Who is YOUR Best Friend?

God is the Best Friend I have EVER had.

Genie has lots of abilities.  He grants three wishes to every master.  However he can't make anyone fall in love.  He can't kill anybody, and he either can't or won't bring people back from the dead.

Seems pretty limited to me.

God has no limitations, and He grants more than three wishes, to Everyone.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible."

-- Luke 1:37

We simply have to go to Him in Prayer, and ask in Faith.

"If any of you lack wisdom,

let him ask of God,

that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not;

and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith,

nothing wavering.

For he that wavereth

is like a wave of the sea

driven with the wind

and tossed."

-- James 1:5-6

So make God your Best Friend, and counsel with Him in all that you Do.  He might say no sometimes, but it is for your own good.  He always does whatever is best for us.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths."

-- Proverbs 3:5-6

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings,

and he will direct thee for good;"

-- Alma 37:37

In the Dark of the Night - The Devil is Waiting for YOU

What does it take for the Devil to find you??

In the 'Dark of the Night', your guard is lowered and then you DIE!!!

Spiritual Death is much more frightening to me than Physical Death.  Spiritual Death includes, but is not limited to, Separation from God, not Feeling the Spirit, and Ignorance of the Gospel.

Satan is probably everyone's worst nightmare.  He is not a 'corpse falling to bits', but he is rather creepy.  I prefer not to talk about him much, as it is better to focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ, but occasionally we need to address who we fight against.

Rasputin claims that "[he] was once the most mystical man in all Russia", and that "when the Royals betrayed [him] they made a mistake."

However, as Rasputin is the villain, or 'Devils Character', and represents Satan, doesn't that mean he betrayed them?

"For thou hast said in thine heart,

I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:"

-- Isaiah 14:13

God's firstborn Son is Christ, who is King of Kings.  These may be considered the 'Royals'.

Satan who was a 'Son of the Morning' (Isaiah 14:12) sought to be higher than God.  In this he turned against God in open Rebellion.  Then he and those who willing chose to follow him were cast out.

His curse has made each of us pay.  We must go through mortality which is strewn with uncomfortable things and simply bad happenings.  However through Christ we are able to overcome these things.  The payment is a Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit. (Psalms 34:18)

Rasputin states that Terror is the 'Least he can Do'.  Satan is there to terrify us so that we feel incapable of approaching God and asking for forgiveness.  The least he will do is try to make us afraid of what might happen if we do accept the Gospel.  However Fear is in direct opposition to Faith, which is taught by Christ.

Through Faith we can know that even if those around us don't approve of our actions and choices, at least God does.

"Here is a Sign, It's the End of the Line"

Can Satan really give 'Signs'?  Yes, but through Prayer we may detect those who are Sent from God, and those who are not.

"Beware of false prophets,

which come to you in sheep’s clothing,

but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

-- Matthew 7:15, 3 Nephi 14:15

"Praying always with all prayer

and supplication in the Spirit,

and watching thereunto with all perseverance

and supplication for all saints;"

-- Ephesians 6:18

"Pray always,

that you may come off conqueror;

yea, that you may conquer Satan,

and that you may escape the hands

of the servants of Satan

that do uphold his work."

-- Doctrine and Covenants 10:5

"Pray Always", so that you will not be taken captive by the Devil 'In the Dark of the Night'.

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.

Computers and Scriptures

Have you ever wondered why there is more than one book of Scripture?

Why couldn't Moses have written everythuing we need?

Why did other men, Prophets, continue to write more Scripture?

Well, it is kinda like a Computer.

This is a Motherboard.

A Motherboard is what keeps everything together and allows all the other computer parts to function.

This is a Video Card.

This individual Chip processes each pixel on the screen, and tells the computer what to show.

This is a Sound Card.

Everything you Hear comes from this.  Sometimes the Card is the problem, not your volume.

These are RAM sticks.

RAM stands for Readily Accessable Memory.

This is what determines how fast your computer can process things.

