spamlds

If you want to make your bishop's day, just walk in the door and say, "Bishop, I don't feel like I'm doing enough to serve. How can I help?" Having sat in bishopric and branch presidency meetings continuously for the last 9 years, I can tell you that the bishopric has jobs that need doing and callings that need filling. They follow the admonitions to "search, ponder, and pray" to get inspiration. That inspiration does come, but the process is much easier when you have a pool of candidates who are eager and willing to serve.

I understand the feeling of being in a new ward and feeling alone. Here's how I found a way to deal with it. I spent several years in the Air Force and we moved around a lot. My work schedule often made it difficult to attend church meetings regularly, so it was hard for people to get to know me. The best thing I found to do was to go to the bishop and tell him my situation and ask if I could have a church calling that allowed me to do things that I might be able to do on my own schedule. In one ward, I was a Webelos scout leader. In another, I was an assistant membership clerk. Both of those callings allowed me to be active, to serve, and feel like I was helping the Church and I could do those things on other days than Sundays. The best way to feel involved is to get involved. Volunteer. Take assignments. Look for opportunities to help. Another thing is, if you're feeling lonely, more than likely someone else is feeling that way also. When you go into the Church, look around and see if there is someone sitting all by himself or herself. Go up and introduce yourself. Learn his or her name. Get to know them. Then you won't feel lonely and they won't either. The Lord Jesus was all about serving others and reaching beyond yourself to bless others. Don't wait for someone to ask. Jump in and take ownership of your new ward and make others feel welcome. You'll find very shortly that your loneliness disappears.

I often use the analogy of the Apollo 13 mission to describe the condition of a brother or sister who has fallen away, like your friend. If you've seen the movie (or if you're old enough to actually remember it like me) the third mission to land on the mood experienced a catastrophic failure. It began with a small cap that was left on a sensor that was supposed to have been removed before launch. It caused the failure of a part that controlled the thermostat for the oxygen tanks. From the time it was activated, this one little part caused the gradual overheating of the oxygen tanks until it caused a massive explosion. In our lives, small transgressions begin to lead us away from the Spirit. It clouds our senses and we don't get accurate "feedback" from our spiritual instruments. Perhaps your friend was remiss about saying daily prayers. Maybe he got complacent about studying the scriptures daily. As these personal devotional observances diminished, he would become less likely to do more stringent things, like pay tithing. He might rationalize that, since he couldn't get a temple recommend because of his lack of paying tithing, then there was no point keeping the Word of Wisdom. Eventually, this led to immorality and the breaking of marriage vows and temple covenants. That's when the "explosion" occurred. On Apollo 13, when that happened, they lost the ability to use their powered instruments. The radio in the Command Module had to be shut down. The venting of gases threw them off course and they came close to what was called "gimbal lock." That meant that the debris, the ice crystals from the venting oxygen, and the disorientation caused them to lose their "platform." The platform was the three-dimensional awareness of where they were in space. Without it, they couldn't navigate home. Your friend is in this space, without a "platform," drifting into the void. He is questioning the very things that provide that orientation and direction. Pride, panic, discouragement, and other strong negative emotions contribute to that lack of orientation. It was only through the help of mission control that the astronauts succeeded in returning to earth safely. If they had try to get themselves home without the help of mission control, they would have perished. Your friend needs to drop all the pretenses and thinking that he can fix this himself. He needs mission control to help. He needs to listen to the directions of those who know and trust them. He needs to take action based on those instructions. He will fail if he listens to the spurious voices of other "experts" who challenge the credibility of mission control. It is amazing what returning to the fundamentals can do for one's life. Daily prayer and scripture study helps us get our "platform" back. We can know where we are and find our way back to the iron rod. My heart aches for this good brother who has allowed Satan to overcome him. The Book of Mormon describes his plight so accurately in the context of the iron rod, the tree of life, the great and spacious building, etc. The simple fact is that, if we are not careful that Satan will lead us away if we let go of the iron rod. The questions your friend asks are all the result of letting go and wandering off into the darkness. From 1 Nephi 8: 19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. 20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world. 21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. 22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. 23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. 24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. 25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed. 26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. 27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. 28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they dfell away into forbidden paths and were lost. 29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak aall the words of my father. 30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. 31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building. 32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads. 33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. 34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away. Holding onto the iron rod is the path of safety. Some LDS fancy themselves as "Liahonas" who chart their own path. To me, that's a deception of the Adversary. The iron rod is the sure path. If you never let go of it, you'll arrive at the tree of life. For those who pridefully say that they can navigate their own path by the Spirit, they demonstrate ignorance of the spiritual discernment necessary to hold to the rod. You don't often see "iron rodders" go off the path. I've seen lots of "liahonas" wander off into the darkness in the past 30 years.

