A Few Thoughts on Getting the Lord’s Attention

Posted on by Jared

ASK

Asking is a law of heaven. We can ask, petition, request, beg, and implore the Lord, depending on our need.

Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. D&C 4:7

And whoso shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick; they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk. D&C 35:8 – 9

ACT

In addition to asking, we need to act.

Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. D&C 9:7

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke 6:46

SEEK

Calling on the Lord in mighty prayer opens the channels of communication with heaven.

Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived aseek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given… D&C 46:8

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round. 1 Nephi 10:19

TESTIFY

We can become friends of the Lord as we testify of Him.

Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you. D&C 62:3

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God… Luke 12:8

There are many ways to get the Lord’s attention. Do you have a favorite you’d like to suggest?

Posted in Gifts of the Spirit, Mighty Prayer, Spirituality, Things of the Spirit | 1 Comment

Classic Talk: The Gift of the Holy Ghost: What Every Member Should Know

Posted on by Jared

Boyd K. Packer, “The Gift of the Holy Ghost: What Every Member Should Know,” Ensign, Aug 2006, 46–52. Click here to go to the churches website for this article. Highlighting  is mine.

From an address given on June 24, 2003, at a seminar for new mission presidents, Missionary Training Center, Provo, Utah.

My purpose is to teach you through doctrine and scripture why it is that we do things as we do. I will give some direction and suggestions as to how we can do things better in order that each member of the Church will be thoroughly converted and never will fall away.

Joseph Smith said: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (History of the Church, 5:499).

To prepare people for baptism without teaching about the gift of the Holy Ghost is like a sacrament meeting where only the bread is blessed and passed. They would receive but half.

We will discuss linking baptism in an absolutely tight relationship to confirmation and the conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Confirmation and Conferring the Gift of the Holy Ghost

Confirmation has two parts: to confirm as a member of the Church and then to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. The priesthood holder performing that ordinance “bestows the gift of the Holy Ghost by saying, ‘Receive the Holy Ghost’ ” (Family Guidebook [pamphlet, 2001], 20).

There are two examples of the visible manifestation of the Holy Ghost I know of in the scriptures. The first was when the Lord was baptized:

“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him” (Matthew 3:16; see also 1 Nephi 11:27; 2 Nephi 31:8; D&C 93:15).

The other example came on the day of Pentecost. The Apostles had no doubt been ordained, but the Lord had now left them. They wondered what to do. They remembered He told them to stay in Jerusalem, and so they obeyed. And then it happened. They were in a house, and there was “a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:2-4). Then they were authorized; they were prepared.

Then they could move about in the ministry that the Lord had called and commissioned them to do.

In the Doctrine and Covenants that pattern was repeated when the Lord said:

“Thou didst baptize by water unto repentance, but they received not the Holy Ghost;

“But now I give unto thee a commandment, that thou shalt baptize by water, and they shall receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, even as the apostles of old” (D&C 35:5-6).

When Paul went to Ephesus he found 12 men who had been baptized, but they had not yet received the Holy Ghost. They said to Paul, “We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost” (Acts 19:2).

What happened next is significant. Paul had them baptized again. Then he conferred upon them, by the laying on of hands, the gift of the Holy Ghost (see Acts 19:2-7).

Remember the fourth article of faith: “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.”

When parents are teaching their children and when missionaries are teaching investigators, preparing them for baptism by water, they must also think of the gift of the Holy Ghost-baptism by fire. Think of it as one sentence. First comes the baptism of water and then the baptism of fire.

Someone may ask the missionaries, “How are things going?” or “Are you teaching anyone?”

The missionaries automatically answer, “Yes, we have a family preparing for baptism and confirmation, for receiving the Holy Ghost.”

Or a father and mother might say to a child, “When you are eight years old, you will be ready to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.”

I repeat, to be baptized and to receive the Holy Ghost-link those two together.

All I say is evident and outlined in section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants (see vv. 41-43, 45, 68). There are also some other references where this message is affirmed (see Acts 8:12, 14-17; D&C 33:11, 15; 36:2; 39:23; 49:13-14; 55:1; 68:25; 76:51-52; Articles of Faith 1:4).

Joseph Smith said, “The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it, is of no use; they are necessarily and inseparably connected” (History of the Church, 6:316).

Baptism of Fire

I want to talk to you about the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. I also want to talk to you about angels.

“When they were all baptized and had come up out of the water, the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (3 Nephi 19:13).

An excerpt from another verse teaches that this will come “if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior” (Mormon 7:10).

Again, there are two parts to baptism-baptism by water and baptism by fire or the Holy Ghost. If you separate the two, as the Prophet Joseph Smith said, it is but half a baptism.

Communication from the Holy Ghost

How does the Holy Ghost communicate?

There is an example in 1 Nephi chapter 17 where Laman and Lemuel had been brutal to Nephi. They, in fact, had tried to take his life. In due course he said to them: “Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words” (1 Nephi 17:45; emphasis added).

That communication seldom comes audibly. Most of the time it comes through your feelings, as it did in this case.

Another example: The Lord taught this principle to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery: “You must study it out in your mind [work, study]; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you [the fire, burn]; therefore, you shall feel that it is right” (D&C 9:8; emphasis added). This applies to all of us.

