Sunday, November 26, 2017
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Mormons lend meetinghouse to Jewish congregation for a year
 |
| Rabbi leads Shabbat service at Irvine California Stake Center |
Mormons lend meetinghouse to Jewish congregation for one year!
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
Monday, September 11, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Hurtful Worlds
 |
| Thomas S. Monson - Prophet |
We are all susceptible to those feelings which, if left unchecked, can lead to anger. We experience displeasure or irritation or antagonism, and if we so choose, we lose our temper and become angry with others. Ironically, those others are often members of our own families—the people we really love the most.
Many years ago I read the following Associated Press dispatch which appeared in the newspaper: An elderly man disclosed at the funeral of his brother, with whom he had shared, from early manhood, a small, one-room cabin near Canisteo, New York, that following a quarrel, they had divided the room in half with a chalk line, and neither had crossed the line or spoken a word to the other since that day—years before. Just think of the consequence of that anger. What a tragedy!
May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Teaching Kids about the Atonement
8 Ways
to Teach Kids the Atonement
Seek natural
teaching moments.
Along with formal lessons and talks, look for everyday
opportunities. You can find natural teaching moments when a pet dies, when a
child makes a mistake, when someone you know is facing a challenge, or when a
child is striving to reach a worthy goal and is feeling discouraged.
Ask questions.
Asking questions gives us
an opportunity to find out what children know and help them discover answers on
their own. Try asking, “What made you think of that?” or “Why is this so
important?” or “What do people miss if they don’t have this knowledge?”
Share personal experiences.
Think about when the
Atonement first became meaningful to you. When have you received a special
manifestation of grace? Explain the details of such experiences. Along with
saying, “I know Jesus lives and loves us,” express how you came to this
knowledge. Children respond well to these stories.
Include multiple aspects of
the Atonement.
Children need to understand
that Christ’s gifts to us are many. For example, explain that Jesus’ Atonement
offers us life after death and sin (1 Corinthians 15:22; Isaiah 1:18), but also
life amid trials and challenges (Alma 7:11-12). Beyond this, it offers us the
opportunity to be transformed (John 10:10). Not only can we return home to God,
but we can become more like Him (Matthew 5:48).
Focus on the child.
Among the letters in the
word Atonement is the word me. The Atonement becomes truly meaningful
when it is personalized. Although God has many children, He is a perfect parent
who cares for each individually. The Atonement was performed for all mankind,
but also for each individual. It is up to each of us to appreciate, accept,
apply, and internalize it.
Provide purpose for the
suffering.
To accomplish the
Atonement, Christ selflessly and lovingly offered His life and endured
spiritual anguish that was beyond the capacity of any mortal. Dwelling on
Christ’s death and suffering can sometimes be overwhelming and disturbing for
children. Emphasize the purpose for Christ’s suffering: to make possible the
plan of redemption, to preserve our freedom, to offer us the chance to live
eternally with loved ones, to give us the opportunity to change and be better,
to offer us peace, hope, and relief. We can help children discover all that is
possible because of Christ’s suffering and, when the time is right, see purpose
in their own difficult challenges as well.
Use simple language.
Instead of using the word grace,
speak of how Christ can strengthen and help us. Call the Atonement a priceless
gift. Redemption can be related to improvement. Resurrection is living after we
die. Eternal life is the opportunity to live with God and family. Exaltation is
reaching our highest potential, and repentance is changing and being better. As
children get older, they can be taught the proper words to go with the concepts
they’ve already learned.
Recognize progress.
Perfection may be our
ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right
direction. Growth and development take time. Learning takes time. Help children
learn grace by assuring them that God is long-suffering, that change is a
process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. Help them see how they
can try again when they make mistakes. Teach that the blessings of Christ’s
Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness (see 2
Corinthians 12:9). We can all, as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants,
“continue in patience until [we] are perfected” (D&C 67:13).
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Faith Is Not...
5 Things Faith Is Not
The world has
its counterfeits for faith. One way to decide what faith is, and why it is
becoming so scarce in our world, is to first explore what it is not.
1.
Faith is not gullibility or falling for anything.
