by Seth

The Holy Scriptures are here for the benefit of those that will take the time to read, study, ponder, and ask God if they are true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (mistakenly called the ”Mormon Church” by many) teaches the doctrine that the Holy Scriptures have been written and persevered for us today. How blessed are we to have the Holy Bible to provide us the words of the prophets and apostles of those who were on the earth during the time of Jesus Christ and before Him. We have a loving Heavenly Father who is fair and loves all of His children. It is because of this love that we also have the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (a companion book of scripture to the Bible), which is an account of some of the people who lived in the ancient Americas. It was important for us to know that they also had the opportunity to see the resurrected Jesus and to testify that He is the Christ. This book of scripture is not only a companion to the Bible, but also provides important clarifications of doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ which have been lost or taken from the Bible.

Holy prophets and apostles receive revelation for the people during their specific times on the earth. This is important, as God wanted to be sure that His doctrine was taught correctly and His followers were provided the best opportunity to understand all aspects of the gospel. Since God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Doctrine and Covenants 20:12), it seems only logical and necessary that today there is a living prophet to receive the necessary revelation to help guide God’s followers in the world we live in today. This is one of the important doctrinal aspects of the LDS Church that others have a hard time understanding and accepting. Members of the LDS Church are firm believers that Jesus Christ is at the head of His church and leads it through a modern-day prophet.

It was a modern-day prophet by the name of Joseph Smith who restored God’s only true church upon the face of the earth. It was through this same prophet that the Book of Mormon was translated so that we would be the beneficiaries of the teachings of those prophets and people who lived here in the Americas at that time. It was through the Prophet Joseph Smith that we also received the Doctrine and Covenants, which book is also considered scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book of scriptures is a collection of revelations given to the Prophet Joseph and others as they restored God’s church. We are also blessed that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated what is known as the Pearl of Great Price as additional scripture. It is within these three important books of scripture, along with the Holy Bible that all of the doctrines of Jesus Christ can be found and taught.

Many religions utilize some form of scripture to help guide their members, but often times it is left up to the interpretation of men and women who preach and or teach from the bible. It is this interpretation that can lead to confusion, frustration, and even a falling away. As members of the LDS Church strive to live as Jesus Christ and God want them to, they do so in large part by reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures and praying to know that the scriptures are true. They also show their love and support of the modern-day prophet by listening to his guidance and doing their best to follow his example. It is through the prophet, his two counselors, and the twelve apostles where the greatest of all modern-day examples of living as Christ are found. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints not only understands but teaches that these men who hold the Holy Priesthood of God are special witnesses of Jesus Christ. As they travel throughout the world and minster to both members and non-members of the church, they teach, preach, and testify that Jesus is the Christ, that His Father is God, and that the Holy Ghost is our comforter.

There is a special spirit that can be felt as one comes to find his or her own personal witness of the scriptures, the prophets, and apostles. It is a witness that comes through feelings in one’s heart. These feelings are the Holy Ghost testifying that what you are feeling is true and is of God. This is how every person who is converted to the LDS Church finds their personal testimony. As one comes to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, he or she will also know that the Book of Mormon is truly scripture. Then individuals will know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly God’s church here on the face of the earth today. As it states in 2 Corinthians 13:1, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” Here we read directly from the Bible just how important it is to have multiple witnesses to ensure the true doctrine is taught and not left up to the interpretation of men. What comfort this brings to those who believe.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Request a Free Copy of the Book of Mormon

Mormon View of Jesus Christ

Seth Saunders is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon”). He is currently serving as Branch President of the Pembroke Branch.

by Rebecca

Meaning of Life on Earth

There is a lot that I don’t understand about my life, but I’m grateful to know the most important things about the meaning of life. These simple truths are taught as “the plan of happiness” within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called the “Mormon Church” by the media). I have found great happiness in my life knowing that there is purpose in my life.  We are each sons and daughters of God, and He sent us to earth for a purpose.

Last year, I went camping outdoors with some friends during the fall. I was surrounded by swirling autumn leaves and bright blue skies above the reddish mountain as I listened to Dieter F. Uchtdorf on the radio saying “Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters” (“You Matter to Him,” Ensign, October 2011). It’s hard to describe how close I felt to God while looking at His creations and the beauty around me, but I can say it was an overwhelming feeling of love, calm, and happiness. I’ve also felt this feeling as I’ve learned more about the meaning of life within the scriptures and as I’ve talked with Heavenly Father in prayer. I know for myself that He wants me to succeed in life and to be happy.

