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Sunday, October 23, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
{five things • vii}
This past week, the kids and I took the opportunity to drive up the canyon one sunny afternoon to luxuriate in the natural fireworks display put on by the beautiful autumn leaves. For my five things this Friday, I thought I would share a few of the photographs I was able to take from the car. (Logan hasn't been feeling well, so we kept ourselves confined within-- away from the cool mountain breeze.)
Nature in its splendor always reminds me of the scripture found in the book of Alma:
...And all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion...and also the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. (Alma 30:44)
Nature in its splendor always reminds me of the scripture found in the book of Alma:
...And all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion...and also the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. (Alma 30:44)
- one -
- two -
- three -
- four -
- five -
For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
(Foillot S. Pierpoint)
• • •
And those are my five things for Friday!
• • •
And those are my five things for Friday!
To learn more about the Book of Mormon, please visit this website.
This post is part of a series hosted by the Book of Mormon Forum!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Repost: Small and Simple Things
This is a post I originally wrote in September of 2009.
Reilly had recently turned three, and I was just a few weeks pregnant with my twins.
It will be a familiar story to those of you who know my family, but even two years later, it still clearly articulates my thoughts on faith and receiving answers to prayer.
Truly, God answers prayers.
And not just the big ones.
One of my personal goals in life is to rely more on my Heavenly Father and to understand more fully the promptings of the Spirit.
It is most definitely a work in progress.
I have learned to act on certain feelings and impressions I have concerning friends and family-- although I wouldn't have necessarily considered them inspiration at the time-- and through these experiences have become increasingly aware that the Holy Ghost speaks to our hearts much more often than we might think.
Over the past few months I have tried to seek out a little more time for quiet meditation-- to turn off the TV, computer, music (that is a tough one for me!) and just reflect. I'm not always consistent with it, and I'm definitely not great at it, but over time it has made a considerable difference in my life.
This year there have been a lot of things to pray about on the grand scale. A dying friend. A newborn nephew's struggles. A beloved aunt having heart surgery. A favorite uncle suffering a horrible spiral break of his arm. A sister getting married. A horseback riding accident that seriously injured my mom.
It is easy to pray when the heavy trials of life come knocking.
Our faith tells us that God will hear our prayers during these times of adversity.
But-- for me at least-- sometimes it is difficult to remember that God stands ready to answer all our prayers.
Even the seemingly insignificant ones.
Last week we had the misfortune of Sheepie going missing again.
(Yes, again.)
It was late.
I was not feeling well and was completely drained of all energy.
Reilly was beside herself with grief for her missing friend, and Bryson could not find her anywhere despite his extensive search efforts both within and outside the house. He crashed on the couch, telling me that he simply couldn't look anymore.
There was nothing left in the tank.
He put Reilly to bed without Sheepie, and she continued to cry inconsolably in her room. I knew we would be in for a long night if we were unable to locate her. To complicate matters further, the next day promised to be long and hectic even without a broken night's sleep.
Not finding Sheepie just wasn't an option this night.
Feeling slightly silly but not knowing what other options we had, I took to my knees.
I prayed for the insight to find Sheepie.
Afterward, I got to my feet and instantly knew she was in Bryson's & my room somewhere. I had felt that impression previously, but now the thought was all-consuming. I knew she was in our room. I walked in our bedroom and immediately my eyes were drawn to Bryson's laptop briefcase. I couldn't help laughing to myself as I unzipped one of the compartments and rescued the poor, trapped Sheepie.
It was just so like Reilly to put her in a small zippered compartment (purses are actually one of her favorite hiding spots), but we would have never checked the laptop case in a million years. The kids *never* touch it. We had walked past it several times in our previous searches.
After that evening, I pretty much learned my lesson.
Our Heavenly Father is mindful of us, and knows our needs-- even the small heartfelt desires of a little child. So when the same thing happened just a couple nights later, my faith was already in place. After we did all that we could do, I said another simple prayer on Reilly's behalf.
