Eternal Marriage

Today's scripture mastery comes from Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4:

 1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

 2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];

 3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.

 4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

These verses tell us one of the requirements to obtain the highest blessings we can obtain from God--that of returning to His presence, and being with our family eternally.  (For a description of the other "heavens" or degrees of glory that exist, and who will be in each, see Doctrine and Covenants 76 verses 50-113)

What exactly is the new and everlasting covenant of marriage?  In short, it means that we must be married by the proper authority (by one who holds the priesthood of God, and the sealing power of Elijah).  Also, it must be done where God has said--meaning in one of his Holy Temples. 

A temple is a Holy place.  It is literally the house of God.  And because we must be as clean and pure as possible before entering His presence, there are certain requirements that everybody who wants to enter a temple must meet before entering a temple.  There are many who think that we do "secret" things inside, and keep people out of the temples to keep those things secret.  The truth is, that we would love to have everybody be able to enter the temple.  The requirements that must be met to enter a temple are well known.  First, you must be committed to keep the commandments of God--to show that you are, you must be a member of the church "in good standing" (i.e. meaning that you are keeping the commandments of God) for at least a year.  Then you must obtain a temple recommend from your local bishop and stake president.  They give you one of these temple recommends after a brief interview with them, where they ask you some basic questions.  The questions relate to your belief in Christ and in the church that He has established.  They also ask if you are living the commandments that you have promised to live when you were baptized.  The last question they ask is a simple one "Do you believe that you are worthy to enter the temple?"  Anybody who meets those requirements can enter the temple of God.  (If you want to find out more about what a temple is, where they can be found, and what the purpose of a temple is, you can go to http://www.lds.org/church/temples)

So--with all that background, if you and your spouse wish to obtain the highest blessings that God has for you and your family, you now know what you must do to obtain them--You must be worthy to enter a Temple of God, and be sealed together with your spouse by the power of the priesthood in the temple.

That is not the end though--The sealing in the temple of a man and wife is conditional upon both of them "enduring to the end," meaning that they both promise to continue to keep the commandments of God and keep the promises they have made to each other, and to the Lord all through their lives.

What that means is that the blessings that God promises us are not obtained by meeting the requirements of a simple checklist.  We can't simply say "I accept Christ" and be saved.  Nor can we say "I have been baptized, so I am now saved"  (and then go back to the way our lives were prior to our baptism--we must continue to keep the commandments of God afterwards and through our entire life)  The same thing is true with the new and everlasting covenant of marriage--just because we were once able to enter the temple with our spouse and be sealed in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, does not mean that we automatically receive all the blessings from God that are promised--unless we continue to live our lives in the way that qualified us to enter the temple with our spouse in the first place. 

Easter Thoughts

I haven't posted in quite a while.  I figured that today would be a good time to add some thoughts. 

Easter Sunday is probably on of the most significant and important holidays there are.  In my opinion, it is more important than Christmas.  Why do I say that?  After all, Christmas is celebrated to remember and think about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Christ was born to give hope and salvation to all that will believe in Him.  Christmas is a time of hope.  Easter, I think gives even more hope, as it is when we celebrate the fulfillment of Christ's work.  After all, if Christ hadn't been resurrected on that first Easter--than we probably wouldn't even celebrate Christmas.  Easter is when we celebrate and remember and give thanks to Christ.   His overcoming of both sin and death, through the marvelous atonement and the resurrection is the reason that I say that Easter is so important.

This Easter Sunday as we remember and celebrate Christ's resurrection, we remember and are thankful for all that Christ has done for us.  All we have comes from Him.  He is the creator.  He has given us life.  He has given us our free will.  With that will, we all make mistakes.  We all sin, as we are not perfect like Christ is.  Sin is one of the things that prevents us from returning to live in God's presence once more--however, if we follow Christ, and do our best to keep His commandments.  If we repent when we sin (in my case, I need to repent frequently!), we can all be forgiven our our sins--That is a gift freely given to all who will accept Christ, and keep His commandments.  The other thing that prevents us from living with our Father in Heaven once more is that we don't have a perfect body as he does. . .yet.  Through the miracle of the resurrection, we will all receive a perfect, eternal body.  The gift of the resurrection is one that Christ has given to ALL people without price.  Because Christ was resurrected, we too shall live again! 

President Thomas S. Monson, the current prophet on the earth today gives a powerful testimony of the truth of Christ's atonement and resurrection.  I would like to copy here some of the things he has said about Christ (these quotes are found in this month's church magazine, called the Ensign):

“He Is Risen”

“The clarion call of Christendom,” President Thomas S. Monson has declared, is that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. “The reality of the Resurrection provides to one and all the peace that surpasses understanding” (see Philippians 4:7).¹

In the following excerpts, President Monson shares his testimony of and gratitude for the Savior’s Resurrection and declares that because the Son conquered death, all of the Father’s children who come to earth will live again.

