CONFERENCES OF THE LORD'S CHURCH

The Lord has restored His church in these Last Days like the Apostle Paul had said:

Ephesians2: 19-20

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.

As he said in verse 19 above, people who join the ancient church or regular members, are called saints.  They are not strangers but part of the Lord’s family. 

He also tells them that the true church is built upon the foundation of prophets and apostles.

It is the same today.  The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are saints.  This name distinguishes between the former day saints and the latter day saints. 

The Lord, at the beginning, named this restored church Himself.  The Prophet Joseph Smith did not name it himself but at the command of the Lord.

Worldwide General Conferences of the Church.

A Worldwide broadcast of Conference for 2013 is OCTOBER 5 and 6.

To watch this from any place in the world, go to www.lds.org. 

This website will keep you informed of conferences and meetings from the General Authorities of the Lord’s church.

We have had a succession of modern day prophets from the Prophet Joseph Smith to now. 

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey received their apostleship’s under the hands of resurrected beings, namely, the Apostles Peter, James and John, who received their commission from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

All saints that hold the Melchizedek Priesthood can present their Line of Authority when needed, tracing it back of the Lord Himself.

The prophet today is President Thomas Spencer Monson. 

He has two counselors who are each apostles, and they form the First Presidency of the Church. 

There are twelve more apostles in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

There are Eight Quorums of the Seventy at this time. 

All are called General Authorities of the Church.

Every six months, April and October, a worldwide conference is held so that all the members throughout the world can hear inspired talks from those chosen to talk.

The members hear their testimony, and their faith and desires for righteousness.  

They transact business of the church and they ask the members for their sustaining of the officers whom the Lord has appointed to administer the affairs of His Kingdom.

The saints receive from those appointed to serve the Lord’s Church, council, inspiration and revelation needed in both temporal and spiritual areas.

These conferences are more than just religious conventions but are a series of meetings where the mind and will of the Lord is conveyed to the saints by the mouth of His servants.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not a democracy, but the Kingdom of God on earth.

Instruction, direction and revelation come from the Lord Jesus Christ who is our King, who is the head of this church, and it comes through His servants to the saints of the Kingdom.

To hear what the Lord is telling us in this day, go to the website above.

PROPHETS, SEERS, REVELATORS, KEYS and INTERPRETERS

There are more and more people in the world who are looking for the truth.  They are looking for guidance or direction.  They wonder who they are, where did they come from, where do they go after this life is over. 

They want to know there purpose in life and to have understanding of the things around them. 

Many of those who are really looking and searching discover the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and find answers to their questions. 

What stands out to most of those people who discover this is that this is the only church on earth that have living prophets and apostles who guide this church under the direction of Jesus Christ Himself through direct revelation.

Ephesians 2: 19-20

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

 

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Church Organization.

There are fifteen apostles in this church. 

The Lord has chosen the most senior and experienced apostle to be the prophet of the whole church. 

He picks by inspiration, two of the other apostles as counselors and this forms what is called a quorum.  The title given them is the First Presidency of the Church. 

The other twelve apostles form the quorum of the twelve apostles, with the second most senior of all of the fifteen as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

All fifteen of the apostles are designated by the Lord as Prophets, Seers and Revelators. 

All the remaining fourteen apostles have all of the same keys but they are dormant until activated by the authority of the prophet. 

The keys of the prophet or most senior apostle have all of his keys active, and can, by inspiration, activate any of the keys of any of the other apostles, to accomplish a task assigned to the prophet by revelation from the Lord.

What are Keys?

A key is the right or privilege which belongs to and comes with the priesthood to have communication with God to accomplish the assignment given to him. 

He has at his disposal the keys to bring to light the mysteries and revelations and give them to the world.

What is a Prophet?

A prophet is a person who knows by personal revelation from the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

A prophet’s mission is not just to tell the future. 

More important than that, is that they bear witness of Christ and the divinity of Christ to all of mankind. 

They are to teach the Plan of Salvation and perform sacred ordinances to their fellow men. 

Most of the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is the true authority of God to act in His name and was restored to the earth in 1829. 

Some have possessed the keys to authorize them to administer the Fulness of the Gospel ordinances including temple ordinances.

What is a Seer?

Seers are highly spiritual prophets and revelators chosen by the Lord to act as seers. 

As the occasion is required, they are they are appointed to possess and use the interpreters or Urim and Thummin. 

