The Celestial Kingdom is the highest degree of glory and the habitation of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. All those who attain this kingdom receive all that Heavenly Father promised He would give us. If we are worthy of the Celestial Kingdom, we will become like our Heavenly Father: perfect, possessing a fullness of joy. And by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, our families during our lives on Earth will be with us eternally; husbands, wives, and children will be united forever!

Those who attain this Kingdom will also experience eternal progression. That is, they will have no end as they participate in the salvation of souls for all eternity.

To attain this Kingdom, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, have faith in Him, repent of
our sins, be baptized by one having the proper authority of the Priesthood, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and keep the commandments so that Jesus Christ can save us from our sins (see Alma 42:13; Helaman 5:11). Mercifully, those who did not receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ while living on the Earth but who would have received it with all their hearts had they had the opportunity will also be saved in the Celestial Kingdom. For this purpose, Latter-day Saints build temples and perform ordinances for those who have passed away who did not receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

And all those who were not accountable for their actions—children who died before they reached the age of accountability and those who are like children—will also receive a place in the Celestial Kingdom (Mosiah 3:16). But because they were never accountable for their sins, they do not need to receive the ordinance of baptism (Moroni 8:10–12).

Terrestrial Kingdom (D&C 76:71–80)

The Terrestrial Kingdom is the second highest Kingdom of Heaven. Those who attain this Kingdom will not live in the presence of Heavenly Father, but Jesus Christ and other who attain the Celestial Kingdom will administer to them throughout eternity. This glory of this Kingdom differs from the glory of the Celestial Kingdom as the glory of the moon differs from the glory of the sun.

Those who attain this Kingdom are the just men and women of the Earth who would not receive the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because all religions contain Truth, all those who lived according to the Truth they received will not be thrust down to Hell. Thus, men and women who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will not suffer eternal damnation. Rather, they will rejoice with their Savior through all eternity if they live according to their religions while upon the Earth.

The Telestial Kingdom (D&C 76:81–86)

The lowest Kingdom of Heaven is the Telestial Kingdom. Those who attain this Kingdom will be blessed with the visitation of the Holy Ghost. The glory of this Kingdom differs from the glory of the Terrestrial Kingdom as glory of the stars differs from the glory of the moon. This Kingdom’s beauty, although the lowest Kingdom of Heaven, far exceeds the beauty of the Earth. It is a place of rest and peace.

This Kingdom, unlike the Celestial and Terrestrial Kingdoms, is reserved for those who must pay for their own sins because they would not let Jesus pay for them. These are robbers, murderers, thieves, rapists, kidnappers, and all the wicked men and women who lived upon the face of the Earth. Because of their wickedness, they are thrust to Hell (Outer Darkness) prior to being resurrected. While in Hell, they must suffer even as Jesus suffered (D&C 19:4–20). But after their debt is paid, they will be resurrected and will inherit salvation in the Telestial Kingdom.

Outer Darkness/Hell (D&C 76:30–49)

Outer Darkness is the Mormon term for Hell. The torment of those in Hell is "as a lake of fire and brimstone whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever. . . ." (Mosiah 3:27). These are they who are cut off from the presence of God. But not all those who go to Hell will remain there forever. Once their debt is paid, they will be released.
But there are those whose debt can never be repaid. These are the devil and his angels and the sons of perdition. To become a son of perdition, a man must first be exceptionally good then turn against Christ "[h]aving denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame" (D&C 76:35). Although there may be more, the scriptures identify only two sons of perdition: Cain and Judas Iscariot.

But even though their debt cannot be repaid, even the sons of perdition will be resurrected. Thus, is the mercy of our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Prerequisite Two: God Has a Plan for Us (Part Four)

2010-07-25T20:06:00.001-05:00

The Spirit World

Our life on Earth ends, of course, with death. Sooner or later each of us must let our tabernacle of clay return to the dust. But death is not the end of our existence, just the end of mortality. Our spirits, everything except our physical bodies, will live on in a place of waiting called the Spirit World.

In the Spirit World, the dead await the resurrection, which is possible through Jesus Christ. There are two divisions in the Spirit World: Paradise and Outer Darkness, also called Spirit Prison or Hell. When we die, we will be judged according to what we did with the light and knowledge which we received on the Earth. If we were righteous, we will go to Paradise (Alma 40:11–12). If we were not, we will go to Spirit Prison (1 Peter 3:19). These assignments are temporary and last only until our bodies and spirits reunite in the resurrection. Further, these divisions have more to do with our relationship with God than they do with geographical locations. Everyone who lived a righteous life, even if they did not receive the fullness of the Gospel, are entitled to some portion of God’s Spirit. Those who lived a wicked life are not and will be cut off from His presence. The separation from God’s presence, as we’ll discuss at length later, is truly Hell.

What few recognize, though, is that the Spirit World is really an extension of mortality. Those there have the opportunity to be taught, to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent, to be baptized, to receive the remission of their sins, to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and to receive Temple Ordinances and Covenants. But even though they can learn of Jesus Christ, exercise faith in Him, and repent in the Spirit World, they cannot receive the Ordinances and Covenants of the Gospel without help.

The Ordinances and Covenants of the Gospel pertain solely to mortality. We cannot receive them unless we have physical bodies. For example, we can’t be baptized without being immersed in water. And that creates a problem for the billions of people who lived on Earth who never had the opportunity to receive the fullness of the Gospel. But God is just and will not punish someone simply because she was born in a place where the fullness of the Gospel was not available. So God allows members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to receive the Covenants and Ordinances of the Gospel for them vicariously in Holy Temples. Members research names of the dead and submit them to Temples. Then they receive the Covenants and Ordinances of the Gospel in their place. The dead then have the choice of whether or not to accept the work that has been done for them.

Lest you wonder how the dead can receive Covenants and Ordinances vicariously, remember that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins vicariously. So if Jesus Christ can suffer in our place, there is no reason to doubt that we can receive Covenants and Ordinances in the place of those who have died.

After everyone in the Spirit World has the opportunity to accept or reject the fullness of the Gospel, everyone will be resurrected. That is, our spirits and our physical bodies will be united, never again to be separated.

Prerequisite Two: God Has a Plan for Us (Part Three)

2010-07-18T20:28:00.002-05:00

Enduring well means doing more than walking around and looking like we’re sucking lemons. Now, I know that I’ve just gone on for pages about how hard life is. But, notwithstanding C-3PO’s lament in Star Wars, we were not made to suffer; it is not our lot in life. In fact, “[we] are, that [we] might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25). So how can we have joy despite life’s trials?

When I say joy, I'm not talking about the proximate pleasures of the flesh. Rather, I'm talking about the abiding happiness that comes only through the power of God. (See John 15:11; Helaman 5:44).

God is happy. In fact, the nature of God is the nature of happiness. (Alma 41:11). And because He is happy, He knows how to make His children happy. After all, He's already given Jesus the "fullness of joy." (3 Nephi 28:10). The only true way to be happy, therefore, is to partake of the nature of God. But how can we though? The answer is simple: obey.

Jesus was perfectly obedient. And Jesus commands us to be like Him, (3 Nephi 27:27) even to be perfect. (Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48). Jesus wasn't taunting us. You see, He wants us to be happy, and the only true way for us to be happy is to be like Him. “Take my yoke upon you,” He pleaded, “and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). A yoke is a device people used to harness beasts of burden―horses, oxen, donkeys, and cattle―together. It forced the animals to work together. And by working together, they could pull more weight individually than they could if they were not yoked to other animals. So if two oxen each had an individual-maximum pulling strength of four tons, by yoking them together they could pull nine or ten tons. So when we are yoked with Christ, His yoke is easy and His burden is light because He is pulling so much more than we ever could! Remember that pioneer boy who, when he could go no further, his handcart began pushing him. But if we break the yoke that binds us to Christ, we will be left to pull the weight of life alone.

And we become yoked with Christ when we accept the fullness of His Gospel, are baptized, and commit to live all of the commandment. There are two kinds of commandments: preparatory commandments and what I'll call complete commandments. Complete commandments are harder to keep. Compare the Mosaic injunction against adultery, (Exodus 20:14), to Jesus' prohibition against lusting (Matthew 5:27-28). And to me, it would be much easier to provide the occasional sacrificial lamb instead of offering up my "whole soul" (Omni 1:26) with "a broken heart and a contrite spirit" to God. (See 3 Nephi 9:20). So because of the difficulty of living the complete commandments, we insist on living the preparatory commandments.

But obedience to preparatory commandments can only bring us preparatory joy. And lest we be ever preparing and never coming to the fullness of joy, we must accept and live all of God's complete commandments. Still, living the preparatory commandments is better than not living the commandments at all. For disobedience brings only misery and captivity.

It will take time, however, to live all the complete commandments. Jesus knew we couldn't do it right away. That's why He suffered for us and provided the gift of the Atonement, thus making repentance and forgiveness possible, which, by the way, also bring great joy. (Luke 15:10; D&C 18:10-16). He knows we need help. And He helps in so many ways.

As I said, Jesus performed the matchless Atonement and made it possible to receive forgiveness of our sins. But through His Grace, He also gives us strength to keep the commandments. Moroni, that last Book of Mormon prophet, invited us:

[C]ome 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 power of God.

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

(Moroni 10:32-33).

Jesus is both the way and the means to eternal joy!

And Jesus often uses others to help us become happy. For example, He used Alma the younger to help Corianton, Alma's youngest son. While serving as a missionary with his father and older brother, Corianton visited a prostitute named Isabel. (Alma 39:1-3). His actions were not only self-destructive but became the excuse for many to disbelieve the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Alma 39:11). Alma sat Corianton down and unequivocally denounced Corianton's sexual promiscuity as an abomination. (Alma 39:5). And for four chapters Alma reproves and counsels his son about eternal justice and the mercy that comes only through Christ. (See Alma 39-42). Finally, Alma said,

O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility.

And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God grant unto you even according to my words.

(Alma 42:30-31).

Alma's talk with Corianton worked. Corianton repented and, for the rest of his life, taught repentance and the Plan of Happiness through Jesus Christ.

There are times when we will be like Corianton, in need of loving correction. And there are times when we will be like Alma, in need of giving loving correction. Both present dangers. So often, the truth is hard to bear, and when a loved one confronts us and calls us to come to Jesus, we may lash out against them. On the other hand, we must be careful that our attempt to correct doesn't become a stoning. Also, if you know the story of Alma the younger, you'll know that he once sought to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ. (Alma 36:6). He was a vile man. And it took the visitation of an angel to get him to repent. (Alma 36:6-24). The danger of being called a hypocrite was there and very real.

Thankfully for Corianton, Alma loved him too much to look away and ignore his bad behavior. Thus, Corianton started walking again along the stepping stones of the Plan of Happiness with the help of his Savior and his father.

So if we want to be happy, we must keep the commandments. All of them. We mustn't lash out against those who deliver them to us. And we shouldn't lash out against those who call our sins to our attention, even if they are hypocrites.

For it is through obedience to the commandments that we learn the nature of happiness. And by learning the nature of happiness we partake of the Nature of God until God gives us eternal joy, even the fullness of joy. And only He can give it.

Let me share with you the great blessings and happiness that I have received because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The greatest joy in my life is my relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know Them, that They live, that They know me personally, that They love me, and that They want me to return to Them with my family to receive all of the blessings of eternal life. I have not seen Their faces in this life. But that is all that I lack to have perfect knowledge of Their existence and character. I received this knowledge primarily through the Book of Mormon, through obedience to the commandments, and through my service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church). It is through Jesus Christ that I have received the remission of my sins, and through Him, I am becoming the man who He needs me to be.

After my relationship with my God and Savior, the greatest blessing in my life is my wife. We met at church. I had just returned home from my service as a missionary Ecuador and was assigned to give a talk during sacrament meeting (the main meeting for Mormons each Sunday). My wife had been home from her mission in Hong Kong for six months and was a member of the same ward (local congregation) my family attended. She had been assigned to speak at a different ward. I saw her in the foyer of the chapel as she waited for her mother so they could go to her assignment. She wore a black silk Chinese dress with red embroidery and caught me as I was looking at her. Five months later, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple and covenanted with God and each that we would be faithful to each other and to Him. We received the promise that we will be together throughout all eternity as husband and wife. My love for her has grown daily. She is amazing. It is because of her that I am who I am. She has been my strength and greatest supporter. I can’t imagine life without her. And had we not been going to church and living the Gospel, we wouldn’t be together.

And my wife has given me three beautiful children. Admittedly, sometimes my kids frustrate me, but I love being a dad. I love snuggling with my kids. I love seeing them accomplish their goals. And I love seeing them develop a relationship with God. They will be my children forever because my wife and I were married in the Temple and have received the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My children are my joy.

I’m also who I am because of the Gospel. My dad was not born a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But soon after he graduated from High School, he was baptized and yoked himself with Christ. A little while later he was serving as a missionary in the Netherlands. At the same time, my mom, who had been born to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had been baptized when she was eight, was struggling as her mother died of cancer. As the oldest daughter, she became the mother to her younger siblings. Her older brother, Jan, was also on a mission in the Netherlands and had been assigned to be the junior companion to my dad. Through Uncle Jan, my parents started writing each other. And after forty-six years of marriage, eleven children, twenty-nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, Mom and Dad are currently serving together as senior missionaries in the Netherlands. If my dad had not joined the Church, I would not be here. I love my parents. They have been a blessing and a source of great joy for me throughout my life.

I could go on, but I don’t have the time right now. Just know that every good thing, every blessing worth having, I have received it through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prerequisite Two: God Has a Plan for Us (Part Two)

2010-07-11T00:37:00.002-05:00

Our Life on Earth

As promised, life is a test. It’s hard, full of horror, pain, sickness, death, sorrow, heartache, and depression. But remember, it was a test we chose to take. Because all of us accepted our Heavenly Father’s plan for us, we are here on the Earth. And life is difficult by design.

Thankfully, we don’t have to face the difficulty of life alone. To help us return home to Him, Heavenly Father has called prophets, apostles, and even His Son to teach us what we must do to live with Him some day. They have taught us that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the mission He was sent to do on the Earth. He has paid for our sins, but our ability to receive the benefit of His sacrifice depends on whether we do all He has asked us to do.

First, we must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Second, we must repent of our sins. Third, we must be baptized by one who possesses the authority of the Priesthood, which was restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Baptism is a covenant, a two-way promise, in which we promise to keep the commandments and God promises to give us eternal life. Fourth, we must receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Articles of Faith 1:4). These first principles and ordinances of the gospel place us on the straight and narrow path which leads to our Heavenly Home, but they are not our final destination (2 Nephi 31:19). To make it Home, we must "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ," keeping the commandments of God contained in the scriptures and delivered to us by modern prophets and apostles (2 Nephi 31:20).

None of these works pay for our sins. Jesus did, and it is only by His grace that we are saved. Good works are the means by which we submit our wills to the will of the Father until we are ultimately born again by the grace of Jesus Christ and are worthy to return Home.

Additionally, to become like our Heavenly Father, He has commanded that we make more covenants within Temples. And if we are true and faithful to these covenants, God has promised to give us all He has (Revelation 21:7; D&C 84:36–38).

During our lives on Earth, we are free to choose whether we will follow God’s plan for us or not (2 Nephi 2:27). We are also free to believe what we want to believe. But we will be held accountable for all our actions (Mosiah 4:30). Still, all of us can choose to follow God’s plan and keep His commandments.

And we can choose because God gave us all free will or agency. In fact, we had agency before we came to Earth. During our pre-Earth life, agency was so important to God, that He allowed a third part of the hosts of heaven led by Lucifer to rebel and fight against Him, and because they rebelled, they were cast out of heaven. (Revelation 12:7-11; D&C 29:36). And now, they are here striving to make us miserable by tempting us to choose evil. (2 Ne. 2:27).

Adam and Eve were the first on Earth to exercise their agency when they choice to eat the forbidden fruit or not. Joshua counseled Israel to choose to serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15). And the Book of Mormon teaches that we have been instructed to know good from evil and that we are free to choose liberty and eternal life through Jesus Christ or captivity and death through the power of the devil. (2 Nephi 2:5, 27).

But there is a problem with agency: Inevitably someone will choose evil, and we know too well the horrors that mankind has inflicted on others, sometimes in the name of God. Innocent suffer. People starve. Many suffer from diseases.

Mankind is capable of unspeakable atrocity, especially when motivated by the temptations of the devil.

But we can't attribute that evil to God be cause He gave us the right to choose. We can’t say, “Why didn’t God stop this?” The prophet Enoch had a vision that revealed what God thinks about the destruction, evil, and carnage that fills the Earth:

And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; . . . [And He said to Enoch:] Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; . . .

But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?
(Moses 7: 28-37).

It is not God's will that motivates the horrors that mankind afflicts on each other.

It seems strange then that God wants to us love and serve one another and that He weeps when He sees what we do to each other but He won't stop us. But we must remember this life is a test to see if we will choose to serve Him. (Abraham 3:24-25). And there will be a final judgment. (See Revelation 14:7).

How could God judge us if He didn't allow us to act? We would all be spotless because He never allowed us to sin. And if He sent us to Hell, it would be unjust because we never did anything wrong.

But I don't think we recognize the gift that God has given us in our agency. None of us like being forced to do something. And that is exactly what He will not do. He loves us enough to let us do what we will. Yet He longs for us to choose Him, to love Him, to serve Him, and that mean loving and serving our fellow man.

That is what life is about: learning to choose God.

And learning to choose God necessitates opposition and adversity. There must be opposition in all things because if we never tasted bitter, we could not taste sweet. If we never experienced sorrow, how could we recognize joy? If we never felt anxiety, we could never know peace. (See 2 Nephi 2:11-13).

Joseph Smith was imprisoned unjustly for several months in Liberty Jail. At the same time, the Mormons in Missouri were driven out under an extermination order. Joseph's jailers were abusive and at one time even tried to feed him human flesh. But God was with Him:

My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; . . .

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

(D&C 121:7-8; 122:5-8).

Life is hard. And even harder is that usually the only way through a trial is through it! But there is good in our suffering. And I have learned that during and after a trial I am closer to God than before.

My own ancestors were Mormon pioneers who crossed the American plains pulling handcarts. They started late and were caught in an awful snowstorm on the high plains of Wyoming. Many in their handcart company died. Of those who survived, most lost fingers, toes, feet, hands, legs, etc . . . to frostbite. Years later, members of the Church criticized the leaders of the Church for allowing my ancestors and their company to go through such an awful trial. A man who was in that company stood and rebuked them for speaking about things they did not understand. He acknowledged the unwise decision to leave so late in the season and the extreme suffering he experienced. Then he revealed the miracle of adversity:

I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.

I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.

(Quoted in James E. Faust, "The Refiner’s Fire," Ensign, May 1979, 53).

The price of knowing God is to pass through the trials of life. But know that God is with us. There are unseen forces helping us. And They will continue to help us, if we let them.

Remember also that not even Jesus Christ was exempt from trials. He is the Son of God and the only perfect person to have ever walked the Earth. He went about doing good. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and caused the lame to leap, the blind to see, and the dumb to speak. He forgave sins. And He blessed children.

Yet His own community rejected Him. His brothers and sisters, although they did eventually believe in Him, rejected Him. The ruling classes of the Jews sought to destroy Him. Some tried to stone Him.

In Gethsemane, Jesus' suffering for the sins of the world was so great that He bled from every pore, and one of His best friends, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. He was taken and judged by the rulers of the Jews. They mocked Him, beat Him, spit on Him, and delivered Him to Pilate to be crucified.

Pilate sent Jesus to be scourged. Chunks of His flesh were torn away by the whip the Roman soldiers used. Then the soldiers made a crown of thorns and forced it onto His head. They mocked Him and eventually laid a cross on His back. The strain was so great that He could not carry it and a spectator was forced to carry the cross for Him.

The Roman soldiers nailed Him to a cross. Passers by continued to mock Him. And in the darkness of Golgotha, God Himself forsook Jesus.

He was alone in His agony.

But He did not suffer in vain. His willing sacrifice saved us. And on the third day, He arose from the tomb, triumphant over suffering, sorrow, death, and hell.

No one was or will be better than Jesus. And no one has or will suffer more than Him. Take comfort in knowing that not even the Best Person who ever lived, even God's own Son, escaped suffering and sorrow.

Yes life is hard, but God has promised that if we endure it well, we will be exalted on high. So endure it well, trusting in God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Better things await us if we will.

Prerequisite Two: God Has a Plan for Us (Part One)

2010-07-04T14:36:00.003-05:00

We Learned of God's Plan Before We Came to Earth

God's Plan for us began before He created the world. We are our God’s spirit sons and daughters and lived with Him before we came to Earth. He is our Heavenly Father. And more than anything else, our He wants us to come home to Him

While we lived with our Heavenly Father, life was similar to what we experience here: We had friendships; we learned; we progressed, and, although we cannot remember, we developed a very personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. In fact, Ezra Taft Benson, a Prophet and Apostle of Jesus Christ, said, "Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us" (Ensign, Dec. 1988).

Our proximity to our Heavenly Father also taught us that we were not like Him. He possessed a perfect, immortal, physical body (D&C 130:22), but we were spirits. He had a fulness of joy and glory that we did not. And He was perfect in every way, unlike us.

But as our children have the capacity to become like us, Heavenly Father knew that we had the capacity to become like Him: perfect. (Consider Psalm 82:1,6; Matthew 5:48; Romans 8: 16–17; Doctrine and Covenants 84:36–38). And He wanted us to receive the fulness of joy that He had. So Father called a council and outlined His Plan, the Plan of Salvation, through which we could become like Him. We would come to Earth for a body and to be given agency—the power to choose (see 2 Nephi 2:27; Helaman 14:30)—whereby we would be tested if we would choose to follow God (see Abraham 3:24-26).

The power to choose for ourselves was central to this Plan. We could not become like God at once. We would need to learn from our choices to be obedient (Hebrews 5:8). Only by obeying could we progress until we became who our Father knew we could be. Without agency, no growth or progress would be possible.

Heavenly Father also told us of obstacles that would impede our progress. Although He would create a paradisiacal Earth free of sickness, suffering, sin, and death, He taught that its first inhabitants would be given a choice to either remain in paradise or pass through mortality, and if they chose mortality, mankind would be lost unless He sent a Savior, "[His] Beloved and Chosen from the beginning" (Moses 4:2), Jehovah, who would be known in the flesh as Jesus Christ. Furthermore, because we would have the power to choose, at times we would choose to sin. Our sins would also cut us off forever from the presence of our Heavenly Father. And without Jesus, we had no hope to overcome them.

Our Heavenly Father’s Plan hinged on the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ which would overcome death and sin. Father testified that "there [would] be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation [could] come unto [us], only in and through the name of Christ, . . ." (see Mosiah 3:17).

Heavenly Father gave each of us the choice to accept His plan for us. And to accept the Plan of Salvation required faith in our Father’s promises and in the ability of Jehovah, Jesus Christ, to effect the Atonement.

Lucifer, one of our spirit brothers who was in authority among the hosts of heaven (D&C 76:25), offered a variation to the Plan: He would take away our agency to prevent us from sinning so that none of us would be cut off. But he wasn’t interested in helping us to progress until we became like God with a fulness of joy. In fact, the only one he cared about was himself (see Moses 4:1-3). Lucifer’s plan enticed some to follow him even though it would not allow us to become like our Heavenly Father.

And war erupted, polarizing the hosts of heaven (Revelation 12:7-12).

The war that ensued wasn’t fought with sword and shield but with words. And even though Heavenly Father had gathered us together in the Great Pre-mortal Council to present the Plan of Salvation, I do not believe that it was first time that we had heard it; nor do I believe that it was a surprise that He presented His Firstborn, Jehovah, to be our Savior. I am certain that there were those among us who were already exercising great faith in Jesus Christ and who took every opportunity to learn the exalting doctrines of the Plan of Salvation, among whom were you and I. And when we heard Lucifer attack God’s plan and His Anointed, we stood and testified that Jehovah would do the Father’s will as He had promised. We were victorious, and Revelation 12:10-11 teaches that "[we] overcame [Lucifer and his legions] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony [of the Atonement of Jesus Christ]. . . ."