Life beyond Mortality

“I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf.

“At the last moment, He could have turned back. But He did not. He passed beneath all things that He might save all things. In doing so, He gave us life beyond this mortal existence. He reclaimed us from the Fall of Adam.

“To the depths of my very soul, I am grateful to Him. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. He secured our salvation.”²

Dispelling the Darkness of Death

“In certain situations, as in great suffering and illness, death comes as an angel of mercy. But for the most part, we think of it as the enemy of human happiness.

“The darkness of death can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life,’ spoke the Master. ‘He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.’

“This reassurance—yes, even holy confirmation—of life beyond the grave could well provide the peace promised by the Savior when He assured His disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’”³

He Is Not Here

“Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed.

“The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job’s question, ‘If a man die, shall he live again?’ To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, If a man die, he shall live again. We know, for we have the light of revealed truth. …

“My beloved brothers and sisters, in our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: ‘He is not here: for he is risen.’”⁴

All Will Live Again

“We laugh, we cry, we work, we play, we love, we live. And then we die. …

“And dead we would remain but for one Man and His mission, even Jesus of Nazareth. …

“With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again.”⁵

A Personal Witness

“I declare my personal witness that death has been conquered, victory over the tomb has been won. May the words made sacred by Him who fulfilled them become actual knowledge to all. Remember them. Cherish them. Honor them. He is risen.”⁶

The reality of God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost

There are a lot of scripture mastery verses found in Doctrine and Covenants section 130.  Today's verses also come from there.  Verses 22 and 23 are today's scripture mastery.  They teach us more about the relationship between God, his Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost:

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

23 A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.

I have discussed this topic in a few previous posts.  For example: "We are created in God's image," and "Moses saw God face to face," and "Steven sees Christ standing on the right hand of the Father."
  God is real.  So is His Son, Jesus Christ.  They each have physical bodies, just as we do--though theirs are perfect and glorified, while ours have not been.  We are subject to disease and death, while the bodies that they have are not.  The Holy Ghost is also a member of the Godhead (What other Christian faiths often refer to as the Holy Trinity.)  The Holy Ghost does not have a physical body, though he does have a spirit body.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost--they are all part of this Godhead, or Trinity.  They are separate beings, though they are completely unified in purpose and in their love for us.  In fact, of all the creations of God, we are the most important to Him.  He has said "This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

What did verse 23 mean?  Why would the Holy Ghost "descend upon" somebody and not "tarry with" them?  I understand that to mean that anybody can receive the promptings and teachings of the Holy Ghost--irrespective of what religion they belong to.  The Holy Ghost has as one of His primary objectives to teach us right and wrong.  Some call His influence our conscience.  We all have a conscience.  It has also been called the "Light of Christ."  That innate knowledge that we all have that tells us the difference between right and wrong is the Holy Ghost.  That can be lost.  If we continually ignore the promptings of our conscience (the Holy Ghost)  He eventually stops prompting us. . .

Wouldn't it be great to always have the presence of the Holy Ghost?  To always have a member of the Godhead to be with us to teach us and guide us?  We can!  When baptized in to the Church with the proper authority (the Priesthood power of God) we are given a wonderful gift.  It is called the gift of the Holy Ghost.  What that means is that if we are righteous, we can have the presence of the Holy Ghost to be with us always--not just in fleeting moments.  To be worthy of that gift, we must listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and obey the commandments of God.  If we do, we can have the constant presence and guidance of the Holy Ghost in our life.

How to obtain a blessing from God

Today's scripture mastery tells us how we can obtain the blessings from God that we desire.  Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 is the scripture mastery for today:

 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.

I don't have a lot to say about this one, as it is a very simple statement.  If you want the blessings from God--keep his commandments.  It is that simple.  Each commandment has a different blessing promised to go along with it.  For example, read through the 10 commandments given to Moses, and you will note that many of them have the blessings specified right along with the commandment.  For example, he says this as part of the 10 commandments:

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

or this:

  12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

You want mercy from the Lord?  Love Him, and keep his commandments.  You want to live longer?  Honor your parents.

You want "Health in your navel and marrow in your bones" (i.e. good health)?  Keep the word of widsom.

You want more blessings than you have room to receive?  Pay your tithing.

The vast majority of the commandments that God has given us have specific blessings that have been promised to us if we keep them.  And those that we don't know the specific reason for(there are those as well. . .)  I believe that verse 6 that I quoted above from Exodus 20 applies to those.  If we keep those as well, He will show us mercy.  Who doesn't need mercy?  I know that I sure need it!

Keep the commandments of God, and be blessed!  Don't believe it?  Try it, and see.  God ALWAYS keeps his promises.   You can always count on the Lord keeping His word.

