First, let me make it abundantly clear that I do not like Obama or his communist policies. I would never vote for Obama even if he was the last man standing.
By the same token, just because Mitt Romney happens to share my faith and Mormon lifestyle, I will not vote for him. In this election I simply will not vote.
Although Mitt may seem like a sound alternative to Obama, he still doesn't exude the confidence of a commander in chief, the strategic thinking of a world leader, or the aura of a statesman. Let's put it this way: "Ronald Reagan" Mitt is not.
At best, he is a corporate bureaucrat with a sense of humor to match. I can't see him giving a Gorbachev the challenge to tear down walls the way Reagan did.
He comes across as timid, uncertain, and walks like a schoolboy. Bland, predictable, two-dimensional.
I am not sure I like the idea of a president who is concerned about fostering Israel's ideological war with Iran while at the same priming America's economy back to health. Spending money we don't have on proxy wars is nor going to help us get out of the mess we are in. And agreeing to the passage of the NDAA without debate on new year's eve telegraphs to me that he is all for duping the American public.
There are other reasons I don't like Romney.
Clearly, if Mitt is not speaking against global interventionism and nation-building adventurism, then he is all for it.
If Mitt is not speaking against the crippling effect of the Federal Reserve, then he must want more of the same.
And if he is not saying a word about the IRS, then he is for a collection apparatus that serves the ruling families of the world.
In short, Mitt is more aligned with globalist agendas than with the safeguarding the Constitution of the United States of America. And for this reason he is in my eyes a persona non grata.
A leader must galvanize. Mitt disengages.
I remember seeing him on the David Letterman show exiting the stage. He simply walked out. He didn't stop to smile, wave to the audience or point back to David. Just a quick exit, as if to say "get me out of here".
I will never understand how his lackluster town hall meetings (compared to Ron Paul's mass gatherings) could win him so many delegates. I suspect the machinery that regulates elections ensured that Ron Paul would not win. This is clearly a case of the tail wagging the dog, and one more reason I am not voting for Mitt.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Deserts of Our Life
"To make the desert blossom like the rose".
That's what the pioneers accomplished in the deserts of Utah. Modern-day Israel also made its deserts blossom.
Deserts holds special significance in our lives. There is something purifying about a desert. It's barren parched ground symbolizes a clean slate, a new start. Some will see obstacles when shown a desert. Others will see only opportunity.
When we think of deserts the story of Moses traveling forty days through the desert comes to mind, or the story of the Israelites traveling forty years through the desert before entering the promised land. For forty years the desert purged a generation of unbelievers. How can we forget the story of Jesus fasting forty days in the desert. What transforming empowerment took place there?
Then, in the Book of Mormon, the very first account is of Lehi and his family leaving all their riches behind in Jerusalem as it was about to be destroyed, and traveling through the desert.
The deserts of our life will come and when they come we will abandoned and terrified. In the quietness of the desert we can hear God's whisper resonate more loudly. The voices clamoring for our attention can no longer be heard.
A desert is a sacred place where inner transformation takes place beyond the sight of others. When we let God plant seeds in our desert we can begin to truly blossom, in ways we never imagined.
This view of the parched desert, is not shared by the pundits of New Age philosophies. Their paradigm does not entertain the idea of entering deserts. Quite the contrary. Their ideal expression of transformation is to bypass all deserts, at all costs and visualize only abundance.
Herein lies in stark contrast the difference between God's ways and the World's ways. Just like Satan who tempted Jesus with power and dominion, so the world promises us today power and dominion without inner transformation. World of powerful, dominating egotists is hardly the ideal tableau we should be envisioning.
Yet, God in his infinite wisdom, will make us blossom as the rose after we have been purged. This produces a different kind of world filled with people who are far more concerned about the well-being of others than their own, because they have known privations.
The fork in the road ahead will take you to two destinations: the desert and the fertile valley. Which will you chose?
But, then there is also another choice you can make. There are various kinds of deserts from hot and dry, to cold, semi-arid and coastal. My preference is always "coastal".
That's what the pioneers accomplished in the deserts of Utah. Modern-day Israel also made its deserts blossom.
Deserts holds special significance in our lives. There is something purifying about a desert. It's barren parched ground symbolizes a clean slate, a new start. Some will see obstacles when shown a desert. Others will see only opportunity.
When we think of deserts the story of Moses traveling forty days through the desert comes to mind, or the story of the Israelites traveling forty years through the desert before entering the promised land. For forty years the desert purged a generation of unbelievers. How can we forget the story of Jesus fasting forty days in the desert. What transforming empowerment took place there?
Then, in the Book of Mormon, the very first account is of Lehi and his family leaving all their riches behind in Jerusalem as it was about to be destroyed, and traveling through the desert.
The deserts of our life will come and when they come we will abandoned and terrified. In the quietness of the desert we can hear God's whisper resonate more loudly. The voices clamoring for our attention can no longer be heard.
A desert is a sacred place where inner transformation takes place beyond the sight of others. When we let God plant seeds in our desert we can begin to truly blossom, in ways we never imagined.
This view of the parched desert, is not shared by the pundits of New Age philosophies. Their paradigm does not entertain the idea of entering deserts. Quite the contrary. Their ideal expression of transformation is to bypass all deserts, at all costs and visualize only abundance.
Herein lies in stark contrast the difference between God's ways and the World's ways. Just like Satan who tempted Jesus with power and dominion, so the world promises us today power and dominion without inner transformation. World of powerful, dominating egotists is hardly the ideal tableau we should be envisioning.
Yet, God in his infinite wisdom, will make us blossom as the rose after we have been purged. This produces a different kind of world filled with people who are far more concerned about the well-being of others than their own, because they have known privations.
The fork in the road ahead will take you to two destinations: the desert and the fertile valley. Which will you chose?
But, then there is also another choice you can make. There are various kinds of deserts from hot and dry, to cold, semi-arid and coastal. My preference is always "coastal".
Friday, July 27, 2012
To Know God is Eternal Life
This above all, perhaps, sums up the essence of our Faith: to know God.
How?
Knowing God is for some as an alien a notion as traveling to outer space. Can it be done, and how?
When God and His Son appeared to Joseph Smith, they appeared as glorified beings of flesh and bones. This epiphany countered to centuries-old belief that God was a force, a phantom, or a universal presence. It is this belief in an incarnate glorified God that sets Latter-Day Saints apart.
We don't expect to see God in this lifetime. Of course, to see Him, touch Him and speak to Him face to face would no longer require faith on our part. We would have sure knowledge of His existence. And that is the reason we are better to not Know him in this manner. A sure knowledge would no longer work faith in us. And what faith we sometimes need to press forward in this life!
Faith, like a muscle, grows only in the absence of evidence. And interestingly enough, when we see our life unfold and can sense God's influence in it, we are more likely to see our faith grow. Faith combined with a clean lifestyle allows us to accomplish much more.
Knowing God therefore is a matter of witnessing His influence in our life, and above all seeing the transformation in our character. Character is like steel. It has different tensile strengths in different people. When steel is tested, it is placed under enormous stress to see if it will break. The blade of a Samurai's sword goes through extensive heating and testing before it is deemed fit for a warrior. And so it is with a character anchored in faith.
How easily will your character break?
When you end up losing everything, as Job did in the Bible, what will your character be made of? Will you curse God and die? Or will you praise His name even during the deepest trials that shape you?
It is through those trials, and the injustices that are heaped upon us that we get to know God's Son, Jesus Christ. For He also suffered the same injustices. And so, if the Son of God who is the hallmark of Love and Purity suffered them, then who are we to complain about our own sufferings? It is exactly those sufferings that help us know God better. In fact, we become His friends.
In the final analysis to know God is to want to be like Him. And to want to be like Him qualifies us to enter into His presence and have Eternal Life. This does not happen in a moment. It takes redoubling of effort in times of weakness, a resolve to hang on when one's moorings drift away, and the patience of Job.
How?
Knowing God is for some as an alien a notion as traveling to outer space. Can it be done, and how?
When God and His Son appeared to Joseph Smith, they appeared as glorified beings of flesh and bones. This epiphany countered to centuries-old belief that God was a force, a phantom, or a universal presence. It is this belief in an incarnate glorified God that sets Latter-Day Saints apart.
We don't expect to see God in this lifetime. Of course, to see Him, touch Him and speak to Him face to face would no longer require faith on our part. We would have sure knowledge of His existence. And that is the reason we are better to not Know him in this manner. A sure knowledge would no longer work faith in us. And what faith we sometimes need to press forward in this life!
Faith, like a muscle, grows only in the absence of evidence. And interestingly enough, when we see our life unfold and can sense God's influence in it, we are more likely to see our faith grow. Faith combined with a clean lifestyle allows us to accomplish much more.
Knowing God therefore is a matter of witnessing His influence in our life, and above all seeing the transformation in our character. Character is like steel. It has different tensile strengths in different people. When steel is tested, it is placed under enormous stress to see if it will break. The blade of a Samurai's sword goes through extensive heating and testing before it is deemed fit for a warrior. And so it is with a character anchored in faith.
How easily will your character break?
When you end up losing everything, as Job did in the Bible, what will your character be made of? Will you curse God and die? Or will you praise His name even during the deepest trials that shape you?
It is through those trials, and the injustices that are heaped upon us that we get to know God's Son, Jesus Christ. For He also suffered the same injustices. And so, if the Son of God who is the hallmark of Love and Purity suffered them, then who are we to complain about our own sufferings? It is exactly those sufferings that help us know God better. In fact, we become His friends.
In the final analysis to know God is to want to be like Him. And to want to be like Him qualifies us to enter into His presence and have Eternal Life. This does not happen in a moment. It takes redoubling of effort in times of weakness, a resolve to hang on when one's moorings drift away, and the patience of Job.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Trappings of Wealth
Often we ask: why do those with the least amount of faith in God enjoy so much material wealth? The flip side of that question, coming from the non-believers camp, would be: why do those with the least amount of material wealth enjoy so much peace and joy?
Our life's journey is but a moment compared to Eternity. While some measure success by the material possessions, others measure it by the serenity and meaning they find in life. In fact, the greatest is "wealth". The book of Mormon is replete with examples of a society run a muck because it had too much wealth.
If wealth should be bestowed on us, heaven help us. Yet, wealth is the final and perhaps only real test. For when can we be given an opportunity to bless those in need, if not when we are wealthy?
When can we remember to be modest, than when we are prosperous? What better time to demonstrate our gratitude to God than when we have been blessed with a surplus?
And yet, history has shown that wealth is the final stumbling block which causes many to falter and perish in their selfishness and greed. For this reason the Savior said: "it is easier for a Camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into Heaven. Yet with God all things are possible."
There is no greatness without humility and paradoxically, no humility without greatness. For a great primer on wealth and its destructive force one has to look no further than the Book of Mormon. Helaman Chapter 12 gives a concise summation of our natural inclinations, and of God's boundless love for us.
It is not as though God does not want us to have wealth. Quite the contrary. But, He knows that few can handle abundance. And it is for this reason that abundance without an eternal perspective is a recipe for disaster.
Our life's journey is but a moment compared to Eternity. While some measure success by the material possessions, others measure it by the serenity and meaning they find in life. In fact, the greatest is "wealth". The book of Mormon is replete with examples of a society run a muck because it had too much wealth.
