GOD HAS CHOSEN THE WEAK AND SIMPLE TO SPREAD HIS RESTORED GOSPEL

(This article was inspired by a talk given by an Apostle,Elder Boyd K. Packer in a General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints)

No member of the church is considered better than any other member.  They are considered equal to each other by the Lord.

As with the Prophets and Apostles and the General Authorities of the church, a vote is required by the members of the church.  This can be for sustaining them or not.

The same vote is required for any other position in the church,   Stakes, Wards, quorum or in the auxiliaries. 

These votes are important.  These votes are noted by the leaders and are also recorded in Heaven.

The Lord gave this Revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith 19 January 1841about this procedure:

DOCTRINE and COVENANTS 124: 123, 144

123 Verily I say unto you, I now give unto you the officers belonging to my Priesthood, that ye may hold the keys thereof, even the Priesthood which is after the order of Melchizedek, which is after the order of mine Only Begotten Son.

144 And a commandment I give unto you that you should fill all these offices and approve of those names which I have mentioned, or else disapprove of them at my general conference.

For the General Authorities, this vote is in General Conference.

For Stake or Wards or auxiliaries it is in other meetings in those Stakes and Wards by the members of those Stakes and Wards.

DOCTRINE and COVENANTS 20: 65

65 No person is to be ordained to any office in this church, where there is a regularly organized branch of the same, without the vote of that church.

This is a special procedure that is only in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The Lord established His church, and set it up for the members to fill all the positions in it. 

The men having the Priesthood of God, Aaronic and Melchizedek, to hold specific positions. 

There are no seminaries or institutes that they have to go through for Authority from God because they do not have it.  These institutions only can give authorized Earthly authority. 

To have Authority that is RECOGNIZED by GOD during and after this life, it has to come from God through His appointed servants to those who He wants to be ordained and exercise His authority.

Peter was an ordinary man, a fisherman, but was chosen by the Lord to be one of His Apostles and was given the Keys of the Kingdom. 

The Lord asked Peter who he thought that He was, Peter said that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  This is when the Lord said, “Peter, Upon This Rock I will build my church”.

He was NOT calling Peter the Rock, He was telling Peter that the REVELATION that he had received was from God the Father, that (REVELATION), was the ROCK by which he would build his church.

MATTHEW  16: 16-19

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  (By Revelation)

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock (The Rock of Revelation) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(If the priesthood listens to the revelations and inspiration of the Lord, no matter what Satan or Hell will do, the Work of the Lord will go forward.)

19 And 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.

(Those KEYS are here on the Earth, with the Priesthood NOW.)

Those chosen, weak and simple men are the servants of the Lord on earth today have this sealing power and perform the saving ordinances of the gospel for the living and the dead.

God’s authority is not given by man-made institutions as all other religions do.  Their authority is only for this life and to conform to the laws in their Earthly communities.  That is why they do not marry for Eternity, because they only have authority to marry for this life.

All real Priesthood Authority from God that is given to man is recorded here and in Heaven. 

Each man in this church can show their authority, man by man, back to Jesus Christ. 

They usually have it on them, but if not, since it is recorded, they can get it.

The women would be set apart to hold high positions in the areas that are best for them, like Relief Society, (the largest women’s organization in the world), the Young Women’s Organization or the Primary Organization. 

All positions are important to the Lord and are needed for His church to function as a whole.  Each man or women’s position is not greater than the other.  All is needed.

DOCTRINEand COVENANTS 132:  8

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.

To watch, here or read what Elder Boyd K. Packer said, click on his name.

To research more, go to www.lds.org.

Please pass this blog on to everyone you know.

THE LORD HAS PREPARED FOR US A SAFE WAY

(This article was inspired by an Apostle, Elder Boyd K. Packer, President of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

The Lord always prepares a Safe Way for the Saints when times get bad.  He has done this for us in this, our day.

He has given us the Restored Laws and Ordinances of the Fullness of the Everlasting Gospel.

