Mormon Direction

During the Elders Quroum meeting today in Church, the talk was about the Priesthood and family. The speaker used a talk given by Apostle Boyd Packer at the April 2010 General Conference entitled, “The Power of the Priesthood”.

I remember reading this speech from Boyd Packer in the May 2010 Ensign magazine, but at that time when I read it, I did not receive any sudden insights or revelations or sudden clarity about any spiritual or scriptural subject, but this time it was different.

The elder in class today quoted the words from Apostle Packer,

The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families.¹

This time those same words that I read before, suddenly struck a note and I began to realize the impact of these words from Boyd Packer. Those words impressed me so much, I pulled out my insight journal that I normally take to Church and made notes as the inspired impressions flowed into my mind and heart.

Revealed was the importance of the Priesthood for the Church and for building Zion. It all made perfect sense.

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I read a recent August 2010 – Ensign article entitled, “Being Worthy to Enter the Temple”. It was a basic article on temple worthiness but the word “worthy” stood out in this article. As I focused on that single word, the word “exclusion” came into my mind.

I then began to pondered why many Non-Mormons attacked this LDS Church since the first day they heard the words from Joseph Smith speak about his First Vision and what God said to him. As I pondered, I began to see a pattern appear and the single word that would describe this pattern is the word “exclusion”. The word “exclusion” is to omit or to exclude.

What God said in the First Vision about other Christian churches was in fact, an act of exclusion by God and that appears to have triggered the sour resentment by others. There were others since Joseph Smith who claimed prophecy from God, but none have suffered the persecution and attacks more than this LDS Church, because none of the others have “excluded” other Christian creeds to the extent that God had in the First Vision and none received any visions equal to the First Vision by Joseph Smith.

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I found on YouTube some excellent videos posted by “AdventistaSampaguita”. I am supposing she is an Adventist, but that does not matter when it comes to such a blessing as her voice and her hymn songs. She has posted other videos on Youtube singing several hymns and it is a great pleasure and joy to my soul to listen. Good and blessed work found anywhere is praise worthy and this work by AdventistaSampaguita is clearly a blessing to her and to us from God.

Please take the time to listen and view some of her other musical videos, they are well worth it.

You would need to click the link to attend YouTube, the embedding of this video outside Youtube was restricted.

Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=389hE_hWO98

God directs us to perform good works. He warned us that we should not fool ourselves, that what we sow so shall we reap. We find these teachings in the Bible and Book of Mormon (Alma 5:41 / Alma 7:24, 27 / Titus 2:7 / Titus 3:8 ). Yet, we see so many Christians preach, complain and debate against this Church that salvation is not by works, but only by faith and this Church in turn shows the same Bible others preach from to show that faith is dead without works and so also, works is dead without faith ( James 2: 17, 20, 26 ), both must coexist for salvation.

We know, at least most of us, that God always promotes good things as this is what draws us closer to him and all good things glorifies him. Of course, all good works cannot manifest unless the person performs them with integrity, honesty, sincerity and humbleness. This says, for example, when a person chooses to give money for  a charity only as a tax break, but otherwise does not care for the charity, is not performing good works. There is no sincerity, honesty, integrity or humbleness in his or her act (2 Corinthians 9:7 ).

What God speaks of here in good works is the spirit of it. The sincere and cheerful act of good works promotes a good spirit. Applied generally to all things we do, says that quality work, with honesty, sincerity, diligence, care, produces good results. These good results are usually seen immediately and these good results, that bear the seal of quality good work, which is also the spirit of good work, will continue to reveal itself in value and goodness for sometime after. As a result, many can benefit from this value and goodness long after the work was done. A standard of good works serves all, even to serve as a beacon for those who need guidance and light in their works as well.

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A while back, I posted an article about the use of the word “cult” against the latter-day Saints usually named as Mormons. That article ( http://mormondirection.com/2009/04/27/cult-misuse-use-of-the-webster-dictionary/ ) spoke of the misuse by people, even ex-mormons.

To add to that posting, here is an interesting video on YouTube displaying the meaning of a cult, the actual meaning and usage. How the video shows how the world at large, which includes the Anti-Mormons, their own cult like practices, but because the world at large condones and even promotes it, then such cult like practices are acceptable. It is the true religious and faithful practice of the Latter-day Saints that others dislike, as people in the world at large, which includes the Anti-Mormons and Ex-Mormons.

Interesting, we Latter-day Saints advocate the one true gospel, a single set of doctrines from Jesus Christ, even the revelation of Jesus Christ (D&C 84:1 / Galatians 1:12 ), yet the world at large advocates diverse doctrines that are not from Jesus Christ, but from worldly men.

This YouTube video is good and any truly reasonable person would agree.

