Prophets

"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Old Testament | Amos 3:7).

Becoming a Spiritual Person

The only perfect person to walk on this Earth was the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the rest of us, me, you, the prophet of God, and literally everyone else on this Earth is fallible.

“Men have become carnal. They have become enemies to God. They are seeking for their own advancement and not for the advancement of the kingdom of God” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, Apr. 1952)

In the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ the Prophet and King Benjamin taught:

“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19).

First, let’s define what “the natural” man is. President Spencer W. Kimball said, “The ‘natural man’ is the ‘earthy man’ who has allowed rude animal passions to overshadow his spiritual inclinations” (Ocean Currents and Family Influcences, Ensign, Jan. 1984).

Now that we know that the natural man is what allows temptations of the world to override our God-given, God-like spiritual qualities, how does someone put off the natural man and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit?

Robert L. Millet answered when he wrote: “One does not put off the natural man by living longer. Nor does one change his nature simply by attending meetings. The transformation is accomplished only as one chooses to be changed through the mediation of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, by means of gospel ordinances” (Putting off the Natural Man: “An Enemy to God”, Ensign, Jun. 1992).

President Ezra Taft Benson put it this way: “The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature” (Born of God, Ensign, Nov. 1985).

Establishing what this “natural man” is, then understanding how to put off this natural man through the atonement of Jesus Christ, leads us to the final step, of how we are to be, going back to the verse spoke by Benjamin again: “becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him”.

In this world filled with ambition, it is very difficult to train ourselves to become “submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love”. Yet this is exactly what the Savior taught about 150 years after King Benjamin when he said “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (New Testament | Matthew 22:37 - 39) and when the Savior taught the Beatitudes.

As I examine these words, I am struck with how they actually turn away from ourselves and turn to others. Putting off the natural man is all about loving and being kind to others, “as a child”. Children are not only kind and submissive, but they love unconditionally. There is nothing I treasure more when I have arrived home from work than the looks my children’s faces as them come running to the door and upon reaching me, they wrap their arms around me. We would all be much, much better people living in much, much better society if we had that kind of love for each other, or in the words of Jesus, our “neighbour”. I share this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Best Way to Parent is by Example

"If each and every one of us who are parents will reflect upon the responsibilities devolving upon us, we shall come to the conclusion that we should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate" (Journal of Discourses, 14:192).

These are the words of a prophet, Brigham Young.

Descendants of Polygamy

My wife and I are descendants of polygamists and we are proud to be! We will also be the first to tell you that today polygamy is wrong, it is a sin. But more on that subject later. Let's look at some of my family's heritage.

My wife descends from George Reynolds and his second wife Mary Ann Tuddenham. In total, Reynolds had three wives. He is somewhat historic in nature, as he agreed to be offered up by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the test case for religious freedom concerning polygamy in a case taken to the United States Supreme Court. Reynolds lost and ended up spending one year and seven months in prison, being released in 1881. In 1890 he was called to the Quorum of the Seventy by church President Wilford Woodruff. He died in 1909.

I descend from Wilford Woodruff and either his third or forth wife Sarah Brown. I'm not really sure which because he married both of them on the same day! Woodruff had five total wives. He was President of the LDS Church from 1887 until his death in 1898. Much of the church's history throughout the 1800s is written due to his meticulous journal writing. On May 17, 1888 Woodruff dedicated the Manti, Utah temple. You may also notice on my side bar that this is where my wife and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity. On September 24, 1890 President Woodruff received a revelation for the church commonly referred to as "The Manifesto", officially ending the practice of continued plural marriages.

My children therefore descend from the person who was the Supreme Court test case to defend polygamy on religious grounds and they descend from the person who acting as the mouthpiece of God ended polygamy! On top of that, they descend from polygamous wives of each of these men!

You can tell that I am very proud of my heritage. I think it's rather entertaining.

