I want to portray to you the love that our Stake Presidency has for
each of you. They are so thankful for all you do to build the
kingdom of God in this area of his vineyard.
[Introduce
myself - "Got back as soon as I could"]
Article of Faith 1 & 2:
1 We believe in God, the Eternal
Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2 We
believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for
Adam’s transgression.
The Nature of God - Radical Concept
Persecution by the so called "Christians" of the time in 1830's
and 1840's led many of our members to differentiate themselves from
the so called "Christians" of the area. They had been so badly
treated by them that they did not want to be associated doctrinally
with anyone that would act in such an "Un-christian" manner.
This is one of the reasons many accused the "Mormons" as they were
called at the time as not being Christian, when somehow the so
called, self appointed "Christian" neighbors found justification to
drive our men, women and children from their homes in the middle of
winter and cause great persecution to come upon our membership.
October
Conference 2018
President Russell M. Nelson
The Correct Name
of the Church
[Referring to the
correction on using the full name of the church, President Nelson
stated...] Many members immediately corrected the
name of the Church on their blogs and social media pages. Others
wondered why, with all that’s going on in the world, it was
necessary to emphasize something so “inconsequential.” And some said
it couldn’t be done, so why even try? Let me explain why we care so
deeply about this issue. But first let me state what this effort is
not:
It is not a name change.
It is not rebranding.
It is not cosmetic.
It is not a whim.
And it is
not inconsequential.
Instead, it is a correction. It is the
command of the Lord.
Experience in Nauvoo - Ivey
Bakery owner
"I found out you are Christians!" after 35
years in the community, with employees of our faith and many
neighbors.
Article of Faith 1 & 2:
1 We believe in God, the Eternal
Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We must know the true nature of God
We must
know the true nature of God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ and the
Holy Gost. If we do not, we will never understand ourselves.
The major goal of our life is to know God and be able to return to
him with honor.
Brigham Young - Journal of Discources
When you . . . see our Father, you will see a being with whom you
have long been acquainted, and He will receive you into His arms,
and you will be ready to fall into His embrace and kiss Him. . . .
You will be so glad and joyful. . . . When you are qualified and
purified, . . . you can endure the glory of eternity. [JD 4:54–55]
The Prophet Joseph Smith
“It is the first
principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of
God” (Teachings, 345).
John 17:3
“And
this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
The Nature
and Character of God
ANDREW C. SKINNER
Apr. 11, 2006 - BYU
Devotional
Thus everything of sacred significance
connected with our future rests on both our coming to know
about God the Eternal Father and, ultimately, our
coming to know Him. “If men do not
comprehend the character of God,” said Joseph Smith, “they do not
comprehend themselves” (Teachings, 343). God and men are of the same
divine, eternal species, and if we do not comprehend the nature of
God, we cannot appreciate our divine parentage nor the very real
potential we possess to become like our heavenly parents....
It will be remembered that when Israel rebelled against God
during the golden calf episode at Mount Sinai, God took the
Melchizedek Priesthood out of their midst, as well as the higher law
and the higher ordinances of His holy order. This was a devastating
loss, for the Melchizedek Priesthood “holdeth . . . the key of the
knowledge of God” (D&C 84:19). For the next 1,200 or 1,400 years,
until the time of Christ, Israel lived without the higher law, and
their knowledge of God the Father grew dim. They interacted with
Jehovah, who was the premortal Jesus of Nazareth.....
Of
course all the prophets in ancient Israel held the Melchizedek
Priesthood during this period (see Teachings, 181). But the people
as a whole did not. In fact, among the people of Israel generally,
only the tribe of Levi (one-twelfth of the male population) was
privileged to hold any priesthood at all—and that was the lesser
priesthood.
When Jesus inaugurated a new dispensation of the
gospel through His earthly ministry, He began to restore knowledge,
doctrines, ordinances, and powers long withheld from the children of
men. He was the Elias who came to restore all things in His day...
As the great Restorer, Jesus spoke much about His “Father in
Heaven.” Jesus wanted all men and women to come to know His true
Father, who was also their Father. The phrase “Father in Heaven” is
characteristic of Matthew’s Gospel as a whole and is found
throughout the Sermon on the Mount, the discourse in which Jesus
commanded His disciples to be perfect as their Father in Heaven is
perfect (see Matthew 5:48).
...good news has again come to
earth. In these latter days, beginning in 1820, our Heavenly Father,
through His Son and His prophets, has rerevealed many divine truths
about His nature and personality so that each of us can again come
to know Him...