Speaking with the Tongue of Angels

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism-yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.” Now this important principle: “And then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

“But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire [that is the conferring] of the Holy Ghost, [ye] can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels” (2 Nephi 31:13-14; emphasis added).

Nephi explains clearly what happens after baptism and confirmation and the reception of the Holy Ghost: “Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water [which is a symbolic witness of repentance]; and then cometh [the promise of cleansing for] a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 31:17).

We sometimes speak of baptism for the remission of sins. The remission, if you will read the scriptures carefully, comes through the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.

“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way.” Here is someone who has been baptized and received the Holy Ghost, and they wonder what they are to do. Nephi answers: “But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?

“Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:1-3).

Everything that missionaries are to know and to do is to bring their investigators to understand both baptism and confirmation. Then the investigators have their agency. Consider these simple words:

“Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

“For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

“Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh” (2 Nephi 32:4-6; emphasis added).

Now you must understand that baptism by water, as the Prophet Joseph Smith said plainly, is but half a baptism. Paul, when they had not received the Holy Ghost, started over again (see Acts 19:2-7).

You can receive this great blessing-to become familiar with the still, small voice and learn that this voice will tell you all things that you must do. The word we use to describe this communication is promptings, the way we feel. These promptings can come many times, through many experiences. That is the voice of the Lord speaking.

Nephi explained that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, and you can speak with the tongue of angels, which simply means that you can speak with the power of the Holy Ghost. It will be quiet. It will be invisible. There will not be a dove. There will not be cloven tongues of fire. But the power will be there.

Missionaries sometimes think they are only to do half the work; they are to teach and then baptize by water, and that concludes their work. In many cases the other half, the teaching about the baptism of fire, never really gets done. Put the two together so that you almost forbid yourself to say “baptism” without saying “confirmation”-that is baptism of the water and confirmation and the conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Get that idea in your mind with those two fixed together so tightly that, as one, it becomes part of you. Then we will not have the first half done, as is often the case at present, and the other half left undone.

Remember what Joseph Smith said: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.”

Missionaries-and parents as well-are to teach both halves: “Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins [and the] Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:4). Make it one sentence. Fix it in the front of your minds so that when you say one, you say the other, and when you think one, you think the other. Then you will begin to feel and understand, and the promptings will come.

Opposition by the Adversary

One word of warning: there is also a spirit of opposition and evil. That warning can also be found in the scriptures: “Whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him” (Moroni 7:17).

The spiritual communications from the Holy Ghost can be interrupted by the promptings and influence of the evil one. You will learn to recognize that.

To further our understanding of this principle, Nephi taught: “If ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray” (2 Nephi 32:8-9).

So when we speak of angels communicating by the power of the Holy Ghost and we are told by the prophets that we can speak with the tongue of angels, then we must know that there is an opposing influence. We must be able to detect it.

There is one word in the book of Jacob that should alert us: “Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption?” (Jacob 6:8; emphasis added).

So the Spirit can be quenched!

Discerning Spiritual Experiences

When you receive these special spiritual experiences, they are not to be chattered about. They are private, and they are personal. You will come to know with a very personal conviction that the Lord knew you were coming that way.

You may learn by trial and error and say: “I knew I shouldn’t have done that. I knew I shouldn’t have!” How did you know? Because you knew. You were being prompted.

Or you will say regretfully, “I knew I should have done that and didn’t.” How will you know? You are being worked upon by the Spirit.

Promptings may come as “sudden strokes of ideas” (History of the Church, 3:381).

“I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost” (D&C 8:2).

“Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good-yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

“. . . I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;

“And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive” (D&C 11:12-14).

“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:23).

Conversion

Conversion does not always happen immediately. Nevertheless, it comes as a quiet thing. It is a still, small voice. There are these very interesting verses in the book of Alma:

“Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

“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” (Alma 32:16-17; emphasis added).

Investigators may say: “It looks right and feels right. I still don’t know about it. It just feels good.” Reason is prompting them, and they are baptized without stubbornness of heart. So the conversion comes.

Others may say: “You talk about this gift of the Holy Ghost and baptism by fire. Show me! Give me the witness, and then I will be baptized.”

For some it will take time. They may be disappointed when you say: “You will know after you decide! It takes an exercise of faith. You may not know at first and have that firm conviction, but it will come.”

The Word of Wisdom

Surely you can understand where the Word of Wisdom fits into this. How significant it is, “given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints” (D&C 89:3).

This principle comes with a promise: “Run and not be weary, … walk and not faint” (D&C 89:20). That is desirable.

But there is a more important promise: “And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (D&C 89:19).

Can you see the necessity of the Word of Wisdom? We press our people, almost beg our people, to behave themselves, to keep their spiritual person in tune so that they can have the reception of the Holy Ghost. Your body is the instrument of your mind and spirit. You must take proper care of it.

Never Will Fall Away

If people are properly taught, they never will fall away: “And as sure as the Lord liveth [that is an oath], so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them-yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth [a second oath], as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away” (Alma 23:6; emphasis added).

Those who have been taught and who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the baptism of fire, will never fall away. They will be connected to the Almighty, who will guide them in their lives.

The Comforter

You never need to feel or be alone:

“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; …

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:16, 18).

