Especially for LDS

June 1, 2009 by admin
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“The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity. The three qualities—faith, hope, and charity (see Moroni 10:20)—working together, grounded on the truth and light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, lead us to abound in good works (see Alma 7:24).” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 24

Here are some of the posts on this site tagged LDS

A work in progress. Some of the links aren’t working as I am still moving material over from another site.

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Jesse & Ginny Mendoza

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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TOUCHED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

It’s hard to believe that it has been two years since my husband and I were first touched by the Holy Spirit. I would like to share with you my most favorite story, the story of my husband, Jesse’s and my conversion. It is a story with a great deal of meaning and importance to us both, for it changed our lives forever.

Jesse and I were both raised Catholic. Our three younger boys still go to Catholic School. All of my life as I look back, I have felt there was something missing. I always thought it was just me. I didn’t know what it was I was looking for, I just knew that it wasn’t enough. Jesse and I had talks about religion, and both felt the same way. We had stopped attending church. There was this great void in our lives, but we didn’t know how to fill it.

As I planned our family vacation the early part of 1997, I had no idea how that trip would change our lives. We wanted to stay at a place that had horseback riding, and as I called to check on availability in different areas, there were no openings. The young man I was talking to had tried California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, anywhere that we could drive to in a reasonable length of time. Suddenly he said, “I have the right place. How about going to Utah?” My husband and I discussed it, checked the map, and thought, “Let’s go.” I had so much fun planning our trip, and the sights we would see, some of which would be historical. One of our plans was to visit two actual forts that were still in existence today. I had a feeling this would be a great family vacation for all of us–myself, Jesse, and our boys, Donny, Brian, David and Daniel. Little did I know that we had been guided to Utah by a spirit we were yet to know.

We started our trip on July 10 and stayed our first night in Cedar City, Utah. The next morning we were looking forward to seeing Cove Fort. We were greeted by Elder Mortensen, who gave us our tour. He was fun to listen to as he took us from room to room, relating the history, and sharing information he knew. We found that we became very involved in what we heard, and all of us were asking questions. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me as I visited each room, and listened to the history. I knew that I felt different and had been touched by something special. The most moving, was to see the room where Brigham Young had stayed, seeing some of his personal belongings that were still there. We found that we didn’t want to miss seeing any part of the fort. We visited the blacksmith shop, admired the garden, went in the barn and the bunkhouse. We listened and learned all we could in the hours that we were there. I’m not sure how long we were there, for we were so involved in all we saw. Those working at the fort impressed us so by the peace they seemed to feel and the glow they had on their faces. We had been asked by the Elder to fill out a referral card, but had chosen not to do so. Something had happened there at Cove Fort, but we didn’t yet know what it was.

We traveled on to East Canyon, Utah, where we would stay for the next week. What beautiful scenery and serenity we found. There was also, an excitement in the area, especially in the nearby town of Henefer. They were preparing for the arrival of the wagon train which would be arriving in a few short days. We had learned a new word, Sesquicentennial, and the meaning of the Trek, reliving those early pioneers coming across thousands of miles to the Salt Lake Valley. We were caught up in the excitement and the spirit, that Jesse and I had a strong feeling that we should see the wagon train when it came in.

Our first glimpse of the wagons, was on our way back from Fort Bridger, Wyoming, where we spent the day, visiting another part of history. We saw them as we passed, and not one of us could take our eyes off that sight, until we could no longer see them. The following day, July 16th, we set out for Henefer. We enjoyed visiting with the people who were waiting anxiously as we were, learning more about what we were to see. We knew so little of the history, yet bought several mementos to remember this day. We waited in anticipation as young men would come past giving us an update on their arrival. We then watched with awe as the pioneers passed by us, some pulling handcarts, others in wagons or on horseback. Many were on foot. This was at the end of their 20 mile journey that day. They were smiling and waving, and to look in their faces, you saw something very special about them. They had the same glow and peace about them that we had seen at Cove Fort. I don’;t know that I could truly describe how I felt to see these dedicated men, women and children, but I had tears running down my cheeks. I glanced over at Jesse and saw that he too was moved, for the tears were there, also. I had been touched more than I could know at that moment; an experience that we both would not ever forget. We did not yet know what was happening to us.

We both found it difficult to leave East Canyon. We knew the wagon train was going to pass by our road, but we were scheduled to leave that day. We had been staying on the Mormon Trail all week. The road was blocked off going toward Henefer, so we were unable to retrace our steps and relive a part of history again with those wonderful pioneers. We had no choice but to reluctantly head west and continue our trip home.

