"Mormonism is Insane" and Other Accusations

I recently received a comment on my Facebook post where I was sharing my blog when I got a great comment from someone we'll call "Dane." He said, "Mormonism is insane. It's not really Christianity either (which is crazy enough as is). But Mormonism is far and away completely bonkers. You believe that God was once a person and that he's from a planet called Kolob, and you believe that everyone will get to be a god when they die. Also, you believe that Jesus came to America to visit a Hebrew civilization here that there is no evidence for (and every bit of evidence against). It's completely and absolutely nuts; the only thing Mormonism does is show just how much you can delude people in mass numbers." 

Wow I've never heard that before (sarcasm). I'm just going to cover each of these topics one by one if that's alright.

1. "Mormonism is insane." 

I get it, you all think we're a bunch of weirdos. We are all VERY aware of what the world thinks of us. The Lord Himself said: "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be an peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth"(Deuteronomy 14:2). God's people have never been very popular in the world. From the beginning the world has persecuted and killed them. They even thought Jesus was mad, called him "gluttonous" and a "winebibber," and killed Him. (Matthew 11:19)

I will let you all know that the Mormon church teaches its members that nothing is more important than family. Family is central to God's plan. We teach people to have good values, be honest, love one another, be self-sufficient, care for the poor and needy, etc. Next time there's a national disaster, check and see who some of the first responders are. American Red Cross, Mormons, and other religious organizations. Regardless of how "insane" people think we are, we do our best to follow Jesus Christ and love and serve everyone. 

2. "It's not really Christianity either." 

Oh Dane, if only you'd read my blog post found here. I explain why we are Christian but why some people think we're not. Our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We worship Jesus Christ. Not Mormon or Joseph Smith or Satan or Mitt Romney.

3. "You believe that God was once a person... and you believe that everyone will get to be a god when they die." 

Correct.. mostly. The Bible teaches us many times about this concept: 

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if it so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together"(Romans 8:16-18).

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ"(Galatians 4:7).

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne"(Revelation 3:21). 

God's plan for His children is for us to come to Earth in families to gain a body, be tried and tested, and return to live with Him again if we were faithful. If we follow Him and do our part, we can one day inherit all that the Father has. Essentially we can become as He is, a God. Not everyone will get to become gods because not everyone will follow Him and qualify. So we don't believe that everyone will get to be a god, only the faithful will as outlined in the scriptures.

This process is how God Himself became a God. He went through the same process we did on some other world. He overcame and was able to become a God. Lorenzo Snow, the fifth prophet of the Church today, said: "As man now is, God once was; as God is now man may be." This adds a whole new round of questions and for the answers to those I will direct you here.

4. "You believe... that [God is] from a planet called Kolob."

In case you haven't noticed, Mormons have two additional books of scripture besides The Book of Mormon. It's the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. We just learned about additional scripture called The Book of Mormon and now I'm throwing more at you? Yes. I think if we can use more of anything in the world it's more of God's word. God loves us and likes to speak to us through more mediums than just the Bible. Get over it. Anyway, in the Pearl of Great Price is the book of Abraham. This Abraham is the same one in the Bible. This is where Kolob is mentioned. Abraham says:

"And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it; 

"And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest.

"And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord’s time; which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest"(Abraham 3:2,3,9).

And that's about all we know about it. Kolob is a planet that is nearest the throne of God and the time of Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord's time. So we don't believe that God necessarily lives on Kolob, we just believe that it is a planet that is nearest to God. You can read the rest of that chapter in Abraham for further information.

5. "Also, you believe that Jesus came to America to visit a Hebrew civilization here that there is no evidence for (and every bit of evidence against)."

Yes we do believe that Jesus Christ came to visit the Americas after His resurrection and appearance to His apostles in Jerusalem.  Jesus told His disciples: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd"(John 10:16). Jesus Christ Himself said that there are other people besides the ones in Jerusalem that He's going to visit. It's possible that the Americas were one of many other civilizations He appeared to. The account of His visit to the Americas can be found starting in 3 Nephi 11. 