However, earlier I wrote that "polygamy is wrong, it is a sin". I stand by this statement. Today polygamy is a sin. For the people of the Book of Mormon it was a sin. For Abraham it was not (plus further clarification here). But how could this be true if "Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever"? (New Testament | Hebrews 13:8). It is true because although Jesus Christ is always the same a completely perfect being with a resurrected body, at times his laws to mankind have changed. For example Jesus said that the Law of Moses was fulfilled in him:

17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (New Testament | Matthew 5:17 - 18)
4 Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.
5 Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end.
6 Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled.
7 And because I said unto you that old things have passed away, I do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning things which are to come.
8 For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me (emphasis added).
9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life. (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 15:4 - 9)

Christ had begun to teach mankind the higher law, beginning with the Beatitudes. Certainly they questioned the contradiction in their hearts. It was no longer "an eye for an eye". Rather Jesus taught: "Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (New Testament | Matthew 5:39).

During Christ's time his gospel was originally only taught to the Jews. That changed too. Peter was given the revelation through a dream, as described in Acts 10, to teach the gospel to the gentiles as well as the Jews.

Jesus had earlier taught Peter about the concept of his church being led by revelation when he said to him: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (New Testament | Matthew 16:17 - 18). In answering the question in reference to this verse "What rock?", the prophet Joseph Smith taught: "Revelation" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 274, qtd. in Mormon Doctrine, 2nd Ed. p. 646)

It was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that plural wives were an acceptable practice, as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants Section 132. I will not deny this nor will I call if by any false name. It was the will and mind of God, just as it was his will to rescind the law in 1890 through the Prophet Wilford Woodruff.

I testify unto that the heavens are opened! Not only are we able to receive our own personal revelations pertaining to only ourselves, but the true church of Jesus Christ, his kingdom on Earth, is truly led by a Prophet who is authorized to and does receive revelation for and in behalf of all people on this Earth. These things I know and I share in Jesus' name. Amen.

What is a Christian?

What is a Christian?

Let's do what every teenager does while speaking to the congregation for the first time. We'll explore the dictionary.

Merriam-Webster says: "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ"

Dictionary.com says: "of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith"

Merriam-Webster, or as it was formally known, Webster's Dictionary, the American classic, defining our language in most of our homes, right now, in 2008, says a Christian is "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ". Dictionary.com says virtually the same thing.

However, it seems to me that the issue of some is based on the "teachings" part of these definitions, attempting to determine who truly follows the "teachings" of Jesus Christ and who does not, such as Pat Robertson, who is a very good man, one who I believe does his very best to follow Christ, but has determined that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are members of a cult.

It seems that some have desired to more restrictively define the term "Christian" to people who believe in Jesus' words in the Bible in their particular way, preferring to ignore scriptural evidence concerning "works", to accompany faith and grace, as if "works" somehow devalues the importance of the grace of Jesus Christ.

Many of my Evangelical friends point to scriptures such as, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (New Testament | Ephesians 2:8 - 9) and "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (New Testament | John 3:16).

Those of us members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints might then counter in the Bible with scriptures such as: "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? . . . For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (New Testament | James 2:20, 26), or the story of the man in Matthew 19:16-19 who asked the Savior what to do to gain eternal life and Christ instructed him to do many things (or "works").

Finally, we would likely quote the prophet Nephi who wrote in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 25:23).

This scripture really brings it all together for me. And quite frankly it just makes sense. We should spend our days on this Earth doing good works. However, in the end, we are fallible, mortal human beings that ARE NOT capable of receiving salvation on our own. We are not capable of overcoming death on our own or paying the full price for our sins. Only one person was. Fortunately, in the end, we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and the power of his atoning sacrifice where "all men are saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment" (The Purifying Power of Gethsemane, Bruce R. McConkie). There truly is no other way!

Of course, this begs the question, "If we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, then why do works matter, where do they get me?" This is yet another discussion. Suffice it to say, this is why there must be degrees of salvation, or "levels" of heaven, not simply a black and white heaven and hell. In fact, at the risk of completely invalidating everything I've written here due to this source, I believe that Yoda was speaking truth when he said: "Only the Sith speak in absolutes". (Hey I'm good with that quote because: "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things".) Concerning 'degrees of salvation, or "levels" of heaven', see 1 Corinthians 15:40, followed by Doctrine and Covenants 76, then Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4.

But in the end, who is it that is truly authorized to determine what are the true teachings, or rather, how to interpret the doctrine of Jesus Christ found in the Bible? Who has the authority to speak for Jesus Christ on this Earth? Just as in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ have given us true and living prophets to interpret and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to us, his children that he loves so much!