Faithless
people are sometimes quite critical of those who possess what they do not. They
assume that people who live their lives by faith are naïve, easily swayed, and
simple-minded. That is not faith. A faithful person is a thinking being, one
who can judge, assess, and reason, one who can distinguish clearly between good
and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong. A faithful person does not fall
prey to either the foolish or the perverse. Faith can be exercised only in that
which is true.
President N.
Eldon Tanner explained that faith “will avail us nothing unless it is based on
true principles. This is illustrated in a story about the meeting of the
Indians with the Europeans when they first began their explorations in the New
World. The Indians were amazed at the power and explosive qualities of
gunpowder and asked many questions about how it was produced. Taking advantage
of the ignorance of [these people] and seeing an opportunity to increase their
wealth through deception, the Europeans told them it came from the seed of a
plant. The Indians believed them and purchased some seed in exchange for gold.
They carefully planted the seed and watched it grow, but of course they did not
get any gunpowder. No matter how sincere one’s belief may be in an error, it
will not change the error into truth.”
2.
Faith is neither weakness nor ignorance.
True faith is
anything but weak. The early Brethren of this dispensation were, in fact,
taught that faith is a principle of power, the same power by which God created
the worlds. Further, “the principle of power which existed in the bosom of God,
by which the worlds were framed, was faith; and . . . it is by reason of this
principle of power existing in the Deity, that all created things exist” (Lectures
on Faith 1:15–16). Nor is faith the opposite of knowledge. A certain level
of knowledge and understanding is needed before an individual can exercise
faith. The School of the Elders learned, for example, that in order to exercise
faith in God unto life and salvation, a person must (1) believe there is a God;
(2) have a correct understanding of the character, perfections, and attributes
of that divine Being; and (3) possess an actual knowledge that the course in
life that he or she is pursuing is according to the will of God.
“Faith is the
child of knowledge,” Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote. “It is reserved for those
only who first have knowledge; there neither is nor can be any faith until
there is knowledge. No one can have faith in a God of whom he knows nothing.
Faith is founded on truth; it is the offspring of truth; it can never exist
alone and apart from the truth.”
3.
Faith is not blind.
In fact,
those with faith are frequently able to see and discern things that a faithless
person could never perceive. That is why some say believing is seeing, not the
reverse. Nor are Latter-day Saints, who are presided over by prophets, seers,
and revelators, expected to follow their leaders like blind sheep. President
Harold B. Lee said, paraphrasing Brigham Young: “The greatest fear I have is
that the people of this Church will accept what we say as the will of the Lord
without first praying about it and getting the witness within their own hearts
that what we say is the word of the Lord.” One of the great strengths of the
Church is that there are millions of people throughout the world who exercise
bold, intelligent obedience.
Adam and Eve
were commanded to “offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto
the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.” The Mosaic
account indicates that “after many days” an angel appeared to our first father
and inquired as to why he was making an animal sacrifice. His answer was
beautiful: “I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (Moses 5:5–6). Was Adam
obeying blindly? Not at all. Adam and Eve had already had a great deal of experience
with the Almighty. “God conversed with him face to face. In His presence he was
permitted to stand, and from His own mouth he was permitted to receive
instruction. He heard His voice, walked before Him and gazed upon His glory,
while intelligence burst upon his understanding, and enabled him to give names
to the vast assemblage of his Maker’s works” (Lectures on Faith 2:18).
No blind obedience there.
4.
Faith is not positive thinking, nor does it consist in willing something into
existence.
Obviously it
is a good thing to be positive, to be upward-looking, to be optimistic about
now and the future. But faith is not positive thinking. Nor can one with a
positive attitude will things into being.
Imagine a
full-time missionary, a zone leader, serving, let’s say, in France, who turns
to the missionaries under his charge and says, “Come on, elders and sisters, if
we just had the faith we could baptize this whole country!” The Gospel of Mark
records that while in His hometown, Nazareth, the people heard the Savior’s
preaching and asked, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother
of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with
us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not
without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in His own
house.” Now note this astounding verse: “And he could there do no mighty
work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them”
(Mark 6:3–5; emphasis added). Now imagine that we heard someone standing 50
feet away from Jesus say, “Come on, Lord, just exercise your faith!” No, that
would never be appropriate, not just because He is the Son of the living God,
the second member of the Godhead. Jesus could not and did not reward faithlessness
with a display of signs and wonders because “faith cometh not by signs, but
signs follow those that believe” (D&C 63:9).
