Pocahontas - Is Your Heart Feeling Savage?

Ask yourself, "Am I 'Savage' towards others?"

Interdenominational differences often cause people to raise aggressive defense against each other.  This is not intended to happen if we truly lived the Gospel as taught by Jesus Christ.

"And he gave some, apostles;

and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists;

and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints,

for the work of the ministry,

for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith,

and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

unto a perfect man,

unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

-- Ephesians 4:11-13

All of the offices of the Priesthood listed were given specifically for us to come into a 'Unity of the Faith'.  Are we Unified in our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ?  Is there only One 'Faith', or 'Church' on the Earth?

Jesus Christ set up His church when He was on the Earth.  Jesus Christ is Perfect, therefore anything He does or establishes must needs be perfect.  Futhermore, if there are any changes made to that church which He established it would become imperfect, because you simply can't make something 'more than perfect'.

If Christ's Church had the offices of Prophet (Adam, Noah, Moses), Apostles (Peter, James, John), Seventy (Luke 10:1,17), Pastor/Bishop (1 Timothy 3:1), Teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28), Deacons (1 Timothy 3:8), Patriarch/Evangelist (Hebrews 7:4), Elder (James 5:14), Priest and High Priest (Hebrews 5:10, Hebrews 9:6-7).

Christ is the Head of the Church. (Ephesians 5:23, Mosiah 5:8)

So how can we know of ourselves which Church is True to the organization of Christ's Church?

Prayer.  That's it.  Prayer is the only way to know if any particular Church is right.  Don't bother asking some mortal, even myself, because they will tell you as far as their understanding allows.  God however cannot lie, and has all the understanding of the Universe.  He is also your Heavenly Father and you can Trust Him without any reservation.

When Pocahontas goes to speak to 'Grandmother Willow', she seeks guidance.  This represents prayer. The Spirit, like the Spinning Arrow guides us in Truth, and tells us what we should do.  Once we know the path we need to have the courage to run the course.  Much as Pocahontas could have received her revelation that she should save John Smith, had she not run as fast as she could to save him, or in other words to Live the Gospel, then he would have been killed by her father, and many others would have been killed in war.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye find direction.  Pray to your Heavenly Father and He will give you direction, but you must listen with your Heart.

Restoration of the Priesthood - Anniversary

Do you know what today is?

Today is the 183rd Anniversary of the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.

On May 15th, 1829, John the Baptist (as a resurrected being, see Matthew 27:52-53 and 3 Nephi 23:11) came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on the bank of the Susquehanna River.  He then Ordained them to the Priesthood which he held, which is the same Priesthood that Christ was Baptized by.

Without this Authority nothing that we do in this life would be of any effect out of this life.

When asked who the Apostles said Jesus was, Peter replied,

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

-- Matthew 16:16

It was upon this, the Testimony of the Godhead, that is the keystone of the Church, upon which the Devil has no power to overthrow.

Christ then stated:

"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth

shall be bound in heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven."

-- Matthew 16:19

It is through this Sealing Power, to bind on Earth and in Heaven, that we may be with our Families Forever.
Without the proper Authority of the Priesthood, nothing done in any religious ceremony is of any effect after we depart this life.  Only by doing what God has Commanded, in the way He commanded it, may we truly be saved at the last day.

General Conference is TOMORROW

Confirmation - Gift of the Holy Ghost

The following is taken from the Bible Dictionary.

Confirmation. See Laying on of hands. 

The word is not found in the N.T., though the rite itself is mentioned in several places. (1) We are told (Acts 8:14–17) that after Philip had baptized the converts in Samaria, Peter and John prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost; they then laid their hands on them, and the Holy Ghost was given. (2) On Paul’s arrival at Ephesus (Acts 19:1–6) he found men who had received a form of baptism that they incorrectly supposed had come from John the Baptist. After they had been properly baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Apostle laid his hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

In these instances there is illustrated the greater authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, compared to the Aaronic Priesthood. The latter has authority to baptize in water, but not the power to lay on hands to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Melchizedek Priesthood has power to do both (JS—H 1:70–72). Baptism of water without the bestowal of the Holy Ghost would be incomplete, and would be but half a baptism (HC 5:499).

No information is to be found in the Bible as to any special age for confirmation, but it is clear that it followed close after baptism. Confirmation includes more than conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost. To confirm means to “make more sure.” 

See also Baptism.