View the video just below, or click this link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqr_09-Z5fU&feature=player_embedded

I always enjoy the truth, because it always gives light.

Amen

Yesterday, as I finished paying for some groceries at the cash till, another lady behind me went next. The lady asked for some cigarettes and the cash till clerk asked the lady for some identification, since she looked young. As the lady was getting her identification to prove her age, the cash till clerk stated in a guilty type of tone as she tried to excuse herself, saying, “Sorry, but I have to cover my butt“.

This struck me as very interesting and odd.

In Canada, it is law in most of the provinces that a person must be 19 years of age to purchase cigarettes and all merchants are under law to confirm that age by proper identification or risk a hefty fine. The purpose of this law is to reduce the use of tobacco by younger persons. Since it is law, where is the reason to be guilty or feel bad to ask another for proper identification when the there is legal right and authority to do so?

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The Lord, through his Church, instituted long ago the need to establish and maintain “official doctrine”, a standard and measuring rod by which the Church is governed and salvation is taught to all the faithful. Official Doctrine is what the Church teaches and sustains as from God. This doctrine, as part of its official stamp, must be in harmony with all other laws and ordinances of the gospel (the four standard works).¹ This says that anything endorsed by the Church as official doctrine must harmonize with the revealed gospel. Anything that is not in harmony with the revealed gospel is rejected. The current four standard works held by this, the Lord’s Church are The Book of Mormon, Holy Bible, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. The “official doctrine” applies to everyone in the Church, no matter the authority, position or status. Therefore, even the president of the Church is subject to this rule.

“You cannot accept the books written by the authorities of the Church as standards in doctrine, only in so far as they accord with the revealed word in the standard works. ”Every man who writes is responsible, not the Church, for what he writes. If Joseph Fielding Smith writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations, then every member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. If he writes that which is in perfect harmony with the revealed word of the Lord, then it should be accepted” ²

Over the century that this Church has existed, many leaders of this Church published articles, made speeches and made some profound statements. Was it all doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? That depends if what they said stands in harmony with “official doctrine”. Does the doctrine or principle expressed sanctify the soul or lead us closer to God? If it does, then it can be accepted as among the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints.³

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We have all seen it, the thousands of websites and blogs that declare Mormons have false doctrines, that Mormons believe in unacceptable things, that the Mormon Church preaches falsehoods. These places on the web have used quotes and writings from prophets and leaders of the Church both past and present. The intent with these Anti-Mormon postings and works are to scare people away from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and from this, mark all Mormons as infected religious-plague victims.

It can be daunting for some members to have to face the deluge of claims and accusations. I am sure that when some members of this Church face claims made against past statements by Church leaders that they do not understand, it can be hard for the average member to deal with it. Many of the things preached, said or written by earlier Church leaders, is considered, by some, as deep doctrine that the average Church member may have difficulty comprehending, which is not surprising. I also had some difficulty with some of the things said by early Church leaders, but through time and work, things became clearer, but disaffected members and Anti-Mormons do not want anyone to spend time trying to understand, they just want you to reject and then deny. What then can any average member do when faced with these Anti-Mormon attacks based on extracted quotes from early Church leaders claiming it represents Mormon doctrine, especially when the Church today does not teach it? What does a member do under these circumstances?

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We all know of what God said about faith and what diminishes it. The most common thing is sin, or to be wicked, to abide in Satan’s rule or influence and so forth, but what many people do not realize is there are other things that also diminishes faith, such as the act of remaining in fear or fear based thoughts, choices and actions. Allow me to explain.

Everyone has shortcomings, personal faults that affect their life. God gave us shortcomings so that we may be made humble by them (Ether 12:27), but also by them, through faith and enduring, God can help us make these weaknesses into a strength when these shortcomings or faults are overcome in the right way (2 Nephi 3:13 / 2 Corinthians 12:10 / Hebrews 11:34).

What many do not realize is that by these inward personal faults, a person can easily diminish his or her faith instead of increasing it and this is all by their own doing, in how they use free will and choice and the manner of beliefs they carry and choose to live. This speaks of two sides, the good and the bad.

When a person chooses to overcome their shortcomings or personal faults, this is the good side, but only if they choose the help of the Holy Spirit and that person allows the Spirit to humble them. Then that person’s faith is increased, made deeper and more rooted and he or she gains an inner spiritual strength that withstands negative spiritual influences. This is a process that takes time if a person perseveres, abides in the Spirit, journals, prays, repents, remains obedient, that person will overcome their fault, made stronger and faith surer.

When a person chooses not to overcome their shortcomings or personal faults, ignores the Holy Spirit, whether or not they pray, chooses to forsake humbleness as part of the process, gives in to their faults or justifies them in any way to keep them, ignore them or both, that person’s faith is diminished, and the scriptures say so.

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