With these, as an example, the Prophet Joseph Smith used them to translate the Book of Mormon from the sacred Gold Plates, and have also received many revelations by using them.

Mosiah 8: 15-18

15 And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.

16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

18 Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.

Where there are no seers, apostasy prevails.

What is a Revelator?

He is anyone who receives a revelation directly from the Lord and then conveys the revealed truth to another. 

The President of the Church is a revelator for the Church. 

The Prophet Joseph Smith was a revelator who revealed much to the Church and the world.

The Apostle John, because of the great revelations he gave to the world is now known as John the Revelator.

What is the Urim and Thummin or Interpreters?

They are instruments delivered to chosen prophets to be used in receiving revelations and in translating ancient records from unknown tongues.  When approved by the Lord Prophets are permitted to pass these instruments on to their mortal successors.

Usually they are carried in a breastplate over the heart.

Exodus 28: 30

30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.
 The Urim and Thummin were in use before the Flood. 

The Brother of Jared had them before leaving the Tower of Babel in the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon.  See Ether 3: 21-28.

This was the set that came through King Mosiah and handed down from prophet to prophet to Moroni and buried with the Book of Mormon Plates.

This is the set that the Prophet Joseph Smith used in the translation of the Gold Plates.  See Doctrine and Covenants 17: 1.

President Joseph Fielding Smith said this Urim and Thummin was the seer stone that was in possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith and is now in possession of the Church.  See Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 225.

For more information go to www.lds.org

Comments are welcome.

GOD THE FATHER and JEHOVAH

Elohim.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the name Elohim in a more restrictive sense as a proper name-title identifying the God the Father.

The First Presidency of the Church has written, "God the Eternal Father, whom we designate by the exalted name-title "Elohim,' is the literal Parent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and of the spirits of the human race"  (MFP 5:26; see also Doctrinal Expositions of the First Presidency, "The Father and the Son," appendices, Vol. 4).

Jehovah.

Jehovah is the Pre-mortal name of Jesus Christ. 

Jehovah was the God of Israel.  He was the one who appeared to all of the prophets since Adam, including Abraham. 

He was the famous God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of the Old Testament. 

He was the God that parted the Red Sea for Moses and the God at the Burning Bush. 

He was the one who gave Moses the tablets of the Ten Commandments after writing them with His finger.

As it says in the Bible:

Genesis 1: 26

26 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.

In the above paragraph in Genesis, when “God said”, this is spoken by God the Father or Elohim.  The Father was with His Son, Jehovah, later born on earth as Jesus Christ, and said “Let us,” make man in our own image.

Adam was then created and the first spirit to enter a mortal body was Michael, the Archangel.  We do not know the premortal name of Eve.

Both the Father and the Son were at the creation of man, but the creation or organizing of the earth and everything in it was done by Jehovah under the direction of the Father.

Untold worlds and creations were done by the pre-mortal Jehovah under the Father’s direction and Jehovah was given complete control over them.

JOHN 1: 1-10

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

 

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

 

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

 

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

 

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

 

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

He  was then chosen to come to this earth out of all the worlds He had created, in the meridian of time, to perform the saving Atonement for all of us and all of His other creations.

Since the Father and the Son are one, meaning “One” in agreement in all things, but are each individual beings. 

The only time you hear from the God the Father is when He introduces and testifies of His Son.Here are three examples of God the Father speaking.  At one of these times, God the Father appears in Person, the only time in the history of the earth that this happens:

Matthew 3: 17

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

At the appearance of Jesus Christ in the Americas after His Resurrection:

3 Nephi 11: 7

7 “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him”.

Here God the Father was telling the people to listen to His Son and the instructions He would give to them with His Gospel.

Both, the Father and the Son appear to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Spring of 1820, calling Joseph Smith as a prophet of the Restoration of the Gospel and Church:

Joseph Smith History 1: 17

17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

God the Father called Joseph by name and introduced His Son, Jesus Christ to him and told him to listen to His instructions. 

This was the beginning of the Last Dispensation, the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times which was looked forward to by all the prophets since Adam.

The Earth was about to get the Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Restored to the Earth and bring back much of the Gospel that had been lost in the translations over the centuries since Jesus Christ was here.

Those receiving this Restored Gospel have been commanded by the Lord to preach it to the entire world before His Second Coming.

For more information see www.lds.org

Comments are welcome.

AGENCY or FREEDOM OF CHOICE

What is Agency?

Agency is the ability and freedom to choose good or evil. 

