KeithLBrown

How many people have ever heard of San Domingo, Maryland? Or, if they have heard of it, how many people know where it is located? Part of my rich heritage rests in the small community of San Domingo and so I would like to share some parts of that heritage with you. According to the oral history that is recited annually at the Zion United Methodist Church Founders Day, San Domingo was founded in the early 1800s by James Brown, my paternal great great great grandfather, who was born about 1792. James Brown was a native of Jamaica and a free Black (I have a copy of his freedom papers in my file). Upon arriving to the Delmarva Peninsula he went to Cambridge Maryland to find a free woman to marry. Her name was Elizabeth Leatherbury. She was born in Delaware about 1794. James and Elizabeth had eight children - Harriet, Byard B. (through whom my direct paternal family line is traced), Leonard, Isabella, Ardilla, Eliza A., Emmeline, and Mary. San Domingo soon became a destination for other free Blacks from the Carribean trading along the Atlantic Coast. In 1859 my great great great grandfather James Brown and his family established the local Church, Zion United Methodist Church (many of my ancestors were laid to rest in the family cemetery there). The original church was destroyed by a fire and a new church was built and stands today on the site of the original building. The church served as the center of the community housing many cultural, civic, historical, and educational activities. At the end of the Civil War, John Quinton, a Carribean seaman, is reported to have settled in San Domingo and to have married a granddaughter of James Brown. Her name was Sarah E. Brown. She was the daughter of my great great grandfather Byard B. Brown (22 October 1819 - 19 November 1906), James' son, thus making her my great grand aunt. John and Sarah had eight children - Danvis A., Bayard H., Leah J.P., Noah F., William H., Ernest U., Festus N., and George O. Quinton. John Quinton was literate and so consequently he preached and taught school in the community. John Quinton and his family were the anchor of education in San Domingo until state supported education came to San Domingo in 1919 when Sharptown Colored Elementary School (a Rosenwald school) was built. Children were educated through grade 7. Full access to high school education for San Domingo residents did not occur until 1930. As a historical side note, the grave sites of my paternal great great great grandparents have been registered with the Eastern Shore Historical Society as being the oldest known marked free Negro graves in Wicomico County Maryland.

I was born and raised Baptist. Within the Baptist faith there are several sects. Depending on which sect one is a member of will determine their basic beliefs about things. As for dancing, I never found anything wrong with it, nor was I taught that there was anything particularly wrong with dancing. However, I was not raised as a Southern Baptist. I would have been probably referred to as a Fundamentalist Baptist. Now, as far as swearing jokingly, sad to say I know some LDS that use certain words quite frequently. Personally, I don't believe intelligent people need to ever use such language -- but that is my opinion. As far as the issue of salvation is concerned, there are many schools of thought on this among the Baptists. That is something you will want to ask your friend about as for what her definition of salvation is. And, as far as baptism, Baptist believe in baptism by immersion. In fact the Greek word for baptism comes from baptizo which means to put under and the same root gives us our word Baptist. Again, I was a Fundamentalist Baptist not a Southern Baptist. There are some differences and you will need to ask your friend about her particular beliefs.

Dear Brother Hill-Billy and all, Might I suggest that you take some time to either read or listen to what an Apostle of the Lord had to say about the sacred ordinance of the Sacrament. In a General Conference address during the Saturday morning session of the October 2008 Conference, Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke on the subject "Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament." You can also read the message by going here or here.