The importance of learning

God wants us to always improve ourselves.  He wants us to learn new things.  That is part of what we learn from today's scripture mastery: Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19

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

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

God wants us to learn from any of the many fields of study that there are:  Science/Humanities/Arts/Technical--all these and more have been given to us by God to help us improve ourselves--not only while here on earth, but as verse 19 above states--for the world to come.

In one of the revelations that God gave to Joseph Smith, he said this (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118)

 118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

All truth comes from God.  Not only the truth that is taught in religion (the sort of truth that takes faith to come to know) but also the truth of science--the truth that is taught in school.  That also comes from God:  Here are two verses that teach us about truth:
Doctrine and Covenants 93:24:

 24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;

and

Doctrine and Covenants 93:36:

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

Let us seek truth wherever it may be found.  (Don't forget to study the scriptures, and the words of the living prophets in your search for truth though)   Seek it out in whatever field of knowledge you have an interest in.  When you learn something, whether it by by the scientific method, or from the promptings of the Holy Ghost--ask the Lord if what you have learned is true, and He will let you know if it is true or not (Moroni 10:4)

Priesthood Power

Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-36 is today's scripture mastery.  It teaches us a little more about the priesthood power of God:

 34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

 35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

 36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

In short, any man who holds the priesthood cannot exercise the priesthood if he is not righteous.  Verses 37-40 give us much more detail on that:

 37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

 38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

 39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

 40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.

The rest of the chapter tells us the only way to use the priesthood effectively (verses 41-46), as well as the blessings we have been promised if we do it the right way:

 41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

 42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

 43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

 44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.

 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

Basically, if we want to use the Lord's priesthood--we must emulate Him.  We must not use the priesthood to make us think we are better than or more deserving than others in any way.  Instead, we must do as Christ did through His whole earthly ministry--we must do the Father's will.  We must put aside our own will, and use the priesthood to bless the lives of those around us.  We must bless those in need, and help and bless the sick and the afflicted.  The priesthood is given to us that we can learn to serve as Christ served.  It is given so that we can help those in need (and we all know that there are many in need all around us. . .)

The blessings of the word of wisdom

Today's scripture mastery is the promises we are given if we obey the word of wisdom found in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  The blessings are specified in verses 18-21:

 18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

 19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

 20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

 21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

Those are some powerful blessings given to us if we keep the word of wisdom.  What is the word of wisdom you ask?  Well, it is the revelation that tells us that we should not take into our bodies harmful substances, and that we should eat good foods (such as plenty of grains and fruits and vegetables, and also meat in moderation)

The harmful substances referred to are things that can be addictive, such as Alcohol and Tobacco.  Also included are "hot drinks" which have been defined as Tea and Coffee by the prophets.  This council also includes illegal drugs--and even over the counter medication that is used improperly.

I think that you can boil the word of wisdom down to "use moderation, and avoid addictive substances and behaviors"

It is interesting that this past week, I have heard on the news items related to the word of wisdom--specifically that the recommendation has come out recently about eating red meat.  The study that has been talked about in the news says to eat red meat in moderation.  (That agrees 100% with the council in the word of wisdom)  Moderation in this study means to eat only 1/2 a serving of red meat a day (or 1 small serving 3 times a week--rather than every day).  The study shows that eating red meat more often than that drastically increases the risk of cancer.  Here is a link to that study: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/archinternmed.2011.2287  And here is a quote taken from the results summary of the report:

We estimated that substitutions of 1 serving per day of other foods (including fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy, and whole grains) for 1 serving per day of red meat were associated with a 7% to 19% lower mortality risk. We also estimated that 9.3% of deaths in men and 7.6% in women in these cohorts could be prevented at the end of follow-up if all the individuals consumed fewer than 0.5 servings per day (approximately 42 g/d) of red meat.

It is very interesting to me that science continues to validate the revelations of God (The word of wisdom was given to us in 1833. . .)  For your info, here is the verse in the word of wisdom that talks about meat (verse 12)

12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;

We are more than compensated for "missing out" if we do obey the word of wisdom.  We may miss out on some of the "instant gratification" that these substances (Alcohol, Tea, Coffee, Illegal Drugs, etc) can give.  But the long term benefits of health, and increased knowledge and wisdom more than offset the instant gratification we may think we will receive.

Obey the word of wisdom, and be happy.

Good Advice

Today's scripture mastery give a lot of very good advice--and again, if we choose to follow these commandments, we will be blessed. 

Today's scripture mastery is found in Doctrine and Covenants 88:123-124

 123 See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires.

 124 Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.

I know that these are not always easy commandments to follow.  I often struggle with them.  But I have seen that when I am following these commandments, I do see the blessings of God in my life.  When I love others, and am not coveting the blessings and things that others have, it is much easier for me to share my many blessings with those around me--which blesses not only those with whom I am sharing, but I also feel a great happiness and joy when I do.

When I keep myself busy doing good things,  I find it much easier to be clean in my thoughts and actions.  And when I do that--I am a much happier person.  When I get the proper amount of sleep, I do find that I function much better throughout the day.  Too much or too little, and I am still groggy. 