If wealth should be bestowed on us, heaven help us. Yet, wealth is the final and perhaps only real test. For when can we be given an opportunity to bless those in need, if not when we are wealthy?
When can we remember to be modest, than when we are prosperous? What better time to demonstrate our gratitude to God than when we have been blessed with a surplus?
And yet, history has shown that wealth is the final stumbling block which causes many to falter and perish in their selfishness and greed. For this reason the Savior said: "it is easier for a Camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into Heaven. Yet with God all things are possible."
There is no greatness without humility and paradoxically, no humility without greatness. For a great primer on wealth and its destructive force one has to look no further than the Book of Mormon. Helaman Chapter 12 gives a concise summation of our natural inclinations, and of God's boundless love for us.
It is not as though God does not want us to have wealth. Quite the contrary. But, He knows that few can handle abundance. And it is for this reason that abundance without an eternal perspective is a recipe for disaster.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
The Ensignia of my Faith
We have all seen Nascar races. The cars are emblazoned with the decals and logos of their sponsors. It's not much different when we become members of the Church of Jesus Christ, One of the covenants we make at the waters of baptism is to take on the name of Jesus Christ. To take on His name is really to say to the world "this is who I represent, and the person to who I look to fir support".
At times when all seems lost, when perils and storms gather in the horizon, we have only one person to look towards for relief. The Savior's atonement is more than just a payment for our sins. It is also an umbrage of relief in our sorest trials. Our despair, our losses, our barren present can be supplanted with hope, equanimity, focus on eternal goals which reach far beyond this temporary heap of accidents we all come to experience in life.
It is as thought some of us had asked for the heavier tests, the tougher races, the greatest possible afflictions that our faith in our Sponsor may be tested. After all, what is a race without a sponsor?
At times when all seems lost, when perils and storms gather in the horizon, we have only one person to look towards for relief. The Savior's atonement is more than just a payment for our sins. It is also an umbrage of relief in our sorest trials. Our despair, our losses, our barren present can be supplanted with hope, equanimity, focus on eternal goals which reach far beyond this temporary heap of accidents we all come to experience in life.
It is as thought some of us had asked for the heavier tests, the tougher races, the greatest possible afflictions that our faith in our Sponsor may be tested. After all, what is a race without a sponsor?
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
After Life Views
In 1971 I fell in love with a girl (we'll call her Linda - not her real name). She was also a LDS and we were the same age. We dated for a year and then I went on my mission for two years to France and Switzerland. She went on the get her Masters in Psychology and eventually left the Church.
The years passed but we kept in touch. Every so often, we would write to keep each other posted. She got into New Age, ascended masters, guardian angels, animal spirits, and spirit travel. Last month we connected again by email.
She hasn't changed much. She is still insular with her beliefs, but she asked me a thought provoking question which I think merits discussing. She wanted to know what I thought happens to us after we die. In particular, whether we end up as atom-like forms of energy and are swallowed up in the enormity of the universe. I suppose if that would make her happy, perhaps that is the way she should end up.
How would you like the movie to end? For me, I would like to be with my parents again. I would also like to visit my relatives, grandparents, forefathers and fore-mothers, historical figures and God. I wold also like to be be able to do that in a perfect, immortal body. I derive a great deal of sensual and emotional pleasure from my body and I think a perfected body would only accentuate those sensations.
I do concede with her that we are all energy, that even plants have a conscience and that in order for us to truly understand the "nature" of things we would eventually need to be "one" with them, as in part of the sun, a tree, and a host of other things that interest us.
We believe that the glory of God is intelligence and that there is nothing that we cannot know after we pass on. Our learning is eternal, and as long as we thirst for knowledge, it will be made available to us.
Of course, nothing would be possible without a perfect body that could at once penetrate all matter and yet remain immortal. For this we must thank Jesus Christ for the gift of the resurrection. Central to any kind of eternal progression is the perfect mission of him we call our Savior.
Needless to say, many will disagree.
The years passed but we kept in touch. Every so often, we would write to keep each other posted. She got into New Age, ascended masters, guardian angels, animal spirits, and spirit travel. Last month we connected again by email.
She hasn't changed much. She is still insular with her beliefs, but she asked me a thought provoking question which I think merits discussing. She wanted to know what I thought happens to us after we die. In particular, whether we end up as atom-like forms of energy and are swallowed up in the enormity of the universe. I suppose if that would make her happy, perhaps that is the way she should end up.
How would you like the movie to end? For me, I would like to be with my parents again. I would also like to visit my relatives, grandparents, forefathers and fore-mothers, historical figures and God. I wold also like to be be able to do that in a perfect, immortal body. I derive a great deal of sensual and emotional pleasure from my body and I think a perfected body would only accentuate those sensations.
I do concede with her that we are all energy, that even plants have a conscience and that in order for us to truly understand the "nature" of things we would eventually need to be "one" with them, as in part of the sun, a tree, and a host of other things that interest us.
We believe that the glory of God is intelligence and that there is nothing that we cannot know after we pass on. Our learning is eternal, and as long as we thirst for knowledge, it will be made available to us.
Of course, nothing would be possible without a perfect body that could at once penetrate all matter and yet remain immortal. For this we must thank Jesus Christ for the gift of the resurrection. Central to any kind of eternal progression is the perfect mission of him we call our Savior.
Needless to say, many will disagree.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The 4-fold mission of the Church
It used to be, up until a year ago, that the Church had a three-fold mission. The additional fourth element is proof that the Church is not stagnant or monolithic, but a resilient and adaptable organization in an ever-changing world. I am quoting from The Church News below:
1. Missionary work
An invitation to "come unto Christ" is the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature" (Doctrine and Covenants 84:62).
"The joys and blessings of serving a full-time mission are so personally sacred, they are hard to express adequately. Thirty-five years after I served my first mission, I received a letter from a family whom I had taught but did not baptize. The letter shared that their family of four little children whom I once knew now consisted of four temple marriages, three full-time missionaries, three bishops, a Relief Society president, and a dozen grandchildren maturing and developing in the gospel. You can well imagine the thrill and joy I received knowing that I had helped to find them and to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ." — Elder Earl C. Tingey, April 1998 General Conference.
Shortly after the Church was organized in April 1830, the first formal missionary activity began. A brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Samuel H. Smith, traveled through neighboring towns in New York with copies of the newly published Book of Mormon.
Today there are over 52,000 missionaries serving in 348 missions (reported as of December 2007).
Each mission is an ecclesiastical unit of the Church in a designated geographic area and is presided over by a mission president who serves full-time for three years. Each missionary serves for up to two years. This service is voluntary with missionaries and their families generally pay the costs of serving.
Missionaries use the scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) to teach persons interested in the Church. Missionaries also use a Church publication, "Preach my Gospel" to guide their efforts.
Preparation for missionary service begins in the home as children are taught and begin living basic principles and doctrines of the Church. Unmarried men, ages 19-25, and unmarried women, ages 21-39, may be called to serve missions of 18 or 24 months. Older members and married couples often serve missions of 12 or 18 months.
Once assigned to a mission, a missionary receives on-the-job instruction from a senior companion or other mission leaders. A missionary's daily endeavor includes studying scriptures, seeking and teaching those interested in the Church and providing service to others.
People interested in the Church are encouraged to read and study the gospel and to pray concerning the messages they receive from missionaries. They are also encouraged to attend Church meetings and begin living the principles of the gospel prior to being baptized and confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
"Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
"For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
"And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work." — Doctrine and Covenants 4:1-5
I can never forget the experiences I had in my mission. This work is divine and true. If people will forget their prejudices and after reading and pondering the Book of Mormon Will ask God if it true, and ask with a sincere heart, they will have their answer from God.
2. Perfecting the Saints
3. Redeeming our Ancestors
Not everyone born into this world had a chance to be baptized by someone holding the Legitimate Authority (Priesthood Authority). Since baptism is an essential ordinance in achieving salvation, it is possible to baptize by proxy those who have gone before us. This is done in Temples.
For members of the Church, the temple is a central focus of worship where members participate in sacred ordinances and solemn covenants are made in the name of Jesus Christ. Members attending the temple are taught the organizing principles of the universe. According to LDS authors, the temple is a model, a presentation in figurative terms, of the pattern and journey of life on earth.
Within each temple, special areas are designated for specific ordinances such as baptisms for ancestors, washing and anointing, receiving one's endowment, and where temple marriages and sealings are solemnized for the living, and vicariously for our ancestors.
Once a temple is dedicated, entrance is restricted to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who present a temple recommend (issued by their local Church leaders) for entrance. Members do not discuss details about temple ceremonies outside of the temple as these ordinances are considered sacred. Temples are not open on Sunday as the Sabbath Day is reserved for worshipping the Lord in local meetinghouses or in homes.
"There are many reasons one should want to come to the temple. Even its external appearance seems to hint of its deeply spiritual purposes. This is much more evident within its walls. Over the door to the temple appears the tribute "Holiness to the Lord." When you enter any dedicated temple, you are in the house of the Lord.
In the temples, members of the Church who make themselves eligible can participate in the most exalted of the redeeming ordinances that have been revealed to mankind. There, in a sacred ceremony, an individual may be washed and anointed and instructed and endowed and sealed. And when we have received these blessings for ourselves, we may officiate for those who have died without having had the same opportunity. In the temples sacred ordinances are performed for the living and for the dead alike." ("The Holy Temple", President Boyd K. Packer, Complete Article At lds.org).
And finally the fourth mission of the Church which was recently added to the list is Humanitarian Work. Increasingly, the Church is involved in sending relief to disaster-stricken areas around the world.
Emergency Response is the part of the LDS Church’s humanitarian efforts of which most people are aware. Funds and supplies in this area are used to help victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes, as well as other disasters such as wars or political unrest. Supplies in this area are gathered and stored before a crisis so supplies can be sent literally within hours of an emergency. Volunteers are also on call so if they are needed they can be reached and organized within a few hours. The LDS Church is renowned for its ability to organize its members in various regions of the world to respond to emergency and facilitate distributing goods immediately after a crisis, often before aid programs such as the Red Cross or the Salvation Army come to assist. In 2008, the LDS Church responded to 124 disasters in 48 countries.
Wheelchair Distribution is another program of the LDS Church crucial to helping those in need. Studies estimate that only one percent of the disabled in the world have wheelchairs. For the rest, being without a wheelchair means for adults that they can not provide for themselves or their families, and for children it often means not being able to attend school. By providing wheelchairs to those in need, the LDS Church hopes to help people become more self-reliant which is an important tenant of LDS beliefs.
The Clean Water Service provides clean water and wells to people who otherwise would most likely contract deadly diseases because of the dirty water. It is estimated that one billion people lack clean water. The clean water program is designed to partner with local community agencies to provide sustainable clean water.
The Neonatal Resuscitation program sends doctors and volunteers to areas where infant mortality rate is high. They are able to teach people in the area how to resuscitate newborns as well as provide simple medical equipment. This service is greatly needed as it is estimated that nearly 1 million newborns die each year due to birth difficulties. Up to 10% of newborns have breathing difficulties.
