God's Prophet Today

I have some really great news for you guys. We have a modern prophet today! He is called of God to declare His word to us.

No, no, no, wait. Didn't God stop calling prophets after Jesus Christ came? Aren't the days with prophets over? No. Why would they be over? Why would God call prophets for thousands of years and then all of a sudden stop calling them? If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then doesn't that mean His ways don't change? God has always given His children prophets to lead and guide them and tell them God's word. 

Each of God's prophets is unique and came from different circumstances. In the Bible, no two prophets were the same. Adam was the first man on earth, Noah was 600 years old when he was called to build an ark, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son as a test, Moses was raised with Egyptian royalty and was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Samuel was chosen as a boy to be a prophet, Jonah was swallowed by a whale, and Daniel was thrown into a Lion's den. I will go ahead and let you all know right now that although each prophet is called of God, none of them are perfect. Only Jesus was perfect. Don't act so shocked. 

There have been many periods of time when there was no prophet on the Earth because of the people's unbelief but God loves us and always calls another prophet when the people are ready. You can find this pattern all throughout the Bible. The last time that this happened was when Jesus was born. The people rejected Him and His apostles and killed them. After this, the Earth didn't have any prophets for many years because of wickedness and because people simply weren't ready to have a prophet again. When the world was ready to once again have a prophet, one was called and Jesus Christ's church and authority was restored to the Earth after being lost and altered for so many centuries. This prophet was Joseph Smith. 

After Joseph Smith died, God continued to call prophets through revelation. The next prophet was Brigham Young. Then we had John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith, David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Hinckley, and now Thomas S. Monson.

Today instead of wearing robes and crying repentance in cities, the prophet wears a suit and carries a brief case and speaks to the world about following Jesus Christ. Even though they live thousands of years apart, they were all called of God to bless His children and to do a specific work here on the earth. 

The way that a new prophet is called is inspired of God. These men were chosen before they were born to be one of God's prophets. "And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born"(Abraham 3:23).

President Monson was born in 1927 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1948 with a degree in business management and later received his MBA degree from Brigham Young University. He also served in the United States Navy near the close of World War II. He married his wife, Frances Beverly Johnson, in 1948 and they have three children. He also has had a distinguished career in publishing and printing. He is a past president of Printing Industry of Utah and a former member of the board of directors of Printing Industries of America. 


President Monson also has served faithfully in the Church his whole life. He served as president of the Church's Canadian Mission from 1959 to 1962. He also served as a Bishop of a ward in Salt Lake City. He was called to be an Apostle in 1963 and was later called to be a counselor to three prophets. In 2008, after President Gordon B. Hinckley's death, he became the next prophet of the Church. 

Each prophet is a humble man who has done his best to serve God. Every calling in the Church is voluntary and that includes the calling of the prophet. President Thomas S. Monson is not paid for his service and neither are the apostles, bishops, missionaries, or Sunday School teachers. A prophet is not voted for by the people. When a prophet dies, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the next prophet. If Thomas S. Monson were to die today, President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles would become the next prophet. 

Although the process of "becoming" a prophet may seem simple, it is divinely inspired of God. No one will become a prophet unless he is called of God. Everyone who is called to be an Apostle of Prophet serves for the rest of his life. They are faithful, God-fearing men who do their best to serve God and His people. We are promised that if we follow the prophet, we will never go astray. Following the prophet is always right, even when it isn't generally accepted. Anyone who has picked up a Bible can attest that following the prophet has never been a popular decision. However, it has always been the correct decision that has led to peace and salvation. 

I love President Thomas S. Monson. He is a true disciple of Jesus Christ and he has spent his whole life trying to serve him in the best way possible. I know that heeding the words of God's current and past prophets will bless us and help us to know God's will. 

Go here to read President Monson's recent sermons from last month. 

"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea"(Jacob 4:6).


Amen.

Why are Mormon Missionaries Always Knocking on Your Door?

How many of you have ever opened your door to find this?

 

And then you're just like, "oh great, how do I get them off my porch?" Some people are very polite about it and others just slam the door in their faces. Rude. Missionaries are people too.

So who are these weirdos that keep on coming to your door and approaching you on the street? They are missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and they have traveled hundreds and often thousands of miles to tell you some great news! The great news is that Jesus Christ's church has been restored to the earth with a living prophet, twelve apostles, and additional scripture and because of that your family and our family and everyone's family can be together forever! Yay!