As for getting up early.  I have found that some of the best time to read my scriptures and meditate on the words of Christ.  I have also found that it has been during some early morning pondering that I have had some of my best insights to problems that I have been facing at that time in my life.  I also find that my body is invigorated--I have more energy for the day than I do if I sleep in.

Give each of these commandments a try.  When you do, you will also see the blessings of God that comes from each of them.

The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

Today's scripture mastery is a well known one in the church.  It is the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood.  It can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-39

 33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

 34 They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

 35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

 36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

 37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

 38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

 39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

There are a lot of promises there for those who magnify the priesthood. . .And remember that God always keeps his promises!  So. . .what does it mean to magnify their calling in the priesthood?  There is a long list of scriptures giving examples of magnifying the priesthood.  This list can be found in the Topical Guide, under the heading "Priesthood, Magnifying Callings within."  You will note that none of those verses describe someone acting selfishly.  To truly magnify the priesthood, one must follow the example of the Savior.  One must do as He did--i.e. he must serve others, and always seek to do God's will.  He must share the gospel, and work to build the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Also, please note, that while these verses are directed towards the men of the church, they in no way exclude the women.  The same promises are extended to any woman who act as the Savior would.  Any woman who serves others, who seeks to build the Kingdom of God, or who relieves the suffering of those who are suffering--indeed, anybody, man or woman, who obtains a true understanding of charity (also known as the True Love of Christ) will be a recipient of all the blessings promised in these verses.  If we obtain the qualities that Paul talked about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13, we will be able to receive those blessings promised in the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood:

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

You can trust the Lord

How many times in your life have you been let down by somebody?  I know that probably all of us have, at one time or another, been let down by someone that promised us something and then they didn't follow through (I know that I have been on the other end many times as well--I have let others down by not keeping my word)

We can trust the Lord 100%--even when we can not count on others to be completely trustworthy.  Today's scripture mastery emphasises that point--it is found in Doctrine and Covenants 82:10:

 10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

There are many scriptures that teach us that God always does what He says that He will.  It may not always be in the way that we expect, nor is it always on our timetable--but what the Lord says He will do, He does.

Here is another scripture that brings out that point.  It is found in Doctrine and Covenants 1:38.  It states:

 38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

We can count on the Lord to always keep His promises.  However, many of the promised blessings are conditional on the second part of today's scripture mastery.  Note that verse 10 says "when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."  We must keep the commandments of God to be able to claim the blessings that He offers to all of us.  We must repent of our sins.  We must put our trust in the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.  We must keep His commandments.  If we do those things--all the blessings that the Lord has promised in the scriptures can be ours!

I will finish today by quoting a scripture from the New Testament.  It is found in John 16:33:

 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Though this life is not easy, and we face many trials while here, we have been promised peace in Christ--even through the all the chaos that the world may throw at us.

Responsibility

Today's scripture mastery tells us of the responsibility that comes with the knowledge of the gospel.  It is found in Doctrine and Covenants 82:3:

 3 For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.

Along with the marvelous blessings of the gospel comes a great responsibility.  The responsibility is to keep those commandments--and to share the gospel with those around us.  We are to teach our families the gospel, and help them to live it (not by force, but out of love and persuasion).  An example of that responsibility can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 68:25, which says:

 25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.

It would be easy to say to ourselves that "I don't want that greater responsibility--so I will avoid learning about the gospel"  There is danger in that as well.  See what the Lord says about those who are slothful (Doctrine and Covenants 58:29)

 29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.

It is much better to seek out the blessings of God, and live the commandments (and accept the additional responsibility) than it is to be lazy in the gospel, and avoid learning new things, and sharing the good news of the gospel with others.  The Lord tells us to "Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Doctrine and Covenants 4:7)

The reality of Christ

There are many who don't believe in Christ--or many who just believe that he was a great teacher, but was not divine.  However, in our church, we have the knowledge that Christ is what he said he is--the Son of God.  We know that he did what the scriptures say he did.  He is our Redeemer, he is our King.  We know that he died to pay for our sins on the cross, and that he was physically resurrected 3 days later.  He lives now--he knows us, and loves us, and wants us to be happy.

Today's scripture mastery, found in Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24 is the powerful testimony of Joseph Smith, and Sidney Rigdon regarding the reality of Christ:

 22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

 23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

There are many witnesses of Christ who live on the earth now.  We do not need to rely only on the written word recorded thousands of years ago by ancient prophets about Christ (though their testimony is still valid)  These witnesses today of Christ are also known prophets and apostles.  One of their primary roles is to witness to the world of the reality and existence of the Savior.  These men are just that--men.  They come from all walks of life, and while they are not perfect, they do witness of the one person who ever lived that was/is perfect, Jesus of Nazareth.  There are biographies of each of these 15 men who travel around the world testifying of Christ.  You can read biographies of them, and read about some of the work they do at this url: http://www.lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/what-are-prophets?lang=eng. These apostles and prophets have written a letter to the entire world, entitled "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles"  Read that letter, and you will have no doubt that they really do testify of the reality of Christ.