The Blessing and Passing of the Sacrament Having served as both the Second Counselor and as the First Counselor in the Bishopric, and now serving as the High Priest Group Leader, the first thing that I would teach about the Sacrament is that the sacred ordinance is symbolic in many ways. The broken bread represents the body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that in a literal sense was broken for us when He was nailed to the cruel Roman cross on Golgotha's Hill, and the water represents His precious blood that was shed or poured out for each of us. He became the sacrificial lamb for the slaughter -- sin's final sacrifice. He who knew no sin became sin for us or in other words on our behalf. He was crucified for all humanity - those born and those yet to be born. It was a tremendous selfless act of love. No greater love than this hath any man. When a Priest or Elder is called upon to administer the Sacrament he is performing the ordnance under the direction of his Bishop or Branch President who is the presiding officer of the meeting. The word administer refers to the preparation, blessing, and passing of the Sacramental emblems. First and foremost, it should be remembered that this sacred ordinance is performed in remembrance of the Crucified One - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, reverence and humility are to be demonstrated by the Priests or Elders seated at the table, as well as the Deacons who will pass the emblems to the members of the congregation. Those who administer the Sacrament in essence set the spiritual tone for those who are about to partake of it. When a Priest or Elder kneels to give the Sacramental prayer for the bread or for the water, he is kneeling and offering the prayer on behalf of the entire congregation -- for those who will partake of the Sacrament, as well as for those who will not partake for whatever reasons. When we partake of the Sacrament each week we are renewing covenants which we have made and at the same time we are remembering Him who paid the ultimate price for us all. Through the Atonement He paid a debt that He did not owe and a debt that none of us could ever pay on our own. We must remember that the Atonement of Jesus Christ (of which the sacred ordinance of the Sacrament is a reminder of) was not for the one or just for some. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was for EVERYONE. Christ died for all of our sins -- past, present, and future. Therefore, the Sacrament is meant for EVERYONE. Christ invites all to come and dine. However, with that being said, we must also remember that Christ also taught that we should not partake of the Sacrament unworthily. Therefore, there may be people among the congregation that may not partake. The Deacons are not required to pass the Sacrament to each member individually. Here again is another important lesson to be learned. By passing the Sacramental emblems to one another we are demonstrating our love for one another and our willingness to serve one another. This is also representative of the earthly ministry of Christ as He came to be a servant to others, not merely to be served, and He did so in humility. If a member is not partaking of the Sacrament for whatever reason, he is free to pass it on to the member sitting beside him. Once all of the members on a row who wish to partake have been served, then the bread or the water is passed back to the Deacon and he continues to serve until everyone who wishes to partake has had a chance to partake. After the Sacrament service is over it is customary to clean out the trays. There is nothing in the Church handbooks that states that all of the bread must be eaten and all of the water must be drank. The trays are always cleaned in order that the next time the Sacrament is prepared there will be clean vessels to use. The clean trays in essence are a symbol of purity. We teach that the bread and water are symbolic of the literal body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is indeed Holy and Pure - He is without spot or blemish, therefore, the Sacrament should always be prepared using clean trays. You will also note that a clean white table cloth is always used to cover the bread and the water once prepared. The white table cloth is also a symbol of purity. Truly, there is much to be learned from the sacred ordnance of the Sacrament.

Welcome to the site Ryan. I have just watched the video of your wonderful testimony. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

I am currently the High Priest Group Leader for my Ward. Even though there may be good intentions behind the Return and Report website, personally from what I have experienced as both the Second and First Counselor in the Bishopric, and now as the High Priest Group Leader is that what we need is not more programs to help get the job done, in my humble opinion, what we need is to instill in the members first and foremost, the principles of RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY. The Lord knows my heart and I do not mean to bad mouth any of my brothers or anyone else, but, after 11.5 years as a member of the Church, I am starting to get just a little frustrated that it always seems to be the "Faithful 10 Club" that carries the load for any and everything. In our quorums there are some brothers (well, lets just be honest here, there are some members in general) who are perfectly happy and content sitting on their blessed assurances and never taking the responsibility to be accountable for anything no matter what approach you take with them. I personally do not see why it is so difficult to Return and Report Home Teaching results. I have even suggested to our quorum that in order to make it easier on themselves, don't wait until the end of the month to report, instead report your results as you do your Home Teaching. That way by the end of the month all of the results are ready to recorded in the MLS database. I have even divided our Home Teaching routes into 3 districts with myself and my two counselors being the District Leaders. I have told the brothers who they should report to and have given them phone numbers and email addresses and still each month it is the same ordeal in trying to get them to give us their results. Again, just my humble opinion, but we do not need more programs. What we need is to get back to teaching the basic principles of the Gospel and helping our brothers (our members) to understand the importance of those principles. It would not hurt if the Bishopric (who are members of the High Priest Quorum) would use a Sacrament meeting to give talks on our Resposibilities and Accountabilities as members and the importance of Returning and Reporting. Just my humble thoughts and views as a leader in the Church. I will now step down from my proverbial soap box.