As for evidence for the Book of Mormon. God of course doesn't give us evidence for everything He does because He expects us to have faith in Him. However, there is a bit of evidence for The Book of Mormon. For example, the idea of writing on metal plates was once ridiculed, but in recent years numerous examples of sacred writings on metal plates -- some hidden in stone boxes -- have been found. 

Linguists have noted Book of Mormon words and phrases that sound awkward in English but make perfect sense in Hebrew and related languages that would have been known by the people of the Book of Mormon -- languages young Joseph Smith did not know. 

In 1 Nephi 16:34, a man named Ishmael died, "and was buried in the place which was called Nahom." Cool. Where's Nahom? A group of Latter-Day Saint researchers found evidence linking a site in Yemen, on the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula, to the name "Nahom." They located a stone altar that professional archaeologists dated to at least 700 BC. This altar contains an inscription confirming "Nahom" as an actual place that existed in the peninsula before the time of Lehi. Can you imagine Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey "writing" the Book of Mormon and Joseph says, "hmmm, let's have this guy Ishmael die. And we'll have them bury him in a place called 'Nahom'. Make the 'h' silent. Yeah, that sounds great. I bet they'll dig up evidence for that one day and we'll totally get them!"

Lastly, there are many small evidences found in the cultures and traditions of North and South American people. When Christopher Columbus came, the Native Americans thought he was a god because they had been told that a white god would come to visit them. Can it be possible this same "white god" they were thinking of was Jesus Christ who appeared to their ancestors 1400 years before? Many Latter-Day Saints have traveled to South America on vacation and learned that some of those people's ancient beliefs sound very familiar to our beliefs about the Plan of Salvation. 

Essentially, the Book of Mormon has been around for over 200 years and no one has been able to prove it's false. However, millions now can attest to its truthfulness. And that brings us to our last point made by our friend Dane. 

6. "It's completely and absolutely nuts; the only thing Mormonism does is show just how much you can delude people in mass numbers." 

In 2013 the Church had 282,945 convert baptisms. How do we "delude" people in mass numbers? Because it's true. There are thousands of missionaries that go out every day to teach people about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and The Book of Mormon. Missionaries don't force anyone to believe. All they do is teach them and ask them to pray to know if it's true. Those who receive an answer to their prayers are baptized into the Church. That means that 282,945 people last year received the answer from God that this is true. The promise is there: "Ask and ye shall receive." God says it over and over again. He's not kidding. Anyone can know if it's true if you are willing to experiment to see if it's true. I promise that anyone who reads the Book of Mormon and prays and asks God with faith and real intent will receive an answer. 

I know it is true and so does God and 15 million others with that number growing every day. If it wasn't true, this church wouldn't have survived. How could a silly 14 year old with a crazy book and a band of destitute followers ever survive and grow into a church with millions of followers and 88,000 young adults traveling the world to tell everyone that it's true? It could never happen unless this is God's work. And I testify that it is.

And there you have it. Six arguments against the church laid out for you. Now are you going to take my word for it or some other guy on the internet or are you going to ask God if it's true? Here's the Book of Mormon. Read it. Then pray and ask God. Once you receive your answer, let me know. (:

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost you shall know the truth of all things"(Moroni 10:5).

Amen.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

An "atonement" is defined as "reparation for a wrong or injury"; "reparation or expiation for sin"; and "the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ. The atonement was when Jesus Christ suffered for all of our sins, pains, and sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day.

When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and were cast out of the garden, they transgressed against God. Ever since then, men have sinned. We live in a fallen world where sin is all around us. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"(1 John 1:8). None of us can return to live with God in our fallen and sinful state. That is why our loving Heavenly Father provided a Savior for us. It is all part of His merciful plan.

Jesus Christ was sent to the Earth to do the will of the Father. He was the only perfect man to walk this earth. He served others and performed miracles and forgave sins and established His church. The most important thing He did was the Atonement. 