However, this time I didn't get an impression of where Sheepie was; only that I needed to do a load of laundry. Tired and grumpy, I had no desire to do laundry-- and did not grasp the concept that my stray thought just might be related to the ongoing search for Sheepie.
We went to bed. Just after midnight, I awoke to Reilly's cry for her beloved friend. She went back to sleep on her own after a couple minutes, but I was left wide awake. I could not sleep. After deciding that lying in the dark staring at the ceiling was pretty pointless, I got up. I decided to get that load of laundry in the washer while I was at it. After the cycle was over, I opened up the washer, and much to my chagrin discovered Sheepie right on top of the clothing. I still have no idea when or how she arrived at that location.
Faith isn't something that has come easily to me all the time. I have a tendency to over-think, over-analyze, and rationalize that my emotions are just messing around with me. I wish I were more like Bryson, whose faith is an unshakable gift. I have difficulty not knowing all the answers to the questions that perplex me. It has taken practice to let go of that and simply hold on to the seed of faith.
I have a deeper appreciation for the words of Alma in the Book of Mormon:
Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
(Alma 32: 26-28)
In today's society, it can be easy to dismiss God as an active participant in our lives. Some even doubt whether He exists at all. Religion is rejected as merely the opiate of the masses, and spiritual experience is believed to be nothing but a series of chemical reactions in the brain. However, I truly believe if even the smallest part of you wants to believe in Him-- if you work at it-- you can feel His continual presence in your life. Faith will replace doubt, and His love will flood every aspect of your life. Even the small and simple parts.
Take it from someone who's been there.
Reilly had recently turned three, and I was just a few weeks pregnant with my twins.
It will be a familiar story to those of you who know my family, but even two years later, it still clearly articulates my thoughts on faith and receiving answers to prayer.
• • •
Truly, God answers prayers.And not just the big ones.
One of my personal goals in life is to rely more on my Heavenly Father and to understand more fully the promptings of the Spirit.
It is most definitely a work in progress.
I have learned to act on certain feelings and impressions I have concerning friends and family-- although I wouldn't have necessarily considered them inspiration at the time-- and through these experiences have become increasingly aware that the Holy Ghost speaks to our hearts much more often than we might think.
Over the past few months I have tried to seek out a little more time for quiet meditation-- to turn off the TV, computer, music (that is a tough one for me!) and just reflect. I'm not always consistent with it, and I'm definitely not great at it, but over time it has made a considerable difference in my life.
This year there have been a lot of things to pray about on the grand scale. A dying friend. A newborn nephew's struggles. A beloved aunt having heart surgery. A favorite uncle suffering a horrible spiral break of his arm. A sister getting married. A horseback riding accident that seriously injured my mom.
It is easy to pray when the heavy trials of life come knocking.
Our faith tells us that God will hear our prayers during these times of adversity.
But-- for me at least-- sometimes it is difficult to remember that God stands ready to answer all our prayers.
Even the seemingly insignificant ones.
Last week we had the misfortune of Sheepie going missing again.
(Yes, again.)
I was not feeling well and was completely drained of all energy.
Reilly was beside herself with grief for her missing friend, and Bryson could not find her anywhere despite his extensive search efforts both within and outside the house. He crashed on the couch, telling me that he simply couldn't look anymore.
There was nothing left in the tank.
He put Reilly to bed without Sheepie, and she continued to cry inconsolably in her room. I knew we would be in for a long night if we were unable to locate her. To complicate matters further, the next day promised to be long and hectic even without a broken night's sleep.
Not finding Sheepie just wasn't an option this night.
Feeling slightly silly but not knowing what other options we had, I took to my knees.
I prayed for the insight to find Sheepie.