I’ve had many challenges in life, ranging from the death of my grandmother, a genetic terminal illness that took my mother, multiple surgeries, and of course just struggling through graduate schooling and the dating scene. Fortunately, the knowledge I have of the plan of happiness has given me a lot of hope and perspective as I’ve faced these circumstances. I would never wish such experiences upon anyone else, but I recognize that they were a necessary part of my journey here on earth and ultimately brought me closer to God. I was able to find happiness during such hard moments as I remembered the meaning of life—who I am and why I’m given such experiences.

Meaning of Life Taught during our Pre-Earth Life

Before we were born, we lived with God as His spirit sons and daughters. He presented to us His plan of happiness, which outlines the meaning of life. He offered us the opportunity to come to Earth, to get bodies, and to have experiences that could help us reach our potential as His children. Modern prophets teach us that “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” 1995).

We don’t remember this part of our lives because that’s part of the test. One wouldn’t learn very much if a teacher told them exactly what was going to be on the final exam and they knew all the answers beforehand. We are living by faith and don’t remember our pre-earth life simply because God respects the right we have to make our own choices. I’m grateful that modern prophets and the scriptures teach me more about the meaning of life so that I can live by faith and choose for myself whether or not to return to God.

Meaning of Life: Happiness Achieved through Christ

Adam and Eve were the first children that God sent to the Earth. He told them to not eat from one tree (the tree of knowledge of good and evil) but knew that it was a necessary part of His plan of happiness for them to do so. Once they had eaten of the fruit, they were able to have children (allowing the rest of us to come to earth and also get bodies) and were able to experience joy and sorrow (2 Nephi 2:22–25). However, as a consequence of eating this fruit, they no longer had immortal bodies; they could die, and they were cast out from God’s presence for disobeying Him.

Fortunately, God prepared for the Fall of Adam and Eve, and it was all part of His plan. He sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth and offered us two gifts. The first one is a free gift to all; everyone will receive a perfect, resurrected body. This means that the body and spirit will never be separated again after death and the resurrection (Romans 6:9). The second is the marvelous gift of the Atonement and the choice to use that power to repent so that we might again return to God’s presence, but this gift depends upon whether or not we choose to accept it. Christ is the center of the plan of happiness, and we can only return to God’s presence because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us.

After our earthly lives, our actions we will be judged as we stand before God. Those that lived good lives and chose to accept Christ as their Savior will have the opportunity to live with God again. My personal and favorite part about the plan of happiness is that I can also live with my family after this life. The meaning of life is simple: we were sent to this earth to be happy and to prepare to return to live with God again, progressing eternally. I can’t imagine the eternities without my loved ones and am forever grateful to my Savior for the opportunity that I may have to be with them after this life.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Jesus Christ in Mormonism 

More about Life before Life

Rebecca Bishop is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman). She is in the process of being published in the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies.

By Mei Ding Goh.

As I began to write down my thoughts for this article, as I began to type something on my computer,  I could feel my chair was shaking, my instinct told me “earthquake”. I was really scared, immediately I knelt down and prayed, “Heavenly father, please forgive us of our sins, please release your grace and mercy, help us soften our hearts, help us repent”. And I was amazed, how great thou art, what a perfect timing to prepare for this topic “mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve God.”

I recalled a time, while I was walking to the market, I saw a little kitten, and it curled around its little brother. Its brother was dead, probably hit by a car. I could feel its grief; my heart was breaking, and I stood beside it and prayed for it, “Heavenly father, please comfort this little kitten.” The kitten reminded me of my late sister who passed on few years ago due to cancer. The earthquake and the tiny kitten reminded me of how easily we take life for granted, live as though we still have endless days to come. Must we have the natural disaster or tragedy to awaken us and make us realize who we really are and what our true life’s purpose is?

If I stretch this beautiful ribbon from one wall of my room to the other wall, if this ribbon represents the line of our lives and that one end of this ribbon represents our past and other our future. This ribbon will actually extend far beyond the walls of this room and continue forever in both directions. We cannot see anything beyond these two walls. We do not know what happened to us before we were born; we have no idea where we are going after our physical death. What shall we do? Who and where and how shall we seek help and guidance?  These are actually golden questions that lead people to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes nicknamed the Mormon Church).  Once baptized, they begin to understand the concepts of faith and forgiveness, and how they pertain to our eternal existence, which had no beginning, and which will have no end.