After the Last Supper, Jesus took His disciples with him to the garden of Gethsemane. There He left them and went a little bit off and prayed to the Father. Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew that He was going to have to endure excruciating pain that would destroy any other mortal man. He prayed to Father "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done"(Luke 22:42). Heavenly Father knew that it had to happen and so did Jesus. An angel was sent to strengthen Jesus as He underwent the first phase of the Atonement.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus suffered for the sins, pains, and sicknesses of every single person who had or would ever live upon the Earth. "And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground"(Luke 22:44). No one can understand the pain He felt. No one can ever possibly understand the agony. I don't know how long it lasted, but in that moment He felt every single thing you or I have ever felt. 

One woman said it very well:

"We know that Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It's our faith that He experienced everything - absolutely everything. Sometimes we don't think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don't experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means He knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer -how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced the gas chambers at Dachau. He experienced Napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism.

"Let me go further. There's nothing you have experienced as a [human] that He does not also know and recognize. His last recorded words to His disciples were, "And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20) He understands your pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth grader, when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children are visitors, when your 50th wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He's been there. He's been lower than all that"(Chieko N. Okazaki, Lighten Up, Preface, p.147).

After Jesus went through that, He came back to His apostles to find them sleeping. Shortly after He was betrayed by His disciple and friend, Judas. From there "He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary's cross"(The Living Christ). I always wonder what He must've been thinking as He was betrayed and then mocked, whipped, beaten, and nailed to a cross by men whose sins and pains He just suffered for. 

Since Jesus was half God (His mother was mortal but His father is a God), only He could give up His life. If He wanted to, He could've hung on that cross forever and never died. While on the cross, He comforted His mother and asked the Father to "forgive them; for they know not what they do"(Luke 23:34). Then He gave up the ghost. 

 
Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept"(1 Corinthians 15:20). He was resurrected with a perfect body. He showed His resurrected body to those at Jerusalem, allowed them to touch Him. He also ate with them to demonstrate that He did, in fact, once again have a body of flesh and bones. 

Because Jesus rose from the grave, we will all live again. We will all be resurrected whether we be good or evil and receive perfect, immortal bodies. However, our actions will decide whether we get to live with God again. 



The Atonement did not eliminate our personal responsibility. We all have the gift of free agency. It's our choice to accept or reject the Jesus Christ's atonement. Don't get me wrong, we believe "that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do"(2 Nephi 25:23). But we need to do some work to access that grace. We need to have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, keep the commandments, and endure to the end. Seems like a list. And now you're all thinking that I believe we're saved by works. Let me explain further.

Nothing we ever do can save us. It is only by grace that we are saved. BUT we are still expected to do our part in order to access that grace. Here's an analogy to help us out:
Say you were a little kid and you want to learn to play the piano. What do you do? You ask your parents to sign you up for piano lessons. They agree and sign you up for piano lessons. Every month, year after year, they pay the piano teacher so you can learn the piano. What do your parents expect you to do in return? Practice the piano. Is practicing the piano ever going to physically repay your parents for all the hundreds (and probably thousands) of dollars that they spent on lessons, books, music, and the piano itself? No. But that's all they ask of you in return. It's the same with Jesus Christ's Atonement. No amount of prayer, scripture study, or church attendance can ever physically repay Him for what He did. He does not expect us to pay Him back. All He asks is that we follow Him and keep His commandments as outlined in the scriptures and given by His authorized prophets. The amazing thing though is that even if you were to never accept Jesus Christ and follow Him, He would have still atoned for yours sins so that you could always have the choice. He's that loving and merciful. 

"He's not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don't need a Savior. He came to save His people in their imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He's not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief"(Okazaki).

"And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it
"For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made"(Alma 34:8-9).

Amen.
 

Why Do Mormons Build Temples?

Currently there are 143 operating temples in the world. By the time the Church completes all the ones that are currently under construction there will be about 170. There are temples on every continent and in many countries. They dot the earth. 85% of Church members live within 200 miles of a temple. So why are Latter-Day Saints obsessed with building temples? Why do we need so many? And what do we do in them?