The Vision Treatment Training program teaches facilities and medical personnel in developing countries how to treat preventable or reversible blindness. There are 37 million people in the world who are blind, and up to 75 % of blindness is treatable. The vision care program works with local vision health care centers to help treat and prevent blindness for the poor.
In addition to these efforts, the LDS Church also has over 300 job development and placement centers around the world. In 2001, the LDS Church began the Perpetual Education Fund which provides money to cover tuition and other school expenses to people in developing nations. As of 2007, tens of thousands of individuals had been given assistance. So far this program has operated primarily in South America and Oceana. The LDS Church has also begun producing a nutrition-rich porridge named ATMIT to help during acute famines. The LDS Church Welfare program owns farms, ranches, canneries, and other food producing facilities to provide temporary food relief for families and individuals. LDS Humanitarian Services frequently works with other charities and NGOs such as the Red Cross, Catholic charities and even various Islamic charities for which the LDS Church has produced Halaal food.
The Church is also committed to teaching its members the principles of Provident Living and Self-Reliance. Spirituality is just as much a matter of self-dignity from being able to care for one's own current and unexpected future needs as it is about worshiping God on Sunday or serving our fellow-men. In fact, it is safe to say, that without self-dignity the task of assisting others and worshiping God becomes much more difficult.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strive to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison (see Matthew 25:35–36).
The Church sponsors humanitarian relief and development projects around the world that benefit those of other faiths. These projects include emergency relief assistance in times of disaster and programs that strengthen the self-reliance of individuals, families, and communities.
Hundreds of full-time Church volunteers with skills and experience in education, agriculture, social work, business, and medicine serve throughout the world as part of these humanitarian projects.
The Church conducts humanitarian activities worldwide. From 1985 to 2007 Humanitarian Services provided more than $1.01 billion in total assistance to needy individuals in 165 countries.
I would propose that the Church has even a 5th mission, which would be simply to Inspire through the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The choir is currently seeking new members to join it. Here is the official advertisement.
1. Missionary work
An invitation to "come unto Christ" is the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature" (Doctrine and Covenants 84:62).
"The joys and blessings of serving a full-time mission are so personally sacred, they are hard to express adequately. Thirty-five years after I served my first mission, I received a letter from a family whom I had taught but did not baptize. The letter shared that their family of four little children whom I once knew now consisted of four temple marriages, three full-time missionaries, three bishops, a Relief Society president, and a dozen grandchildren maturing and developing in the gospel. You can well imagine the thrill and joy I received knowing that I had helped to find them and to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ." — Elder Earl C. Tingey, April 1998 General Conference.
Shortly after the Church was organized in April 1830, the first formal missionary activity began. A brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Samuel H. Smith, traveled through neighboring towns in New York with copies of the newly published Book of Mormon.
Today there are over 52,000 missionaries serving in 348 missions (reported as of December 2007).
Each mission is an ecclesiastical unit of the Church in a designated geographic area and is presided over by a mission president who serves full-time for three years. Each missionary serves for up to two years. This service is voluntary with missionaries and their families generally pay the costs of serving.
Missionaries use the scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) to teach persons interested in the Church. Missionaries also use a Church publication, "Preach my Gospel" to guide their efforts.
Preparation for missionary service begins in the home as children are taught and begin living basic principles and doctrines of the Church. Unmarried men, ages 19-25, and unmarried women, ages 21-39, may be called to serve missions of 18 or 24 months. Older members and married couples often serve missions of 12 or 18 months.
Once assigned to a mission, a missionary receives on-the-job instruction from a senior companion or other mission leaders. A missionary's daily endeavor includes studying scriptures, seeking and teaching those interested in the Church and providing service to others.
People interested in the Church are encouraged to read and study the gospel and to pray concerning the messages they receive from missionaries. They are also encouraged to attend Church meetings and begin living the principles of the gospel prior to being baptized and confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
"Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
"For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
"And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work." — Doctrine and Covenants 4:1-5
I can never forget the experiences I had in my mission. This work is divine and true. If people will forget their prejudices and after reading and pondering the Book of Mormon Will ask God if it true, and ask with a sincere heart, they will have their answer from God.
2. Perfecting the Saints
The
Church of Jesus Christ was established in the meridian of time and
reestablished in this dispensation for two great purposes: first, to
proclaim the truth concerning man’s salvation to all the world, and
second, to perfect those who accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To
accomplish the first objective—to take the gospel to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints is engaged in a worldwide missionary effort, with approximately
150 missions and 25,000 full-time missionaries. With additional
thousands of stake and district missionaries, and with the “every member
a missionary” program becoming more effective, the Church is growing at
an accelerated rate.
With
reference to the perfecting of the Saints, the Savior has asked us to
become perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. (See Matt 5:48)
In modern revelation we are told that we “are not able to abide the
presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore,
continue in patience until ye are perfected." (D&C 67:13).
To
accomplish the second objective, the perfecting of the Saints, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides opportunities for
all members to become involved in many different kinds of activities
that develop them mentally, morally, physically, and spiritually in the
perfection process.
A high percentage of the members of the Church are active in the perfection process and are being blessed in many ways.
3. Redeeming our Ancestors
Not everyone born into this world had a chance to be baptized by someone holding the Legitimate Authority (Priesthood Authority). Since baptism is an essential ordinance in achieving salvation, it is possible to baptize by proxy those who have gone before us. This is done in Temples.
For members of the Church, the temple is a central focus of worship where members participate in sacred ordinances and solemn covenants are made in the name of Jesus Christ. Members attending the temple are taught the organizing principles of the universe. According to LDS authors, the temple is a model, a presentation in figurative terms, of the pattern and journey of life on earth.
Within each temple, special areas are designated for specific ordinances such as baptisms for ancestors, washing and anointing, receiving one's endowment, and where temple marriages and sealings are solemnized for the living, and vicariously for our ancestors.
Once a temple is dedicated, entrance is restricted to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who present a temple recommend (issued by their local Church leaders) for entrance. Members do not discuss details about temple ceremonies outside of the temple as these ordinances are considered sacred. Temples are not open on Sunday as the Sabbath Day is reserved for worshipping the Lord in local meetinghouses or in homes.
"There are many reasons one should want to come to the temple. Even its external appearance seems to hint of its deeply spiritual purposes. This is much more evident within its walls. Over the door to the temple appears the tribute "Holiness to the Lord." When you enter any dedicated temple, you are in the house of the Lord.
In the temples, members of the Church who make themselves eligible can participate in the most exalted of the redeeming ordinances that have been revealed to mankind. There, in a sacred ceremony, an individual may be washed and anointed and instructed and endowed and sealed. And when we have received these blessings for ourselves, we may officiate for those who have died without having had the same opportunity. In the temples sacred ordinances are performed for the living and for the dead alike." ("The Holy Temple", President Boyd K. Packer, Complete Article At lds.org).
And finally the fourth mission of the Church which was recently added to the list is Humanitarian Work. Increasingly, the Church is involved in sending relief to disaster-stricken areas around the world.
Emergency Response is the part of the LDS Church’s humanitarian efforts of which most people are aware. Funds and supplies in this area are used to help victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes, as well as other disasters such as wars or political unrest. Supplies in this area are gathered and stored before a crisis so supplies can be sent literally within hours of an emergency. Volunteers are also on call so if they are needed they can be reached and organized within a few hours. The LDS Church is renowned for its ability to organize its members in various regions of the world to respond to emergency and facilitate distributing goods immediately after a crisis, often before aid programs such as the Red Cross or the Salvation Army come to assist. In 2008, the LDS Church responded to 124 disasters in 48 countries.
Wheelchair Distribution is another program of the LDS Church crucial to helping those in need. Studies estimate that only one percent of the disabled in the world have wheelchairs. For the rest, being without a wheelchair means for adults that they can not provide for themselves or their families, and for children it often means not being able to attend school. By providing wheelchairs to those in need, the LDS Church hopes to help people become more self-reliant which is an important tenant of LDS beliefs.
The Clean Water Service provides clean water and wells to people who otherwise would most likely contract deadly diseases because of the dirty water. It is estimated that one billion people lack clean water. The clean water program is designed to partner with local community agencies to provide sustainable clean water.
The Neonatal Resuscitation program sends doctors and volunteers to areas where infant mortality rate is high. They are able to teach people in the area how to resuscitate newborns as well as provide simple medical equipment. This service is greatly needed as it is estimated that nearly 1 million newborns die each year due to birth difficulties. Up to 10% of newborns have breathing difficulties.
The Vision Treatment Training program teaches facilities and medical personnel in developing countries how to treat preventable or reversible blindness. There are 37 million people in the world who are blind, and up to 75 % of blindness is treatable. The vision care program works with local vision health care centers to help treat and prevent blindness for the poor.
In addition to these efforts, the LDS Church also has over 300 job development and placement centers around the world. In 2001, the LDS Church began the Perpetual Education Fund which provides money to cover tuition and other school expenses to people in developing nations. As of 2007, tens of thousands of individuals had been given assistance. So far this program has operated primarily in South America and Oceana. The LDS Church has also begun producing a nutrition-rich porridge named ATMIT to help during acute famines. The LDS Church Welfare program owns farms, ranches, canneries, and other food producing facilities to provide temporary food relief for families and individuals. LDS Humanitarian Services frequently works with other charities and NGOs such as the Red Cross, Catholic charities and even various Islamic charities for which the LDS Church has produced Halaal food.
The Church is also committed to teaching its members the principles of Provident Living and Self-Reliance. Spirituality is just as much a matter of self-dignity from being able to care for one's own current and unexpected future needs as it is about worshiping God on Sunday or serving our fellow-men. In fact, it is safe to say, that without self-dignity the task of assisting others and worshiping God becomes much more difficult.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strive to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison (see Matthew 25:35–36).
The Church sponsors humanitarian relief and development projects around the world that benefit those of other faiths. These projects include emergency relief assistance in times of disaster and programs that strengthen the self-reliance of individuals, families, and communities.
Hundreds of full-time Church volunteers with skills and experience in education, agriculture, social work, business, and medicine serve throughout the world as part of these humanitarian projects.
The Church conducts humanitarian activities worldwide. From 1985 to 2007 Humanitarian Services provided more than $1.01 billion in total assistance to needy individuals in 165 countries.
I would propose that the Church has even a 5th mission, which would be simply to Inspire through the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The choir is currently seeking new members to join it. Here is the official advertisement.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Secret & Reality
Life is all about values we choose to champion.
There is a big market for making people's dreams come true. It goes by different names, but the premise is that if a person simply fulfills conditions A, B & C his wish will come true.
It's a bit like having your own genie. I like to compare it to an ATM machine. Just punch in the right password and you can access the money.
Let's not make any mistake about it, it really boils down to the MONEY. Everyone wants more of it and will find any way possible to cut corners to get it...legally, of course. When money becomes the ultimate goal, other values take second seat.
Values like character, family, patriotism, and altruism all fade into irrelevance. It may be true that visualizing a desire long enough, or "attracting" good fortune mystically works every time. If that is the case, then one could attract only good times into one's life. Good times, care-free living, a life filled with pleasure are all symptomatic of a world addicted to self-gratification.