There are laws of nature we cannot change.  Consider an ice cream cone. Regardless of who and what we are, we all know it will melt if the room temperature is above freezing. We do not decide its condition. Who determines this? Alma, a Book of Mormon prophet, wrote,

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things are upon the face of it, year, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which moves in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme creator (Alma 30:44).

God is not only our Creator and our Ruler; he is also our Heavenly Father.

When we play a computer game, we need to learn and follow the rules of the game. We won’t argue with the rules since that won’t help us win the game. We are merely the players, not the programmer. In mortality, God is the ultimate creator and also the ultimate ruler. If we use a computer game as metaphor, then in order to win this game, we need to be wise and learn and obey the rules of the creator.

We are truly blessed to have scriptures as our guide, to teach us how to win this game. The scriptures are a source of revelations. They reveal Heavenly Father’s teachings for His children. From them we can learn enough about who we are, what is the purpose of this life and get our bearings and get direction in our lives.

As in Alma 42:4…

”And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.”

So we now have the right perspective. From it, we know that all things, all events, and all people provide us the opportunity to repent and to serve God. So just like playing computer games, though we focus on the things in the game, yet our main intention is to win. In this life, we don’t just focus on the things, events or people and judge them, this is not our job. The programmer or the creator already has the rules for them. The creator will judge them. Our job is to repent, to serve God.

For example, if someone says something offensive to us, we don’t focus on that person and judge how bad he or she is or spread bad things about him or her. We pray and ask our Lord, what would you have me learn? We ask ourselves have I in any way behaved like him or her. If so, we can admit our fault and apologize for it and forsake it. Not only that, if we wish that person would say something nice to us, probably it is time for us to start saying something nice. The negative experience can now help us to repent and be aware and change.

So now we can turn every encounter into a holy encounter, not because the encounter itself is holy, but the way we perceive it, the way we use it, makes it holy. And this answers the question “If God is love, why is there so much pain, so much suffering in this world?” For our heavenly father knows every element of who we are; He knows our minds, our hearts, and our souls. He will use different levels of “games” tailored to our unique characteristics to help us. For he loves us so much, he simply won’t compromise who we really are, because we are His children.

When we repent and learn to be more and more like Him, we are more available for Him so we can serve people using his power and his wisdom. Although we may do the same things, that  action contains two possibilities— one is to glorify God, the other, is to glorify one’s own self. And the difference lies in our heart, our intention. To repent can also mean we learn to surrender our will to our Lord’s will.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus speaks to the disciples in Mark 8:34-35 and tells them…

“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

It is too bad that we are so selfish and all that we want is what we think we are entitled to, and we forget that when we have all, we are at risk of losing it all at some point. Jesus continued and says in verse 36,

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

This is where as human beings we stand – we want it all. The many options that we see out there that we thought could help us solve our problems could well be the very things that entice us and bind us.

Jesus says clearly that…

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also (John 14:6-7).

Jesus is the way to the solutions of our problems: If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Repentance of our own sins is useless if we don’t forgive others.  Unforgiveness stops our progress.  We can move nowhere, especially not closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The following story comes from a conference address given by Mormon Apostle Boyd K. Packer at the April 2011 general conference:

My life was changed by a saintly patriarch. He married his sweetheart. They were deeply in love, and soon she was expecting their first child. The night the baby was born, there were complications. The only doctor was somewhere in the countryside tending to the sick. After many hours of labor, the condition of the mother-to-be became desperate. Finally, the doctor was located. In the emergency, he acted quickly and soon the baby was born, and the crisis, it appeared, was over. But some days later, the young mother died from the very infection that the doctor had been treating at another home that night. The young man’s world was shattered. As the weeks wore on, his grief festered. He thought of little else, and in his bitterness he became threatening. Today, no doubt, he would have been pressed to file a malpractice suit, as though money would solve anything. One night a knock came at his door. A little girl said simply, “Daddy wants you to come over. He wants to talk to you.”