The Scriptures act much like a Computer.  Each individual Book of Scripture does what is needed, to help people learn and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Not every book of Scripture details every single principle of the Gospel, so you must read all of them in order to make the Gospel Functional.

The Video Card could be considered 'Visions'.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish"

-- Proverbs 29:18

The Sound Card could be 'Hearing the Word of the Lord'.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God,

that I will send a famine in the land,

not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,

but of hearing the words of the Lord."

-- Amos 8:11

The Motherboard is the Spirit, keeping everything together.  Without the Spirit we would not have our own personal testimony that the Scriptures are true, and it would be quite difficult to understand how each peace of Scripture fits in with the rest.

The RAM is our mind.  When we learn something from the Scriptures, we need to do whatever we can to remember what we learn, and Apply it into our lives.  It does no good to go to church or to read the Scriptures if we don't act upon what has been revealed.

So just like a Computer has many different parts that make it work, the Gospel calls for a Prophet to reveal the Will of the Lord in Modern times.  Just as the Children of Israel needed Joshua after Moses, and later Elisha after Elijah.  The Lord set Peter as the Chief Apostle, founding the church upon the Rock of Revelation, and after Christ's ascension Peter was the Prophet on the Earth.  The computer of the Gospel is now functioning under the Prophetic Guidance of Thomas S. Monson.

.

Who is REALLY in Charge Here?

Just in case you were wondering, I do not like sports.

However I do like looking at symbols, and most sports teams have an animal as the symbol of the team.

Lion

Penguins

Bears

So why do we used all these animals as a symbol of strength for the team? We are higher on the totem pole than they are right?

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
-- Genesis 1:26

So if we are the ones who attach specific symbols to animals, wouldn't God help us learn through symbols as well?

Christ sacrificed His life for us Vicariously.  His suffering can take away our sins.

In the same way He commanded us to be baptized.  This allows us to follow His example more fully.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
-- Acts 2:38


There must be an opposition in all things.  Think about it, if you never got hurt at all, would you really know what it felt like not to be in pain?  If you never saw the sunshine, would dark clouds really be that gloomy?  If you were never alive, would you be able to die?

 "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.

If not so, ..., righteousness could not be brought to pass,

 neither wickedness,

neither holiness nor misery,

neither good nor bad.

Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one;

wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead,

having no life neither death,

 nor corruption nor incorruption,

happiness nor misery,

neither sense nor insensibility."

-- 2 Nephi 2:11

So there is opposition in all things, and they compound in one.  The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol of life, but it closely resembles a cross which we see today as a symbol of death.  This is where we may easily see that opposition must be a part of mortality.  Through the Resurrection of Christ we shall all be made alive, but with His Death on the cross He would never have been Resurrected.

God can see everything.  Below is the Eye of Ra as well as the 'All Seeing Eye' that is on the back of American currency.  Egypt again has the ancient form of a symbol we recognize today.  They knew that God could see everything, and used this trait to depict Ra, the false 'Sun God' of Egypt.

As we read the scriptures, we should look for those symbols that help us to understand the True nature of God, as well as our purpose in life.  These Symbols will make it so we know exactly who is in charge here on Earth, and it is the same person who has been in charge forever.

Have Faith : Step into the Darkness

"There are times when we have to step into the darkness in faith, confident that God will place solid ground beneath our feet once we do."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

We must show our Faith in God in order to receive His Highest Blessings.

"Now, he who finds the Grail must face 3 challenges.

First, is the path of God: Only the penitent man shall pass.

Second, is the word of God: Only in the footsteps of God, shall he proceed.

Last is the breath of God: Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth."
-- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

So what do we do to show Faith?

First : Pray

Second : Read Scriptures

Last : Go to Church

What can you do to be closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, in your own Life?

General Conference is TOMORROW

There really is only ONE God.

"There is one body, and one Spirit, 

even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, 

one faith, 

one baptism,

One God and Father of all, 

who is above all, 

and through all, 

and in you all."