The Lord has always commanded His children to build temples. In the Book of Exodus, God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle. King Solomon was also instructed to build a temple. In the Book of Mormon the people worshiped in temples as well. Very soon after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was restored, Joseph Smith was commanded to build a temple. Temples have always been part of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. "And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name"(1 Kings 5:5).

The temples bless our families. Through ordinances performed in the temples, families can be united for eternity. In civil marriage ceremonies they say, "til death do you part" but in the temple we believe that marriage and family relationships will continue after the grave. We build a lot of temples so that members all over the world will have the opportunity to go to the temple to have their families "sealed" together.

In the temple we also make covenants with God. Covenants are two way promises. We agree to obey God and keep the commandments and He in return promises us blessings. When we are sealed to our families, we make a covenant with our spouse and God. These covenants help us to come closer to God and they bless us immensely. 

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God"(D&C 88:119). 

Temples not only bless our immediate family but they also bless our ancestors. In the temple, we believe in performing ordinances for our deceased ancestors. We do family history and look up the names of our ancestors who weren't baptized and we take their names to the temple and we are baptized, confirmed, and sealed in behalf of them. God loves all of His children and He wants all of us to return to live with Him. We know from the scriptures that "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"(John 3:5). However, a lot of people have died without hearing about the gospel. God doesn't just send them straight to hell for never being told about Him. He gives everyone the opportunity to accept or reject Him, either while we are living or after we die. 

  Only worthy members of the LDS Church are allowed to enter the temples. Quite a few people get upset about that and believe that we are being judgmental or unfair. Well let's think about this for a moment. Have you ever been to the White House in Washington, D.C.? I have. It's beautiful. Can you just walk inside? No. Why not? Because it's the President of the United States and his family's home and important things happen in there so it has top security. Well how do you get inside? You have to fill out a form with your name, birth date, social security number, etc. and then it takes a few months for you to be able to enter on a guided tour on a time set by those in charge of it. I haven't really heard much complaint about it because everyone understand that if you try to go prancing inside without permission then you'll get tackled or shot and then sent to jail (unless you're a toddler).

A temple is a house of the Lord. It is His house so He sets the standard. Anyone can enter the temple if they are a member of the church over a certain age and are obeying the commandments. To enter the temple we need a temple recommend. To get one we have an interview with the leader of our congregation called the bishop or one of his two councilors. He asks us some questions set by the leaders of our Church in Salt Lake City to determine our worthiness. These questions relate to if we believe in God and Jesus Christ, if we keep the ten commandments, and if we live the law of tithing, keep the God-given health code called the Word of Wisdom, and obey the law of chastity. As long as we are found worthy and are able to answer these questions, we are given a nice little piece of paper that we bring to the temple to gain admittance. To be able to do baptisms and confirmations for the dead you need to be at least 12 years old and new members can go and do that as soon as they are baptized and receive a recommend. To go and make higher covenants with God such as being sealed to your family or spouse, you need to have been a member for at least a year, keeping the commandments as explained, and usually need to be at least 18 years old. Members will go to the temple to make covenants before serving a mission, before getting married, or when they feel they are ready.

Although the temple is closed to those who don't have temple recommends when it's in operation, there is a time when you can enter a Mormon temple without being a Mormon. After a temple's construction is completed, it is opened to the public for tours for about 2-4 weeks before its dedication. The dedication is when the prophet or one of his twelve apostles come bless the temple and dedicate it to God. After the dedication only members can enter but before that anyone can. 

There are many temples that will be completed soon that you can tour. The Phoenix, Arizona temple will be open October 10th - November 1st this year for tours. It will then be dedicated on November 16th. So if any of you are by Phoenix, head on over! The other temples currently under construction are in Cordoba, Argentina; Payson, Utah; Trujillo, Peru; Rome, Italy; Indianapolis, Indiana; Provo City Center, Utah; Tijuana, Mexico; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; Sapporo, Japan; Paris, France; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Meridian, Idaho. 