But, we know from experience that character is forged in adversity, not in good times. Deprivation and suffering are what make us stronger, define us. So, you can see there is a conflict here. If character is the measure of success, then asking for good times and for endless worry-free living is really counterproductive. Becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will forge your character. I can personally guarantee it.
Living the standards of the Church is not going to produce the password to instant riches. The Church is not an ATM machine. It's more of an incubator for inner transformation. As I mentioned in my last post, we consider transformation into a god-like person to be the ultimate achievement in life. It's a fact that many bad people enjoy very comfortable lives, and some very good people suffer through unspeakable trials. In the final analysis, it's not who has the most toys at the end of this journey that wins. After all, we came into this world with nothing and will leave with nothing.
It's a bit like having your own genie. I like to compare it to an ATM machine. Just punch in the right password and you can access the money.
Let's not make any mistake about it, it really boils down to the MONEY. Everyone wants more of it and will find any way possible to cut corners to get it...legally, of course. When money becomes the ultimate goal, other values take second seat.
Values like character, family, patriotism, and altruism all fade into irrelevance. It may be true that visualizing a desire long enough, or "attracting" good fortune mystically works every time. If that is the case, then one could attract only good times into one's life. Good times, care-free living, a life filled with pleasure are all symptomatic of a world addicted to self-gratification.
But, we know from experience that character is forged in adversity, not in good times. Deprivation and suffering are what make us stronger, define us. So, you can see there is a conflict here. If character is the measure of success, then asking for good times and for endless worry-free living is really counterproductive. Becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will forge your character. I can personally guarantee it.
Living the standards of the Church is not going to produce the password to instant riches. The Church is not an ATM machine. It's more of an incubator for inner transformation. As I mentioned in my last post, we consider transformation into a god-like person to be the ultimate achievement in life. It's a fact that many bad people enjoy very comfortable lives, and some very good people suffer through unspeakable trials. In the final analysis, it's not who has the most toys at the end of this journey that wins. After all, we came into this world with nothing and will leave with nothing.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Growth of the Church
I wanted to include this video just to show you how the Church has been spreading since it was founded in 1830. A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations. A stake is approximately comparable to a deanery in the Catholic Church, or perhaps to a diocese. The name "stake" derives from the verse "[e]nlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes" (Isaiah 54:2). A stake is sometimes referred to as a Stake of Zion.
What does that mean? It means as more people live chaste, honest, decent lives, more neighborhoods are becoming peaceful havens for families to raise their children.
It means more people will be more concerned about the welfare of their neighbors.
It means more people are free of habits like smoking and alcohol.
It means fewer pregnancies out of wedlock.
It means more people becoming self-reliant.
It means stronger more loving families.
The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints is more than just another Christian denomination. Is is the original Church of Jesus Christ restored to earth in these latter days in preparation to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
The Church operates several agencies:
- An Employment Agency
- LDS Family Services
- Addiction Recovery Program
- An Adoption Agency
- Worldwide Charities
- Worldwide Storehouses
- Deseret Management Corporation
- Beneficial Financial Group
- Bonneville International
- Bonneville Communications
- Bonneville Satellite
- 29 Radio Stations
- KSL TV
- Deseret Book
- Excel Entertainment
- Deseret Morning News
- Hawaii Reserves
- Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC)
- Mstar.net
- Temple Square Hospitality
- Lion House Pantry
- The Roof Restaurant
- The Garden Restaurant
- Passages Restaurant
- Zions Securities Corporation
- Ensign Peak Advisors
- Deseret Land and Livestock
- Brigham Young University (BYU)
- BYU - Idaho
- BYU - Hawaii
- LDS Business College
This conference address by former President of the Church, President Gordon B. Hinckley, explains it best.
www.Hypersmash.com
Google+
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Transformation from Within
Imagine a world dominated by superstition, false dogma, stigma, and taboo. A world where the only thing that matters is blind obedience, under penalty of death. It's not very hard to imagine. Throughout history many empires and religions have risen and fallen using force. Force to maintain political control always fails in the end. It's either overthrown from below (by the people it tries to control) or from above (by more powerful forces). The result is still the same. Force does not create peace.
What creates peace? Truth. Internalized truth. What is truth? Truth is a way of being that creates peace within and without. Transformation, also called "repentance", is about changing from within....permanently.
Let's take some examples:
If one has the desire to steal or cheat others, that desire is lost and replaced with a desire to be totally honest.
If one has the desire to lust after the opposite sex, to practice all forms of carnal acts, that desire is replaced with a desire to think only pure, uplifting thoughts.
If one has the desire to be materialistic, to live for the next pleasure, to value only possessions, to think only about gain and profit, that desire is replaced with a desire to serve others.
If one's only desire it to make others feel inferior, that desire is replaced with a desire to make others feel cherished and wanted.
If one has the desire to get even with those who harm him, that desire is replaced with a desire to forgive even his most bitter enemies, and to do good to them that persecute him.
When we think of 'love', we think in terms of loving our children, spouse, extended family, and friends. This is our human condition.
But...and here is the big BUT, do we want to love only those who love us back? Because human history has plainly taught us that loving only those who love us produces only one effect - our present condition of wars, poverty, and mayhem.
What then can drive people to transform themselves from within? Will words do it? Will the influence of others' example do it?
It takes more than that. To be transformed from within it takes the following:
1. First a sincere desire to be transformed. No one can force us to transform
2. It takes drawing closer to the powers of Heaven by:
a. reading scriptures
b. congregating with those who have similar desires
c. praying for transformation
d. allowing God's power to transform us
The transformation happens through God's power. It is not our power, our will, our visualization, our positive thinking that produces the transformation. It is God's power.
What can we compare God's power to? When God enters our life and begins to transform us, it can be a painful process. Sometimes, we may have to endure trials, painful experiences where people we thought loved us reject us, betray us. Sometimes, we must endure illness to transform, or even a near death experience.
Transformation can be "harrowing". To harrow soil is to lift it up, turn it upside down so that the part that was in the darkness is exposed to the light of the sun.
And so permanent transformation is not easy, but it is worth it.
After the transformation occurs, the things we used to value are no longer of any importance. We value new principles in our life.
And so, when we read for example the beatitudes given on the sermon of the mount, these lofty ideals take on a different meaning after our transformation. Suddenly, they make sense. Before our transformation, they seemed like impossible, silly, idealistic wishful thinking. After our transformation, they are the new matrix which shapes our world, our thoughts, our actions. We suddenly have become a little more like our Heavenly Father.
And this is the reason we are here on earth: to learn how to develop a character that is more like His. Because how can we possibly enjoy his company in Heaven if we not like Him? How can someone filled with hate, lust, and pride be comfortable with someone noble here on earth, let alone with God in Heaven?
No unclean thing can enter into the presence of God. This lifetime in which we have a chance to prepare ourselves to live the kind of life God lives. Latter-Day Saints are keenly aware that we are here to prepare, to transform over a lifetime, to become new creatures and we know that we can only accomplish this, not of our own power or self-will (which is the humanistic approach) but through the grace and power of the Atonement of one we regard as the Savior of the Lord, the God who came to earth to take on the form of man and condescend to our level so that he could show us by His example how to live our life, the one we know as Jesus Christ.
As we read His beatitudes, what do we hear? We hear an invitation to change:
To change the world the change must come from within each one of us.
Google+
What creates peace? Truth. Internalized truth. What is truth? Truth is a way of being that creates peace within and without. Transformation, also called "repentance", is about changing from within....permanently.
Let's take some examples:
If one has the desire to steal or cheat others, that desire is lost and replaced with a desire to be totally honest.
If one has the desire to lust after the opposite sex, to practice all forms of carnal acts, that desire is replaced with a desire to think only pure, uplifting thoughts.
If one has the desire to be materialistic, to live for the next pleasure, to value only possessions, to think only about gain and profit, that desire is replaced with a desire to serve others.
If one's only desire it to make others feel inferior, that desire is replaced with a desire to make others feel cherished and wanted.
If one has the desire to get even with those who harm him, that desire is replaced with a desire to forgive even his most bitter enemies, and to do good to them that persecute him.
When we think of 'love', we think in terms of loving our children, spouse, extended family, and friends. This is our human condition.
But...and here is the big BUT, do we want to love only those who love us back? Because human history has plainly taught us that loving only those who love us produces only one effect - our present condition of wars, poverty, and mayhem.
What then can drive people to transform themselves from within? Will words do it? Will the influence of others' example do it?
It takes more than that. To be transformed from within it takes the following:
1. First a sincere desire to be transformed. No one can force us to transform
2. It takes drawing closer to the powers of Heaven by:
a. reading scriptures
b. congregating with those who have similar desires
c. praying for transformation
d. allowing God's power to transform us
The transformation happens through God's power. It is not our power, our will, our visualization, our positive thinking that produces the transformation. It is God's power.
What can we compare God's power to? When God enters our life and begins to transform us, it can be a painful process. Sometimes, we may have to endure trials, painful experiences where people we thought loved us reject us, betray us. Sometimes, we must endure illness to transform, or even a near death experience.
Transformation can be "harrowing". To harrow soil is to lift it up, turn it upside down so that the part that was in the darkness is exposed to the light of the sun.
And so permanent transformation is not easy, but it is worth it.
After the transformation occurs, the things we used to value are no longer of any importance. We value new principles in our life.
And so, when we read for example the beatitudes given on the sermon of the mount, these lofty ideals take on a different meaning after our transformation. Suddenly, they make sense. Before our transformation, they seemed like impossible, silly, idealistic wishful thinking. After our transformation, they are the new matrix which shapes our world, our thoughts, our actions. We suddenly have become a little more like our Heavenly Father.
And this is the reason we are here on earth: to learn how to develop a character that is more like His. Because how can we possibly enjoy his company in Heaven if we not like Him? How can someone filled with hate, lust, and pride be comfortable with someone noble here on earth, let alone with God in Heaven?
No unclean thing can enter into the presence of God. This lifetime in which we have a chance to prepare ourselves to live the kind of life God lives. Latter-Day Saints are keenly aware that we are here to prepare, to transform over a lifetime, to become new creatures and we know that we can only accomplish this, not of our own power or self-will (which is the humanistic approach) but through the grace and power of the Atonement of one we regard as the Savior of the Lord, the God who came to earth to take on the form of man and condescend to our level so that he could show us by His example how to live our life, the one we know as Jesus Christ.
As we read His beatitudes, what do we hear? We hear an invitation to change:
To change the world the change must come from within each one of us.
Google+
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Bible and New Revelation
How open minded are you? Or more precisely, how much faith do you have to know the truth?
Before we get into the concept of modern day revelation, we must first discuss the history of the Bible. How did that book come into existence? Was it always available in its present form? For a full historical account we can research this site.
The Bible is the word of God, granted. The question is simply this: if tomorrow we discovered an Epistle of Paul to the Athenians that was buried in some cave in Greece, would we be offended? Similarly, if we found other records written by some of the other apostles which testified of Jesus Christ would we recoil in disbelief?
I would hope we would be open minded enough to acknowledge the possibility of additional hidden records. A few will site Revelations 22:19 as the authoritative word on any new revelation, not realizing that the book of Revelations was written 30 years after the last known epistle was written, at a time when the Bible had not even been compiled. Furthermore, we can find almost the identical injunction in Deuteronomy 4:2.