If we are to be safe as individuals and as families and together as a church, against anything that will come, we MUST be obeying the Laws and Ordinances we have agreed to obey, when we made Covenants with the Lord.

As the Prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon said about our doing the Lord’s work and obeying His will:

1 NEPHI 3: 7

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

(His father was the Prophet Lehi)

We have to remember that this life on earth is only temporary.  We agreed to come to earth, get a body of flesh and bone for our spirit (US), and to learn how to use and care for it. 

We were also sent to be TESTED to see IF we would do what the Lord commands us.  He sent Prophets to give us His words and they are in the scriptures now.  He is still giving His words to us today, through Living Prophets and Apostles and they are available to ALL.

In the Book of Abraham, written on Scrolls, in Abraham’s own hand, Abraham told us what he saw and why we are here on earth:

ABRAHAM3: 24-25

24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, (Jesus Christ, then known as Jehovah) and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these (us) may dwell

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

The Apostle Paul said about OUR DAY, THE LAST DAYS:

2TIMOTHY 3: 1-7

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

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

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Sixty Two Years After the Constitution was passed, the Saints, then in Utah had a celebration in 1849.

They had a big celebration, and the theme of this first celebration they chose patriotism and loyalty to that same government which had rejected and failed to assist them from the persecution of the mobs.

If you want to know why this happened, go to Apostle Boyd K.Packer and watch, listen or read what he said about these saints.

For further information go to www.lds.org.

Please pass this blog on to everyone you know.

WHY IS MARRIAGE ESSENTIAL TO FAMILIES

(This article was inspired by a talk by Apostle Boyd K. Packer of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

Today, many men and women ignore marriage.  They feel that they can have the same experiences that married couples except they are not tied down and stuck in Responsibility.

They want to have everything without paying the price.  Little do they know they will pay the price in the end, and many times, even before.

They do not hold marriage as important.  Marriage is something that takes away their freedom to choose what they want to do and when they want to do it.

Yes, they have their Freedom to Choose.  They had it in the Pre-existence and they still have it here on earth.

What they fail to realize is that we are all being tested to see if we choose the right.

Good and evil are placed before us and depending on which way we choose, every choice made has consequences attached to them. 

This is Eternal Law. 

We cannot choose the consequences of our action.  They are automatic.

Every human being must understand that birth here on earth was NOT the beginning of our existence.  We grew up as a spirit in the pre-existence with our Heavenly Parents.  We knew them and knew them well. 

Yes, there is Gender in Heaven.

We knew that to continue to progress like our Heavenly Father and Mother that we had to come to earth to gain a physical body and to be tested on how we would use that body and learn to control it. 

We would also be tested on what choices we would make while using our Free Agency here on earth. 

This is our final test to prove to ourselves and to Heavenly Father if we can progress on in Eternity and what kind of responsibilities and power He can trust us with.

All of mankind are actual spirit brothers and sisters.  We lived there as individuals.  

We all were presented and we all understood the Plan of Salvation there that we would come here to earth, meet someone and fall in love, be married and have children.

This is all part of the Plan of Salvation by God the Father. 

These children are our spirit brothers and sisters, waiting their turn to come for their test and to receive a body of flesh and bone that we would make for them.

We are part of Heavenly Father’s Eternal Family.  He wants us to have our own Eternal Families which will be sealed to His. 

The Normal marriages on earth of every church, except one, are only until “Death do us part”, or “As long as we both shall live.”  

Why?  Because those ministers or clergy know that they DO NOT have the authority to marry anyone longer than earth life.  And some believe that NO ONE is married in Heaven.  That is wrong.

They do not understand the scripture: 

Matthew 22: 30

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 

Modern Revelation, given by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith also makes this clear recorded 12 July 1843:

Doctrine and Covenants 132: 16

16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.

(Meaning those who were Eternally Married while on Earth)

This means that no one is given in marriage and that NO ONE is married in Heaven, in other words, no ceremony is done there. 