Many feel that those who chose to follow Lucifer did so because they doubted their ability to follow the Plan to become like our Heavenly Father. Certainly, Lucifer must have cited our weakness to discourage us, but I do not believe that it was his most potent weapon. We need to remember that without the Atonement, the "corruption [of mortality brought on by the future fall] could not put on incorruption . . . [and our] flesh must [lie] down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. . . . And we [would] become devils, . . . to be shut out from the presence of our God, . . . in misery, . . ." (2 Nephi 9:7-9).

If the Savior failed, all would be lost, and Lucifer did everything he could to destroy faith in Jesus Christ. Ultimately, those who had faith in Christ followed God’s Plan, and those who did not were cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 12:7-10).

There Is a God (Cont)

2010-06-27T00:23:00.002-05:00

How Jesus Christ Is Both the Father and the Son

For centuries, Christian theologians debated about the nature of God, whether the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost were three Beings or three expressions of the same Being. The church held several counsels to resolve this dispute but was only able to create the confusing Nicene Creed. And the confusion continued. (See Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent," Ensign, Nov. 2007).

But in the spring of 1820, God settled the dispute. In response to a humble prayer, God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, then merely a fourteen-year-old boy. (Joseph Smith--History 1:11-17). In that moment, the mystery of Deity was resolved: The Father and the Son are two distinct Beings with bodies as tangible as Man's, while the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. (D&C 130:22-23).

Yet Jesus often referred to Himself as the Father and the Son. Thus, confusion is understandable. Still, because God is not a God of confusion, (1 Cor. 14:33), He has revealed how Jesus is both the Father and the Son.

Because Jesus Is the Creator, He Is the Father of Heaven and Earth

Under the direction of His Father, Jesus Christ created the heavens and the Earth and all things which are in them. (John 1:3; Mosiah 3:8; Helaman 14:12). It was Jesus who formed the Earth, caused the Sun and Moon to shine, and populated the Earth with plant and animal life. (3 Nephi 9:15). And in His capacity as Creator, Jesus is, therefore, the Father of Heaven and Earth.
Jesus Is the Father Because He Has Submitted Himself Completely to the Will of Heavenly Father and They Are of One Heart and Mind

Throughout Jesus' earthly ministry, He constantly submitted His will to the will of His Father: "I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me;" (John 6:38); "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me;" (John 5:30); "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:28-29).

Then, in the Garden of Gethsemane facing the agonies of the Atonement and Crucifixion, Jesus pleaded that the bitter cup would be taken from Him if it was the Father's will. Yet His submission became perfect when He added, "nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:36-39). Christ partook and drank the dregs of the bitter cup because it was the will of the Father.

Through this sublime act of submission, Jesus' will became the will of the Father. And because of it, Jesus received all power in heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18).

Regardless of situation or circumstance, Jesus acted just like God the Father would have acted:

In that sense Jesus did not come to improve God’s view of man nearly so much as He came to improve man’s view of God and to plead with them to love their Heavenly Father as He has always and will always love them. The plan of God, the power of God, the holiness of God, yes, even the anger and the judgment of God they had occasion to understand. But the love of God, the profound depth of His devotion to His children, they still did not fully know—until Christ came.

So feeding the hungry, healing the sick, rebuking hypocrisy, pleading for faith—this was Christ showing us the way of the Father, He who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering and full of goodness.” In His life and especially in His death, Christ was declaring, “This is God’s compassion I am showing you, as well as that of my own.” In the perfect Son’s manifestation of the perfect Father’s care, in Their mutual suffering and shared sorrow for the sins and heartaches of the rest of us, we see ultimate meaning in the declaration: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

(Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Grandeur of God," Ensign, Nov. 2003).

Therefore, Jesus is the Father because His will has been swallowed up in the will of the Father. They possess the same attributes and characteristics perfectly. And the only real difference between Them is that They are separate personages.

Through Jesus Christ's Atoning Sacrifice, He Is the Father of All Those Who Repent and Receive Him

Jesus' transcendent Atonement not only united His will perfectly with the will of the Father, it also made Him the Father of all those who believe. Jesus taught, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3).

No child can be born without a father.

In ancient America, more than a century before Jesus was born, a Prophet-King named Benjamin taught his subjects about Jesus Christ and His Atoning sacrifice. (See Mosiah 3-6). At the end of his sermon, he asked "if thy believed the words which he had spoken unto them." (Mosiah 5:1). They did. And all testified that their hearts had changed so that "[they had] no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2). And they covenanted to keep all of God's commandments. (Mosiah 5:5). They had been born again.

King Benjamin then explained,

And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.
And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.

(Mosiah 5:7-10).

While all men and women are spirit sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is the spiritual Father only of those who are born again. And unless Christ becomes our Father, we cannot be saved. We must literally take upon ourselves the name of Christ as His spiritually begotten sons and daughters.

Jesus Christ Is the Literal Son of God

Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. Mary was his earthly mother, but Joseph the Carpenter was not his father. In some miraculous way yet unknown to us, a Virgin conceived and brought forth a Son. (Isaiah 7:14). After all, the angels had good reason to sing that first Christmas night. In a vision explaining his father’s dream of the tree of life, Nephi saw the "most beautiful and fair [of] all virgins" holding the Son of God. (1 Nephi 11:15-22). Instantly, Nephi recognized that the tree of life symbolized Christ and knew that the baby born in Bethlehem was the embodiment of God’s love for His children; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

Prerequisite 1 (Cont.): God's Character

2010-06-20T20:41:00.001-05:00

God’s Character

Granted, there are few scriptures that teach of God’s physical appearance, but myriad teach of His character. We learn that He is powerful and created the heavens and the earth. Nature obeys Him. He is loving and happy. He is patient, compassionate, and longsuffering. God is just and merciful. He’s all-knowing, all-powerful, and omnipresent. He sees and knows the end from the beginning. He’s wise.

He’s our Heavenly Father. Romans 8:16

In fact, throughout the history of the world, those who worshipped Him called Him Father. See Isa. 63:16; Isa. 64:8. And Jesus taught that God is “[His] Father, and [our] Father; and . . . [His] God, and [our] God.” John 20:17. Notice the placement of the titles. Father comes first, God second. That’s deliberate. Of all His titles, God, Almighty, All Knowing, Omnipresent, Creator, Endless, Eternal etc . . . He prefers the title of Father.

God’s choice of titles tells us much about who He is. Consider an experience that Moses had, as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Moses was on a mountain, and God appeared to him. God showed Moses the Earth and everyone who had ever lived on it. Moses 1:1-8. After the vision, God withdrew from Moses, and Moses, marveling at the glory of God and His creations exclaimed, “Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.” Moses 1:10.

A short time later, God reappeared to Moses and showed him every particle of the Earth and the innumerable creations of His hands. Moses 1:27-29. Moses marveled again and asked, “Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them?” Moses 1:30. God answered that He made them for His own purpose through Jesus Christ. Moses 1:33. He also told Moses that His works will never end. Moses 1:33. And as one earth passes into eternity, another is born. Moses 1:38. That is, God has worlds inhabited by His children throughout the universe, and He will continue to create earth after earth into eternity. And then He told Moses why: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Moses 1:39.

By way of clarification, to be immortal is to live forever, and to have eternal life is to live forever in the presence of God, with the potential to receive all that He has. Luke 15:31; D&C 84:38 All are immortal, as we’ll discuss later, because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But only some, as you’ll soon see, will receive eternal life through the Redemption of Jesus Christ. Eternal life is the greatest of all of God’s gifts. D&C 14:7. And He wants us all to have it.

Think about it then. The vast universe, the billions upon billions of galaxies, the stars in the heavens without number, the sun, the moon, this earth that we live on, the glory of nature, everything, it was all created for us. In essence, by showing Moses the vastness of creation and by telling him that all was created for His children, God told Moses, “While compared to Me, mankind is nothing, to Me, mankind is everything.”

Because we mean everything to Him, God knows us, and He wants us to know Him. John 17:3. To reveal His nature and His love, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Everything Jesus did revealed an attribute of His Father―our Father―because He only did those things that He saw His Father do. John 5:19. So as He blessed children, healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the lame to walk, cast out devils, restored sight to the blind, healed deaf ears, condemned sin, reprimanded hypocrisy, and forgave repentant sinners, Jesus was only doing what the Father would have done.

So the life of Jesus Christ is the ultimate manifestation of God’s nature. Had He been in the Holy Land instead of Jesus, He would have done exactly what Jesus did. He would have performed miracles. He would have taught true doctrine. He would have gone to Gethsemane. He would have been humiliated, been judged of the world, been scourged, and gone to Golgotha. He would have sacrificed everything for us. Thus, as we study the life of Christ, His teachings, and His we also study the character of God.

And we recognize how devoted to us, His children, God is.

Prerequisite 1: How You Can Know There Is A God

2010-06-13T14:22:00.002-05:00

How You Can Know There Is A God

You can know that there is a God. The Bible teaches that from the time of Adam and Eve, there has been a True and Living God who communes with the children of man, His children. And we learn that this God loved us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to save us from our sins. (John 3:16).

But how can we know for certain that such a God exists? And how can we know that Jesus really is His Son?

Jesus provided the answer in an oft-overlooked scripture in the Bible: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17). That is the great key. If you want to know whether there is a God and the Christian God is that God, do His will.

Of course, before we do His will, we have to know what it is. And God hasn’t left us to grope in the dark. He has revealed His will from the beginning of time, and His faithful servants, the Prophets, have recorded His words. We can find those records in the scriptures.

There are several books of scriptures that we can read to know God’s will. First is the Bible. In the Old Testament, we read about the creation of the Earth and of God’s dealings with ancient mankind. We learn that God sent His angels to reveal His will to ancient prophets and that He appeared to some. We learn that He covenanted with Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, and many others. We read that because the nation of Israel was hard-hearted and stubborn, they received the Law of Moses, which was a law of outward ordinances that continued until the time of Christ. And the New Testament contains the life of Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Apostles. We learn the Higher Law of Christ superseded the Law of Moses. And we learn of the great love that Jesus Christ, and His Father have for all of us.

And God did not stop talking to His servants after the Bible was written! There are other books of scripture which have been revealed through modern prophets. The Book of Mormon teaches about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent. Their ancestors lived in ancient Israel and the Middle-east, crossed the ocean, and settled in the Americas by the power and gift of God. Here, they worshipped God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And after Jesus' death and resurrection, He appeared to those who lived on the American continent. The Book of Mormon is a second witness of the Divinity of Jesus Christ and proves that the Bible is truly the word of God.

The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and some of his successors. It outlines the proper organization of Christ’s Church. Throughout it, we hear the voice of Jesus Christ directing His servants and His Church. It proves that God continues to speak to His children.

The Pearl of Great Price contains revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as he studied the Bible. It also contains a translation of papyrus scrolls which contain the writings of Abraham. And in the Articles of Faith, it outlines the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Finally, God has a prophet today who speaks for Him. His name is Thomas S. Monson. He is the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He holds the same keys that were given to Peter, the ancient Apostle. He is God’s mouthpiece, and when he speaks, he speaks for the Lord. So his words are also scripture.
If we live according to these scriptures, we will know that there is a God, that He loves us, and that He speaks today!

And, as I said before, there is a way that we can test whether or not the scriptures truly teach the will of God. An ancient Book of Mormon prophet named Alma proposed an experiment to a group of people who wanted to know whether there is a God. He likened the word of God to a seed. And if the people had merely a desire to believe, they should plant that seed in their heart and nourish it. That is, they should begin living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If it was a good seed, it would begin to grow:

Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

(Alma 32:28).

Alma also counseled that even after the seed begins to grow we can't neglect it, our the tree of our faith will die. So we need to continue living the Gospel all our lives. (See Alma 32 to read more about the experiment).

I have done as Alma counseled. The seed of my faith has been growing for many years. And I can testify that there is God. He is our Eternal Father. His Son is Jesus Christ.

You may be wondering how you’ll know that God is speaking to you as you live His commandments. It's hard to describe the manifestations that I know come from God. But I can tell you how God has spoken to me. When He speaks to me, I don’t hear a voice. Instead, I feel peace, joy, and love. My chest feels warm, almost on fire, and sometimes I tingle all over. Often, I get ideas I never would have come up with on my own. Other times, I feel as if I have Someone place His arm around me. And on occasion, words enter my mind, revealing God’s mind and will. But I have never had one of those manifestations when I was living contrary to God’s teachings. When I am doing good, serving others, studying His words in the scriptures, keeping the commandments, that is when He manifests Himself.

And God will manifest Himself to you, but you have to plant the seed. You have to keep the commandments. It’s only after you’ve planted the seed and nourished it through obedience that it will begin to grow. But it will grow.

And you will know that there is a God.

Prerequisite 1: There Is a God (continued)

2010-06-06T13:26:00.002-05:00

As I was writing this week, I decided that I should have posted this before I started with the doctrinal discussion about God's nature.

How I Know that There Is a God

There has never been a time in my life that I didn't believe in God. Among my greatest blessings is the fact that both my parents are devout Christians and that from the cradle they taught me about God, the Eternal Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. Mom used to sing me to sleep with children's hymns. And my bedtime stories came from the scriptures. My favorite stories were "Daniel and the Lion's Den" and "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and the Fiery Furnace."

But as a child, I didn't act like someone who had been taught about God. I was mean and grumpy all the time. I used to scream at my Mom and Dad that I hated them. I threatened to run away at least every day. I strangled my younger brother whenever he made me mad. I used foul language, which prompted my mom to give me doses of Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper.

I drove my parents crazy.

They wanted to help me, but nothing seemed to work until they bought me a copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I loved to read, and so I started reading it. And I started changing.

If you don’t know what The Book of Mormon is, it teaches about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent. Their ancestors lived in ancient Israel and the Middle-east, crossed the ocean, and settled in the Americas by the power and gift of God. Here, they worshipped God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And after Jesus' death and resurrection, He appeared to those who lived on the American continent. The Book of Mormon is a second witness of the Divinity of Jesus Christ and proves that the Bible is truly the word of God.

Now, as I read The Book of Mormon, I didn't turn into an angelic child, far from it, and I’m still far from perfect. But over time, I became less grumpy and less mean (even though these are two things I still struggle with); I stopped telling people that I hated them; I stopped threatening to run away; I stopped strangling my little brother, and I didn't have to eat Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper as often.

And I continue to read The Book of Mormon and the Bible and other scriptures every day. And I feel the same influence changing me and helping me become a better person.

I know that God lives because He has changed my heart as I’ve learned about Him and Jesus Christ through The Book of Mormon and the other Scriptures.

I have also had other experiences which confirmed to me that there is a God. For example, while I served as a missionary in Ecuador, things were hard. Few were willing to listen to what I had to share. People would lie to me all the time about where they lived. Others would tell us to come to their home on a certain day and then would not be there, or would not come to the door when we came. I was called a child of Satan.

One afternoon when my missionary companion and I came in for lunch after a particularly discouraging morning. I went to the bedroom, fell on my knees at the foot of the bed, and said, "Heavenly Father." No sooner had I done so, than I felt the words, "I am here. . . . How I love you. How I love you. How I love you." I say felt because I didn't hear a voice. But those words entered my mind and were accompanied by a feeling of peace and love independent of my mind and emotions. Perhaps you're feeling a "burning" in your bosom or a peace as you read about this experience. If you are, those feelings are from God. He is telling you that He is there and that He loves you.

During my mission, I had several other experiences like that day, but they were often preceded by great difficulty.

Today, I continue to pray to God. And I frequently feel that He hears me and that He loves me. I feel it now as I write this to you.

When I look at the stars in the heavens and the beauty of nature I know that there is a God. Indeed, I see "God moving in His majesty and power" through them. (D&C 88:47).

And being a husband and father have let me experience the most powerful love imaginable. After my family and I moved to Waco, Texas for law school, I was stressed. During the first quarter, I almost quit. But one day, my wife and daughter were in the computer room playing a game. Leaning against the door frame and looking at my family, I felt as if God wrapped His arm around me and said, "Life's good, isn't it?"

I could go on and on listing experiences that have shown me that there is a God. And I can tell you that as sure as I know the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, I know that there is a loving God. He is our Heavenly Father. And His Son is Jesus Christ.

And I testify that all of us can know that there is a God.

Prerequisites: Part One

2010-05-29T22:20:00.003-05:00

I recognize that many of you do not share my beliefs. You may be a Protestant, a Catholic, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, an Atheist, an Agnostic, or an adherent to one of the many other religious traditions throughout the world. I’d ask you not to reject my message simply because I’m a Mormon. I understand that you may not believe as I do. But I’d ask you to suspend your unbelief during our discussions and wait to decide whether I am right or wrong after we are done talking. And it might take a long time before I finish what I hope to write!

Because we come from such varying backgrounds, I’ll assume that you and I have no common beliefs (I’m sure we do, but we won’t know until we get going.). So let’s get going!

Before we begin our discussion about the Redemption and Resurrection made possible through Jesus Christ, there are a few things we need to talk about as prerequisites. Just as a building needs a solid foundation to stand, the doctrine of the Redemption and Resurrection cannot be understood fully unless we first lay a strong groundwork of foundational doctrine.

As I’ve thought about it, I recognized that there are five foundational doctrines underlying the doctrine of the Redemption and the Resurrection: (1) There is a God. (2) He has a plan for us. (3) He has established laws as part of his plan. (4) He has granted us our free will―what I’ll call agency. And (5) He covenants with those who accept Him as their God.

The house that I hope to build as I write will collapse if I don’t first sink these footings. For some of you, these discussions will be review, for others, introductory. But I hope that they’ll sink deep into your heart and that they’ll edify all of us.

Throughout our discussion, I’ll refer to various books and writings including, The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, (the links will take you to a brief description of each book) and the teachings of men whom I accept as living Prophets and Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PREREQUISITE 1: THERE IS A GOD

God’s Physical Nature

Millions have debated the physical nature of God. Counsels have formed. Faithful have fought. And it seems that we’re farther than ever from reaching a consensus. This, despite one of the first passages in the Bible: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Gen. 1:27. So if we want to know what God looks like, we need only look in the mirror.

God has a face. He speaks with a mouth. He has arms to hold, hands to heal, a heart that feels. His eyes can pierce us through to the soul. His mind knows all things. Yet the misconception that He is without body parts and passions has persisted for almost two millennia.

But in 1820, as if to end the controversy, God revealed himself to a boy who wanted nothing more than to follow Him. His name was Joseph Smith. Joseph lived in upstate New York near the town of Palmyra. When he was fourteen years old, there was a great religious fervor. Preachers of different faiths proselytized the community, urging all to accept Jesus. They said it didn’t matter which church you joined, as long as you accepted Jesus. But Joseph soon recognized that as soon as people joined one church, they would begin fighting with members of the other churches about the meaning of the Bible, how to be saved, and the nature of God.

It was a confusing time for Joseph. He often wondered, “What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” Joseph Smith-History 1:10.

Knowing that God is not the author of confusion, Joseph turned to God’s word, The Holy Bible. He studied daily and mediated on the meaning of the scriptures he was reading. One day, he read 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.”

Because his words are better than I could ever write, I quote Joseph’s account of the impact that this verse had on him:

Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

Joseph Smith-History 1:12-13.

On the morning of a spring day, Joseph tested James’ promise in a grove of trees near his home.

Again, Joseph’s words:

After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

Joseph Smith-History 1:15-17.

Joseph Smith saw God and His Son, Jesus Christ. He saw their faces. Their eyes pierced him. He heard their words. He saw that they had bodies of flesh and bone, just like we have. But he saw that their bodies were perfected and glorified, not subject to illness or death. And he saw that Jesus was in the express image of His Father.

God clarified the confusion of ages about His physical attributes to a mere boy.

Yet this theopany merely confirmed what the Bible taught. As I said, we are taught that we were created in God’s image. The Bible also teaches that God spoke with Moses “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” Exodus 33:11. Jesus testified that He looked just like His Father when one of His apostles asked him to show them the Father: “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; . . .” John 14:9.

I conclude this discussion about God’s physical attributes by quoting three more passages of scripture. During Joseph’s life, he had the privilege of seeing Jesus Christ many times. One time was after Joseph and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had built their first temple. Joseph said:

[I] saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before [me]; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, . . .

D&C 110:2-3. But Joseph was not the only Prophet who was permitted to see Jesus. Daniel of the Old Testament also saw him:

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Daniel 10:5-6. So did John the Revelator:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: . . .

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; . . .”

John 1:10-18.

So to really know God’s physical nature, all we need to do is read the Scriptures. He has revealed it and restored our knowledge of it many times. Because we know the Jesus is in the express likeness of the Father, we know what both of them look like. And one day, all of us will stand before God, and we will see His face and, hopefully, feel His arms clasp us in His loving embrace.

Surprise!

2010-05-23T01:39:00.004-05:00

Well, after a lot of thought and the encouragement of a very intelligent middle-schooler, I've decided to "resurrect" my blog. My purpose has changed. The Spirit has been weighing heavily on me that I need to write about the Redemption and Resurrection made possible through Jesus Christ. Nothing has worked for me to write consistently. So I've decided to impose deadlines on myself through this blog. Every Sunday I will post something. The posts will be rough drafts of essays that I hope to compile, revise, perfect, and maybe publish.

The Time Has Come

2009-01-05T11:32:00.003-06:00

It seems that interest in my blog has waned to nothing, as evinced by the lack of comments for the past few months. It has been a great experience sharing with you my faith and beliefs. But since this blog was about you, and not me, there doesn't seem to be a reason for maintaining it any longer.

As always, you can contact me if you have questions about Mormonism. If I get enough, I may reconsider re-starting the blog.

Until then, it's been a blast.

-Craig

The Dance

2009-01-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

THE DANCE

The night envelopes us as we make our way back to the apartment. Every few minutes, lights cut through the blackness; each set brings hope of a ride back to Otavalo. We try to thumb them down, but most of our gestures are ignored. We are forced to continue along the dirt road that would take us to the highway. There, we might catch a bus which will carry us the remaining five miles to the city.

Fireflies flicker around us as random thoughts flash and fizzle in my mind. As the ideas fire, I catch hold of one: The past five months have been difficult. I had worked my heart out, and yet, the fruits were minimal.

My mind is clouded, and I can not see past its dark negativity. Initially, I was excited to serve. As a child I had dreamed of being like Ammon. But here I am in my own land of Ishmael, but I had yet to find a Lamoni.

I can’t help but feel guilty. I’m missing something; I’m coming up short somewhere. What lack I yet? Becoming emotional, I let my thoughts be drowned out by the heavy "clump, clump" of my feet on the uneven ground.

"Could today have been any worse?" I ask my companion, hoping that he would see behind the mask of the question and find the words to soothe my troubled soul.

"It wasn’t so bad. We were able to do a little of what we planned."

A troubled sigh escapes me; he had failed to hear my cry for help. Elder Rekoutis is a good missionary and a good friend, but perhaps I need to go to Someone greater. I ache to go home and pray.

Lights behind us signal new hope. Instead of passing by and hurrying along, a truck splashes through a puddle and stops. The driver’s shoulder rotates as his window descends into the door, and a broad smile greets us. Two gold inlayed stars in his front teeth dominate his grin. He wears an Al Capone style hat backward with the brim flipped up. It almost looks like a natural part of the long, jet black hair pulled into a loose pony tail behind his head.

"You going to Otavalo?" His Spanish sounds perfect, no trace of a Quichua accent. Quichua was slowly dying out, and he is typical of a new generation.

"Sí, can you give us a ride?"

"Sure, hop in," he responds, motioning us to climb into the truck bed. My companion and I step onto the bumper and into the back. Squatting, we brace ourselves for the ride. We sit quietly as the wind whips past us. I allow it to push back the feelings and thoughts that come all too easily. Looking up, I stare into the void of the night sky, ignoring the glimmering stars that look down on me.

The ride is short, and we soon are within the municipality of Otavalo, nestled in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Two and three story buildings dominate the streets. The joints of each structure come together in perfect right angles, creating cinder block, rectangular faces and flat roofed losas.

In minutes, we’re back at the apartment. My companion and I study together, but fatigue overpowers us, and we get little out of it. Afterwards, I shower, waiting secretly for the time that I can commune with the Lord. The time comes, and I kneel. I begin, but my words are robotic, almost recorded. I continue, but I feel that each word hits the ceiling; I receive no comfort. The question still remaines: What lack I yet? I finish and struggled into bed.

I’m not excited for morning, especially because morning brings a holiday. Holidays mean a lot of walking with little contact with people, and most appointments fall through. Just what I need. Tomorrow morning’s holiday holds even less promise because it is El Dia de los Fallecidos, The Day of the Dead. Morning looms ominously ahead, like the sky right before a thunderstorm. Wrapping myself in that darkness, I close my eyes.