The following month on August 10th, Jesse and I arrived at Sprucedale Ranch, in Arizona, owned by Emer and Esther Wiltbank. I remember Emer teasing Jesse and I for arriving early that day, but I know we were anxious to share our experiences in Utah with them, since they were LDS. We were bubbling over with excitement as we related what we saw at Cove Fort, Fort Bridger, and the experience of seeing the trek. We wanted to find out more of the pioneer history. We were thirsting for knowledge. Emer and Esther were excited for us. Esther had a big smile on her face, and shared her prayer with us. At the beginning of their season, Esther had prayed to Heavenly Father for a missionary experience that summer. She was hopeful that her wish had come true. This time on our last day at the ranch, Jesse and I asked if we could take the Book of Mormon from our cabin, home with us to read. Even though we had seen the Book of Mormon on our previous visits, we had not taken it. Something was different this time, but we still didn’t know what it was.

We were fortunate to be invited to Sprucedale in October for their cattledrive. Emer and Esther invited us to attend General Conference at their Stake Center on October 5th, prior to going to the ranch. We did not know what General Conference was but were excited about it, because it would be a means to learn more of the church. I know we both sat there taking it all in, and feeling as though the speakers were talking directly to us. Jeffrey R. Holland made a big impression on us. We came away feeling enriched, with the most wonderful feeling of peace and fulfillment. We celebrated Jesse’s birthday while at the ranch, and Emer and Esther gave him a book about the trek, “The Trail of Hope”.

Thanksgiving weekend brought us back to Eagar, Arizona, to visit our friends, the Wiltbanks. We asked if we could attend church with them, which to our surprise was different than any experience before. Who would have guessed that three hours could go by so quickly. It used to seem that one hour before was forever. Jesse and I are kindred souls, and found that we were not satisfied with the church we had both been raised in. There had been a void in our lives, and in the past we didn’t know how to fill it. We now realized that the void was no longer there. We still wanted to learn more. I asked my secretary, Barbara, where we could find more information and also the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We bought books to read at the Ensign–”What Do Mormons Believe?” and “In Search of Happiness”. We borrowed the Book of Mormon on tape from Jesse’s secretary, Jackie, and by Christmas, had read both books and listened to all the tapes. We also, had watched videos on the trek, and the handcart journey.

The six of us were invited to spend a week at Emer and Esther’s house on New Year’s week. It was a wonderful week, full of fun activities for all of us. For Jesse and I, it was again a time to learn more, asking questions, reading books, attending church. We were surprised and so touched by our special Christmas present from Emer and Esther, our very own Book of Mormon with our names engraved. We are so proud of our Books, which mean a great deal to us.

On our drive home, we talked more seriously about the Church. The next morning on my birthday, I had a strong feeling it was time to call the missionaries. I found the phone number for the missionary office in the phone book, called them, and asked if they could come the next day to talk to us. We then made an appointment for the following day. I made cookies and lemonade and we waited for them to come. When two hours went by and they didn’t come, Jesse went out looking for them. When he couldn’t find them, we called again. They had our phone number wrong, and couldn’t contact us. A short time later, our doorbell rang, and there were four Elders standing there, Elder Jones, Elder Fluckiger, Elder McClure, and Elder Stacey. All we could say was, “We’ve been waiting for you!” We proceeded to tell them what had happened to us since our visit to Cove Fort in July. When we were finished, Elder McClure asked us if we wanted to be baptized on January 18th. Here we were on the 3rd of the month, and he was talking about two weeks away. Jesse and I had talked about being baptized, but thought we might not be felt ready. To our amazement, the Elders all said that first night, that we were ready even before we took the lessons. We made appointments for the lessons, and even doubled up on them to be prepared for the 18th. We met at different homes during this time, to better able us to concentrate on what we were learning. It was wonderful learning more from Elder Jones and Elder Fluckiger. It gave us a chance, also, to meet some wonderful people from our ward. It was an exciting time for us, as we studied and attended church with the Upland First Ward. Everyone we met welcomed us and made us feel at home. We again had never experienced anything like this. Our excitement increased when we found out that Emer would be able to come to Upland to baptize us.

On Sunday, January 18th,1998, our lives changed as we were immersed in the baptismal waters by Emer, and then confirmed–Jesse by Elder Fluckiger and myself by Elder Jones. There were so many wonderful people there to support us, including Leslie, Jesse’s daughter, and her fiancé, Emer and Esther, and their two youngest, Whitney and Tiffany, both of our secretaries and their husbands, and many from Upland First Ward. We were overwhelmed by the feelings and the spirit that were present that day.

As I look back over the past seven months since our baptism, I realize how truly blessed and fortunate I am. I know now, as does Jesse, that it was the Holy Spirit that took hold of us at Cove Fort last July, and would not let us go. He stayed with us, guiding and directing us every step of the way, knowing he needed to touch both of us at the same time. That in itself is a true blessing and gift, that we would both feel the spirit. The Holy Spirit continues today, to be with us, for which I will always be grateful.