Joseph Smith’s First Vision in 1820
immediately clarified misunderstandings about the nature of the
Godhead as well as the person of God the Father:
• God the
Father is a distinct personage, separate from the Lord Jesus Christ.
• God the Father looks like a man, as does His Son—who is our
Savior.
• God the Father can speak and move.
• God the
Father knows individuals by name.
• God the Father hears and
answers prayers.
• God the Father bears witness of His Son.
• Satan and his power are real, but God’s power is greater.
It is easy to see why President Ezra Taft Benson said:
The appearance of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to the boy
prophet [Joseph Smith] is the greatest event that has occurred in
this world since the resurrection of the Master. [Ezra Taft Benson,
“Life Is Eternal,” Ensign, June 1971, 34]
Other revelations
about the nature and person of God the Father followed the First
Vision, and Joseph Smith taught these truths to all who would
listen. But these were radical doctrines indeed.
Though we
take it for granted, section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants
teaches an incredibly profound truth:
The Father has a body
of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy
Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of
Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. [D&C
130:22]
God knows us individually - He answers
Prayers
Brother Skinner continued with a personal
story that illustrates how God answers prayers.
BYU
Religion Professor, Brother Andrew C. SKINNER told a story about his
son Mark who served a mission to Mongolia
I testify
that our Father in Heaven cares about each of us, individually and
personally. There are many examples of this doctrine that I could
share, but my son Mark recently reminded me of one. Elder Mark
Skinner served a mission to Mongolia. He served with and developed a
deep love for a senior missionary couple from Idaho. They used an
interpreter their entire 18-month mission. Their interpreter—a
Mongolian sister—had an important story to tell. She grew up in
Mongolia. The missionaries found her and baptized her. When she
joined the Church, she started saving money for a full-time mission.
She received a call to one of the missions in the United States, but
at that time she spoke almost no English. She got on a plane in
Mongolia to come to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah,
knowing only three sentences in English:
“I am from
Mongolia.”
“I am a missionary.”
“Please help me.”
When she got on the plane, no one had explained to her that she
needed to change planes to complete the flight to Utah. She landed
in Chicago, but, naturally, there was no one there to meet her and
she didn’t know the language. She found a chair, sat down, and
prayed to Heavenly Father to know what to do. She then got up to try
to find help. As she was attempting to explain her predicament to a
ticket agent (using her three English sentences), a man tapped her
on the shoulder, pulled out his temple recommend, and showed it to
her. She recognized the temple recommend because she had been given
one before she left, so she knew this man at her side was a member
of the Church. He motioned for her to wait. Ten minutes later he
handed her his cell phone, and on the other end of the line was the
missionary who had taught her the gospel in Mongolia. The missionary
told her to follow the man to the plane to Salt Lake City and get on
board. He told her there would be people to meet her in Salt Lake
City—and there were!
Our Father in Heaven truly watches out
for His children—very often through others. But that’s not the end
of the story. The man in the Chicago airport was a businessman who
has flown all over the world. He was upset that day because it was
the first time he had missed his connecting flight to Salt Lake
City. But because he was there at the Chicago airport, he overheard
this Mongolian sister trying to get help, and he knew he could help
her.
I testify, as others have, that our Father in Heaven not
only answers prayers but at times chooses to micromanage the details
of His kingdom. This, too, is part of His divine nature. But herein
lies an important lesson. It is our Heavenly Father who chooses; we
do not dictate to Him time, place, or circumstance. Still, we may
rest assured that our Father knows all things and He does all that
He does out of love. And He does what is best for us from an eternal
perspective. He asks of us our loyalty, our willingness to help
others, and our repentance—for which He will reward us with the
riches of eternity.
April Conference 2017
Russell
M. Nelson
Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives
As Latter-day Saints, we refer to His mission as the
Atonement of Jesus Christ, which made resurrection a reality for all
and made eternal life possible for those who repent of their sins
and receive and keep essential ordinances and covenants.
It
is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice
by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or “the enabling power
of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being strengthened
by the Atonement.” These expressions present a real risk of
misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had living
existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and
His Son, Jesus Christ.
Under the Father’s great eternal plan,
it is the Savior who suffered. It is the Savior who broke the bands
of death. It is the Savior who paid the price for our sins and
transgressions and blots them out on condition of our repentance. It
is the Savior who delivers us from physical and spiritual death.