The morning is typical. It is time to study personally and the scriptures bring little comfort. I still cannot understand how the prophets of old could do it. I am doing exactly as they did but the results are so drastically different. Discouraged, I angrily close The Book of Mormon. It is time to go, and I reluctantly step out onto the street.

The first few hours pass just as I had suspected. "What’s the deal?" I blurt out to my companion. "We walk and walk and it doesn’t do any good to talk to people. They just stare at us with that glazed over a look, like our words are bouncing off their ears."

"Relax, Pankratz!" Elder Rekoutis’ face is tight. His forehead wrinkles as he looks at me. His glare does little to help me obey his command. "Look, it’s not my fault that Luis couldn’t translate for us. We’ll just have to do our best. WON’T WE?"

Flinging his proselyting bag over his shoulder, he turns and tromps away. The conversation was over. Rolling my eyes, I follow. It’s time for English class. Brooding, I walk grudgingly behind my companion the entire way to the church.

I have to check my day planner to make sure what day it is when we arrive at the chapel. The grounds are full. "What’s going on?" I ask, the tension from before giving way temporarily to curiosity. I cannot help but speculate about what is happening, and honestly, my speculation is not too favorable for the members.

"I don’t know." Rekoutis responds. His countenance has relaxed since our last discussion. Forgetting the contention, he looks at the grounds with eyes suddenly full of wonderment and excitement. "Let’s go find out."

"¡Guokis! ¿Ima nasha tac cangichi?" Greet the members as we enter the chain link gate of the chapel’s grounds. Puzzled, we weave through the throngs of people to find the Bishop. Spotting him near the back of the yard, we dodge our way to him. The bishop salutes us, joy beaming from his face. "Elderes, ¿cómo están?" His eyes glow with kindness as I listen to him. It takes little effort to discern what is happening. Today is the day of La Compania’s ward party for The Day of the Dead, and we are invited to participate with a special invitation. English class immediately loses importance. Even the pupils are invited to take part in the celebrations.

I look out on the throngs of people. Here is the fountain of my problems, ignorance, apathy, and misunderstanding. If these people were not so backward, maybe I would have the success that I want. I am so tired of members who refuse to help us. I have had enough of evangelical congregations’ persecutions, of their lies about the church. If only they knew who they were. If only they were like the people of Ammon, then I would be happy.

Despite my mind’s justifications, I still do not feel comfortable about placing the blame solely on them. I try to reevaluate my thinking. It’s difficult to see past the present hurt, the longings of a young missionary, but I try. Perhaps they merit another chance. Perhaps another look will reveal something. Elder Rekoutis seems to appreciate them. I watch for a moment as he laughs and plays with them. He is smiling.

I place my thoughts in the back of my mind when the Bishop calls us to attention. There is to be a special presentation by the sisters of the ward. They will perform several traditional dances. Finding our place on a hill that overlooks the dance floor, my companion and I sit. For the first time in a long time, I am full of anticipation. In five months on this mountainside I have yet to see a dance or a ceremony that links these people to their past, to who they are.

The dancers stand ready next to the sports court, a cement slab, that will be their dance floor. I scan through the dancers, and in the front of all of them stands Janet, the Bishop’s daughter. Of all the children that I know in the La Compania, she is my favorite. As I look at her, memories of her and her brothers pleading to be thrown into the air flow into my mind. Janet is a special little girl, naive and energetic. Secretly, I have adopted her as one of my nieces.

A 6/8 indigenous Andean rhythm begins to play, and the dancers take their places. Janet is blushing and her embarrassment shows in her eyes as well. The collar of her blouse bounces as she moves to the simple step, bounce, step choreography of the dance. Catching her glance I cannot help but smile. She sees me and rolls her eyes as if trying to escape my attention. For a moment, I turn away my attention to observe the people of the ward.

The cheery music still plays as brightly embroidered blossoms shine brilliantly against a multitude of gleaming white trousers and shirts, like May flowers defying a late snowstorm. Beautiful children closely trail their mothers. An occasional blue poncho and the women’s dark skirts brake the simple white pattern that runs throughout the crowd. Babies with fat, round faces are strapped snugly to their mother’s backs. Men and women smile as they observe the dance, gold lined teeth shining in the sunlight. They are glowing.

The music continues, and my attention is drawn back to Janet. She is glowing like the rest, but her glow is contagious, flowing out from her, and bathing all in her radiance. I am caught up in Janet’s warmth, and in an instant, the scales of darkness that cover my eyes fall to the floor. The light of Christ illuminates them. I see the ward members as they are, my brothers and sisters, a beautiful and a chosen people. The dance now done, I am somehow different. Something has changed. I feel complete.

To the west the sun sinks and begins to set. The colors of the countryside are crisper as the sun makes its descent. Long shadows stretch from the adobe houses and across the grass of the church’s lawn. The shadows mark that it is time to go. We bid our friends farewell, as the sun sinks completely behind the hills to the west. A new feeling overcomes me as we walk away from the party.

Stepping beside my companion, I feel ashamed for my earlier actions. I think of ways to apologize. Searching, I turn to him and say, "Today was awesome. Wasn’t it, Rekoutis?"
He looks at me and smiles, understanding exactly what I’m saying, and answers, "Yep, it sure was, Pankratz. It sure was."

Night is upon us, but the moon and stars cast silvery shadows on the mountainside as we walk the dirt road to the highway. My feet move to the 6/8 beat of the music in my head. Tears quietly stream down my cheeks. I am filled with emotion as the clouds of negativity give way to the bright celestial lights above us.

Fireflies flicker around us as thoughts glow warmly in my head. As the ideas fill my mind, one prevails and catches hold of me: How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for sending me here. Even though I have not found a Lamoni, I have been with the people of Ammon.

Worthy of Our Parentage

2008-12-28T18:40:00.002-06:00

We are who we are in a very large part because of our ancestors. Their choices have shaped our opportunities and our circumstances, for better or for worse. Thankfully, I am descended from a long line of noble ancestry. And I owe everything to them.

I am the product of hundreds of years of searching for Eternal Truth. My ancestors, without exception (at least that I know of), came to the United States of America seeking religious freedom. On my mother's side, many of my ancestors were Puritans and Pilgrims. In fact, one of my great-grandfathers, Richard Warren, was on the Mayflower and was part of the scouting party that eventually chose Plymouth as a place of settlement.

The rest of my ancestors on my mother's side came to America to establish Zion. They were from the British Isles and the Netherlands. Mormon missionaries came to their countries and taught them in their homes, streets, and churches. My ancestors recognized that the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One of them was named Mary Soar Taylor. Mary lived in Nottingham, England and was widowed when she was still a young woman, leaving her alone to care for her two sons, Jesse and William. Missionaries came and taught her that the True Church of Jesus Christ had been restored, and she accepted their message with all her heart.

She and her children wanted to join the Saints in Utah, but they were poor and had to wait several years until the opportunity came for them to come to Zion. In 1856, they left England and arrived in the Midwest where they would continue their trek. They couldn’t afford a wagon, let alone a team of oxen, so they pulled their belongings and supplies in a handcart in the Martin Handcart Company. But they left for Utah late in the summer, and an early snow storm caught their company on the high plains of Wyoming.

They were stranded.

Providentially, Elder Franklin D. Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had found them before the snow storm as he was returning from a mission in Europe. He had a fast team of horses and a carriage and made it to Salt Lake City on October 4 to report that there were still two companies on the plains.

Even though Brigham Young immediately sent help, Mary, her children, and their company didn’t arrive in the Salt Lake Valley until late November. Many died, and those who didn’t lost toes, feet, fingers, and legs. William eventually died from the effects of the experience. (For more information about the Martin Handcart Company, see James E. Faust, "Go Bring Them Home from the Plains," Liahona, Nov. 1997, 3; James E. Faust, "A Priceless Heritage," Ensign, July 2002, 2; "Remembering the Rescue," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 38; Paul H. Peterson, "They Came by Handcart," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 30.

Of all people, I think the members of the Martin Handcart Company were justified in complaining and criticizing Brigham Young and the other leaders of the Church. But they didn’t; other members of the Church did. The following is an account of one survivor of the Martin Handcart Company as he responded to criticism:

Some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting any company of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies or protection than a handcart caravan afforded.
An old man in the corner … sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.
In substance [he] said, "I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? …
"I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it."
He continued: "I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.
"Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company." (James E. Faust, "The Refiner’s Fire," Ensign, May 1979, 53).

I know that Mary, Jesse, and William felt the same way.

In fact, Mary wrote a brief history of her life and closed it with her testimony. She said:

I have written this sketch of my life as stated for the benefit of my grandchildren and others and I also add my testimony of the divinity of this work. I know that it is the work of God and hope and trust that any of my posterity that may come in possession of this may be strengthened in their faith by it, and be worthy of such parentage for truly we suffered much for the truth's sake, but the reward of the faithful is sure.

It's hard to hold back the tears when I read my grandmother's words. She gave everything because she knew that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the restored Church of Jesus Christ, containing the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I strive to be "worthy of such parentage." I will be faithful to the end to this Gospel and to this Church. It is the least I can do for Mary and for Jesse and my other ancestors on my mother's side who gave everything to come to Zion.

And I am equally beholden to my father's ancestors. They were Mennonites. The Mennonites were part of the Anabaptist movement of the Reformation. During the Reformation, several men in Switzerland decided their infant baptisms were invalid because they did not have the option to choose for themselves. They were rebaptised, and thus the Anabaptist movement was born.

Among all the sects which emerged in Reformation Europe, the Anabaptists were the most radical. They sought to Restore the ancient Church of Jesus Christ. They actively proselytized their neighbors, and many rejected the authority of their secular leaders. As a result, the Anabaptists suffered severe persecution. Among the most radical of the Anabaptists were those living in the city of Munster, Germany. There, one Anabaptist leader claimed to be the prophet Enoch and Munster the city of Zion. They drove all non-believers from the city, but their neighbors retaliated and slaughtered the Munster Anabaptists.

After Munster, the Anabaptist movement needed leadership when a former Catholic priest, Menno Simons took the lead of the largest group of Anabaptists. He preached the need for the separation of Church and State, the importance of Faith and Works to gain salvation, and pacifism. The were known as the Mennonites.

The Mennonites gathered in communities and supported one another physically and spiritually. And because they were pacifists, they were driven from place to place. Finally, they were allowed to live in Prussia in the early Seventeenth Century. After one hundred years and prosperity in Prussia, the Prussian government demanded that the Mennonites give their sons to serve in the military.

Cathrine the Great of Russia, hearing of the Mennoites' prosperity in Prussia, invited them to come to the Ukraine and Crimea, which Russia had just acquired in the Crimean War. She promised that they would never have to serve in the military. But in 1871, Czar Alexander II of Russia ordered all men within the boundaries of his empire to submit themselves to military service. However, he opened a ten-year window of emigration for anyone opposed. The decree outraged the nearly forty-five thousand Mennonites, and after several failed attempts to dissuade the Russian government, the only solution was emigration.

And my ancestors ended up in the Midwest states of Kansas, Missouri, and the Dakotas. Their search for Truth and their desire to live according to the Truth they had received brought them here. Little did they know that the ancient Anabaptist desire to restore the ancient Church of Jesus Christ had been fulfilled through Joseph Smith. And little did they know that one of their descendants, my father, would find the fulness of the Gospel.

Dad was in high school working in a grocery store in Moses Lake, Washington. There were Mormons working in the store with him. And he had felt that there was something missing in his life. He approached the Mormons and asked if they had anything about their Church that he could read. They did better by bringing him to the missionaries and giving him a copy of the Book of Mormon.

Dad knew the Book of Mormon was truly Another Testament of Jesus Christ before he even finished reading it. He joined the Church and later served a mission in the Netherlands. While there, he had a mission companion named Jan. Jan's mother had just passed away, and his little sister, Diane, had to leave BYU to take care of her siblings.

Dad and Diane started writing each other. They were later married and had eleven children.

As you can see, I am who I am because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I feel an immense responsibility, more of a privilege than a responsibility, to share this Gospel with all the world. It is the Gospel that my Mennonite ancestors strove to restore, and it is the Gospel the prompted the ancestors on my mother's side to leave everything to come to Zion.

May I be worthy of such Parentage!

Christmas

2008-12-21T18:49:00.001-06:00

The angels had good reason to sing that first Christmas night. In a vision explaining his father’s dream of the tree of life, Nephi saw the “most beautiful and fair [of] all virgins” holding the Son of God. (1 Nephi 11:15-22.) Instantly, Nephi recognized that the tree of life symbolized Christ and knew that the baby born in Bethlehem was the embodiment of God’s love for His children. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.)

And God’s love abounded as Jesus walked among men. As Jesus healed and served, He testified that He merely did the works of the Father. (John 14:10.) That is, if Heavenly Father had been in Roman-occupied Jerusalem, He would have healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the blind to see, and lifted the sinner. For it was “God’s love [Jesus was] showing [us].” (Jeffery R. Holland, “The Grandeur of God,” Ensign, Nov. 2003, 72.) The same sorrow which filled Jesus as He lamented over Jerusalem filled Heavenly Father, as did the same compassion which Jesus showed to sinners, even to a woman caught in adultery. How can we imagine a stern and unforgiving God when He refused to condemn one guilty of the heinous sin of adultery? (See John 8:1-11.) True, God cannot “look upon sin with the least degree of tolerance,” and “no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God.” But He wants us to repent of our sins, and when we do, immediately, He will extend the blessings of the plan of redemption to us until “He takes us on His shoulders and casts our sins behind His back.” (Alma 34:31; Holland, The Grandeur of God, 73.)

Thus the greatest manifestation of God’s love for us was the offering of His Son as the “great and last sacrifice” for sin. (Alma 34:10,13-14.) None of us compared to Christ premortally. The prophet Joseph Smith taught that many years will pass after our deaths and resurrection before any of us attain perfection. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 348.) Yet Jesus continued “from grace to grace” (D&C 93:14) until He attained Godhood many billions of years ago, enabling Him to create all things. (Moses 1:32-33.) Despite His premortal perfection, Jesus yielded Himself as a willing sacrifice to the will of the Father. No one deserved greater praise, glory, and honor. Yet no one suffered more. (D&C 19:15-18.) Still, to glorify the Father and to exalt us, Jesus “descended below all things.” (D&C 122:8).

Yes, the angels sang that first Christmas night because over Christ’s manger bed loomed the shadows of Gethsemane’s trees and of Golgotha’s cross. And the silence of that night portended the silence of the empty Garden Tomb.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”(Luke 2:14.)

Something to get you into the Christmas Spirit

2008-12-08T07:00:00.001-06:00

Did you know that the inhabitants of the American continent also knew of the birth of Jesus Christ? I wrote this story about the signs that let them know about the birth of the Savior.

-Craig

P.S. There are endnotes which give translations of the Quichua words used in the text.

To learn more about the account of the first Christmas on the American continent read 3 Nephi 1:4-21.

To read prophesies about the birth of Jesus Christ by prophets who lived on the American continent anciently, go to 1 Nephi 11:13-23, Mosiah 3:2-8, Alma 7:7-13, and Helaman 14:1-8.

On the Morrow

Mashcag inhaled deeply. He loved the scent of the soil just after the rains ended. It mixed with the smell of harvested choclo1 and reminded him that the festivities to celebrate the harvest would soon begin. His stomach growled, anticipating the feast that Mama2 would prepare. Perhaps she would make Mashcag his own roasted cuy.3 He was practically a man: thirteen harvests had passed since his birth, and he could work a full day with his older brothers and Taita.4 Harvesting choclo made Mashcag very hungry, and the hind legs of a cuy would not be enough this year.

Clouds of tiny flies buzzed around Mashcag’s head, and some landed to feed. They couldn’t get through his thick, black hair and started biting his face, chest, and arms. His ears itched, but scratching them didn’t help. A larger fly landed on one of his knuckles bit. Mashcag slapped it, leaving a bloody smudge on his hand. He hated the bugs in the choclo. He wondered why all bugs couldn’t be like fireflies. They didn’t bite; instead, they scattered darkness. Mashcag was just a boy when he first saw them. He remembered reaching out to catch them. Each glowed just enough to light up a small, pale-green circle on his dark skin. He had asked Taita what they were:

"Mashcag," he had said, "every night, all year long, the stars look down on us from the heavens. They see us eating choclo and squash, and after the harvest, when we eat cuy, they get jealous and come down to feast with us."

"They want cuy, Taita?" Mashcag had asked. "Then why don’t they come down for weddings? We eat cuy then, too."

Taita had smiled and said, "Yes, Mashcag, but the stars are very high in the heavens, and it takes a long time to come down. The choclo harvest lasts many weeks, but a wedding is only for a day. It’s the harvesting that lets them know they need to come down."

Mashcag still remembered the twinkle in Taita’s eyes and his sly smile when he told him, but as a six-year-old, he believed everything that his father said. And he was crushed when his oldest brother, Weyana, said that the stars didn’t come down from heaven to eat cuy: the lights were only bugs. But when Mashcag went crying to Taita, his dad smiled again and said, "Of course they’re bugs. Didn’t you know why bugs have wings? To go home to heaven after they’ve eaten cuy!"

The fireflies had come and gone several times after that night, and it was time for them to come again. The harvest would be over tonight, and the feasts would begin tomorrow. Mashcag would wait for them after he finished his work.

Even though a cool breeze blew from the west, the sun’s rays were oppressive. Sweat dripped from Mashcag’s nose and stung his eyes. He wanted to wipe his face, but his hands were dirty. Examining his bare arms and chest, he decided that his right forearm was the cleanest. Leaning forward, he drew it across his eyes.

"Get back to work, Mashcag, or we’ll never finish by tonight," Taita said as he bent and cut a choclo stalk. He handed it to Mama, who was trailing him. She quickly plucked the dried ears from the plant, placed them in a woven, reed basket, and handed the bare stalk to Sumag, Mashcag’s eight-year-old sister. Sumag’s arms were full of choclo stalks, so she carried them to Cusi who piled them into a hut-shaped stack. They had been working all morning, and Sumag was exhausted. Her brown eyes drooped, and her cheeks were limp. Usually, she danced and laughed until Taita, Mama, or one of her brothers would beg her to stop, but the long hours in the field had been too much for her. Her hair, which glistened like obsidian in the sun, had come undone from the cloth which Mama had used to wrap it into a pony tail, and it spread across Sumag’s back.

"Taita’s right. You’re already falling behind, and I don’t want to wait for you again," Weyana said. He had already cut six stalks and laid them on the ground for Mashcag to strip, bundle, and carry to Cusi. Weyana was scowling, and Mashcag knew he had better listen.

It was difficult to match Weyana’s pace, and as Mashcag worked, he watched the smooth strokes his brother used to harvest. When Weyana used his obsidian-toothed sickle to cut the choclo stalks, the muscles and veins in his forearm bulged. Mashcag looked at his own undeveloped arms and wondered if his muscles would ever be like Weyana’s.

Moments later, Mashcag had enough plants to bring to Cusi. Gathering them, he tried to flex his forearm and sighed. Not even a ripple. Mashcag jogged to Cusi, handed him the stalks, and sprinted back to keep Weyana happy.

"Go put the choclo in the hut, and I’ll start on the next row." Weyana said after Mashcag got to him.

Mashcag nodded and lifted the basket. It was heavy, perfect for building muscles. As he walked to their home, he curled his wrists up and down until his forearms burned.

The hut was comfortable. Mashcag had helped Taita pack mud between the horizontal, wooden poles that framed its walls. The roof was thatched with a mixture of weeds and choclo stalks. Inside, three more wooden poles ran across the ceiling. Taita had built a platform where Weyana, Cusi, and Mashcag slept. About a dozen pairs of choclo ears tied together by their husks hung on the uncovered parts of the poles. Mashcag was relieved to see that most of the floor was covered with choclo. He hadn’t realized how close they had been to running out. There were two rooms on ground level, one for eating and Sumag to sleep in, the other was Taita and Mama’s bedroom. The shade in the home was cool, and Mashcag wanted to curl up on the pounded-dirt floor to sleep.

Suddenly, Cusi screamed for help. Mashcag dumped the choclo in the middle of the main room and ran to Cusi, but both Taita and Weyana were there before him.

Cusi looked more silly than hurt: lying flat on his stomach, choclo stalks buried him to his waist; his face was covered with dirt. Weyana and Taita stood over him and smiled. Taita bent as if to pull Cusi from under the pile. Instead, he plucked a slender-stemmed weed and put it between his teeth.

"Chewry,5 do you know what happened?," Taita said, trying not to laugh. "You were trying to make it look perfect, but you forgot to make it stable. First make it sure, then make it pretty." He bit off the end of the weed and spat it out before he put the stem back in his mouth.

"Taita, please get this choclo off me," Cusi said. "I was just trying to please you and build the stack like you and Weyana can." Cusi’s voice trembled and cracked as he blinked back tears.

"Wowkeygo,6 now you want our help?" Weyana said. "‘I can do it myself,’ you said. You sure did." Laughing, he turned to Mashcag, "Did you see Cusi’s face when the stack fell on him? He looked like a cuy about to be roasted." Mashcag chuckled as Weyana screamed in horror, turned to run, and fell beneath the weight of an imaginary choclo stack.

Cusi couldn’t hold back the tears now.

Taita looked at Weyana and shook his head. Throwing his weed to the ground, he grabbed one of Cusi’s arms. Weyana, a little embarrassed, helped to pull Cusi from under the choclo stalks, making the plants’ dried leaves rustle. Mama brought water, and Cusi washed his face.

Taita, Weyana, and Mashcag started gathering stalks to rebuild the choclo stack, but before they could start the base, Cusi said, "Get back to work. I’ll fix the stack. It fell because of me, and if you three don’t finish harvesting, then we’ll have to come back tomorrow." He took Mashcag’s bundle of stalks and began rebuilding.

"But Chewrygo,7 it’ll take all night to . . . ," Taita began.

"Then it’ll take all night, but I’ll get it done," Cusi interrupted. His face tensed, and he yanked his dad’s bunch from him.

"Alright, let us know if you need our help," Taita said. Cusi nodded but didn’t look at him.

"Taita, are we done yet?" Sumag asked. Her eyelids sagged, and her arms hung at her sides. Taita walked to her and picked her up.

He hugged her and said, "No, but I think you are. Would you like to go lie down?" Sumag nodded, and Taita started for the house. "Take a break, and we’ll get back to work after I get back."

Sumag was asleep before Taita and she left the field.

*****

Taita returned, and the harvesting continued. Hours passed, and Mashcag dropped the field’s last bundle of stalks next to where Cusi was working. Taita and Weyana had finished cutting at the same time and were taking turns drinking from a bowl of water. Taita walked to Cusi and said, "That’s a good looking stack, chewry. Let me help you finish it," he said.

"Taita, I told you I’d fix it, and I will," Cusi growled.

Taita shrugged his shoulders and said, "Whatever."

Mashcag filled the water bowl and drank it. He filled it again and poured it on his head. The sun had descended a little and its rays weren’t as oppressive. Its golden light accentuated the green, rectangular fields which covered the valley floor and climbed the ridge of mountains surrounding them.

Mashcag’s people had wandered here from the north long ago. It was one of his favorite stories: famine had driven his ancestors from their homes. They had traveled from valley to valley, but either other people lived in them, or their soil was unfruitful. One morning, after many years of traveling, the sun cast its first light on the peak of a green mountain in the west and gradually forced the night’s shadows to retreat to the east toward another mountain. As the sun melted the shadows and light climbed the slopes of the eastern mountainside, a heart-shaped crater appeared. Mashcag’s ancestors said that it was a sign from the Great Spirit. They began planting their fields and building their homes that same day. To honor the mountains surrounding the valley, they named them. They called the western mountain Mama Cotacachi because she gave birth to their hope, and they called the eastern mountain Taita Imbabura to honor the great Father who led them to their new home and saved them from starvation.

Almost four hundred harvests from that morning, Mashcag stood on the bench of Taita Imbabura, directly beneath its heart. Below him, Hatune Cocha sparkled. Mashcag could see several dozen people bathing and swimming along its eastern shore. He envied them. Hatune Cocha’s water was cold and would feel perfect after a long day in the fields. A stream wound from the lake’s western shore northward like a silver serpent until it fell into a canyon and became the sacred falls of Peguche.

