Mormon Direction

For sometime, I had trouble understanding a commandment of God, to honour our father and mother. I wondered how to understand this commandment in the face of abusive parents or parents that caused harm in some way. I pondered this for some time and prayed for understanding because to ponder how things would apply in life, in consideration of as many types of circumstances as possible, is important to me. I pondered because I wanted to be able to explain this to a person who had harmful parents. How would a missionary of God be able to address such questions?

I honestly believed that to honour harmful parents was to accept, condone, support or agree with any evil parents are known to do. How could a person, who carries hurt and pain, be able to understand the commandment of honouring their father and mother while addressing the anger in their hearts at the same time?

I know when in emotional or psychological pain, it is hard to comprehend God’s commandment, which in truth, is a very simple principle, because hurt has the tendency to corrupt a person’s ability to perceive this truth. In my own life, I had hard times talking to people who have hurt me without wanting to lash out with my tongue and a hard time understanding God’s commandment to bless our enemies. I understand from my own experiences how hard it will be for a person whose parents caused hurt, especially because a parent is suppose to be loving and supportive, not harmful.

It took time, it took many experiences and personal changes for God to finally enlightened me. When he did provide his inspiration, I knew it was from him and I felt peace, sureness and a confirmation of how to honour the father and mother without ever accepting the evils apparently done.

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Here are some of my thoughts, a commentary, on prophecies and 2012.

I was pondering a few days ago when the thought came about prophecies, which said that we receive prophecies in accordance to our faith in God. This applies to all people in the world no matter the beliefs. Prophecies generally speaking, when given, are not meant to encompass all people. Said another way, there is not any one prophecy and one outcome that applies to everyone, save the prophecy of the second coming of Jesus Christ. I will explain.

Would it be proper for God to apply a prophecy to his faithful on one hand and to the people in the world of no faith on the other? Is this not what God spoke of, how the left knows not of the right?

Prophecy must fulfil its purpose, but it must apply in a just manner. Justice is one of God’s foremost requirements, to be just and true at all times. This is why God told us that he will judge each person in accordance to their faith and works. A prophecy to the wicked will certainly not apply to the faithful because that would be unjust. For example a prophecy of death and destruction because of wickedness would not be a just and fair prophecy to wield against the faithful.

When rain is to fall on the righteous and unrighteous, as described by the Bible, is a statement that refers to the principle of trial and tribulation given in a just and fair manner. All people will suffer trials in their life, yet trials for one person or a group do not apply to others, so the type and manner of the trial will vary in accordance to the people it affects. And so the same with prophecies.

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In this time of Christmas, we are reminded of the important things in life for ourselves and most importantly toward others.

The following video is a message for Christmas, one of the heart and of the Spirit, godly in nature and a life message

If you wish to view this video directly on the YouTube site - http://www.youtube.com/user/MormonMessages#p/c/4A73DDEE675FBC39

Within the scriptures, God counsels us to be of one faith (Ephesians 4:5 / Mosiah 18:21) and one mind (2 Corinthians 13:11 / Phillip 2:2 / 2 Nephi 1:21). Jesus spoke in the same manner, that he and the Father are one. (John 10:30). Jesus further stated that he can do nothing of himself, but follows the will of the Father (John 5:30). In other words, his power and authority comes from the Father to do the things he did.

When reading the scriptures with the focus of seeking the connection between the authority and power of God and being of one mind and one faith, you will read that a divided house falls (Luke 11:17/ Mark 3:25). We know that with God, all things he does and says are connected, where without one thing the rest will fail or the rest would not be possible (James 2:10). This reveals the importance of “unity” among the principles and truths of God, that one principle or truth cannot operate when others are absent or violated. This is why God is perfect, he operates and lives according to all truths and all principles and all laws perfectly and in unity.

Putting these scriptures together, we begin to see a connection between unity and stability, power and authority.

Jesus Christ made it clear that he had no power in and of himself, but because he was one with the Father in heaven, which is also saying, of one mind and one faith, he had great power and authority because of the principle of unity and his obedience to it. This is why God speaks of the power of faith moving mountains, the living of faith in perfect obedience gives that person the power to do great things. Hence the purity and faith in perfection of Jesus Christ served to solidify his ability to receive and exercise such great power and right from heaven.

No person, not even Jesus Christ can share in the power and authority of God without obedience to this principle of unity. Any degree of division, the power or authority is lost. Hence the strictness of obedience to the principles found in God’s doctrines in the gospel.

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There is a doctrine or belief among Christians (maybe also within the minds of some LDS Saints), that question the need for a Church. A physical entity, a building, organized, etc. The claim they make is “all we need is faith” and there is no need of a church, that the body of Christ are believers who are identified as a group by belief, not by a physical building called a church”. These believers claim to follow the Bible as they promote their doctrine of a “church-less” Christianity.