Afterward, I got to my feet and instantly knew she was in Bryson's & my room somewhere. I had felt that impression previously, but now the thought was all-consuming. I knew she was in our room. I walked in our bedroom and immediately my eyes were drawn to Bryson's laptop briefcase. I couldn't help laughing to myself as I unzipped one of the compartments and rescued the poor, trapped Sheepie.
It was just so like Reilly to put her in a small zippered compartment (purses are actually one of her favorite hiding spots), but we would have never checked the laptop case in a million years. The kids *never* touch it. We had walked past it several times in our previous searches.After that evening, I pretty much learned my lesson.
Our Heavenly Father is mindful of us, and knows our needs-- even the small heartfelt desires of a little child. So when the same thing happened just a couple nights later, my faith was already in place. After we did all that we could do, I said another simple prayer on Reilly's behalf.
However, this time I didn't get an impression of where Sheepie was; only that I needed to do a load of laundry. Tired and grumpy, I had no desire to do laundry-- and did not grasp the concept that my stray thought just might be related to the ongoing search for Sheepie.
We went to bed. Just after midnight, I awoke to Reilly's cry for her beloved friend. She went back to sleep on her own after a couple minutes, but I was left wide awake. I could not sleep. After deciding that lying in the dark staring at the ceiling was pretty pointless, I got up. I decided to get that load of laundry in the washer while I was at it. After the cycle was over, I opened up the washer, and much to my chagrin discovered Sheepie right on top of the clothing. I still have no idea when or how she arrived at that location.
Faith isn't something that has come easily to me all the time. I have a tendency to over-think, over-analyze, and rationalize that my emotions are just messing around with me. I wish I were more like Bryson, whose faith is an unshakable gift. I have difficulty not knowing all the answers to the questions that perplex me. It has taken practice to let go of that and simply hold on to the seed of faith.
I have a deeper appreciation for the words of Alma in the Book of Mormon:
Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
(Alma 32: 26-28)
In today's society, it can be easy to dismiss God as an active participant in our lives. Some even doubt whether He exists at all. Religion is rejected as merely the opiate of the masses, and spiritual experience is believed to be nothing but a series of chemical reactions in the brain. However, I truly believe if even the smallest part of you wants to believe in Him-- if you work at it-- you can feel His continual presence in your life. Faith will replace doubt, and His love will flood every aspect of your life. Even the small and simple parts.
Take it from someone who's been there.
• • •
To learn more about the Book of Mormon, please visit this website.
This post is part of a series hosted by the Book of Mormon Forum!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Miraculous, Not Ridiculous
"We love the goofiness of Mormon stories. Some of them are incredulous, and we loved almost all the Mormons that we had ever met. So this was sort of this conundrum that we like to talk about-- we think what they believe is really, really ridiculous, and yet they seem like pretty happy people."
- Trey Parker, creator of the irreverent Broadway musical 'The Book of Mormon'
• • •
The look on their face more times than not has seemed to say-- in a similar vein as Mr. Parker:
"Um, seriously? But you seem pretty well-educated and normal. How could you believe such an unbelievable story?"
Would you like to hear my honest answer?
To me, believing that Joseph Smith truly had a vision and received golden plates is no different than believing Moses spoke to a burning bush and received the Ten Commandments. Both accounts are-- upon first glance-- unbelievable. To the believer, however, both accounts are simply miraculous.
Unlike a 2006 article from Slate Magazine which asserted, "One may object that all religious beliefs are irrational—what's the difference between Smith's "seer stone" and the virgin birth or the parting of the Red Sea? But Mormonism is different because it is based on such a transparent and recent fraud," I don't see why I should be branded as an imbecile for believing God spoke to a prophet in 1820 or even that He still speaks today in 2011. What difference should a date in time make? If God spoke in Old Testament times, I personally don't see why He would be incapable of speaking today.
(Many thanks to my friend Bryce for the quote from Slate, please visit his blog for an interesting post on this subject.)
Critics of my faith would have you believe that Joseph Smith was a charismatic con man, seeking fame or power, or some other worldly accolade.