“The field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

“Open your mouths and they shall be filled. …

“Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you” (D&C 33:7-9).

The baptismal prayer given in the Book of Mormon states:

“These are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:

“Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen” (3 Nephi 11:24-25).

I bear witness of these words and of these Names. I invoke the blessings of the Lord upon you as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ to the end that His Spirit will be with you, and you will understand and can move forward accompanied by that power of the Holy Ghost.

 

Posted in Classic Talk, Doctrine of Christ, Forgiveness, Holy Ghost, Sanctification | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Eugene England’s “Reconversion” to the Book of Mormon

Posted on by Jared

Eugene England wrote a book titled, Converted to Christ Through the Book of Mormon. Following is part of the introduction he wrote for the book. He makes several important observation  about the power of the Book of Mormon:

1.  To reconvert life-long church members by bringing them to Christ.

2. “What can we do about our sins?”

I had my “reconversion” to the Book of Mormon (to use the word I have chosen for the experiences of life-long Mormons) when I was a missionary in Hawaii in 1956. Yes, I had read the book and studied passages for talks, but I had not been brought to Christ by it.

Near the end of my mission (Charlotte and I had been called to Samoa together right after our marriage and transferred to Hawaii for our first child’s birth, then she had gone home), I faced the most difficult spiritual challenge of my life to that point. A man we were teaching on the island of Maui had come to believe the gospel was true, but he couldn’t find the strength to repent. He would make promises to change his ways, to get rid of habits very harmful to himself and his family, but he would break his promises and then suffer terribly from guilt. He felt ashamed, not good enough for Christ, and too weak to become good.

We tried all kinds of ways to help him be strong, from telling him about the hell he was making for himself and about the heaven with his family he was destroying, to hourly calls to check up on him, to going over and over the logical “steps” of repentance. Nothing worked, and his family, who had joined the Church, and we missionaries were all near despair. Then I remembered Joseph Smith’s claim that the Book of Mormon was “the most correct book” in the world and that its principles provided the best way to get near to God. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938], p. 194.)

I studied the Book of Mormon, looking for ways to help our friend. As I did, I went back over my notes from Lowell Bennion’s institute classes, which I remembered had stressed the new vision of salvation through Christ’s atonement given by the Book of Mormon. Slowly I found again the key I had been taught but which had not meant enough until now when it was needed so badly. Then we read the main passages about Christ from the Book of Mormon with our friend, and he felt the spirit of complete love from his Savior. I remember when we came to the sermon of Amulek, in Alma 34, where he teaches that the suffering of Christ brings about the bowels of mercy, enough to break through the bands of justice and give us the means to have enough faith to repent. This was exactly what our friend needed-and as he read the Book of Mormon passages he finally understood and felt it and thus was able to accept Christ’s love and repent. I believe his wife’s love, never critical, always encouraging (and our own struggling efforts to be like her) played some role. But the turning point was when he felt love from Christ, conveyed by the promises and spirit of the Book of Mormon. He said, “If Christ can have this kind of love for me, who am I to refuse to accept it-and not accept myself.” With this new strength, he became a new person, almost overnight.

My own life didn’t change as much, but I saw clearly then that the Book of Mormon had the best answer to the chief human question, “What can we do about our sins?” and that it also contained the best direct help to actually bring people to repent. My sense of Christ’s atoning love that began there on Maui has become central to my own efforts to change, to my way of seeing literature and politics and human violence and healing, and to my efforts to counsel people.

Once, when I was bishop of a married student ward at Brigham Young University, one of the ward members asked me to talk with a friend who had tried suicide and was often terribly depressed. As we met, I quickly found that, like many young Latter-day Saints I had counseled, she had a strong sense of justice and self-condemnation but a very weak sense of Christ’s mercy and love. She spoke quickly and harshly about her failings and her despair. I felt I should not talk but simply read with her, from the Book of Mormon, those passages that teach the Atonement and convey its spirit. After a while peace visibly came over her and she began to weep, and when she left she had been helped.

The Book of Mormon is the unique tangible witness in the world of the most important intangible reality, the love of Christ and His power to heal and save us. I feel this power, after many readings and much study, whenever I turn to any part of the book. I immediately am brought close to tears by the Spirit of Christ that comes from every page. We who have felt that tangible power in various ways-like electricity, or with burning that is a fire in the bones or that fills the body, or through the way the book physically calls attention to itself or seems to be able to affect its environment-use quite similar language in our descriptions, whether we are from Barbados or Hungary or Utah, whether college professors or cowpunchers…My father is a good example of a reconversion. He was raised in a Mormon village, Moreland, Idaho, by goodly Mormon parents, but it wasn’t until he left home at seventeen for a job in a Union Pacific paintshop in Pocatello and read the Book of Mormon before work each morning that he came to know the Savior. During that time, he had a dream in which Christ came to him and told him He loved and accepted him. It is clear, as he tells me this again nearly seventy years later, that he can still feel that first presence of grace. It led him to change his life in many ways, large and small: to go on a mission instead of becoming an airline pilot, to marry my mother because the same Being brought her to him by the hand in a later dream…

 

Posted in Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, Repentance | Leave a comment

Let Us Reason Together: Did Mark Hofmann Fool Prophets and Apostles?