Not only do I refer to John 3:16, but I always include verse 17 as well. Within these two verses of Scripture can be found a summation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These two verses teach us about the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. 16 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

I am a HP Group Leader myself and have not heard of the program until now. I will take a look at it and give you my thoughts.

Hello! Nice to have you join us here on LDS.Net.

What has happened is that there was a message in your inbox, but it was deleted before you came to retrieve it. There is no problem with your inbox.

Well, thank you both for the compliment! Actually, I have decided to do as Jack Benny did - my birthday counter does go past 29. So today I am officially 29 one more time!

Thank you one and all for the great birthday wishes. I appreciate them all and I appreciate each one of you. I am hoping to make this one of the best years of my life in many ways, but the main thing is that starting today, and now more than ever before in my young life, I want to always be in the perfect center of my Father's will for my life.

Pam, you beat me to it. I just received an email that huanic had left a message on this thread and was thoroughly disgusted by what this person said. I was just coming to delete the message and banish him. Thanks. This is actually the second derogatory response that I have had on my two videos. The first was posted on the More Good Foundation YouTube channel. It is not worth repeating either. Thanks again.

Hello and welcome to the site. I look forward to reading your comments and I will also take some time to check out your blog.

I have to agree with Pam and John_Doe. I did not sense any anger or righteous indignation in Elder Holland's talk at all. What I did hear was TRUTH proclaimed.

I did not catch that in his talk so I will need to hear the talk again to get the full context of what was being said. From my own personal Scripture studies throughout the years, the only sin that I am aware of or that is classified as the unpardonable sin is when someone blasphemes or denies the Holy Ghost. There is no forgiveness for that sin.

Elder Holland's talk on the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon was an extremely powerful message. I found myself wanting to shout AMEN!! all the way through the message. He did not leave room for doubt in anyone's mind as to his personal testimony not only of the Book of Mormon, but of the Prophet Joseph Smith as well. I have personally read the Book of Mormon 8 times in its entirety now and each time I read it my testimony grows stronger and stronger of its Divine Authenticity. This is definitely a message that I will refer back to from time to time and plan to encourage the members of the High Priest Group to keep a copy of this message available.

Pam, the comment that James_Fryman made about having a desk too is in reference to the talk that President Uchtdorf gave last night during the Priesthood session.