“Daddy” was the stake president. The counsel from that wise leader was simply “John, leave it alone. Nothing you do about it will bring her back. Anything you do will make it worse. John, leave it alone.”

This had been my friend’s trial. How could he leave it alone? A terrible wrong had been committed. He struggled to get hold of himself and finally determined that he should be obedient and follow the counsel of that wise stake president. He would leave it alone.

He said, “I was an old man before I understood and could finally see a poor country doctor—overworked, underpaid, run ragged from patient to patient, with little medicine, no hospital, few instruments, struggling to save lives, and succeeding for the most part. He had come in a moment of crisis, when two lives hung in the balance, and had acted without delay. I finally understood!” He said, “I would have ruined my life and the lives of others.” Many times he had thanked the Lord on his knees for a wise priesthood leader who counseled simply, “John, leave it alone.”

Around us we see members of the Lord’s Church who have become offended. Some take offense at incidents in the history of the Church or its leaders and suffer their whole lives, unable to get past the mistakes of others. They do not leave it alone. They fall into inactivity.

That attitude is somewhat like a man being hit by a club. Offended, he takes up a club and beats himself over the head with it all the days of his life. How foolish! How sad! That kind of revenge is self-inflicting. If you have been offended, forgive, forget it, and leave it alone.

If you are carrying some burden, forget it, let it alone. Do a lot of forgiving and repenting, and you will be visited by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and confirmed by a testimony, the possible strength of which you had never guessed. You will be watched over and blessed—you and yours. Of this I bear witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mei Ding Goh is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She is a seminary teacher in the Malaysia Ipoh District and a member of the Penang Branch.

Additional Resources:

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

The Holy Bible in Mormonism

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Our Search for Happiness

by Valerie J. Steimle

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the Mormon Church), we all can recall our conversion stories about how we have come to be members of the Church. I’m no different, as I have told my conversion story many times, and I feel that this can help others understand why some people feel drawn to the Church once they have learned about it.

My conversion story starts when I was seven years old. I was born to two Jewish parents from Brooklyn, New York. My mother always felt that there was something missing in her life and even read the New Testament, which Jews are discouraged to read. In the Jewish Orthodox sect, it is forbidden.

But as we were growing up (my sister and brother included), my parents continued to take us to the local synagogue for Sabbath services. They didn’t know where else to go.

At seven, I really wanted to go to the children’s Sunday school class which they held at a different time. My mother asked the Rabbi if I could attend and he said no. He said I was too old to start the Sunday school class at seven and that all I could attend would be the regular Sabbath service. It is amazing to me now how strongly I felt at the time when I was not allowed to go. I did not want to go back to the synagogue at all and wanted nothing to do with the Jewish religion. Two years later, my parents met members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and started taking the missionary lessons.

I was very happy to learn about another religion, even though I didn’t know anyone who was a member of the Church, nor did my friends know anything about that religion. It was virtually unheard of at the time in New Jersey (1969), but we listened to their teachings, and six months later we were baptized into the Church as a family. Now, I had grandparents who lived close by to us, and we visited them often, so my parents decided that it was too overwhelming to tell them and the rest of the family of what we did. So we were told to keep this whole church thing a secret. We didn’t discuss any kind of religion with any of my cousins or aunts and uncles, and there were many. Besides the bar mitzvahs and weddings that occurred each year, we had yearly family gatherings.

My parents knew the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints) was the restored gospel on the earth; they just didn’t want our family to disown us. So it was like living a double life. We went to church each week and were active in the ward, but when a family event took place we attended and spoke nothing of the church. This seemed like a normal thing to me until I was an adult looking back on what had happened and realized how odd it really was.

When I was 18 and living at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, my parents went to a family bar mitzvah and the discussion turned to church attendance. My mother finally told her side of the family that we did join the Church and there were fireworks. They eventually accepted the fact that we had become Christians, and we were able to teach them about what we believed.

Now the main reason I converted to the church was not because I didn’t want to be Jewish anymore; the main reason I converted was because I learned then and know now that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and he set up His Church to be a guiding beacon in our lives. He was able to restore His true gospel through Joseph Smith so we can have peace in our lives. That brings me great comfort.

