spamlds

Why not pray about it and do what the Spirit directs? "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God...." (James 1:5) It doesn't say ask your friends or Google! It says ask of God. For something that is so important to a family, don't you think that the Lord would speak to you about it? Give it a try.

What you say is true, but you're missing the point of why having ordinances is important. Doctrine and Covenants 84 says: "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..." We know we are saved by God's grace. The question is how do we obtain that grace? It comes to the believer by making and keeping covenants with God. The covenants are established in the ordinances of the gospel. Without the ordinances, the power of godliness (grace) is not manifest to men in the flesh. Note that in the First Vision (and also in 2 Timothy 3:5) the Lord said that apostate Christendom had a "form of godliness" but lacked "the power thereof." What were they lacking? The ordinances and the authority to perform them. This is the whole point of the Restoration. It all goes back to the Sacred Grove.

There will always be a tug-of-war between the Spirit and uniformity in the Church. The Spirit will direct the leaders of the individual congregations as to what is appropriate and what isn't. If the saints are in-tune with the Spirit, they will support the leaders without undue murmuring. Let me use a concrete situation that occurred in my branch. We have two wonderful young men. That's all, just two. Their family is from Mexico. Their father is a righteous priesthood holder, a returned missionary, and a good man. These young men, as first generation Americans, straddle two cultures. There is a temptation that occurs for them to rebel against what might be considered "Anglo" traditions and standards. They are good boys, but as all teenage boys do, they test limits sometime. One Sunday, one of them was wearing a "biker wallet" with a long chain hanging out of his pocket, way down his leg. I didn't see it and apparently their mother and father didn't catch it either. They have smaller children and were probably running around trying to find shoes and whatnot for the younger children before coming to church. I know how that goes! Anyway, as one of the brethren handed him the sacrament tray, after the prayer, I saw the chain hanging out of the boy's pocket, down his leg. It was definitely distracting. As he brought me the sacrament, my first impulse was to have him do something about it. Instead, I felt the gentle prompting to ignore it. The Spirit corrected me. As he went down the rows, passing the bread, he got to the back of the chapel behind the members' seats and waited for his brother to finish the other side. A lady in the back, right next to him reached over, took the chain, and gently dropped it into his pocket. She smiled and he looked a little embarrassed, but he smiled back and nodded. No one else saw this but me and my counselors up front. The rest of the ordinance finished as usual. I never brought it up and the wallet with the chain has never appeared in church again. Had I tried to correct the issue in front of everyone, it would have probably humiliated the young man. There was a definite prompting by the Spirit to let it go. Then the Spirit prompted the sister in the back to correct the young man lovingly and gently, where no one else in the congregation would see. The fine line between Phariseeism (inflexible rules and ritual) and standards of uniformity guided by inspired leaders is that the Spirit guides the leaders. If your bishop requires a white shirt and a tie for youth who pass the sacrament, then support him in that. In my small branch, I sometimes have very few priesthood brethren present. In some cases, I have to bend a little. A few weeks ago, I felt impressed to ask a new convert to pass the sacrament. He is not from our country and he is still getting used the "norms" of the Church. He was wearing a suit and a shirt with an open collar, as would be common in his country. When he joined the Church, he didn't own a suit. A member of the branch had bought him the suit just a week earlier. Would I have preferred that he be wearing a tie? Most definitely. Was I about to argue with the Spirit when it prompted me to ask him to participate in the ordinance? No! I want you all to know that the appointed leaders of your stakes, wards, and branches are chosen by the Lord. They are not perfect men, but I testify that the Lord speaks to them. Revelation is very real in the Church. It happens all the time. Your bishops receive inspiration frequently in very clear ways. You may not see it. You may be tested by their inspiration. That's part of the test of life and of being a member of the Church. Brothers and sisters, have confidence in the shepherds who watch over you. Don't criticize them. Support them. Don't backbite against them. Don't gainsay and resist the gentle counsel that comes from them. Great blessing will come to you as you do this. Let me conclude by saying this. If your own mind is distracted over what message you're going to send this week by wearing a plaid shirt or a dress that might be inappropriate, your mind is not going to be operating at the level necessary to hear the quiet promptings of the Spirit that might have far more important things to teach you. If you yield your heart to the Lord and stop arguing with him and his servants about such mundane things, suddenly the channels open up for more important communications. Let the Lord win this one. OK?