I joined the Church when I was 18 and it was still a tough transition for me and my parents. Here are some suggestions: 1. Honor your parents. Be obedient. That means be a faithful son or daughter. Do the things that will show maturity and respect. Honor curfews. Don't tie up the phone all day or night. Clean your room. Do your chores. Chapters 17-19 of the Book of Alma tell of a great missionary, Ammon. He impressed the Lamanite king by being a faithful servant and by his humility and obedience. The converted many people because of his example. 2. Don't be judgmental. Your parents haven't received a testimony of the gospel yet. You will feel some tension from time to time as they get used to you living gospel standards. If they smoke, drink coffee or alcohol, etc., don't nag them or act like they're doing something terrible. If your dad plays golf on Sunday or watches sports all day on the sabbath, recognize that he simply doesn't believe yet. Be understanding and show your love for them. 3. Be submissive to God's will. The Lord will help you, but you will be tested. Keep the commandments of God. No parent will object to their child practicing honesty, morality, tolerance, moderation, etc. Don't withdraw from your family. Show them that they mean more to you now than ever before. You can appreciate the value of family like never before. 4. Don't be pushy or defensive. They'll ask questions when they're ready. You may get a "well-intentioned" anti-Mormon neighbor or relative that sticks their nose into your business. The best thing that defeats anti-Mormon arguments is living a Christ-like life. It's hard to argue that Mormonism is bad when they see that it leads you to do good. Good luck. Hang in there. Your Heavenly Father loves you and your parents. Things will get better. My family all joined the Church after me in the two years after my own baptism. Today I'm an "old man" of 50. I've had five kids of my own and the three of them who are old enough to get married have been married in the temple. Two of my sons served missions for the Church. There have been trying times, but we have overcome them by faith. There are great blessings in store for you if you will be patient and faithful. Greg

Melissa569, The folks here gave you all some technically correct answers. Let me give you the answer that I hope you'll get when you show up at church. WELCOME BACK! WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU'VE COME BACK TO CHURCH! What a blessing it will be to them and to you! The Lord's love will fill your life. There will be celebrations in heaven as well!

I live in a rural area in the Southeastern United States. We are few in number here. When someone asks me what church I attend, I'm always pleased to tell them I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I let them know that means I'm a Mormon. Since the ones who ask usually have known me for a while, they are usually pleasantly surprised. They've heard so much negative stuff about us, but they'v never known a Mormon. Once they see we're not crazed fanatics, that we don't have horns, etc. they're usually quite open to learn more. Never be afraid to pleasantly stand up for the Church. Anyone who starts up haranguing you with anti-Mormon stuff just makes themselves look bad.

I don't mean this to be offensive, but it seems that some of the forum members use a lot of words to get to teach what should be answers to simple question. That is best done by going to the Book of Mormon instead of dealing with "syllogisms" and man's obtuse rationalizations. Is God's love unconditional? "Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God." (1 Nephi 17:35) Teach simple truth using the Book of Mormon. Christ's sheep will hear his voice in the words of the Book of Mormon. Those who can't hear them or reject them are not his sheep. Don't waste time preaching to the "goats." We should warn the goats and move on.