The promise of tithing

Sometimes, members of our church jokingly call tithing "fire insurance."  The reason they do is today's scripture mastery, Doctrine and Covenants 64:23:

 23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.

How is tithing like fire insurance?  Well, we have the promise of Christ that if we pay our tithing, we will not be burned at Christ's second coming.  I believe that one of the reasons for that is that it takes faith (sometimes a LOT of faith) to pay tithing.  Faith (along with repentance) is one of the requirements that we must have in order to return to God's presence after we finish our life here on earth.

We do not need to suffer though here and now if we pay our tithing however.  I have mentioned in a previous post that we are blessed more than we have room to receive the blessings (Malachi 3:10-11) if we faithfully pay our tithing.  I know that is true, as I have often been the recipient of those blessings recieved from paying tithing in my life.  I know that God always keeps his promises.  Take that leap of faith, and pay your tithing--you will be glad you did!

Forgiveness

Today's scripture mastery is, to me, one of the most powerful scriptures I know of.  It is very profound, and not always easy to follow--but essential for us to do anyways. . .

Today's scripture mastery is found in Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-11

 9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

 11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.

Because we are not perfect, and we ALL make mistakes, it is vital that we forgive others.  That is not always an easy thing to do--in fact, we learn from the world that we should do the exact opposite of what the Lord wants us to do.  We learn that whatever offense we have received, we must seek revenge, and make the one who offended and hurt us pay.  That is a false doctrine that only brings more pain and misery in this world. . .Don't succumb to those false teachings.

It is much better to follow the example of Christ.  He taught about this very subject in Matthew 5:38-48:

 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

One of the teachings of the gospel that makes this much easier to do is to remember that this life is not all there is. . .Sometimes those that hurt or offend us will seem to not have any consequences in this life.  However, they will be judged by Christ, and all will be made right.  (We will all be judged by Christ--we must all remember that)   If we fail to forgive others, we will be judged harshly as well. 

Besides all that, if we forgive others, we will have a huge burden lifted from us, and life will be much easier to bear.  The burden of holding a grudge is one of those burdens that Christ asks us to cast on him.  He does make our burdens much lighter when we cast our burdens on Him.

Forgive, and be happy here in this life, as well as in the life to come!

Keeping the sabbath day holy

Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10 is today's scripture mastery:

 9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

 10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;

God has not rescinded the commandment to keep the sabbath day holy.  The original command given to Moses and recorded in Exodus 20:8-11 still stands:

 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

That is why we as a church do attend meetings to worship God, and to learn of Christ on Sundays.  Attending worship services are an excellent way to keep the sabbath day holy.  It is a great place to do as Moroni recorded in the Book of Mormon (Moroni 6:4-6):

4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

 5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

 6 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

Come and worship with us on any Sunday at a meeting house near you.  Come and worship Christ with us and enjoy the sabbath day.

Repent and be forgiven

In the scriptures, one of the most common themes is that of repentance.  Today's scripture mastery comes from one of the many verses that talk about repentance: Doctrine and Covenants 58:42-43

 42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

 43 By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.

The key to repentance is much more than just saying "I am sorry"...(though that is definitely a part of repentance.)  With true repentance, we confess our wrongdoing--and then we forsake the sin.  That means that we do not continue to do that sin.

True repentance comes from within.  It comes from a true desire to change our lives for the better.  Often, when caught doing something wrong, we try to "fake it." meaning that we pretend to be sorry for whatever we have done that has hurt or offended someone else, but as soon as nobody is watching, we go right back to whatever we apologized for.  Now, I know that true repentance can be triggered by getting caught--if we truly are sorry for our actions, and really do repent.  If we make a heartfelt apology, and a true restitution to those we have harmed.  The difficult thing for most of us is that last step--not returning to the sin. 

Today's scripture fits in very well with yesterday's scripture mastery.  See my comments on the post titled "Acting on our own."  It is often much easier to repent, if we recognize that we have sinned, without getting caught, or without somebody telling us to repent first.  If we do a self-analysis, and realize that we need to repent, and begin making the changes on our own first, God will often give us much more help in the repentance process--because he can see that our heart is truly in the right place.

Take a good look inside yourself, and choose one of those sins that you haven't wanted to let go--and begin the repentance process.  You will be glad you did!

Acting on our own

We learn from today's scripture mastery that God wants us to do much on our own, and of our own choice.  Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27 is today's scripture mastery:

 26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

Joseph in the Old Testament is an excellent example of someone who lived the way that makes God happy.  He went through a lot: being sold in to slavery by his brothers, being wrongfully accused of attempted adultery, being forgotten in prison for many years, and finally ending up as the second most powerful man in all of Egypt.  How did this happen?  Well, Joseph was of course faithful to the Lord in all his trials--but even more than that, he didn't sit around and wait for his current master to command him to do something.  He just did what he knew to be right and good. 