So let me explain further. When we think of the original gospel that Jesus Christ brought to the earth, we know there were apostles and prophets. There was the priesthood from Jesus to bless the sick and afflicted. There were also spiritual gifts, (speaking in tongues, prophesying, revelation, visions, etc.) and the church had volunteer church leaders (not paid ministry). Members had the opportunity to pay tithing, which is 10% of your income, to the Church. All of these things have been restored to the earth today with the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in His church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After the original apostles were killed, the priesthood authority Christ gave to the apostles was lost. The dark ages were here on earth for over 1,800 years until a 14-year-old boy by the name of Joseph Smith went to a grove of trees in upstate New York in 1820, to pray about what church he should join. He had a great vision. This might be hard to believe, but I really do believe it. God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, came to Joseph Smith and told him not to join any church. He was told by these two Heavenly Beings that these churches “draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith—History 1:19).

So, Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) believe Joseph Smith was instrumental in bringing the true church of Jesus Christ back to the earth—restoring it—as it was in the days of Christ. When my parents felt something missing in their life and needed to find a place of worship, they felt (and so did I,) that the true gospel of Jesus Christ is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mormon doctrine teaches that we lived in a spirit world with our Father in Heaven before we came to earth. We lived as a families there, so doesn’t it make sense that we would live as families here on earth and then live as families after we leave the earth? I think so. We believe this wholeheartedly and put family as our priority to keep intact. We research government records to find family members and keep a family history. This is all very important. We have our temple buildings in the Church where families are sealed together for time and all eternity.

I know Joseph Smith restored the true gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth. I know Jesus Christ is my Messiah, because I learned of the principles of Christ’s church and about the gospel the way it was intended to be taught by Jesus Christ. I have never taken the Church for granted, and I am happy to be counted as one who belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Valerie Steimle is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman). She has been writing as a family advocate for the past 20  years. She is the mother of nine children living in  southern Alabama and is the author of four books and a  weekly newspaper column, “Thoughts from the Heart.”

I was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have been taught its principles from birth. Being labelled a “Mormon” has never bothered me, but I understand why Church leaders are urging us to use the full name of the Church: we want people to know from the start that we worship Jesus Christ as our Savior. I recognize that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God, that He is the Messiah and Redeemer of the world. I know that He took upon Himself the sins and sorrows of mortality that we may have the opportunity to repent. I know He gave His life for us that we could live again after mortality. Because I have received my own personal witnesses of many eternal truths, I also know the principle of tithing is God given.

Latter-day Saints (frequently misnamed “Mormons“) believe in the principle of tithing which is spoken of in the Old Testament, when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. This means that faithful members pay 10 percent of their annual increase to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This money is not used to pay clergy, who all volunteer their time, but is used to further the kingdom of God on the earth. Tithing, as all other commandments, works on the principle of faith. Does the Lord really need my 10 percent? No. But I gain blessings and increase in faith and obedience when I pay my tithing. The Lord has so many blessings He wants to give us. However, all blessings are predicated upon obedience to God’s laws (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21), so in order to gain certain blessings, I must first be obedient.

In the Book of Mormon, a wonderful prophet named Benjamin taught that God blesses us with so many things, and all He asks in return is obedience. Yet, if we serve Him with our whole beings, we are still “unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:21). God does not gain anything from our obedience, but we do. I have heard many stories from people throughout my life of miraculous things occurring when they paid their tithing. I must say that I have never personally had one of these experiences, though I have always paid my tithing very faithfully. Does this mean that I don’t believe I am being blessed for paying my tithing? Quite the opposite.

I grew up the youngest child in a large family. My parents never had money. They lived month to month, struggling to make ends meet. They were not frivolous by any means, but the economy was rough, and they had a lot of mouths to feed. Was tithing a struggle for them? Well, it depends on your perspective. My mother has the faith of the widow who gave her last mites. She is absolutely obedient, never doubting. Financially, yes, tithing was a struggle to pay. With the eternal perspective of faith and obedience, no, it was never a tough choice. In fact, it was never much of a choice at all. My father, by his own admission, does not have the same faith my mother has (few do). She would not have told these many stories, because that is not who she is. He is a talker and an admirer of her faith, and he has seen the blessing that continually poured forth as a result of her faith.