I would agree with you wholeheartedly on that statement. Matthew 13 and Mark 4 are a couple of my favorite passages for understanding how the word of God interacts with faith of the hearers. The quality of the seed is assured. The results depend on what's in the heart. That's the beauty of the plan. We grow up in knowledge, wisdom, and strength. We hear the word and depending on what we are inside, there are different results. Some people hear the word and immediately dismiss it. The seed falls to the wayside because their hearts are already too wicked and corrupt to accept it at all. The "wicked one" steals it away before it can even take root. In the "stony ground" people, it takes root, but doesn't last. Trials, affliction, persecution deter growth. They don't nourish the seed like Alma says to do in the Book of Mormon. (See Alma chapter 32.) Some people fall prey to distractions in the "thorny ground." Their growth gets choked by wealth-seeking, career, education, prosperity, and various desires and lusts. Idolatry--the worship of things--chokes off spiritual growth. Then, even among those who accept the word, some bring forth fruit in varying degrees, depending on various factors. It's human nature. You see this process at work in all churches because all churches are filled with human beings. It's a marvelously conceived process that sorts souls based on their willingness to submit to the Lord's will. As humans, we tend to want a "program" to follow. Some want the Bible to be an "instruction manual" and if they do what it says, they'll be saved. Others want a simple guarantee--a confession of faith, regardless of works--and the expectation of salvation. Yet others like to build up complex sets of rules and behaviors to ascend to God. If we carefully study the lives of the prophets and the apostles, we'll see that God often pushed them to go beyond what the perceived requirements of the law were. Abraham and Isaac is a perfect example. In the Book of Mormon, we have the story of Nephi and the wicked Laban. In the Church in our day, we had a bunch of New-Englanders of Puritan stock and morals who were commanded to practice plural marriage. The Lord tested these folks and those tests were extremely difficult. For each of us, scripture is an invitation to come directly under the tutelage of the Almighty, via the Holy Ghost. When that tuition begins, amazing things begin to happen. The Lord takes us to places that makes us re-evaluate our commitment and the artificial barriers we place to say "This far and no farther." When we resist that testing and lock ourselves into forms, rules, and ritual, we cross over into Phariseeism. We adopt a "form of godliness" and "deny the power thereof." This was what the Lord described in the First Vision. Latter-day saints should be wary of following down the same path that led primitive Christians to adopt dead creeds and abandon living revelation. The dynamic process that guides us through these spiritual hurdles depends on a direct relationship with Jesus Christ and a willingness to receive counsel and guidance from him directly as well as through his servants. It't human nature to want to "delegate" that responsibility to others. To follow and obey the Lord, we must listen to his voice as he reveals it to us. The question and challenge that latter-day saints face nearly two centuries after the Restoration is the same that the ancient Church faced. Do we as individuals fall prey to the temptation to follow established forms alone? Or do we respond to the invitation of the Spirit to guide us as we follow living prophets and apostles? The ancient Church chose the form and abandoned the oracles. If we are not careful, the same can happen to us.