If we are to think logically for a minute, it would seem highly unlikely that these two authors intended that no new scripture be introduced into the world. They were simply cautioning that no one tamper with their writings. How could they have possibly known that a compilation of distinct and disparate writings were to be compiled into a book called the Bible?
For this reason we can safely conclude that any unearthed scripture would be welcomed if it provided additional evidence of God's dealings with his children. Even the Savior commented about other sheep which he was to visit, who would also hear his words.
Finally, the thing is really this: who among us can tell God when to speak to His children and when not to speak? He is God and He can choose to speak through prophets in various parts of the world or the universe, whenever He well pleases. To deprive Him that privilege is tantamount to telling God to shut up. Who among us can dare tell God to shut up?
Seen from that perspective, it is then conceivable that God spoke to other sheep through prophets, and that these yet to be discovered scriptures could benefit us.
In the case of Mormons, additional scriptures - ancient and modern - is a given. The word Mormon comes from the name of one of the last prophets on the American continent who abridged almost 1000 years of pre-Columbian American history into a book he named "The Book of Mormon". Had his name been Adam, then we would have had the Book of Adam, and Mormons would have been nicknamed Adamites.
To believe in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is not a matter of accepting the above argument, but a matter of faith. One must ask God if it is true or not. This is what is known among LDS as obtaining a testimony of the veracity of the Book of Mormon. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the young man who translated it, Joseph Smith, was a true prophet. If he was a true prophet, then the restoration of the true Church of Jesus Christ on earth through the instrumentality of a modern day prophet must also be true.
Before we get into the concept of modern day revelation, we must first discuss the history of the Bible. How did that book come into existence? Was it always available in its present form? For a full historical account we can research this site.
The Bible is the word of God, granted. The question is simply this: if tomorrow we discovered an Epistle of Paul to the Athenians that was buried in some cave in Greece, would we be offended? Similarly, if we found other records written by some of the other apostles which testified of Jesus Christ would we recoil in disbelief?
I would hope we would be open minded enough to acknowledge the possibility of additional hidden records. A few will site Revelations 22:19 as the authoritative word on any new revelation, not realizing that the book of Revelations was written 30 years after the last known epistle was written, at a time when the Bible had not even been compiled. Furthermore, we can find almost the identical injunction in Deuteronomy 4:2.
If we are to think logically for a minute, it would seem highly unlikely that these two authors intended that no new scripture be introduced into the world. They were simply cautioning that no one tamper with their writings. How could they have possibly known that a compilation of distinct and disparate writings were to be compiled into a book called the Bible?
For this reason we can safely conclude that any unearthed scripture would be welcomed if it provided additional evidence of God's dealings with his children. Even the Savior commented about other sheep which he was to visit, who would also hear his words.
Finally, the thing is really this: who among us can tell God when to speak to His children and when not to speak? He is God and He can choose to speak through prophets in various parts of the world or the universe, whenever He well pleases. To deprive Him that privilege is tantamount to telling God to shut up. Who among us can dare tell God to shut up?
Seen from that perspective, it is then conceivable that God spoke to other sheep through prophets, and that these yet to be discovered scriptures could benefit us.
In the case of Mormons, additional scriptures - ancient and modern - is a given. The word Mormon comes from the name of one of the last prophets on the American continent who abridged almost 1000 years of pre-Columbian American history into a book he named "The Book of Mormon". Had his name been Adam, then we would have had the Book of Adam, and Mormons would have been nicknamed Adamites.
To believe in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is not a matter of accepting the above argument, but a matter of faith. One must ask God if it is true or not. This is what is known among LDS as obtaining a testimony of the veracity of the Book of Mormon. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the young man who translated it, Joseph Smith, was a true prophet. If he was a true prophet, then the restoration of the true Church of Jesus Christ on earth through the instrumentality of a modern day prophet must also be true.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Sacrifice Takes Faith - Faith Takes Sacrifice
One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is it's history of self-sacrifice. From it's earliest days, those members who were committed to its cause sacrificed their good name, fortune, talents and even lives to build up the Kingdom of God, for they saw it as precisely that. Driven by their enemies, the pioneers of the Church crossed the Indian infested, desolate plains and mountains by handcart to arrive at the Salt Lake Valley. Their history is well documented and worth studying.
In our modern day Latter-Day Saints are called upon to pay tithing and fast offerings, to serve in their congregations and communities, and to even serve in leadership positions as Bishops and Stake Presidents without pay. The Church has no paid clergy. A Bishop usually will devote 30 hours per week of his time on average to his calling, and this lasts for five to seven years.
Young men and women volunteer to serve on missions, which are paid by themselves. Older retired couples volunteer also volunteer to serve on proselyting, genealogical and humanitarian missions.
Why? What spurns us to sacrifice so much? I joined the Church when I was 17, and volunteered to serve a mission when I turned 19. In my years as member of the church (41 as of this writing) I have served, as cub scout leader, executive secretary, membership clerk, Gospel Principles teacher, Gospel Doctrine teacher, Sunday School counselor, Sunday School President, young adult leader, Primary teacher, Young Men's counselor, Young Men's President, counselor in the Elder's Quorum Presidency, Elder's Quorum President, counselor in a High Priest's group, High Priest Group leader, secretary in the Elder's quorum, secretary in High Priest's group, building maintenance rep, home teacher (the most important calling of all), and veil worker in the Temple.
The most enjoyable calling was working in the nursery with the little ones.
Sacrificing my time has developed my talents and increased my faith. And this faith has in turn allowed me to give more of myself. We believe that when we are in the service of our fellow men we are only in our service of our God. Faith without service is hollow wishful thinking.
The reason the Lord called his Church the Church of Jesus Christ and added of Latter-Day Saints, is because the members of the Church constitute an integral part of moving the work of God along on the earth. We become an extension of God's purpose, and begin to taste of the happiness that comes from service. Because, let's face it, in the hereafter when we'll have no reason to worry about death of illness, our only desire will be to bless others. That's what Love is. It is other-centered, not self-centered. And so, God allows us the opportunity to become other-centered by being of service in big and small ways.
In our modern day Latter-Day Saints are called upon to pay tithing and fast offerings, to serve in their congregations and communities, and to even serve in leadership positions as Bishops and Stake Presidents without pay. The Church has no paid clergy. A Bishop usually will devote 30 hours per week of his time on average to his calling, and this lasts for five to seven years.
Young men and women volunteer to serve on missions, which are paid by themselves. Older retired couples volunteer also volunteer to serve on proselyting, genealogical and humanitarian missions.
Why? What spurns us to sacrifice so much? I joined the Church when I was 17, and volunteered to serve a mission when I turned 19. In my years as member of the church (41 as of this writing) I have served, as cub scout leader, executive secretary, membership clerk, Gospel Principles teacher, Gospel Doctrine teacher, Sunday School counselor, Sunday School President, young adult leader, Primary teacher, Young Men's counselor, Young Men's President, counselor in the Elder's Quorum Presidency, Elder's Quorum President, counselor in a High Priest's group, High Priest Group leader, secretary in the Elder's quorum, secretary in High Priest's group, building maintenance rep, home teacher (the most important calling of all), and veil worker in the Temple.
The most enjoyable calling was working in the nursery with the little ones.
Sacrificing my time has developed my talents and increased my faith. And this faith has in turn allowed me to give more of myself. We believe that when we are in the service of our fellow men we are only in our service of our God. Faith without service is hollow wishful thinking.
The reason the Lord called his Church the Church of Jesus Christ and added of Latter-Day Saints, is because the members of the Church constitute an integral part of moving the work of God along on the earth. We become an extension of God's purpose, and begin to taste of the happiness that comes from service. Because, let's face it, in the hereafter when we'll have no reason to worry about death of illness, our only desire will be to bless others. That's what Love is. It is other-centered, not self-centered. And so, God allows us the opportunity to become other-centered by being of service in big and small ways.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Fast Sunday
No, it's not because this day is going by fast.
For Latter-Day Saints the first Sunday of each month is an opportunity to abstain from meals and liquids for a 24 hour period (starting on the Saturday afternoon or evening). The money which would have ordinarily been spent on meals are donated as a fast offering which is collected and used in providing financial relief to those with needs in a congregation.
On Fast Sundays members of a congregation are also given the opportunity to bear their testimony in the congregation of the things they know to be true about the Gospel.
Fasting is not performed for the purpose of physical cleansing or just for the same of helping the disadvantaged, although these are secondary benefits. People fast for specific purposes. It could be to resolve their own personal issues, or challenged others are facing. If we were to compare ordinary prayers and prayers offered during a fast in military terms, fasting would be like bringing out the big guns. There are many references in the scriptures on fasting.
Today, I fasted for a specific purpose. I feel confident that my prayers will be answered because many in my circle are also praying and fasting on my behalf. Miracles happen when we fast for a specific worthy purpose. I've seen it happen.
For Latter-Day Saints the first Sunday of each month is an opportunity to abstain from meals and liquids for a 24 hour period (starting on the Saturday afternoon or evening). The money which would have ordinarily been spent on meals are donated as a fast offering which is collected and used in providing financial relief to those with needs in a congregation.
On Fast Sundays members of a congregation are also given the opportunity to bear their testimony in the congregation of the things they know to be true about the Gospel.
Fasting is not performed for the purpose of physical cleansing or just for the same of helping the disadvantaged, although these are secondary benefits. People fast for specific purposes. It could be to resolve their own personal issues, or challenged others are facing. If we were to compare ordinary prayers and prayers offered during a fast in military terms, fasting would be like bringing out the big guns. There are many references in the scriptures on fasting.
Today, I fasted for a specific purpose. I feel confident that my prayers will be answered because many in my circle are also praying and fasting on my behalf. Miracles happen when we fast for a specific worthy purpose. I've seen it happen.
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Sanctity of Sex
Mention the word "Sex" and you are bound to get a stereotypical reaction by way of an understanding smirk, glitter in the eye, sigh, and perhaps at the cellular level even a hormonal reaction. With some people their heart rate increases and their eyes dilate.
Our sexuality is a powerful current of energy. Left unchecked, it can create havoc in our lives, bringing on unwanted pregnancies, disease, and self-loathing. Once understood in a greater context, however, it can be one of the most sublime experiences of our existence, some would argue the Apex of our Existence, which I tend to concur on.
I was brought up in a liberal home before I joined the Church. I had stacks of Playboy books under the stereo in my bedroom, and in my late teens I was frequenting burlesque theaters. During my adult life many times I lived a less than chaste life. I have been on the other side of the fence and can relate. Becoming a Latter-Day Saint at age 17 and making a total 180 was not easy. Those were the cards I was given and I make no excuses. The irony is that I served part of my mission in Southern France, during which period I was instrumental in converting a Jewish man. Yes, I spent six months in the French Riviera, in the city of Antibes. We saw many naked women in Southern France. Within those six months, my companion and I managed to tract every street and witnessed out of this world, Twilight Zone events, that confirmed to us the reality of Satan and of a spiritual world.