I love the temple. I love how much it has blessed me and my family. Whenever I go there I feel such comfort and peace. I know that temples are truly the houses of the Lord and that His spirit dwells there. Because of the temple, my family can be together forever, I can receive greater blessings from God, and I can go there to receive guidance and answers to prayers. Temples are an expression of God's love for us. 

"One of the blessings of the temple is the perspective that it provides. When we go to the house of the Lord, we leave all of our cares and problems at the door. And when we come back out, they're still there. We have to pick them back up and they haven't changed, but what has changed is us." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson

San Diego, California

Washington, D.C.

 

Aba, Nigeria

 

Seoul, Korea

 

Papeete, Tahiti

 

Adelaide, Australia

 

Campinas, Brazil

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina  

  

Cebu City, Philippines 

 

Fort Lauderdale, Florida  

 

Guadalajara, Mexico

 

Laie, Hawaii

 

Kyiv, Ukraine 

 

Tegucigalpa, Honduras 


"Each temple stands as a beacon to the world, an expression of our testimony that God, our Eternal Father, lives, and... that life beyond the grave is as real and as certain as is our life here on earth." -President Thomas S. Monson

Amen.   

Where Do We Go After We Die?

What happens when we die? The scriptures tell us!

"Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection - Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life"(Alma 40:11).

Now you know. Don't you feel better? We are all taken home to God. Then what happens next? We all just go to heaven or hell? Wrong. It's much more exciting than that!

After we die, we will all go to the spirit world. The spirit world is like a waiting room. We wait there to be resurrected and judged. But while we are there, we're not just sitting around drinking pina coladas and napping on big, fluffy clouds and playing our harps. Those who didn't have the opportunity to accept the gospel while on earth will be able to learn about and accept the gospel while in the spirit world. What? Where in the world did we get this idea from? It's in the Bible! "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit"(1 Peter 4:6). 

Jesus taught that "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"(John 3:5). We all need to be baptized. But some people live their whole lives without ever knowing that. The spirits of those who followed Christ and were baptized on earth teach those spirits who weren't baptized about the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit world. Those still living can then be baptized in behalf of those deceased persons in Holy Temples and the dead are given the choice to accept or reject the baptism. It doesn't change their religious affiliation or who they were, it just gives them an opportunity that might've been missed while they were on earth. Cool right? Again, the Bible teaches this principle in 1 Corinthians 15:29 when Paul was speaking to the people: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" God is a just God and will make sure everyone has the chance to be baptized either in this life or the next. 

After this time of waiting is over and Christ has come to the earth again, we will all be resurrected. That is Jesus's free gift to everyone regardless of if they were good or bad. "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame"(Alma 40:23). We will each have a glorified, perfected body and our spirit will never be separated from it again. 

We will then be judged by God for our works and the desires of our hearts. Everything will be taken into account. Jesus Christ will stand by our side and be our advocate and plead our case. "For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared"(D&C 76:111).

And then do we go to heaven or hell? No again. If there was just a heaven and hell, where would be the cut off? I committed 300 sins so I go to hell but you only had 299 sins so you go to heaven? God is so much more loving and merciful than that. He has prepared places for us depending on how we lived here on earth. 

There are three kingdoms of glory: the Telestial, the Terrestrial, and the Celestial. The Telestial has the glory of the stars, the Terrestrial the moon, and the Celestial the sun. The Bible teaches this as well. 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 states: "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory." And how are the glories of these three kingdoms different? I'm glad you asked!

The Telestial Kingdom is the lowest kingdom of glory. Its glory is compared to the stars. Those who continued in their sins and did not repent will receive their reward in this kingdom. They cannot live with their families forever or live with God or progress. It is a beautiful place but it is essentially hell. It isn't hell like we think of where they are tortured in fire forever, but it is hell because they have eternity to know that because they followed Satan instead of God they can't be with their families or with God. "And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell"(2 Nephi 12:11).