A few short weeks ago, we revisited Cove Fort. It had now been a year since we had first visited. We had an opportunity to share our experience with the Elders and Sisters there. We wanted to thank them for being there, for the seeds that they plant in those visiting, and to continue in their wonderful work. We wanted them to know the rest of the story, of what can happen even if they do not get a referral card completed. The Spirit lives in Cove Fort, and was very strong the day we were there. We found we didn’t want to leave, and enjoyed being there so much with our new friends, that the nine hours we were there just flew by. We can’t thank them enough for the blessings and hospitality we received that day. We brought with us a piece of the fort (one of the stones at the entry that was being replaced) and a truly wonderful feeling that is still with us today.

We, also, had the opportunity to visit all the wonderful historical sites in St. George during our trip. As we visited the Visitor’s Center at the Temple, Brigham Young’s home, Jacob Hamlin’s home, the Tabernacle, everywhere we went, we wanted to bring encouragement to those Brothers and Sisters serving their mission. They would ask if we were members of the church, and we would proudly say we had been baptized in January of this year. They asked to hear our story. What our message was to them, also, was to keep your spirits high, and know what you are doing is important, even if there are not many referral cards filled out. They have the perfect opportunity to reach out to many many people every day and those seeds will continue to be planted.

My testimony only continues to grow stronger every day. I know this Church is true, that Joseph Smith was our Prophet, and the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. As Brigham Young once said, “This is the right place.” Jesse and I know this is the right place for us to be. President Hinckley would be very proud of all the terrific members that we have met, who have befriended and fellowshipped us. We continue to learn and read all we can, for there is still so much for us to know. We are so grateful for our callings; mine as Relief Society Secretary and Jesse is now the Ward Financial Clerk. I am also, so blessed to have such a wonderful husband, whom I love very much. Heavenly Father knew we were kindred spirits, brought us together first, then had the Holy Spirit take over. We pray that someday our children will experience the feelings we have, and know the Gospel as we do. We are now looking forward to a very special day next year when we can be sealed in the Temple, for all time and eternity. We know also, that when the time is right for us in the future, we would like to serve a mission together, where else, but at Cove Fort, where it all began.

Jesse & Ginny Mendoza

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Bill & Eve McGann

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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My husband and I had just celebrated the birth of our second child – Bobby who was born on 2-14-95, when the missionaries knocked on our door. To be exact, it was one week before Good Friday in 1995.

My son’s birth was extremely difficult and has left him with some lasting problems. I felt very much in despair at this time, not really knowing where to turn. I was very active in the church that I grew up in, but wasn’t feeling like it was really the “true” church. My husband would only attend with me once in while as he felt very uncomfortable and said that he felt like most people there were the “holier than thou” type. I had prayed for a long time that we would be able to go to church together as a family. Never thinking that the answer to my prayer was going to be in the form that it took.

So the missionaries knocked on the door, and I was busy at the moment. They asked if they could call or come back to visit. In my haste I said yes, never really giving it a second thought. A few days later my husband said that some young guy called for me and neither of us could figure out who it had been. The next day Elder Poulter called and I answered the phone. We set up a time of 5:00 on Good Friday for them to come over.

When I told my husband, he was furious with me. He said that I was being foolish and that he wouldn’t be present when they came over. Well, the night came for them to come over, and I had conveniently arranged to go to a church service at 6:00 so, I wouldn’t be “trapped” by them for more than an hour. The time kept getting closer to 5:00 and my husband hadn’t left the house yet. I kept urging him to go so the missionaries wouldn’t be offended if he left after they arrived. But my husband stayed. I ended up not going to the church service, because I felt such peace when the missionaries were in my home. I was enthralled by what they had to say and impressed by the fact that they were reverent 19 year old boys.

They offered us a Book of Mormon and asked us to read some passages. They also asked if they could come back again. We said they could call us soon. After they left, I was sure my husband was going to be angry and dispute everything they said. But he sat quietly and asked me what I thought. I really didn’t know. I was confused. It felt right, but I had a hard time thinking about all of the new concepts.

We started reading. We called the missionaries all the time with lists of questions about passages in the Book of Mormon. They came to our house at least four or five times and never got to the second discussion b/c we always had questions. When they finally asked us to be Baptized, my husband and I both said yes immediately. We had both prayed and felt like this was the answer to our prayers. We had finally found what we were looking for which was the truth.

We were baptized on May 14th 1995 and sealed in the Temple in Toronto Canada on May 17th 1996. We did this quickly because I was pregnant with our third child who was due any day and we wanted him to be born in the covenant.

The down side to all of this is that, my mother was very happy for us, came to our baptism, and even took some of the discussions, and has now turned completely the opposite. Unfortunately, she had many friends who gave her anti-Mormon literature, and my uncle gave her the videos the Godmakers. It has caused many problems between her and I and now we don’t even talk about our Faith because she completely believes that we are in a cult. She is extremely upset that our daughter will be baptized in December when she turns 8. We are still working on this issue. I could go on and tell you so many ways that we have been blessed since joining the church, but this story would be endless. Thank-you for hearing my story.