This is an eternal principle.  It has always existed throughout eternity with Heavenly Father and His children.

We are the sons and daughters of God the Father and have had our Free Agency to choose since we lived in the pre-existence or spirit world before coming here.

Jesus Christ and the Son of the Morning.

We had the choice in the spirit world to follow Jesus Christ, then known as Jehovah, and in Hebrew pronounced Yahweh, which refers to the God of Israel. 

He was the first born Son of God the Father.  (Since we are all sons and daughters of God, this makes Him our Elder Brother) 

In the King James Version of the Bible, Jehovah has been translated as Lord.  Today we know that Lord means Jesus Christ.

Another early born spirit son of God the Father was named the son of the Morning.  He was later known as Lucifer or the Devil.  (Unfortunately this also makes him our elder brother too.)

This title signifies son of light.  This meant that he was important and had authority and power in the spirit world.

Modern Revelations speaks of him here:

Doctrine and Covenants 76: 25-27

25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,

26 And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him for he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.

27 And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! Is fallen, even a son of the morning!
Among others, one place in the Bible also speaks of him here:

Isaiah 14: 12

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Freedom of Choice or Agency.

We had our Freedom of Choice in the spirit world. 

We knew Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation there because it was explained to us. 

But there was rebellion and Lucifer and his followers were cast down to the earth and are now being used to tempt and test us here.

Moses 4: 1-4

1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.

While here on earth, it is essential that we learn to exercise our Free Agency and make choices throughout our life. 

This is our final test.

Four principles must be in place for us to use our Agency.

One, laws ordained by God must be in effect to be obeyed or disobeyed.

Two, there must be opposition in all things so we can choose from, like good and evil, right and wrong.

Three, by those who enjoy this Agency, knowledge of good and evil and the difference between the opposites must be known.  We inherit this from Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.

Four, the unrestricted power of choice must exist.

Between 588-570 B.C., the Prophet Lehi, explaining to his children before he died, that they are free to choose between life and death.

See 2 Nephi 2: 26-30  

The Prophet Helaman tells us that because we are free to choose, whatever happens to us is because of ourselves and the choices we have made in this life.

See Helaman 14: 30-31

Once men are damned because of their choices, (Damned means that you cannot progress on in the eternities) no power of choice can alter their course and gain salvation. 

If they go into Hell, they still have their free agency but will not be able to use it to gain their lives back again.

The purpose of this life is to test men and see if they will take the bodies that are given them, and by choosing to use their agency to be righteous by following the word of God, and will make them fit abodes for the Spirit of God.

For further information, go to www.lds.org

Comment are welcome.



 

CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS

Having a Clean and Pure Mind.

God, our Heavenly Father has commanded us to be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. 

This is part of the gospel plan for our perfection.

In other words, these physical, earthly bodies that were given us, His spirit children are to take control of the body, not the other way around, and teach it to obey the spirit.

We inherited the power to think, because we are the spirit children of an Omnipotent Father.

It is the spirit that thinks, and not the mortal body.  I repeat, the spirit thinks, not the body.

Thoughts are:  Ideas, opinions, judgments, concepts, fancies, dispositions and intensions that come from the mind and the hearts of men.

How we manage and exercise our power of Free Agency, which our Heavenly Father gave us, determines what we do with the thoughts that come into our mind.

The Lord’s Thoughts are Perfect.

Isaiah 55: 8-9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Lord knows our thoughts. 

Job 42: 2

2 I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

The Apostle Paul said:

Hebrews 4: 12

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Lord has given this power to His prophets on occasion for a specific purpose like with the Prophet Jacob, in the Book of Mormon who said:

Jacob 2: 5

5 But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeared very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God.

Jesus Christ could read the thoughts of the people who He ministered to.
Evil thoughts are sinful and are not committed until they have been thoughts out in the heart. 

Evil thoughts are an abomination in themselves and lead on to more wickedness if not pushed out or eliminated.

From the Gospel of St. Mark, he said:

Mark 7: 21-23

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

In Jeremiah 6: 13 He said:

13 Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts.

Because of the thoughts of their hearts, the Lord sent the floods upon the earth in the time of Noah.

Controlling Your Thoughts.

Proverbs 12: 5

5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

During this mortal probation the Lord wants to see that we can control our thoughts in accordance to righteous principles and He tells us to cast away our idle thoughts.  (See Doctrine and Covenants 88: 69)

Mosiah 4: 30

30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

Judgment Day.

