General Authority Information

I guess I am still not quite back from vacation yet...so I will make this a quick post.

I thought I would pass along a really cool link that was shared with me several years ago. It is a link called Grandpa Bill’s GA pages. Grandpa Bill has done an excellent job of charting and documenting all the General Authorities for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you ever want any information on a General Authority... this is the link to go to for sure.

Enjoy!

"The Gathering of My People"

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the vehicle by which the scattered Children of Israel will be gathered. The keys to the gathering of Israel, which the prophet Moses holds, have been turned once again in this dispensation and the work has begun. This gathering is taking place each day, as people from all over the world come to an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and join with the saints in worshiping the Father through Him.

In the early history of the Church Joseph Smith was instructed very specifically about those who would be gathered and the reasons He had for gathering them. In Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants He outlines some qualifications that are necessary for His people in order to be gathered.

D&C 10: 65 For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts;

66 Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.

67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.

It is very easy to recognize these qualifications as the first four principles of the gospel, faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Today we can easily see those who are being gathered, by the number of baptisms that are taking place into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, through conversion because of the condition of their hearts. When they hear the “good news” they recognize it as a familiar voice. The Lord refers to these people as His elect.

D&C 29: 7 And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;

8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.

Look for the many reasons the Lord has for gathering His people.

D&C 38:31 And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless—

32 Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high;

• To escape the power of their enemies.
• To gather a righteous people.
• To be given the Lord’s Law.
• To be endowed with power from on high.

Joseph Smith said, “What was the object of gathering the people of God in any age of the world? The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose. It is for the same purpose that God gathers together His people in the last days, to build unto the Lord a house to prepare them for the ordinances and endowments, washing and anointings, etc.”

D&C 38:35 And they shall look to the poor and the needy, and administer to their relief that they shall not suffer; and send them forth to the place which I have commanded them;

• To look to the poor and the needy.

D&C 38:39 And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.

• To have the riches of eternity.

D&C 38: 42 And go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Even so. Amen.

• To go out from among the wicked.

Can you think of other times in the scriptures that the people were told to come out from the wicked?

In Section 37 the Lord gives counsel to the saints instructing them to gather to the Ohio, but is very specific with His instructions when he states,

D&C 37:4 Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man choose for himself until I come. Even so. Amen.

Why do you thing it is important for each man to choose for himself?

He also give further instruction for the saints as follows,

D&C 38:24 And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practise virtue and holiness before me.

25 And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.

When it comes to the gathering of His people, why do you think it is important for every man to “esteem his brother as himself”? It certainly must be important, for the Lord has stated it twice!

The instruction to gather is prevalent in our Church today. We gather in Regions, Stakes, Wards, Sacrament Meetings, Priesthood meetings, Relief Society, etc. We gather today for the same reasons the Lord told the Saints to gather in all ages.

Elder Russell M. Nelson stated:

“The choice to come unto Christ is not a matter of physical location; it is a matter of individual commitment. People can be “brought to the knowledge of the Lord” without leaving their homelands. True, in the early days of the Church, conversion often meant emigration as well. But now the gathering takes place in each nation. The Lord has decreed the establishment of Zion in each realm where He has given His Saints their birth and nationality. Scripture foretells that the people “shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.” “Every nation is the gathering place for its own people.” The place of gathering for Brazilian Saints is in Brazil; the place of gathering for Nigerian Saints is in Nigeria; the place of gathering for Korean Saints is in Korea; and so forth. Zion is “the pure in heart.” Zion is wherever righteous Saints are. Publications, communications, and congregations are now such that nearly all members have access to the doctrines, keys, ordinances, and blessings of the gospel, regardless of their location.

Spiritual security will always depend upon how one lives, not where one lives. Saints in every land have equal claim upon the blessings of the Lord.”

In what ways do you participate in the gathering today?

The Lord's Pattern For Overcoming Persecution- Section 24

Soon after the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints took place on April 6, 1830, the prophet Joseph Smith was hit with a deluge of persecution from the people of the surrounding areas by way of libelous law suits and unlawful arrests. These were times of great trial and a true test of the faith of the early saints of the Church.

The Lord knew that the Mormon's would be no strangers to persecution so, in His loving fashion, provided a pattern in Section 24 of the Doctrine and Covenants for the saints to follow, to help them endure and even avoid the persecution that would come their way. The pattern was that of pruning.

D&C 24: 19 For thou art called to prune my vineyard with a mighty pruning, yea, even for the last time; yea, and also all those whom thou hast ordained, and they shall do even according to this pattern. Amen.

The act of pruning a tree or a vineyard is the process of removing the “dead wood” or the “sucker saplings” so that the plant does not become drained of its strength and nourishment. By pruning away the unnecessary burden of unproductive branches the whole energy of the plant can concentrate on those branches that will bare fruit.