The next kingdom is the Terrestrial Kingdom which is like the glory of the moon. People who do not accept the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ but live honorable lives will receive a place in this kingdom. "These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father"(D&C 76:75-77). They can't live with their families or God or progress any further, but they can still be visited by Christ and be happy.

The highest kingdom of glory is the Celestial Kingdom. This is where we want to go to. "They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given... Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's. And they shall overcome all things"(D&C 76:51, 59, 60). This is where we can live with God and our families forever in eternal happiness. This is where we can progress and inherit all that the Father has and become like Him. This is the goal. This is why we are here. God wants us to follow Him so we can return as families and live together with Him forever.

After we die, we will go to the spirit world to wait for Christ's second coming and to prepare those who didn't hear the gospel. Then we will be resurrected, judged, and sent to one of the kingdoms of glory. God loves us and wants us to return to live with Him. He knows that not everyone will make it, but He has still provided other lower kingdoms of glory. No matter what we do, each of us will go to a kingdom of glory which is infinitely better than anywhere and anything on earth. We are all saved. But for us to reach the highest degree of glory, we need to follow Jesus Christ. We need to have faith, repent, be baptized by His proper priesthood authority, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and keep following Him until the end. And that is the purpose of life.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

(Romans 8:16-18)

Amen.

Why Are We Here?

We are all children on God. He loves us so much. When we came to earth and were born, we forgot everything. We call this the "veil." Our minds were veiled. Although we can't remember living with God, our spirits can still recognize the familiar presence of the Holy Ghost. When we learn about God and gospel truths, it can sometimes have a familiar ring to it. That's because our spirits once lived with God and we have been taught the gospel before.

The first people to live on the earth were Adam and Eve. They were created in the image of God. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them"(Genesis 1:27). They were placed in the Garden of Eden. They were commanded to "multiply and replenish the earth." Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence and could not sin, have children, or die. They had dominion over all the animals and could eat the fruit of the garden. God told them not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, Satan tempted them and they eventually ate the fruit of the tree and were cast out of the garden. They became mortal, could sin, experience pain, were able to have children, and they would eventually die. 

Most of Christianity looks down upon Adam and Eve for their transgression, but if they hadn't eaten the forbidden fruit then we would not be here. The Book of Mormon teaches us more about the significance of this transgression: "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin"(2 Nephi 2:22-23). 

Because of the fall of Adam, we were all able to be born but we will all die. This time we are given here on earth is for us to learn and grow and to prepare to meet God again. It's a testing period to see if we will have faith and follow God even though we can't remember Him. "There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God.."(Alma 12:24). 

God has given us the gift of free agency. We are free to choose to follow God or to follow Satan. Neither can force us to do anything but they can both influence us. If we want to be happy and return to live with God, we need to follow God and the quiet promptings of the Holy Ghost. "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable unto himself"(2 Nephi 2:27).

Jesus Christ is central to God's plan. We "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23). None of us can return to live with God in our sins. That is why God provided a Savior for us.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved"(John 3:16-17). 

Jesus Christ performed the atonement. The atonement was when Jesus Christ suffered for all of our sins, pains, and sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day. Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that if we would come unto Him and repent, we can be forgiven and cleansed. Only through Jesus Christ's atonement can we return to live with God again. "For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made"(Alma 34:9).

Although Jesus Christ paid the price of our sins, that does not eliminate our personal responsibility. We can never repay Christ for His sacrifice and He doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to follow Him and keep His commandments. If we have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and keep following God to the end, we are promised that we can be cleansed from sin and return to live with God again.

This life isn't easy nor was it meant to be. This life is for us to learn and grow and overcome challenges. Jesus didn't only suffer for our sins but for our pains and sorrows as well. He knows exactly how we feel and how to help us. If we will come unto Him, He will help bear up our burdens. Life is a lot easier to get through with Christ.

God wants us to be happy. He wants us to follow Him. He wants us to learn about Him and return to live with Him again. That's why He sends missionaries to teach people about the gospel so that His children can know what we're supposed to do here. 