Missionary work has always been part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible and Book of Mormon, the Lord sent His prophets and servants to go preach repentance to the people. In the book of Matthew, the Savior charged his disciples to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen"(Matthew 28:19-20). Latter-Day Saints take seriously this responsibility to teach all nations about Jesus Christ and His gospel. 

The missionaries are always in pairs of two or three. Paul said to the Corinthians: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established"(2 Corinthians 13:1). Missionaries work together to testify of each other's words and to be witnesses of the truth. But who exactly are these people? What kind of young adults spend their time trying to tell people about Jesus instead of dating and partying like everyone else? I am happy to explain just who these people are.

There are currently over 88,000 missionaries serving world-wide. Men can serve a mission beginning at age 18 and serve for a period of 2 years. Women can serve a mission starting at age 19 and serve for 18 months. The missionaries you see on the streets are usually anywhere from 18 to 25 years old. It is considered a duty for men to serve and a great option for women if they so choose. Once a young man or woman decides to serve, they submit what we call "mission papers." They have to go to the dentist and get a physical and fill out lots of fun information. They are then interviewed by their church leaders, usually the bishop, to determine if they are worthy and are keeping the commandments. Once that's all done, they can submit their papers to Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Once it arrives in Utah, one of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles personally selects each and every mission call through prayer and revelation

Once their call has been assigned, a big, white envelope containing the call is sent to the excited future missionary. The mission call tells them where they are serving and when they should report. There are over 300 missions in 80 different countries that a missionary can be sent to. That mission is where they will serve for the full 2 years or 18 months. Missionaries report to one of 15 Missionary Training Centers around the world. They are there for anywhere from 2-12 weeks to learn how to be a missionary and learn their mission language if needed. Super duper exciting. 

Missionaries have very strict rules. They wake up at 6:30am and go to bed at 10:30pm every day. They can only email, shop, and have free time on Mondays. Mothers' Day and Christmas are the only days they can call home to talk to family. Every day they are out serving God's children, teaching people about the gospel in their homes, giving out Book of Mormons, and trying to be good representatives of Jesus Christ. It's hard work and a huge sacrifice. It's very tiring and taxing but these boys and girls come home as men and women. 

Missionaries leave behind their family, school, friends, sports, video games, dating, and lots of other things in order to go and serve the Lord and help others come unto Christ. As soon as missionaries get home, they go back to being regular members of the church. They can get married, have kids, start a career, and live their lives as strong members of the Church. Some have even gone on to play in the NFL or star in movies. 

These missionaries sacrifice their time and money to go out and serve because they love the gospel. It's also a way of saying "thanks" to God and giving back for all of the blessings they have received. They know that the Church has been restored, that The Book of Mormon is true, and that their families can be together forever. It has made them so happy that they want to tell everyone.

Have you ever discovered a new product, book, or movie that you just absolutely loved? What did you do? You probably told all your friends about it. When I first read the book, "The Hunger Games" four years ago, I thought it was incredible. I drove my mom and sister crazy telling them that they need to read it. I was frustrated because my sister waited so long to read it but once she did she fell in love with it as well. Sharing the gospel is the same way for members of the Church. We have discovered something that brings us joy and we want others to know about it too.

People who serve missions come from vastly different circumstances. Some were lucky enough to be born in a good home with two parents and financial security while others were born in hard circumstances where money was tight or parents weren't there. Some were born into the church and have been members their whole lives while others were only baptized a year or two before. Some missionaries' families support them wholeheartedly at home and send them loving letters and emails while other missionaries' family's resent their service and sometimes even disown them. I have met each one of these kinds of missionaries. No matter the differences in their backgrounds, all missionaries have one purpose: "To invite others to come unto Christ." 

So next time missionaries knock on your door or approach you, don't shut them down. They are just humble followers of Christ who are trying to serve and love everyone. If you have house or yard work that needs to be done, put them to work! They love doing service. You don't have to accept a Book of Mormon to accept their service or sit down and talk to them. 

I am grateful to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I love serving and teaching others about Jesus Christ. This gospel is life-changing. I have seen how happy it makes people and what it does to strengthen and bless families. Even though I face a lot of rejection, I keep going because Christ never quit on me so I won't quit on Him.

"Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor"(D&C 88:81). 

Amen.

Why Do a Lot of Mormons Live in Utah?

Currently there are over 1,975,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints living in Utah. That is 68% of the state. There are a little over 15 million members worldwide and about 6.4 million in the United States. That means that 31% of Church members in the United States and 13% of members worldwide live in Utah. That is quite a chunk. How come so many live in Utah? Is it because the Church started there? Nope. It was organized in up-state New York.

Perhaps some of you remember vaguely hearing about the Mormon pioneers in your United States History classes. Some man believed that God and angels appeared to him so he started a church with a weird book but then everyone thought the members, nicknamed Mormons, were crazy, devilish polygamists who were taking over their towns so they drove them out from everywhere they tried to settle so the Mormons trekked across the plains until they arrived in Utah. That's it in a nutshell. Now let's expound on these teachings. 

In 1830 The Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth with the proper Priesthood Authority of God complete with prophets and apostles just like in Biblical times. Many people joined the Church after that and it started expanding. Many Saints (we call Church members Saints. Not that we think we're amazing or anything, it's just what we're called.) moved to Ohio. Others moved to Missouri and Illinois later on.

When the Mormons settled in Jackson, Missouri, they were very excited and started up their own little town with more members arriving every day. Soon, the locals grew very uneasy. They were nervous about the growing influence and were afraid they would soon be outnumbered. Ministers, merchants, and politicians especially resented the intrusion. There was also a slavery issue which we all know was a huge deal during this time. The old settlers liked their slaves but the Mormons brought their abolitionist views and there was fear of a black rebellion. Soon, committees were meeting together discussing how to get rid of the Mormons. One of these meetings turned into a mob that destroyed stores owned by the Mormons and tarred and feathered Mormons who wouldn't denounce their beliefs at the public square. Later, mobs killed many members of the church and told them that if the Mormons didn't leave then every man, woman, and child belonging to the Church would be whipped. Eventually all of this conflict led to more and more violence until the Mormons were brutally driven from the state. 

Governor Boggs, the governor of Missouri, issued the infamous "Extermination Order" ordering that Mormons must be treated as enemies or exterminated. Many people took this to heart.

One of the most violent events happened at Haun's mill in Missouri on October 31, 1835. A mob attacked the village, shooting at everyone regardless of age. One ten year old boy was hiding during the attack when one of the mobbers found him and blew off the upper part of his head. The man later said, "Nits will make lice, and if he had lived he would have become a Mormon."

Many more incidents like this occurred throughout the 1830s and 1840s. The Saints lived in Kirtland, Ohio for a few years until being thrown out as well as in Nauvoo, Illinois. They managed to build a temple in both Kirtland and Nauvoo before being forced out. The Nauvoo temple was burned down and was rebuilt over 150 years later but the Kirtland temple is still standing today and is owned by a different church.  

The leaders of the church weren't getting any help at all from the federal government and it was eventually made clear to them that they had to leave the United States in order to have peace. Although the Mormons left the United States, they responded to the call when James K. Polk, then President of the United States, requested 500-1,000 Mormon men to assist in the Mexican War. This became the longest infantry march in history with the men marching approximately 1,850 miles to help defend the country that denied them their rights. We call this the Mormon Battalion.

The famous Mormon Pioneers trekked across the plains and the first group, Brigham Young being with them, arrived in the Salt Lake valley on July 24, 1847. Utah celebrates this day as a state holiday. Throughout the coming years, thousands more of the Saints arrived from eastern United States and Europe, a lot of them going through a lot of difficulty to get there. They built up Salt Lake City and had members of the church settle neighboring communities. They built temples there and the Headquarters of the Mormon church have been there ever since. 

The Church has expanded a lot during the years and now there are more Mormons living outside the United States than in but Utah is still the main place for Mormons because of their pioneer ancestors. We acknowledge that our ancestors weren't perfect and made mistakes, but so has every person who has ever lived besides Jesus Christ. We revere our ancestors for their sacrifice and bravery.

Most Mormons living in Utah can trace their ancestry back to the Mormon pioneers. My ancestors on my mother's side were Mormon pioneers. My ancestors on my father's side consist of the mobbers who killed the pioneers. One of my father's ancestors in particular was part of the mob that murdered Joseph Smith and his brother. 