The Book of
Mormon records that approximately 350 years after the birth of Christ, Mormon
sought earnestly to lead his wayward people back to faith. He had been
appointed the leader of the Nephite armies and at about this time won a battle
against the Lamanites. Mormon explained that “the Nephites began to repent of
their iniquity, and began to cry even as had been prophesied by Samuel the
prophet; for behold no man could keep that which was his own [see Helaman
13:37]. . . . Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the
land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi.”
Mormon was thrilled,
hoping against hope that something, anything, could bring about a conversion
among his people. “But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not
unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the
sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take
happiness in sin. And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and
contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die” (Mormon 2:10–14).
Now picture some positive-minded, goal-driven, 21st-century person on the
sidelines sounding off: “Mormon, Mormon. Come on, you’ve got to put your heart
in it. Let’s exercise some faith!”
In all three
of these scenarios are factors over which the missionary, the Master Himself,
and the prophet-editor Mormon had no control. One of these factors—and a deeply
significant one at that—is the moral agency of the people, their right to
choose what they will do with their lives. Being positive and upbeat is great,
indeed so much better than being deflated or living like Eeyore the donkey. But
it is not faith.
5.
Faith is not absolute certainty as a result of tangible, observable evidence.
Alma remarked
in his marvelous discourse on faith: “Yea, there are many who do say: If thou
wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we
shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a
man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it” (Alma
32:17–18). These verses are crucial to our understanding what it means to have
faith in these latter days, a taxing time of spreading unbelief. Far too many
people today—and some of these people are Latter-day Saints—want tangible,
empirical, scientifically verifiable evidence for the truthfulness of the restored
gospel. If we could demonstrate through DNA research that the Nephites and
Lamanites were actual, pre- Columbian people and that the Lehite colony did in
fact come from Jerusalem, then this critic will believe. If in the near future
adequate and substantial archaeological evidences for the Book of Mormon
peoples could be found, then the naysayer would be persuaded of the historicity
of this testament of Jesus Christ. If we could just prove convincingly that the
11 Egyptian papyri fragments held by the Church have something to do with
Abraham the prophet, then that doubter will accept the book of Abraham as
ancient holy scripture.
In using
Thomas the apostle as an illustration, President Howard W. Hunter explained
that “in a sense, Thomas represents the spirit of our age. He would not be
satisfied with anything he could not see [John 20:19–29], even though he had
been with the Master and knew His teachings concerning faith and doubt. . . .
Faith does not take precedence over doubt when one must feel or see in order to
believe.
“Thomas . . .
wanted knowledge, not faith. Knowledge is related to the past because our
experiences of the past are those things which give us knowledge, but faith is
related to the future—to the unknown where we have not yet walked.” President
Hunter wisely observed: “Thomas had said, ‘To see is to believe,’ but Christ
answered, ‘To believe is to see.’”
If we were to
take Thomas’s approach, we might well demand physical proof or a rational
explanation for what Jesus did when He healed the lepers, the paralyzed, the
woman with the issue of blood, blind Bartimaeus; when He multiplied the loaves
and fishes and fed five thousand men; when He calmed the raging storm on the
Sea of Galilee; when He raised from the dead the daughter of the Roman
centurion, the son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and
Martha. Can we provide scientific evidence for such miracles? No, we cannot.
Then how do we know that they actually took place?
Professor Hugh
W. Nibley was a beloved 20th-century Latter-day Saint apologist, a defender of
the faith. As many Saints know, he was a man of extraordinary intellect, but,
perhaps more important, he was a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and a man of
deep and abiding faith in the restored gospel. “The words of the prophets,” he testified well over a
half century ago, “cannot be held to the tentative and defective tests that men
have devised for them. Science, philosophy, and common sense all have a right
to their day in court. But the last word does not lie with them. Every time men
in their wisdom have come forth with the last word, other words have promptly
followed. The last word is a testimony of the gospel that comes only by direct
revelation. Our Father in heaven speaks it, and if it were in perfect agreement
with the science of today, it would surely be out of line with the science of
tomorrow. Let us not, therefore, seek to hold God to the learned opinions of
the moment when he speaks the language of eternity.”