Countless times I have heard stories of how my family was blessed because of her faith and obedience. My dad had a truck that was broken down, and they didn’t have the money to fix it or to even have it towed. The same day they had paid tithing when they couldn’t afford it (after the truck being stranded for weeks), a man stopped by offering to buy the truck and move it himself. Another time the washer broke. As my dad points out, with so many kids still in diapers and my mom using cloth diapers, having a washer was not a luxury; it was a necessity. Again, after paying tithing, they came home to find a washer on the front porch with a box of detergent on top and an envelope with cash in it. Yet another time, my mom used the last of the cash to pay a fast offering, and more money came in miraculously. My dad mentioned another time that our garden (which went a long way to feeding the family) was being overrun by gophers. After my parents faithfully paid tithing, the gophers left our garden alone, giving a very literal meaning to my father ever after of the scripture in Malachi 3:10–11 (emphasis added):

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

I may not have had my own personal experiences strengthening my testimony of paying tithing. I have not had a check miraculously come in that was exactly the amount I needed to cover rent, or a car repair bill, etc. I have learned from the words and actions of my parents and those around me that this is a very real principle, and I have never had a second thought about paying my own tithing. I feel I have been blessed in return by always having sufficient funds to cover my expenses. I also live within my means, so I am blessed for that as well, but I definitely recognize the hand of the Lord in my life as I am obedient to His commandments, and I feel even more blessed than I was before.

Written by Richard Childs, a BYU student, studying a volume of scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price, which is written by prophets; members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Mormons” revere it as sacred text. This post comes from a book within the Pearl of Great Price known as The Book of Moses; it is an extraction from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet, June 1830—February 1831.

God the Father Loves Us All

In the Pearl of Great Price (a book of scripture, revered as sacred text by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Mormons”) and in the first chapter of Moses, Moses saw God the Father and he learned two very important things.

That God was his father, and that His work and glory are to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. From Moses’ experience we also learn that the Father has a physical body, just like we do, or rather we have a body just like His. This knowledge of the nature of God is evidence that he is our father. We as His children resemble Him, just as a puppy resembles a dog, or a kitten a cat. Moses was taught that God’s work and glory is the salvation of men. The knowledge that God is our father and that his whole work and glory is to bring about man’s happiness brings me comfort and peace. From Moses’ experience I have learned that God the Father loves us, that when I pray to the God I am praying to my Father in Heaven, an eternal being who doesn’t just love me but loves me like a son. With this knowledge I have prayed more seriously, and sought to get to know my Eternal Father, as any son would try to get to know his dad. Moses’ visitation by our Heavenly Father testifies of our divine nature. Understanding our divine nature has not only affected my relationship with God it has affected my relations with everyone. We are all children of God and as such have great value to Him. I have often taken for granted the knowledge that he loves everyone when I become frustrated with others. When I remember that we are all creations of God the Father and that he loves us all, I am filled with a new respect and love for all those around me.

Additional Resources:

Meet with Mormon Missionaries.

Mormons believe Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer. Read a Mormon’s testimony of this truth.

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, comparable to the Bible, request a free copy today.

Written by Josh Lloyd, a BYU student, studying a volume of scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price, which is written by prophets; members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Mormons” revere it as sacred text. This post comes from a book within the Pearl of Great Price known as The Book of Moses; it is an extraction from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet, June 1830—February 1831.

We can All Become Like God the Father

Reading the first chapter of the book of Moses, found in a book of scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price, is a remarkably good experience for those who need a model of a solid, personal relationship with God, our Heavenly Father. Moses’ experiences give us some of the most basic and useful insights for building our own relationships with Heavenly Father. If we learn what Moses learned in this chapter, we will find ourselves in possession of key bits of knowledge that, if applied correctly, will lift our hearts and mind and propel them toward an everlasting inheritance.

The first thing that Moses learned from his experience was that “man is nothing.” We have to be careful how we define “nothing” here because we might be led to believe that we do not matter to God the Father, that we are insignificant. That is not what Moses learned. What Moses learned in his moment of physical weakness (and what we ought to learn if we too are children of God) was that we, provided with only our own power, cannot bring to pass any degree of righteousness in the world; or, defined slightly differently, we can only learn and accomplish the things which God the Father has given us power to do.

Our energy and ability to accomplish even the slightest tasks are given to us by the power and grace of God. Without the Father we become pathetic and truly devilish creatures. This truth, if understood correctly, will lead us to walk more humbly and give us desire to pray more earnestly for the gifts of the Spirit and grace of Jesus Christ (See the Book of Mormon, in Mosiah 4:11-12). This is why Moses worshipped God. I, personally, would much rather be on the good side of the Almighty and see the grandeur of his power than, by my ignorance and pride, feel the wrath of his vengeance.