-- Ephesians 4:4-6

There is no need for multiple Doctrines.  There is no need for multiple Interpretations.  There is no need for multiple Institutions.

We have all been Created by one God.  He is our Heavenly Father and loves us dearly.  He has given us Commandments for our benefit.  If we live according to His Commandments we shall find Happiness, Friends, and Peace throughout our lives.

There cannot be more than one way of performing sacred ordinances today, such as Baptism, any more than there was in biblical times.

"And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord."

-- Numbers 26:61

We do not see those who did not obey God's prescribed method die as has happened in days past, but the necessity of priesthood Authority has been taught by all of the Lord's Prophets since the beginning.

We have all been Commanded to diligently study the Scriptures, written by Prophets, that we may know for ourselves what is expected of us. (Joshua 1:8)

It is a Commandment to "Pray unto the Father", and to receive personal direction for our individual lives. (John 16:26)

We have also been Commanded to assemble ourselves, or in other words attend church, so that we may receive guidance from Priesthood Leaders, whom God gives revelation on how to govern the affairs of His church. (Hebrews 10:25)

I know that as we Read the Scriptures, Pray to God our Heavenly Father, and seek Revelation from Him as we go to Church, we will be shown what to do in our own lives.  We will know exactly why things happen, and it will give us more spiritual strength.

lds.org/maps/google

Westley = The Gospel in Action

The Atonement of Jesus Christ includes His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His Triumphant Resurrection.  Without this Atonement all mankind would be lost.

Lost is Bad

However, due to the Reality of this Atonement all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.



Westley in "The Princess Bride", used the Atonement in his everyday life.

He bested Inigo's Steel...

He defeated Fezzik's Strength...

He then out-thought Vizzini...

These three will represent all of our Pains, Afflictions, and Temptations.

How did Westley overcome all these things?

Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people."

-- Alma 7:11

By obedience to the Commandments we can all overcome the trials in our life.

"And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice;

for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men,

yea, the pains of every living creature,

both men, women, and children,

who belong to the family of Adam.

 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men,

that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

 And he commandeth all men that they must repent,

and be baptized in his name,

having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel,

or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God."

-- 2 Nephi 9:21-23

Just as Prince Humperdinck and Count Rugen caused lots of pain for Westley, the devil is always there trying to make us feel like we are worthless or that we should simply give up.

Right after they went through the worst day ever, Count Rugen goes and makes things worse.

But though the Atonement, even when we have fallen for a time there is still hope.

This Hope is in the Resurrection.

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world,
yea, even a place at the right hand of God,
which hope cometh of faith,
maketh an anchor to the souls of men,
which would make them sure and steadfast,
always abounding in good works,
being led to glorify God."
-- Ether 12:4

May each of us study the Scriptures and Pray often, so that we too can have these blessings of the Atonement in our life.




It is by obedience that we may receive our own 'Happily Ever After'.

Purity, Meaning of

In most Role Playing Games (RPG's) you have the option of 'upgrading' your character.  Most people simlpy go through the game and upgrade the ability they need the most at that time.  Some abilities might include things such as agility, strength, stealth, and health.  Some games have the option of using Swords, Bow and Arrow, or Magic.  These games give the opportunity to decide how you will fight your enemies.

Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Swords have powerful attacks, but you have to get up close.  Bow and Arrow is a ranged weapon, but you do less damage.  Magic is both powerful and ranged, but certain armor can usually withstand its effect.

What does it mean to be Pure? 

- free from foreign or inappropriate elements

Is there more than one meaning of Pure?
- clear; free from blemishes
- free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind
- unmodified by an admixture

While some people use a blended form of combat, many people pick a single type and stick to that only.  These is called 'purists' or 'Pures', because they have only a single combat method.

By playing a 'Pure' game you have the advantage of not wasting upgrade points on attributes that you dont really use.