On the American continent about 82 B.C., the Prophet Alma said speaking of the Judgment Bar of Christ:

Alma 12: 14

14 For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.

It was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the righteous and the wicked will be divided by their thoughts and their secret acts will be revealed at Judgment. 

No one can hide them.  All will know them, to our shame. 

If we have repented of our evil or sinful thoughts, they will not exist and our record will be clean for the Lord will have mercy on us and will abundantly pardon us.

Do not wait until it is too late and this probation time on earth is over.

For more information go to www.lds.org

Comments are welcome.

IMPORTANCE OF GOSPEL KNOWLEDGE PART 2

Gospel Knowledge.

Gospel knowledge deals with the clear understanding of the truth about God, Our Eternal Father and His eternal laws which govern us, His children on earth, which if we obey we will gain salvation in His presence.

Gospel knowledge also deals with all truth that comes from Him.

Knowledge is an attribute of Deity and He possesses it in the fullness. 

We, His spirit children, have that spark of Deity within us also.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p.354.

The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them in the world of spirits.

Acts 15: 18

18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

An understanding that God knows all things is necessary for man to exercise faith in Him so as to obtain salvation in His kingdom.

Doctrine and Covenants 38: 1-2

1 Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made;

2 The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes.

Not only does God the Father know all things, but as stated above by the Lord Jesus Christ, so does He, the Son.  The Holy Ghost also known as the Comforter, the third member of the Godhead does also:

Doctrine and Covenants 35: 19

19 Wherefore, watch over him that his faith fail not, and it shall be given by the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, that knoweth all things.

We are the sons and daughters of God, the weaker intelligences mentioned above by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Knowledge – The Differences.

All the knowledge that is available is not equal in worth to us.  Much of it does not move us towards exaltation.

Learning the arts and sciences like history, mathematics, medicine, and chemistry are good things to learn and are very useful here on earth and will be used in eternity, but in and of itself, does not move us towards our salvation. 

First, we have to obtain salvation and be judged or allowed to progress onward after this life, and then we will use the other things we have learned here.

Learning them may help us to be open to the receiving of the saving truths or being able to understand those truths more. 

The Lord tells us to seek learning out of the best books, by study and also by faith.

There are many that think, after learning much of the worldly knowledge that they do not need God. 

They think that they know better and do not pay attention to God or His Spirit.

It is the knowledge of God that brings salvation.

The Prophet Jacob explains:

2 Nephi 9: 28-29, 42

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

Daniel 12: 4 (Partial quote.)

4 …”many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”.

He is talking about the last days that there will be so much knowledge available that many will not be able to find the knowledge that matters for their eternal benefit.

The Latter Day Saints are expected to concentrate in the knowledge of the truth and this kind of knowledge is a result of righteousness and comes by revelation from the Holy Ghost who is a revealer of saving knowledge. (See John 7: 17)

The Prophet Joseph Smith also instructed us on this:

Doctrine and Covenants 130: 18-19

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

In conclusion, keep learning all that you can, but concentrate on the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel that He has restored to the earth.

For further information go to www.lds.org

Comments are welcome.

INTELLIGENCE OR LIGHT AND TRUTH PART 1

Intelligence.

Intelligence is the knowledge of Light and Truth. 

In the gospel sense, intelligence is more than just obtaining any type of knowledge, but knowledge that will bring you closer to God, our Heavenly Father.

Doctrine and Covenants 93: 36-37

36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.

37 Light and truth forsake that evil one.

Intelligence is the proper and wise use of knowledge which leads us in the direction of righteousness and eventually to obtaining eternal life and
exaltation in the Kingdom of God or the Celestial Realm. 

Satan’s Use of Knowledge.

Knowledge can be obtained and used in the works of evil.  As it says in verse 37 above, light and truth, which is intelligence, forsake the evil one, who is Satan or the Devil.

Satan has great power and influence because of the knowledge he had obtained in the pre-existence spirit world where we all came from. 

He knows each of us and our weaknesses and uses that knowledge against us here on earth. 

He tricks many into believing he does not exist, and many are fooled. 

Those who have the Intelligent knowledge of the gospel and the Lord, knows that he exists and is not fooled by him.  He is working hard to make us his.

Satan does not even have the least degree of intelligence within him. 

An intelligent person uses the knowledge he has and uses it to progress in the things of the spirit and obtain eternal truths.  He glories in being righteous in all the things he does. 