The Pattern

1) In verse 3 the Lord instructed Joseph to “magnify thine office.” These were specific instruction given to Joseph, but can also be profitable for us today. We all have a calling. We have been called as Children of our Heavenly Father to further His work by proclaiming His gospel, perfecting His saints, and redeeming our dead. When we magnify that office we are entitled to the added blessing of strength that is promised because of obedience and commitment to the Lord. This magnification of our sacred calling is proof to the Lord that we are willing to “make Him our God, and we will be His people” and willing to “walk with Him.” Knowing who we are and what we are called to do is the best protection against persecution that can be given.

2) In verse 5 He instructs us to “call upon God in my name”, or to pray. By submitting ourselves to constant prayer we are showing that we are willing to be directed in the path the Lord would have us take.

3) Also in verse 5, the Lord tells Joseph to “continue writing the things which shall be given thee by the Comforter.” At this time Joseph was in the process of working on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. If we think about the process that took place to allow this to happen, it is actually the ultimate scripture study experience. Joseph read the scriptures, pondered their meaning, and was taught by the spirit the truth of the words. In this manner we are taught the perfect pattern for scripture study. When we actually study with this same amount of intensity the spirit will make the scriptures live in our hearts.

4) Again, in verse 5 Joseph is instructed to “expound all scriptures unto the church.” He was promised that “it would be given him in the very moment what he should speak and write.” This is another wonderful example of “teaching by the spirit”. The best way to fully understand a principle is to teach it. This instruction, to teach, was a process that allowed Joseph to solidify the concepts he had learned through his study. The best way to make sure you understand a principle is to try to teach it to someone else.

5) In verse 7 Joseph is instructed to serve. Service is the stepping stone for love. We serve those we love, but miraculously we come to love those we serve.

6) Verse 8 calls for patience. Patience allows for differences in opinion and charity towards those who have not received as much light and knowledge as another may have. Imagine the understanding that the Prophet Joseph Smith was given, and the amount of patience he must have needed to “wait” for others to simply catch up to him. Many times persecution exists simply from ignorance or misunderstanding. Patience is a quality that is essential to overcome the desire to “strike back” or retaliate for wrongs that may be done, or feelings that may be trampled on unintentionally or on purpose.

7) The next instruction given is directed to Oliver. It is to “open his mouth in bearing the name of Jesus Christ before the world”, in other words, bear his testimony. The promise for bearing his testimony was the blessing of “strength such as is not known among men.” This is the strength that is needed to overcome any amount of persecution. Every time a testimony is borne the person becomes more strengthened in his resolve and conviction of truth.

8) In verses 13 and 14 instructions are given regarding the use of priesthood authority. The Lord admonishes us to exercise the power of the priesthood righteously. The priesthood is never to be used to “prove” by way of miracles or in exhibitions of power.

9) Finally, they were admonished to take no “purse or scrip” making sure they relied solely on the Lord for their support. When persecution is raging there are times when we can do nothing else but rely on the Lord.

If we ponder this pattern, we can see that through obedience and commitment, prayer combined with scripture study, teaching and serving others in patience, the blessing that naturally follows is the development of a testimony.

The strengthening of that testimony comes in bearing it. Bearing your testimony among those who would persecute you requires a righteous use of priesthood power relying on the Lord for strength, or in other words a complete exercise of faith.

Thus the pattern is set for protection from any type of persecution that we may face. Our membership in the LDS Church today may not require that we face physical abuse like that of being “tarred and feathered”, but it will certainly be tried by fire none the less. As members we face many different levels of persecution, from public verbal abuse by way of inflammatory media attention, to abuse that may be suffered in the privacy of our own homes. We may be called upon in many different avenues to teach correct principles and bear pure testimony to those who do not hold sacred that which we hold sacred. To practice this pattern that the Lord has given us, to withstand the persecution that will come our way, is a requirement now as well as it was in Joseph Smiths time. That protection from persecution can only be found in the development and nurturing of a strong testimony of Jesus Christ.

How have you strengthened your testimony lately?

The Blueprint of the Church, Section 20 of The Doctrine and Covenants

Last night in class we discussed Section 20 in the Doctrine and Covenants. Section 20 is a “blueprint” for what was to come in Section 21, the section in which the actual restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints occurs.

Section 20 is simply the “priesthood handbook” or “constitution” of the church, so to speak.

Section 20 is an inspired document, different from the first person voice of the Lord that we see in other sections. It is a compilation of principles gathered from the Book of Mormon and the other standard works, on the actual way the church was to function. The Lord explained to Oliver Cowdery in Section 18 of the Doctrine and Covenants exactly how the information for this document was to be gathered.