Because of Joseph's abilities, he rose from a humble servant to the overseer of Potiphar's house.  He could have done the bare minimum as a slave in Potiphar's house, but he would not have been given so much trust and responsibility (Genesis 39)
He was put in charge of all his fellow prisoners by the keeper of the prison--again, because he showed that he could be trusted.  He could have sat in self pity in his prison cell, and not done anything except eat and sleep.  Had he done that, he probably would have died in prison. . . (Genesis 39)
Because of his trustworthiness, he was able to interpret the dream of the Pharaoh, and gain his trust.  That is amazing that the Pharaoh would elevate a common prisoner from a foreign land to the second most powerful man in the entire kingdom(Genesis 41).  It happened because Joseph was not a slothful nor did he wait for the Lord to come save him from bondage--he made the best of every situation he was in.

Just as Joseph was able to "bring to pass much righteousness" (saving the entire kingdom from famine, as well as many others, including his own family), we too can bring to pass much righteousness if we always seek to do the right, without waiting for somebody to tell us what to do.

There is a saying that "The Lord helps those who help themselves."  That is, I believe, a true statement. (i.e. it means that God blesses those who actively do His will, and don't wait to be commanded in all things) If we actively do things that are righteous (i.e. we keep His commandments), and we seek to improve ourselves and others' then we will be blessed by God.  He opens doors for us that would otherwise remain closed.  He gives us insight that is hidden from others.  He blesses the lives of millions of people through our actions.  This quality to act without being commanded is called initiative.  Let us take initiative and do good works as we have seen Christ do.  Let us bless the lives of those around us, of our own free will and choice!

The Song of the Heart and Self Mastery

Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 teaches us about the importance of good music:

12 For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.

This verse comes from a revelation to Emma Smith, the wife to the prophet Joseph Smith.  She was asked to compile the first hymn book for the use of the church.  We learn that the Lord enjoys a good song, and counts it as a prayer to him.

Good music is very powerful.  It can go beyond just brightening our day.  It can be a protection to us.  There is a classic talk given by President Boyd K Packer of the quorum of the 12 apostles.  In it he teaches us the power of music.  This is an excerpt from his talk titled "Inspiring Music--Worthy Thoughts":

I had been told a hundred times or more as I grew up that thoughts must be controlled. But no one told me how.

I want to tell you young people about one way you can learn to control your thoughts, and it has to do with music.

The mind is like a stage. Except when we are asleep the curtain is always up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of the mind.

Have you noticed that without any real intent on your part, in the middle of almost any performance, a shady little thought may creep in from the wings and attract your attention? These delinquent thoughts will try to upstage everybody.

If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. You will be left, because you consented to it, to the influence of unrighteous thoughts.

If you yield to them, they will enact for you on the stage of your mind anything to the limits of your toleration. They may enact a theme of bitterness, jealousy, or hatred. It may be vulgar, immoral, even depraved.

When they have the stage, if you let them, they will devise the most clever persuasions to hold your attention. They can make it interesting all right, even convince you that it is innocent—for they are but thoughts.

What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking?—whether they be the gray ones that seem almost clean or the filthy ones which leave no room for doubt.

If you can control your thoughts, you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. If you can learn to master them you will have a happy life.

This is what I would teach you. Choose from among the sacred music of the Church a favorite hymn, one with words that are uplifting and music that is reverent, one that makes you feel something akin to inspiration. Remember President Lee’s counsel; perhaps “I Am A Child of God” would do. Go over it in your mind carefully. Memorize it. Even though you have had no musical training, you can think through a hymn.

Now, use this hymn as the place for your thoughts to go. Make it your emergency channel. Whenever you find these shady actors have slipped from the sidelines of your thinking onto the stage of your mind, put on this record, as it were.

As the music begins and as the words form in your thoughts, the unworthy ones will slip shamefully away. It will change the whole mood on the stage of your mind. Because it is uplifting and clean, the baser thoughts will disappear. For while virtue, by choice, will not associate with filth, evil cannot tolerate the presence of light.

In due time you will find yourself, on occasion, humming the music inwardly. As you retrace your thoughts, you discover some influence from the world about you encouraged an unworthy thought to move on stage in your mind, and the music almost automatically began.

“Music,” said Gladstone, “is one of the most forceful instruments for governing the mind and spirit of man.”

There are many excellent Hymns that can be used to inspire, uplift, and even protect us.  See http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/  for some excellent examples.  Choose your favorite one, and use it as President Packer suggested.  Think it/sing it in your mind when those thoughts come in to your mind that should not be there, and they will go away.