Now, returning to the original question, "What is a Christian?" How do I define a Christian? Do I believe that people not of my denomination, that non-Mormons are all not Christians? No way! One of the finest, truest Christians I know is not a Mormon. Ron McKenzie is the best father and one of the kindest servants of his fellow man that I have ever met. He has probably never read this scripture, but he is a true practitoner of it: "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 2:17).

I believe a true Christian is a believer in Jesus Christ who does everything in his or her power to following the teachings of Jesus Christ as far as that person understands those teachings. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon, I believe I am a Christian and I am very humbled and thankful for my other Christian brethren and sisters in this world.

It is my testimony that through Christ, after all that I can do, I will be saved by his grace, but that how I choose to use my time, or my "works" serving God rather than mammon, will determine my final estate, for I know that God is a just God. I share these words with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Another Testimony of Jesus Christ

I beheld round the throne holy angels and hosts,
And sanctified beings from worlds that have been,
In holiness worshiping God and the Lamb,
Forever and ever. Amen and amen.

And now after all of the proofs made of him,
By witnesses truly, by whom he was known,
This is mine, last of all, that he lives; yea, he lives!
And sits on the right hand of God on his throne.

And I heard a great voice bearing record from heav'n,
He's the Saviour and Only begotten of God;
By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
Even all that careen in the heavens so broad.

Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
Are sav'd by the very same Saviour of ours;
And, of course, are begotten God's daughters and sons
By the very same truths and the very same powers."

(Joseph Smith Jr., Millennial Star, vol. 4 pp. 49-55, qtd. in Mormon Doctrine, Second Edition pp. 65-66)

How to Vote: The Words of a Prophet

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not endorse or support candidate for political office. However, President Harold B. Lee offered this counsel on voting:

I'll tell you how to vote. You read the 134th section of the Doctrine and Covenants and the 29th chapter of Mosiah, and then pray about it and you'll know exactly whom you should vote for at the election. That's how to vote" (Address to Seminary and Institute Personnel, Brigham Young University, July 8, 1966).

God's Commandments

I recently read a story about a controversy where homosexual woman who were kissing in the stands of a Major League Baseball game were asked to stop by an usher who had received a complaint from another woman in the stands. The debate in this article was really about whose rights are being infringed upon, or what is more important, the homosexuals being free to do as they wish in a public setting or those who prefer to not be exposed to homosexual behavior in a public setting.

As this is not a political blog, I am not going to get into the controversy here of whose rights trump whose. Rather, I am going to talk about the more fundamental issue—homosexuality.

Homosexuality is wrong.

The statement that stuck out most to me in the aforementioned article was this:

"Certain individuals have not yet caught up. Those people see a gay or lesbian couple and they stare or say something.”

Do not get me wrong, I do not hate homosexuals. I love them, as I do my best to love all of Heavenly Father’s children. However, there is no “catching up” to do. Simply because some people have chosen some morals are now okay does not mean the rest of us need to “catch up”. God makes it clear through his prophets in the Bible where he stands on homosexuality three distinct times:

Moses taught: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (Old Testament | Leviticus 18:22).

Paul taught the Colossians: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (emphasis added), (New Testament | Colossians 3:5).

Paul taught Timothy: “THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good” (emphasis added), (New Testament | 2 Timothy 3:1-3).

Now if you are a believer and believe this commandment has changed, you must believe one having authority through Jesus Christ—meaning a prophet or an apostle (which is a prophet)—has spoken for God and changed it, making homosexuality acceptable. If you do not believe God speaks to men on Earth any more, then you must believe that this commandment—homosexuality is wrong—is still in force.

I will tell you what I believe. God does continue to speak to men on this Earth. There is a true and living prophet. However, since God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness on this Earth, none of his prophets have rescinded the doctrine that homosexuality is wrong. They have only reinforced it.