In Real Life, we also have to make the choice of what we are going to do with our time.  We can upgrade our Strength by working out.  We can upgrade athlectic ability by practice and by watching others.  We should upgrade our Spirit by reading the Scriptures, Praying Daily, and going to Church.

While we need to do other things in life in order to have money to live, we can remain Pure in Heart by obeying the Commandments of God.  By being Pure we can better receive revelation and have the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives, so that we know how to best use our 'upgrades'.

Sometimes we make mistakes, and that makes the Holy Spirit leave.  Through the Atonement of Christ we can be Clean and Pure again.

If we Keep our lives Clean and Pure we will have the blessing of the Lord.  The only thing we need to do is remove those items in our life that draw us away from our Father in Heaven.

Killer Bunnies and the Pursuit of Salvation

So...not very many people know about Killer Bunnies. 

Not very many people have a Perfect assurance of Salvation either.

You see when you first begin playing Killer Bunnies you have the Starter deck, which includes the Blue and Yellow card sets.  You have two booklets to help you learn how to play, Six different colored, twelve sided dice, and Twelve different Carrot Cards.

Some of the cards can be rather difficult to understand how to play them, or even know what exactly they are supposed to do.

Once you begin getting better however, you have the option to add the Red Booster deck.

Plus a few other decks.

Which in turn adds a few more 'special' cards to the Game.

When you finally add all Nine of the Expansions to your deck of Killer Bunnies, you have something around 1000 cards in the deck.

This is a lot like the Restoration of the gospel, or maybe like someone joining the church.  In the beginning it might be a bit overwhelming.

For almost 1800 years all anyone had known as Scripture was the Bible.  But even before the Time of Christ there were Prophets who consistently added to Scripture.



The 5 Books of Moses



Moses covered over 2000 years in his writings alone.

Then you have other Prophets who added Scriptures.



Confused Yet??



Then after Christ called His Twelve Apostles and performed the Atonement, the Apostles started writing their Testimonies and it was Canonized into being Scripture, now known as the New Testament.

(click here for more information)

So most of the world only knows about this set of Scriptures.

Kinda like having just the Starter set of Killer Bunnies.

But just like with killer bunnies you have more to add!!

Adding the Book of Mormon to Scripture is like adding Booster decks to Killer bunnies. Sometimes it gets confusing.  But the deck is so much better to play with when you have all the extra content.

So the more you play, or go through life, the more you learn about the way things work.  So try to find all the Truth that you can, and then live by that Knowledge.

"Life is an open book test."

Ezekiel 37:15-19, Isaiah 29:11-12, 2 Nephi 27:14-20, Moroni 10:3-5

Is Baptism Necessary ? ?

Mark 16:16

Yes, we must believe and be Baptized.

Why Prophets ? ?

Who or What is a Prophet?

A Prophet is someone who represents our Heavenly Father on the Earth and holds all of the Priesthood Keys and the Authority required to govern His church.  They are a Mouthpiece for God.

Why does God call Prophets?

God doesn't want anyone to fall short of their potential.  God will also not cause us to do something that we shouldn't by not telling us that we shouldn't do it, Therefore God speaks to His chosen Prophet and that individual then tells the world what is supposed to take place.

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

-- Amos 3:7

What does a Prophet do?

A Prophet receives Direct revelation from our Heavenly Father and then tells others the Word of the Lord.  The Prophet is also the specific individual who directs the Lord's Church on the Earth.

How can we know if a man is a Prophet from God?

By Praying to our Heavenly Father and asking for a Spiritual Witness that the Prophet in question is truly God's chosen representative.  We can also read the Scriptures to understand the Gospel and receive Spiritual impressions as they have been written by past Prophets and Apostles.

So why did all the Prophets go away?

Throughout history, God has chosen prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others, to teach the gospel and direct His Church (Amos 3:7). It is no different today. We all need God’s guidance in a world that is sometimes confusing. Because God loves His children, He continues to send living prophets. Joseph Smith (1805–1844) was the first prophet of our time. Thomas S. Monson is God’s chosen prophet today.