"Cusi, are you thirsty?" Mashcag asked. He had already filled the bowl. Cusi kept working. He had nearly rebuilt the stack that fell on him. It wasn’t as neat as his first attempt— several choclo stalks jutted out from its edge—but it was steady. Cusi sat on top of the stack, as he worked to taper it to a point.

"Thanks. I’m almost done with this one. Could you hand me another bundle of stalks, Mashcag? I don’t want to jump down just to climb back up," Cusi said.

Taita and Weyana had gone home.

Mashcag grabbed an armful of stalks and gave them to Cusi. After finishing the stack, Cusi jumped down, and Mashcag handed him the water.

"Let’s go home. I think that Mama should have supper ready by now," Mashcag said.

"What makes you think that I’m done? Look at what I still have to do," Cusi said pointing to the pile of choclo stalks which had been gathered while he was repairing the first stack. Maschag looked at the canes and sighed. There was enough for another full-sized stack.

"That’ll take you all night. Leave it for tomorrow, and let’s go eat," Mashcag said.

"No. I’d rather get it done. Besides, I told Taita that I would finish tonight, and I will!" Cusi said and emptied the bowl. Giving it back to Mashcag, he turned and started stacking stalks.

Mashcag rolled his eyes. "What if I helped you? Instead of being out here all night, we’ll be done in half the time," Mashcag said, even though he was tired. "Anyway, I wanted to watch the fireflies tonight. I might as well be doing something productive at the same time."

"But you don’t know how to stack choclo. You’d just slow me down. And I couldn’t let you help me after I refused both Taita’s and Weyana’s help," Cusi said.

Mashcag shook his head and sighed. Mashcag’s muscles ached. His stomach was growling, and he wanted to go home. But Cusi kept plodding along, even though he was sweating and struggling against the weight of his arms, and Mashcag wasn’t willing to leave him without help.

Mashcag thought for a moment and said, "Teach me then. I wouldn’t be helping you; you’d be helping me." Cusi stopped working and looked at Mashcag. Their eyes met, and Cusi nodded.

"Thanks, wowkeygo. I’d love to teach you," Cusi said and smiled.

Mashcag and Cusi worked together for an hour. As they worked, they talked. At first, Cusi explained the proper technique of stack building, but after Mashcag learned it, their conversation shifted to the festivals and to the girls who would dance in them. They laughed often, and Cusi seemed to have forgotten about his accident. He was smiling. Realizing how grateful his brother was for the help, Mashcag felt new energy. He was surprised by how quickly they were building the choclo stack.

"You two didn’t come to eat when I called you." Mama stood behind them holding two large bowls, one in each hand. Neither Mashcag nor Cusi had heard her coming: they had been debating which of the village girls was the prettiest. They stopped talking, and Mashcag blushed. Setting the bowls down, Mama pulled a towel from her anacoo8 and motioned them to come to her. "I know you want to get your job done, but there is always time to eat. Now, wash up." She dipped the water bowl, and Mashcag held out his hands. Mama let the water trickle from the bowl as Mashcag scrubbed. "It was nice to stay and help your brother, Mashcag," Mama said.

Mashcag took the towel which Mama was holding and dried his hands while Cusi washed his hands and face.

"I’m not helping him, Mama. He’s teaching me. I figured that it might be my turn to stack next harvest," Mashcag said.

"And he’s a quick learner. Besides, it’s nice to have someone to talk to," Cusi said.

"Either way, it’s time to eat," Mama said, uncovering the two bowls which were filled with small, red potatoes and toasted choclo kernels. Mashcag could smell ground ewchews,9 and his mouth watered. Sitting between the two stacks of choclo, he began eating.

"Thanks, Mama. I couldn’t have gone much longer without eating, and Cusi won’t go home before we’re finished," Mashcag said.

"That’s right, and I’ll stay here until the job’s done," Cusi said while Mama handed him his bowl.

"Thank you, Mama," he said and sat beside Mashcag.

"So, you’re still determined to work through the night. . . . Taita and I are worried that you two will work yourselves to death. We don’t want you to get sick," Mama said. "Please come in if you’re too tired."

"I’m fine now that I’ve got food. Will you be alright, Mashcag? You still want to watch the fireflies, don’t you?" Cusi said in between bites.

"I can go on for a few more hours, at least, and I have been waiting for the fireflies to come. They’re late, and I can feel that they’ll be here tonight," Mashcag said after he had swallowed a mouthful of potato.

"You and fireflies! Mashcag, I don’t understand why you like them so much," Mama said, "but they are pretty." She smiled and pinched a piece of potato skin from Mashcag’s cheek. "Well, how often do the stars come to earth?" Mashcag asked.

The sun was sinking behind the skirts of Mama Cotacachi. Taita Imbabura had visited her during last night’s storm, and snow lingered on her rocky, saddle-shaped peak. Shadows stretched across the valley as the sun’s last rays deepened the countryside’s colors to golden greens and deep browns. The sun sank until only a sliver of light remained and its golden hues dimmed to red and turned the clouds purple.

"Do you still believe that the fireflies are the stars?" Mama asked. "They should be here soon, Mashcag. I hope that they’re as wonderful as you remember them, and I hope they don’t eat your cuy." She breathed in the dusk air and looked at the sunset.

The day’s last beams of light danced on Mama’s face and made her black hair shine. Wrapping her arms around herself, she said, "You can keep your fireflies and their starlight, Mashcag. I prefer sunsets. Each is different, and you don’t have to wait a whole year to see one."

The sunset’s rose-colored light faded to a pale blue-gray. But as it did, Mashcag noticed that Mama Cotacachi’s shadow—rather than melting into a darkened valley—grew increasingly defined and shorter. Slowly, the sky brightened. But the light didn’t come from the west or the east, and the sun stayed behind the mountains. The light, it seemed, came directly from heaven until the valley glowed as if it were midday. All darkness fled: the clouds, trees, and mountains cast no shadows.

Mashcag’s weariness disappeared with the shadows, and he wondered if he were asleep. The beauty of that moment was too beautiful to be real, and he decided that he was dreaming.

"Mama, is something wrong with my eyes? I saw the sun go down, but it isn’t dark." Mashcag heard Cusi say and realized that he wasn’t asleep. Any wonder he had been feeling was gone as quickly as the light appeared. His stomach felt upset, and his heart began pounding. He felt uncovered in the light and wanted to run for the hut. But he was too afraid to run, let alone stand.

"I see it, too," said Mama.

"What’s happening? What evil is doing this?" Cusi asked.

Mashcag swallowed and waited for Mama to answer.

"Not evil, Cusi, not evil," Mama said and took both of her sons by the hand. "Look!" she said, pointing to the sky with her puckered lips. The sky’s brilliance had prevented all of the stars from shining except one.

"That is one big bug," Cusi said.

Mashcag ignored him and said, "But that can’t be giving off all this light. It’s too small."

"No, but this must be a sign from . . . ," Mama said and paused. "Do you hear that?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I’ve never heard anything more beautiful. It’s as if—as if the mountains, valley, lake, and river were singing." Mashcag strained to hear what his mother was hearing.

And in an instant, his ears were opened.

"I hear it, too, Mama; I hear it, too," Mashcag said, and Cusi nodded. "I hear voices singing, but what are they saying?" All three began sobbing, and Mashcag sensed something he had never felt.

"Peace. They’re saying, ‘peace,’" Mama said.

The singing of the unseen voices granted them peace and filled them with love for each other.

They sat together for several minutes watching and listening. Mashcag’s hunger was gone, although he had only finished half of the potatoes and choclo. Anyway, eating would distract him, and he didn’t want anything to interfere with the vision. He placed his bowl behind him, and pulled his knees to his chest.

Wondering about his father, Weyana, and Sumag, Mashcag looked toward the hut and saw them. Taita carried Sumag in his left arm, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Weyana put his arm around Taita’s waist, and Taita’s arm rested on Weyana’s shoulder.

When Taita saw Mashcag, he smiled and said, "Lovely, isn’t it?" Mashcag could only nod and return the smile. Weyana sat beside his brothers, and Sumag reached out for Mama to take her. After letting Sumag down, Taita sat next to his wife and held her. The six of them, illuminated by celestial light and music, didn’t want to move.

"What does this all mean?" Cusi asked. "Do any of the village elders’ stories explain it, Taita?"

"No, Chewry, none," Taita said.

"Then do you know what’s happening?" Weyana asked.

"No, I’ve never seen anything like this," Taita said. "But I feel that we needn’t be afraid. A few minutes ago, while Mama brought Mashcag and Cusi their dinner, I went to the cuy pen with some of the stalks we harvested today. I stopped for a moment to enjoy the sunset, and as the sky grew lighter instead of darker, I collapsed in fear. I thought that we had offended some ayah10 and that our valley was being consumed in flames," Taita paused. Sighing, he continued,

"As I trembled on the ground, I heard someone singing ‘peace.’ "

"We heard it too, Taita," said Mashcag.

"I hear it right now," Sumag said.

"Yes, my beauty," Taita said taking her little hand in his. "I think we all do." Taita’s voice cracked, and he began crying. Mashcag was amazed because Taita never cried.

The valley glowed brighter, and the singing grew louder and more beautiful. Mashcag had listened to many birds singing and the rushing of the river. He had heard the wind blow through the mountain passes. All of them had awed him, but none could compare to the heavenly song which he was hearing. But he couldn’t understand anything but "peace": the other words seemed muffled and confused. But still, they were beautiful, and there was something familiar about them.

The golden light from heaven brightened to vivid white. All of the colors of the mountains and plants blended with it and glowed. Mashcag looked at his family; even they shimmered, but it seemed that they were not merely reflecting the light.

And in the midst of the light a man dressed in a robe whiter than snow-capped mountains appeared. He had piercing blue eyes. When Mashcag first saw the man in white, he was startled, and chills ran up his back.

"Fear not; for I have been sent to teach you of these signs and wonders," the man in white said and smiled. His smile filled Mashcag with such love that any fear that he had felt disappeared. "On the morrow, in a far away land shall be born the Hatune Keyshpeecheeg Apoonchy, or Savior."

"A Savior, a Savior from what?" Taita asked.

"A Savior from sorrow, pain, death, and sin," the man in white said.

"Who is this Savior," asked Mama.

"He is the Son of Taita Howapachamanta,11 even the Son of God, the Creator of the heavens and of the Earth. His name is Keyshpeecheeg Apoonchy Utahshcah,12 but He shall not come to this land in mortality for He is called to another nation." The man in white closed his eyes, and for a moment, his countenance saddened. "And after He has done all that He was called to do and has ministered to His brethren, they shall mock, torture, and slay Him, and this land will be as dark as it is now light. Fires shall not be kindled, nor shall the sun shine." The man’s face softened as his smile returned. "But the Savior shall rise triumphant over death and hell, and He will come to visit you and your kindred."

"Why must He suffer?" asked Taita.

"He shall endure these things so that you don't have to. With his blood, He will purchase your souls, and He will give you everlasting life and joy if you follow Him," the man in white said.

"What must we do to follow Him?" Taita asked.

"All will be revealed to you in time, but I have told you all that I have been commanded, and I must return to He who sent me," the man in white said.

"Please stay. You have said many things that we cannot understand. Please, teach us of our Savior," Taita said, kneeling in front of the man. Mama was weeping.

But the man in white just smiled and said, "Be patient and glorify Taita Howapachamanta." The light which surrounded him gathered until it formed a pillar reaching heaven, and he disappeared.

The westerly breeze rustled several bushes that bordered the choclo field. Bathed in the heavenly light, their bright orange blossoms shone brilliantly against their dark green leaves. Mashcag gasped as the once muffled words of the heavenly song became clear, and looking heavenward, he saw thousands of men and women dressed like the man in white singing in the sky. Their chorus echoed throughout the valley, "Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men."

Had he tried, Mashcag couldn’t have described what he was seeing and hearing. He simply let it wash over him. And as suddenly as the host had appeared, their glory faded into the light, and the singing stopped.

But peace remained.

Mashcag and his family sat together, and no one dared move. But after Mashcag was sure the visions had ended, he stood and gathered a bundle of choclo stalks. Silently, he laid the stalks down and continued building. Taita, Cusi, and Weyana joined him. No one spoke; they didn’t need to.

Turning to look at the heart-shaped crater on Taita Imbabura, Mashcag paused. The heavenly light revealed the heart’s center, and it glowed as if it were on fire.

"Who needs fireflies?" Mashcag said.

Endnotes

1. Corn. In order to maintain the phonetic quality of the words in Quichua, I have anglicized those that would lose their pronunciation if their correct spelling were maintained.

2. Mom

3. Guinea pig

4. Dad

5. Son

6. Little brother

7. Little son, used as a term of endearment

8. Cloth which women wrap around their waists as a skirt

9. Peppers similar to jalepenos

10. Spirit

11. Heavenly Father

12. Anointed Savior or Jesus Christ.

Goodbye Old Friend, Till We Meet Again.

2008-12-02T11:02:00.002-06:00

Last night, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints passed away. We will miss him.

To read more about Elder Wirthlin and his passing, click here.

The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

2008-11-30T17:00:00.002-06:00

Everyone knows about the recent $700,000,000,000 economic bailout, and I think all would agree that we could use a little of it. Suppose, then, that I use my computer skills to draft a check for myself. After all, I'm a citizen of the United States of America. And I'm not asking for much; $70,000 would be just enough to get me out of debt. But we all know that if I tried to cash that check, instead of giving me the money, the government would give me a new set of clothes: a bright-orange jumpsuit. Why? Because I do not have the authority to act in the name of the United States of America. The power to write checks and spend money belongs to the United States Treasury and other duly commissioned officers.

The same principle applies to the acts which men purport to do in the name of God. God will not honor the acts of man as His own unless He first authorized them.

The authority that God has given to man to act in His name is called the Priesthood. And to the presiding bearer of the Priesthood, God gives the Keys of the Kingdom, or in other words, the Keys of the Priesthood. The presiding bearer of the Priesthood is the President of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Adam was the first man, prophet, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ. God taught him that through Jesus Christ all mankind may be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. God also gave Adam the priesthood or authority to act in God's name. Adam received commandments from God, such as the law of sacrifice, for Adam, Eve, and their children to obey. Adam and Eve accepted these teachings, obeyed the commandments, and taught their children to do the same. Some of their children, like Abel, listened and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. But others, like Cain, rejected Adam and Eve's teachings.

Those who rejected Adam and Eve's teachings cut themselves off from the Priesthood and its Keys and fell into what is called apostasy. Apostasy is when we are separated from the truth and light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But because God loves His children, even those who do not listen to Him, He called another prophet, Enoch, to teach them of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. Enoch also received the Priesthood and its keys. When God calls a prophet, gives him the Priesthood and its Keys, and sends him to teach the Gospel to a people who are in apostasy, this is called a restoration. Enoch succeeded in bringing many to the knowledge of God's Plan of Happiness. He established the city of Zion, and they obtained heaven.

After Enoch, the world again fell into apostasy, but God called another prophet, Noah, who restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ for those who survived the flood.

The process of apostasy and restoration continued for thousands of years. God would call prophets who held the Priesthood and its Keys such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph of Egypt, Elijah, Elias, and so forth, and those prophets and their teachings would be rejected.

When Jesus Christ was born, the world was again in apostasy. Jesus was a prophet, but He was also more than a prophet. He was the Son of God. Through Him, God restored the truths of the Plan of Salvation. Jesus established His Church, paid the price of sin, and was resurrected.

But as you know, the world eventually rejected Jesus and His apostles, and it fell into apostasy. That is, no one held the authority to act in the name of God. No one held the Priesthood or its Keys.

So what would God do? The same thing He did whenever His children fell into apostasy anciently. God called a prophet to restore the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Priesthood.

In the early nineteenth century, a young boy in upstate New York wondered which church to join. His name was Joseph Smith. The many churches in his area said that it didn't matter which church you joined, as long as you accepted Jesus. But Joseph recognized that the several churches' good-will disappeared once people joined separate churches. The different churches fought over the meaning of the Bible and how to be saved.

Joseph was so confused that he turned to the Bible himself. One day, Joseph read James 1:5 which says if anyone lacks wisdom, he can ask God, and God will give him the wisdom he seeks. Joseph decided that if anyone lacked wisdom, it was him and decided that he would ask God which church to join.

On the morning of a spring day in 1820, Joseph, then fourteen years-old, went to a grove of trees and knelt to pray. As he prayed, he felt Satan attack him. He could not speak and feared that he would be destroyed. Joseph called out to God, and in the moment that he thought Satan would overcome him, Joseph saw a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun. And the light descended upon him. In the light, Joseph saw two Men standing above him in the air. One of them spoke, calling Joseph by name and pointing to the other, "This is my Beloved Son, hear Him!"

In response to Joseph's prayer, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him!

Among other things, Jesus taught Joseph that no church on the earth had the fulness of His Gospel, and through Joseph, Jesus would establish the fulness of His Gospel and His Church on the Earth again.

Joseph was called to be a prophet. Later, he would translate the Book of Mormon from ancient plates written by prophets who lived on the American continent. Joseph also received the Priesthood and its Keys through the angelic visitations of John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Moses, Elias, and Elijah. Because Joseph was a prophet and held the Priesthood and its Keys, he had the authority to act in the name of God. He taught of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. He also restored the Church of Jesus Christ as it had existed anciently.

What God did through Joseph Smith was the same thing He had done whenever His children had fallen into apostasy: He restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Plan of Salvation, and the Priesthood and its Keys through a prophet.

To read Joseph Smith's own account of what happened click here.

Thanksgiving Daily

2008-11-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

When life gets hard, it’s natural, and understandable, to complain. Heaven knows I’ve done more than my fair share. But I’ve never finished a gripe session without feeling worse than I did before I started. Unlike me, there are others, who despite their trials, thank God for the many blessings they receive from Him.

In 1856, my great-great-great grandfather Jesse Soar Taylor, just a boy at the time, his brother William, and their mother Mary Soar Taylor emigrated from England to come to Zion in Utah’s mountain valleys. They were poor and couldn’t afford a wagon, let alone a team of oxen, so they pulled their belongings and supplies in a handcart in the Martin Handcart Company. But they left for Utah late in the summer, and by late September, an early snow storm caught their company on the high plains of Wyoming.

They were stranded.

Even though Brigham Young immediately sent help, my ancestors and their company didn’t arrive in the Salt Lake Valley until late November. Many died, and those who didn’t lost toes, feet, fingers, and legs. William eventually died from the effects of the experience. (For more information about the Martin Handcart Company, see James E. Faust, "Go Bring Them Home from the Plains," Liahona, Nov. 1997, 3; James E. Faust, "A Priceless Heritage," Ensign, July 2002, 2; "Remembering the Rescue," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 38; Paul H. Peterson, "They Came by Handcart," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 30.

Some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting anycompany of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies or protection than a handcart caravan afforded.
An old man in the corner … sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.
In substance [he] said, "I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes.
But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? …
"I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it."
He continued: "I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.
"Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company." (James E. Faust, "The Refiner’s Fire," Ensign, May 1979, 53).

I know that Mary, Jesse, and William felt the same way.

Now, I’m not going to say be grateful because so many people have had it worse. Rather, be grateful because there are others who went through hard times, refused to become embittered, and thanked God that they were counted worthy to pass through the refiner’s fire. For after they passed through the fire, they knew God.

There is a price for everything worth having.

Gratitude will also help us through trials. My first quarter of law school was difficult, and I was one discussion with my wife from quitting. But she wouldn’t let me give up. I realized that I could keep being negative and complaining about how hard life was, or I could change my focus.

I found that being grateful for the things that were going well in my life eclipsed the negative feelings I had about law school. But it took time. Still, as I felt overwhelmed or angry, thinking about my wife, my daughter (and now my son), my relationship with God, His love for us, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the blessings of the Restoration brought things into perspective.

And I couldn’t help but feel thankful.

So often, we look past our blessings to what we don’t have. Maybe that’s why stores tend to skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas advertisements.

The Book of Mormon tells of a poor group of people who were mocked by their neighbors and kept from worshiping in the synagogue they had helped build. When missionaries came to teach them of Jesus Christ, they asked, "What shall [we] do, for [we] are despised of all men because of [our] poverty?" (Alma 32:2-5).

To answer their question, among other things, the missionaries taught, "[L]ive in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [the Lord] doth bestow upon you" (Alma 34:38).

Although trials may rage, like they did for those impoverished people, we can find peace as we reflect on what God has done for us. And if we can’t see anything, then today we can "come unto [Christ] . . . and find rest unto [our] souls." (Matthew 11:28-30).

During this season of Thanksgiving, may we reflect on the great blessings we have received. And let us refuse to complain when things get hard.

Let us live in thanksgiving daily.

On Morality, Legislation, and Same-sex Marriage

2008-11-15T23:13:00.009-06:00

Normally, I try to stay away from politics on my blog. This has been a way of explaining my faith and a means of trying to lift others. But sometimes politics bleed into matters of faith. Such was the case when the far right attacked members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency. And now such is the case as the far left attack members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for our support of California's constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Some of you, when you read this post, will be angry with me. I expect a backlash. If you think I'm a bigot or a hater, you're entitled to your opinion. I will not respond in kind. And to avoid contention, I am not allowing comments on this post, and attempts to comment on it on other parts of my blog will be deleted. If you need to respond, write it on your own blog.

But I need to speak up.

There's a tired one-liner that comes up when controversial laws pass: "You can't legislate morality." If what people who repeat it mean is that you can't force people to be good, they're right. But they usually don't. What they usually mean is that the government has no business telling them what conduct is acceptable and what is not. Thus, their meaning reveals the flaw in their argument.

Consider the following definitions from Webster's Dictionary:

Morality . . . 2 a: a doctrine or system of moral conduct b plural: particular moral principles or rules of conduct 3: conformity to ideals of right human conduct 4: moral conduct : virtue.

Moral 1 a: of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior

So morality is a system which defines the difference between right and wrong.

And if the government has no business defining what conduct is right and wrong, there's no reason to have a government. If the government is not allowed to legislate morality, then we can't punish murderers or thieves or rapists or child molesters or child abusers or spouse abusers. We couldn't punish corporations like Enron. We couldn't prohibit tortious conduct. And Congress and State legislatures could do nothing to answer the current outcry for greater regulation on greedy CEOs and businesses.

The fact is that legislation is society's expression of its morality.

And our current system based on the ideals of popular sovereignty, democracy, and representative government grants the majority, with a few exceptions expressly outlined in State and Federal Constitutions, the right to establish the morality of society. It is a line that has been shifting throughout the last two centuries. What was wrongful conduct two-hundred years ago may no longer be prohibited, and what was once acceptable two-hundred years ago may no longer be acceptable.

State constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage are nothing more than an exercise of the majority's inherent right to outline what it feels is right and wrong.

Let me be clear, however, that I do not believe homosexuals are inferior to or not equal with heterosexuals. They are children of a loving Heavenly Father. As such, they have intrinsic and divine worth. They are entitled to all the blessings God desires to give them if they are willing to keep his commandments. And they should not be treated differently regarding hospitalization, health care, probate, employment, and receiving the protection of law enforcement and other government agencies.

But same-sex marriage is not and never will be equal to marriage between a man and a woman. Biologically, two men can't have sex with each other and produce offspring. Neither can two women. Further, God has only blessed marriage between men and women, and He has prohibited homosexual relationships because they are an abomination in His sight. Genesis 13:13; 18:16-33; 19:1-38; Lev. 18: 22; Lev. 20: 13; Deut. 23: 17; Isa. 3: 9; 2 Ne. 13: 9; Rom. 1: 27; 1 Cor. 6: 9; 1 Tim. 1: 10; Jude 1: 7; 2 Ne. 13: 9; see also Isa. 3: 9; Ezek. 16: 50; 2 Tim. 3: 3; 2 Pet. 2: 10; 2 Ne. 9: 40.

Society has the right to accept God's prohibition on same-sex marriage or reject it. The majority will decide. That's what happened in California and other States amending their constitutions to prohibit same-sex marriage.

I am compelled by the covenants that I have made with God to defend His commandments and add my warning to that of modern Prophets:

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World. And if necessary, I will defend God's definition of marriage until my last breath.

So help me God.