Dealing with anti-Mormonism in the workplace is an occasional challenge you'll face in the Church. In most cases, just living your religion and being a "good neighbor" is enough to change opinions and win friends. Here are a few scenarios I've encountered over the years and how I approached them. 1. Sitting in the lunchroom with a group of employees and one of them who didn't know I was LDS began to bash the Church or repeat disinformation she had received. When she finished, I simply said, "You know I'm a Mormon, right?" The astonished look on her face was priceless. The other employees who know me had felt bad about her comments and they were kind of tense as the lady was talking. I politely said, "We don't believe any of those things you just mentioned. That's OK, there are a lot of misunderstandings about us." That cordially defused the situation and a brief, positive conversation about the Church ensued. Situation resolved. 2. When I was in the military, a senior ranking NCO who was from a Pentecostal background decided to come after me. After a few weeks of his badgering, I informed him that I would be contacting the base Social Actions Office if he approached me to attack my beliefs one more time. The behavior ceased, because such intolerance in a professional environment is a career-ender. Every company has an EEO officer. The web site for EEOC is found here: Religious Discrimination if you are interested. 3. A female co-worker in the Air Force became interested in the gospel and she was taught by the missionaries in our home. She befriended my wife and the she was baptized after several weeks. The captain in charge of our office hauled me in when he found out. He chewed me out and threatened me with disciplinary action. I politely and respectfully asked him to show me what regulation I had violated. Of course, I hadn't violated any. He grumbled, postured, and threatened, expressing his displeasure, but he couldn't do anything to me. 4. I've only had two "extreme" instances. Once, right after my mission and another when I was in the Air Force. In those incidents, I had irate anti-Mormon bigots target me at work and verbally abuse me with incredible hostility. In both of those instances, I simply endured the harsh treatment, went home, and prayed for the Lord to help. In the case of the first one, I was a temp employee and the guy who came after me was a "permanent" employee of the company. Two days after the incident, the guy broke his back and his recovery would keep him out of work for months. The company offered me his job. In the second incident, the abuser had a reckless, out-of-control personality and his anti-Mormonism was just a part of it. This guy actually cocked a loaded pistol and stuck it in my face. I reported the incident to my supervisor, who did nothing about it. A few weeks later, he pulled a similar stunt with another serviceman and he accidentally shot the guy in the face, permanently disfiguring the victim. The anti-Mormon went to jail and the subsequent investigation ruined the careers of several others who had encouraged his behavior. I ended up outranking most of the offenders because they were demoted in rank. Coincidence? Could be, but on the other hand.... God will fight our battles for us when necessary. We don't need to be silent when our faith is attacked. Being new in the Church, all you have to do is reflect upon HOW you know the gospel is true. That Spirit is available to everyone. It doesn't require a doctorate in theology to explain. Just keep the faith, be true, and stand up as a witness when the time is right. God will stand by you.

In thirty years of membership in the Church, I'm always amazed at how simple it is to understand the gospel principles, yet how complicated the sophistries of men try to make it. The Lord has given us patterns: patterns in nature, patterns in scripture, patterns in all things. In the Doctrine and Convenants, we read in Section 52: 14 And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations— 15 Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances. 16 He that speaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and edifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances. 17 And again, he that trembleth under my power shall be made strong, and shall bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom, according to the revelations and truths which I have given you. 18 And again, he that is overcome and bringeth not forth fruits, even according to this pattern, is not of me. 19 Wherefore, by this pattern ye shall know the spirits in all cases under the whole heavens. It doesn't matter if some LDS offshoot sect broke away from the main body of the Church. It doesn't matter what the Hebrew word "elohim" means "mighty ones." Arguments about whether one can drink a Red Bull or not are fruitless. It's all a bunch of posturing and bluster. It's a distraction from the important stuff. What matters is that God has given authority to man to perform ordinances in his name. Those who are obedient, contrite, and submit themselves to the Father's authority will accept those ordinances and obey them. They will receive God's blessings and will progress spiritually toward the Celestial Kingdom. D&C 84 tells us: 21 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. 20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. 21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh The power of godliness is the saving power inherent in the ordinances and the covenants associated with them. Individuals who reject the authority and the ordinances don't get that power manifested in their behalf. They are in the same boat that the Pharisees and scribes where who rejected the baptism of John the Baptist. They could be as pious and observant as they desired to be, but they relied on dead works and dead forms of godliness. Such is the case with all those who resist the authority of the priesthood and the true servants of God. You can sort out the sheep from the goats by who obeys the ordinances. In the words of Elijah: "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." If you don't know if the gospel has been restored, and you have the intellect to argue over Hebrew grammar, you're halted between two opinions. You're either trying to undermine God's work and deceive his people or you really know what's true, but you're afraid to follow through and risk ridicule for Christ's name and his kingdom's sake. If you think we're wrong, then go follow Baal and don't give the LDS church a second thought. The answers are to be found by direct revelation to a person who is humble enough to act on those answers in obedience.