Faith is NOT
many things. We must be grounded and settled spiritually to exercise faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the power of redemption that comes only through
the sufferings and death of Christ, faith in the Father’s perfect plan of salvation,
faith in the restored Church of Jesus Christ and its apostolic leadership. This
is vital, for it is only a solid faith, an enduring and fruitful faith that
will empower us to “withstand the evil day” and to “quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked” (D&C 27:15, 17). It is only through acting on a faith built
on truth—“things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come”
(D&C 93:24)—that deep conversion takes place. Then we are able to face
opposition calmly, encounter enemies kindly but boldly, and make our way
through the mists of darkness to the tree of life.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Monday, July 24, 2017
Happy Pioneer Day!
Riddle Given to Pioneer Children
1-Find first a father’s name whose failing powers his son deceived;
2-Then name that father’s mother, who the promised heir
received;
3-Next name a mother who in grief her son from home must
send;
4-Her husband’s father next appears, God’s chosen faithful
friend;
5-Then find an only brother’s name, who sought his
brother’s life;
6-And, last, a woman, who, unloved, became that brother’s
wife;
7-Now who was he that with all these relationship could
claim?
The initial letters of their names combined will give his
name;
The father , grandfather, the mother, grandmother, and
wife;
The brother – all are his, who gave a mighty nation life.
ANSWERS: 1-Isaac, 2-Sarah, 3-Rebecca, 4-Abraham, 5-Esau, 6-Leah,
7-ISRAEL
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Friday, June 30, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Friday, June 2, 2017
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
The Most Important Calling in the Church
 |
| Dieter F Uchtdorf |
What is the most
important calling in the Church? It is the one you currently have. No matter
how humble or prominent it may seem to be, the calling you have right now is
the one that will allow you not only to lift others but also to become the
man/woman you were created to be.
In
his April 2017 General Priesthood talk, President Uchtdorf shared this [humble]
example:
During the 150th anniversary of the pioneers’
arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, Brother Myron Richins was serving as a stake
president in Henefer, Utah. The celebration included a reenactment of the
pioneers’ passage through his town.
President Richins was heavily involved with
the plans for the celebration, and he attended many meetings with General
Authorities and others to discuss the events. He was fully engaged.
Just before the actual celebration, President
Richins’s stake was reorganized, and he was released as president. On a
subsequent Sunday, he was attending his ward priesthood meeting when the
leaders asked for volunteers to help with the celebration. President Richins,
along with others, raised his hand and was given instructions to dress in work
clothes and to bring his truck and a shovel.
Finally, the morning of the big event came,
and President Richins reported to volunteer duty.
Only a few weeks before, he had been an
influential contributor to the planning and supervision of this major event. On
that day, however, his job was to follow the horses in the parade and clean up
after them.
President Richins did so gladly and joyfully.
He understood that one kind of service is not
above another.
He knew and put into practice the words of the
Savior: “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant” [Matthew 23:11].
Friday, April 28, 2017
Friday, April 21, 2017
Blessings Large and Small
 |
| Neal A Maxwell (1926-2004) |
When, like a big boulder, a large
blessing rolls visibly into place, it is certainly noticed, appreciated, and
counted. Meanwhile, however, the less-noticed, pebble-sized blessings mount up,
layer upon layer. Cumulatively, the latter may out-mass many of our large
blessings. Those seemingly smaller blessings are the frequent subtle signals
that He is mindful of us. Because both large and small blessings reflect the beneficence
of God. We need to be aware of both, thankfully and constantly, and make honest
and full inventories. God’s hand is surely in the pebble-like details as well
as in the large panorama, and His ways of measuring are so much better than our
ways. Though He sends “rain on the just and on the unjust” [Matthew 5:45] –
both the deserving and the undeserving – blessings are dispensed according to
our obedience to the laws upon which they are predicated [Doctrine &
Covenants 130:20-21]. Nevertheless, when God blesses us, He does it with the
Malachi measure and the harvest baskets are “pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over” [Luke 6:38; Malachi 3:10]. Besides, for us, blessings size is
clearly not as important as the Blessing Source.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
First Presidency Easter Message
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently shared a beautiful Easter message from the First Presidency that illustrates the story of Christ's Atonement and His resurrection.