There is no “catching up” to do. Homosexuality is against God’s commandments. It is a weakness no doubt many have. However, we were put on this Earth with weaknesses so we could gain strength, knowledge, and power by overcoming those weaknesses. All of our weakness, or rather the combinations of our weakness, are unique to each of us, as we are unique children of God. Concerning this mortal state where we have weaknesses, King Benjamin taught:

”For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19)”

I testify that as we seek to “yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and “putteth off the natural man” we will become more saintly “through the atonement of Christ the Lord”. I know that however difficult challenges and temptations are, even when the world says “it’s alright, everyone is doing it”, through Jesus Christ we can overcome those challenges, gaining greater control over our natural selves. I testify that this will only bring us closer to our Father in Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ. This is my testimony, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Mormon Church is Either True or it is a Fraud: Blacks and the Priesthood

"Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing"

That is what Gordon B. Hinckley, a living prophet said in 2003. Either the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one true church on this Earth or it is not. It is really that simple. Why? Well that answer is biblical.

Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount, as recorded by Luke in chapter 16 verse 13: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Gordon B. Hinckely was teaching exactly what Jesus Christ taught roughly 2,000 years earlier. There is no half way, no in between. If the church is all true, you are serving God. If one part of the church's doctrine is false the entire church is false, because it would then be a fraud, answering only to the devil or mammon. Let us make one point clear, however, this is not the people of the church, this is the official doctrine, people are entirely fallible, as all humans can, will, and do error, even prophets.

This statement by President Hinckley came to my mind as I was thinking about the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the blessings of the Priesthood being extended to Blacks through revelation to the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball. It is true that many church leaders prior to 1978 said some harsh things towards blacks concerning their banishment from the Priesthood. Some of these statements sound even more harsh when read today because some of the common vernacular of that day is seen today as exceptionally inflammatory.

One Apostle in particular that I quote often, Bruce R. McConkie, was well-known to have made many harsh-sounding statements, and is where the church either being true or not true becomes part of this discussion. In 1978 Elder McConkie said:

"There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren that we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, "You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?" All I can say is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or George Q. Cannon or whoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.

It doesn't make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject. As to any slivers of light or any particles of darkness of the past, we forget about them. We now do what meridian Israel did when the Lord said the gospel should go to the Gentiles. We forget all the statements that limited the gospel to the house of Israel, and we start going to the Gentiles (qtd. from http://www.blacklds.org/Reynolds#en5 "All Are Alike unto God," an address to a Book of Mormon Symposium for Seminary and Institute teachers, Brigham Young University, 18 August 1978, as quoted in Jessie L. Embry, Black Saints in a White Church (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1994), 34. [New Mormon Studies CD-ROM (Smith Research Associates, 1999)]."

I do not believe it can be said any more directly than this. Either you believe the church is completely true, led by Prophets, Seers, and Revelators, who continuously receive revelation for the church from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ or you reject living Prophets and believe this church is completely false. If you believe some revelations are true and others are not, then you believe the church is completely false, for God would not allow his Prophets to lead the church astray. As Elder McConkie described how the policy changed and the gospel was no longer only taught to the Israelites, but also to the Gentiles in ancient days, God does at times changes things within his church. But again, it comes down to do you believe in modern revelation or do you not? Then you can easily accepted the Lord's will when he presents changes to the membership through his leadership.

If you are not sure and would like to find out, Jesus taught us how, as recorded in John 16:23-24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

I testify that when you do ask with a sincere heart, will real intent, the Lord will make the truth known unto you through the Holy Ghost. If you will allow it to penetrate your soul, you will feel the truth in your heart and know it in you mind. I share my testimony of this with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

How to Understand Prophecy

I am currently reading The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was sustained as a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. He held this office from October 1972 until his death on April 19, 1985.

Elder McConkie outlines what it takes to understand prophecy on page 44:

But in the final analysis, there is no way—absolutely none (and this cannot be stated too strongly!)—to understand any Messianic prophecy, or any other scripture, except to have the same spirit of prophecy that rested upon the one who uttered the truth in its original form. Scripture comes from God by the power of the Holy Ghost. It does not originate with man. It means only what the Holy Ghost thinks it means. To interpret it, we must be enlightened by the power of the Holy Spirit. As Peter said, “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Truly, it takes a prophet to understand a prophet, and every faithful member of the Church should have “the testimony of Jesus” which “is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelations 19:10). Thus as Nephi says, “The words of Isaiah”—and the principle applies to all scripture, all inspired writing, all Messianic Prophecies—“are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy” (2 Nephi 25:4). This is the sum and substance of the whole matter and an end to all controversy where discovering the mind and will of the Lord is concerned.