Christ Knows what we go through

Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19 is today's scripture mastery.  In it, Christ tells us about what he suffered for us while completing the atonement:

 16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

 17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

 18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

 19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

These verses show a few things. 

First, it shows the great Love that Christ has for each of us.  He does not want us to have to suffer as He did.  He has provided a way for us to not have to suffer so severely--if we repent and follow Him.  There is a warning though for those that choose to not repent--they are warned that they must suffer the same as Christ did.  And it wasn't pleasant. . .

Second, it teaches us that Christ does understand what we are going through in life.  He knows firsthand, because he has suffered it all.  All the pains and temptations that we face each day, he has suffered them for us, and knows how to succor us and help us to overcome.  That is why He has told us that we can cast our burdens on Him, and He will make them light.  Let us trust Him, repent, and follow Him.  Let us not suffer needlessly!

Why missionary work is so important

The scripture mastery for today explains a bit why missionary work in our church is so important.  These verses are found in Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, 15-16:

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

 The key is found in verse 10--Everybody is important to God.  He wants each of us to have all the blessings and happiness that He has to offer.  That is why those of us who have the gospel are asked to share it with others. 

Having served a mission for the church, and having had the wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with those around me, I know about the joy that is referred to in verses 15 and 16.  Sharing the gospel brings an enormous amount of joy and happiness.  Not only to the person sharing the gospel, but also to the person receiving it!

So. . .Want to be happy?  Share the gospel, and you will be.

Endure to the End

Today's scripture mastery is Doctrine and Covenants 14:7

 7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

That is a simple statement, and promise from the Lord--however, it is not as simple to accomplish.  We must "endure to the end"--meaning that we can't give up.  After we gain faith in Christ, and are baptized, and begin keeping the commandments--that is a good start.  But it doesn't save us.  We must continue to do those things that brought us to that point.

Nephi explains this much better than I can.  In 2 Nephi 31:17-21, he says this:

17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

 18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

Let us continue to pattern our lives after Christ.  Let us follow His commandments all the days of our life.  Because if we don't do that--if we give up, we will not gain eternal life. . .Don't give up!

Pray always

Today's scripture mastery is another short one, but it has some important council for everybody.  Doctrine and Covenants 10:5 says:

 5 Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.

Sounds simple.  Pray.  But not just pray--pray always.

The nice thing about prayer is that it is your own personal line of communication with your Father in Heaven who loves you.  He has given us prayer so that we can share with him our needs and desires, our hopes, and our dreams.  We can come to him in prayer when we have a question that we are struggling with in life--He will provide answers.  He will provide comfort and council and help.

We can come to him in prayer when we are full of gratitude for our many blessings in life.  We can thank him for our families, our friends, our many opportunities in life--or for this beautiful world which we live in, and all that is in it.  Anything that we are grateful for we can express that to Him in prayer.

Prayer can be done anyplace and anytime (yes, even in the workplace, or at school.)  It doesn't have to be done out-loud, nor does it have to be kneeling, or even with your eyes closed.  It can be done silently, in your heart, where only you and the Lord can hear.  In fact, there are places where it may not be appropriate to pray outwardly (such as the workplace or at school that I mentioned above), but you can ALWAYS pray in your heart.

There is a story found in the Book of Mormon about a group of people who believed in Christ, but lived at a time/place where those who had power over them threatened to kill them if they were even found praying.  They did not stop praying in their hearts, but God still heard their cries (Mosiah 24:11-13)

 11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.

 12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

 13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

Again, we can pray at any time, and in any place, for any reason.  I like the verses quoted by Alma, from the prophet Zenos on prayer (Alma 33:3-11)

3 Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or worship?

 4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea, thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me.

 5 Yea, O God, and thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me.

 6 And again, O God, when I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer.

 7 And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

 8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them.

 9 Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy congregations.

 10 Yea, and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out and have been despised by mine enemies; yea, thou didst hear my cries, and wast angry with mine enemies, and thou didst visit them in thine anger with speedy destruction.

 11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.

Talk to the Lord in prayer--really talk to Him.  He does not require a special memorized prayer to communicate with him.  Talk with Him as if He were right in front of you, and were your best friend--because that is exactly what He is!  He loves you, and wants the best for you.  He appreciates hearing from you.  He wants to give you additional blessings and help in your life.  There are some blessings that he gives out only when we ask Him for them--don't be afraid to ask.  In fact, if you look through the scriptures for the phrase "ask and ye shall receive", you will find many scriptures that state that truth.

How the Lord answers us

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3 is today's scripture mastery.  In it, we learn how the Lord often gives us our answers, and reveals new things to us:

 2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

It is possible to receive grand revelations, such as Moses' burning bush experience, or when the brother of Jared saw the finger of the Lord.  Or even when Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son, and talked with them.