The Eternal Marriage Ceremony has to already have been done when they get there.

Marriage is NOT PERFORMED AFTER THIS LIFE. 

Those who have died and did not get a chance to hear the Restored Gospel while living on earth, or it was not available while they were here, have the chance to accept it there, ON THEIR OWN.

If accepted there, their baptism and other ordinances are performed for them by Proxy, here on earth by those with Melchizedek Priesthood authority.

PROXY is where someone stands in someone else’s place for them, like when the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sins in the Garden and on the Cross, that is by PROXY for us. 

But, those SINS are NOT automatically gone. 

That is where our FREE AGENCY to CHOOSE comes in. 

They still have the Free Agency to accept the work done for them here. 

NO ONE can make the DECISION FOR THE DEAD. 

When the ordinances are done for them, THEY make their OWN DECISIONS, NOT their Relatives still living on earth. 

NO ONE can take away the BLESSINGS FROM SOMEONE ELSE. 

They can THINK they can, BUT THEY CAN'T - PERIOD.

Eternal Marriage is only done in the TEMPLES of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

I have to be BOLD and PLAIN in this explanation.

Eternal Marriage is done by those holding the Melchizedek Priesthood Authority called SEALERS, with special authority from the Lord’s Prophet on Earth.

Once this Sealing is done, their marriage is recognized by the Lord after this life and their children can be sealed to them in the marriage covenant.

Then they can progress on throughout Eternity as a Family.

Now, the Normal marriage ceremony is different.

Once someone dies in the normal type of marriage, the marriage is over. 

The one who died is back in the spirit world, as a SINGLE PERSON again. 

The marriage they had on earth is not in force in Heaven. 

DO NOT THINK that IF you believe it WILL BE, IT WILL BE. 

HE GAVE YOU THE CHANCE WHILE HERE ON EARTH, EVEN NOW WHILE READING THIS ARTICLE.

When the second partner dies, that person is a separate, single individual there.  Their children are separate individuals also.

Eternal Laws are in force in Heaven.  You will not be allowed to break them as you do on earth.  NO HANKY-PANKY.  PERIOD.

If people are living together, out of wedlock and have children, they and their children are not a family in the hereafter. 

They are ALL single individuals, and not recognized by the Lord as a Family.

Anything goes here on Earth because this is a Testing Period.

When this testing period is over and we are all back in Heaven, things will be different.

God Himself decreed that the physical expression of love, that union of male and female which has power to generate life, is authorized only in marriage here on Earth and at death, it ends. 

Then only in Eternal Marriage performed in a Temple of God will it continue for Eternity.

The urge or ability to continue to live together and have sexual relations in Heaven outside of Eternal Marriage Covenant will not be possible because of changes made in the resurrected body.

Knowing this is one of the BIG advantages of having the Restored Gospel and Living Prophets who receive these Revelations from the Lord Jesus Christ, who's church this is.

Those who do not believe will reap the consequences later.

If you are living together, unmarried, with or without children, I urge you to reconsider REGULAR marriage IF you only want your family relationship to last JUST during THIS LIFE. 

BUT IF you want it to continue throughout Eternity, consider working for Eternal Marriage. 

Without marriage, you are only hurting yourself and your children and it is sexual sin.

Remember, the Lord considers sexual sins next to murder in the Eternal Laws.

For more information on marriage from an Apostle, go to Elder Boyd K. Packer on Marriage.

For further studies, go to www.lds.org

Please pass this blog on to everyone you know.

YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE, PROTECT IT

(This article was inspired by a talk of Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

Before we came to this earth as a spirit, to enter into our small bodies, we made a decision, freely of our own choice, to follow the Eternal Laws that our Savior, Jesus Christ, had explained to each of us.

We would experience the Earth Life Test in this body and eventually, after we die and are resurrected, it would be permanently ours.

We would have to learn how to take care of it, honor it and protect it as it grows up into the full likeness of our full grown spirit being.  We were all full grown before coming here.