The Purpose of Life

2008-11-09T23:20:00.002-06:00

The Pre-mortal Existence

We are our Heavenly Father’s spirit sons and daughters and lived with Him before we came to Earth. And more than anything else, our Heavenly Father wants us to come home to Him
While we lived with our Heavenly Father, life was similar to what we experience here: We had friendships; we learned; we progressed, and, although we cannot remember, we developed a very personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. In fact, President Ezra Taft Benson said, "Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us" (Ensign, Dec. 1988).

Our proximity to our Heavenly Father also taught us that we were not like Him. He possessed a perfect, immortal, physical body (D&C 130:22), but we were spirits. He had a fulness of joy and glory that we did not. And He was perfect in every way, unlike us.

But as our children have the capacity to become like us, Heavenly Father knew that we had the capacity to become like Him: perfect. (Consider Psalm 82:1,6; Matthew 5:48; Romans 8: 16–17; Doctrine and Covenants 84:36–38). And He wanted us to receive the fulness of joy that He had. So Father called a council and outlined a Plan, the Plan of Salvation, through which we could become like Him. We would come to Earth for a body and to be given agency—the power to choose (see 2 Nephi 2:27; Helaman 14:30)—whereby we would be tested if we would choose to follow God (see Abraham 3:24-26).

The power to choose for ourselves was central to this Plan. We could not become like God at once. We would need to learn from our choices to be obedient (Hebrews 5:8). Only by obeying could we progress until we became who our Father knew we could be. Without agency, no growth or progress would be possible.

Heavenly Father also told us of obstacles that would impede our progress. Although He would create a paradisiacal Earth free of sickness, suffering, sin, and death, He taught that its first inhabitants would be given a choice to either remain in paradise or pass through mortality, and if they chose mortality, mankind would be lost unless He sent a Savior, "[His] Beloved and Chosen from the beginning" (Moses 4:2), Jehovah, who would be known in the flesh as Jesus Christ. Furthermore, because we would have the power to choose, at times we would choose to sin. Our sins would also cut us off forever from the presence of our Heavenly Father. And without Jesus, we had no hope to overcome them.

Our Heavenly Father’s Plan hinged on the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ which would overcome death and sin. Father testified that "there [would] be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation [could] come unto [us], only in and through the name of Christ, . . ." (see Mosiah 3:17).

Heavenly Father gave each of us the choice to accept His plan for us. And to accept the Plan of Salvation required faith in our Father’s promises and in the ability of Jehovah, Jesus Christ, to effect the Atonement.

Lucifer, one of our spirit brothers who was in authority among the hosts of heaven (D&C 76:25), offered a variation to the Plan: He would take away our agency to prevent us from sinning so that none of us would be cut off. But he wasn’t interested in helping us to progress until we became like God with a fulness of joy. In fact, the only one he cared about was himself (see Moses 4:1-3). Lucifer’s plan enticed some to follow him even though it would not allow us to become like our Heavenly Father.

And war erupted, polarizing the hosts of heaven (Revelation 12:7-12).

The war that ensued wasn’t fought with sword and shield but with words. And even though Heavenly Father had gathered us together in the Great Pre-mortal Council to present the Plan of Salvation, I do not believe that it was first time that we had heard it; nor do I believe that it was a surprise that He presented His Firstborn, Jehovah, to be our Savior. I am certain that there were those among us who were already exercising great faith in Jesus Christ and who took every opportunity to learn the exalting doctrines of the Plan of Salvation, among whom were you and I. And when we heard Lucifer attack God’s plan and His Anointed, we stood and testified that Jehovah would do the Father’s will as He had promised. We were victorious, and Revelation 12:10-11 teaches that "[we] overcame [Lucifer and his legions] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony [of the Atonement of Jesus Christ]. . . ."

Many feel that those who chose to follow Lucifer did so because they doubted their ability to follow the Plan to become like our Heavenly Father. Certainly, Lucifer must have cited our weakness to discourage us, but I do not believe that it was his most potent weapon. We need to remember that without the Atonement, the "corruption [of mortality brought on by the future fall] could not put on incorruption . . . [and our] flesh must [lie] down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more. . . . And we [would] become devils, . . . to be shut out from the presence of our God, . . . in misery, . . ." (2 Nephi 9:7-9).

If the Savior failed, all would be lost, and Lucifer did everything he could to destroy faith in Jesus Christ. Ultimately, those who had faith in Christ followed God’s Plan, and those who did not were cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 12:7-10).

I know that we lived with our Father in Heaven before we came to Earth, and I know that we accepted His Plan for us, including the appointment of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our Life on Earth

Because all of us accepted our Heavenly Father’s plan for us, we are here on the Earth. This life is a probationary state, a time to be tested (Abraham 3:24–26). It is also the time for us to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32).

To help us return home to Him, Heavenly Father has called prophets, apostles, and even His Son to teach us what we must do to live with Him some day. They have taught us that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the mission He was sent to do on the Earth. He has paid for our sins, but our ability to receive the benefit of His sacrifice depends on whether we do all He has asked us to do.

During our lives on Earth, we are free to choose whether we will follow God’s plan for us or not (2 Nephi 2:27). And we are also free to believe what we want to believe. But we will be held accountable for all our actions (Mosiah 4:30).

The Spirit World

When we die, we will be judged according to what we did with the light and knowledge which we received on the Earth. If we were righteous, we will go to Paradise (Alma 40:11–12). If we were not, we will go to Spirit Prison (1 Peter 3:19). These assignments are temporary and last only until our bodies and spirits reunite in the resurrection. Additionally, spirits assigned to Spirit Prison will have the opportunity to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ; if they receive it, then they will be released from Prison and enter Paradise (D&C 138:26–35).

Moreover, through modern prophets and apostles, the Lord has revealed that baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and temple ordinances are available to those who did not have the opportunity to receive them while they lived on the Earth. Those of us who are still living can receive these blessings on their behalf within temples as we perform vicarious work for the dead.

Final Judgement

After we are resurrected, we will all stand before the throne of God to be judged (2 Nephi 2:15–22; Helaman 14:17–18). As is common among many religions, there are many Latter-day Saints who feel that God is looking for any excuse to thrust them to Hell. But the opposite is true. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want to give us everything They possibly can for our final rewards. J. Reuben Clark, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and member of the First Presidency said:

You know, I believe that the Lord will help us. I believe if we go to him, he will give us wisdom, if we are living righteously. I believe he will answer our prayers. I believe that our Heavenly Father wants to save every one of his children. I do not think he intends to shut any of us off because of some slight transgression, some slight failure to observe some rule or regulation. There are the great elementals that we must observe, but he is not going to be captious about the lesser things.
I believe that his juridical concept of his dealings with his children could be expressed in this way: I believe that in his justice and mercy, he will give us the maximum reward for our acts, give us all that he can give, and in the reverse, I believe that he will impose upon us the minimum penalty which it is possible for him to impose.
I often think that one of the most beautiful things in the Christ’s life was his words on the cross, when, suffering under the agony of a death that is said to have been the most painful that the ancients could devise, death on the cross, after he had been unjustly, illegally, contrary to all the rules of mercy, condemned and then crucified, when he had been nailed to the cross and was about to give up his life, he said to his Father in heaven, as those who were within hearing testify: ‘… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

(Quoted by Thomas S. Monson, "Mercy—The Divine Gift," Ensign, May 1995).

The Degrees of Glory

Once we are judged, Jesus will assign us to one of three degrees of glory: The Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, or the Telestial Kingdom. (Consider 1 Corinthians 15:40–41; 2 Corinthians 2:12). And all of them are Heaven, the glory and beauty of each excelling that of the Earth. But there is a fourth option: Outer Darkness, or Hell.

The knowledge of these kingdoms was restored in our day to the prophet Joseph Smith. In 1832, while studying and clarifying certain passages of the Bible, Joseph and his companions read John 5:29. The power of the Holy Ghost descended upon them, and a vision opened before Joseph and his scribe, Sidney Rigdon. The other men in the room did not see the vision but felt the power of God filling the room. Occasionally, Joseph would say, "What do I see?" and then he would describe what he was seeing. Sidney would then reply, "I see it, too." Occasionally, Sidney would say, "What do I see?" and then he would describe what he was seeing. Joseph would then reply, "I see it, too."

After the vision closed, Joseph and Sidney wrote down the vision as best they could, and we have it today as section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

The Celestial Kingdom (D&C 76:50–70).

The Celestial Kingdom is the highest degree of glory and the habitation of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. All those who attain this kingdom receive all that Heavenly Father promised He would give us. If we are worthy of the Celestial Kingdom, we will become like our Heavenly Father: perfect, possessing a fulness of joy. And by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, our families during our lives on Earth will be with us eternally; husbands, wives, and children will be united forever!

Those who attain this Kingdom will also experience eternal progression. That is, they will have no end as they participate in the salvation of souls for all eternity.

To attain this Kingdom, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, have faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized by one having the proper authority of the Priesthood, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and keep the commandments so that Jesus Christ can save us from our sins (see Alma 42:13; Helaman 5:11). Mercifully, those who did not receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ while living on the Earth but who would have received it with all their hearts had they had the opportunity will also be saved in the Celestial Kingdom. For this purpose, Latter-day Saints build temples and perform ordinances for those who have passed away who did not receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

And all those who were not accountable for their actions—children who died before they reached the age of accountability and those who are like children—will also receive a place in the Celestial Kingdom (Mosiah 3:16). But because they were never accountable for their sins, they do not need to receive the ordinance of baptism (Moroni 8:10–12).

Terrestrial Kingdom (D&C 76:71–80)

The Terrestrial Kingdom is the second highest Kingdom of Heaven. Those who attain this Kingdom will not live in the presence of Heavenly Father, but Jesus Christ and other who attain the Celestial Kingdom will administer to them throughout eternity. This glory of this Kingdom differs from the glory of the Celestial Kingdom as the glory of the moon differs from the glory of the sun.

Those who attain this Kingdom are the just men and women of the Earth who would not receive the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because all religions contain Truth, all those who lived according to the Truth they received will not be thrust down to Hell. Thus, men and women who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will not suffer eternal damnation. Rather, they will rejoice with their Savior through all eternity if they live according to their religions while upon the Earth.

The Telestial Kingdom (D&C 76:81–86)

The lowest Kingdom of Heaven is the Telestial Kingdom. Those who attain this Kingdom will be blessed with the visitation of the Holy Ghost. The glory of this Kingdom differs from the glory of the Terrestrial Kingdom as glory of the stars differs from the glory of the moon. This Kingdom’s beauty, although the lowest Kingdom of Heaven, far exceeds the beauty of the Earth. It is a place of rest and peace.

This Kingdom, unlike the Celestial and Terrestrial Kingdoms, is reserved for those who must pay for their own sins because they would not let Jesus pay for them. These are robbers, murderers, thieves, rapists, kidnappers, and all the wicked men and women who lived upon the face of the Earth. Because of their wickedness, they are thrust to Hell (Outer Darkness) prior to being resurrected. While in Hell, they must suffer even as Jesus suffered (D&C 19:4–20). But after their debt is paid, they will be resurrected and will inherit salvation in the Telestial Kingdom.

Outer Darkness/Hell (D&C 76:30–49)

Outer Darkness is the Mormon term for Hell. The torment of those in Hell is "as a lake of fire and brimstone whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever. . . ." (Mosiah 3:27). These are they who are cut off from the presence of God. But not all those who go to Hell will remain there forever. Once their debt is paid, they will be released.

But there are those whose debt can never be repaid. These are the devil and his angels and the sons of perdition. To become a son of perdition, a man must first be exceptionally good then turn against Christ "[h]aving denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame" (D&C 76:35). Although there may be more, the scriptures identify only two sons of perdition: Cain and Judas Iscariot.

But even though their debt cannot be repaid, even the sons of perdition will be resurrected. Thus, is the mercy of our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Thoughts for the Upcoming Election

2008-11-02T22:25:00.009-06:00

As citizens of the United States of America and our respective States, we have the privilege and duty to vote this Tuesday. I'm not going to campaign for a particular candidate or tell you how to vote. But I feel increasingly that our Constitution is in danger. I pray that we will choose leaders who do not believe that the Constitution is outmoded or that we should escape its restraints, but I fear we will not.

I would also suggest that you read these two talks by Ezra Taft Benson, Thirteenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture under President Eisenhower, "The Constitution---A Glorious Standard" and "Our Divine Constitution". Excerpts from both have been copied below.

May God preserve the Constituion of the United States of America and may He preserve our nation!

Here are the quotes:

And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land, it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them.

And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me.

Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land;

And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.

I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free.

Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn.

Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:4-10 (emphasis added).

According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;

That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.

Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.

And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:77-94 (emphasis added).

And now behold, I say unto you, that the foundation of the destruction of this people is beginning to be laid by the unrighteousness of your lawyers and your judges.

Alma 10:27.

I repeat, righteousness is an indispensable ingredient to liberty. Virtuous people elect wise and good representatives. Good representatives make good laws and then wisely administer them. This tends to preserve righteousness. An unvirtuous citizenry tend to elect representatives who will pander to their covetous lustings. The burden of self-government is a great responsibility. It calls for restraint, righteousness, responsibility, and reliance upon God. It is a truism from the Lord that “when the wicked rule the people mourn.” (D&C 98:9.)
As presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention, George Washington appealed to the delegates in these words: “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair.” Wise and honorable men raised that glorious standard for this nation. It will also take wise and honorable men to perpetuate what was so nobly established.
A citizen of this republic cannot do his duty and be an idle spectator. How appropriate and vital it is at the time of our nation’s 200th birthday to remember this counsel from the Lord:
“Honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold.” (D&C 98:10.)
Goodness, wisdom, and honesty are the three qualities of statesmanship, qualities this country needs more than ever before. May we be wise—prayerfully wise—in the electing of those who would lead us. May we select only those who understand and will adhere to Constitutional principles.

Ezra Taft Benson, "The Constitution---A Glorious Standard," Ensign, May 1976 (emphasis added).

How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven?
First and foremost, we must be righteous.
John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31). If the Constitution is to have continuance, this American nation, and especially the Latter-day Saints, must be virtuous.
The Book of Mormon warns us relative to our living in this free land: “Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (2 Ne. 1:7).
“And now,” warned Moroni, “we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity” (Ether2:9).
Two great American Christian civilizations—the Jaredites and the Nephites—were swept off this land because they did not “serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether2:12). What will become of our civilization?
Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers.
Have we read The Federalist papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? Could we defend the Constitution? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound? Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?
As Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free … it expects what never was and never will be” (Letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, 6 Jan. 1816).
Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented.
The Lord said that “he holds men accountable for their acts in relation” to governments “both in making laws and administering them” (D&C 134:1). We must follow this counsel from the Lord: “Honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil” (D&C
98:10).
Note the qualities that the Lord demands of those who are to represent us. They must be good, wise, and honest.
Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice.
We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel. The Prophet Joseph
Smith said: “It is our duty to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good, and unpopular that which is unsound. ‘Tis right, politically, for a man who has influence to use it. … From henceforth I will maintain all the influence I can get” (History of the Church, 5:286).
I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith. It will be saved by the righteous citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church—among others—men and women who understand and abide the principles of the Constitution.
I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed His stamp of approval upon it. I testify that the God of heaven sent some of His choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and He has now sent other choice spirits to help preserve it.
We, the blessed beneficiaries of the Constitution, face difficult days in America, “a land which is choice above all other lands” (Ether2:10).
May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
Ezra Taft Benson, "Our Divine Constitution," Ensign, November 1987.

The Changing Power of the Holy Ghost

2008-10-29T11:32:00.003-05:00

I've often pondered the Lord's command not to judge others lest we be judged in the same way. Personally, I believe He is referring to passing final judgment or concluding that someone is doomed to hell. But conduct, in my opinion, falls outside the scope of His commandment. How else could we forgive someone unless we judge their conduct as inappropriate?

But if we want to encourage others to stop their inappropriate conduct, we need to recognize that walking up to someone and saying, "you sinned when you did 'X'" is among the least effective ways of bringing him to Christ. Instead, we should seek earnestly to help him feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. And the power of the Holy Ghost will guide him to change his behavior.

On Sunday, a member of my Elder's Quorum related the stories of two people who lived in Boston:

Years ago, missionaries whom he served with were going from house to house offering to share the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Unbeknownst to them, they knocked on the door of a brothel. The women thought it would be funny to invite two Mormon missionaries into a house of ill-refute. The missionaries taught them about the restoration of the Gospel and left a copy of the Book of Mormon. Months later, the madame-in-charge was baptised and abandoned her former profession. She even began accompanying the sister missionaries (women missionaries) while they shared the message of the Restored Gospel.

The missionaries didn't have to tell her conduct was sinful. But by the power of the Holy Ghost she recognized that she needed to change. And she did.

Thankfully, the missionaries didn't stop teaching her when they learned she was a prostitute.

On another occasion, another set of missionaries went from house to house and taught a homosexual couple about the Restored Gospel. The missionaries didn't tell the men about Sodom and Gomorrah or read Romans 1:26-27 with them. Instead, they taught them about Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, and that He appeared with His Father to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1820. They were invited back.

On their return visit, one of the men was more interested than the other. In fact, he had shaved and cleaned up for them. They taught him more about the Restored Gospel and were invited back.

When they returned, he had cut his hair in a similar style as the missionaries. They taught him more, and he asked them to return.

On their fourth visit, the man was dressed in a suit and tie and carried the copy of the Book of Mormon he had been studying.

Without prompting from the missionaries, he left his partner of fifteen years, an extremely difficult sacrifice. He was baptised and later served as the President of his Stake's mission (a Stake is an organization made up of smaller local congregations, much like an archdiocese). And although he struggled with his homosexuality, he remained faithful in the Church until he died while he was working in his garden.

Thankfully, the missionaries didn't stop teaching him because he was a homosexual.

As evinced by these two accounts, the Holy Ghost has great power to bring about change. And our role is to invite others to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the Gospel, people will open their hearts to the Holy Ghost, and following His promptings, they will judge themselves and make the changes He inspires them to make.

I testify of the power of the Holy Ghost. It is by His power that I have recognized many sins and shortcomings in my conduct and in myself. And I testify that if we will follow His promptings we will find greater joy and peace than we can ever imagine.

Spiritual Thought

2008-10-19T21:41:00.004-05:00

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that our minds are eternal. The human mind or intellect, like matter, cannot be created or destroyed. It exists independently of time, space, and even God. So when we say, "God made me this way," we're probably wrong. While God has given us everything else, our will and personality are uniquely our own.

God, in His great Plan of Happiness, has offered to give us all that He has, including perfection and the fulness of joy. In return, He asks us to sacrifice all that we have. But as Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "The usual gifts and their derivatives we give to Him could be stamped justifiably 'Return to Sender,' with a capital S. Even when God receives this one gift in return, the fully faithful will receive “all that [He] hath” (D&C 84:38). What an exchange rate!"

The one thing that we have, however, that is not God's is our mind, our will. As Christ abrogated the law of Moses, He commanded that we offer up a "broken heart, and a contrite spirit." (3 Ne. 9:20). The one thing that is truly ours to give.

The Book of Mormon

2008-10-12T09:21:00.000-05:00

Another Witness

He sat in a doorway with a book just a few inches from his face. We’d seen him before on the streets struggling to walk with a cane in each hand. The arthritis in his knees must have been awful. There was also something familiar about the book he was reading. Although the title on its blue cover had faded, its thickness and size reminded me of an older copy of the Book of Mormon.

But the man’s focus as he read made me secondguess myself. We’d never seen the man at church, and old people in Cayambe, Ecuador generally didn’t talk to Mormons, let alone accept and read one of our books.

"Elder Pankratz," my companion said. "I think he’s reading the Book of Mormon."

"Yeah, let’s talk to him," I said.

He didn’t flinch when I said hello. But when he looked up, I wondered how he could even see me. Thick cataracts covered most of both his eyes, and a piece of string tied around his head held old black glasses with thick lenses on his face. But we were right; he was reading from Mosiah.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you enjoying that book?" I asked.

"This book talks about God, and I like it," he answered.

"That book’s from our church," I said.

"What?"

"That book’s from our church," I said, trying not to yell, "and we’d like to talk to you about it."

"Young man, I am a member of the apostolic, Roman Catholic Church. I was born Catholic, and I’ll die Catholic."

I tried to talk more to him, but he couldn’t hear me. We left, and he returned to his reading with the same fervor as before.

The Invitation

As a missionary, my first meetings with those who wanted to learn more about my Church always ended by reading with them the promise given by Moroni in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon (see Moroni 10:3-5). I wanted so badly for them to know it is true. While that promise is essential to gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon, I wish I would’ve taught more about Christ’s invitation to the inhabitants of ancient America when He first appeared to them because knowing the Book of Mormon is true is merely a step in knowing Jesus.

At the temple in the land Bountiful, Jesus said:

Arise and come forth unto me that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and
also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that
ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and
have been slain for the sins of the world.

One by one, each person came to Jesus and received a perfect witness of His divinity and redeeming love (3 Nephi 11:14-15).

But Christ’s invitation wasn’t just for the people at the temple in the land Bountiful. It extends to us today. And it can only be accepted through the Book of Mormon.

Helped to Accept

My parents helped me accept Jesus’ invitation when I was eight years old, but not because I was an angel child. After numerous threats to kill myself or to run away and many expressions of hatred, my parents didn’t know what to do. It had gotten so bad that, before I was baptized, my dad called me to the office he used as the manager of a Church farm and told me that he didn’t know if I was ready to be baptized. It wasn’t a formal meeting. He was sitting at his old IBM computer, and I stood in the doorway, not wanting to step onto the office’s cold, cement floor with my bare feet.

But I was baptized even though my behavior didn’t change, and sometime thereafter, my parents came home from Salt Lake with a present: my own copy of the Book of Mormon. I don’t remember why, but I started reading it. And things started happening. I made less threats, said "I hate you!" less often.

Feeling the Prints

More important, however, than the way it affected my behavior, the Book of Mormon brought me to Jesus and gave me a perfect witness that He is my Savior. Unlike the people in the land Bountiful, my witness of Jesus Christ came gradually. As a nine-year-old, I didn’t understand much of what I read, but I loved the stories of the Book of Mormon: Nephi getting the Brass Plates (1 Nephi 4), Ammon defending the flocks of King Lamoni (Alma 17), Enos praying all day and all night (Enos 1), and Captain Moroni defending liberty at all costs (Alma 43-62). But my favorite story was when Jesus healed the sick and blessed the children at the temple in the land Bountiful (3 Nephi 17).

What I didn’t realize was that He had begun blessing and healing me.

As a teenager, I wept with Jesus when I contrasted the way the people of ancient America treated Him with the way that the Jews had treated Him a short time before. In Jerusalem, most people couldn’t wait to get rid of Him, but in Bountiful, all wept when they thought Jesus was leaving. In Jerusalem, Jesus experienced rejection and hatred from those He longed to heal. Perhaps He felt that His sacrifice was in vain. In Bountiful, everyone rejoiced and came to Him. And His joy was full to see that His sacrifice had saved so many (3 Nephi 17:20).

As I continued to read, the Book of Mormon taught me the doctrine of the Atonement, and my love for Jesus grew. Through it, I felt God’s perfect love that He would send His Son as a willing sacrifice and Jesus’ love that He would condescend below me to lift me to eternal life. I recognized that Jesus answered the "ends of the law" (2 Nephi 2:5, 10) for me when He drank the "cup of the wrath of God" and suffered the pains of the damned (Mosiah 3:25-27). He saved me from suffering the same, and I longed to be "clasped in the arms of Jesus" (Mormon 5:11).

And my responsibility in the Plan of Salvation became clear. I would need "faith unto repentance" (Alma 34:17). And if I didn’t repent, then Jesus would not be able to save me "for except it were for [the conditions of repentance] mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice" (Alma 42:13). And repentance became more than stopping bad behavior; it became the means whereby my will could be "swallowed up in the will of the Father" (Mosiah 15:7) so that I could "follow [Jesus], and do the things which [I] had seen [Him] do" (2 Nephi 31:12), including being baptized, receiving the Holy Ghost, and obeying the Father’s commandments. Without such submission, Jesus would not have power "to redeem me from my sins" (Helaman 5:11) because He would not force me to partake of salvation (Alma 42:17).

Truly Jesus has "answered the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (2 Nephi 2:7). And there is not "any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men" (Mosiah 3:17).

He has paid the price of sin and will save us if we let Him!