Posted on by Jared

Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ are delighted when events make LDS prophets and apostles look foolish. Such is the case with the Mark Hofmann forgeries. Critics reason:

How is it that church leaders could meet several times with Mark Hofmann and never discern the dark spirit inside him? How could they not recognize the devil within their midst?  LDS prophets, seers, and revelators were unable to see and discern that they were in the same room as a liar, forger, and soon to be murderer.

Did Mark Hofmann fool LDS prophets and apostles? It appears he did. Is that surprising? It shouldn’t be. There is a notion that prophets and apostles should be infallible because they are on the Lord’s errand.

Where did this notion start that prophets and apostles can not be fooled or deceived? Do the scriptures teach that the prophets and apostles can discern the thoughts, intents, and motives of every person they come in contact with? No, the scripture do not teach such a principle. In fact, the scriptures teach that prophets and apostles can be fooled. The Lord taught Joseph Smith:

But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous… D&C 10:37.

The key word here is “always”.

Do we believe in the gift of discernment? We sure do (D&C 46:27, 63:41, 101:95).  My missionary companion and I both experienced the gift of discernment. We were saved from what could have been considerable difficulty.

We learned that the gift of discernment can be manifest to a couple of everyday missionaries when the Lord wills it. And as we learn with Mark Hofmann, the gift of discernment can be withheld from prophets and apostles, when the Lord wills it.

We are setting ourselves up for disappointment when we assume that the gift of discernment will be manifest whenever men reason that it should be. The Lord’s will, not man’s, determine the manifestations of the Spirit.

Yes, it would have been faith prompting if the prophets and apostles would have discerned what Mark Hofmann was really up to and broke off contact with him. But those who understand the workings of the Spirit know that is not how the Lord does things. The Book of Mormon provides examples that help create understanding.

Alma the younger gave up the office of Chief Judge so he could preach the word of God. He traveled about the land teaching. He was well received in some places and not in others. The people of one of the cities, Ammonihah, rejected him. They spit upon him and cast him out of their city. What do we learn here? Is the Lord concerned about His prophets being embarrassed, even humiliated? I’m sure he is, however, Alma apparently needed to have this experience. Alma followed the Spirit and ended up having success doing the Lord’s will in Ammonihah.  

One other example, the four sons of Mosiah went among the Lamanites to teach, as the Book of Mormon described, a wild and ferocious people. Things went well for Ammon, but not for Aaron and a certain number of his brethren. They were cast into prison and suffered many things. Why? Where was the gift of discernment that could have prevented their difficulties? The answer isn’t known. What is known, is that the Lord delivered them out of prison by revealing to Ammon they needed help (Alma 20:2). They had set backs, but ended up having success among the Lamanites.

The story is the same with the Mark Hofmann experience. The prophets and apostles had setbacks, but ended up having success. How? Mark Hofmann’s evil design to damage the church came to an abrupt end. 

The Lord promises the prophets and apostles saying, “That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself” (D&C 109:25). It’s been many years since Mark Hofmann dug a pit to upend the LDS Church, Hofmann fell into the pit he dug. He is now a lifer in prison. 

Posted in Agency, Church History, Doubt, Gifts of the Spirit, Prophets, Trials | 3 Comments

Favored of the Lord

Posted on by Jared

The Book of Mormon uses the phrase “favored of the Lord” to communicate the idea that a follower of Christ can arrive at a point where they are “supplied with advantages”. In other words, they are “regarded with kindness; as a favored friend” by the Lord (the preceding words in quotes are taken from the1828 Webster’s Dictionary, under the heading: “favored”).

The Righteous are Favored

Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. 1 Nephi 17:35

This scripture from the Book of Mormon is to the point: The Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; that is, highly valued or prized on account of worth. Everyone is a valued son or daughter of God; however, the righteous have a favored status in His eyes.

What does it mean to be righteous? I’ll list a few things that I think define what a righteous man or woman are like:

1.  At a basic level (light of Christ), they possess a quality of fairness, sometimes referred to as “fair play”. This quality is displayed by balancing the needs of others, with their own needs. In the language of the scriptures he “esteem(s) his neighbor as himself” Mosiah 27:4. The Savior describing this quality said: “…whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them…” Matthew 7:12.

2.  At another level (making and keeping covenants), when they hear the gospel they join the church and exhibit a quality of righteousness defined by Hugh Nibley: “Who is a righteous man? Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting, he is a righteous man. There is hope for him, and no matter how good he has been his entire life if he is not repenting he is wicked.” Approaching Zion. P. 301-2

3.  At a still higher level (gift of the Holy Ghost), they “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (3 Nephi 12:6) and therefore acquire the gift of the Holy Ghost. To be blessed with the gift of the Holy Ghost can be compared to obtaining great wealth. Having millions of dollars can provide a level of “freedom” and “power” to accomplish useful things in the world we live in. Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey are two possible examples. Having the gift of the Holy Ghost makes one Spiritually wealthy. Those who are so blessed have access to things of the Spirit and accomplish the miraculous. Alma, and the sons of Mosiah are examples.

How Does the Lord Favor the Righteous?