Another one of the important facts Moses learned about his relationship with God the Father was that the two of them were alike. Moses was created after the image of the Only Begotten of the Father, Jesus Christ. They had arms, hands, eyes, noses, etc. What we can take from this is that God is not some foreign object or abstract entity. God is real, and certain things about him are comprehensible by our mortal minds. However, the most important part of this principle that Moses understood and that we ought to as well is that if we are like him in body then we can become like him in character. Despite the massive difference in glory and power, becoming like God the Father is a legitimate and even an encouraged goal. So let’s not give up.

Moses also learned of the tools that God, as a good Father, has given us to help us in our mortal sojourn. In Moses 1:15, Moses mentions that the Spirit is what showed him the difference between God and Satan. Moses learned the difference between glory and darkness through the power of the Holy Ghost. We would be wise to learn the same principle that we ought only truly learn through the power of the Holy Ghost rather than be taught by the wisdom of men, lest we be deceived.

There is another principle Moses learned from this same moment. He learned the difference between the circumstances that God the Father and Satan enjoy – glory vs. darkness. We don’t have to learn it just the way Moses did, but we ought to be acquainted with the dynamics of eternal progression. Let us understand that an individual can either reach as high as the heavens or as low as hell, and our destination is determined by our decisions.

Moses also learned about prayer. Moses was spared from an awful experience, seeing the bitterness of Hell (See Moses 1:20), because he had the courage to pray. Similarly, we ought to learn to go to our knees before our decisions bring us to our knees.

What Moses learned about his relationship with Deity gives us some of the most fundamental building blocks for developing our own personal relationship with God the Father. Without a correct understanding that we are in the similitude of the Only Begotten of the Father, we would not feel particularly attracted to this omnipotent figure. Without knowledge of where our power to move and act comes from, we would proceed in a blasphemous, disrespectful and disobedient manner because of our own pride in what seems like “our” accomplishments. Without the most basic tools for communication with God the Father, we are blind in an ever thickening fog; prayer and the gift of the Holy Ghost will give us access to the powers of heaven and allow us to develop this, the most divine relationship, the way it ought to be developed. To clarify, by prayer we can actually talk to God our Father and by the Holy Spirit He can talk back. In this manner we can, in a way, spend “quality time” with our Father in Heaven.

Additional Resources:

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. Request your free copy today.

Read/Watch/Listen to a living apostle testify of the reality that God is our Father.

God’s plan of happiness brings great comfort, peace an hope to life. Read a “Mormon’s” testimony about this truth.

Sister Elaine Dalton, General President of the Young Women Organization for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, participatee in a live chat on February 23, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Young Women Organization is for young women ages 12–18, but the chat was for any interested parties. Sister Dalton was available to answer any questions posed to her. She was visible from her webcam and answered questions by chat. The session took place on the Voices for Virtue Facebook page.

Voices for Virtue is a non-profit organization which is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but which uses social networking to reach teens and young adults who are striving to live virtuous lives.

This was the first event of its kind for any leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and provided a unique opportunity for people to ask questions they may otherwise have felt uncomfortable asking.

While no rights existed for recording or rebroadcasting this event, if you are interested in learning more about Elaine Dalton and Voices for Virtue, please see the links below:

Interview with Elaine Dalton

Talks and Speeches by Elaine Dalton

Voices for Virtue

Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serves as the Ward Mission Leader in the Annapolis, Maryland Ward.

I was born and raised a Baptist. My heritage; however, is predominantly Methodist. In fact, my great-great-great grandfather, James Brown and his family founded the little town of San Domingo, Maryland, which was established as a place where free Blacks could live and worship God according to the desires of their hearts. He and his sons, Bayard and Leonard (my paternal family genealogical line is traced through Bayard), built the first Church in the town, and the church was known as “Little Zion”. The original church was destroyed by a fire with only the original church bell remaining, and today a new church known as Zion United Methodist Church, now over 150 years old, stands on the exact location of the original building. Many of my ancestors are laid to rest in the church cemetery. With such a background and humble beginnings, one might ask the question as to why I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to by many in the world as the Mormon Church).