The argument that the Bible is the only measure of truth and that it is the only common ground from which we can discuss our religion with others is a red herring. The Bible is the source of contention, not just with Latter-day Saints and sectarian Christians, but also between Christian sects. Sectarians don't have one common canon between them. Even those who agree on a particular version don't agree on what it means. If it were possible that the Bible could bring unity of faith, wouldn't it have done so in 1,700 years of its existence? The real answer is that the Holy Ghost is the measure of all truth. It bears witness of all truth, including the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The argument that the Bible is the sole way to assess truth is specious and is used by the Adversary to turn men away from the source of revelation that saves souls.

Despite the truth that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is indeed the "only true and living church," our understanding of the plan of salvation doesn't condemn others to hell. That's the big difference. Let's look at it from the points of view that there is one true church, whichever one it is. If Catholics are right, then Protestants and Evangelicals are excluded from heaven because they reject Papal authority, sacraments, baptism, by authority, etc. The Pope said that there is only one true Church and said that Protestants are not "proper churches" because they lack authority. See this MSNBC article about a papal encyclical from 2007: Pope: Jesus formed 'only one church' - The Vatican- msnbc.com If Evangelicals are right, then Catholics are not saved in heaven because they rely on works as well as grace. The anti-Mormon and anti-Catholic CARM web site says the following about who is a Christian, and thus who is saved. "Are Roman Catholics Christians? They are if they have trusted in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins. However, if they believe that the are saved by God's grace and their works, then they are not saved -- even if they believe their works are done by God's grace -- since they then deny the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. "Being a Christian does not mean being a member of the Roman Catholic Church. It means being a member of the body of Christ which is accomplished by faith and trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins. It means that you do not add your works to His work. Sincerity doesn't forgive sins. Membership in a church doesn't forgive sins. Doing works of penance doesn't forgive sins. Praying to Mary doesn't forgive sins. Forgiveness is received in the faithful trust and acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. You must trust Jesus, God in flesh, for the forgiveness of sins, not a man made ritual and certainly not the catholic saints. Even though Roman Catholic Church affirms the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and His physical resurrection, it greatly errs in its doctrine of salvation by adding works to salvation. Catholics say Evangelicals are "Christian" if they've had a proper Catholic baptism. Evangelicals say that Catholics are "Christian" if they abandon Catholicism. So, without even bringing latter-day saints into the picture, you see there's a feud between two Christian branches, both of which claim the other is false. Each branch claims that it is the "true and living" church and condemns the other "Christians" to hell. Latter-day saints do not exclude other Christians or denominations from a glorious resurrection in the afterlife. We know there are many mansions because Jesus said so. We know by revelation that all but the sons of perdition will inherit kingdoms of glory. Only those who receive the fullness of the gospel, obey its ordinances, and live faithfully will go to the Celestial Kingdom by the grace of Christ. Nevertheless, those who will inherit lesser kingdoms do so by the grace of Christ. The whole argument about who is Christian and who isn't is an exercise in exclusivity. When Protestants and Catholics get it figured out, maybe they can let the world know which one of them was right. Meanwhile, the latter-day saints will continue to have faith in Jesus Christ, obey his commandments, and seek a remission of sin through his atonement. We'll keep the door open for the rest of Christendom once they get done bickering. Logic tells us there can only be one true church or else none of them are. There can't be two true churches that contradict one another. You can read an article I wrote on the topic at: What is a Christian?