After reading this far, you’re probably wondering how the Lord favors the righteous. The three scripture that follow are among my favorite to answer this question:

“…he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them…” Mosiah 10:13

“For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalms 5:12

”For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.”  D&C 76:5

These three scripture teach how the righteous are favored:

1.  The Lord will hear and answer their prayers

2.  The Lord will compass them “as with a shield”, this seems to be saying that He will protect them.

3.  The Lord is merciful and gracious to the righteous seems to be another way of saying he saves us, by the… Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5).

Summary

My experience with the Lord has taught me that His help is available to those who make and keep covenants. However, I’ve noticed that there is reluctance on the part of some church members to “trouble” the Lord. The thought being that we shouldn’t go to the Lord with all of our problems and difficulties—only with a select few—those that are over whelming.

The difficulty with this kind of faith is that the scriptures don’t teach it. In fact, I wonder if it this might not be a form of hardening one’s heart.

The Lord desires us to have the constant, not occasional companionship of the Holy Ghost (D&C 20:77, 121:46). The Lord would have us seek Him diligently and constantly (D&C 88:63, Alma 37:34, D&C 6:36).

If we choose to seek the Lord only in a crisis, we may find our faith is anemic. We may not have the “staying power” it takes to obtain a blessing in a crisis because we haven’t exercised our faith in everyday challenges. It can be likened to going to the gym. If we only go occasionally, then we can’t expect to have the same strength and endurance as compared to going frequently.

Those who are favored of the Lord are committed and sincere. This quality of heart leads to the gift of charity, which can cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

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Awake From a Deep Sleep and Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost

Posted on by Jared

Authority Restored

The restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith restored many things that had been lost from the earth. The authority to baptize and confer the gift of the Holy Ghost was among things lost.  John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize and confer the gift of the Holy Ghost when he laid his hands on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (JS-History 1:67-74).

There are many blessings associated with receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Joseph Smith wrote about the change he and Oliver experienced immediately after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost:

…so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men.  We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.

Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of… (Pearl of Great Price, JS-History 1:73 – 74)

Our Responsibility

The manifestations of the gift of the Holy Ghost are available to every baptized member. However, experience has shown that church members have a responsibility to seek after this gift. Unless we seek, even diligently, we may never experience it.

One of the obstacles we have to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is a lack of desire. Church leaders have taught that it is human nature to rely on ourselves when things are going smoothly in our lives, saying, “God helps those who help themselves”. This trite summation to dealing with our spiritual life can be costly because those who typically say this are those who rely on the arm of flesh, something that we’re expressly told not to do (2 Nephi 28:31).

It seems that we need to have difficult circumstances before we will humble ourselves and seek God diligently. The problem is some church members collapse spirituality before they find God. For those who do find God it would have been far better to have paid the price to know God before overwhelming trials came upon them.

I remember the first time I learned about the children of Israel who were bitten by fiery snakes and could have been healed by gazing on a pole with a man made serpent at the top (Alma 33:20-22). Many were healed by this simple act, but there were also many who would not look at the pole and died as a result.

I couldn’t believe that anyone would fail to look. But as I have grown older and had more experience I have observed similar aloofness from reason in myself and in other church members. For example, we’re told over and over again the importance of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost but many church members are like the following description given by Spencer W. Kimball:

“[There] are Church members who are steeped in lethargy. They neither drink nor commit the sexual sins. They do not gamble nor rob nor kill. They are good citizens and splendid neighbors, but spiritually speaking they seem to be in a long, deep sleep. They are doing nothing seriously wrong except in their failures to do the right things to earn their exaltation. To such people as this, the words of Lehi might well apply: ‘O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe’ (2 Nephi 1:13).” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p149)

Self Assessment

I hope all of us are experiencing the gift of the Holy Ghost. But I think it is important to do as the apostle Paul advises, and be ready to give an answer, especially to yourself, the “reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15)? Another way of saying this might be to ask yourself if you have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. If you have, what manifestations have you experienced to evidence this? Can you list three reasons for the hope that is in you?

1.

2.

3.

If you are able to quickly list three evidences—wonderful! If you struggle thinking of three evidences, then you had best ask yourself, why?

I have gathered a few statements that may provide help to those who have difficulty listing three evidences. These statements may not be easy to read, but they contain much wisdom for those whose hearts are not hardened.

That’s why the Lord, in the revelations, lays such emphasis on gifts. It is through the various gifts distributed among us that we are able to get into the act. We are told repeatedly both to ask for gifts and seek for gifts (D&C 42, 46). Among the last words of the Book of Mormon are “Do not deny the gifts, do not reject the gifts” (Moroni 10:8). On the other hand, we are commanded not to ask for or seek for office. Yet nobody seems particularly interested in asking or seeking for gifts, while men constantly plan, scheme, and aspire to office. Martin Harris and others actually left the Church because their services were not recognized by high office. Martin Harris, who had the privilege of standing in the presence of an angel and turning over the plates, wanted an office in the Church, something which would only be temporary and a nuisance. Why, let me talk to Moroni for five minutes and I’ll give you the pleasure of sitting on the stand forevermore! “Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints”, Hugh Nibley, P. 435.