At this Easter season, we remember with immense gratitude the sacrifices of our Savior in Gethsemane and on Calvary’s cross. No mere mortal can comprehend the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane. His suffering there caused Him to “tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18). Following the agony of Gethsemane, the Savior’s wounded body was nailed to a cross on Calvary’s hill. He was mocked and cursed and derided. When merciful death came, His body was gently placed in a borrowed tomb. He had passed beneath all things so that He might save all things.
Three days later, angels declared to the weeping Mary Magdalene: “He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:6). With these words, the most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history was announced — the Savior’s victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary were wiped away. The salvation of mankind was secured. The Fall of Adam was reclaimed.
At this Easter season, we solemnly testify that our Savior was resurrected and that He lives again. As a result, each of God’s children will receive the Savior’s gift of immortality. And those who follow the Savior’s teachings and receive the gospel’s saving ordinances will be blessed with life eternal.The First Presidency's message also goes perfectly with this year's #PrinceofPeace campaign, which helps God's children draw closer to Christ as they celebrate this Easter season.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
Thy Will Be Done
The
world is getting darker, it is true. But we are called to walk in the light. We
do not have to find a path for ourselves. As we did in our premortal life, we
choose to follow Jesus Christ. He is the Light of the World.
He
understands the challenge of walking His path. Remember, He “was in all points
tempted like as we are.” Even in the Garden of Gethsemane He had a choice. “All
things are possible unto thee.” He
pled with His Father. “Take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I
will, but what thou wilt.”
When
we end our prayers with “Thy will be done,” we are doing what the Savior did in
the Garden of Gethsemane, for what we are saying is, “Whatever the test,
whatever I’m to learn, I will always love Thee.” –Robert D Hales
Monday, February 27, 2017
How to Survive When Your World is Falling Apart All Around You
“In [4th Nephi], Mormon records
his own life and history. It consists of 9 chapters and contains much of
sorrow, bloodshed, wars and wickedness. In fact, Mormon was asked, at age 15,
to serve as the commander-in-chief of all the Nephite armies. This is indeed a compliment
to him, but it could also be a sad commentary on what wickedness had done to
the men in his nation.
We are told that the word, “Mormon,”
means “more good.” See History of the Church, volume 5, pages 399-400. Mormon
certainly exemplified his noble name.
Before we study the 9 chapters in
his book, we will take time to consider how this humble prophet survived in
such a wicked environment and maintained his courage and his spirituality.
There are many lessons for us in the principles taught by Mormon’s life.
We will list 6 steps, out of many,
which we find in this book, and will narrow our approach down to “How to
survive when your world is falling apart all around you,” using Mormon as our
example. We will quote from his writings to support each step.
HOW TO SURVIVE WHEN
YOUR WORLD
IS FALLING APART ALL
AROUND YOU
Step
1 (Mormon 1:15). Gain your own strong testimony of the gospel: “I was visited
of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus.”
Step
2 (Mormon 1:5, 2:17): Personal, strict obedience to righteous commitments,
covenants, etc: “I remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me [in Mormon 1:3-4]. I had gone according
to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates of Nephi, and did make a record
according to the words of Ammaron.”
Step
3 (Mormon 2:19): Confidence in your personal standing with God: “I know that I
shall be lifted up at the last day.”
Step
4 (Mormon 3:11): Allow for “time out” when things become overwhelming,
realizing that you will try again later, after you’ve regained strength: “I,
Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader
of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination.”
Step
5 (Mormon 5:1-2). Try again, and keep trying, even though there may seem to be
little or no hope of success, because of seemingly “impossible” people. It is
Christlike to keep trying with people: “I did go forth among the Nephites, and
did repent of the oath which I had made that I would no more assist them; …But
behold, I was without hope.”
Step
6 (Mormon 7:1). Love your enemies. Desire good for them. Do good for them. Such
feelings and actions provide stability and are a means to spiritual survival
for one’s self: “AND now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of
this people who are spared [the Lamanites, the bitter enemies of Mormon who
have virtually destroyed his people] if it so be that God may give unto them my
words, that they may know of the things of their fathers [the gospel of Christ,
which their ancestors had]; yea, I speak unto you…”
As stated above, Mormon is a
wonderful example of someone who maintained his spirituality and Christlike
attributes while surrounded by terrible wickedness and insensitivity to
spiritual things.”
