LDS Alive in Christ

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As I see it, the world we have known for the last few decades is in the midst of change. The prosperity Americans have grown accustomed to appears to be in jeopardy. The “portent of stormy weather” is gathering momentum. Some are saying that an era of economic depression like the 1930′s could visit this generation.

On top of the economic challenges, the tension of domestic and international politics creates a climate of uncertainty and fear. Americans don’t trust one another or their elected officials like they used too.

Internationally, some observers are saying that the power and influence of the American Empire is ebbing, and the dawn of the Chinese Empire is emerging. Some of our elected officials are even saying the Constitution is antiquated and the source of our present day difficulty. There are other voices advocating one world government and one world currency.

These kind of things shouldn’t surprise church members, we have the scriptures and have been given the “signs of the times” to help us recognize and prepare for the difficulties of the last days. The scriptures teach the importance of preparation saying, “gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief” (D&C 106:5). Continue reading →

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We make many decisions, some decisions are without consequence, while others change the course of our  entire life.  When I was fourteen years old I made a decision that changed my life. I decided to stop going to church. This decision was made in part because of something I learned at church. There are three kinds of doctrine: 1) true doctrine, 2) false doctrine, and 3) incomplete doctrine.  I left church because of a doctrine that was taught incompletely.

No one in my family was active so it wasn’t a big deal when I stopped going to church. I left, in part, because I got tired of hearing about how wonderful it was to be born in the covenant and how those who were must have been among the great and noble spirits in the preexistence. Problem was, I wasn’t born in the covenant, my father wasn’t even a member. So the message to me was, “you’re a second class spirit”. I agreed and left church thinking I’d never return. It wasn’t because of unbelief, I believed.

I really did feel second class because of what I had been taught at church. The church and its leaders didn’t provide what I needed at that time in my life. When the family is breaking down like mine was, the church can’t always make up the difference.

Embracing Truth by Throwing Off Falsehoods Continue reading →

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Before discussing the things of the Spirit, I think it is important to underscore something we experience often, almost daily: people differ in their abilities. To illustrate, consider two unrelated activities; running a 5K race and taking an algebra class. Suppose there are 100 people participating in each endeavor. What would you expect to happen as the race and the math class progressed? Based on my experience, I would expect there would be a range of abilities manifest in both efforts; fast and slow runners, fast and slow algebra students, with the majority being average.

I think it is safe to say that the same is true when it comes to things of the Spirit.  I’ve learned that not everyone experiences things of the Spirit in exactly the same way. The Lord knows how to help each of us accomplish the purposes of our mortal experience. Most of us are going to have average experiences with the things of the Spirit, while some will have experiences that are unusual, and still others who say they’ve never had a spiritual experience.  Elder McConkie addressing this topic said: “All men do not come into this world with the same inclination toward or receptiveness of spiritual things.”

Regardless of where we are at on the continuum of our receptiveness to spiritual things, if we have desires to draw near to the Lord then we will be blessed. We are promised that our prayers will be answered, but how, and when, they are answered,  can vary. The Lord helping us understand this promises:

Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 3 Nephi 14:7 – 11 Continue reading →

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God is Love, and You are a Beloved Son or Daughter

The prophets teach that each of us lived in the Father’s presence at one time.  We also know that we left his presence to be tried and tested in mortality. We further know that we can return to his presence by means of the plan of salvation.

These basic teachings are summed up in a short, but very meaningful scripture:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Moses 1:39 Continue reading →

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This book is written for LDS church members (male and female) who desire to draw nearer to the Lord. 

Recently, Elder Uchtdorf asked the men of the church: ”Are we as priesthood holders living below our privileges when it comes to the sacred power, gifts, and blessings that are our opportunity and right as bearers of God’s priesthood?” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April Priesthood Meeting 2011

I hope all members of the church took notice of Elder Uchtdorf’s concerns about the men of the church. He is telling the men of the church that we’re not experiencing all the sacred powers that God wants us to have. He went on to say:

“Brethren, we are faced with a choice. We can be satisfied with a diminished experience as priesthood bearers and settle for experiences far below our privileges. Or we can partake of an abundant feast of spiritual opportunity and universal priesthood blessings.” Continue reading →