The Priesthood session was excellent as always. We were blessed to be taught by the following Church leaders: Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Yoon Hwan Choi of the Seventy, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - Second Counselor in the First Presidency, President Henry B. Eyring - First Counselor in the First Presidency, and President Thomas S. Monson. The music was beautiful. I always love to hear the Sisters sing, but oh what a joyous sound it is when Brothers of the Priesthood unite their voices in song. The songs that were sung were: High On A Mountain Top, Sweet Hour of Prayer, Praise to the Man (choir and congregation), and Rise Up O Men Of God. Elder Ballard spoke on the relationship that should exist between fathers and sons. He first gave three suggestions to the sons in how to improve their relationship with their fathers: 1. Trust your father. Talk to him. Realize that your father is entitled to inspiration on your behalf. 2. Take an interest in your father's life (both past and present) to help gain a better understanding of what he has been through, what he is going through now, what type of work he does, what are some of his interests, etc. 3. Ask your father for advice and counsel. Next he gave three suggestions to fathers on how to improve their relationships with their sons: 1. Listen to your sons (without being judgmental) 2. Pray with and for your sons. Give them Priesthood blessings. 3. Dare to have the "Big Talks" with your sons. Elder Gonzalez gave an excellent talk on using the Book of Mormon to become more powerful Priesthood holders. The key points that I took from his message were: (1) Feast upon the words of Christ, (2) Apply in your life all that you learn about Christ, and (3) Teach the doctrines and principles found in the pages of the Book of Mormon. Elder Choi gave an excellent talk on the importance of missionary service and how to prepare for a mission. Two key points in his message were: (1) Attend Church meetings faithfully, and (2) Obey the words of Church leaders. President Uchtdorf's powerful message was on having hope and having an optimistic attitude in troubled times. One of the things that he mentioned that he has learned in life is that "Winter will give way to the hope and warmth of a new spring". Two things that he stressed in his message were: (1) The importance of hard work, and (2) The importance of education and learning. In his message he pointed out that work keeps us from dwelling on the circumstances that we may be facing. He also reminded us that there is no Sabbatical for Priesthood responsibilities, there is always work to do. And as far as education and learning, President Uchtdorf taught us that the best books can become our university and that we should seek knowledge by faith and learning. President Eyring gave a powerful message on the importance of preparation. The key point that I took from his message is that we must have confidence to live up to the trust that God has put in us. He referred to D&C 121. Our beloved Prophet, President Monson closed the session with his powerful message on anger and its damaging effects. The key point that I got from his message was: "Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing. It destroys everything." He referred to Ephesians 4:26 and 3 Nephi. To my dear Sisters especially, I highly suggest that you take the time to read the messages that were presented to the Brothers during the Priesthood session when the November issue of the Ensign comes out. And, to my dear Brothers, I sincerely suggest that WE take the time to feast on the words of our Church leaders once again as we read the messages that were presented to us in this very important meeting. A lot was taught in a two hour time period, and there is a lot still to be learned and applied in our daily lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday afternoon session. As I watched and listened to the inspired messages the following points stuck out in my mind: 1. The love of God does not supersede His laws or commandments. 2. God's anger and wrath are not contrary to His love, but are an evidence of His love. 3. God's love is contingent upon obedience to His laws and commandments. 4. Real love does not support destructive behavior. 5. Without God there would be no immortality or eternal life. 6. The way to know the truth of God is through the Holy Ghost. 7. We should always give that best that we can in our service to the Church and to our fellow man. 8. God still speaks to man today. The Heavens are not closed. 9. Temperance is a Divine attribute of Jesus Christ. 10. Being temperant means examining our desires and expectations. A temperant person is a person of increased spiritual strength. 11. Repentance is turning away from some things, turning towards other things, and returning towards God. 12. Our Heavenly Father's loving arms are outstretched still.

What a great morning session of General Conference we have had. The following things stood out to me as I listened to these truly inspired messages: 1. We need to learn to recognize the whisperings of the Spirit. 2. He strengthens us in our burdens 3. Missionaries and teachers in the Church help to save lives by teaching the Gospel. We draw upon the Spirit as we teach. 4. We need to both show and demonstrate love. 5. The bearing of testimony does not need to be lengthy or eloquent. 6. What we know is not always consistent with what we do. 7. Our goal as disciples of Jesus Christ is not to know more, but to do more, and to be consistent in our actions. 8. Love should be at the center of all that we do. 9. What we love is what we seek. What we seek is what we think and do. What we think and do is what we truly become. 10. Love is the way of the disciple.