And that is why so many Mormons live in Utah. The majority of them have stayed from when their ancestors arrived there. Many have come for other reasons. It isn't a perfect state and we keep church and state separate but it was founded on Christian values. I love Utah. The Salt Lake City Temple is beautiful as are the surrounding mountains. It's also famous for having great snow for skiing and snowboarding which brings in thousands of people each year. If any of you are ever passing by Utah, stop by Temple Square in Salt Lake City. There are buildings and museums there with lots of history of the Mormon pioneers and also the Native Americans who lived there as well. 

President John F. Kennedy visited Salt Lake City, Utah on September 29, 1963, 55 days before his assassination. He delivered a speech, found here. He praised the Mormon Pioneers and said, "Of all the tales of America's pioneers and settlers, none is more inspiring than that of the Mormon Trail."

I'm grateful for the Mormon pioneers and for their faith and sacrifice. Every hardship they went through was worth it for them to be able to follow God and do what they believed to be right.
 

 

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
"And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes"(D&C 121:7-8). 

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.   

What's a Mormon Church Service Like?

Like the BEST! 

Mormon church services are 3 hours long. Yes, you read that right. THREE t-h-r-e-e 3 hours long. What?! "I can't give up that much time on a Sunday! I have stuff to do! You guys ask too much!" It's not like Christ came to the earth and died so you could have this gospel and return to live with Him again... God expects us to actually do stuff. Get over it. 

The first hour is generally what we call Sacrament Meeting (some congregations have it last). During Sacrament Meeting, we take the sacrament or communion which is the bread and water to remember Jesus Christ. Although it is meant for those who have been baptized, everyone is allowed to have it. I would love to spend a whole post explaining the sacrament but for now this awesome scripture will do: "For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory - remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins"(D&C 27:2). 

Along with taking the sacrament, we have speakers from the congregation who give 10-15 minute talks on an assigned topic. So the great thing is that if you don't like a speaker, they'll be done soon anyway. We also sing hymns and open and close the meeting with prayer. Everyone sits with their families except for the Bishop and his two counselors and the speakers who sit on the stand. Everything that is done during Sacrament Meeting is voluntarily done, no one is paid or hired.

After sacrament meeting, we have two hours of classes. The first class is called Sunday School. The youth are put into Sunday School classes based on age and then all adults 18 and older go to Sunday School together. There is Gospel Principles for new members and anyone who would like to join, Gospel Doctrine, and sometimes other classes as well set up by the the Bishop. There, everyone reads the scriptures and learns different principles of the gospel such as faith or repentance or keeping the commandments. 

The third hour the adults go to Relief Society and Priesthood and the youth go to Young Men and Young Women. Relief Society is the biggest and oldest women's organization in the world. In Relief Society Women learn more about the gospel and study the scriptures and words of the leaders of our church together. Priesthood is where the adult men go where they learn more about the gospel together. Young Men and Young Women is for youth ages 12-17 and they are taught more about the gospel. 

 

All children ages 3-11 go to Primary. There, they go to class with other kids their same age for an hour and learn from the scriptures. For the other hour all of the children come together and learn more from the scriptures and sing songs. It's super fun and educational.

Babies 18 months to 3 years go to nursery where they have a short lesson and snack and play games during the two hour block of classes.





Everyone has a place at church. There are leaders and teachers for every age group and lots of people willing to help out. All of the leaders and teachers are volunteers and no one is paid. The Primary teacher, Sunday School teacher, Librarian, Bishop, piano/organ player, etc. are all assigned to have that "calling" for a certain amount of time. Once they are "released" and no longer have that calling, they will receive another one. The Bishop that I had while I was in middle school is now in charge of nursery. Everyone helps out because we are all there to worship God and teach and learn from and love one another. 

I am so grateful for church. I love going. Sure, it isn't always entertaining or exciting but I always feel so good while I am there. I get to take the sacrament, learn more about the gospel, study the scriptures with others, and makes friends with other people who I might not get to associate much with otherwise. The Spirit is so strong there and so is the sense of love and community. Going to church is what helps me get my spiritual strength for the week.

To find your nearest worship service, go here!

"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.
"And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.
"And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus"(Moroni 6:4-6). 

Amen.