Commandments ARE Blessings

The First law of Heaven is Obedience.  It is by obedience to the laws of God that we receive blessings from Him. 

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven

before the foundations of this world,

upon which all blessings are predicated—

And when we obtain any blessing from God,

it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

-- Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21

God gives us commandments for our benefit.  They are instructions from a loving Father in Heaven to help us have happy lives.  He also gives us agency, or the ability and opportunity to choose between good and evil.  When we obey God, we follow the influence of the Spirit and choose to conform to His will.  Obedience to the commandments brings us peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.  Obedience shows our love for God.  Disobedience brings us sorrow.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." --John 14:15



God commands us to pray to Him.  You can pray at any time and in any setting.  The Lord has taught us to kneel and pray in the morning and in the evening, as individuals and with our families.  Our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers.  Through daily prayer we receive divine guidance and blessings.  We should always pray sincerely.  We should also pray with “real intent,” which means we are committed to act on the

answer that we receive.

We pray with faith to our Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ (see Moses 5:8).  Because He is our Father and we are His children, He will answer our prayers.  

We begin our prayers by addressing our Father in Heaven.  We then give thanks for the blessings we have received, and ask for those blessings we need from Him.  We end a prayer "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

In prayer we speak openly and honestly with our loving Father in Heaven.  We express gratitude and thanksgiving for our blessings.  We may acknowledge our love for Him.  We also ask for help, protection, and direction according to our needs.



The scriptures are written records of God’s dealings with His children as recorded by prophets under the influence of the Holy Ghost.  We show our faith by studying, believing, and obeying God’s revealed word.  We diligently search the scriptures to understand the truth.  We feast upon them because they open the door to revelation and show us what we need to do and become.  We search the scriptures to learn about Jesus Christ and His gospel.  Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from God and comes through studying and living

His word and His gospel.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward
with a steadfastness in Christ,
having a perfect brightness of hope,
and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward,
feasting upon the word of Christ,
and endure to the end,
behold, thus saith the Father:
Ye shall have eternal life."

-- 2 Nephi 31:20

Our Sabbath day behavior is a reflection of our commitment to honor and worship God.  By keeping the Sabbath day holy, we show God our willingness to keep our covenants.  Each Sabbath day we go to the Lord’s house to worship Him.  While there we partake of the sacrament to remember Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  We renew our covenants and show that we are willing to repent of our sins and mistakes.

On this day, we enjoy a rest from our labors.  As we attend Church services and worship together, we strengthen each other.  We are renewed by our association with friends and family.  Our faith is strengthened as we study the scriptures and learn more about the restored gospel.

When a community or nation grows careless in its Sabbath activities, its religious life decays and all aspects of life are negatively affected.  The blessings associated with keeping the Sabbath day holy are lost.  We should refrain from shopping on the Sabbath and participating in other commercial and sporting activities that now commonly desecrate the Sabbath.

So lets say that the entire city, town, or village you live in contracted a disease.  Everyone caught this disease, accept your only child.  Your child had an anomaly in their blood that made them immune and could cure everyone else.  But to save everyone else your child would have to die.  Your child decided they would go ahead and do it to save all of their friends.  So after everyone was cured the entire city dedicated one day a week to remember the sacrifice of your child, and on this day no one was supposed to do any work of any kind.

A few weeks go by and everyone has respect for your child's sacrifice, and everyone honors the day that was set apart.  But then the next week comes and as you sit on your porch you see someone mowing their lawn.  This is against the law of observance instated for your child.  How would you react to see them working on that day, rather than just doing it the day before or the day after?  You would probably not be pleased with the way they ignored what your child had done for them.

This is how our Heavenly Father feels when we don't pay proper respect each week for the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son.  Jesus Christ came and suffered for us, and has asked that we set apart one day each week to honor Him.

"And the church did meet together oft,

to fast and to pray,

and to speak one with another

concerning the welfare of their souls.