Second, our soft spoken apostle shares his thought on this question:

Unfortunately, some in the Church may believe sincerely that their testimony is a raging bonfire when it really is little more than the faint flickering of a candle. Their faithfulness has more to do with habit than holiness, and their pursuit of personal righteousness almost always takes a back seat to their pursuit of personal interests and pleasure. With such a feeble light of testimony for protection, these travelers on life’s highways are easy prey for the wolves of the adversary. Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Spiritual Bonfires of Testimony,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 34

And last Elder Kimball calls it as he sees it:

There are many people in this Church today who think they live, but they are dead to the spiritual things. And I believe even many who are making pretenses of being active are also spiritually dead. Their service is much of the letter and less of the spirit. Spencer W. Kimball , CR, Apr. 1951, pp. 104-5.

Brother Nibley, Elder Wirthlin, and Elder Kimball provide reasons why church members fail to acquire the gift Holy Ghost. As I read their words, I listed the following thoughts:

1.  Seeking things of the world instead of the things of the Spirit (D&C 30:1-2).

2.  Serving in the church out of habit and a sense of responsibility, but not loving and serving the Lord. (Matt. 25:1-12).

3.  Some are spiritually dead because they are blinded by the precepts of men. (D&C 76:75)

What Shall We Do?

All of us can do better. All of us can grow in the gift of the Holy Ghost. The solution is just about as simple as “looking”. We need to train ourselves to consistently and sincerely do the basics of spiritual development. Following is a list that comes to my mind as I write this blog that can help each of us to do as the Apostle Paul taught, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the [spiritually] dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14).”:

1.   Repent, if you can’t think of anything to repent of then you haven’t been reading the scriptures.

2.   Pray often and sincerely. Take time to talk with the Lord. Hide nothing.

3.   Read, study, and ponder the scriptures, and the words of the living prophets.

4.   Seek to fulfill your baptism covenant by pleading with the Lord to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5.   Seek for the gifts of the Spirit. Have you ever fasted and prayed for a gift?

6.   Record spiritual experiences in your journal and appropriately bear testimony of them.

7.   Pray for power in the priesthood for yourself or your husband, father, etc.

8.   Attend the temple often. Think about the significance of the covenants you’ve made.

9.   Sustain and pray for all church leaders, especially those who impact your life.

10. Make progress in your genealogical and home storage responsibilities.

11. Forgive those who have trespassed against you. Forgive yourself.

12. Pray for the leaders of your country.

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Jesus Christ, The Son of God, Savior of the World, A Personal Friend

Posted on by Jared

At this Christmas season, I desire to testify of the Saviors Friendship and goodness to me, a struggling soul. I do so with the hope that others will be inspired to further their friendship. And if a friendship doesn’t yet exist, I hope that you’ll have the desire to establish one right away. 

As a Mormon, my intended audience, those who I think of when I write, are members of the Mormon church.

Many years ago, the Lord left the ninety and nine and reclaimed me. I was lost and He found me. As a result, I am a witness of His tender mercies and I hope to help others who can be lifted by my witness.

The Savior is a friend of mine. The Savior refers to His followers as friends (D&C 50:41, D&C 84:63, John 15:14-15). I am a follower, therefore I think it’s reasonable to call Him—my Friend. I hope that all of us feel the same way.

Friendship is a two way street. Friends do things for one another. They help each other and share in the joy of their friendship. My friendship with the Savior has brought me great joy. I hope, in small ways, I’ve done the same for Him.

Like many of you, I call upon the Father in the name of His Son. From what I’ve learned from the scriptures and the living prophets the Savior is the one who answers our prayers through the power of the Holy Ghost. He is not an absentee Friend.

There have been times in my life when I have drifted in my friendship with the Savior. Mortal friends do that, but the Savior is more than a mortal friend, He doesn’t drift. His friendship is constant. I don’t know who said it, but I’ve found it to be true, I’ll paraphrase: If you’re not as close to the Lord today as you were before, who moved?

As spirit beings having a mortal experience in a fallen world we inherit the legacy of the fall; we’re dead to things of the spirit. The scriptures even refer to us as enemies of God,  until we yield to the enticings of the Spirit we remain spiritually dead.

As a young man I got entangled in the ways of the world. After awhile, my Friend came for me and loved me back to His church. Nowadays, I look back over the years and realize what a wonderful Friend the Savior is. I’ll give one example of how my Friend has been there for me.  I’m sharing this experience to draw attention to the ways of the Lord. I hope you’ll be prompted to share an experience from your life in the comment section below. It may be helpful to others and bless them.

Many years ago, I was under-employed with a wife and children. I had more bills than I had income. I made the decision to pay all my bills instead of trying to avoid them. I asked my creditors to accept small monthly payments without charging me interest, and in turn I promised to pay them back over time. All of them agreed, and some even offered to forgive my debt. I thanked them, but said I would pay back everything I owed.

During the next three years I prayerfully sought the Lord’s guidance. I did everything I could to meet my financial obligations, but I wasn’t making the kind of progress I had hoped for. I was barely getting by. I didn’t see any possibility of purchasing a home, something I really wanted for my family.

One day my dad told me something that changed my thinking. I started to look at a new career path based on his counsel. I applied for a position with a national company. I was told that only 1 out of 200 who apply are hired. After working with the recruiter for several months he told me he wanted to hire me, but was prevented from doing so because of hiring quotas. He said they had to hire more women and minorities before they could hire me. He said to call him in six months or so.