Today, I marvel that Jesus did not only suffer for my sins but for my "pains and afflictions and temptations . . . ; [and my] sicknesses . . . , that his bowels [would] be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor [me] according to [my] infirmities" (Alma 7:11-12). It is beyond comprehension that, as I suffer, I do not suffer alone. I testify that Jesus will succor us. I have had experiences too numerous and too sacred to mention when, after I had felt ready to surrender to the trials and afflictions of life, Jesus comforted me and whispered that all would be well.

I know that Jesus Christ lives and is the Savior of my soul. Although I have not seen Him, I long for the day when I will kneel before Him. But through the Book of Mormon, I already know Him. If the veil were to part today and I were to thrust my hand into His side and to feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet, I would not know any more than I do today that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God because I have, in a very real way, felt the tokens of His Messiahship through the teachings of the Book of Mormon.

Arise and Come Forth

And all may know Jesus in a powerful, perfect way. His invitation to the Nephites and Lamanites extends to you and to me today. But we must answer His call. We must "shake off the chains with which [we] are bound, [even the chains of sin], and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust" (2 Nephi 1:23, emphasis added). And we have the Book of Mormon and its fullness to help us. Will you read it and search it and find the fulness therein? If you do, I testify that you will find Jesus standing "with open arms to receive you" (Mormon 6:17). He knows you. "He has borne [your] griefs and carried [your] sorrows . . . ; and with his stripes [you can be] healed" (Mosiah 14:4-5).

Even though that old man in Cayambe couldn't listen to us, he was still answering Jesus’ call, and I don’t worry too much about him. Anyone who reads the Book of Mormon with the same energy and fervor as he will receive all the blessings that it offers. Perhaps after the shackles of age and infirmity release him and after I finish my work here on Earth, we will meet again and rejoice together as we share with each other our love for the Book of Mormon because it will have brought us both to Jesus.

For a free copy of the Book of Mormon, click here.

To invite missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into you home, click here.

Great Quote

2008-10-10T12:32:00.002-05:00

It has been said that the Constitution of the United States was framed by men inspired by the Almighty Creator. If that be true, then the cases cited by the defendant, if valid, would seem to make it appear that the framers did not correctly understand their inspiration. Those cases also make manifest the fact that some 75 of the greatest justices of the Supreme Court never did know what the language of the Constitution meant. It would, therefore, seem that only God knew the true meaning, and He kept it to Himself for 175 years to reveal at long last to certain justices some strange and theretofore undreamed of meanings of the Constitution, all to the advantage and great joy of malefactors and to the utter horror and consternation of the great bulk of the law-abiding citizenery of the land.

-Justice Ellett, State v. Spencer, 471 P.2d 873, 875 (Utah 1970).

An Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and World-renowned Physician Addresses Abortion

2008-10-01T10:26:00.002-05:00

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently wrote an article addressing abortion. You may read it by clicking here.

Healing

2008-09-28T20:23:00.002-05:00

A while ago, I addressed why bad things happen to good people and noted that one of the main reasons is that people use their free will to hurt others. As someone in law enforcement, I see daily examples of men and women who hurt others. And I see the devastating consequences of their actions.

Almost two years ago, I sat in on a trial of a man who seriously assaulted an older woman. She owned a store and sold, among other things, liquor. The defendant approached her while holding a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. He smashed the bottle into her face, and while she was on the ground, he jumped over the counter and used the cash register to beat her within an inch of her life. Luckily, she survived. And what makes this more tragic is that the defendant had known his victim for years. He was convicted, and during sentencing, his victim's daughter addressed him. She was full of anger and hatred. She swore her mother and their family would never be the same. That they would never be able to heal.

There are others who have been raped, abused, and even killed by those closest to them, leaving deep wounds and scars, both physical and mental.

My purpose today is to testify that those who are the victims of such atrocities can find healing through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Most people know that Jesus suffered for our sins and overcame the effects of physical death. But what few of us recognize is that He also knows how to heal us of from the consequences of the most atrocious acts imaginable. He know how to heal us because He has felt what we have. An ancient prophet, Alma, taught,

And [Jesus Christ] 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.

Jesus understands our pains and sorrows because He's felt them. One of His best friends betrayed Him. (Luke 22:47-48). He was beaten, mocked, and spit on while evil men ripped His beard from His face. (Luke 22:63-65; Isaiah 50:6). Roman soldiers scourged and mocked Him. (Matthew 27:26-31). They forced Him to carry His cross and crucified Him. (Matthew 27:34-38). Passers-by mocked Him. (Matthew 27:39-44). And in His deepest anguish, He felt as if God Himself had forsaken Him. (Matthew 27:46).

Still, in an even more incomprehensible way, Jesus descended below all things to understand every possible pain, affliction, or sorrow that we may go through. (See D&C 122:5-8).

And because He has descended below all things, Jesus Christ can raise above them. He will heal us, if we let Him. True healing is possible through the sacrifice, sufferings, and Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Go to Him. His arms are outstretched. He yearns to hold you, calm you, and heal you.

To read more about how Jesus Christ can heal you, go to Richard G. Scott, "To Heal the Shattering Consequences of Abuse," Ensign, May 2008.

It's No Pickles Cartoon, But . . .

2008-09-25T08:58:00.001-05:00

KSL (a local Television channel in Utah) reported on my parents' pumpkin patch. Here's the video:

More on the Bar

2008-09-14T21:19:00.004-05:00

Sean commented that he could hook me up with a lucrative position at any number of Pankratz law firms now that I've passed the bar. His comment made me think about my "law offices" as a student during the first two years at Baylor. Pictured above is that office. I looked in vain for a picture of the shingle my wife hung over the door. It read, "Law Offices of Craig L. Pankratz, Student at Law." I figure that if I hung my shingle, my new office would look something like this. (And I'd be playing the guitar because I wouldn't have any clients).

But I do have something to say about the bar exam and the power of prayer. I usually don't speak about my spiritual experiences, but I feel it would be appropriate to share this one.

I studied hard to take the bar exam. But I couldn't have passed it without God's help. As I took the test, I recognized that there were quite a few things that weren't in my review materials. I had studied most of them, but it hadn't been since the first or second year of law school.

Before the exam, however, I had fasted and prayed for success. My father gave me a Priesthood blessing that my mind would be clear. My family also prayed for me, and those who were able to fasted on my behalf. And it worked.

During the exam, when I came across a question that wasn't in my materials, in my mind's eye, I could see my professors explaining the legal principle. The most striking example was on an obscure question during the essay portion of the exam. The question related to the measure of damages on a breech of a mineral extraction contract. I hadn't studied it since second-quarter contracts during my first year at Baylor. Then I saw Prof. Trail (call it a vision or a nightmare) during one of his lectures, and I had the answer.

I hated contracts. Heck, I got a "C" in second-quarter contracts. There is no way I could have recalled that information on my own.

And several other times during the exam, I saw Prof. Serr, Prof. Guinn, and Prof. Powell in my mind's eye as they explained different principles that weren't covered in my review materials.

I testify that God answered my prayers and honored the Priesthood blessing my father gave me. And the power of prayer and of the Priesthood were magnified by fasting. I know it.

And I know that God will hear and answer your prayers as you seek Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

YEE-HAW!!!!

2008-09-13T19:01:00.001-05:00

I passed the Utah Bar Exam!

On Adversity

2008-09-07T12:21:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, I was turned down, yet again, for a job. The constant and consistent barrage of rejection has been maddening. I struggle and fail to understand it. And I was ready to give up. Looking at my resume, I still can't understand why no one will hire me for full-time work. All things being equal, there must be something about me that employers don't like.

Seeing my despair, my wife invited me on a date on Friday. She picked me up from my job. And we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to watch, "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration." The film depicts the life and ministry of Joseph Smith from his early childhood in New England and his martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois. It also depicts key events in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Lord blessed Joseph. He appeared to him many times. He sent Joseph John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John to restore the Priesthood. He also sent Moses, Elias, and Elijah to restore the Keys of the Kingdom of God they held anciently. And Joseph received many other visions, ministrations, and revelations throughout his life.

Yet Joseph suffered severely for teaching and testifying of what he had received from God. He was tarred and feathered, beaten, imprisoned many times, falsely accused, and murdered. Yet near the end of his life, he said:

And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it. (D&C 127:2)

But Joseph never reviled against those who persecuted him. He simply trusted in the Lord.

Those who accepted Joseph as a Prophet of God partook of the same cup as he. They left everything to become Mormons. They would gather with other members of the Church and prosper for a time only to be driven out of their homes and everything they had received. Mobs burned their homes and raped, tortured, and murdered men, women, and children all because they believed that God lives, not lived and that He speaks, not spoke.

As I watched the account of their suffering, I recognized that my trials are hardly "deep water." No one has tortured me or driven me from my home. My wife and children are safe and comfortable through the generosity of loving family. And I have received the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I left the movie feeling somewhat frustrated. Not that I suffer adversity but that in such shallow water I struggle not to drown.

I am not a great man like the Prophet, Joseph Smith. Yet the Lord, in His mercy, has blessed me more than I recognize. My only hope is that if the day comes that the Lord asks me to give my life for Him, I will give it freely and without reservation, always and simply trusting in Him.

Why Do Mormons Say They Have the Only True Church?

2008-08-24T14:49:00.002-05:00

If you've ever attended a meeting with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you probably heard a few of them say, "I know this Church is True," or "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only True Church on the Earth." I'd like to explain what it means when we Mormons say we have the only True Church. First, I'll discuss what it doesn't mean, and then I'll discuss what it does mean.

What It Doesn't Mean

When Mormons say The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only True Church, it doesn't mean that we have a monopoly on Truth. All those who believe in God, that Jesus Christ is His Son and our Savior, and that the Bible is the word of God know the Truth. Further, God has revealed other Truths through religious leaders, theologians, philosophers, historians, scientists, etc . . . throughout history.

It also doesn't mean that we are the only good people on the Earth. Some of the best people I have ever met are Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, members of other Christian Denominations, Muslims, Agnostics, and even a few Atheists. They do their best to create a good life for themselves and others and end up leaving the world a better place.

It doesn't mean that we have sole access to God. We believe God is the Father of all our spirits. He is literally our Heavenly Father, and we are all His children. Because we are, He loves us. He loves us and hears our prayers regardless of religion, race, gender, nationality, and color.

It doesn't mean we are the only ones who receive miracles. I have seen miracles wrought through the power of prayer. I have seen them come to Mormons and members of other faiths. They come because God loves us all and wants to bless all His children.

It doesn't mean that we are spiritually superior to anyone. Nor is it grounds for arrogance.

What It Does Mean

When we say The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only True Church, it means it is the only Church authorized to act in God's name. In the law, one of the most basic doctrines is that of agency. Agency allows people to act in our name and bind us legally even though we are not present. An agent must receive authority from a principal. Without authority, his actions cannot bind the principal. Neither can he bind the principal if he exceeds his authority.

The same is true with God. He is not here. But He, from time to time, has sent agents, His Prophets and Apostles, to act in His name, thus binding Him to His children. Anciently, Jesus gave Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever [he would] bind on earth [would] be bound in heaven: and whatsoever [he would] loose on earth [would] be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19). And those keys, or authority, were lost when the original Apostles were martyred.

But God has restored the keys of the kingdom of heaven today to the Prophet Joseph Smith and his successors. Joseph received them from Peter, James, and John, three of Christ's original Apostles who appeared as angels.

Thus, being duly authorized, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands alone in its ability to represent God as His agent on Earth.

Further, saying The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is True also means that we have the fulness of Truth. If there is Truth in the world, we claim it as our own regardless of its source. And God has revealed and "will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to [His] Kingdom." (Articles of Faith 1:9). We have additional scripture, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, which confirm that the Bible is True. And we continue to receive revelation upon revelation through living Prophets and Apostles.

I testify that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only duly authorized Church to represent God on Earth. It is True. And it contains the fulness of the Truth.

To invite Mormon missionaries to come to your home for more information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here.

Spiritual Thought August 22, 2008

2008-08-22T09:58:00.002-05:00

Now, to anyone within the sound of my voice who has wondered regarding our Christianity, I bear this witness. I testify that Jesus Christ is the literal, living Son of our literal, living God. This Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer who, under the guidance of the Father, was the Creator of heaven and earth and all things that in them are. I bear witness that He was born of a virgin mother, that in His lifetime He performed mighty miracles observed by legions of His disciples and by His enemies as well. I testify that He had power over death because He was divine but that He willingly subjected Himself to death for our sake because for a period of time He was also mortal. I declare that in His willing submission to death He took upon Himself the sins of the world, paying an infinite price for every sorrow and sickness, every heartache and unhappiness from Adam to the end of the world. In doing so He conquered both the grave physically and hell spiritually and set the human family free. I bear witness that He was literally resurrected from the tomb and, after ascending to His Father to complete the process of that Resurrection, He appeared, repeatedly, to hundreds of disciples in the Old World and in the New. I know He is the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah who will one day come again in final glory, to reign on earth as Lord of lords and King of kings. I know that there is no other name given under heaven whereby a man can be saved and that only by relying wholly upon His merits, mercy, and everlasting grace can we gain eternal life.

My additional testimony regarding this resplendent doctrine is that in preparation for His millennial latter-day reign, Jesus has already come, more than once, in embodied majestic glory. In the spring of 1820, a 14-year-old boy, confused by many of these very doctrines that still confuse much of Christendom, went into a grove of trees to pray. In answer to that earnest prayer offered at such a tender age, the Father and the Son appeared as embodied, glorified beings to the boy prophet Joseph Smith. That day marked the beginning of the return of the true, New Testament gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the restoration of other prophetic truths offered from Adam down to the present day.

-Jeffrey R. Holland

"The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent," Ensign, November 2007.

Spiritual Thought August 21, 2008

2008-08-21T12:56:00.002-05:00

The Humanitarian theory wants simply to abolish Justice and substitute Mercy for it. … Mercy, detached from Justice, grows unmerciful. That is the important paradox. As there are plants which will flourish only in mountain soil, so it appears that Mercy will flower only when it grows in the crannies of the rock of Justice: transplanted to the marshlands of mere Humanitarianism, it becomes a man-eating weed, all the more dangerous because it is still called by the same name as the mountain variety.

-C.S. Lewis

(God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics [1970], 294).

Spiritual Thought August 20, 2008

2008-08-20T09:54:00.003-05:00

"To underscore further the dimensions of discipleship in our mortal experience, one way of looking at the 'thou shalt not' commandments is that these prohibitions help us to avoid misery by turning us away from that which is enticing but harmful and wrong. However, once we are settled in terms of the direction of our discipleship and the gross sins are left firmly behind—'misery prevention' it might be called—then the major focus falls upon the 'thou shalt' commandments. It is the keeping of the 'thou shalt' commandments which brings even greater happiness. True, as the scripture says, 'wickedness never was happiness' (Alma 41:10), but neither is lukewarmness full happiness. Failing to be valiant in Christian discipleship will leave us without significant happiness. Therefore, our active avoidance of wickedness must be followed by our active engagement in righteousness. Then we can come to know true joy—after all, man is that he might have joy (see 2 Ne. 2:25)."

-Neal A. Maxwell, "The Pathway of Discipleship," Ensign, Sept. 1998.

On Being the Best

2008-08-17T14:53:00.003-05:00

Like millions, if not billions, of others, I have watched Michael Phelps' performance at the Bejing Olympics with awe. No one else has done what he has, and yet he remains humble. During an interview after he won his eighth gold meld in his last 4x100 relay, Phelps acknowledged that he wouldn't have been able to win eight golds without his team. He is truly the best swimmer in the world.

I've got to confess, though, that I feel a little jealous of him. I doubt that I'll ever be the best in the world at something. I just haven't been blessed with the necessary physical or mental capabilities. And from time to time my frailties harrow up my mind to such distress that I beat up on myself. Just once in my life, I would like to be the best at something.

But a little more than six years ago, I learned there was one thing I could be the best at, and everyone else could also be the best at it. We could all tie for the gold medal:

I had two months left before I returned home from my mission in Ecuador. My last area of service was a difficult place to be. We received little support from the members of the Church there, and consequently, those who we brought to church would refuse to come back again.

I was tired.

Every six weeks, I had the opportunity to have an interview with my mission president, Owen Call. And the time for our interview arrived again. As we spoke, I told him a little of my challenges, and then I said, "President Call I promised the Lord that I would give him a full two years, and I want to finish strong. Would you give me a blessing?"

President Call expressed his joy that one of his missionaries would be so concerned with fulfilling his assignment and laid his hands on my head. During the blessing, he said, "I would remind you of the poet who saw an angel with a book. He asked the angel what was in the book. The angel replied that it contained the names of those who loved the Lord. The poet asked that his name would be included in the book of those who loved the Lord. Years passed, and the poet again saw the angel with the same book. He asked to see if his name was still there. The angel opened the book, and the poet's name came before all others."

I want to be like that poet. And thankfully, we all can equally be like him in loving the Lord.

How do we love the Love the Lord? By keeping His commandments. John 14:15.

May we all strive to be the best at loving the Lord.

War and Peace

2008-07-26T00:28:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking about the war in Iraq. And I was inspired to read the words of Gordon B. Hinckley, a recently deceased prophet of God. I share with you a brief quote and a link to his entire message:

In a democracy we can renounce war and proclaim peace. There is opportunity for dissent. Many have been speaking out and doing so emphatically. That is their privilege. That is their right, so long as they do so legally. However, we all must also be mindful of another overriding responsibility, which I may add, governs my personal feelings and dictates my personal loyalties in [the war in Iraq].

When war raged between the Nephites and the Lamanites, the record states that “the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for . . . power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.
“And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God” (Alma 43:45–46).
The Lord counseled them, “Defend your families even unto bloodshed” (Alma 43:47).
And Moroni “rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

“And he fastened on his headplate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren” (Alma 46:12–13).
It is clear from these and other writings that there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation, to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat, and oppression.
When all is said and done, we of this Church are people of peace. We are followers of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the Prince of Peace. But even He said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).

This places us in the position of those who long for peace, who teach peace, who work for peace, but who also are citizens of nations and are subject to the laws of our governments. Furthermore, we are a freedom-loving people, committed to the defense of liberty wherever it is in jeopardy. I believe that God will not hold men and women in uniform responsible as agents of their government in carrying forward that which they are legally obligated to do. It may even be that He will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces of evil and repression. (Gordon B. Hinckley, "War and Peace," Ensign, April 2003, emphasis added).

To read his entire talk click here.

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

2008-07-20T18:24:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago, I read the comments of an anonymous writer who was angry at God and stopped believing in Him because He didn't stop one of her family members from raping her. My heart aches for her, and my remarks today, hopefully, will help her to reconcile herself to God. And I hope all of you who read this will also understand a little better why bad things happen to good people. While I don't know all the answers, I hope it helps.

-Craig

You Are in Good Company

If you have ever suffered unjustly, you need to know that you are among very good company. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only perfect person to have ever walked the Earth. He went about doing good. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and caused the lame to leap, the blind to see, and the dumb to speak. He forgave sins. And He blessed children.

Yet His own community rejected Him. His brothers and sisters, although they did eventually believe in Him, rejected Him. The ruling classes of the Jews sought to destroy Him. Some tried to stone Him.

The Roman soldiers nailed Him to a cross. Passers by continued to mock Him. And in the darkness of Golgotha, God Himself forsook Jesus.

He was alone in His agony.

But He did not suffer in vain. His willing sacrifice saved us. And on the third day, He arose from the tomb, triumphant over suffering, sorrow, death, and hell.

Free Will

God gave us all free will. We had free will before we came to Earth. During our pre-Earth life, free will was so important to God, that He allowed one third part of the hosts of heaven led by Lucifer to rebel and fight against Him, and because they rebelled, they were cast out of heaven. (Revelation 12:7-11; D&C 29:36).

Our right to choose continues on this Earth. Adam and Eve had the choice to eat the forbidden fruit or not. Joshua counseled Israel to choose to serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15). And the Book of Mormon teaches that we have been instructed to know good from evil and that we are free to choose liberty and eternal life through Jesus Christ or captivity and death through the power of the devil. (2 Nephi 2:5, 27).

But there is a problem with free will: Inevitably someone will choose evil, and we know too well the horrors that mankind has inflicted on others, sometimes in the name of God.

Still, we can't attribute that evil to God. The prophet Enoch had a vision that revealed what God thinks about the destruction, evil, and carnage that fills the Earth:

And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;

And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?

The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;

And the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them.

Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.

Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren.

But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? (Moses 7: 28-37

It is not God's will that motivates the horrors that mankind afflicts on each other but mankind's.

Life Is a Test

How could God judge us if He didn't allow us to act? We would all be spotless because never allowed us to sin. And if He sent us to Hell, it would be unjust because we never did anything wrong.

But I don't think we recognize the gift that God has given us in our free will. None of us like being forced to do something. And that is exactly what He will not do. He loves us enough to let us do what we will. Yet He longs for us to choose Him, to love Him, to serve Him, and that mean loving and serving our fellow man.

That is what life is about: learning to choose God.

And a difficult part of life is opposition. There must be opposition in all things because if we never tasted bitter, we could not taste sweet. If we never experienced sorrow, how could we recognize joy? If we never felt anxiety, we could never know peace. (See 2 Nephi 2:11-13).

My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job. (D&C 121:7-10).

If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? (D&C 122:5-8).

Life is hard. And even harder is that usually the only way through a trial is through it! But there is good in our suffering. And I have learned that during and after a trial I am closer to God than before.

Years later, members of the Church criticized the leaders of the Church for allowing my ancestors and their company to go through such an awful trial. A man who was in that company stood and responded to them:

I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes.But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? …

I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.

I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company. (James E. Faust, "The Refiner’s Fire," Ensign, May 1979, 53, emphasis added).

The price of knowing God is to pass through the trials of life. But know that God is with us. There are unseen forces helping us. And They will continue to help us, if we let them.

Condemn the Wicked

As I said that there will be a judgment, another reason why God allows people to do wicked things is so that the judgment against them will be just.

In ancient America, two missionaries, Alma and Amulek, succeeded in convincing many in a city called Ammonihah that there is a God and that His Son, Jesus Christ would come to redeem all mankind. But most of the people in Ammonihah rejected the missionaries. And they burned the women and children who believed in Jesus Christ and forced Alma and Amulek to watch.

Amulek could not stand it and he wanted to stop it:

And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.

But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

Please note two things. First, the wicked will not go unpunished. Second, the Lord receives the victims of mankind's horrendous acts of brutality and depravity "unto Himself."

There Is Hope Through Jesus Christ

Finally, remember that you do not suffer alone. Jesus Christ truly did descend below all things. And His sacrifice was not just to heal us of our sins and death. No. He also suffered our sorrows, our sickness, our afflictions, our trials, and our troubles. (Alma 7:11-12).

He knows what you're feeling because He felt it. In a way that we don't understand, He felt it. He know what it's like to be raped, beaten, tortured, murdered, hated, sick, depressed, anxious, and what any other trial feels like.

He knows.

And I know He knows because He has succored me in my trials and troubles. Thankfully, they have not been anything near what others have suffered. But Jesus Christ has come to me, has

held me, and has healed me.

And I know that He will heal all those who suffer and come to Him.

How You Can Know There Is a God

2008-07-13T21:37:00.002-05:00

Innately, mankind wants to believe in something greater than itself. Throughout milena, it has turned to various deities, some of nature, some supernatural, some of stone, and others of wood. Today, some have bowed to the god of science. Others to the god of pleasure. And still others to the god of money. Yet the Bible teaches that from the time of Adam and Eve, there has been a True and Living God who communes with the children of man, His children. And we learn that this God loved us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to save us from our sins. (John 3:16).

But how can we know for certain that such a God exists? And how can we know that Jesus really is His Son?

Jesus provided the answer in an oft-overlooked scripture in the Bible: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17).

That is the great key. If you want to know whether there is a God and the Christian God is that God, do His will. We have His commandments in the revealed scriptures, including the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the words of Living Prophets.

If we live according to these teachings, we will know that there is a God, that He loves us, and that He speaks today!