We were to protect it so the parts of the body would not be damaged physically, and if they were, we would try to have that problem repaired. 

We would need to keep our mind and heart clean from many of the bad and impure things we see around us, and to learn good and righteous things. 

The mind and heart control our character and who we would eventually become from the experiences we would endure or go through.

We will eventually have to present our bodies to God. 

We want it clean and pure and ready to be fit to enter the Celestial Kingdom of God.  He said that no unclean thing can come into His presence.

A revelation from God, given as a Word of Wisdom, and later made as a commandment, told us not to take habit-forming things like tobacco, drugs, liquor, coffee and tea because these things cause a craving and then relieve them for a small time each time we take some more of them.  To investigate more on this revelation from God, go to Doctrine and Covenants Section 89.

We are blessed to come here and get a body and this is because of our obedience in pre-earth life. 

While in this earth test, our memory of our pre-earth life is blocked off while here on earth, to show to God what we learned in the pre-earth training we had.  We learned in our minds and in our Hearts.  Since the mind is blocked off, He wants to know what we retained in our hearts.  This is where you really learn. 

This life is like a final test at a University, closed book except for the Scriptures and living Apostles and Prophets He would send us. 

We are His spirit sons and daughters and He wants us to gain the experience of this earth test and pass this test so we can come home to Him.

He knows that many will not listen to or believe in Him, but with our Free Agency to choose, it is all up to us.  He will NOT force us.

Satan, also known as the Devil, Lucifer here on earth, was known as the Son of the Morning in the spirit world. 

Because of his rebellion against the Father's Plan of Salvation, One Third of our brothers and sisters there, followed him. 

They were cast out of Heaven during that War there, down to the earth, to be used to tempt us to choose between good and evil. 

I'm sad to say that Many are failing to make the right choices.

Those who were cast out were not allowed to gain a body of flesh and blood like us.  This is their punishment. 

You can read in the New Testament that those spirits would prefer a Swine's body than not having any.

MATTHEW 8: 29-32

29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

 

31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

 

32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

 

Verse 29 "they" are part of those spirits that were cast out of Heaven.

They knew who Jesus was. 

 

Also, "before the time" means they know their final punishment. 

 

They asked that they could inhabit any kind of body, but the swine, being possessed, ran wild and into the sea. 

 

Those with bodies have power over those who do not have one.  If we do something wrong or make a wrong choice, WE MADE THAT CHOICE. 

The Devil DOES NOT have the power to force anyone. 

WE ALONE make that Final Decision in choosing. 

The body is a temple to house your spirit. 

The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, our former prophet, was inspired by the Lord to tell us NOT to disfigure our bodies with piercings, except women with ONE set of earrings, and never men.  He also said not to have tattoos, pictures or symbols put on the body. 

1 COR. 3: 16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

 

There is Gender in Heaven. 

Man and Woman were each created in the image of God.  Head, arms, legs, eyes, ears etc.  

We, Male and Female are in His image, but certain parts are Gender different. 

Yes, we DO HAVE A MOTHER IN HEAVEN. 

We come here as brothers and sisters, meet each other, get married and have a family by making bodies for our other brothers and sisters who need to come to this Earth Test. 

But, by doing so, we create a family, with Love and Joy.  We learn how to be a family and teach these NEW SPIRITS how to take care of their bodies. 

And if we are married in a Temple of God, we can be a family FOREVER, not just until DEATH DO US PART.

To watch, hear or read what this Apostle said in more details, go to Elder Boyd K. Packer.

More investigation about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, go to www.lds.org.

Please pass this blog on to everyone you know.

BELIEVE WHAT GOD HAS REVEALED

(This article has been inspired by a talk by Apostle Boyd K. Packer of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

(Sentences in BOLD or Underlines are for Emphasis)

At the time of the Ministry of our Savior, Jesus Christ, He asked His Apostles who they think He is.

MATTHEW 16: 16-18

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The Lord explains to Peter that God the Father revealed that to him.  That means, by revelation. 