Eva McGann

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Socrates & Mozart

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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A young man came to Socrates one time and said, “Mr. Socrates, I have come 1,600 miles to talk to you about wisdom and learning.” He said, “You are a man of wisdom and learning, and I would like to be a man of wisdom and learning, and I would like to have you teach me how to be a man of wisdom and learning.” Socrates said, “Come follow me,” and he led the way down to the seashore. They waded out into the water up to their waists, and then Socrates turned on his friend and held his head under the water. His friend struggled and kicked and bucked and tried to get away, but Socrates held him down. Now if you hold someone’s head under the water long enough, he will eventually become fairly peaceable. And after this man had stopped struggling, Socrates laid him out on the bank to dry, and he went back to the market place. After the young man had dried out a little bit, he came back to Socrates to find the reason for this rather unusual behavior, Socrates said to him, “When your head was under the water what was the one thing you wanted more than anything else?” And the man said, “More than anything else, I wanted air.” Socrates said, “All right, when you want wisdom and learning like you wanted air, you won’t have to ask anybody to give it to you.” There was a young man who came to Mozart one time and said, “Mr. Mozart, would you teach me how to write symphonies?” Mozart said, “You are too young to write symphonies.” But this young man said, “You were writing symphonies when you were fifteen years younger than I am.” Mozart said, “But I didn’t have to ask anybody to teach me.”

Sterling W. Sill, BYU Speeches, February 9, 1965, p.9

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Grocery Store Clerk< The

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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Jim Davis, a grocery store clerk who loves his job, prides himself on his good work. One of his pet peeves is out-of-control toddlers and parents who yell at their kids but do nothing to correct their children’s obnoxious behavior. One evening, Jim was checking out a customer who had a shopping cart ull of groceries. While ringing up the sale, a child behind him began screaming very loudly, and an angry man responded by shouting, “Get down!”

What a jerk, thought Jim, without even looking up. He kept on calling out prices and moving the groceries past the scanner. The kid behind him was still crying, and again he heard the man yell, “Get down!” Sheesh. Talk about poor parenting, thought Jim. This guy is a total jerk. He kept on checking groceries without looking up.

Finally finishing the customer’s cart, Jim looked up and said, “That’ll be $89.95, ma’am.” Seeing no one, he looked around and noticed that everyone, including his customer, was lying face down on the floor.

He turned around just in time to see a gunman leave the store. The checker behind him, still lying on the floor, calmly said, “Jim, you know the second time you heard ‘Get down,’ his gun was pointed right at your head.”

We can get so accustomed to the noise of our culture and the distractions of the world that when we hear someone telling us something important, we blow it off as if it were of no significance. How many times have we been warned about the dangers of abusing drugs and alcohol or of doing other behaviors that can kill you? We hear so much of that, we sometimes ignore the messengers, assuming the warning is meant for someone else. We go on with business as usual.

You put yourself at great risk when you blow off an important message, one that can save your life. The time will come when there’ll be no more opportunities to act on the message. There is One waiting for you to come to Him. “Now is the day of salvation.”

Tags: Esp. 4 LDS, Living

Doctrine and Covenants — The Capstone of Our Religion

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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Complete transcript:
The Doctrine and Covenants — The Capstone of Our Religion

The following is a transcript of Elder Perry’s CES Satellite Broadcast Fireside address delivered at Brigham Young University, March 4, 2001.

Elder L. Tom Perry
Quorum of the Twelve

Charles Dickens began his famous story of The Tale of Two Cities with these words:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

I would imagine that could be said of all periods of time. This is a wonderful time to be alive! As I witness the marvelous strides mankind is making today, I sometimes wish that I was your age. With the pace at which man is progressing, the Lord seems to be preparing us to accomplish much more as we wind up this final period of man’s mortal experience. Of course, it could be said it is the worst of times because most of mankind has not embraced the gospel of our Lord and Savior.
It is evident from the signs of the times, that the Lord is directing the destiny of His children here on earth. For example, there has been a significant change in the growth of the world’s population. At the end of the first Millennium following our Savior’s birth, the world’s population was only 300 million. During the next 800 years to the time of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the population had grown to one billion, or an average growth rate of 875,000 persons per year. Today the world’s population is over 6.2 billion. Thus, from the prophet’s birth to our day, an average growth rate has been 26 million per year.
In the post-restoration period, the Lord has sent billions more of His children to the earth to hear His gospel. To facilitate this teaching, He has opened the minds of His children that they might bring forth an abundance of technologies to improve travel and communication.
Prior to the beginning of the 19th Century, travel was much as it had been anciently–by foot, by domestic animal, and by ship on waterways. Communication was by word of mouth or written. After 1800 years of a sluggish development, it was as if a bright light was turned on to illuminate the minds of mankind, and suddenly the fields of transportation and communication moved forward with a new and exciting pace. For example, in 1803, Fulton invented the steamboat. In 1814 Stevenson developed the steam locomotive. In 1819 Napier, the flat-bed cylinder press. In 1837, Morse the telegraph. In 1845, the oceanic cable was laid. In 1876, Bell, the telephone. In 1880, Edison, the electric light. In 1893, Ford, the automobile. And in 1903, the Wright brothers flew their first airplane. Since that time, there has been an explosion of developments that have improved our abilities to travel and communicate, making most parts of the world accessible via travel and /or by electronic means.
To me, the most significant evidence of the Lord’s concern for His children is the way He has provided communication channels to direct us in the path He would like us to follow. We have the scriptures.
I marvel at how these wondrous stories of God’s dealings with His children here on earth were preserved through the ages. The records were kept on tablets of clay, of stone; they were written on metal plates, on leather scrolls, and, of course, papyrus discovered by the Egyptians about the time Abraham was on the earth. I marvel that great and stalwart leaders like Jerome, Wycliff, and Tyndall accumulated the writings of the ancient prophets and were able to put them in a form even though the ability to make records was so crude in that time. Sometimes they even gave up their lives to preserve what we have today.
We find the Lord communicating with His children from the very beginning. After Adam and Eve had been driven out of the Garden of Eden, we find this great account of the Lord instructing them:

And Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence.
And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters (Moses 5:4-12).

Thus from the time of the creation we have the beautiful scriptures that lay a pattern to guide us through mortality. We learn our beginnings through the story of Adam and Eve. An article in the Ensign enlarged my understanding of the very important role Adam played in the creation of the earth. Actually Adam’s role in the eternal plan of God began in our premortal first estate and, the fact that he became the first inhabitant tells us of the eminence of his premortal status. It was part of the plan that he and Eve partake of the forbidden fruit. President Joseph Fielding Smith said:

He partook of the fruit for one good reason and that was to open the door to bring you and me and everyone else into this world.
Adam continues to play an important role in the post-mortal spirit world and will until the resurrection. (Excerpts from The Ensign, January 1994, p. 8-15).

It is in the Old Testament we learn of Father Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son if the Lord required him to do so. In all things he set the example of faithfulness to the Lord. Through Abraham’s “seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:18)
And don’t you love the story of Joseph with his marvelous lesson. He had quite a life–being a favored son, a slave, a prisoner, and ultimately ruler over the land the Egypt. The Pharaoh said: ” only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” (Genesis 41:40) This because he was “a man in whom the spirit of God is.” (Genesis 41:38)
Then there was Moses. He was given an impossible assignment to lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt where they had been in bondage for over 400 years. Elder Mark E. Petersen said:

The true Moses was one of the mightiest men of God in all times. He walked and talked with God, . . . saw the mysteries of the heavens and much of creation, and received laws from God beyond any other ancient man of whom we have record (Moses, p. 49).

In the Old Testament we learn of great and noble women such as Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel, Hannah, and many others. The Book of Ruth tells us of Ruth’s life and her devotion to righteous principles. She was a true convert to Jehovah, and after losing her husband, chose to remain with her mother-in-law, Naomi, that “thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” (Ruth 1;16) Ruth later married Boaz and they became the parents of a noble posterity, including King David, Mary, and the Messiah.
Esther, also from a book of the Old Testament. She was of Jewish descent and found favor with the king and became his queen without revealing her kindred. Later when the lives of her people were threatened, she risked her own life to save them. They were saved because of her faith and that of her people.
The New Testament is just what the title page tells us. It is the New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Here we may come to know of the events of His life, His lineage, and His miraculous though humble birth. The New Testament does not reveal a great deal about the early years of preparation of His ministry, but in Luke we read:

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52).

