Lamps and Lightbulbs

So this one time I was trying to explain how priesthood Authority works, and why it is important.  I came up with my own story, and it goes something like this.


     Once upon a time there was a Lamp.  That Lamp was the Gospel.  Then Christ came to teach the Gospel, perform the Atonement, and establish His church.  The church Christ established is like a LampShade, it holds all the 'Light and Knowledge' of the Gospel.

     However, after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the church was persecuted, and the Apostles who received Priesthood Authority were killed.  This means that the Lamp was broken, because no one had the Authority to direct Christ's Church.

     Less than 500 years later there were a small number of churches that had pieces of the broken Lamp.  People knew that something had been lost and they tried as best they could to reform the Lamp.  Roughly 1000 years later there were many churches, or many Lamps, that all claimed to be the "True Lamp".  That they each had part of that Lamp it is true, but none were the Lamp of the Gospel as it was supposed to be.

     Now we have a world where we can choose from many churches, almost like going to the store to buy a Lamp, there are planty of options.  Some Lamps are tall and flexible, some are short and round, others may be there more for looks than for light.

  

 


But even if the Lamp came close, the Lightbulb of Authority was still missing.  You see Christ is the 'Light of the world', and so even if you have all the components of a functioning Lamp only when He puts in the Lightbulb does that church give Light.

     In 1820 Joseph Smith asked God in prayer, which church to join.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and called him to be a new Prophet to restore His church to the Earth, exactly as it was when Christ was on the Earth.

     The same Lamp of the Gospel, with the same church organization or LampShade, was once again found on the Earth.  God gave the Authority of the Priesthood to Joseph Smith, who ordained others, and the Priesthood has never again left the Earth.

One Ring to SAVE Them ALL

This is a Ring of POWER.

Created by Sauron.

One Ring to rule them all,

One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all

and in the Darkness bind them.

Gandalf knows that this Ring is Evil and Breeds Destruction.

He Seeks to Destroy the Ring and bring Light and freedom to Middle Earth.

Jesus Christ (Gandalf) has already won the Fight.

Satan (Sauron) may have power, but only if we let him.

Frodo (each of us) was strong enough to endure his trials.

Sure he got lost a few times along the way.

He was stabbed by a Ringwriath.

He even didn't trust Sam for a bit there in the End.

But overall, Christ has promised Each of us that:

"God is faithful,

who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;

but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,

that ye may be able to bear it."

-- 1 Corinthians 10:13

I am the Light and the Life of the World

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

I am the light of the world:

he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life."

-- John 8:12

"Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle,

and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;

and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

-- Matthew 5:14-16

"The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."

-- Proverbs 4:19

He who walks in Darkness, knows not where he goes.  But if you have received the light of Christ, the Words of Christ shall tell you all things that ye should do. (see 2 Nephi 32:3)

"For we walk by faith, not by sight"

--2 Corinthians 5:7

All Things Denote There is a Supreme Creator

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good"

-- Genesis 1:3-4

 

 

 

 

"Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion"
-- Amos 5:8

"Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

-- Alma 30:44

 I know that God is out there.  I haven't seen Him, but I don't need to.  I know that He loves me and cares about what happens to me, not because He gives me everything in the world, but because He helps me through everything in the world.  If you are unsure about whether or not God loves you, I promise that He does, and you can feel of that love by reading from the Scriptures.  We are sheep and He truly is our Good Shepherd.