The Testimony of the Two Witnesses D&C 77:15 15 Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the eleventh chapter of Revelation? A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers. Scripture Reference: Revelation 11:1-7 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. Cross References Concerning the Two Witnesses: Isaiah 51:19 19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? Zechariah 4:14 14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. 2 Nephi 8:19 19 These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee—thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword—and by whom shall I comfort thee? Bruce R. McConkie, The Millenial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man The Two Prophets: Martyred in Jerusalem Our setting for the slaughter of the two prophets in Jerusalem and for the seven last plagues is not only in the seventh seal, but also just before and during the time when the seventh angel is announcing the plague of burning and destruction that will usher in the Second Coming. "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound," John tells us, "the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." (Rev. 10:7) That is, the great winding-up scene will come to pass during the time the plagues and events pronounced by this angel are occurring. These events are heralded by the ministry and death of the two witnesses in Jerusalem; then the seventh angel will sound his trump to proclaim the outpouring of the seven last plagues, the battle of Armageddon, the fall of Babylon, and the burning of the vineyard with fire. In this setting, however, the word that comes from the Lord is: "I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth." Who are these witnesses, and when will they prophesy? "They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers." (D&C 77:15) Their ministry will take place after the latter-day temple has been built in Old Jerusalem, after some of the Jews who dwell there have been converted, and just before Armageddon and the return of the Lord Jesus. How long will they minister in Jerusalem and in the Holy Land? For three and a half years, the precise time spent by the Lord in his ministry to the ancient Jews. The Jews, as an assembled people, will hear again the testimony of legal administrators bearing record that salvation is in Christ and in his gospel. Who will these witnesses be? We do not know, except that they will be followers of Joseph Smith; they will hold the holy Melchizedek Priesthood; they will be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is reasonable to suppose, knowing how the Lord has always dealt with his people in all ages, that they will be two members of the Council of the Twelve or of the First Presidency of the Church. How will their witness be received by the people? This we do know. It will be with these two witnesses as it was with their Lord some two millenniums before. The righteous will believe their words, and the wicked will thirst for their blood. "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." It will be with them as it was with Elijah, who both called down fire from heaven to consume his enemies and sealed the heavens that there was neither dew nor rain for three and a half years. And it will be with them as it was with Moses, who turned the rivers and waters of Egypt into blood and who smote the Egyptians with many plagues. Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times Rev. 11:3 I will give power unto my two witnesses. The word power does not belong in the text; it is not found in the original Greek (see note a to this verse in the LDS edition of the KJV); nevertheless, the verses that follow establish that the two witnesses will have great power indeed. With the number two, the law of witnesses is in effect: there are two witnesses so that God's word will be established (2 Cor. 13:1). The law of witnesses continues in our dispensation (D&C 6:28; 42:80). In Isa. 51:20 the two prophets are called "sons," perhaps suggesting that they are sons of Abraham, either literally or by covenant; Zech. 4:3 calls them "two olive trees," indicating that they possess oil and light. The two will bear witness to the people that Jesus is their Messiah, Savior, and God. They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days. The period of the two prophets' ministry in Jerusalem will be the same as that of Jesus Christ, three and one-half years. Perhaps significantly, the length of their ministry corresponds to the length of time that the Gentiles will "tread [Jerusalem] under foot" (Rev. 11:2) The number three and one-half, forty-two months, or 1,260 days (three and one-half years) occurs several times in Daniel and Revelation (Dan. 7:25; 9:27; 12:7; Rev. 11:2, 3, 11; 12:14; 13:5).