Does the Bible support this doctrine?

No, the Bible does not support such a false doctrine of men, in fact the Bible supports a Church of God where it is organized and administered by God’s chosen men called Apostles (and prophets).

The Bible shows, especially in the New Testament, that Jesus Christ organized his Church with twelve Apostles, who attended to the many branch locations of the Lord’s Church. This pattern is obvious in the Bible, but do you know the reason to have a Church? The Bible also provided that answer.

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The Church has said many times that our mortal life was to dwell in the flesh and prove ourselves worthy by keeping the commandments so we can return to the presence of Heavenly Father.

How many members may have bucked at such a statement, feeling that phrase “prove ourselves worthy” seems to suggest we are currently worthless or have lost something before? It does seem to suggest a daunting task when looking at it in terms of something lost by coming into mortality from the spiritual realm. Of course, some other Christians believe the worthless concept. They believe we never had a spiritual life before mortality because we were made from the lowly dust of the earth and become spiritual on our resurrection, which is a belief that contradicts the very example set by the birth of Jesus Christ, born of spiritual origins. Bearing thoughts of unworthiness, then maybe feelings of despair to a seemingly hopeless task of proving oneself that can, for some, lead to forms of self-retribution,… if Satan got his way.

The basic tenet here is the belief that we are not worthy, devalued, even diminished in importance. It is a despair style of perception. I hear it in the cry from other Christians with their constant calls and reminders that we are worthless sinners. This is a hard thing to endure after being continually basted with it. Pretty much like the Christmas turkey, you’ll eventually get quite cooked by it.

I do not denounce what the Church teaches or how they phrase their words, but the problem arises from our human and mortal tendancies to take a negative view of what God actually means. That is why I write these blog entries, to present more of God’s meaning to his gospel and teachings. To share “God’s” angle to it, so to speak.

As it stands, we are required to prove ourselves as worthy, so what does this really mean?

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How important is salvation to you? How much effort will you commit to preparing for your salvation? Questions of extreme importance to all of us, whether you are of this LDS Church or not.

In the Bible, Paul the Apostle clearly said that we must work out our own salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10 ). Do you have any understanding what that means? Does any person understand that personal issues are the core of our focus to work out and resolve for our salvation? To make peace, not only within ourselves, in our minds and hearts, but with those who we have issue with.

Jesus Christ said,

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I have heard many claim entrenchment in their beliefs about their church, their faith, their particular religion, claiming it is God’s. By these firm beliefs, they claim to have a testimony. Many people hear their testimony and hear they firmly believe what they claim. People have heard these firm beliefs from one Christian denomination to the next. Then, when approached by missionaries from this LDS Church, they hear another claim of firm belief. In response, they then stand in doubt because they cannot discern which is true.

To filter through these firm beliefs and to discern what is God’s truth and what is merely a personal belief, we must first consider that a “firmness” in belief is an expression found in many facets of life. It is not specific to religion, it exists everywhere. The phrase “I firmly believe” is a common phrase used by people to proclaim their stance with something or in regards to something.

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The words of God always speak truthfully and with clarity. When properly understood and applied, God’s word brings wisdom, understanding and even grace and compassion into our hearts.

For these characteristics of God’s word to live inside us, requires proper faith. It requires a sincere willingness to place aside personal issues to seek truth and to experience what God deems necessary to teach us. Believing is not enough because by belief alone, God’s word does not reside inside us, but belief alone provides the needed catalyst to obtain God’s word spiritually.

Having said this, how does the above quote apply or how is it understood? It applies as follows, “How can you have respect for something when you hold issue against it?”

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How many people advocate there are differences between people, upholding the belief that he or she does things differently, how each learn differently and understands differently. Are these claims speaking of the ways of God or just man?

Jesus Christ clearly said that he and his Father are one. The Book of Mormon and the Bible describes this type of unity as one mind and one heart. The Bible speaks of having one mind together. With all these counsels from God about unity, what then of these differences that people so wantonly declare for themselves or others to create separation between each other?

It is true that each person is different. Even with similarities, there are still differences, but God does not teach differences, God teaches unity. True, we are to respect differences between us, even Jesus Christ was different from the Father as the Holy Ghost is different also. All of these are real persons as you and I, yet these three are “one” according to the word of God.

People’s ideas and beliefs about differences also reins strong in attitudes toward God’s word as the belief that people will “interpret” things differently, believe differently etc. Can this thinking lead anyone to God’s teachings about unity and one mind?

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