Sunday citation

This is a great quote that I found in connection with 1 Samuel 16:7:

"It is not possible to judge another fairly unless you know his desires, his faith, and his goals. Because of a different environment, unequal opportunity, and many other things, people are not in the same position. One may start at the top and another at the bottom, and they may meet as they are going in opposite directions. ... How can we, with all our weaknesses and frailties dare to arrogate ourselves the position of a judge? At best, man can only judge what he sees; he cannot judge the heart or the intention, or begin to judge the potential of his neighbor." (N. Eldon Tanner, "Judge not that ye be not judged," Ensign, July 1972, p. 35.)

Sunday citation

Here is a great quote that I found in the Old Testament institute manual. It's by President Joseph F. Smith:

"One of the highest qualities of all true leadership is a high standard of courage. When we speak of courage and leadership we are using terms that stand for the quality of life by which men determine consciously the proper course to pursue and stand  with fidelity to their convictions. There has never been a time in the Church when its leaders were not required to be courageous men; not alone courageous in the sense that they were able to meet physical dangers, but also in the sense that they were steadfast and true to a clear and upright conviction.

"Leaders of the Church, then, should be men not easily discouraged, not without hope, and not given to forebodings of all sorts of evil to come. Above all things the leaders of the people should never disseminate a spirit of gloom in the hearts of the people. If men standing in high places sometimes feel the weight and anxiety of momentous times, they should be all the firmer and all the more resolute in those convictions which come from a God-fearing conscience and pure lives. Men in their private lives should feel the necessity of extending encouragement to the people by their own hopeful and cheerful intercourse with them, as they do by their utterances in public places. It is a matter of the greatest importance that the people be educated to appreciate and cultivate the bright side of life rather than to permit its darkness and shadows to hover over them.

"In order to successfully overcome anxieties in reference to questions that require time for their solution, an absolute faith and confidence in God and in the triumph of His work are essential." (Gospel Doctrine, p. 155)

I love this quote because we all are leaders. As parents we are leaders, as friends we can be leaders as we stick to our convictions, as grandparents and family we are all leaders. By influence we can lead those around us to the true Leader, Christ. And since we can all be leaders, this quote applies to us in a particular way.

I believe that if we truly have faith in Christ, then despite what others around us may do with their agency, we can still have hope. This is possible because Christ has already overcome the world for us.

A Sunday citation

This is a quote by Elder Erastus Snow that I read while I was studying Joshua 24:

"It good and evil is placed before us, does not the person who chooses the good and refuses the evil exhibit his agency and manhood as much as the man who chooses the evil and refuses the good? or is the independence of manhood all on the side of the evil-doer? I leave you to answer this question in your own mind. To me, I think the angels and saints and all good people have exercised their agency by choosing the good and refusing the evil; and in doing so they not only exhibit their independence and manhood as much, but show a much higher disposition; and I leave the future to determine who are wise in the choice of their freedom and independence." (Journal of Discourses, 19:180-181.)

Sunday citation

"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

"If we want to have a living, abiding faith, we must be active in the performance of every duty as members of this church." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith. Chap. 5, pg 86.)

That's one remarkable thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are sincerely and actively engaged in a cause or a belief that is wrong, you will eventually become disillusioned and lose interest. But when people with honest hearts are actively living the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the best of their knowledge, they never become disillusioned and fall away. Never.

Sunday citation

I'm almost done with the book of Deuteronomy, and I've really enjoyed it so far. Genesis used to be my favorite book in the Old Testament, but this time reading through the Old Testament I think that Deuteronomy is. At least it is so far. Here is a comment on chapter 20 from Rousas John Rushdoony in his book The Institutes of Biblical Law:

"Another general principle appears from this law ... that it is not enough for the cause to be holy; not only the cause, but the people of the cause, must be holy, both spiritually and physically."

I just thought that was a very profound statement, and it shows that the most important war should be against evil in ourselves. The best and most effective restraint is self-restraint. This also reminds me of a quote that read a while ago in Susan Wise Bauer's book, The Story of the World vol. 4. She was discussing the pattern of the last couple hundred years where, in different place all over the world, one group overthrows a tyrant only to become a tyrant itself.

"Revolution shatters the structures; but the men who build the next set of structures haven't conquered the evil that lives in their own hearts. The history of the twentieth century is, again and again, the story of men who fight against tyrants, win the battle, and then are overwhelmed by the unconquered tyranny in their own souls."

If the people of the cause are trying to be holy and honest with God and man, this probably wouldn't ever happen.