The Sealing of the 144,000 D&C 77:11 11 Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe? A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn. Scripture Reference: Revelation 7:4-8 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Rueben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. LyndonW. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants The sealing of the 144000 was the number of priests who should be anointed to administer in the daily sacrifice &c. During Prest. Joseph's remarks he said their was a nice distinction between the vision which John saw as spoken of in Revelations & the vision which Daniel saw, the former relating only to things as they actually existed in heaven-the latter being a figure representing things on the earth. God never made use of the figure of a beast to represent the kingdom of heaven-when they were made use of it was to represent an apostate church. The 144,000 Sealed in the Apocalypse Are Converts to Christ From the Gentile World These, then, who are sealed on their foreheads from every tribe of the children of Israel, are a hundred and forty-four thousand in number; and these hundred and forty-four thousand are afterwards said in John to have the name of the Lamb and of His Father written on their foreheads, and to be virgins, not having defiled themselves with women. What else could the seal be which is on their foreheads but the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father? In both passages their foreheads are said to have the seal; In one the seal is spoken of, in the other it appears to contain the letters forming the name of the Lamb, and the name of His Father. Now these taken from the tribes are, as we showed before, the same persons as the virgins. But the number of believers is small who belong to Israel according to the flesh; one might venture to assert that they would not nearly make up the number of a hundred and forty-four thousand. It is clear, therefore, that the hundred and forty-four thousand who have not defiled themselves with women must be made up of those who have come to the divine word out of the Gentile world. In this way the truth of the statement may be upheld that the first fruits of each tribe are its virgins. For the passage goes on: "These were brought from among men to be a first fruits to God and to the Lamb; and in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without blemish." The statement about the hundred and forty-four thousand no doubt admits of mystical interpretation; But it is unnecessary at this point, and would divert us from our purpose, to compare with it those passages of the prophets in which the same lesson is taught regarding those who are called from among the Gentiles.

The Second Coming Of Christ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 And after this another angel shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ's at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh. - D&C 88:99 Scripture Reference: Jude 1:14-16 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. Scripture References Concerning Enoch: Moses 6:27 And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off; Moses 7:65 And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years; Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Genesis 5:23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: President James E. Faust, "The Restoration of All Things," Ensign, May 2006, 61–62, 67–68 Some of the early Apostles knew that an apostasy would occur before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the Thessalonians, Paul wrote concerning this event, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first." With this falling away, priesthood keys were lost, and some precious doctrines of the Church organized by the Savior were changed. Among these were baptism by immersion; receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; the nature of the Godhead—that They are three distinct personages; all mankind will be resurrected through the Atonement of Christ, "both … the just and the unjust"; continuous revelation—that the heavens are not closed; and temple work for the living and the dead. The period that followed came to be known as the Dark Ages. This falling away was foreseen by the Apostle Peter, who declared that "heaven must receive [Jesus Christ] until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Restitution would only be necessary if these precious things had been lost. In the centuries that followed, religious men came to recognize that there had been a gradual falling away from the Church organized by Jesus Christ. Some of them suffered greatly for their beliefs, in what came to be called the Reformation, a sixteenth-century movement that aimed at reforming Western Christianity. This resulted in the separation of the Protestant churches from the main Christian church. Elder John B. Dickson, "Commitment to the Lord," Ensign, May 2007, 14–15 You have come into this world at a time that has been anticipated from the beginning—a time prior to the Second Coming of the Lord, in which, on one hand, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in its fulness and, on the other, there is great turmoil, confusion, and wickedness. The proving ground that you were born into is wonderful, affording great opportunities, but at the same time there is danger in abundance, even danger to one’s very soul. Now is the time to commit yourself to the Lord as to what you will become during this mortal probation. Along with your parents, living prophets, and the scriptures, the Holy Ghost will help you distinguish between right and wrong so correct decisions can be made. As members of the Church we have been baptized and have made a covenant to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and keep God’s commandments. If mistakes are made, the gospel allows us to sincerely repent and be forgiven. Your commitment can begin from where you are presently, whether young or old, including repenting and forsaking sin where mistakes have already been made. The Lord promises great, eternal blessings to His righteous, repentant children, but knowing there is great danger here in this life, He has commanded us, saying, "Beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life" (D&C 84:43). Because He loves us and wants us back, this commandment to "beware concerning [ourselves]" prompts us to be careful concerning everything about us—the type of social settings we enter, what we see and read, the media and entertainment we choose, the music we listen to, and more. Elder G. Homer Durham, "The Future History of the Church," Ensign, May 1982, 67 Great events lie before us, leading to the second coming of Christ. What is the significance of the many new temples that are being announced? What is implied for us in the revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1831: "The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth." (D&C 65:2.) There is a great Church history behind us. There is an even greater Church history ahead of us for every member, every unit of the Church. That history is being made every day, some way, in Korea, in the Philippines, in the Andes, and in every stake. The vision of the New Jerusalem has moved generations of mankind. It has moved our people. We look to the day when "Christ will reign personally upon the earth." (A of F 1:10.) But, as the prophet Malachi asked, "Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?" (Mal. 3:2.) Let us prepare to abide the day of his coming by building Zion in our hearts, in our families, as we make pages for the future history of the Church. President Kimball has told us repeatedly to beautify our lives, our homes. He has challenged us to render more Christlike service.