However, in most cases the revelations of God are much less dramatic.  They come as these two verses say: "in your mind and your heart, by the Holy Ghost"

That goes hand in hand with receiving answers from God for things that we would like to know.  I have previously commented on Moroni 10:3-5, which tells us how to seek after an answer from the Lord.  Well, today's scripture mastery shows how that answer comes.  Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9 is another verse that tells us how the answer most often comes from the Lord:

 8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

 9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.

Simple, isn't it?  To get our own revelation/answer from God, we must simply follow the following pattern:

1. study it out on our own, and make our own decision
2. Go to God in prayer, asking if the decision you have made is correct
3. Firmly believe, with faith in Christ, that you will receive an answer
4. Listen with your heart and your mind

When you do that, you will receive an answer to your prayers.  You can then know, by the power of the Holy Ghost if what you have prayed about is true or not.

Search These Commandments

Well--we have now finished the 25 scripture mastery verses for each of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon.  Now we just have the 25 scripture mastery verses in the Doctrine and Covenants.

The first one is found in Doctrine and Covenants 1:37-38.  It is given as a statement of fact by the Lord.  It says:

 37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.

 38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

The section of scripture that these verses comes from is known as the preface.  It was given by God to Joseph Smith to be the preface of the Doctrine and Covenants.  The Doctrine and Covenants is unique among scripture, as all other scripture that we have was written anciently.  But the Doctrine and Covenants was written in our day.  Most of the promises and revelations found in it came from Joseph Smith in the 1800s--but there are a few sections that have been added to it since I was born.

There are some unique revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants that we have, that take other Christian faiths by surprise.  One example of that is Section 89, which is known as the "Word of Wisdom"  This revelation teaches us that we should eat certain things (in moderation), and that we should avoid eating certain things (such as alcohol and tobacco).  This revelation was given long before the health benefits of eating and drinking good healthy foods was known by the scientific world, and also before the known risks of alcohol/tobacco were known.  Later prophets have added council that we should avoid all illicit drugs in addition to alcohol and tobacco.  The For the Strength of Youth is the set of standards that the youth of the church are encouraged to follow.  In the section titled "Physical and Emotional Health" this quote is found:

Do not drink coffee or tea. Never use tobacco products or any form of alcohol; they are addictive and harmful to your body and spirit. Being under the influence of alcohol weakens your judgment and self-control. Drinking can also lead to alcoholism, which destroys individuals and families.

Avoid any drink, drug, chemical, or dangerous practice that is used to produce a “high” or other artificial effect that may harm your body or mind. Some of these include marijuana, hard drugs, prescription or over-the-counter medications that are abused, and household chemicals. Use of these substances can lead to addiction and can destroy your mind and your body.

The part of today's scripture mastery that is most often focused on is the last part.  The part where it says that whether the Lord speaks something with his own mouth, or speaks through one of his servants, it is the same.  The prophets and apostles who live on the earth today speak the words of God.  They are prophets, seers, and revelators--just as were on the earth in the time of the Bible.  The council that they give, and the revelations that they reveal to us are very important.  If they say something in the name of the Lord, we had better listen! 

Now, we are often accused of "blindly following" without thinking for ourselves--that is not true though.  When we hear the words of the prophets and apostles, we each choose for ourselves whether to listen and obey, or whether we will not.  We each can know for ourselves if what they are teaching/prophesying is true or not (see my post on how to know for yourself)

It is amazing that God continues to guide us and help us in these days.  He has not left us alone.  He continues to take a personal interest in each of our lives.  Even if you don't realize it, God is there, and has been helping you (and desires to help you even more).  Trust Him!  Listen to his prophets and apostles who live and teach today.  Study the scriptures, and take in to your life the eternal truths that will guide you to peace and happiness and safety.  Keep the commandments and be happy!

How to know for yourself

Today's scripture mastery is probably one of the most well known (or at least most quoted) of the scripture mastery that we have.  If you have ever talked with one of our missionaries, chances are that they have either quoted/summarized/or asked you to read these verses.  They are found at the end of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:4-5)

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

That is a very powerful promise that Moroni has made to the world. . .And it is a valid promise.  I have tested it, and have found it to be true.  So have millions of others.  This promise can be applied by anybody in the world who has a sincere desire to know if something is from God or not.  The prerequisites to the knowledge from God are 1)Faith in Christ, 2)A sincere desire to know, and 3) Asking God in prayer if what you have learned is true. 

If you have a determination to act on the promptings you will get from the Holy Ghost, you WILL receive an answer.

The cool thing about this promise is that is is a "universal" promise--it can be applied to anything that you would like to know from God.  The missionaries ask that you apply it in your life to know for yourself if the Book of Mormon is true, and the Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.  But it can be used to know ANY truth from God for yourself.

In life, we often hear and are taught many contradicting things.  There are many opinions out there on what is, and what is not from God.  This is a sure fire way to know the truth.

Try it--If you have a question that you would like God to answer in your life.  If you have something that you would like to know for yourself, you don't have to remain in darkness.  You can know for yourself if something is true (or not)