Satan does not ever do that.  He seeks the misery of all of us and tries to disrupt the Father’s Plan of Salvation.

Intelligence is Important to all of us.

Here is what the Lord tells us about the principle of intelligence:

Doctrine and Covenants 130: 18-19

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

Ignorance.

An ignorant person is one who is uninformed and lacking in knowledge.

The Prophet Joseph Smith gave and inspired statement:

Doctrine and Covenants 131: 6

6 It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.

He was meaning that ignorance of Jesus Christ and the saving truths of His gospel. 

Our salvation comes through the knowledge we obtain about God, our Father and His laws and not the learning of the world.

John 17: 3

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
 Latter Day Saints have the obligation to obtain the knowledge of the truth.

The Lord said through the Prophet Brigham Young:

Doctrine and Covenants 136: 32-33

32 Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;

33 For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly.

Let us seek for the Intelligent Knowledge about the Lord and His gospel.

See Part 2 under Gospel Subjects:  IMPORTANCE OF GOSPEL KNOWLEDGE

For further information go to www.lds.org. 

Comment are welcome.

THE VALUE OF THE SCRIPTURES TODAY

What are Scriptures?

Any message that comes from God to man, whether written or spoken, by the power of the Holy Ghost is scripture.

Doctrine and Covenants 68: 2-4

2 And, behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth—

3 And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.

4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.

Scriptures are here to guide us in our earthly test or journey. 

They teach us how to live according to Eternal principles and laws.

Living Prophets Are Not Usually Listened To.

Here is a summary of the parable of the rich man and the beggar.  Luke 16: 19-31

The Savior gave a parable about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus, who laid at his gates, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. 

Lazarus died and the Angels took him to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man died also and was buried.

The rich man was now in Spirit Prison or Hell and looked up to Abraham and asked him to have mercy on him. 

Abraham told him that he had received the good things of life and Lazarus received evil things, now it was reversed.  He said there was a gulf fixed between them which neither could pass.

Then the rich man said that he had brethren still alive and asked that they be sent a warning so they would not end up like him.

Abraham told him, they have Moses and the prophets, who are living, let them hear them. 

The rich man said they would not listen to Moses, but if someone from the dead came from the dead and told them, they would repent. 

Abraham said, No, if they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, who are with them, they will not listen to those who rose or spoke from the dead.

Today.

The world is in that situation today.  There is a Living Prophet Today; he is President Thomas S. Monson, President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

The Lord has restored His church and His Gospel in its fulness to the earth.

The Book of Mormon is that restored gospel. 

The writers of the Book of Mormon were all prophets.  

Each writer was a descendant of Lehi who was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and with Jeremiah, another prophet, had called repentance to the people of Jerusalem.

They were angry with Lehi and Jeremiah. 

Jeremiah left to Egypt with some of the righteous. 

Lehi being warned of danger was instructed by the Lord to leave Jerusalem and was told that he would be led to a Land of Promise in the Americas. 

They were instructed to keep a record. 

It was kept from 600 B.C. to 421 A.D. of the wars and the sacred things that had happened to their civilization during this thousand year period. 

It was made on gold plates.  Gold was plentiful in that day, so they used it to record the records.  This would insure that the record would last through a long period of time to come out of the ground for us today.

The Lord sees the end from the beginning and prepared this record for us in the Latter Days.

This record was not recorded specifically for them, but was written by inspiration from the Lord to prophets during that time period, who are now dead, to come forth, in this day to us.  

This makes it scripture.  It is a companion with the Bible, not a replacement.

Those prophets are saying to us, listen to us and learn what we went through so you do not have to repeat our mistakes. 

It also tells us of the many blessings that they received from the Lord.

This is especially true when the Savior, just after His resurrection, appeared to the people in the Americas and gave them His gospel.

He told them they were the “Other sheep” he had mentioned to the Jews during his ministry, that He would go to.

In Jerusalem He said:

John 10: 16

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

And He told them in the Americas as recorded in the Book of Mormon:

3 Nephi 15: 21

21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

This living prophet spoken of above receives revelation from the Lord for the direction of His church and the world today.

The Lord has revealed that President Thomas Spencer Monson is not only the prophet of this church, but is the prophet to the whole earth. 

The mission of Latter Day church is to spread the Restored Gospel and gather Israel again from the four quarters of the earth before the Lord’s Second Coming.

For further research go to www.lds.org

Comments are welcome.