A Chosen Generation, A Royal Priesthood, An Holy Nation, A Peculiar People Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. - Exodus 19:5, 6 Scripture Reference: 2:9-12 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. ** Peculiar - GR purchased, preserved; note that in Ex. 19: 5 the Heb. word is segullah, meaning ‘special possession or property.’ Elder Russell M. Nelson, "Children of the Covenant," Ensign, May 1995, 32 Peter used uplifting terms in a prophecy regarding our day. He identified members of the Church as "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people." The adjectives chosen, royal, and holy we recognize as elevating. But what about peculiar? A modern dictionary defines peculiar as "unusual," "eccentric," or "strange." What kind of compliment is that? But the term peculiar as used in the scriptures is quite different. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term from which peculiar was translated is segullah, which means "valued property," or "treasure." In the New Testament, the Greek term from which peculiar was translated is peripoiesis, which means "possession," or "an obtaining." Thus, we see that the scriptural term peculiar signifies "valued treasure," "made" or "selected by God." For us to be identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people is a compliment of the highest order. When we know who we are and what God expects of us—when his "law [is] written in [our] hearts"—we are spiritually protected. We become better people. When the Nephites were truly righteous, they avoided divisive nicknames and "there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people." "There were no … Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." That lesson from history suggests that we also delete from our personal vocabularies names that segregate and hyphens that separate. Paul taught that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." He invites us "to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been restored in these latter days to fulfill ancient promises of the Lord. It is part of the "restitution of all things." Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. We shall "be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son." Yet we are strengthened by this promise of the Lord: "Ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God— "Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things. … "Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel." Edwin B. Firmage, "The Word of Wisdom: Mark of a Peculiar People," Ensign, Oct 1972, 18 The idea of separateness for his disciples has always been stressed by the Lord. In his first general epistle to the Church, Peter reminded the early Christians that they were chosen of God to perform certain functions essential to the accomplishment of his plan for the salvation of men. As the ancient Israelites were under covenant with the Lord to perform a peculiar role in the plan, and in that sense were a chosen people, so now the followers of Jesus had taken upon themselves by baptism a similar covenant. The early church, possessing unique priesthood powers, had a role to perform in the plan of salvation that could not be accomplished by others. Peter told the early Christians that they were "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1 Pet. 2:9.) A certain separateness seemed to be essential to the fulfillment of the roles to be performed by ancient Israel and later by the Christian church. Time and again Israel was enjoined to "come out of Babylon." The Christian was instructed to be in the world but not of the world. The worldliness of Rome and Jerusalem was compared by the early Christians with that of Babylon and Sodom. Members of the church were told to keep themselves unspotted from the world. The relationship between the church and the world at best contained a constant element of tension; at worst the attempts of the church to perform its functions resulted in its persecution. But in either situation, tension or overt persecution, as long as Israel and later the Christian church maintained its separate identity, its peculiar functions could be performed. The danger to the performance of these functions lay not in persecution or unpopularity but rather in the possibility that Israel or the church would suffer an unconscious assimilation into the world and lose the separateness essential to the accomplishment of its mission. Prophets and apostles inveighed against any tendencies of Israel and the church to merge with the world and lose their separate identities.