There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which
we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ
is the source. Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection
describe what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so
that we may live with hope in this life and gain eternal life in the
world to come. The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all
human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly
and clearly connect it to Him.
The importance of the Savior’s
mission was emphasized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared
emphatically that “the fundamental principles of our religion are
the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ,
that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended
into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are
only appendages to it.”
Marion D Hanks: April
Conference 1980
Enoch had “built a city that was
called the City of Holiness, even Zion,” which “in process of time,
was taken up into heaven. …
“And … the God of heaven looked
upon the residue of the people [that is, upon those who had not been
taken up], and he wept” (Moses 7:19, 21, 28).
Then Enoch said
to the Lord: “How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their
tears as the rain upon the mountains?
“… How is it that thou
canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all
eternity?” (Moses 7:28–29).
Enoch then reminded God of the
limitlessness and ongoing nature of his creations, and of his holy
perfections and glory and accomplishments, and said: “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
whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine
hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall
suffer?” (Moses 7:31–33, 37; italics added).
God, from whom
all blessings come, asked of his children only that they should love
each other and choose him, their Father.
But as in our day,
many neither sought the Lord nor had love for each other, and when
God foresaw the suffering that would inevitably follow this
self-willed, rebellious course of sin, he wept. That, he told Enoch,
was what he had to cry about.
Long ago I heard an important
story which has been helpful to me. I have not seen it in writing
and therefore cannot give credit as I would like. The story has
obviously been deliberately fashioned to teach in a provocative way
principles in which I believe.
Over a period of time three
men, as each of us ultimately will, passed from mortal life to
ongoing immortality. Each, as he made the transition, at once found
himself in the presence of a gracious person who made him feel
comfortable and calmed his apprehensions.
Each man in turn
found himself responding to questions which somehow formed in the
mind and heart, vital above all other considerations. “What do you
think of Christ? What is your relationship with him? Do you know
him?”
The first man answered reluctantly, with some chagrin.
He had not been, he said, one who had participated in organized
religious activity. There seemed to be too much formalism, too much
hypocrisy, too little real religion. Neither had he on his own
sought a personal relationship with the Lord. He had been a good
husband and father, an active citizen, a man of integrity, but it
now came to him very clearly that he had missed the central purpose
of his life, that he had been distracted from what he should have
been seeking. With gratitude, he was received into a circumstance
where he could begin to learn what he needed to know.
The
second man had a briefer interview. Quickly perceiving the import of
the questions, he quickly answered. He had, he said, been a soldier
for Christ, a crusader for him in business, a spokesman for him in
industry. He seemed crestfallen to be ushered after a time into a
circumstance where he too could begin to learn what he needed to
know.
The third traveler came into the presence of his host
with an overwhelming sense of warmth and wonder. Understanding the
questions, looking tearfully into the loving eyes of him who stood
at the gate, he fell to his knees at his feet and worshiped him.
“O … my beloved brethren, … the way for man is narrow, but it
lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is
the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there
is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived,
for the Lord God is his name” (2 Ne. 9:41).
Salvation and
exaltation, I believe, are not matters of heavenly bookkeeping, but
of the qualifying of the soul that comes with knowing the Lord.
We have the testimony of scripture that the Lord God weeps when
we do not choose him or truly love each other. The saddest
circumstance any of us can envision, indeed the only evil that
ultimately can really harm us, is in not choosing him and thus to be
separated from him.
Story of Psalms 23
The story is told of a great orator who was performing at a banquet
in his honor. After a wonderful meal, he mesmerized the crowd
with his voice as he recited poetry and famous selections of
speeches.
Near the end of the program, he asked if anyone had
a favorite selection that they would like for him to recite. From
the back of the room, an old man stood up and kindly asked if he
would mind reciting the 23rd Psalm. The speaker performed the Psalm
and was rewarded with a thunderous aplause and standing ovation.
The orator thanked the audience but asked them if they would indulge
him in something. He asked if the old man who requested him to
recite the Psalm would mind coming up to the front. The man
was a withered, humble cowboy who obviously had spent many days
outdoors. His speech was also humble and obviously he had no
training in public speaking. The orator asked if the man would
also recite the same 23rd Psalm. The old cowboy was at first
reluctant, but bravely began. At first the audience was
confused as to what was happening. In a trembling voice that
was cracked by time, the old man began to recite, “The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want…” It is said that when he was finished,
there was no applause, but neither was there a dry eye in the
building.
