Doctrine of Christ–Review and Quiz

Posted on by Jared

When the Savior was crucified in Jerusalem the Book of Mormon tells about the terrible destruction that occurred among the Nephites. Those who survived were those “who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared”. 

When the Savior descended from heaven he called on the prophet Nephi and others and taught them what hey should do and teach. He warned them about disputations and contention concerning doctrine. He then taught them saying:

32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. Continue reading →

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The Holy Ghost is Not a One Act Play

Posted on by Jared

The prophet Nephi teaches that the gift of the Holy Ghost is given to those who “diligently seek” for it (1 Nephi 10:17). I don’t doubt the correctness of this verse of scripture. However, I don’t think that this verse tells the whole story. There are other verses of scripture, written by other prophets, that need to be bought into the discussion to more fully understand the workings of the Holy Ghost. 

Nephi seems to be a nearly “sinless” prophet. Not all of the prophets were like Nephi. Some initially resisted the Lord when He call upon them. I’m thinking of Amulek as I write this. 

I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart . . . Alma 10:6

I think its vital for followers of Christ to understand that the Lord works with His children in many ways. Nephi was quick to respond when the Lord called on him. Other prophets needed a different approach. The Holy Ghost isn’t a one-act play. He works with the children of men in a variety of ways.  Continue reading →

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Rejecting God, Let’s Count the Ways

Posted on by Jared

There are many ways men reject God. Some do so loudly, others subtlety. Some proclaim their atheism while others ignore Him. The scriptures detail the history of  the ways mankind reject their Creator.

The scriptures teach that where “much is given, much is required”. Those who know and understand the gospel, and more importantly, have experienced the manifestations of the Spirit are held to a higher standard by the Lord than those who haven’t had the same opportunity. The Lord sums it up in these words:

“He who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.” D&C 82:3

This verse refers to an individual but it could be applied to a nation as well. Without going in to greater specifics, lets count some of the ways men and nations reject God: Continue reading →

Posted in God the Father, Jesus Christ | 2 Comments

My Experience with the Holy Ghost-Part 2

Posted on by Jared

Click Here for Table of Contents

In part 1, I discussed how I developed a relationship with the Holy Ghost by learning to recognize the subtle workings of this third member of the Godhead. We’re taught to pray to the Father in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. However, I think it is safe to say that the Holy Ghost is part of the prayer equation.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland teaching at the 2012 Seminar for New Mission Presidents spoke about new converts and church members, saying, “the Holy Ghost is the member of the Godhead with whom they will have their most frequent and the most intimate relationship…No other promise of divine companionship is so universally available to each member of the Church and yet we fear that some…members of the Church generally may take this gift too lightly.” Church News, June 30, 2012.

Nephi said the Holy Ghost “is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him…” (1 Nephi 10:17).

Diligently seeking God is the key to obtaining the Holy Ghost. My experience seeking to draw nearer to God taught me that it takes time, effort, and patience. In other words, exercising faith. We exercise faith when we pray, when we feast on the scriptures, when we repent, when we fast, and when we endure trials. Continue reading →

Posted in Book: Alive in Christ, Holy Ghost | 2 Comments

My Experience with the Holy Ghost-Part 1

Posted on by Jared

Click Here for Table of Contents

As I previously wrote, the most important thing a follower of Christ can do in this life is to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is made available to each church member through the ordinance of baptism. After baptism, actually receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is based on our diligent seeking and the Lord’s will.

Before going on, I want to emphasize a few things:

First, the Lord has provided the scriptures and prophets to answer our questions. The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel and has been a great influence in my life. (D&C 20:8-9)

Second, as I wrote before, we differ in our receptiveness to the things of the Spirit. Continue reading →

Posted in Book: Alive in Christ | 4 Comments

Drawing Nearer to God Through the Book of Mormon-Part 3

Posted on by Jared
                                                                                                                  Baptism of Fire and the Ghost-4
                                                                            Gift of the Holy Ghost-3    
                                  Power of the Holy Ghost-2
The Light of Christ-1 Continue reading →
Posted in Book: Alive in Christ | 6 Comments

Drawing Nearer to God Through the Book of Mormon-Part 2

Posted on by Jared

Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, then he added the powerful thought that “a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book”. My focus in this chapter is to show from the pages of the Book of Mormon how the prophet-writers got nearer to God.

The Savior taught, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day”. 3 Nephi 27:20

The Savior is teaching that repentance, faith in His name, baptism, and reception of the Holy Ghost will make His followers spotless at the judgment day. This verse is a general statement of the entire plan of salvation. It teaches how we get nearer to God

In another verse the Savior teaches about the Godhead, saying: Continue reading →

Posted in Book: Alive in Christ | 8 Comments

My Experience with Faith

Posted on by Jared

Faith is a term that can be used to describe the state of mind one possesses when they seek to do something. When someone starts a business, enters into a contract, climbs a mountain, writes a book, for example, it can be said they are exercising faith. However, faith is most often associated with religious thought and endeavors. (Sometimes the words believe and trust can be used in the place of faith.) 

I’ve learned that faith can ebb and flow depending on what is happening in our lives. When our prayers are answered we see the hand of the Lord guiding us, we can feel our faith surge.  When our prayers go unanswered the opposite can occur, we don’t see the hand of the Lord guiding us, we can feel our faith retreat. 

My earliest experience with religious faith came when as a child I was taught that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayer. I remember my mother teaching me to pray.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I shall die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take. Continue reading →

Posted in Book: Alive in Christ, Faith | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Lord’s Dealings

Posted on by Jared

The Book of Mormon doesn’t waste any time getting into the topic of prayer. On the first page (verse 5) Lehi prayed to the Lord “with all his heart”. His prayer was answered by vision, the account says the experience caused him to be “overcome with the Spirit”.

Lehi eventually is told in a dream to depart Jerusalem with his family. Lehi tells his family and they leave town taking only provisions and tents. They left behind their home, land, gold, silver and precious things.

Lehi’s wife and children didn’t participate in the vision and dream so understandably they had questions. The Book of Mormon account provides a view into the various personalities of Lehi’s sons.

The two oldest sons, Laman and Lemuel murmured saying their father was following the “foolish imaginations of his heart”. The record explains why they murmured, “they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them”. Continue reading →

Posted in Book of Mormon, Prayer | 1 Comment

The Book of Mormon on Prayer

Posted on by Jared

The scriptures abound with the promise that God hears and answers prayer. Church members who desire to communicate with God  instinctively know that prayer is one of the keys to opening the channels of communication with Heavenly Father.

I want to focus on those teachings. So I asked myself,  what is the best source I can go to, to learn how to communicate with God, in other words, to “talk with God”?

The prophet Joseph Smith provides some insight into this question. He taught that a man would get nearer to God by following the teachings found in the Book of Mormon than any other book of scripture (TPJS, p. 194). With this declaration in mind, I decided to search the pages of the Book of Mormon on prayer, using a computer search engine.

Early Results Continue reading →

Posted in Book of Mormon, Prayer | 3 Comments