We learn of His teachings–His example, His love, His knowledge, His power, His judgment, His kindness, His mercy, His patience. Moreover, we learn of His suffering at Gethsemane, His agony on the cross, His death, then His resurrection. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us, not only losing His life, but in doing so, atoning for our sins. Most of all, He has shown us the way and we need to learn of Him that we may become “perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
I marvel that the Lord’s dealings with His prophets has been preserved through all ages of time. The materials on which the words were written were not of permanent quality. In order to preserve them from generation to generation, they had to be copied over and over in order to keep them from the destructive forces of nature. The repeated copying by the scribes led to mis-translations and omissions. Nephi warned us “for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.” (1 Nephi 13:26)
However, because of the various translations and the difficulty to produce the translations, the Lord saw fit at the time of the restoration to bring forth a new witness of His mission. We have the great blessing of the Book of Mormon that is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel.
The Prophet Joseph Smith told us the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth and is the keystone of our religion and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts than any other book.
There were prophets who summarized on the pages the things that men must do in order to gain the fulness of salvation. Those who believe the witness it bears and obey the doctrines it teaches will be led to further light and knowledge revealed in our day and to the mysteries which the believing saints alone can receive.
I marvel at the account of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith’s prophetic call was to bring forth this great publication. It was in the year of 1823 at the age of 17 that he was shown the hidden records by the Angel Moroni. After several visitations over the next four years, Joseph Smith was allowed to remove the sacred record that had rested at the Hill Cumorah near Palmyra, New York.
When Joseph went to the hill on the 22nd day of September of 1827, the Angel instructed him in matters pertaining to his sacred duty. At last the time arrived for the delivery of the plates and the Urim and Thummin and the breastplate to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He finally had them in his possession. The Prophet commenced the translation very slowly and methodically. He needed a scribe. In February of 1828, Martin Harris came to his home. Martin had been impressed with the stories he had heard about the Prophet having the gold plates. He acted as scribe from the 12th of April 1828 until he finally convinced the Prophet that he be allowed to take the record and show it to a few people to convince them that the work he was doing was important. Permission was granted to him on the 14th day of June. Of course, we know that that part of the record was lost. Joseph was soundly rebuked and warned against yielding to temptation. The records were taken from him for a season to give him time to repent. It was a bitter lesson for the young prophet but it was necessary to prepare him for the great responsibility that was ahead of him. Sometime during the fall of the year 1828, the record was back in his hands, but once again he needed a scribe. It was on the 5th day of April of 1829 that a young school teacher named Oliver Cowdery came to the home of the Prophet and inquired about his work. On the 7th day of April, Oliver Cowdery started acting as scribe to the Prophet. As the history records, the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery spent long hours together dictating the translation without reference to any books, papers, or manuscripts. When they would break, the Prophet would return and resume the dictation where the previous segment had ended.
As we examine the record, it is clear that Joseph Smith could not be the author of the Book of Mormon. The marvel of the whole translation was the rapidity in which the Book of Mormon was translated. It required 85 days from the 7th day of April, the date Oliver Cowdery commenced acting as scribe, until the end of June when the complete text was finished and ready to turn over to the printer.
The Doctrine and Covenants gives us evidence of the power of translation of the Prophet Joseph Smith as contained in the 20th Section, Verses 8-12:

And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;
Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also;
Which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them–
Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old;
Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.

In the Ninth Article of Faith we read:

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

The Lord continues to inspire His holy prophets to make a record of His dealings with them. In our time we have another scripture. Not one of ancient origin as are the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but one that has come forth in our time, contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
President Benson, in explaining the Doctrine and Covenants, put it this way:

The Doctrine and Covenants brings men to Christ’s Kingdom, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth. I know that. The Book of Mormon is the keystone, the stone that holds all the other stones of an arch in place. The Doctrine and Covenants is the capstone which contains the latter-day revelations. The Lord put His stamp of approval on both the keystone and the capstone. The keystone and the capstone teach us about the cornerstone of our religion which is the Savior. (President Benson, Ensign, May 1987, p. 83).

Shortly after the organization of the Church, the members were desirous of obtaining copies of the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith up to that time. In the summer of 1830, the Prophet by divine command, commenced to copy and prepare the revelations, no doubt with the thought in mind of having them published. Some of the elders were carrying copies in their pockets as far as the Lord would permit them for there were some of the revelations that were forbidden to be published to the world.
On November 1 and 2, 1831, a conference was held at Hyrum Ohio, when it was decided that the revelations should be compiled and published. On the first day of the conference the Lord gave approval to the plan by giving a revelation which He called His “preface unto the Book of Commandments which I have given them to publish unto you, oh ye inhabitants of the earth.” (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 1).
During the course of the conference there was not perfect harmony among the brethren. A few criticized the language found in the revelations. They forgot that the Lord uses men as instruments as they are available, through which he communicates, just as an author, when writing, makes use of whatever the pen, paper, or ink that he may be able to obtain to produce his work. Some of the brethren did not fully realize that divine revelation is independent from university study and they were wavering in their faith. In answer to this inquiry, the Lord issued a challenge:

Now, seek ye out of the Book of Commandments, even the least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise among you;
Or, if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it, then ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true;
But if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true. (D&C 67:6-8)

William E. McLellin accepted the offer and undertook to initiate the revelations of the Lord. His efforts to produce a revelation were witnessed with great interest by the elders assembled and when they were aware of his complete failure, all doubts concerning the revelations of God vanished. They were then willing to testify to the truth, and signed a document containing their testimonies and witness to the truthfulness of the book.
Following the testimonies of the brethren, the conference authorized the publication of the revelations as the Book of Commandments. On the 12th day of November 1831, the Lord called John Whitmer, the Church Historian and recorder, to accompany Oliver Cowdery who had been commanded to carry the manuscripts to Missouri for printing.
On the 20th of November 1831, Oliver and John started for Missouri, arriving in Independence on the 5th of January 1832 after a long, cold journey. In June, Elder W. W. Phelps, who had the printing press of the Church in Independence, Missouri, began publishing extracts from the revelations in the Evening and Morning Star and setting the type for the Book of Commandments. The work on the press was slow and tedious.
Material for covers for the book was lacking but proved to be unnecessary. On the night of July 23, 1833, a mob broke into the establishment carrying away the press and destroying the type, and burned most of the papers and printed matter. One of the elders working on the publication, seeing the mob at the front door, hastily snatched an armload of assembled sheets of the Book of Commandments, found his way out the rear door, buried them beneath the hay in an old barn. Then fearing that he had been seen with his burden and the copies might be found and destroyed, he loaded his arms with some bricks he found in the barn and in broad view started off in another direction. The ploy apparently worked for as night came upon the city, at least twenty in number of the Book of Commandments had been preserved but the publication of the Book of Commandments was effectively stopped.
In September of 1834, the First Presidency was appointed to select the revelations to be published and the Prophet revised some of them from the original Book of Commandments to correct some of the printing errors and add additional information and some revelations received since 1833. The committee’s work was completed the following summer and a solemn assembly was convened on the 17th day of August 1835 to vote on the new book of scriptures to be called the Doctrine and Covenants.
The preface of the Doctrine and Covenants introduces the message of the book.

Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.
For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.
And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.
And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.
Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled (D&C 1:1-7).

Then verses 37-39:

Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen (D&C 1:37-39).

The entire book of scriptures stands as a warning to the nations that God will not be mocked. Those who heed the voice of warning will find protection and peace but those who refuse it will reap bitter fruit. President Joseph Fielding Smith has said:

The Doctrine and Covenants is not a book just for the Latter-day Saints. It is more than that. It belongs to the world–to the Catholic, the Protestant, the Methodist, to the infidel, to the non-believer. It is his book if he will accept it. The Lord has given it unto the world for their salvation. If you do not believe it, read the first section of the book, the preface, and you will find that the Lord has sent this book and the things which it contains unto the people afar on the isles of the sea and foreign lands, and His voice is to all people that may hear it. And so I say it belongs to all the world, not only to the Latter-day Saints, but they will be judged by it just as you will be judged by it (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 3).

Joseph Fielding Smith went on to say:

In my judgment there is no book on earth yet to come to man as important as the book known as the Doctrine and Covenants, with all due respect to the Book of Mormon, and the Bible, and the Pearl of Great Price, which we say are our standards in doctrine. The book of Doctrine and Covenants to us stands in a peculiar position above them all.
I am going to tell you why. When I say that, do not for a moment think I do not value the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Pearl of Great Price, just as much as any man that lives; I think I do. I do not know of anybody who has read them more, and I appreciate them; they are wonderful; they contain doctrine and revelation and commandments that we should heed; but the Bible is a history containing the doctrine and commandments given to the people anciently. That applies also to the Book of Mormon. It is doctrine and the history and the commandments of the people who dwelt upon this continent anciently.
But this Doctrine and Covenants contains the word of God to those who dwell here now. It is our book. It belongs to the Latter-day Saints. More precious than gold, the Prophet says we should treasure it more than the riches of the whole earth. I wonder if we do? If we value it, understand it, and know what it contains, we will value it more than wealth; it is worth more to us than the riches of the earth (Doctrines of Salvation 3:198-99).

The explanatory introduction gives us wonderful insight to what is contained in this collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations on the establishment and regulation of the Kingdom of God on earth in the latter-days. Just a quote from two of the paragraphs in the explanatory introduction:

The book of Doctrine and Covenants is one of the standard works of the Church in company with the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price. However, the Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through His chosen prophets for the restoration of His holy work and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in these days.
In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fullness of times; and the work that is initiated herein is preparatory to His second coming, in fulfillment of and in concert with the words of all the holy prophets since the world began.

Then down to the next to last paragraph it states:

In the revelations, the doctrines of the gospel are set forth with explanations about such fundamental matters as the nature of the Godhead, the origin of man, the reality of Satan, the purpose of mortality, the necessity for obedience, the need for repentance, the workings of the Holy Spirit, the ordinances and performances that pertain to salvation, the destiny of the earth, the future conditions of man after the Resurrection and the Judgment, the eternity of the marriage relationship, and the eternal nature of the family. Likewise, the gradual unfolding of the administrative structure of the Church is shown with the calling of bishops, the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, and the Seventy and the establishment of other presiding offices and quorums. Finally, the testimony that is given of Jesus Christ–His divinity, His majesty, His perfection, His love, and His redeeming power–makes this book of great value to the human family and of more worth than the riches of the whole earth.

Thus we see how carefully the Lord is preparing every detail to carry out His full plan He has designed for the guidance of His children through their journey through mortality. The population growth indicates He is sending many more of His spiritual children to earth to have a mortal experience. Technology makes travel and communication accessible to all corners of the earth and most importantly He is protecting and preserving His holy scriptures for our guidance.
My encouragement to you tonight is to study the doctrines of the Lord’s Church. With all the mountains of information being fed to the world today, how comforting it is to know that the Lord has preserved His dealings with His children as contained in His holy scriptures. Here is our foundation of truth. It will stand the test of time. It is the doctrine and His revealed covenants we must take upon ourselves which will lead us back to His presence. It is the only course which will lead to life eternal which is surely the objective of each of us. This is my witness to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ, amen.