I was very disappointed and told Heavenly Father how I felt. I wasn’t angry, but I was deeply concerned. I explained I was doing everything I could, and pleaded with Him for help.

Next morning, I opened the newspaper and began looking at the help wanted ads. I was reading an ad for a position in a company located in Denver, Co, when I heard a voice say to me, “you have a job”. It was a man’s voice, speaking audibility, just like we speak one to another. I looked up to see who was there. No one was. There was no feeling of the Spirit, just the voice. My wife was nearby, about 8 to 10 steps away, I asked her if she heard the voice. She hadn’t, and asked me what was going on. I told her, and we both marveled at what a occurred. I felt it was a ministering angel, possibility a member of the family who was sent to answer my many prayers offered over the years.

Later in the day I called the recruiter and told him that I was ready to go to work when there was an opening. He reminded me it might be quite a while before I could be hired. I told him I felt things would work out, and that I would look forward to hearing from him. Two weeks later he called, saying that he was completely blown away! He explained that he was able to hire me because the quotas had been unexpectedly filled in another state. Shortly thereafter I took a position with the company.

I’ve had many wondrous experiences with my Friend the Savior. He amazes me!

I’ve had a constant desire to tell others about my Friend and what He has done for me. I hope I can always be His friend. I don’t want to let Him down.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation… which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. Helaman 5:12

God Bless.

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Strengthening Faith by Throwing Off False an Incomplete Doctrine

Posted on by Jared

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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

Heavenly Father has revealed many things about himself. Among these revealed truths we learn one of His chief characteristics—“he is no respecter of persons”. The Lectures on Faith teaches in order, “to exercise faith in God we must first have ‘a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes’.” The prophet listed six of these, and number five says: “God is no respecter of persons, meaning that all his children in all ages will be taught the same gospel and granted the same privilege to enjoy its blessings.”

What does this bit of knowledge mean to you and me? What use is it—what can you do this very hour with this knowledge—to help you acquire greater faith? I’d like to offer a few ideas in answer to these questions.

Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “No member of the Church is esteemed by the Lord as more or less than any other…The Lord is ‘no respecter of persons.’” Boyd K. Packer, The Weak and the Simple of the Church, Ensign, Nov 2007, 6-9.

We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. He doesn’t love one person more than the other. The newest member of the church in a far away land has the same privilege as you or I, or as President Monson, to apply the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, and thereby begin the journey back to Father’s presence.

Each of us has equal access to the path. We may not be at the same place on the path, but we’re all promised the same blessings if we will be faithful.

Ideas mean something; especially revealed ones. They are powerful sources of faith when we understand and believe them. I hope that all of us will understand and believe that Heavenly Father is no respecter of persons, and that we’ll act on this revealed knowledge.

For example, this very moment, with the authority of this revealed truth, we can throw off some of our self imposed chains of untruth, and replace them with truth. If we have believed or assumed that because we are lacking in some area, we’re are not as acceptable to Heavenly Father as another, then we can unchain ourselves from this destructive falsehood.

I know of members who believe a high profile church calling makes them more acceptable to the Lord than those who have run of the mill callings. Others feel that if they weren’t born into the covenant, then they are lacking in comparison to those who were. Still others believe that education, personal appearance,  wealth, or notoriety of some kind, are symbols of those more beloved by Heavenly Father. The Book of Mormon addressing those of us who get entangled in these false ideas says, “humble followers of Christ…are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.” 2 Nephi 28:14

Let’s detect these errs and listen to the Lord’s counsel and believe Him when He says, “I Am No Respecter of Persons”.

Summary

To repeat what I said in the introduction. There are three kinds of doctrine: 1) true doctrine, 2) false doctrine, and 3) incomplete doctrine.

As a youth, the leaders and teachers that I listened to taught me “incomplete doctrine” without realizing it. They emphasized the blessings of being born in the covenant. However, they failed to teach that if one wasn’t born in the covenant the Lord provided temple work, so all could have access to the promised blessings.

All members of the church need to understand the doctrines of the church, especially the basic doctrines such as the Lord is no respecter of persons. It is vital that members understand the Lord’s character, otherwise, we will be led to err because of the precepts of men.

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Remember in all Things the Poor and the Needy, the Sick and the Afflicted

Posted on by Jared

Heavenly Father has said many things pertaining to the poor and needy, the sick and the afflicted. As followers of Christ he has make it clear what is required of us in order to be His disciples.

And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple. D&C 52:40

The emphasis the Savior puts on remembering the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted is important for His followers to grasp. One scripture in particular stands out from among all the others when the Lord says:

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40

The Savior equates serving the least among us with serving Him personally! I can’t think of a more powerful way of conveying the importance of this message to His followers.

In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord uses another personal reference to teach His principle of economics.

And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practise virtue and holiness before me.

And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.

For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?

Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine. D&C 38:24 – 27

Our Access to the Lord and the Gifts of the Spirit

To make the point about the importance of remembering the poor and needy, the sick and the afflicted the Lord moves the emphasis to our needs. In other words, He teaches His would be disciples that the blessings he has for us in this life are related to our dealings with the poor and needy, the sick and the afflicted:

Nevertheless, in your temporal things you shall be equal, and this not grudgingly, otherwise the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit shall be withheld. D&C 70:14

This scripture tells it like it is. We as a people do not enjoy an abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit. The reason for this is clearly explained in this verse.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson explains how Zion will eventually be established:

Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen. Ensign, Nov 2008, 37-40.