Then he addresses Peter directly, calling him by name and explaining that He will build His church upon the ROCK of REVELATION (He was NOT calling Peter the ROCK and that He would build His church upon him, but the:

 Principle of REVELATION was the ROCK.)

Today, the Lord has set up His church again and named it:  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The foundation of this church is built upon Apostles and Prophets and He guides His church, through them with Revelation from Him on how the Kingdom will be built in these Last Days.

Over the years, since the Book of Mormon was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith, many have said that Joseph Smith wrote the book. 

Joseph only had three years of formal schooling.  He could not have written the book. 

Being chosen in the pre-existence to come and re-establish His church in the Last Days, he was given inspiration and Revelation from the Lord, through the Urim and Thummin in translating the Book of Mormon.

Since the Book of Mormon came out in 1830, many in that generation from all walks of life, who would not believe, tried to prove that it was a fake, they died off.  The next generation also tried it again with the same results.  They couldn’t prove it wrong or a fake either.  They died off. 

It was all the same in each generation, and today, there has been mounting evidence that it is true because of the type of writing it was, the types of words and the Chiasmus or the figure of speech was used as in ancient times. 

Meaning of Chiasmus:  A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed. 

An example:  One should eat to live -  not live to eat.

This type of writing was done anciently, in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon and many other manuscripts.

Revelation and Guidance came to him constantly from the Lord on how to build the church.

This revelation continues today with the church leaders.

The Prophet receiving it for the Church;

The Stake president for his stake,

The Mission President for his mission,

The Quorum Leader for his quorum;

The Bishop for his ward members;

The father for his family;

The individual receives Revelation for himself.

To listen or watch click here:  Apostle Boyd K.Packer .

Further research can be done at:   www.lds.org.

Please pass this blog on to everyone you know.

THE NEED FOR PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS

(This article is inspired by a talk at the October 2002 General Conference by an Apostle, Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.)

How many time have you asked yourself, what is my purpose here?  What is my life going to be like?

I had those same questions inside of me.

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when I was twenty seven while serving in the Army in Hawaii.

After a while in the church, I had a period of three nights that I had some troubling dreams.  So I decided to see my Bishop and find out what he thought of those dreams. 

He said he didn’t know and that he could not tell me what dreams mean, but a Patriarch could, and it was about time that I should get my Patriarchal blessing and I should ask him then about the dreams.

So he gave me the needed Recommend and I made an appointment with the Patriarch. 

It was 7PM and we were the only ones in the church. 

We went to the conference room and we sat and talked for a few minutes. 

Then I asked him if he could tell me about the dreams I had three days in a row.

He listened and then told me that I would have a great calling coming to me in this church and that I would be protected against all evil when I receive this calling. 

We talked a little more and then he stood up and laid his hands on my head and gave me the blessing.

In my blessing he told me of my lineage, meaning what tribe of Israel I descended from or was adopted into.  The majority of this church is descended from Ephraim and not the Jews. 

He also told me things that have already happened in my life that I did not tell him of and others that I did not know had happened because of the Lord's will,  and how I was protected by the Lord, and he told me of what blessings would come to me.  He again said that I had a great calling coming, if I remained righteous. 

That was the key. 

Part way through the blessing he stopped, keeping his hands on my head.  It seemed a long time to me, like two or three minutes, and then he began again and completed it.

I then asked him why he stopped.  He said that the blessing was almost identical to his blessing.

He said to read the blessing often and the blessings given to Abraham and pray and meditate on it. 

Patriarchal blessings are given by the Lord Himself through His ordained Patriarchs to guide His children in life so they will accomplish the missions they come for and gain the experiences He knew they needed.

He said that all things in your blessing will come true in this life or the next. 

Have faith and believe. 

Use it as your Guide in Life.

To Watch, Hear or Read what Elder Boyd K. Packer has said on Patriarchal Blessings and the Duties of a Patriarch, click above.

Further research can be done at www.lds.org. 

Please pass this blog on to everyone you know.