Mormon theology from a different perspective

I think this is a fantastic article that was written by Mike Jensen back in 2013. My parents have taught me many of the same things, but it is fascinating to hear it from someone who is not a Mormon.

The Mormon Effect

Religious freedom trampled ...

Here is an example of religious freedom being smothered here in the U.S.:

Lawsuit filed after praying family escorted from Empire State Building

The family didn't disturb anyone while praying. Why aren't we allowed to live and express our religion? Religion is about truly believing and knowing, which means we want to live up to what we know. So why do people think we should be religious in name but not be able to express it?

A Sunday citation

Here is a great quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith:

"Do you spend as much time making your family and home successful  as you do in pursuing social and professional success? Are you devoting your best creative energy to the most important unit in society--the family? Or is your relationship with your family merely a routine, unrewarding part of life? Parent and child must be willing to put family responsibilities first in order to achieve family exaltation. ...

"We have been trying to impress upon parents the need of paying more attention to their children, having a little more of the spirit of the gospel in their homes, a little more unity and a little more faith.; a little more responsibility religiously, spiritually on the part of the fathers; also, of the mothers; more of the teaching of the gospel in the home." (Chap. 4, pgs. 79-80)

A Sunday citation

Here is another good quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith:

"We are not dependent upon the testimony of anyone else for this knowledge for we know through the Spirit that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world." (Chap.2, pg 54)

A Sunday citation

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith that explained our doctrine of the Godhead being three distinct personages. Well, here is another quote from the same book that I think relates to it:

"Our scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is both the Father and the Son. The simple truth is that he is the Son of God by birth, both in the spirit and in the flesh. He is the Father because of the work that he has performed.

"The Savior becomes our Father, in the sense in which this term is used in the scriptures, because he offers us life, eternal life, through the atonement which he made for us. In the wonderful instruction given by King Benjamin we find this: '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.' [Mosiah 5:7; see also verses 8-11]

"So, we become the children, sons and daughters of Jesus Christ, through our covenants of obedience to him. Because of his divine authority and sacrifice on the cross, we become spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and he is our Father." (Chap. 2, pg. 52)

A Sunday citation

Here is yet another quote from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow:

"When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated." (Chapter 22, pg. 260)

A Sunday citation

At the beginning of the year, we started studying the Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith manual in our priesthood and Relief Society meetings. I'm trying to catch up with the study schedule, so I recently read the first chapter. I am so impressed with his teachings. There is a reason he was called the "defender of the faith."

Here is a quote from that first chapter that I thought explained our doctrine of the Godhead being three separate personages very well:

"The [first] vision of Joseph Smith made it clear that the Father and the Son are separate personages, having bodies as tangible as the body of man. It was further revealed to him that the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, distinct and separate from the personalities of the Father and the Son [D&C 130:22]. This all-important truth staggered the world; yet, when we consider the clear expressions of holy writ, it is a most astounding and wonderful fact that man could have gone so far astray. The Savior said, 'My Father is greater than I;' [John 14:28] and he invited his disciples, after his resurrection, to handle him and see that it was he, for, said he, 'A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.' [Luke 24:39.] The apostles clearly understood the distinct entities of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to which they constantly refer in their epistles; and Paul informed the Corinthians of the fact that when all tings are subjected to the Father, 'then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.' [1 Corinthians 15:28]" (pg. 37)

Just out of curiosity, I decided to do some research for scriptures and ancient text that that showed the Father, Son and Holy Ghost being distinct beings. I found a few:

John 17:21 (might help clear up any confusion about the term "being one")
Matt. 3:14-17
Acts 7:55-56
Luke 23:34 (this isn't the only time that Jesus prays to his Father, giving us the idea the Father must be a separate being. If they were the same, he wouldn't have had to pray to Him, would he?)

I also know that in the Hebrew text of the King James version of the Bible, it is clear that there is Elohim and Jehovah, and they aren't the same being. Even in the Nicene Creed of 325 A.D., they admit that Christ was begotten of the Father and that He is seated on His right hand. He'd have to be a distinct being to do that. Even the Holy Ghost sounds as though it was defined as a distinct being.

Interesting!

A Sunday citation

This is a quote from last October's General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Edward Dube said it in his talk, Look Ahead and Believe.

"Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who sees from the beginning to the end, knew very well the road He would travel to Gethsemane and Golgotha when He proclaimed, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). In the sight of the Lord, it is not so much what we have done or where we have been but much more where we are willing to go."