That the five hundred and thirty-one pages of the Book of Mormon, which were transcribed in approximately 75 days, are a complete and utter fabrication.
Now, I like to think of myself as a writer of sorts, and that statistic alone boggles my mind.
75 days?!?!
In fact, as someone who writes fairly compulsively, there are many things about the Book of Mormon that cause me to take it seriously, even just from an authorial standpoint. (Chiasmus, anyone?) Acclaimed science fiction novelist Orson Scott Card has even written a pretty extensive article on this topic, which I have found incredibly fascinating.
However, all these interesting little tidbits are not the why of my core belief in the Book of Mormon.
That is why I believe.
And although many may scoff and wonder at the implausibility of the Joseph Smith story, I can only stand and wonder at the miracle of it all.
“All the ingenuity of all the men under heaven could not compose and present to the world a book like the Book of Mormon. Its principles are divine—they are from God. They could never emanate from the mind of an imposter, or from the mind of a person writing a novel. Why? Because the promises and prophecies it contains are being fulfilled in the sight of all the earth.”
- President Wilford W. Woodruff (1807–98), Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff (2004), 119.
• • •
To learn more about the Book of Mormon, please visit this website.
This post is part of a series hosted by the Book of Mormon Forum!
Friday, October 14, 2011
{five things for friday • vi}
I was inspired by Kimberly's post last week (and guest post today at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ!), so for my Friday Five today I'm happy to present five of my favorite verses from the Book of Mormon.
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me!
And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because you see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
This is counsel I need to hear over and over again.
Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
There are so many other verses that speak to my soul in the Book of Mormon, but those are a few that have great meaning to me in my life at this moment. I am so grateful to have this beautiful book of scripture in my life.
If your curiosity is piqued, and you would like to have a free copy of the Book of Mormon of your own, without any expectations or strings attached, please let me know and I will personally mail a copy to you.
- one -
This has been my favorite scripture ever since I memorized it for my early-morning high school seminary class.
Although we may encounter seemingly insurmountable trials in this life, if we can remember to build our foundation on Christ we will not fail.
I also love the use of the word "remember."
I have always been inspired by President Kimball's words, "When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be 'remember.' Because all of [us] have made covenants... our greatest need is to remember. 'Remember' is the word."
- two -
This section of scripture is more commonly referred to as the Psalm of Nephi.
As it is quite lengthy, I won't quote it in its entirety, but here are some of my favorite snippets:
Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me!
O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.
(That line has become my daily mantra.)
Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness.
I completely relate to Nephi's lamentation of his own weakness, and his absolute dependence on the Savior for mercy and grace. It is a beautiful chapter of scripture, one I turn to again and again.
- three -
Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this moral body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?
I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?
These questions which Alma the Younger poses to the people of Zarahemla are no less applicable to our day. The idea of having the image of God engraven on our countenance is beautiful and poignant. To me, it is a perfect description of what we should be striving for as we take upon ourselves the name of Christ.
- four -
This is counsel I need to hear over and over again.
I like to have all the answers laid out ahead of me, but most of the time the Lord doesn't work like that. We have to have faith enough to take a few steps in the darkness before the way is lit before us. But eventually, the light will come. It always does.
- five -
And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
This counsel given by Alma the Younger to his son Helaman reminds me that it is often the small moments in our lives that are the most meaningful. Especially as mother, I find comfort in knowing that the little teaching moments we find daily, the small acts of service I try to accomplish all add up in the long run. This verse also encourages me to get back to basics when our family's schedule seems so very chaotic. Having a perfect family home evening complete with laminated clip art and clever games is not as important as having the Spirit in our home and teaching our children with love. The older I get, the more I realize that it really is the small and simple things in life that truly matter.
There are so many other verses that speak to my soul in the Book of Mormon, but those are a few that have great meaning to me in my life at this moment. I am so grateful to have this beautiful book of scripture in my life.