I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the evening of Tuesday, 10 March 1998, and confirmed a member of the Church on Sunday, 22 March 1998, in the little store front chapel in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland. I was serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavik Iceland at the time. At the time of my baptism, I was actively involved in my studies to become a Baptist minister. So, what was it that caused me to “turn the ship about” and set course for a new destination?

I suppose that from an early age I have always been a seeker of knowledge and truth. I have always loved learning new things, especially things of a spiritual nature, and was never quite satisfied with the knowledge that I had been able to obtain. Deep inside of me, I always felt that there was so much more to learn, understand, and know.

By the time that I had made a decision to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 39 years, I had already read the Bible six times in its entirety. Although many of my counterparts would probably be satisfied to read the Bible through once in their lifetime, I read and re-read the blessed pages always looking for more answers to the questions that I so desperately wanted answers to. I was not satisfied, nor willing to accept that everything that God had to say to man was contained within the 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses, or 783,137 words found in the King James Bible. Nor was I willing to accept that the Heavens were ever closed and that God no longer spoke to man. Even with my limited knowledge and understanding, I believed that God had never at any time stop speaking to man, but that man had in effect placed himself on a pedestal believing that he was wiser than God and chose to stop listening to His voice.

One day while still living at home with my parents,  I was watching television when I saw a commercial about a church that I was not at all familiar with. I was to discover that the church that was being talked about was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the end of the commercial a book called the Book of Mormon (Another Testament of Jesus Christ) was offered free of charge. I was always looking for new books on new subjects to add to my library of learning, and with this book being offered for free, I decided to write and ask for a copy. The one thing that the commercial did not mention is that two young men dressed in suits, riding bicycles would come and personally deliver my copy of the book. This was my first meeting with missionaries, but it would not be my last.

Some of the things that these young men taught me were not that different from the religious training and background that I already had, but some of the things that they talked about were new and sparked my interest greatly. I invited them back for several more meetings and actually met with them for a couple of months until the time that I had decided to enlist in the United States Navy. Although I had great interest in the teachings of the Church, I put everything on hold for a time.

To make a long story short, it would not be until some 17 years after I had first started investigating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when I was given orders from the Navy to go serve in Keflavik Iceland, once again ashore from sea duty, I again had an opportunity to learn what the Church was all about. I wrote to the editors of the Church Newspaper inquiring about the price of an overseas subscription, and much to my surprise, I received an email back from Mr. Doug Osborne, one of the editors of the newspaper at that time, inquiring why I was in Iceland, and he wanted to know what my interest was in the Church. He was the one who really got things going for me again, as he contacted the local missionaries and had them get in touch with me. That was in early 1997.

I met with several groups of missionaries over the course of approximately a year. Within my heart I knew that the things that I was being taught were true, but I would not settle the matter in my mind. I eventually told the missionaries that I appreciated everything that they had taught me, but I would not make a decision to be baptized until after I had read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price in their entirety. The Lord was both patient with me and gracious to me, and I was inspired to develop a 40-day reading plan to complete all of the reading. Every free moment I had I spent reading and studying these volumes and was pleased to find that many of the answers to the questions  I once had were finally being answered and my understanding was being enlightened.

Again, to make a long story short, at the end of the 40-day reading, I knelt beside the bed in my barracks room and asked the Lord to let me know if those things that I had read were indeed true, if Joseph Smith was indeed a Prophet of God, and if I should become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I received a warm feeling in my heart with the assurance and confirmation that this is exactly what the Lord would have me to do and where He wanted me to be. And so on 10 March 1998, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have immensely enjoyed and continue to enjoy the blessings of being a member. The rest, as they say, is history.

Additional Resources:

Black Mormons

Our Search for Happiness

Life Before Life

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

Alan grew up in Johannesburg, in a Christian home. While in his youth, he had two brothers die in a car accident. He was concerned about their spiritual welfare because of the inconsistent teachings that he was taught in his church—this troubled him. Later, he met a friend who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; this friend introduced Alan to the Church and there he found encouragement, hope, and a new understanding of the meaning behind the experiences we go through in this life. The Atonement of Jesus Christ (the doctrine of redemption) became more personal to Alan as he was able to apply it to his specific situations. The message of Alan is a message of found hope through the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Watch his message below:

Additional Resource:

Learn more about Mormon beliefs.