I think Sola Fide has posed an ancillary question, that is: did Joseph Smith teach the same doctrine from day one. In this, I would point out a similarity between Joseph Smith and the Lord Jesus. For both of them, their ministries were conducted towards a crescendo that ended up taking their lives because the power of their teachings left their adversaries no other option. To silence them, their opponents had to kill them. If we examine the ministry of Jesus, he didn't directly proclaim his Messiahship to everyone. He let the works bear testimony of him. The Pharisees often tried to goad him into saying who he was, but he always referred them back to the works he did. Those were his proof. By his fruits, he would be known. When demons tried to "out" him prematurely, he told them to be silent. When Peter gave his momentous testimony that "thou art the Christ, the son of the living God," Jesus told him to "tell no man." Gradually, as the Church grew and his apostles gained the ability to direct the Church in his absence, Jesus turned up the heat. In the final weeks of his life, he boldly confronted his opponents, almost daring them to take him. He told them "if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." Finally, when hauled before the council of the Jews, when the High Priest adjured him "by the living God" if he was the Christ, Jesus answered him. That gave them the evidence they needed and wanted in order to put him to death. Like Jesus, Joseph started out his ministry making small waves that gradually increased in intensity. I really think that, at the King Follett funeral, six weeks before his death, he intentionally provoked his enemies. He had taught these doctrines from the beginning, but at the end of his life, he did so with such boldness that they could no longer suffer him to live. So did Joseph teach the same doctrines from the beginning? Given that the restoration took place bit by bit, there was further light of revelation that amplified his understanding. But of some things, like the nature of the Godhead, his teachings were consistent from the beginning. Did he preach more boldly toward the end? Yes. From the time that Section 132 was published, wherein the Lord sealed upon him his exaltation (see D&C 132:49), Joseph feared not what man could do to him and his teachings were less "diplomatic" and more powerful than before that time. I can see where an outsider who is unfamiliar with Joseph's life might interpret that progression as does Sola Fide. It might seem that Joseph taught new doctrine about the Godhead, but that would simply be an errant impression. Joseph knew God the Father and he knew Christ. He had no doubts about their nature and needed no scripture or creed to explain what and who they were. Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!

Joseph Smith saw two personages at the First Vision. They were separate and distinct. They were physical, tangible beings. His knowledge of God came from direct experience, not any developing of theology. Years before the plates came into his hands--years before the Book of Mormon was translated, Joseph knew the natures of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. It wasn't so much a case that his theology "evolved" but that the Lord gave the Church line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. Joseph knew much more than he was ever permitted to reveal. He was permitted to reveal to the saints the things he knew in a sequence determined by the Lord. Inasmuch as we are faithful, we expect to obtain further revelation in the future. These discussions miss the point. The quickest path to truth goes through the Sacred Grove. Those who are unwilling to go there in their hearts and ask of God will remain in error. That is the path to God for everyone in the dispensation of the fullness of times. Those who avoid it do so at their eternal peril. Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis once told an interviewer that "talking about music is like dancing about architecture." To experience music, talking doesn't do the trick. Listening to music is necessary. To understand the nature of the Godhead, every person has to go to the Sacred Grove in his heart and ask of God, just as Joseph Smith did. Those who refuse to do so because of fear of man's scorn or sectarian traditions are simply "dancing about architecture."