Sources of Information:
Timetables of History by Bernard Grumm
National Geographic Magazine, October 1998
Church History in the Fulness of Times

Tags: Esp. 4 LDS, Living

Difference Between Divine Nature & Individual Worth

July 9, 2008 by crisy
Filed under Esp. 4 LDS

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I think one thing that’s important is to explain the difference between Individual Worth and Divine Nature. That’s something we just had to do because the girls were so confused about it. I brought two sisters up and explained that they came from the same parents, therefore they both share the same genes and have some of the same characteristics of their parents. It’s nothing they have control over, they inherit those genes as they are born. They may have their mom’s nose, their dad’s funny big toe, or their mother’s sense of humor, etc. We talked about this for a minute and explained their Divine Nature.

For Individual Worth I talked about how these sisters shared
the same genes, but each had their own individual talents and abilities. They were completely different from each other, in every sense of the word. That’s what our individual worth is about. We are all daughters of our Father in Heaven and have inherited His divine qualities, but we each have our own individual things that set us each apart.

Author Unknown.
if you wrote this, please let me know.

Tags: Esp. 4 LDS, Living

Priesthood Leader’s Lament

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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If I hadn’t let the bishop in
When he came to call that night;
If I hadn’t made the promise
That I’d strive with all my might
To inspire those home teachers
To get their teaching done,
To urge, incite and stimulate
And encourage everyone;
If I hadn’t made this statement:
“My reports will not be late.
That “I’ll surely have them handed in
On the appointed date.”
If I did not have the knowledge
That on judgment day I’d find
That the other guys had gone ahead
And left me far behind,
Then tonight I’d just relax a bit,
And from all worry cease,
Turn on TV, then settle back
And go to Hell in peace!

—Karl Mitchell

Tags: Esp. 4 LDS

Value Lesson on Choice & Accountability

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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Idea for Value Lesson on Choice & Accountability From a member of the ldscn YW’s List There is some great material in “The Latter-day Saint Woman” manual Part B. There is a lesson called “Agency and Accountability” with an excellent story that stresses how all choices have consequences.

I also went through a Glamour magazine and pulled out a lot of ads to show the girls how we are bombarded with worldly messages that trick us into believing that to be really free and happy, we can do anything we want and not suffer any consequences. Kind of the “anything goes” attitude that is so prevalent in today’s society. I found a Gitano ad that said “Live outside the lines” in bold letters, a clothing ad that showed a woman who just received a parking ticket with the slogan “looking right when you might be wrong”. There were many!! I also explained to them how we as a society are starting to reap the consequences of these attitudes by seeing children younger and younger involved in horrible crimes and senseless killings without any sense of accountability or remorse. I displayed a portion of the news articles from our local paper about the most recent tragedy in Arkansas. The lesson went well and really sparked lots of comments from the girls!

Tags: Esp. 4 LDS

Wanted—A Parent

July 9, 2008 by crisy
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WANTED: Male and female, husband and wife, to raise 4-8-2-1 children for a period of eternity years.

INCOME: Received in payment is nothing—only satisfaction and happiness is rewarded.

QUALIFICATIONS: Age unchangeable—mature in nature—provide home, food, clothing and shelter for a period of questionable years.

HOURS AVAILABLE: At all times from sunrise to sunrise. Fifteen minute breaks are none.

MUST BE: In good physical and mental condition. Must take care of crew’s needs. Be available at all times—never turn them away—be ready for any question and have an answer ready.

EDUCATION is necessary. To receive further training by apprenticeship depends on how long you stay.

WATCH for sickness, disease, hardships, discouragement and “know-it-alls.”

APPLY: Love, understanding and patience.
BE a jack of all trades—Doctor, lawyer, wife, mother (mom), father (dad), husband, nurse, secretary, teacher, plumber, gardener, decorator, seamstress, cook, friend, playmate, president of your own home, king and queen over princes and princesses.

PROVIDE: Enjoyment, fun and relaxation, togetherness and enthusiasm. Apply as often as necessary.

TRANSPORTATION: Moveable arms, legs, feet, eyes, ears and hands. Quick to go. Quick to act when called upon. Always on the go. Cannot be a quitter or a slow-poke. Must stick to it at all times.

INSURANCE: (Religion) Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prayer and faith.

REWARDS: Only a kiss and a quick “I love you!”
For further information call, Code: Heaven; Number: Available any time; Extension: Knees; Ask for Mr. and Mrs. Elohim.

Tags: Esp. 4 LDS

Especially for LDS

Jesse & Ginny Mendoza

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Doctrine and Covenants — The Capstone of Our Religion

Difference Between Divine Nature & Individual Worth

Priesthood Leader’s Lament

Value Lesson on Choice & Accountability

Wanted—A Parent

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