D&C 18: 1 Now, behold, because of the thing which you, my servant Oliver Cowdery, have desired to know of me, I give unto you these words:

2 Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true.

3 And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written;

4 For in them are all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock.

5 Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.

Oliver was told that by searching the scriptures he would find the answers to how the church was to be organized.

A concise outline of what is contained in Section 20 is helpful in understanding the “by laws” or commandments the Lord has given his servants for furthering His work here upon the earth.

1-4 The Official Organization of the Church

5-12 Book of Mormon explained (how, when, what, why)

13-16 Explanation of Witnesses (Law of witnesses fulfilled)

17-28 Teaching Pattern Set

• 17 Character of God
• 18 Creation
• 19-20 The Fall
• 21-24 The Atonement (Law of the Gospel: He lived, He died, He lives again)
• 25-27 Doctrine of Christ explained ( Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Holy Ghost)

29-36 Justification and Sanctification explained- Grace

37-79 Instructions:

• 37 Qualifications for Baptism
• 38-45 Duties of Elder
• 46-57 Duties of Priest
• 58-59 Duties of Deacon
• 60 Ordinations
• 61-64 Conferences
• 65-67 Common Consent
• 68-71 Duties of the Members
• 72-74 Manner of Baptism
• 75-79 Manner of Sacrament

81-84 Record Keeping

By understanding this “blueprint” of the Church, given in Section 20, you can find the answer to almost any question pertaining to the organizational foundation of the Church.

So remember, when you are in class and somebody asks you where to find "it", you are always safe to answer, "SECTION 20"!

Come What May And Love It- Joseph B. Wirthlin

Just wanted to share an excerpt from one of my favorite talks by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. A great talk by a great man called, Come What May and Love it.

Enjoy!

Mormon Message on The Restoration from Elder L. Tom Perry

I am so grateful for Joseph Smith and his courage and faith. He was mocked and scorned because of his report to the world about this glorious truth that has been restored. After his First Vision he was ridiculed and persecuted.

From Joseph Smith's own account he related:

“I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me.

It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.”

The Restoration was made possible through the sacrifice and dedication of this great prophet of God.

Praise to the Man! Millions will know Brother Joseph again!

Order and Ordinances

When this world was created, it was done so because of order.

“And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.” Abraham 4:18

When Christ established His church upon this earth with Father Adam, He did so with order.

“Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” Doctrine and Covenants 132:8

Order is necessary to combat chaos.

In the Book of Mormon from the great sermon given by King Benjamin we learn,

Mosiah 4:27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

It seems very comfortable to me that the same Church that was established in the beginning with Adam, and renewed with every dispensation thereafter, would be one of order. It is not surprising to me then, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is one of order.

Ordinances are simply one way that Christ has ordered His Church and His people.

An ordinance is a sacred rite or ceremony performed by the power of the priesthood and intended to bless God’s children. Some ordinances, such as baptism, are essential for salvation. Other ordinances, such as administering to the sick constitute gifts from God to His children which are not essential for salvation. Many ordinances have symbolic meaning.

Elder Boyd K Packer explained,

“Ordinances and covenants become our credentials for admission into God’s presence. To worthily receive them is the quest of a lifetime; to keep them thereafter is the challenge of mortality.”

The Melchizedek Priesthood, or power by which all things are governed was originally called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.

As we journey on this “walk” we call mortality, we must learn to fall in order. Our Father has simply ordered us to do so, and he watches until we learn to obey.

We simply need to remember, there is order and He excuses no one!

Proposition 8 and the Call to Action

Just today California has been joined by Connecticut in the battle to save traditional marriage. One of the best reasons for the definition, other than that of being ordained by God was given today, in my opinion, by one of the opposing Judges in the Supreme Court decision in that state. He said, "The ancient definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman has its basis in biology, not bigotry." I loved that!

The state of Connecticut following the state of California in their decision to challenge traditional marriage is exactly what was expected would happen, only it happened a little earlier than I thought. Our Church leaders have warned that the world has their eyes on this monumental decision that is being fought here in California, that of preserving traditional marriage. What happens here will be a standard for things to come.

Our LDS leaders in a broadcast from Salt Lake have encouraged us, as an LDS people, to come out boldly and speak of our commitment to traditional marriage and of our values and teachings. Now is the time to act and be courageous.

I have spent the last two days on the Internet watching as Young Adults throughout the stake have boldly defended the truths they believe. They have posted blog posts and posted videos supporting Prop 8 on their Facebook pages. There have been some that have had the courage to take the discussion to the open forums and engage in conversation there. Many have met with opposition to this action that they have taken, still they press on.