If we were to leave God out of the equation for a moment, as most people have done, sexuality is reduced to an animal instinct. It is nothing more or less than an impulse, a craving for self-gratification just as valid as eating an ice-cream cone satiate one's taste buds. On a more altruistic level, sex is considered a natural expression of love which consenting people can engage in, derive happiness from, and even achieve enlightenment without the associated feelings of guilt imposed by religion. This is the message we are being sold.
Speaking as one who has been on both sides of the fence, I can categorically say that this message is a pack of lies.
Let's introduce God in the equation. For Latter-Day Saints, God is a glorified being with a body of flesh and bones, not a disembodied spirit or a field of energy permeating the universe, although we concede that he is omniscient and omnipotent. There is much which we do not know about the realm God resides in, or about the multidimensionality of space and time. We believe that we were created in the image of the Gods, as it's stated in Genesis (Genesis 1:26). The body is a vessel for our spirit, and through the experiences of the body we gain a better understanding of good and evil, in short, of opposite values. We often refer to the body as a Temple, because of its sacred purpose. This leads us to a discussion about why we don't drink or smoke, which is better left for another post.
Our spirit and our body united constitute our soul. One of the purposes of our body is to bring other souls into the world. Therefore, the sexual act is for us considered a sacred act, because in essence it unfolds God's purposes, which depend on souls leaving the pre-existence and coming to earth to inhabit a body which will give them the necessary experiences they need to progress. Therefore, something designed in the image of God, which houses our spirit, and which acts as the catalyst for new life is a sacred vessel. God, in his wisdom, has prescribed that sex should only be enjoyed between a husband and wife. Why? Because God knows that throughout the universe, throughout time, the greatest happiness can only be had when sex is enjoyed within the bonds of matrimony. In fact, this is a commandment which the Church has especially endorsed in a proclamation aptly called "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".
From my own experience I can say only this: God is a loving, wise parent, who wants us to enjoy a happy life, not a distorted life filled with regret. His commandments are the guardrails along the path that help us stay within the bounds that lead to happiness. We cannot break His commandments, we can only break ourselves against them.
Marriage is a three-way covenant. God promises to sanctify and bless the couple as they strive to love each other and cherish God. Sexual intercourse now becomes a sanctifying event, not just a hedonistic outlet for pleasure. It is as if the gates of heaven are opened and two spirits unite in the act of lovemaking to reach a higher ecstasy than they could possibly achieve outside of marriage. They become sanctified and more like God in the process. They become more patient, forgiving, considerate, each seeking the welfare and happiness of the other. Sexual intimacy, in that sense, becomes a sacrament, to be partaken often. As Eric Fromm put in his book the Art of Loving, they become more response-able. They are better able to respond to each other's wants and needs, that is if they include God in their life.
The opposite is often the case when sex is enjoyed outside the bonds of marriage; a different gate opens, and the spirits which join in the couple are anything but holy. The pleasure may be intense but this spike of happiness is short-lived and with illicit sex comes acrimony, bitter feelings, jealousies, bickering, selfishness, insecurity and an inability to tune into the more sublime pleasures of life. It's like being unable to visit the rooftop that gives to majestic vistas. The word SIN, is a good acronym for selfishness, indifference, and numbness.
We are each endowed with free-agency. Our choice is to follow the ways of the world or follow God's ways. True joy and peace can only be had when we follow God's ways. This is know of myself, from my own experience. I am the perfect lab rat. I have left my worldly ways way behind, and frankly when I look back at them they smell like a batch of dirty socks compared to the air I now breathe.
The best evidence is one's countenance: notice the difference between these two pictures? The black and white one is one of me when I was 22 and living an indecent life, and the colored one was taken on Christmas Day just after I had finished giving a discourse at Church on the meaning of Christmas (Dec 25, 2011), after living for years a clean life.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about imbuing us with a spirit of happiness no matter what challenges we face.
Our sexuality is a powerful current of energy. Left unchecked, it can create havoc in our lives, bringing on unwanted pregnancies, disease, and self-loathing. Once understood in a greater context, however, it can be one of the most sublime experiences of our existence, some would argue the Apex of our Existence, which I tend to concur on.
I was brought up in a liberal home before I joined the Church. I had stacks of Playboy books under the stereo in my bedroom, and in my late teens I was frequenting burlesque theaters. During my adult life many times I lived a less than chaste life. I have been on the other side of the fence and can relate. Becoming a Latter-Day Saint at age 17 and making a total 180 was not easy. Those were the cards I was given and I make no excuses. The irony is that I served part of my mission in Southern France, during which period I was instrumental in converting a Jewish man. Yes, I spent six months in the French Riviera, in the city of Antibes. We saw many naked women in Southern France. Within those six months, my companion and I managed to tract every street and witnessed out of this world, Twilight Zone events, that confirmed to us the reality of Satan and of a spiritual world.
If we were to leave God out of the equation for a moment, as most people have done, sexuality is reduced to an animal instinct. It is nothing more or less than an impulse, a craving for self-gratification just as valid as eating an ice-cream cone satiate one's taste buds. On a more altruistic level, sex is considered a natural expression of love which consenting people can engage in, derive happiness from, and even achieve enlightenment without the associated feelings of guilt imposed by religion. This is the message we are being sold.
Speaking as one who has been on both sides of the fence, I can categorically say that this message is a pack of lies.
Let's introduce God in the equation. For Latter-Day Saints, God is a glorified being with a body of flesh and bones, not a disembodied spirit or a field of energy permeating the universe, although we concede that he is omniscient and omnipotent. There is much which we do not know about the realm God resides in, or about the multidimensionality of space and time. We believe that we were created in the image of the Gods, as it's stated in Genesis (Genesis 1:26). The body is a vessel for our spirit, and through the experiences of the body we gain a better understanding of good and evil, in short, of opposite values. We often refer to the body as a Temple, because of its sacred purpose. This leads us to a discussion about why we don't drink or smoke, which is better left for another post.
Our spirit and our body united constitute our soul. One of the purposes of our body is to bring other souls into the world. Therefore, the sexual act is for us considered a sacred act, because in essence it unfolds God's purposes, which depend on souls leaving the pre-existence and coming to earth to inhabit a body which will give them the necessary experiences they need to progress. Therefore, something designed in the image of God, which houses our spirit, and which acts as the catalyst for new life is a sacred vessel. God, in his wisdom, has prescribed that sex should only be enjoyed between a husband and wife. Why? Because God knows that throughout the universe, throughout time, the greatest happiness can only be had when sex is enjoyed within the bonds of matrimony. In fact, this is a commandment which the Church has especially endorsed in a proclamation aptly called "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".
From my own experience I can say only this: God is a loving, wise parent, who wants us to enjoy a happy life, not a distorted life filled with regret. His commandments are the guardrails along the path that help us stay within the bounds that lead to happiness. We cannot break His commandments, we can only break ourselves against them.
Marriage is a three-way covenant. God promises to sanctify and bless the couple as they strive to love each other and cherish God. Sexual intercourse now becomes a sanctifying event, not just a hedonistic outlet for pleasure. It is as if the gates of heaven are opened and two spirits unite in the act of lovemaking to reach a higher ecstasy than they could possibly achieve outside of marriage. They become sanctified and more like God in the process. They become more patient, forgiving, considerate, each seeking the welfare and happiness of the other. Sexual intimacy, in that sense, becomes a sacrament, to be partaken often. As Eric Fromm put in his book the Art of Loving, they become more response-able. They are better able to respond to each other's wants and needs, that is if they include God in their life.
The opposite is often the case when sex is enjoyed outside the bonds of marriage; a different gate opens, and the spirits which join in the couple are anything but holy. The pleasure may be intense but this spike of happiness is short-lived and with illicit sex comes acrimony, bitter feelings, jealousies, bickering, selfishness, insecurity and an inability to tune into the more sublime pleasures of life. It's like being unable to visit the rooftop that gives to majestic vistas. The word SIN, is a good acronym for selfishness, indifference, and numbness.
We are each endowed with free-agency. Our choice is to follow the ways of the world or follow God's ways. True joy and peace can only be had when we follow God's ways. This is know of myself, from my own experience. I am the perfect lab rat. I have left my worldly ways way behind, and frankly when I look back at them they smell like a batch of dirty socks compared to the air I now breathe.
The best evidence is one's countenance: notice the difference between these two pictures? The black and white one is one of me when I was 22 and living an indecent life, and the colored one was taken on Christmas Day just after I had finished giving a discourse at Church on the meaning of Christmas (Dec 25, 2011), after living for years a clean life.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about imbuing us with a spirit of happiness no matter what challenges we face.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Marks of Mormonism
Compared to traditional Christianity which believes in a Heaven and Hell, that salvation can only occur in this life, that we came into existence at birth, and that the Bible is the only sacred text to guide us, Latter-Day Saint Christians have a vastly different perspective.
Pre-Existence
We believe that our birth on earth was preceded by a birth in Heaven where we were created as spirit children of God by God. Hence, we are all literally spirit children of God and at birth nascent within us are the attributes of God, our parent. The implications of a pre-mortal existence are immense. It implies that we existed in the presence of God and of each other for a protracted period of time during which we were able to develop our personalities and talents prior to our mortal birth. It also implies that we each had been endowed with the gift of agency, and our coming to earth was of our choosing. Earth life was to be the next stage of our eternal progression. Progression towards what? The opportunity is for us to progress into the eternities and be as our Heaven Parents. Note, I said "Parents. Once again, this is a departure form traditional Christian teachings. The concept of having Heavenly Parents is a topic for another discussion.
Suffice it to say that a belief in a pre-existence is one of the distinguishing beliefs of Mormons. There are ample scriptural references of this doctrine in the Bible. However, even if there were not any Biblical references, had the doctrine been revealed through modern-day revelation it would have been just as valid. The pivotal doctrine, of course, which marks Mormons as a cult, is the belief in modern day revelation, in a belief that not only other sacred scriptures may still remain buried in various parts of the world, but that God has once again called prophets to direct His work in these latter days.
Vicarious Salvation
The notion that we can only be saved by confessing Christ and being baptized before we pass on from this life is partly true. Indeed we must have faith in Christ, have our sins remitted, be immersed in water by someone with authority, and accept the Holy Ghost as our guide if we are to enter Heaven. But, what if we were born at the wrong time or the wrong place and never had a chance to even know the name of Jesus Christ, let alone be baptized?
The answer is Biblical and revelatory, meaning it was expounded upon by modern-day prophets. Suffice it to say, that after death the spirits of those who had never heard of Jesus Christ will have an opportunity to learn about Him and His teachings. The scriptures are very clear in describing where the Savior went during the three days His body laid in the tomb (1 Peter 3:18-20). The good news of the restored Gospel is manifold. One of the restored truths is that everyone will have a chance to accept or reject the teachings of God, whether in this life or the next.
As far as the requirement of baptism, this also is available to anyone who was not baptized by someone with authority. It can be done vicariously in modern day Temples. A proxy stands in the place of the deceased person and is baptized by immersion and by someone who holds the Priesthood authority.
Heaven and Hell
The concept, once again is touched upon, in the Bible, but for the most part remained shrouded for centuries until modern-day revelation restored the true meaning and intent of the doctrine.