But the revelation that comes by living the gospel which will confirm to us that God lives may not come in the way that we expect. David O. McKay, Prophet, Seer, Revelator, Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and ninth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recounted an experience he had when he wanted to know without a doubt that God truly lives and continues to speak to His children:

"I listened as a boy to a testimony regarding the principles of the gospel, the power of the priesthood, the divinity of this work. I heard the admonition that we, too, might get that testimony if we would pray, but somehow I got an idea in youth that we could not get a testimony unless we had some manifestation. I read of the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and I knew … what he had received was of God; I heard of elders who had heard voices; … and somehow I received the impression that that was the source of all testimony. …

“I remember riding over the hills one afternoon, thinking of these things, and concluded that there in the silence of the hills was the best place to get that testimony. I stopped my horse. …

“I knelt down and with all the fervor of my heart poured out my soul to God and asked him for a testimony of this gospel. I had in mind that there would be some manifestation, that I should receive some transformation that would leave me without doubt.

“I arose, mounted my horse, and as he started over the trail I … said to myself, ‘No, sir, there is no change; I am just the same boy I was before I knelt down.’ The anticipated manifestation had not come. … " (John 7:17)” (“A Personal Testimony,” Improvement Era, Sept. 1962, 628–29, emphasis added).

President McKay's testimony came later, subtly, as he served as a missionary and performed his duty. And although it became his privilege to receive the divine manifestations which he spoke of later on in his life, his testimony was not based on them.

It's hard to describe the feelings that come by the power of the Holy Ghost which confirm that there is a God. Some have likened it to trying to describe the taste of salt to someone who has never tasted it:

I will tell you of an experience I had before I was a General Authority which affected me profoundly. I sat on a plane next to a professed atheist who pressed his disbelief in God so urgently that I bore my testimony to him. “You are wrong,” I said, “there is a God. I know He lives!” He protested, “You don’t know. Nobody knows that! You can’t know it!” When I would not yield, the atheist, who was an attorney, asked perhaps the ultimate question on the subject of testimony.
“All right,” he said in a sneering, condescending way, “you say you know. Tell me how you know.”
When I attempted to answer, even though I held advanced academic degrees, I was
helpless to communicate. . . .
When I used the words Spirit and witness, the atheist responded, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” The words prayer, discernment, and faith, were equally meaningless to him. “You see,” he said, “you don’t really know. If you did, you would be able to tell me how you know.”
I felt, perhaps, that I had borne my testimony to him unwisely and was at a loss as to what to do. Then came the experience! Something came into my mind. And I mention here a statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas … and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977, p. 151.)
Such an idea came into my mind and I said to the atheist, “Let me ask if you know what salt tastes like.”
“Of course I do,” was his reply.
“When did you taste salt last?”
“I just had dinner on the plane.”
“You just think you know what salt tastes like,” I said.
He insisted, “I know what salt tastes like as well as I know anything.”
“If I gave you a cup of salt and a cup of sugar and let you taste them both, could you tell the salt from the sugar?”

“Now you are getting juvenile,” was his reply. “Of course I could tell the difference. I know what salt tastes like. It is an everyday experience—I know it as well as I know anything.”

“Then,” I said, “assuming that I have never tasted salt, explain to me just what it tastes like.”
After some thought, he ventured, “Well-I-uh, it is not sweet and it is not sour.”
“You’ve told me what it isn’t, not what it is.”
After several attempts, of course, he could not do it. He could not convey, in words alone, so ordinary an experience as tasting salt. I bore testimony to him once again and said, “I know there is a God. You ridiculed that testimony and said that if I did know, I would be able to tell you exactly how I know. My friend, spiritually speaking, I have tasted salt. I am no more able to convey to you in words how this knowledge has come than you are to tell me what salt tastes like. But I say to you again, there is a God! He does live! And just because you don’t know, don’t try to tell me that I don’t
know, for I do!”
As we parted, I heard him mutter, “I don’t need your religion for a crutch! I don’t need it.”
From that experience forward, I have never been embarrassed or ashamed that I could not explain in words alone everything I know spiritually. The Apostle Paul said it this way: “We speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:13–14.) (Boyd K. Packer, "The Candle of the Lord," Ensign, January 1983, 51).

As someone who has tasted Spiritual Salt, let me share with you how I feel when the Spirit of God touches me. I feel peace, joy, and love. My chest feels warm almost on fire, and sometimes I tingle all over. Sometimes I get ideas I never would have come up with on my own. Other times, I feel as if I have Someone place His arm around my shoulders and tell me, "Good job."

An ancient prophet named Alma proposed an experiment to a group of people who wanted to know whether there is a God. He likened the word of God to a seed. And if the people had merely a desire to believe, they should plant that seed in their heart and nourish it. That is, they should begin living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If it was a good seed, it would begin to grow:

Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea,
it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. (Alma 32:28, emphasis added).

Alma also counseled that even after the seed begins to grow we can't neglect it, our the tree of our faith will die. So we need to continue living the Gospel all our lives. (See Alma 32 to read more about the experiment).

I have done as Alma counseled. The seed of my faith has been growing for many years. And I can testify that there is God. He is our Eternal Father. His Son is Jesus Christ.

So if you want to know there is a God, live like there is a God. And He will enlarge your soul and give you the peace and assurance that He lives.

He lives!

How I Know that There Is a God

2008-07-06T13:40:00.007-05:00

Last week, I engaged in a dialogue on Prof. Osler's blog with a woman whom I know only as "Tydwbleach," Tyd for short. After Prof. Osler posted a brief reflection about God, Tyd commented that although she had tried, she simply couldn't believe in God. She noted that at the time when she was most open to believing in God, when her mother was dying, He didn't seem to come to her.

Prof. Osler then asked his other readers if they had ever felt like Tyd. Some of the responses were heartwrenching.

So I've decided to write a series of three essays which I hope Tyd and those who commented on Prof. Osler's blog will read. Today, I will share how I believe---indeed, how I know---that there is a God and His Son is Jesus Christ. Next Sunday, I will share how you can know the same for yourselves. And, finally, the following Sunday, I will share my feelings and thoughts about why even though God loves us bad things, and in some cases horrible things, happen to us.

How I Know that There Is a God

There has never been a time in my life that I didn't believe in God. Among my greatest blessings it the fact that both my parents are devout Christians and that from the cradle they taught me about God, the Eternal Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. Mom used to sing me to sleep with children's hymns. And my bedtime stories came from the scriptures. My favorite stories were "Daniel and the Lion's Den" and "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and the Fiery Furnace."

I drove my parents crazy.

Now I didn't turn into an angelic child, far from it, and I am still far from perfect. But over time, I became less grumpy and mean all the time (even though these are two things I still struggle with); I stopped telling people that I hated them; I stopped threatening to run away; I stopped strangling my little brother, and I didn't have to eat tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper as often.

For those of you who haven't read The Book of Mormon, it teaches about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent. They left the old world, crossed the ocean, and settled in the Americas by the power and gift of God. Here, they worshipped God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And after Jesus' death and resurrection in Palestine, He appeared to those who lived on the American continent. The Book of Mormon is a second witness of the Divinity of Jesus Christ and proves that the Bible is truly the word of God.

I continue to read The Book of Mormon and the Bible and other scriptures every day. And I feel the same influence changing me and helping me become a better person.

I know that God lives because He has changed my heart as I learn about Him and Jesus Christ through The Book of Mormon and the other Scriptures.

Yet I remember one afternoon when my missionary companion and I came in for lunch after a particularly discouraging morning. I went to the bedroom, fell on my knees at the foot of the bed, and said, "Heavenly Father." No sooner had I done so, than I felt the words, "I am here. . . . How I love you. How I love you. How I love you." I say felt because I didn't hear a voice. But those words entered my mind and were accompanied by a feeling of peace and love independent of my mind and emotions. Perhaps you're feeling a "burning" in your bosom or a peace as you read about this experience. If you are, those feelings are from God. He is telling you that He is there and that He loves you.

During my mission, I had several other experiences like that day, but they were often preceded by great difficulty.

Today, I continue to pray to God. And I frequently feel that He hears me and that He loves me. I feel it now as I write this to you.

The stars in the heavens and the beauty of nature testify to me that there is a God. Indeed, I see "God moving in His majesty and power" as I watch them. (D&C 88:47).

And being a husband and father have let me experience the most powerful love imaginable. After my family and I moved to Waco for law school, I was stressed. During the first quarter, I almost quit. But one day, my wife and daughter were in the computer room playing a game. Leaning against the door frame and looking at my family, I felt as if God wrapped His arm around me and said, "Life's good, isn't it?"

And I testify that all of us can know that there is a God.

Marriage for Eternity

2008-06-29T14:05:00.002-05:00

In the last two months, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend three weddings. All three were beautiful and a time to rejoice. It was easy to see that each couple loved each other very much.

The first wedding was of my oldest niece, Taereese, and her sweetheart, Jace. They were married in an LDS chapel by Taereese's bishop. It was surreal to see her get married, especially since some of my siblings haven't yet gotten married.

The second wedding was of one of my wife's roommates and best friends from college, Monica. Monica was married in the Cathedral of the Magdalene . It was the first Catholic wedding I've attended. The ceremony was beautiful. And I enjoyed learning about the traditions of another faith. My favorite part of the wedding was the singing of the Cantor. He had a beautiful tenor voice, and it added to the solemnity of the occasion.

The third wedding was of one of my wife's cousins, Erin. Erin and her husband, Brandon, were married for Time and All Eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. It was good to be reminded of what happens during a Temple wedding. When my wife and I were married, it was hard to pay attention to the ceremony because of all of the emotions that washed over me. So I did my best to listen during Erin's wedding.

And I felt something different at Erin's wedding that I didn't feel at Taereese's or Monica's. There was a Power in the air during the ceremony. I felt it from my feet to the crown of my head, and my heart burned within me.

Let me take a minute to describe a little about a Temple marriage for the benefit of those of you who have never had the opportunity to attend one. A couple that wishes to be married in the Temple must be worthy and receive a recommend from their local Priesthood leaders. If a couple is not married in the Temple, they still can go to the Temple to be "sealed" (married) for Time and All Eternity later in their lives.

A Temple marriage is simple. There are no marches or processions. Fathers don't give away their daughters. And there is no music. Family members and friends of the couple who are worthy to enter the Temple gather in a "Sealing Room" and wait for the couple to be brought into the room. A sealing room has an altar in the middle of it, and on opposite walls, there are mirrors which reflect infinitely into each other. The couple is brought in, and the officiator, someone we call a sealer, gives the couple words of advice.

After finishing his advice, the sealer instructs the couple to kneel across from each other at the altar and take each other by the right hand. He then marries the couple for Time and All Eternity, promising them the blessings of Eternal Life. The ordinance lasts only a few minutes. Then the couple, family, and friends leave the Temple for traditional festivities such as pictures and receptions.

Like all weddings, Temple weddings are times of rejoicing and love. But I realize the difference I felt at Erin's wedding was the "Sealing Power" which comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and enables families to be together forever. It is a real power that I have felt.

I testify that families can be together forever through the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

To invite missionaries to your home to discuss how you can be with your family forever, click here.

Sharing the Gospel

2008-06-22T15:00:00.003-05:00

A few days ago, Prof. Osler asked me to write about my training to become a missionary. He noted how difficult it is to talk to others about faith and religion. So I thought I'd oblige him. I'll talk about my training, but because so few will actually be full-time missionaries for any length of time, I'll address sharing the Gospel with others when you're not a full-time missionary.

The Missionary Training Center (The MTC)

Worthy, single young men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are eligible to serve full-time, two-year missions when they are 19 to 26 years old. Worthy, single women in the Church can serve full-time, eighteen-month missions at any time after they turn 21.

Before going to their respect field of service, all missionaries go to one of seventeen missionary training centers throughout the world. If they are learning a foreign language, they will spend two to three months, depending on the difficulty of the language, in the MTC. If they will not be learning a new language, they will spend three weeks in the MTC.

Prior to serving in the Ecuador, Quito Mission, I entered the Provo, Utah MTC. And after I served my mission, I trained missionaries at the MTC for eighteen months while I attended BYU. For a few months, I was even in the same group of teachers as my fellow Baylor Law School Alumnus, David Corbett.

Life in the MTC is unlike anything. The first few days seem to last forever. Missionaries spend eight to twelve hours a day in classes. There are breaks for meals, and five days a week, they get to go to gym.

In class, missionaries learn the fundamentals of the foreign language they are studying, if they are learning one. Other classes focus on Gospel Doctrine. And others focus on proselytizing and teaching techniques. The size of each class varies from as few as five or six missionaries to a few thousand! But most of the classes are with very small groups.

Instructors in the MTC use various techniques to teach, but they each do their best to love the missionaries into learning. (When I got to Baylor Law, it was a shock when several of the instructors tried to intimidate me into learning. Frankly, I prefer the methods used by MTC instructors.)

Looking back, we spent little time on how to handle the first contact we make with people to invite them to hear our message about the restored Gospel. And most of that time was spent on how to knock on someone's door, introduce ourselves, tell them briefly about our message, and ask to share more of it with them.

Life in Ecuador

After I left the MTC, I still felt unsure about how to share the Gospel message to the people of Ecuador. And most of what I learned about how to actually be a missionary came from my first two companions, Elder Quitian and Elder Rekoutis ("Elder" is the title given to male missionaries).

Elder Quitian taught me the service opens doors. During our lessons with those interested in our message, he would help families shuck corn or would remove corn from the cob. We helped a family harvest wheat using sickles and carrying the sheaves from the field to the family's home for threshing. It was obvious that Elder Quitian loved the people we served, and I could tell they knew it.

Elder Rekoutis taught me to enjoy the time I spent with those I served. He loved talking to people and getting to know them. He continued the example of service Elder Quitian had given me as we dug wells and cleaned streets. And he taught me to work hard, even when things aren't going well.

You see, the key to sharing the Gospel is Love, and we show how much we love people as we serve them and show genuine concern for them.

Later on my mission, I learned to open my mouth and talk to anyone who would listen. I realized that saying hello and making eye contact was enough to stop most people. Of course, it probably helped that I was a white guy dressed in a suit with a black name tag and speaking Spanish.

I spoke with hundreds of people on the streets and buses of Otavalo, Quito, and Cayambe, and I realized it didn't matter what I said as long as I opened my mouth and gave people to opportunity to listen to my message. And many of them invited me into their homes, where I was able to teach them about Jesus Christ, the restoration of His Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon.

I loved my mission, and I still dream about being in Ecuador.

Sharing the Gospel when You're Not a Full-time Missionary

Because most of us aren't full-time missionaries, we aren't going to be walking the streets and knocking on doors offering to share the Gospel message with any who will listen. But what we don't realize is that we have more opportunities to share our convictions with our family, friends, and associates.

The most important attribute we need when we share the Gospel is Love. It's natural for us to love our families and friends. And if we're filled with Christian love, something Mormon's call Charity, we'll even love those whom we meet for the first time.

The next most important thing is that we need to love people no matter what, regardless of whether or not they accept our message.

I've also learned that some of the most powerful sermons are taught without anyone saying anything. Christ taught us to let our lights shine so that people will believe in Him and glorify God. Matthew 5:16. People watch us closer than we recognize, and when they observe our service and joy, they'll want to know why we are how we are. And they'll ask.

And we need to talk to people. We can talk about anything, and as we create a bond of friendship with others, it's so easy to talk about the deep things, our hopes, our fears, our deepest desires, our heartaches, and the things that give us hope and comfort and peace. That's when we can share with perfect sincerity what our beliefs have have done for us.

Finally, we need to be bold. There's no reason to hide our beliefs out of fear that we'll damage our friendship if we talk about religion. At Baylor, I had many wonderful opportunities to share my beliefs with my fellow students, friends, and even a few professors. None of them accepted my beliefs and became Mormons, but all of them are still my friends. And what's more, my friendship with them was actually strengthened because I was willing to share what I consider my greatest possessions: my love for Jesus Christ and my conviction that He has restored the fulness of His Gospel through living prophets.

To read more about how to share the Gospel, I suggest you read the following talks:

"Sharing the Gospel," Dallin H. Oaks.

"Sharing the Gospel," Robert C. Oaks.

"Witnesses Unto Me," Jeffrey R. Holland.

To invite missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to visit you in your home, click here.

To read more about my experiences in Ecuador, go to "The Dance," and "My Andean Home."

Thirty Years Ago

2008-06-07T00:58:00.004-05:00

This week marks the thirtieth anniversary of the revelation extending the Priesthood to all worthy male members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This essay explains why they did not have access to the Priesthood until 1978.

Children of God

Regardless of race, ethnicity, or skin color, all men and women are children of a loving Heavenly Father. Because we are all children of God, we are also brothers and sisters to each other. Therefore, when we are interacting with others, we must always remember that each of us has a spark of divinity within. It is our eternal heritage bestowed upon us by reason of our spiritual births.

Minority Majority

Although the stereotypical Mormon is a white Utahn, the fact is there are more Mormons outside of the United States than within. There are actually more members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who would be considered minorities than there are white members of the Church.

It is estimated that one million of the thirteen million members of the Church are black.

Click here to read about the demographics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Skin Color in the Scriptures

In the scriptures, we learn the posterity of Cain, or the Canaanites, received a skin of blackness (Moses 7:8), as did the posterity of Laman and Lemuel—Nephi’s older brothers—or the Lamanites (The Lamanites are among the ancestors of modern Native Americans). (2 Nephi 5:21). While we do not know why the Canaanites became black, the Book of Mormon explains why the Lamanites became black.

The Lamanites rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ and sought to kill those who believed. Because they rejected the gospel, God cursed the Lamanites. The curse was not black skin; rather, they were separated from the gospel and the blessings of the Priesthood. (2 Nephi 5:21).

To prevent the righteous from falling into the same practices of the Lamanites by intermarrying with them, God distinguished the Lamanites by causing their skins to become dark. (2 Nephi 5:21). It is likely that God did the same with the Canaanites.

These events in no way justify racism or bigotry, and those born of African or Native American descent are not guilty of any sin or transgression. Instead, they are descended from men and women who failed to follow the commands of God. And we must remember that all of us have descended from men and women who failed to live according to the commandments of God. In fact, none of us fully comply with the commandments.

Our skin color is no indicator of the degree to which we personally please God.

Furthermore, these scriptures do not explain why other groups of our brothers and sisters have different skin color.

The Book of Mormon was written, primarily, to the Lamanite nations. From the time the Lamanites separated themselves from the Nephites (the righteous group living in the Americas), the Nephites sent missionaries to restore the Lamanites to righteousness, but their efforts were in vain. (Enos 1:20). The first prophets who wrote in the Book of Mormon hoped their writings would one day reach the Lamanites to bring them back to the fulness of the Gospel. (Enos 1:15-17).

For five hundred years, the Lamanites and Nephites lived in enmity until four brothers—Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni—and their friends desired to bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. These brothers, after significant struggles, succeeded in bringing tens of thousands of the Lamanites back to the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Concerning the Lamanites who accepted the Gospel, Mormon wrote:

And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and hisbrethren, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away. (Alma 23:6; To read the entire account of the mission of Ammon and his brothers to the Lamanites, see Alma chapters 17–26).

After these Lamanites received the gospel of Jesus Christ, God took the curse away from them. That is, they received the Priesthood, and their skins remained dark. (Alma 23:18).

After the miraculous missions of Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni there were times when the Lamanites were more righteous than the Nephites. (See e.g. Helaman 6:1). And during the time of Christ, the righteous Nephites and Lamanites united together. During this time, Mormon recounts that some Lamanites lost their dark skin and became like the Nephites. (3 Nephi 2:15). But this change did not happen to all righteous Lamanites.

After Christ was resurrected and appeared to the inhabitants of the Americas, the distinction between Nephites and Lamanites disappeared, and they became "one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." (4 Nephi 1:17). Two hundred years after the coming of Christ, men and women separated themselves from the righteous, and the distinction between Lamanites and Nephites again arose. The two groups fought until the Nephites—who had become wicked—were destroyed.

Today, the Lamanite nations (including Central and South America) are blossoming as a rose as the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached to them. And I feel impressed to share with you this experience:

In 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Guayaquil, Ecuador Temple. During the dedication services, a choir from Otavalo, Ecuador—comprised of full-blood Native Americans and some Mestizos—sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" in Quichua. After the hymn, President Hinckley stood, tears streaming down his cheeks. He said father Lehi (Nephi, Laman, and Lemuel’s father) was present with them and was weeping for joy because his children were being redeemed.

Priesthood and the Races of Mankind

Of all the practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the practice from 1849 to 1978 denying male members of the Church of African descent the Priesthood is, perhaps, the most difficult to understand. For decades, members and leaders of the Church struggled with this practice and devised separate theories to explain why men of African descent were barred from receiving the Priesthood. (If you google this topic, you will find sundry justifications; these justifications are not official Church doctrine, and some of them were proven wrong in 1978.)

The practice is even more difficult to understand because Joseph Smith actually ordained black men to the Priesthood. The first man of African descent to receive the Priesthood was Elijah Abel. Elijah was an escaped slave who joined the Church in 1832. In 1836, he was ordained an Elder, presumably by Joseph Smith, and a few months later, Zebedee Coltrin ordained Elijah a seventy. Elijah served several missions for the Church and died in full standing at the age of 84. However, Elijah was never allowed to receive the ordinances of the Temple during his lifetime.

There were others of African descent who received the Priesthood, but in 1849, Brigham Young received a revelation that the Priesthood could no longer be given to men of African descent. Those who had received the Priesthood continued to officiate within it, but no new ordination of black men to the Priesthood took place.

While membership in the Church was open to all, regardless of race, this ban lasted until 1978 when President Spencer W. Kimball received a revelation declaring that all worthy men could receive the Priesthood and the ordinances of the Temple were available to all.

Personally, I have also struggled with the practice of denying the Priesthood to an entire race of mankind. But as I have searched the scriptures, I have learned a few things about the Priesthood and who can receive it. But I must qualify the comments which follow: These are my opinions, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never issued an official statement explaining the practice of denying the Priesthood to blacks from 1849 to 1978 other than that Brigham Young received a revelation which ended the early practice of ordaining men of African descent to the Priesthood.

The key doctrine in understanding why some are denied the Priesthood is that God has decreed different times for different nations and peoples to receive the fulness of the Priesthood. And the ability to receive the Priesthood—for the vast majority of human history—depended upon the righteousness of one’s ancestors.

Adam, in addition to being the first man, was the first man to receive the Priesthood. (Moses 6:64-68). His sons, including Cain and Abel, also received the Priesthood, as evidenced by their authority to offer sacrifices to the Lord—ordinances pertaining to the Holy Priesthood. (Genesis 4:3-6; Moses 5:19-21).

But Cain was not faithful to the Priesthood which he bore. He loved Satan more than God, offered sacrifice to the Lord because Satan commanded it, and murdered his brother Abel. Because of his actions, Cain became Perdition and posterity would suffer for millenia in that they would not have access to the fulness of the Priesthood. There was even a time when the Lord’s servants were not even allowed to preach the Gospel to Cain’s posterity. (Moses 7:12).

As stated earlier, eventually, the children of Cain were cursed in that they could not hold the Priesthood. They also received a skin of blackness to distinguish them from those who obeyed the commandments.

At the time of the Great Flood, Noah and three of his sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth, were saved with their wives, and no others were saved. Noah held the Priesthood. (D&C 107:52). Ham did not respect Noah or his Priesthood, and as a result, Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan so that neither he nor his posterity could receive the Priesthood. (Genesis 9:20-27). Canaan’s mother, Egyptus, was a Canaanite, and it is from Canaan that the African race descended.

But God’s curse pertained only to the Priesthood, and He actually blessed the posterity of Canaan with the blessings of the Earth. (Abraham 1:26).

Shem, on the other hand, became a great High Priest, and through him and his posterity, the Priesthood continued throughout the generations of the Earth. (D&C 138:41). Therefore, the Semitic races could claim the Priesthood by living righteously. And it is my understanding that only the Semitic nations had the right to receive the priesthood.

One of Shem’s posterity, Abraham, did exactly that and entered into a covenant with God that through his seed all nations would receive the blessings of the Priesthood. (Abraham 2:10-11). Abraham’s posterity includes Isaac, Jacob—whose name was changed to Israel—Joseph, and the great prophets of Israel. Additionally, Jesus Christ descended through the lineage of Abraham. And anyone descended from Abraham could claim a right to the Priesthood through righteous living.

When Moses liberated the house of Israel from Egypt, God desired to reveal the fulness of the Priesthood to them. But they were not ready, so He gave them a law of strict commandments and performances. Additionally, He took the fulness of the Priesthood from them and established the Levitical order of the Priesthood. (D&C 84:23-27).

After the Law of Moses was established, only those of the house of Levi were allowed to receive the Priesthood, and if they could not prove their lineage, they were forbidden from receiving the Priesthood; some were even expelled from it. (Ezra 2:61-63).