• • •
And those are my five things for Friday!
If your curiosity is piqued, and you would like to have a free copy of the Book of Mormon of your own, without any expectations or strings attached, please let me know and I will personally mail a copy to you.
(Of
course, if you want to have a couple of cute 19-year-olds hand deliver
it to your door and answer any questions you may have, I am happy to
arrange that too! But that isn't necessary.)
You
can leave me a comment, message me on Facebook or email me at
tiffanatee(at)gmail(dot)com, and I would be sincerely thrilled to do
that for you.
To learn more about the Book of Mormon, please visit this website.
This post is part of a series hosted by the Book of Mormon Forum!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Onward, Christian Soldier!
It is not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men's hearts. We cannot judge, and indeed are forbidden to judge. It would be wicked arrogance for us to say any man is, or is not, a Christian in this refined sense.
- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
My good friend Jeanne reminded me of that quote last night from one of my all-time favorite books. If you haven't read Mere Christianity, you really ought to. It is a treasure trove of beautiful truths.
My thoughts over the past few days have returned again and again to the debate going on in the media about Latter-Day Saints.
Whether we are cultists.
Whether we are Christians.
This always just makes me want to shake my head and sigh.
What exactly do Latter-Day Saints believe?
The full name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We profess to be a restoration of the original church founded by the Savior himself.
Not a reformation, a restoration.
For that reason, we do not share some of the same doctrine that evolved over time in the centuries following the death of Christ and His apostles.
We are Christians.
Each and every Sunday that we attend church we make a solemn covenant to take upon us the name of Christ when we partake of the sacrament (communion).
We pray in His sacred, holy name.
We accept Him as our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend.
We are partakers of His amazing and infinite grace.
To use a phrase from a modern prophet, "He is the Lamb of God to whom [we] bow."
To listen to President Gordon B. Hinckley's beautiful testimony of Jesus Christ, please enjoy the following video clip:
I believe much of the curiosity and concern from the rest of the Christian community comes from our belief in additional revelation and scripture. That we believe a prophet again lives on the earth.
But we do not see how this invalidates our status as Christians.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of our faith's Quorum of the Twelve had this to say on the matter, and since he is infinitely more eloquent than I, he is quoted here at length:
Some Christians, in large measure because of their genuine love for the Bible, have declared that there can be no more authorized scripture beyond the Bible. In thus pronouncing the canon of revelation closed, our friends in some other faiths shut the door on divine expression that we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold dear: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the ongoing guidance received by God’s anointed prophets and apostles. Imputing no ill will to those who take such a position, nevertheless we respectfully but resolutely reject such an unscriptural characterization of true Christianity.
One of the arguments often used in any defense of a closed canon is the New Testament passage recorded in Revelation 22:18: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of … this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” However, there is now overwhelming consensus among virtually all biblical scholars that this verse applies only to the book of Revelation, not the whole Bible. Those scholars of our day acknowledge a number of New Testament “books” that were almost certainly written after John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos was received. Included in this category are at least the books of Jude, the three Epistles of John, and probably the entire Gospel of John itself. Perhaps there are even more than these.
One Protestant scholar has inquired tellingly into the erroneous doctrine of a closed canon. He writes: “On what biblical or historical grounds has the inspiration of God been limited to the written documents that the church now calls its Bible? … If the Spirit inspired only the written documents of the first century, does that mean that the same Spirit does not speak today in the church about matters that are of significant concern?”
We humbly ask those same questions.
Continuing revelation does not demean or discredit existing revelation. The Old Testament does not lose its value in our eyes when we are introduced to the New Testament, and the New Testament is only enhanced when we read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In considering the additional scripture accepted by Latter-day Saints, we might ask: Were those early Christians who for decades had access only to the primitive Gospel of Mark (generally considered the first of the New Testament Gospels to be written)—were they offended to receive the more detailed accounts set forth later by Matthew and Luke, to say nothing of the unprecedented passages and revelatory emphasis offered later yet by John? Surely they must have rejoiced that ever more convincing evidence of the divinity of Christ kept coming. And so do we rejoice.