What difference does it make in the end? If they say we're not a Christian denomination because of some historical or doctrinal exclusion, we know better. If they say we're a fourth Abrahamic religion, that's a dodge because of their unwillingness to accept us as truly Christian. We have no desire to be accorded any status equal to apostate Christian churches, Their acceptance or rejection of us doesn't affect the truths of the restored gospel, the reality of Joseph Smith's vision, the veracity of the Book of Mormon, etc. The Holy Ghost bears witness of truth. Some will accept that witness, some will reject. Either the First Vision occurred and everything that transpired from it is of God or it didn't happen and the rest is the product of a fraud. The truth is independent of sectarian opinions. If the First Vision occurred, the sectarian world is in error. If it didn't occur, then good luck trying to find a true Church amidst the confused, quarrelsome world of the sectarians. I came to the LDS church 30 years ago after having already made that search. The only reason I can see where it might make a difference is that some Christians might feel reticent persecuting another Christian sect. To committed anti-Mormons, it won't make a difference. The same spirit that once abode in the hearts of those who burned the homes of the pioneers, torched the Nauvoo Temple, and drove the saints into the wilderness still exists. It is only the constraints of a liberal, democratic society that restrains them today.

Hi everyone, Someone using a Google query on this topic visited my web site some time back, but they didn't join or comment. Perhaps it was the same individual who posted this one here. Here's a few comments on the topic. Paul was an "anomaly" among the early apostles, in that he had training as a Pharisee. The other men who were called were not schooled in the rabbinical schools. For this reason, Paul's writings often tend to use Jewish history and tradition to establish his claim that Jesus was the Christ. It's not that the other apostles were unable to do this, but Paul had formal training which he then turned to the service of Christ's cause. Nevertheless, his writing drew heavily from this background. The entire epistle to the Hebrews is an attempt by Paul to tie together and link things that the Jews already knew, to build a bridge to the acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah. The opening "preamble" of Hebrews is the first step in doing that. In some measure, it an expansion on Peter's sermon in Acts chapter 2 and Stephen's sermon in Acts chapter 7. The idea that God works according to a pattern is key. Paul establishes a pattern and then continues through the rest of the epistle to relate to that pattern. He uses the election of the seed of Abraham, the office of the High Priest, Israel's hardening against Moses in the wilderness, the relationship and preeminence of Melchizedek and the ancient Patriarchs over Abraham (and thus Abraham's seed), the symbolism of the tabernacle, sacrifices, and the miracles wrought through faith in generations past. From those things, he illustrates the pattern and shows how Jesus Christ fulfilled the covenant made with Moses, bringing back the blessings that appertained to the antediluvian patriarchs (direct communion with God.) Attempts by some to isolate a few verses and play with the wording of the opening verses of Hebrews 1 is misguided. Nothing in the entire Bible says that God would never speak again by revelation. Certainly the primitive church was guided by revelation to living oracles. Ephesians 4:11-14 shows clearly that apostles and prophets were intended to lead the church in perpetuity. Again, let's use Paul's technique as an example. The Bible establishes the pattern that God speaks through prophets. Paul shows that the coming of Christ was consistent with that pattern. The calling of apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:19-20) to guide a chosen people by revelation was consistent with that pattern. Then, INCONSISTENT with that pattern, the ancient church rejected living apostles and prophets (see Acts 20:29, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-7, 4:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, 3 John 1:9-10) declared the canon of scripture closed, and persecuted anyone who taught otherwise. This necessitated a restoration (Acts 3:21). The Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith is consistent with the ancient pattern throughout the ages. Revelation was the norm then, as now. Authority, priesthood, and ordinances were part of the pattern, then as now. Faith worked miracles, then as now. Prophets and apostles presided then, as now. The church was not a quarreling, fragmented, fractious, and divided lot as sectarian Christendom is today. Then, as now in the true church, there was one Lord, one faith, one baptism. (Ephesians 4:5) Reading Hebrews in its entirety with an understanding that the Lord's plan is one in all ages and dispensations is important. The same gospel that was preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8) and saved his soul is the one that will save ours. The Epistle to the Hebrews establishes that very nicely. The Bible, when read without attempts to make it conform to sectarian notions plainly bears witness that latter-day saints are a restoration of ancient Christianity.