Latter-Day Saints believe that Heaven consists of three Kingdoms: the Telestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial, which is the highest Kingdom where God abides. Depending on how we have lived our lives here on earth, or more precisely, the type of people we have chosen to become in this life and in the hereafter, we will enter into one of those three Kingdoms. In essence our final judgement will be appropriate and just, because we will enter into a society of souls in which we feel most comfortable in. Interestingly enough, the Telestial Kingdom has been described as more beautiful than anything we can possibly imagine, and yet in this Kingdom go the following:
Pre-Existence
We believe that our birth on earth was preceded by a birth in Heaven where we were created as spirit children of God by God. Hence, we are all literally spirit children of God and at birth nascent within us are the attributes of God, our parent. The implications of a pre-mortal existence are immense. It implies that we existed in the presence of God and of each other for a protracted period of time during which we were able to develop our personalities and talents prior to our mortal birth. It also implies that we each had been endowed with the gift of agency, and our coming to earth was of our choosing. Earth life was to be the next stage of our eternal progression. Progression towards what? The opportunity is for us to progress into the eternities and be as our Heaven Parents. Note, I said "Parents. Once again, this is a departure form traditional Christian teachings. The concept of having Heavenly Parents is a topic for another discussion.
Suffice it to say that a belief in a pre-existence is one of the distinguishing beliefs of Mormons. There are ample scriptural references of this doctrine in the Bible. However, even if there were not any Biblical references, had the doctrine been revealed through modern-day revelation it would have been just as valid. The pivotal doctrine, of course, which marks Mormons as a cult, is the belief in modern day revelation, in a belief that not only other sacred scriptures may still remain buried in various parts of the world, but that God has once again called prophets to direct His work in these latter days.
Vicarious Salvation
The notion that we can only be saved by confessing Christ and being baptized before we pass on from this life is partly true. Indeed we must have faith in Christ, have our sins remitted, be immersed in water by someone with authority, and accept the Holy Ghost as our guide if we are to enter Heaven. But, what if we were born at the wrong time or the wrong place and never had a chance to even know the name of Jesus Christ, let alone be baptized?
The answer is Biblical and revelatory, meaning it was expounded upon by modern-day prophets. Suffice it to say, that after death the spirits of those who had never heard of Jesus Christ will have an opportunity to learn about Him and His teachings. The scriptures are very clear in describing where the Savior went during the three days His body laid in the tomb (1 Peter 3:18-20). The good news of the restored Gospel is manifold. One of the restored truths is that everyone will have a chance to accept or reject the teachings of God, whether in this life or the next.
As far as the requirement of baptism, this also is available to anyone who was not baptized by someone with authority. It can be done vicariously in modern day Temples. A proxy stands in the place of the deceased person and is baptized by immersion and by someone who holds the Priesthood authority.
Heaven and Hell
The concept, once again is touched upon, in the Bible, but for the most part remained shrouded for centuries until modern-day revelation restored the true meaning and intent of the doctrine.
Latter-Day Saints believe that Heaven consists of three Kingdoms: the Telestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial, which is the highest Kingdom where God abides. Depending on how we have lived our lives here on earth, or more precisely, the type of people we have chosen to become in this life and in the hereafter, we will enter into one of those three Kingdoms. In essence our final judgement will be appropriate and just, because we will enter into a society of souls in which we feel most comfortable in. Interestingly enough, the Telestial Kingdom has been described as more beautiful than anything we can possibly imagine, and yet in this Kingdom go the following:
"These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie." (D&C 76:103).
And so, we see the great disparity between the traditional notion and the restored concept of Heaven.
These provisions are the mark of a just and fair God, a God who tries to save as many souls as possible after they have been ravaged by the trials of mortality.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Worthiness
It has been my observation that there are a LOT of LDS who have not confessed their sins and yet still enter the Temple, unworthily.
Of course, there is going to be a cleansing of the earth soon, starting with LDS men and women who have lied to their Bishop or Stake President about their worthiness to enter the Temple.
Hiding our sins is not a good idea. Section 121 of the Doctrine & Covenants speaks to the men about this:
Of course, there is going to be a cleansing of the earth soon, starting with LDS men and women who have lied to their Bishop or Stake President about their worthiness to enter the Temple.
Hiding our sins is not a good idea. Section 121 of the Doctrine & Covenants speaks to the men about this:
34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
A similar warning could have been issued to LDS women:
Behold there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
Because they seek to hide their sins, and are so wrapped up in materialism and in their own desires and wants, that they have lost the innate power to love, and they do not learn this one lesson:
That love and purity are the requirements to enter into the bonds of matrimony, and as many times as they will seek love while they are tainted they will not recognize it, or appreciate it if they do find it, for their hearts are not capable of appreciating that which is holly and pure to its fullest.
Hence many are called to marriage and enter into marriage, but few qualify.
Hence many are called to marriage and enter into marriage, but few qualify.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The Ripple Effect of Thoughts
As a follow-up to my last post, here is a perfect example of setting a chain reaction with our thoughts.
Yesterday, I decided to listen to some music on the internet. I like a variety of genres, from opera, classical, trance, to oldies, raggea, etc.....but yesterday, I just wanted something soothing, like an ambient instrumental sound. I came across Sky.fm. The sounds evoked in me a spirit of total acceptance of others, a complete unconditional love, a fearless desire to reach out knowing that not even my enemies could hurt me, for perfect love casts away all fear. It was quite a powerful yet peaceful feeling. It felt so right, so centered, so innate. My mind connected to a higher form of love and I longed to be home again with beings who love like this. I know God is Love, and this is most likely the kind of Love he feels for all of His children, wayward, or good.
What unfolded next was an outreach on my part. I began emailing people I hadn't written for a long time, or people who had slighted me, and asked them "what is new with you?". Nothing more. Within minutes I started receiving replies. One reply came from Erika Erwin, who holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest professional model in the world. She stands at 6' 8" without shoes. We had met in a gym back in 2006. She is also featured on the back cover of my book. She replied with an invitation to a party that evening. She is flying to Toronto next week to start shooting a TV program she will be starring in for the next six months. This is her debut in showbiz. She also goes by Amazon Eve. The party was being held at the Culver City Hotel, a short walk from where I live, and close to Sony Studios. I learned that morning from someone that the little people who played in the Wizard of Oz stayed in it for a whole year. I had also promised her an autographed copy of my book, 93 Things We Learned From Our Last Eleven Marriages.
We were delighted to see each other again.
Now comes, the chain reaction. I met her assistant Chantelle at the party. At first, there was no immediate resonance, no sparks were flying. She would be about the same age as my oldest daughter.
In my book, 93 Things, the sine qua non of a solid foundation is getting to know a person by asking questions. Chantelle asked me a lot of questions, and she listened without interjecting her own stories. She is a single mother of a 2-year old girl, loves opera as I do (I can sing five arias -- self-taught), and she understands the complex dynamics of relationships, the difference between dysfunctional and whole. She is artistic, sensitive, low-key, and clearly a Giver.
Who else was at the party? Well, Erika's CFO, some of her friends, a screenwriter, and her boyfriend.
You should have seen their reaction when they asked me what I would like to drink. I explained that on that particular day I had already started a "fast" for the next 24 hours, and that meant no liquids or food. Chantelle was the first to enquire: and what path are you on? My reply: I am a Latter-Day Saint, also known as a Mormon.
Here is the rest of the gang. We have a saying in our Church: be in the world, but not part of the world. In other words, distinguish yourself by your actions. I think this picture captures the essence of this:
The Church is more of a hospital than a retirement home. I've said this before. As members of the Church we are encouraged to bring others to Christ, who will heal them of their afflictions. How can a doctor be of any value if he is not willing to go where he is needed most?
Meeting Chantelle was an exceptional experience.
And this is what desiring to listen to soothing music produced today.
Earlier that day, I had attended a church beach pic-nic. I met a gentleman who had been in 10 car accidents, all of them rear-end collisions. He's had ten bones broken in his body, some several times. He thinks he has an invisible bull's-eye on the back of his car.
We joked about it.
I told him that in our pre-existence we each had opted for various trials to test us, and as he went down his checklist, he had opted for car accidents. I, on the other hand, skipped wars, car accidents, famines, and opted for five marriages.
8R89X4ERDG5V
Yesterday, I decided to listen to some music on the internet. I like a variety of genres, from opera, classical, trance, to oldies, raggea, etc.....but yesterday, I just wanted something soothing, like an ambient instrumental sound. I came across Sky.fm. The sounds evoked in me a spirit of total acceptance of others, a complete unconditional love, a fearless desire to reach out knowing that not even my enemies could hurt me, for perfect love casts away all fear. It was quite a powerful yet peaceful feeling. It felt so right, so centered, so innate. My mind connected to a higher form of love and I longed to be home again with beings who love like this. I know God is Love, and this is most likely the kind of Love he feels for all of His children, wayward, or good.
What unfolded next was an outreach on my part. I began emailing people I hadn't written for a long time, or people who had slighted me, and asked them "what is new with you?". Nothing more. Within minutes I started receiving replies. One reply came from Erika Erwin, who holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest professional model in the world. She stands at 6' 8" without shoes. We had met in a gym back in 2006. She is also featured on the back cover of my book. She replied with an invitation to a party that evening. She is flying to Toronto next week to start shooting a TV program she will be starring in for the next six months. This is her debut in showbiz. She also goes by Amazon Eve. The party was being held at the Culver City Hotel, a short walk from where I live, and close to Sony Studios. I learned that morning from someone that the little people who played in the Wizard of Oz stayed in it for a whole year. I had also promised her an autographed copy of my book, 93 Things We Learned From Our Last Eleven Marriages.
We were delighted to see each other again.
That's us last night.
Now comes, the chain reaction. I met her assistant Chantelle at the party. At first, there was no immediate resonance, no sparks were flying. She would be about the same age as my oldest daughter.
In my book, 93 Things, the sine qua non of a solid foundation is getting to know a person by asking questions. Chantelle asked me a lot of questions, and she listened without interjecting her own stories. She is a single mother of a 2-year old girl, loves opera as I do (I can sing five arias -- self-taught), and she understands the complex dynamics of relationships, the difference between dysfunctional and whole. She is artistic, sensitive, low-key, and clearly a Giver.
Who else was at the party? Well, Erika's CFO, some of her friends, a screenwriter, and her boyfriend.
You should have seen their reaction when they asked me what I would like to drink. I explained that on that particular day I had already started a "fast" for the next 24 hours, and that meant no liquids or food. Chantelle was the first to enquire: and what path are you on? My reply: I am a Latter-Day Saint, also known as a Mormon.
Here is the rest of the gang. We have a saying in our Church: be in the world, but not part of the world. In other words, distinguish yourself by your actions. I think this picture captures the essence of this:
The Church is more of a hospital than a retirement home. I've said this before. As members of the Church we are encouraged to bring others to Christ, who will heal them of their afflictions. How can a doctor be of any value if he is not willing to go where he is needed most?
Meeting Chantelle was an exceptional experience.
And this is what desiring to listen to soothing music produced today.
Earlier that day, I had attended a church beach pic-nic. I met a gentleman who had been in 10 car accidents, all of them rear-end collisions. He's had ten bones broken in his body, some several times. He thinks he has an invisible bull's-eye on the back of his car.