(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "My Words... Never Cease", April 2008 General Conference)
The Book of Mormon stands as a second witness alongside the Bible of the divinity of Christ. It does not supplant the teachings of the Old and New Testaments-- to the contrary, it compliments, clarifies, and confirms them:
Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.
(2 Ne. 2:6-9)
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.
He is my Rock, my Foundation, my God.
I love him with all of my heart.
And though I walk imperfectly in this life, I do my utmost each day to follow Him.
I am a Christian.
• • •
- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
 |
| The Christus statue at Temple Square in Salt Lake City |
My thoughts over the past few days have returned again and again to the debate going on in the media about Latter-Day Saints.
Whether we are cultists.
Whether we are Christians.
This always just makes me want to shake my head and sigh.
What exactly do Latter-Day Saints believe?
The full name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We profess to be a restoration of the original church founded by the Savior himself.
Not a reformation, a restoration.
For that reason, we do not share some of the same doctrine that evolved over time in the centuries following the death of Christ and His apostles.
We are Christians.
Each and every Sunday that we attend church we make a solemn covenant to take upon us the name of Christ when we partake of the sacrament (communion).
We pray in His sacred, holy name.
We accept Him as our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend.
We are partakers of His amazing and infinite grace.
To use a phrase from a modern prophet, "He is the Lamb of God to whom [we] bow."
To listen to President Gordon B. Hinckley's beautiful testimony of Jesus Christ, please enjoy the following video clip:
I believe much of the curiosity and concern from the rest of the Christian community comes from our belief in additional revelation and scripture. That we believe a prophet again lives on the earth.
But we do not see how this invalidates our status as Christians.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of our faith's Quorum of the Twelve had this to say on the matter, and since he is infinitely more eloquent than I, he is quoted here at length:
Some Christians, in large measure because of their genuine love for the Bible, have declared that there can be no more authorized scripture beyond the Bible. In thus pronouncing the canon of revelation closed, our friends in some other faiths shut the door on divine expression that we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold dear: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the ongoing guidance received by God’s anointed prophets and apostles. Imputing no ill will to those who take such a position, nevertheless we respectfully but resolutely reject such an unscriptural characterization of true Christianity.
One Protestant scholar has inquired tellingly into the erroneous doctrine of a closed canon. He writes: “On what biblical or historical grounds has the inspiration of God been limited to the written documents that the church now calls its Bible? … If the Spirit inspired only the written documents of the first century, does that mean that the same Spirit does not speak today in the church about matters that are of significant concern?”
We humbly ask those same questions.
Continuing revelation does not demean or discredit existing revelation. The Old Testament does not lose its value in our eyes when we are introduced to the New Testament, and the New Testament is only enhanced when we read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In considering the additional scripture accepted by Latter-day Saints, we might ask: Were those early Christians who for decades had access only to the primitive Gospel of Mark (generally considered the first of the New Testament Gospels to be written)—were they offended to receive the more detailed accounts set forth later by Matthew and Luke, to say nothing of the unprecedented passages and revelatory emphasis offered later yet by John? Surely they must have rejoiced that ever more convincing evidence of the divinity of Christ kept coming. And so do we rejoice.
(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "My Words... Never Cease", April 2008 General Conference)
The Book of Mormon stands as a second witness alongside the Bible of the divinity of Christ. It does not supplant the teachings of the Old and New Testaments-- to the contrary, it compliments, clarifies, and confirms them:
Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
(2 Ne. 2:6-9)
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.
He is my Rock, my Foundation, my God.
I love him with all of my heart.
And though I walk imperfectly in this life, I do my utmost each day to follow Him.
I am a Christian.