-David
J Ridges, “The Book of Mormon Made Easier” Part Three: Helaman through Moroni,
pg 237-8
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Caution: Steps to Wickedness
"In studying the
last half of Fourth Nephi, we will follow Mormon’s description of the downfall
of a righteous nation, …[as] we did … elements of a Zion society, in verses
1-23.
We will list the steps which Mormon
points out …[in] the Book of Mormon which describes these tools of the devil,
which he uses to destroy nations and individuals. You will no doubt see
additional steps to the ones we list:
Step
1. Pride and Materialism
4 Nephi 24 And
now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who
were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner
of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world.
Step
2. Selfishness.
25 And from that time forth they did have
their goods and their substance no more common among them.
Step 3. Divide into classes; look down on others; priestcraft;
apostasy.
26 And they began to
be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to
get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.
Step 4. Pick and choose which parts of the gospel to
live.
Step 5. Allow, but not necessarily participate in,
wickedness in society.
Step 6. Lower the standards of the Church as far as the
sacrament and worthiness is concerned.
27 And it came to
pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many
churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the
Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they
did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred
unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness.
Step
7. Start desiring to be wicked.
28 And this church
did multiply exceedingly because of iniquity, and because of the power of Satan
who did get hold upon their hearts.
Step 8. Put pressure on members of the Church who still
want to live the gospel with exactness. Many in society begin trying to impose
their “beliefs” upon faithful saints.
29 And again, there
was another church which denied the Christ; and they did persecute the true
church of Christ, because of their humility and their belief in Christ; and
they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among
them.
30 Therefore they did exercise power and
authority over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them, and they did
cast them into prison; but by the power of the word of God, which was in them,
the prisons were rent in twain, and they went forth doing mighty miracles among
them.
Step 9. Become angry at the Lord’s anointed, the leaders
of the Church.
31 Nevertheless, and notwithstanding all
these miracles, the people did harden their hearts, and did seek to kill them,
even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word.
33 And they also cast them into dens of
wild beasts, and they did play with the wild beasts even as a child with a
lamb; and they did come forth from among them, receiving no harm.
Step
10. Select leaders whose values reflect their own desires for personal wickedness,
support them, and follow them in persecuting the righteous.
34 Nevertheless, the people did harden their hearts, for
they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches, and
to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus; but
the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief
and wickedness, from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had
passed away.
35 And now it came to pass in this year,
yea, in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division
among the people.
36 And it came to pass that in this year
there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers
in Christ; and among them there were those who were called by the
Lamanites—Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites;
37 Therefore the true believers in
Christ, and the true worshipers of Christ, (among whom were the three disciples
of Jesus who should tarry) were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites,
and Zoramites.
38 And it came to pass that they who
rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; and
they did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did wilfully rebel against the
gospel of Christ; and they did teach their children that they should not
believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, did dwindle.
39 And it was
because of the wickedness and abomination of their fathers, even as it was in
the beginning. And they were taught to hate the children of God, even as the
Lamanites were taught to hate the children of Nephi from the beginning.
40 And it came to
pass that two hundred and forty and four years had passed away, and thus were
the affairs of the people. And the more wicked part of the people did wax
strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than were the people of God.
41 And they did
still continue to build up churches unto themselves, and adorn them with all
manner of precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away,
and also two hundred and sixty years.
42 And it came to
pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret
oaths and combinations of Gadianton.
43 And also the
people who were called the people of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts,
because of their exceeding riches, and become vain like unto their brethren,
the Lamanites.
Step
17. Almost everyone becomes very wicked. There is no discernable difference
between many who are members of the Church and the wicked.
45 And it came to pass that when three
hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had
become exceedingly wicked one like unto another.
46 And it came to
pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land;
and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus.
And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in
all manner of traffic.
-David
J Ridges, “The Book of Mormon Made Easier” Part Three: Helaman through Moroni,
pg 233-6.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Perspective
Today was the absolute worst day ever
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be obtained
Only if one’s surroundings are good
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a good day
Now read from bottom
to top.
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