And they did meet together oft

to partake of bread and wine,

in remembrance of the Lord Jesus."

-- Moroni 6:5-6

The way we show our desire to follow in God’s way is through baptism and confirmation.  When we are baptized and confirmed, we enter into a covenant that we will take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and that we will always remember Him and keep His commandments.  We also promise to stand as witnesses of God at all times and to assist those in need (see Mosiah 18:8–9).  In return, God promises the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and a remission of our sins.

Truth is a knowledge of things as they really are, were, and will be. It does not change with conditions or time. Truth is the same in every age and culture. God is the source of all truth. We can have faith in Him because we know He will teach us only truth. God wants all His children to know the truth. Therefore, He reveals the truths necessary for salvation through prophets and apostles. He reveals truth to us personally through the scriptures and personal revelation.

A prophet is called and chosen by God and is a righteous man with great faith. The Lord reveals truth to him through the Holy Ghost. He commands His prophet to teach truth to all people. Those who believe God’s words as revealed through His prophet are blessed. (see Exodus 4:16, and Hebrews 5:4)

Christ’s Church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, who direct the Church by revelation. The Lord called Joseph Smith as the first prophet and head of this last dispensation. His successors who lead The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today are also prophets and apostles. The President of the Church today is a living prophet. We are to have faith in God’s chosen prophet, gain conviction of his divine calling, and follow his teachings.

We have frequent opportunities to sustain Church leaders publicly. Sustain means to support. We are to prepare ourselves so that when the prophets and apostles speak, the Holy Ghost can confirm the truths they teach, and we can then determine to follow the counsel they give us.

Those who listen to and follow the counsel of living prophets and apostles will not go astray. The teachings of living prophets provide an anchor of eternal truth in a world of shifting values and help us avoid misery and sorrow. The confusion and strife of the world will not overwhelm us, and we can enjoy the assurance of being in harmony with God’s will.

Heavenly Father gives us commandments so that we will know what to do and what to avoid in order to receive the blessings He wants to give us like joy, peace of conscience, and lasting happiness.  God revealed to Moses the Ten Commandments to guide His people. (see Exodus 20)  The Ten Commandments are:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  Other 'gods' may include possessions, power, authority, or vain ambitions.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Honor thy father and thy mother.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet.

These Ten Commandments are still effective today.  It will never be acceptable to go lie, cheat, and steal just because you wanted to.  To kill someone is the worst sin possible other than denying the Holy Ghost. 

God delights in chastity and hates sexual sin.  Chastity includes strict abstinence from sexual relations before marriage and complete fidelity and loyalty to one’s spouse after marriage.  Those who live the law of chastity enjoy the strength that comes from self-control.  They enjoy confidence and trust in their family relationships.  They can enjoy more fully the influence of the Holy Ghost in their lives.  Those who break this law are subject to a lasting sense of shame and guilt that burdens their lives.

Chastity requires faithfulness in thought and action. We must keep our thoughts clean and be modest in our dress, speech, and actions. We must avoid pornography in any form.  We should treat the God-given procreative power and our bodies as sacred.  Those who have committed sexual sin can repent and be forgiven.

 

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Be not ye therefore partakers with them."

-- Ephesians 5:2-7

The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith a law of health called the Word of Wisdom. This law teaches us what foods and substances we should and should not use to maintain the health of our bodies and to keep us free from evil influences. The Lord promises blessings of health, strength, protection against evil, and greater receptiveness to spiritual truths. 

Remember that our bodies are sacred. We should treat them with respect and reverence.  The Word of Wisdom teaches that we are to eat healthy foods. It teaches very specifically that we are to avoid harmful substances, including alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee. We must also avoid harmful drugs in any form. People who obey the Word of Wisdom are more receptive to spiritual truths.  Go to Doctrine and Covenants 89, to read the 'Word of Wisdom'.

One of the great blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the privilege of contributing to the growth of the kingdom of God through paying tithing.  Tithing is an ancient, divine law.  For example, the Old Testament prophet Abraham paid tithes of all he possessed (see Alma 13:15).