• • •
If your curiosity is piqued, and you would like to have a free copy of the Book of Mormon of your own, without any expectations or strings attached, please let me know and I will personally mail a copy to you.
(Of course, if you want to have a couple of cute 19-year-olds hand deliver it to your door and answer any questions you may have, I am happy to arrange that too! But that isn't necessary.)
You can leave me a comment, message me on Facebook or email me at tiffanatee(at)gmail(dot)com, and I would be sincerely thrilled to do that for you.
To learn more about the Book of Mormon, please visit this website.
This post is part of a series hosted by the Book of Mormon Forum!
Monday, October 10, 2011
His Words Never Cease: Book of Mormon Blog Hop
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
The fact that Latter-Day Saints do not believe in a closed canon is a decidedly controversial topic in the Christian world. Many reject the notion that it is in any way possible that God could speak through a living prophet today. Perhaps it was more believable back in Old Testament times, but today in the modern age? Does God really speak to men even now at the present day?
Absolutely.
I grew up in a loving Latter-Day Saint home. As a child I never doubted that the Book of Mormon was true. Reading its pages never failed to bring a sense of peace into my young heart. Even though my religion definitely made me unique in my suburban Chicago community, I never questioned that all of the books I considered Scripture were inspired of God.
Then later as a young adult in my late teenage years, I had a crisis of faith. Within a short period of time I faced many difficult trials that shook my core. I dealt with a crippling and utterly debilitating depression. Suddenly there were few things I was certain of anymore, my faith included.
I began doubting the tender feelings of my youth. I wondered if they were simply an emotional psychosomatic response to the beautiful teachings I loved. What if I couldn't trust the things I had felt?
I decided that the only way to proceed was to study, study, and study some more. I read voraciously, especially within the pages of the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. I took up the challenge of the Savior found in Gospel of John, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17) I chose to "experiment upon the word," as the Book of Mormon prophet Alma taught. Through a study of these teachings I discovered that the only way to truly gain a witness of the truth of Gospel was through my own action. A mere perusal of the facts and figures would not suffice. I resolved to delve more deeply into the Book of Mormon and judge its teachings from that perspective.
That experience changed the trajectory of my life.
God speaks through the pages of the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible. This I know for sure.
Over 170 years ago, Ralph Waldo Emerson challenged students of the Harvard Divinity School to teach "that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake." In a real sense, that is the same message of the Book of Mormon. God lives, and He loves us. We are His children, and He will speak to us if we choose to listen.
Some Christians who believe differently than I would suggest that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than a clever hoax, or worse, a diabolic work of evil. To that, I would challenge you to discover for yourselves. Did not the apostle Paul teach that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established"? (2 Cor 13:1) The Book of Mormon stands as a second witness alongside our Holy Bible. Did not the Savior himself say that "by your fruits ye shall know them?" (see Matthew 7:17-20)
Here is just a sampling of one of the fruits of the Book of Mormon:
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
(Moroni 10:32)
Despite what you may hear in various media outlets, Christ is the center of our faith. He is our Rock, our Foundation, our Redeemer. The Book of Mormon's main purpose, its raison d'être, is to testify of Jesus Christ.
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ... that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
God is. And He speaks.
And you can know this for yourself.
For if you desire, He will speak to you.
And that is truly Good News.
• • •
If your curiosity is piqued, and you would like to have a free copy of the Book of Mormon of your own, without any expectations or strings attached, please let me know and I will personally mail a copy to you.
(Of course, if you want to have a couple of cute 19-year-olds hand deliver it to your door and answer any questions you may have, I am happy to arrange that too! But that isn't necessary.)
You can leave me a comment, message me on Facebook or email me at tiffanatee(at)gmail(dot)com, and I would be sincerely thrilled to do that for you.
To learn more about the Book of Mormon, please visit this website.
This post is part of a Blog Hop hosted by the Book of Mormon Forum! Please feel free to link up any posts you might wish to share here:
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