One of the most eye opening things I have seen is two loving brothers who, have conflicting opinions, stand true to their opposite sides, each unbending in his ideals engaging in persuasive conversation, desperately trying to make the other see his point of view. It was a stark realization of what the war in Heaven must have been like. This war is not one of violent actions but of opposing views, a war over truth versus deception.

These bold, noble, youth have been more courageous than others half their age, in defending what they know to be true. Being called "narrow minded" and labeled as prejudiced they have endured the battle front over the last couple of days, valiantly. The words to the Hymn, True to the Faith, have come to have new and emotional meaning to me.

"Shall the youth of Zion falter in defending truth and right? While the enemy assaileth, shall we shrink or shun the fight? NO! True to the faith that our parents have cherished, true to the truth for which martyrs have perished, To God's command, Soul, heart, and hand, Faithful and true we will ever stand."

I have witnessed this in action and have renewed hope for the future.

We must all support these Young Adults as they battle this battle, or have it counted against us! I know this is true. Make sure you do "all that you can do to support Proposition 8" as our leaders have asked and have it counted unto you as righteousness. I love these young people!

Are Mormons Christian?

I know that I have posted a video in my last post but I just came across another one that I think is amazing. It was just released on YouTube yesterday so I think you might not have seen it yet. It answers the question that is seldom asked, are Mormons Christian?

As incredible as this sounds, there are still many people in this world who do not understand that a Mormon is a Christian. The true name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I believe that by understanding the real name of the church, the above question should be answered completely to the affirmative, but it is not. Our latter day prophets and apostles have testified unceasingly about the fact that we do believe in Jesus Christ, and that He is our Savior and Redeemer. Here is a great example of one of those testimonies. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and yes... Mormons are Christian!

Tithing: Open The Windows of Heaven

I believe that paying tithing to God is similar to the "Word of Wisdom", a principle with a promise. I think that the ultimate blessing we receive from paying tithing is simply being able to gain a testimony of the first law of heaven, which is the law of obedience and sacrifice.

There are many wonderful stories of financial success attributed to the fact that the individuals involved are full tithe payers. These stories can be very faith promoting but there are many instances of people who pay a full and honest tithe and do not receive monetary gain in return.

That is not the promise, the promise is: (Malachi 3:10) "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."

When the "windows of heaven" open I feel that the blessing is simply a more increased power to receive light, just as an open window lets in the sunlight. Obedience to the commandment of tithing or any commandment for that matter, allows one to "prove" the Lord to see if His word is sure.

Understanding law helps: D&C 130:20 "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

Paying tithing allows one to call upon the blessing attached to obedience to that law, of added light and knowledge. The temple is, among other ways, one of those places we are permitted to go to receive that added light and knowledge; it is allowed because of the obedience to the laws that predicated it, one being tithing.

In the Christian society there is often a debate over who we are to pay our tithes and offerings to.

I remember an old joke that went something like:Lord, I will throw my money up into the air and whatever you need you keep, and whatever you don't need, let it fall to the ground and I will keep.

Similar to this bit of humor, when we decide the conditions of the law instead of the Lord and choose who we want to pay our tithes and offerings to, we are essentially doing the same thing as the person in the joke.

One of the earliest recorded instances of tithes being offered is in the scriptures, in the book of Genesis. It is when Abraham paid tithes, after his return from his conquest in battle, while delivering Lot from his enemies.

In Genesis 14:20 it explains what Abraham does next with his increase, “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” It is more interesting to note to whom he paid the tithes. In Genesis 14:18 we read, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.”

He paid tithes to Melchizedek because he was the rightful priesthood holder being the priest of the "most high God", or in other words, one having authority to act in God's name. I think the matter of debate is not one of "if the Lord requires tithing" but more the matter of who is the rightful representative of the Lord, holding the office of High Priest for one to pay their tithing to. For me, that holder is the Bishop of my ward, the High Priest of the Aaronic Priesthood, and Melchizedek Priesthood holder of the most high God.

Finally, God does not need our money for himself, but we need to learn to become obedient and learn to sacrifice for ourselves so that by "law" he can bless us with the further light and knowledge that is required to come to truly KNOW Him. He, as a loving Father is leaving that decision in our hands, and we must learn to open our hands and give, and make it as an offering in righteousness to know HIM.

Wheelchair Foundation - Deliveries Videos - Embedded Video

Wheelchair Foundation - Deliveries Videos - Embedded Video

As I was looking at the LDS.org website this morning, I noticed that the church has a new link to LDS Philanthropies. I couldn't help but notice the story on the church's Wheelchair Initiative and decided to check more fully into it. The church in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation has been responsible for the delivery of more than a quarter million wheelchairs around the world. I was even more surprised to learn just how that foundation was started. This is a video of the BYU graduation speaker for 2002, Kenneth Behring and his story about the foundation and it's beginnings. Hope you enjoy it!