When Christ came, He restored the fulness of the Priesthood to the House of Israel. (Hebrews chapter 7). And all those belonging to the House of Israel became eligible to receive the Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood. But during His ministry, Christ did not extend the fulness of the Gospel to the Gentile nations. (Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24).

But after Christ’s resurrection and ascension, Peter received a revelation which extended the blessings of the Gospel, including the Priesthood to the Gentile nations. (Acts chapter 10). This was the first time in the history of the world that the category of worthy men who were eligible to receive the Priesthood was enlarged!

Blacks and the Priesthood

Yet Peter’s vision did not extend to the African nations, although no one was denied membership in the ancient Church of Jesus Christ.

After the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord began preparing His children of African descent to receive the Priesthood. As stated, a select few African-American men were allowed to receive the Priesthood before the Lord revealed to Brigham Young that the prohibition on Blacks receiving the Priesthood was still in force.

In 1965, a Nigerian man, Anthony Obinna, had a dream: A tall man with a walking stick took him to a beautiful building and was given a tour of all its rooms. A few years later, he had the dream again. In an old copy of the Reader’s Digest, he saw a picture of the building: the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the first time he had ever even heard of the Church. He wrote the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requesting membership. He received a letter that missionaries were not being sent to Africa. After the revelation extending all the blessings of the Priesthood to all worthy members of the Church was received, Anthony Obinna was the first person baptized in Africa.

In 1971, concerned for the Black members of the Church, President Harold B. Lee directed Elders Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to meet with three black members of the Church—Ruffin Bridgeforth, Darius Gray, and Eugene Orr—to create a support program for members of the Church of African descent. Together, they founded the Genesis Group of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The group continues to meet on the first Sunday of each month.

The Revelation

For decades, Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, members of the First Presidency, and members of the Quorum of the Twelve pleaded with the Lord to extend the blessings of the Priesthood and the Temple to all worthy members of the Church. Nevertheless, the Lord did not allow it.

In 1978, Spencer W. Kimball, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was in the Upper Room of the Salt Lake Temple with other members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He prayed powerfully on behalf of the members of the Church and the inhabitants of the Earth who were of African descent. Gordon B. Hinckley, a former president of the Church was present when the revelation was received and said:

I do not recall the exact words which [Spencer W. Kimball] spoke, but I do recall my own feelings and the nature of the expressions of my brethren. There was a hallowed and sanctified atmosphere in the room. For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the Heavenly Throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his brethren.The Spirit of God was there. And by the power of the Holy Ghost, there came to that prophet an assurance that the thing for which he prayed was right, that the time had come, and that now the wondrous blessings of the Priesthood should be extended to worthy men everywhere regardless of lineage.

Soon thereafter, the First Presidency issued the following statement:

June 8, 1978

To all general and local priesthood officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world:Dear Brethren:As we have witnessed the expansion of the work of the Lord over the earth, we have been grateful that people of many nations have responded to the message of the restored gospel, and have joined the Church in ever-increasing numbers. This, in turn, has inspired us with a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all of the privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God’s eternal plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance. He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color. Priesthood leaders are instructed to follow the policy of carefully interviewing all candidates for ordination to either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek Priesthood to insure that they meet the established standards for worthiness.We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.

Sincerely yours,
Spencer W. Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
Marion G. Romney
The First Presidency

Vicarious Work for the Dead and the Priesthood

Because it is not just to be punished eternally for the wickedness of our ancestors, our Heavenly Father has prepared a way for His children who were denied the fulness of the blessings of the Priesthood in this life to receive them. These ordinances can be received in the Holy Temples and are available to all of God’s children, regardless of race or lineage.

Cut to the Heart

2008-05-18T14:11:00.004-05:00

"And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come."

-Doctrine and Covenants 93:24

The Book of Mormon tells of an ancient kingdom founded by a king named Zeniff. Zeniff loved the Lord, and in the strength of the Lord, he and his people were delivered from their enemies. Zeniff grew old and conferred his kingdom upon his son, Noah.

Noah did not love the Lord and was a wicked man. He visited prostitutes, had many wives without Divine authorization (see Polygamy), was a drunkard, set his heart upon riches, placed heavy taxes on his people, removed the righteous Priests from their offices and appointed wicked men in their stead, allowed his priests to teach lies and wickedness to his people, and led his people to commit sin. Mosiah 11:1-15.

In other words, things in Noah's city were a lot like things in our modern civilization.

But God, because He loves His children, even those who don't follow Him, sent a prophet, Abinadi, to call them to repentance. Abinadi warned Noah's people that they needed to return to the Lord or they would be brought into captivity. Mosiah 11:20-25. Instead of listening to Abinadi, they tried to kill him, but Abinadi escaped. Mosiah 11:26-29.

Two years later, Abinadi returned in disguise to tell them that because they did not repent, Noah's people would be brought into captivity. Mosiah 12:1-7. Noah's people tied Abinadi up and brought him before Noah and his wicked priests because, after all, they hadn't done anything wrong. Mosiah 12:9-17.

As Abinadi stood before Noah and his priests, Noah's priests sought to justify their sinful behavior. They claimed that they understood the scriptures and lived the law of Moses. And to prove their point, they cited Isaiah:

And it came to pass that one of them said unto him: What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;

Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion;
Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem;

The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God? Mosiah 12:20-24.

Noah's priests were just like we are today. When confronted with our wickedness, we take the scriptures, or in a secular sense the United States Constitution, and twist, contort, and wrest them until we believe they say something that they really don't to prove there's nothing wrong with what we're doing.

They seemed to be saying to Abinadi, "What are you doing preaching bondage and destruction? The scriptures tell us to publish peace because He's done His work. He's done His thing, so now we can do ours. We can do anything we want as long as we acknowledge He's the Lord. So there's nothing wrong with what we're doing."

Abinadi quickly corrected Noah's priests and taught them the true meaning of Isaiah's words. Isaiah was teaching about the peace that comes through Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, and taking His yoke upon us, that is keeping the commandments and serving others. He taught them that salvation brings peace and that salvation comes only in and through Jesus Christ.

He taught them that their wickedness would never bring them true peace.

Today, many religions tend to focus on "peace, love, and tolerance" without remembering the words of Jesus Himself:

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 10:34-39.

The sword that Jesus sent throughout the earth is the sword of Truth. Truth cuts deeper and cleaner than anything else. It divides joints and marrow. Those who do not accept the Truth fight against those who do because they "take the Truth to be hard, for it cuts them to the center," even to their hearts. 1 Ne. 16:2; Mosiah 13:7. Even members of the same family have been and will be divided by the Truth.

Is it any wonder then that the priests of Noah fought against Abinadi? And like children they warned Abinadi to "take it back or else." But Abinadi answered, "I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true." Mosiah 17:9.

So Noah and his priests burned Abinadi at the stake. Mosiah 17:13.

By the way, Noah was killed and his people were taken into bondage soon thereafter. See Mosiah 19.

Oh say, what is truth?
'Tis the fairest gem
That the riches of worlds can produce,
An priceless the value of truth will be when
The proud monarch's costliest diadem
Is counted but dross and refuse.

Yes, say, what is truth?
'Tis the brightest prize
To which mortals or Gods can aspire.
Go search in the depths where it glittering lies,
Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies:
'Tis an aim for the noblest desire.

The sceptre may fall from the despot's grasp
When with winds of stern justice he copes.
But the pillar of truth will endure to the last,
And its firm-rooted bulwarks out stand the rude blast
And the wreck of the fell tyrant's hopes.

Then say, what is truth?
'Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o'er.
Tho the heavens depart and the earth's fountains burst,
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

-"Oh Say, What Is Truth?" by John Jaques

Further Reading: Mosiah Chapters 9-22.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T13:00:00.002-05:00

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
-Abraham Lincoln

After this world passes away and we have access to the Book of Life, we will see that those who wielded the most influence for good in the world were not kings or queens, presidents, magistrates, dictators, emperors, legislators, judges, lords, or ladies but Mothers. Sadly, our society downplays the importance of Motherhood. It has become ancillary to the pursuit of a career; children have become a waste of time and are left to daycare operators and schools to be raised, rather than being taught by loving Mothers.

On this day dedicated to Mothers, let’s remember the centrality of Mothers in God’s plan for us.

Within the Gospel, although the roles of each are different, the rights, powers, and responsibilities of Motherhood are equal to the rights, powers, and responsibilities of Priesthood. See The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I saw this first hand growing up. Mom and Dad worked together to bring my siblings and me to the Lord. Dad presided in our home, loved us, provided for us, and protected us while Mom nurtured us, loved us, and taught us.

Even though my parents had eleven children, Mom stayed home to take care of us while Dad worked long hours as the manager of a Church Welfare Farm. Dad made good money which would have allowed a smaller family to live quite comfortably.

But we weren’t a smaller family.

Most of my clothes were hand-me-downs except for the two shirts, one pair of pants, and one pair of shoes I got at the beginning of each school year and the random clothing I got for Christmas. And it was worse for my older siblings. Some years, they didn’t have enough for Christmas, and there were times when all they had to eat were potatoes.

The temptation for Mom to get a job must have been great. With the money she would’ve earned, she could’ve provided the luxuries of life for her children. But she never went to work, and I thank God every day that she didn’t because she gave me riches far greater than new clothes, fancy toys, cars, electronics, and the other wants of life.

You see, Mom gave me a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My earliest memories are of Mom telling me the stories of Daniel and the Lion’s Den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and the Fiery Furnace, Nephi, and Jesus with the little children of Jerusalem and Bountiful. The seed of faith Mom planted within my heart took root, sprouted, grew, and has begun to bring forth fruit. It is a seed I hope to plant within my children.

When I got older, I often had trouble sleeping. Mom would stay up with me, and we would talk until I could finally sleep.

I knew Mom loved me by the way she treated me. And by loving me, Mom made me want to live the Gospel. When I disobeyed as a teenager, she didn’t need to scold me because I could see how deeply disappointed she was with my behavior. I don’t think she did it intentionally, but her feelings would bleed through to her face. And because I loved her, all I wanted to do was not to disappoint her.

And my mother was not the first woman to have a lasting influence on her son. For example, the Book of Mormon teaches of two thousand young men who left to fight a war in place of their fathers who had covenanted with the Lord they would not go to war. When faced with fighting a foe who greatly outnumbered them, even though they had never fought before, they remembered the words of their mothers, "that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. . . . [And they did] not doubt [their] mothers knew it." (Alma 56:47-48).

The young men fought several battles, and while many of their allies and enemies died, not one of the young men perished. (Alma 56:56; 57:25). All because their Mothers took the time to teach them Faith in God.

If more mothers would teach their children like these two thousand young men’s mothers, the number of casualties to sin would be significantly lower, and whole cities and societies could escape the destruction and plagues caused by immorality and crime.

My beloved wife, Misty, although her capacity, intellect, and ability far exceed my own, has elected to stay home with our children. Of the two of us, her job is far more difficult than mine. And considering my own capacity, intellect, and ability, I know I would fail miserably to teach and nurture our children in the ways of the Lord in the same way she does.

I love to watch her with our children and to listen to her love-filled voice as she speaks to them. And even though I get jealous, I love it that our children prefer Mommy over Daddy because I do too. Who can blame them for wanting to be with the most loving, beautiful, kind, and caring person there is?

God be thanked for Mothers everywhere who love their children more than money, careers, and prestige and who teach them to walk in the ways of the Lord!

And to all those Mothers, especially mine and the Mother of my children, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

One of My Heroes

2008-04-27T17:40:00.003-05:00

"There is no such thing as false hope, only false hopelessness."

-Chad Hymas

When every missionary returns home from his assignment, he reports to his local Stake High Council. I reported to the Tooele Utah South Stake High Council the Tuesday after I returned home from Ecuador. I walked into the High Council room and saw a long table lined by twelve chairs, six on each side. At the head of the table was another table with three chairs. More chairs lined the walls on either side of the table.

I sat in a chair along the edge of the wall and waited for my time to speak. A younger man in a wheel chair rolled into the room and asked if I could help him with his laptop computer. I was happy to comply as he took his place at the table as a member of the High Council.

As I talked about my experiences in Ecuador and shared my testimony of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith, the man in the wheel chair didn't stop smiling.

A few days later, I received a call from the man in the wheelchair and learned his name was Chad Hymas. He asked if I could accompany him and speak with him at a ward within our stake. I happily agreed. (If you know me, you know I love to speak in Church).

The next Sunday, I went to the ward and presented my message. Then Chad began his talk. He praised me for my testimony and my ability to convey it. And he told his story.

For years, Chad had been active and vibrant. He was married and had children. He loved athletics and working outdoors. By his mid-twenties, he had accomplished his goal of owning an Elk Ranch. But on April 3, 2001 everything changed.

Chad was hurrying to go see his son take his first steps. First, he needed to feed his elk. He loaded a one-ton bale of hay onto his tractor, but by accident, the bale slipped from the tractor's forks and landed on his head.

His neck was broken, and he became a twenty-seven-year-old quadriplegic.

Yet the bale of hay didn't break Chad's spirit. Despite painful surgeries and physical therapy, Chad has not stopped moving forward, filled with gratitude to God for the many blessings He has given him. (Click here to read Chad's accomplishments).

I left that meeting filled with love for Chad. He was a man I wanted to be like.

Thankfully, over the next year, I had the opportunity to speak with Chad several more times.

Today, Chad spoke to our ward. He told of an experience he had with his son, the same son who started walking on the same day Chad lost the ability to walk. Chad's son had been preparing to be baptised, and Chad was trying to teach him about faith, that faith means believing in things which aren't seen but which are true.

After their discussion, his son wanted proof that Chad could once walk since he was only a baby when Chad became a quadriplegic. Chad pointed to the scars on his neck where the doctors had repaired his fractured spine. Then he pointed to his hip and the scars from where the doctors took some of his hip bone to repair his neck.

His son looked at the scars and said, "Dad, those scars on your neck and your hip are getting better. You'll be walking soon just like me."

Chad wanted to explain to his son about spinal columns, but he waited. That night, his wife discouraged him from telling his son that it was unlikely that he would ever walk again.

The next day, Chad sat down with his son and said, "Thank you for teaching me about faith and hope. And you're right. I will walk again. It may be tomorrow, or next week, or next year, or in the next life. But I will walk again."

After Chad finished his story, he turned to us and said, "My son taught me that there is no such thing as false hope, only false hopelessness."

I broke down and sobbed like a child. You see, for the past few weeks, I've been feeling hopeless and worthless. My current search for law-related employment has proven fruitless and frustrating. No one in the Utah legal job market has been interested in me. And here was Chad Hymas, a man confined to a wheel chair who may never walk again in this life. He was telling me to be of good cheer and to be happy.

To hope.

That's because through Jesus Christ and His restored Gospel, we have every reason to hope.

Chad Hymas is one of my heroes, and his message today was an answer to prayer. I hope that I will one day be able to stand at least half as tall as he.

To learn more about Chad or to invite him to come speak to you or your organization, visit his website at www.chadhymas.com.

To invite missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to your home, click here.

The Danger of Gospel Hobbies

2008-04-20T15:30:00.004-05:00

The media seems obsessed with the raids on the FLDS compound in Eldorado, Texas. And while I'm fundamentally opposed to the practices of members of the FLDS Church, I'm equally appalled at Texas' disregard for the Constitutional rights of the FLDS parents at the compound who are not abusing their children in any way. I've learned from excellent professors in criminal law that people ought to be punished for things they have actually done and not because they believe in unpopular things.

After this post, you will find a discussion on the practice of polygamy among the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the reasons why it was discontinued. I'd invite you to read it.

My intent in this post is not to discuss the FLDS raid or the practice of polygamy. Rather, the events in Texas over the past few weeks have caused me to reflect on the danger of gospel hobbies. Now, I'm not talking about church basketball, softball, scrapbooking, or any other types of get-togethers. Gospel hobbies are doctrinal topics which dominate our religious perspective to the detriment of all others.

Imagine the Gospel as a beautiful grand piano. A standard piano has eighty-eight keys. And although there are more than eighty-eight Gospel topics, imagine that each key represents a Gospel topic. Certainly, each topic has a beautiful tone. But alone, each tone sounds ghostly and hollow. When played with other keys, however, an infinite catalog of music, melody, and harmony opens up before us.

That's the way the Gospel is if we embrace it in its entirety. As we see how each topic intertwines and relates to another, heaven's music begins to play within us, and we recognize that all topics testify of the Divinity of Jesus Christ, that He is the Savior of all mankind, and that only through Him Eternal Life is possible.

Gospel hobbyists, on the other hand, are those who are content to pound out an awkward tune using only one or a few keys while ignoring the dozens of others on the keyboard. I've known some who focused exclusively on the need for righteous works, others focus on the Second Coming, some focus on homosexuality, others on pioneers, some on polygamy, still others who perpetually ponder about the thorn in Paul's flesh, and the list could continue for pages. These topics become the glasses through which they see everything, throwing everything else out of focus.

The most devastating effect of a gospel hobby is that the hobby replaces Christ as the center of the hobbyist's faith.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the direct result of a gospel hobby: plural marriage. While God has occasionally permitted and even commanded polygamous marriages, (see "Polygamy," infra), He has made it clear that the unauthorized practice of plural marriage is an abomination. (Jacob 2:22-30).

In 1890, the Prophet Wilford Woodruff officially ended the practice of plural marriage among the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has seen in vision that if the Church continued to practice plural marriage, the Federal Government of the United States would have destroyed the Church. (Official Declaration 1). He and the majority of the Church understood that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was just that, the Church of Jesus Christ. Not the Church of Polygamy. And if the Church were destroyed, then the work of salvation of both the living and the dead through the Atonement of Jesus Christ would cease.

Thus, because Christ remained at the center of lives of President Woodruff and the majority of Mormons, the Church moved on without trouble as it left polygamy behind.

There were those, however, who rejected President Woodruff, including the founders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Polygamy, their gospel hobby, became the center of their lives. They lived to perpetuate polygamy. Christ and His living Words fell out of their lives.

The FLDS Church and the recent events in Eldorado should stand as a warning to all those who hang onto their gospel hobbies.

So how do we avoid the dangers of gospel hobbies? We must keep Christ at the center of our lives. We must be willing to read all of the scriptures. And we must be willing to accept all of the doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's only then that the music of eternity will begin to sound within us and bring us home to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Once In A Lifetime

2008-04-06T13:26:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, my wife and I attended the Solemn Assembly at the Conference Center in which we, with other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sustained Thomas S. Monson as Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In a Church with more than 13 million members and in a state with more than a 1 million members of the Church, it's rare to receive a ticket to attend a session of General Conference, even though the conference center seats 20,000. And the odds of holding a ticket to attend a Solemn Assembly are even less. Yet Misty and I were there, and we will never forget the experience.

After waiting in line for some time, my wife and I took our seats in the balcony of the Conference Center more than an hour before services began. We watched as thousands of Latter-day Saints filed into the auditorium. In the static of thousands of conversations, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsed the hymns they would sing.

Then the static stopped. And all stood. An electric witness filled the air, and President Monson entered the meeting hall. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I knew at that moment that he is the Prophet of God and the mouthpiece of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he holds the same keys which Peter held anciently. (See Matthew 16:18-19).

Services commenced, and after an opening hymn and prayer, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf conducted the business of the solemn assembly. First, called on the members of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to stand. It was proposed that they sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and President of the Church and members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. Their vote was unanimous. Then the Twelve Apostles stood. Their vote was unanimous. Then the quorums of the Seventy, the Patriarchs of the Church, and the Presiding Bishopric stood. Their vote was unanimous.

President Uctdorf then called on all members of the High Priest and Elders Quorums to stand. Inasmuch as I am an ordained Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood of the Church, I stood. President Uchtdorf proposed that we sustain Thomas S. Monson as President of the Church. I felt the power of God from my head to my toes as I raised my hand to sustain him. And I will sustain him as long as he remains on the Earth.

Members of the Quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood then stood and sustained President Monson. The sisters of the Relief Society, the world's largest women's organization, stood, including my wife, and sustained him also. The Young Women, ages 12-17, also stood and sustained President Monson. Finally, all the members of the Church stood, and again we raised our hands, united together, to sustain President Monson.

I know that Thomas S. Monson is God's Prophet today. And his counselors in the First Presidency and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are true Prophets, Seers, Revelators, and Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to their words, and they will guide you in the paths of truth and righteousness which end at the Throne of Grace, even the Throne of God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

If you would like to learn more about these living Prophets and Apostles, click here, or invite Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to visit your home.

It's that Time Again

2008-04-01T18:01:00.004-05:00

This weekend is the 178th Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Conference will be in five sessions, four of which will be broadcasted live online. On Saturday, either in the morning or afternoon but most likely in the morning, President Thomas S. Monson will be sustained by the general membership of the Church as President, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. And a new Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ will be called.

Here are the times for each broadcasted session (all times are Mountain Daylight Savings Time):

Saturday:

10:00 AM

12:00 PM

Sunday:

10:00 AM

12:00 PM

Words to Live by as a Prosecutor

2008-03-25T19:35:00.004-05:00

Easter

2008-03-23T10:03:00.001-05:00

This Easter Sunday, I want to share with you my sincere knowledge that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the living Son of the living God. He is the Lamb "slain from the foundation of the world," (Revelation 13:8), who offered Himself as a willing sacrifice for sin to fulfill the Plan of His Father. (Moses 4:2). He is Jehovah, the Creator of both heavens and earth. (John 8:58; Mosiah 3:8).

I testify that Jesus descended from His exalted place in heaven and took upon Himself a body of flesh and blood. (1 Nephi 11:13-23). Born to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem and raised by the carpenter Joseph, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" until the time of His ministry arrived. (Luke 2:52).

He was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. He lived, served, and loved all. He healed the sick and raised the dead. With the touch of His hand, the blind saw, the dumb spake, and the lame leaped. (1 Nephi 11:24-31). He organized His Church, "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, . . . Himself being the chief corner stone." (John 15:16; Ephesians 2:20).

To fulfill the great Plan of our Father in Heaven, I testify that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins. And by satisfying the demands of Justice, Jesus Christ has extended Mercy to us all. (2 Nephi 2:5-10).

Yet despite His goodness, the world judged Him, lifted Him upon the cross, and slew Him. But death had no power over Him!

I add my testimony to that of the angels standing as witnesses at the empty garden tomb, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. . . ." (Luke 24:4-6). I know that He is risen.

As a resurrected being of flesh and bone, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene who wept when she went to Jesus’ tomb and found it empty. (John 20:11-18). And He appeared to the Eleven. They handled Him, thrust their hands into His side, felt the prints of the nails in His hands and feet, and knew that Jesus truly was the promised Messiah. (Luke 24:36-48). And more than 500 also saw the Risen Lord before He ascended to heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:6). I testify that Jesus promised to return. (Acts 1:11).

And I testify that Jesus’ earthly ministry did not end with His ascension. After His resurrection and ascension, Jesus appeared on the American continent to an ancient civilization which knew of His coming. They also thrust their hands into His side and felt the prints of the nails in His hands and feet. And they knew that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah. (3 Nephi 11:10-17).

While He visited the inhabitants of ancient America, Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead; the lame leaped, and the dumb spake. (See 3 Nephi 17). He organized His Church, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, . . . Himself being the chief corner stone." (Ephesians 2:20; See 3 Nephi chapters 11-28 to read the account of Jesus’ visit to the American Continent). Jesus left them but promised to return.

And I testify that Jesus Christ continues to manifest Himself to all nations through modern-day prophets, the first of whom was Joseph Smith. Joseph sought God to know which church to join, and in answer to his prayer, Jesus Christ appeared with His Heavenly Father and bestowed upon Joseph the fulness of the Everlasting Gospel. (Joseph Smith History 1:1-20).
And He has not limited His appearances to Joseph Smith. Jesus Christ has appeared to Oliver Cowdery (D&C 110:1-11), to Sidney Rigdon (D&C 76:22-24), to Lorenzo Snow, to Melvin J. Ballard, to David B. Haight, and to others who have not been permitted to share their experiences.

And He will continue to manifest Himself to His servants until He returns to this earth to rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

And last of all, although I have not seen nor handled Him, I testify that if the veil were to part and Jesus were to stand before me, I would not know any better than I know now that He lives and is the Savior of the World.

I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

This is my Easter Testimony, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!