To those who pay tithing, the Lord promises that He will “open . . . the windows of heaven, and pour . . . out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). These blessings may be temporal or spiritual, but they will come to those who obey this divine law.

Tithing means one-tenth, and the Lord has commanded us to give a tenth of our increase, which is understood to mean income, that we may be blessed. The law of tithing gives us the opportunity to help build His kingdom. Our tithes are holy to the Lord, and we honor Him by paying tithing. God promises to abundantly bless those who pay an honest tithe.  Those who do not pay tithing rob God (see Malachi 3:8). They keep for themselves something that rightfully belongs to Him. We should seek first the kingdom of God, and tithing is an important way of doing that. Paying tithing is an expression of our faith. It is an outward sign of our belief in God and His work.

Tithing funds are used to support the ongoing activities of the Church, such as building and maintaining temples and meetinghouses, carrying the gospel to all the world, conducting temple and family history work, youth programs, and many other worldwide activities. Tithing does not pay local Church leaders, they serve without receiving payment of any kind.

Local Church leaders send the tithing received each week directly to Church headquarters. A council comprised of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric determines specific ways to use the sacred tithing funds.

Great blessings are available to those who obey God’s commandment to fast. Fasting means going without food and drink for a period of time. Usually the first Sunday of each month is set aside as a special day to fast for two consecutive meals, pray, and bear testimony. Fasting and prayer go together. When we fast and pray with faith, we are more receptive to receiving answers to our prayers and blessings from the Lord. He promises us that He will guide us continually. We should fast and pray for specific purposes. Fasting is private and spiritual, and we should not draw attention to the fact that we are fasting.

Pure religion includes caring for the poor. We are to help them meet their physical and spiritual needs. When we fast, we donate money to the Church for the care of the poor and the needy. We call this a fast offering. We give at least the amount of money we save by fasting for two meals. However, we need not limit our contribution to the cost of two meals. We are encouraged to be as generous as our means allow. By caring for the poor, we help fulfill our baptismal covenants and retain a remission of our sins.

Behold, I testify unto you

that I do know that these things

whereof I have spoken

 are true.

And how do ye suppose

that I know of their surety?

Behold, I say unto you

they are made known unto me

by the Holy Spirit of God.

Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days

that I might know these things of myself.

And now I do know of myself

that they are true;

for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit;

and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

-- Alma 5:45-46

Latter-day Saints everywhere believe in obeying the laws of the country in which they live. Members of the Church are counseled to be good citizens, to participate in civil government and the political process, and to render community service. They do so, however, as concerned citizens, not as representatives of the Church.

Unlimited everything is actually not beneficial.  If there wasn't a speed limit, there would be more problems on the road.  If there was nothing declared wrong with hitting people, we would have a lot of bruised and broken people walking around.  With every law there must be a punishment, because what is the point of saying you can't do something if nothing happens when you do it?

"And when we obtain any blessing from God,
it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
-- Doctrine and Covenants 130:21

So by obedience we obtain blessings, and by disobedience we receive punishment.  Sir Isaac Newton 'discovered' that, "For every action the is an equal and opposite reaction."  So any punishment enforced by law must be in opposition of what we did wrong, and equal to the crime.

In order to obey all of the laws of the land we must develop patience.  If we are too anxious to do whatever we want we usually end up getting into mischief.  But if we wait for the next paycheck, we won't be stealing something from the store.  If we are patient we won't be speeding down the highway as fast as possible.  If we are patient we won't be upset when the movie, concert, or party we are attending starts late.

"As parents, we know how unwise it would be to indulge our children’s every desire.
But children are not the only ones who spoil when showered with immediate gratification.
Our Heavenly Father knows what good parents come to understand over time:
if children are ever going to mature and reach their potential,
they must learn to wait."

-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

(Continue in Patience, April 2010)

Sometimes it can be very difficult to remain patient and obey the law.