A Sunday citation

This is a great quote from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow:

"As to [Joseph Smith] being a man of truth and honor I, nor any one else that knew him, have any reason to question for a moment. But then I never went forth to preach the principles of this Gospel depending entirely upon any information I received through him or any other man; but I believed on his words, coming as they did to me as the words of truth, from an inspired man of God. ... The Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost which all men may receive and enjoy, ... confirmed the truth of what he had told me, and it became knowledge to me of that nature which no man can give nor take away." (23:268.)

A Sunday citation

This long quote (sorry it's so long, but it's so good I didn't want to cut it down!) is from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow:

"It is the business of those who profess to be engages in His work to move on, to go forward, ... without murmuring or having to be urged; so long as there remains a step forward to be taken, that step should be taken. ...

"This is the work of God, and He is directing its course and progress in the earth, and this work should ever be uppermost in our mind; and so long as we are found in the path of duty we can surely remain fixed and unmoved and determined in our purpose, and thus exhibit to the world our faith and devotion to the principles of truth which God has revealed. ...

"The Lord very possible may cause a heavy pressure to bear upon us, such as will require great sacrifice at the hands of his people. The question with us is, will we make the sacrifice? This work is the work of the Almighty and the blessings we look for which have been promised, will come after we have proven ourselves and passed through the ordeal. I have no special word to this people that there is, or that there is not, before them a fiery ordeal through which they will be called to pass; the question with me is, am I prepared to receive and put to a right and proper use any blessing the Lord had in store for me in common with His people; or, on the other hand, am I prepared to make any sacrifice that He may require at my hands? I would not give the ashes of a rye straw for any religion that was not worth living for and that was not worth dying for; and I would not give much for the man that was not willing to sacrifice his all for the sake of his religion."

A Sunday citation

These are a couple of quotes from the book, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow.

"Mormonism, a nickname for the real religion of the Latter-day Saints, does not profess to be a new thing, except to this generation. It proclaims itself as the original plan of salvation, instituted in the heavens before the world was, and revealed from God to man in different ages. That Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other ancient worthies had this religion successively, in a series of dispensations, we as a people, verily believe. ... Mormonism, in short, is the primitive Christian faith restored, the ancient Gospel brought back again--this time to usher in the last dispensation, introduce the Millennium, and wind up the work of redemption as pertaining to this planet."

"This Church will stand, because it is upon a firm basis. It is not from man; it is not from the study of the New Testament or the Old Testament; it is not the result of the learning that  we received in  colleges nor seminaries, but it has come directly from the Lord. The Lord has shown it to us by the revealing principle of the Holy Spirit of light and every man can receive this same spirit."

Protecting religious freedom

These two videos answer some important questions. Why is religious freedom important? Why is it being threatened right now? What can we do about it?

Missionaries and my violin pledge

I don't know if anyone reading this remembers my violin pledge, but if you do, you might be wondering what happened with it. A couple of things happened, actually.

The first thing that happened is what I'd call life. It just gets in the way sometimes. I'm sure if I was more diligent that wouldn't be such a problem. But when you're pregnant and sick a lot, you just don't feel so driven.

But the other thing that happened was a probably a better excuse. My brother (number four in our family of seven) was called on a mission and left September 12th. Several years ago he helped my parents buy that violin, paying a substantial portion of it--at least half. They did it mostly so I could have a good violin to play, although it has remained a family possession. And now that my brother is on his mission for our church, he needs funds so that he can continue his mission.

Because serving a mission is so important to us, we have all agreed to sell the violin. Any sacrifice is worth it. Why, you might ask? It goes way back ...

After Christ's apostles died, the original church apostatized. The priesthood was lost. Groups of educated men met together to put together creeds, and ordinances and doctrines were changed. Later, other churches recognized that pieces of the truth were missing and formed new churches. However, they still lacked divine authority and continuing revelation.

In 1830 the Lord restored his ancient church to the earth through Joseph Smith. Along with the restored gospel was revealed the saving ordinances and covenants, organization of Christ's church, the plan of salvation, and other wonderful things that had been lost.

Knowing what we know of Christ's gospel plan, we know why we are here on earth and what God hopes for all his children. We know that Christ lives today and wants all men to come to Him. We know that his children can't receive the blessings that God wants for us unless we come to Christ and live as he would have us live. Through his restored gospel, we know what God would have us do to come to Christ.

Knowing all this, is it any wonder that we want to bring this message to the whole world?