We joked about it.
I told him that in our pre-existence we each had opted for various trials to test us, and as he went down his checklist, he had opted for car accidents. I, on the other hand, skipped wars, car accidents, famines, and opted for five marriages.
8R89X4ERDG5V
Friday, June 22, 2012
Our Life Before Earth
The thoughts we act upon set in motion a chain reaction of events. Thoughts turn to deeds and deeds to habits, and habits to character, and character to destiny.
To enter through one door is to not enter a thousand other doors.
If our life is a series of events preceded by thoughts, and if some thoughts come to us for a reason, then our life has purpose.
One of the tenets of Latter Day Saints is that we had lived with God in spirit form before coming to this earth to take on a body. Let's think of the implications.
That would be mean that a lot of us knew each other in this pre-existant state. It means that we had developed close ties with many people. This kindred-spirit phenomenon happens all the time. Have you ever met someone for the first time, and felt like you had known them forever?
It also implies that we had foreknowledge of the next phase of our progression, that of coming to earth and inhabiting a body. We would have known of the trials earth life represented, of the bliss and misery that we would face. Yet, we chose to come. To come and do what?
To be tested.
Why tested? It is through these tests that we develop our character, and our destiny. In trials we can chose to become a variety of people. We have options. What measure of compassion have we shown for example if we have only been compassionate towards those who have been kind to us?
How easily are we able to forgive in the face of injustice? Is our strength measured by our ability to destroy, or by our ability to create and sustain life when we are being destroyed?
If there was a demarcation point, a line that separates people into groups, it would have to be the line of forgiveness. On the one side, we have those who exact retribution and pain when pain is inflicted on them, and on the other side we have those who have mastered forgiveness no matter what hardship they endure.
Christianity, and by implication Mormonism, falls squarely inside the forgiveness camp. This has been the hallmark of Latter Day Saints, a group known for the persecution they endured in the 19th century. Other groups would still be seething with anger demanding retribution, reparations, apologies, and special privileges. Mormons don't.
And so, to be a Mormon, is to want to develop the powerful attribute of forgiveness. It begins as a desire embedded in a thought.
My other Blogs:
To enter through one door is to not enter a thousand other doors.
If our life is a series of events preceded by thoughts, and if some thoughts come to us for a reason, then our life has purpose.
One of the tenets of Latter Day Saints is that we had lived with God in spirit form before coming to this earth to take on a body. Let's think of the implications.
That would be mean that a lot of us knew each other in this pre-existant state. It means that we had developed close ties with many people. This kindred-spirit phenomenon happens all the time. Have you ever met someone for the first time, and felt like you had known them forever?
It also implies that we had foreknowledge of the next phase of our progression, that of coming to earth and inhabiting a body. We would have known of the trials earth life represented, of the bliss and misery that we would face. Yet, we chose to come. To come and do what?
To be tested.
Why tested? It is through these tests that we develop our character, and our destiny. In trials we can chose to become a variety of people. We have options. What measure of compassion have we shown for example if we have only been compassionate towards those who have been kind to us?
How easily are we able to forgive in the face of injustice? Is our strength measured by our ability to destroy, or by our ability to create and sustain life when we are being destroyed?
If there was a demarcation point, a line that separates people into groups, it would have to be the line of forgiveness. On the one side, we have those who exact retribution and pain when pain is inflicted on them, and on the other side we have those who have mastered forgiveness no matter what hardship they endure.
Christianity, and by implication Mormonism, falls squarely inside the forgiveness camp. This has been the hallmark of Latter Day Saints, a group known for the persecution they endured in the 19th century. Other groups would still be seething with anger demanding retribution, reparations, apologies, and special privileges. Mormons don't.
And so, to be a Mormon, is to want to develop the powerful attribute of forgiveness. It begins as a desire embedded in a thought.
My other Blogs:
Sunday, June 17, 2012
A 4x4 Mormon.
Before we begin discussing any aspects of Mormonism, let's get a clear perspective about the author, who I am.
1. I was not always a Mormon. I was raised a Catholic and converted at the age of 17, in 1971. It took me one month of lessons with the missionaries. I found out for myself this was the Only True Church, the restored Church of Jesus Christ, by reading the Book of Mormon and then fasting and praying to know if this book was true and if Joseph Smith was a true Prophet. The answer was clear, distinct, and powerful. It was as though I was enveloped from head to toe in peace and joy. [This is the ONLY way you can know for yourself if the Church is true. You can read all the blogs and books in the world, but until you read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true, you will never know].
2. Eighteen months after my conversion, I passed a promising bodybuilding career to serve a voluntary 2 year mission in France and Switzerland. No one forced me to go. I only helped one person convert: a Jewish man by the name of Robert Cohen - and that happened during the last two weeks of my mission, and he joined after my return home.
3. I have not served in Vietnam, but I have been divorced five times. I have never cheated or had any substance abuse issues in my life. I have learned that Forgiveness is the secret to a happy life. I hold no grudges towards anyone.
4. Much of what I shun today was openly available to me growing up. I was exposed to R-rated movies and by age 16 I was into Playboy books and strip clubs. In my adult life, several times I struggled with pornography. Today, the sight of anything pornographic causes a kind of physical/emotional knee-jerk revulsion in me.
5. I owe everything that I am to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. His Doctrine, if lived, is more potent than any psychological, social, philosophical panacea.
6. I consider myself first and foremost a Christian who happens to belong to the restored Church of Jesus Christ - in these latter days called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - and will stand shoulder to shoulder with any other Christian, Jew, or Muslim who believes in tolerance and diversity.
7. In 1997 I was excommunicated for co-habitation while separated. I rejoined in 2000.
7. I have only good things to say about the Mormon Church. If you expect me to rant about how I was slighted, misjudged, offended, discriminated, abandoned, rejected, misunderstood, vilified or insulted, you are reading the wrong blog. Let's put it this way: my faith has been tested.
8. I know the Church is not made up of "Perfect" people. The Gospel is Perfect, the people are not, at all levels. People can test and fray your faith. The Gospel can build it.
9. The Church is more of a hospital than a retreat.
10. I have a logical mind. I play ten minute chess, am a former stockbroker, understand marketing, finance, theology and geopolitics. I am also a student of philosophy. You can read my blog G is for God for more information on my philosophical views.
11. I don't need to see God. I am content having faith in Him. I have learned how to discern His promptings. The best proof that He exists are the impressions and promptings I receive, thoughts I could never have thought by myself.
12. I also know Satan exists. I do not want to see Him. I have felt his influence and power in my mission, and after my mission.
13. I am a physically active person. I enjoy riding my bike and weight training, which I find to be the best anti-aging recipe. I thank Jack La Lane for getting me started at age 12.
14. I consider myself a gentle person who loves little children, animals, flowers, various styles of music (including opera). By the same token, when I am advocating a position I may come across as an out-of-control steam-roller going downhill. Nothing can stand in my way.
15. I have lived in 9 countries and speak 4 languages. I have seen two military conflicts growing up. I have been rich and poor. I have live in palatial condo high rise and been homeless.
16. Finally, I had a near death experience in 2006, and know without any shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ lives and that he paid the price for all my sins.
So, if you are looking for a Mormon who is a two dimension cut-out with a pristine past, you'll have to look somewhere else. They are out there, and I admire them. I am a roughed-up 4x4 all-terrain truck that has experienced pretty well every major disappointment you can imagine. Faith not tested is not faith, but a viewpoint. This is why I portray the vastness of desert as a metaphor of our life's journey. Crossing the desert requires a robust 4x4 vehicle.
Paul Adams
1. I was not always a Mormon. I was raised a Catholic and converted at the age of 17, in 1971. It took me one month of lessons with the missionaries. I found out for myself this was the Only True Church, the restored Church of Jesus Christ, by reading the Book of Mormon and then fasting and praying to know if this book was true and if Joseph Smith was a true Prophet. The answer was clear, distinct, and powerful. It was as though I was enveloped from head to toe in peace and joy. [This is the ONLY way you can know for yourself if the Church is true. You can read all the blogs and books in the world, but until you read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true, you will never know].
2. Eighteen months after my conversion, I passed a promising bodybuilding career to serve a voluntary 2 year mission in France and Switzerland. No one forced me to go. I only helped one person convert: a Jewish man by the name of Robert Cohen - and that happened during the last two weeks of my mission, and he joined after my return home.
3. I have not served in Vietnam, but I have been divorced five times. I have never cheated or had any substance abuse issues in my life. I have learned that Forgiveness is the secret to a happy life. I hold no grudges towards anyone.
4. Much of what I shun today was openly available to me growing up. I was exposed to R-rated movies and by age 16 I was into Playboy books and strip clubs. In my adult life, several times I struggled with pornography. Today, the sight of anything pornographic causes a kind of physical/emotional knee-jerk revulsion in me.
5. I owe everything that I am to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. His Doctrine, if lived, is more potent than any psychological, social, philosophical panacea.
6. I consider myself first and foremost a Christian who happens to belong to the restored Church of Jesus Christ - in these latter days called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - and will stand shoulder to shoulder with any other Christian, Jew, or Muslim who believes in tolerance and diversity.
7. In 1997 I was excommunicated for co-habitation while separated. I rejoined in 2000.
7. I have only good things to say about the Mormon Church. If you expect me to rant about how I was slighted, misjudged, offended, discriminated, abandoned, rejected, misunderstood, vilified or insulted, you are reading the wrong blog. Let's put it this way: my faith has been tested.
8. I know the Church is not made up of "Perfect" people. The Gospel is Perfect, the people are not, at all levels. People can test and fray your faith. The Gospel can build it.
9. The Church is more of a hospital than a retreat.
10. I have a logical mind. I play ten minute chess, am a former stockbroker, understand marketing, finance, theology and geopolitics. I am also a student of philosophy. You can read my blog G is for God for more information on my philosophical views.
11. I don't need to see God. I am content having faith in Him. I have learned how to discern His promptings. The best proof that He exists are the impressions and promptings I receive, thoughts I could never have thought by myself.
12. I also know Satan exists. I do not want to see Him. I have felt his influence and power in my mission, and after my mission.
13. I am a physically active person. I enjoy riding my bike and weight training, which I find to be the best anti-aging recipe. I thank Jack La Lane for getting me started at age 12.
14. I consider myself a gentle person who loves little children, animals, flowers, various styles of music (including opera). By the same token, when I am advocating a position I may come across as an out-of-control steam-roller going downhill. Nothing can stand in my way.
15. I have lived in 9 countries and speak 4 languages. I have seen two military conflicts growing up. I have been rich and poor. I have live in palatial condo high rise and been homeless.
16. Finally, I had a near death experience in 2006, and know without any shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ lives and that he paid the price for all my sins.
So, if you are looking for a Mormon who is a two dimension cut-out with a pristine past, you'll have to look somewhere else. They are out there, and I admire them. I am a roughed-up 4x4 all-terrain truck that has experienced pretty well every major disappointment you can imagine. Faith not tested is not faith, but a viewpoint. This is why I portray the vastness of desert as a metaphor of our life's journey. Crossing the desert requires a robust 4x4 vehicle.
Paul Adams
December 25, 2011 - age 58
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)