One more point that needs to be mentioned is found in Alma. The Lord teaches us about our prayers and how they can be in vain if we neglect our responsibility to those in need. For those whose prayers seem to go unanswered this might be a good place to begin the process of evaluating the reason the heavens appear closed:

…if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith. Alma 34:28

Summary and Conclusion

I acknowledge my need to improve in this area. One of the reasons I chose to write on this subject is to review the doctrines the Lord has provided those who would follow Him. Next, I have been asking myself what I can do to be more faithful in remembering the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. Following are a few ideas that I am working on—please add any ideas you would suggest in comments:

Pay a generous fast offering

Are there family members or relatives who have needs

Are there ward or branch members who have needs

Make a donation to those I hear about on the news who have suffered terrible tragedies in their life 

Make donations to selected charitable organization

Of course, this all needs to be done prayerfully and with wisdom.

Lastly, I’ll mention a few hurdles that I have experienced as I’ve tried to implement this plan and how I am working through them.

Paying fast offering is easy, but helping family members or relatives has been a challenge. I’m afraid that my “kindness” will backfire by giving the impression that I have money to give for the asking. To deal with this possibility I have given money anonymously to those who have the potential to misunderstand. To closer family members I have found that careful communication is the key to avoid difficulty and misunderstandings.

With church members I always give anonymously.

When I hear about a tragedy on the news I give through a bank or send it anonymously.

For charitable organization I check out there income expense ratio and give to those who are efficiently running their organization.

The amount of the donation is not as important as giving. I feel Heavenly Father respects are efforts and the amount shouldn’t deter us from giving, even if it is a few dollars. If many people give small amounts of money it greatly blesses the recipient.

At the beginning of each year I budget how much I can afford to give. Then it is my job to spend the money.

There are many other topics to discuss on this subject. I have just touched on a few.

…they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need. Alma 1:30

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Experiencing the Gospel Versus Intellectualizing the Gospel

Posted on by Jared

The doctrine of Christ as revealed in the Book of Mormon teaches church members how to experience the gospel; not just intellectualize it. 

The gospel is experienced when we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It is far more important to experience the gospel than it is to be a wise and learned gospel scholar. When we experience the gospel we understand it on a whole different level as compared to becoming just a gospel scholar.

What I’ve just said may sound like I’ve got things backwards, after all, doesn’t one need to understand the gospel before they experience it? Yes, there needs to be some basic understanding of the gospel. The following definition from Preach My Gospel, page 5, explains what one needs to understand and believe.

The Savior defined His gospel in terms of the following basic doctrines:

1.  He came into the world to do His Father’s will, and His Father sent Him into the world to be lifted up on the cross

2.  By His Atonement and Resurrection, all men will be lifted up to stand before Christ to be judged of their works, whether they be good or evil

3.  Those who exercise faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized in Christ’s name can be sanctified by the Holy Ghost

4.  If they endure to the end, they will stand spotless before Christ at the last day and will enter into the rest of the Lord. Christ will hold them guiltless before the Father. He will be their Mediator and Advocate

5.  Those who do not endure in faithfulness to the end will be “cast into the fire . . . because of the justice of the Father.”

With the knowledge contained in this definition, and a believing heart, the new or long time member of the church is prepared to fulfill their baptism covenant and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. After that, with the Spirit’s guidance, understanding the gospel in greater depth will come as one learns line upon line, and precepts upon precept.

The Lord is not pleased with those who are more interested in learning and teaching the gospel than they are in experiencing it. The Book of Mormon says there will be those who “shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:4). In another verse we learn that some among us “preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world” (2 Nephi 26:29).

Church members who turn the gospel into an academic exercise can be denied the Spirit. While those who apply the doctrine of Christ will experience the gospel by receiving manifestations of the Spirit.

Elder Richard G. Scott told of an experience he had while attending two classes during the block that illustrates my point.

“The first class was taught by a humble, unschooled, priesthood leader who struggled to communicate truths of the gospel. It was obvious they had touched his life profoundly. I felt his intense desire to communicate those principles because they would be of great worth to his brethren. In his manner there was evidence of a pure love of the Savior and love for those he taught. That love, sincerity, and purity of intent permitted a spirit to envelop the room. I was so touched that in addition to receiving again a witness of the truths he presented, I began to receive some personal impressions…Next I visited the Sunday School class, where a well-educated individual presented his lesson. That experience was a striking contrast to that of the priesthood meeting. It seemed as though the instructor had purposely chosen obscure references and unusual examples to illustrate the principles in the lesson. I will confess that I had the distinct impression that he was using the teaching opportunity to impress the class with his vast store of knowledge. He did not seem as intent on communicating truth as the humble priesthood leader had been.” 1

The Book of Mormon condemns the acquisition of knowledge when it leads to a prideful heart saying:

“…the wise, and learned…who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom…they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.” (2 Nephi 9:42).

The doctrine of Christ is the antidote for pride and every other form of ungodliness. The Book of Mormon can be the key to both experiencing and understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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[1] Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge, Richard G. Scott, BYU Devotional 17 August 1993.

 

 

 

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