(For chapters in the Book of Mormon that explain more about Adam and Eve, read 2 Nephi 2, Alma 12, and Alma 34. Genesis 2 and 3 in the Bible tell the story.)

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy"(2 Nephi 2:25).

Amen.

Where Did We Come From?

Before we came to this earth, we lived with God. We did not have bodies but we lived as spirits. God is the Father of our spirits which makes all of us spiritual brothers and sisters. We are family! Yay!  "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"(Hebrews 12:9)

There came a point where we could not progress any further. Heavenly Father has a glorified, perfected, immortal body of flesh and bones and we wanted to become like Him. He presented a plan to us, a plan that would enable us to come to earth in families, gain physical bodies, and learn and progress and eventually return to live with Him again. Because He knew we would make mistakes, He told us that He would give us a Savior to pay the price of our sins and mistakes. As long as we followed Him, we would be cleansed of our sins and could return to live with God again and be heirs of the Kingdom of God. "For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him"(1 Nephi 10:18).

Not everyone who heard God's plan was excited. Lucifer, who became Satan, or the devil, wanted a plan where everyone would be forced to obey God. Jesus, on the other hand, was in favor of God's plan which would give everyone their free agency or ability to choose good or evil. Lucifer got angry and rebelled against God and was therefore cast down from heaven and 1/3 of God's children followed him. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole word: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"(Revelations 12:9). The rest of us were on God's side and decided to follow His plan. Everyone who was or ever will be born decided to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's plan. We knew it would be hard, but we were excited.  

God created the heavens and the earth and created us in His image. "Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it"(1 Nephi 17:36). The first people to live on the earth were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth and not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve lived in a state of innocence. They knew no happiness and no sorrow and they couldn't have kids or die. God allowed them to be tempted and Satan convinced them to eat the fruit. Because of this transgression, they were cast out of God's presence and out of the garden. They could then experience joy and pain, have children, and eventually die. Most Christians look down upon Adam and Even for eating the fruit but their decision was what allowed us to be born and move God's plan forward. 

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy"(2 Nephi 2:22-25).

I'm grateful for this knowledge of where I came from. We lived with God before as His children and He loves us infinitely more than we can understand. We can all return to live with Him again one day.

Amen.

The Plan of Salvation

The Plan of Salvation answers the three questions of the soul: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?

We learn from The Plan of Salvation that God has a plan for us and that we each have a purpose. We are all God's children and He loves us and wants us to return to live with Him again some day. Knowledge of the Plan of Salvation was given to God's children in the beginning with Adam and Eve. "And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations"(Alma 24:14).

Unfortunately during the Great Apostasy, knowledge of the Plan of Salvation was lost. Many Bible verses allude to it, but the doctrine was no longer taught. When Jesus Christ restored the fullness His gospel through Joseph Smith, He also restored the knowledge of this plan.

The Plan of Salvation is also referred to as the Plan of Happiness. Knowing the Plan of Salvation gives us purpose in our lives. 

The Plan of Salvation teaches us these basic beliefs:

God is our Father and we lived with Him before we came here.

God presented a plan for us to come to earth and gain bodies and to learn and grow.

Heavenly Father provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so we can be cleansed of sin if we will come to Him and repent and be baptized.

While on this earth we are to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized and prepare to return to live with God.

When we die, we go to the spirit world. While there, those who didn't have the opportunity to hear about the gospel while they were alive are taught about it and given the opportunity to accept it.

Everyone, whether they are good or evil, we eventually be resurrected and have perfected, immortal bodies.

God will judge us according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We will be sent to one of three Kingdoms of Glory depending on how we lived and if we followed Jesus Christ.

In future posts, I will go into more detail about each one.  

I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation. It has given me so much peace in my life. I have honestly had times in my life where I wanted to give up but knowing about this plan has made all the difference and has helped me to have the desire to keep on going. I know this plan will bless you too as you learn more about it. I'm so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has provided this plan of happiness so that we can return to live with Him and share in His glory one day.

"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors"(Alma 34:32).

 Amen.