After a few minutes of silence, the orator
gathered his own emotions and explained in a soft voice to those
present. "Ladies and Gentlemen: I know the 23rd Psalm, but
this man knows the shepherd.”
____________________________
Worldwide Broadcast after being Ordained Prophet January
14, 2018
President Russell M. Nelson
"The way to
happiness... the way to joy is to keep the commandments of God. Stay
on the covenant path, keep on the covenant path. And if you’ve
stepped off, find your way back.”
[President Nelson
continues to Young Adults ...] Commence tonight to consecrate a portion
of your time each week to studying everything Jesus said and did as
recorded in the Old Testament, for He is the Jehovah of the Old
Testament. Study His laws as recorded in the New Testament, for He
is its Christ. Study His doctrine as recorded in the Book of Mormon,
for there is no book of scripture in which His mission and His
ministry are more clearly revealed. And study His words as recorded
in the Doctrine and Covenants, for He continues to teach His people
in this dispensation.
This may seem like a large assignment,
but I encourage you to accept it. If you proceed to learn all you
can about Jesus Christ, I promise you that your love for Him, and
for God’s laws, will grow beyond what you currently imagine. I
promise you also that your ability to turn away from sin will
increase. Your desire to keep the commandments will soar. You will
find yourself better able to walk away from the entertainment and
entanglements of those who mock the followers of Jesus Christ..."
Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously
seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names
means personally for you. For example, He really is your Advocate
with the Father. He will take your side. He will stand up for you.
He will speak on your behalf, every time, as you choose to be more
like Him.
Get to know Him by studying all He continues to
teach through His living prophets and apostles. Study “The Family: A
Proclamation to the World.” Study “The Living Christ” document.
These were both received by revelation. Post them online and where
you can see them daily.
Those revealed words are what every
true Latter-day Saint believes. Pray for a witness that those truths
represent divine law. Learn to articulate those truths in your own
words. Practice! Then pray and look for opportunities to speak about
what you believe. Your ability to lead and to have righteous
influence will increase as you do so.
[If there is time...
Story about my witness of Joseph and that Jesus is the Christ]
In conclusion... We will meet the Savior some day:
President Nelson said it this way: "In a
coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior. You will be
overwhelmed to the point of tears to be in His holy presence. You
will struggle to find words to thank Him for paying for your sins,
for forgiving you of any unkindness toward others, for healing you
from the injuries and injustices of this life. You will thank
Him for strengthening you to do the impossible, for turning your
weaknesses into strengths, and for making it possible for you to
live with Him and your family forever. His identity, His Atonement,
and His attributes will become personal and real to you. But
you don’t have to wait until then. Choose to be one of His true
disciples now. Be one who truly loves Him, who truly wants to serve
and lead as He did.” End Quote.
The Articles of Faith are a
proclamation to the world that the true gospel of Jesus Christ has
be restored. In his letter to John Wentworth, editor of the
Chicago Democrat newspaper, Joseph Smith concluded with two
paragraphs and then 13 articles of faith. He wrote...
The Wentworth Letter - To John Wentworth,
Editor of the
Chicago Democrat - March 1, 1842
Persecution has not
stopped the progress of truth, but has only added fuel to the flame.
It has spread with increasing rapidity... the elders of this Church
[have] gone forth and planted the gospel in almost every
state in the Union. It has penetrated our cities; it has spread over
our villages and has caused thousands of our intelligent, noble, and
patriotic citizens to obey its divine mandates and be governed by
its sacred truths....
Our missionaries are going forth to
different nations... the Standard of Truth has been erected; no
unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may
rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but
the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till
it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every
country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be
accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done
May this be our goal and our
future reality is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
[The Articles of Faith]
We believe in God, the Eternal
Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for
Adam’s transgression.
We believe that through the Atonement
of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and
ordinances of the Gospel.
We believe that the first
principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion
for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on [of] hands for the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
We believe that a man must be called of
God, by prophecy, and by the laying on hands by those who are in
authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances
thereof.
We believe in the same organization that existed in
the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers,
evangelists, and so forth.
We believe in the gift of tongues,
prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues,
and so forth.
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as
far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of
Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has
revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will
yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom
of God.
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in
the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem)
will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign
personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and
receive its paradisiacal glory.
We claim the privilege of
worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own
conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship
how, where, or what they may.
We believe in being subject to
kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring,
and sustaining the law.
We believe in being honest, true,
chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed,
we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all
things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to
be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely,
or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Respectfully, etc.,
Joseph Smith