In the responses so far, it seems the counsel of Brigham Young to not share our "follies" with the world is not an issue. I appreciate this being an open forum. That's fine. I'm all for free-speech. It is also the case that those who come here confessing their sins are often the least educated in terms of what is spiritually correct (as opposed to politically correct.) Because they may not know that such counsel from Brigham Young exists, it depends on informed members and moderators to enforce the standards. The moderators would be doing a service to the individuals and to the Church, to include this as a policy in the terms-of-service or the forum rules to prohibit such explicit confessions of personal transgressions. It's not censorship--it's protecting the dignity of the transgressor. I have seen public meetings in the Church, such as testimony meetings, where new converts get up and give a testimony of how evil they were before they joined the Church and how much it has changed their lives. This is popularized in the Evangelical culture on shows like "The 700 Club" where people who "found Jesus" praise him for delivering them from drugs, prostitution, and all sorts of unseemly behaviors and habits. Such public confessions are unwarranted and they don't edify the body of Christ. New members or members who have not been active for long periods of time may lack the sensibility and sensitivity to where the line is, when discussing such feelings. When such testimonies have occurred in our testimony meetings, you can feel the Spirit's presence suddenly "evaporate." I have also seen wise bishops go up to the "confessor," put an arm around them, and gently provide them encouragement to change the subject. If a bishop can do it in a testimony meeting, a moderator in a forum like this certainly can do the same. Let's suppose that someone comes to this forum and confesses some sin, like a brother did here recently--that he lied to his priesthood leaders in an interview before going to BYU. Yes, many members counseled him to go and speak with his bishop ASAP. But suppose just one of them said, "Oh, it's no big deal. I'm sure there are a lot of people who do that. Don't worry about it." Suppose that the latter is the counsel he chose to follow and he never goes to resolve the issue with his bishop. Wouldn't it be tragic? Are we accountable for the advice we give? Sure we are! When we speak face-to-face, there is a certain amount of self-editing that occurs. We adjust our conversation according to whom we speak with. A bishop would not go and discuss the law of chastity with a class of MiaMaids in the same manner as he would the Relief Society. He wouldn't discuss pornography and masturbation with a primary class, whereas a frank discussion and warning might be appropriate to an Elders' Quorum meeting. Certainly, there are one-on-one interviews with a bishop or branch president where details of transgressions are appropriate. In an Internet forum such as this, we have teenagers, college-students, mature adults, and of course people who aren't members of the Church. We should be more circumspect in conversation in general, because we don't have the face-to-face input that would naturally lead us to self-edit. Again, moderators serve an important purpose in maintaining quality of conversations. There is a responsibility to the Church that moderators of Church-oriented web sites must shoulder. If they let discussions run wild and free in such a manner that they no longer edify, or they permit critics and apostates to harm the faith of others, then they share part of the responsibility. Certainly the new Mormon.org is aggressively moderated. I'm not faulting the moderators here. I'm just suggesting that they should not feel reticent to exercise a little more guidance.

Living in Virginia, I would say from my experience, that 9 out of 10 converts receive anti-Mormon literature from family and friends as they begin to seriously consider baptism into the LDS Church. In this Internet age, you don't need to be involved in apologetics or evangelistic work to receive anti-Mormon literature. A friend of mine who lived in Mississippi said that one Evangelical church in the Biloxi area made it a point a couple of times a year to come to our fast and testimony meetings and disrupt them with anti-Mormon demonstrations. The various Church pageants, such as the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant, are disrupted almost every year by loud protesters. There have been instances where anti-Mormon street preachers have stood outside the gates of Temple square and shouted "Mormon whores!" at the newlywed couples who were getting their wedding pictures taken by professional photographers and family members. Let me propose an experiment. Simply go to any online forum like Facebook or Reddit or a Christian discussion forum and, using an anonymous account name, announce that you're considering joining the Mormon Church and watch what happens. You will be inundated with disparaging attacks against the Church by "concerned" strangers. In my personal experience, when I was investigating the Church over 30 years ago, we had a neighbor lady across the street who never even spoke to me or paid any attention to me whatsoever. After a few months of living there, she noticed Mormon missionaries coming to our home. She inquired of my mother about them and my mom told her I was considering joining the Church. A couple of days later, she gave my mother some anti-Mormon pamphlets she got from her Baptist minister. (He just happened to keep some on hand!) She told my mother I was being brainwashed by a dangerous cult. It upset her terribly. Was the neighbor, who never gave me the time of day, suddenly concerned for my welfare or was she simply filled with a spirit of bigotry? This process is repeated again and again, year after year. Every Mormon elder has seen it. If you are able to resist this spirit, good for you. I would hope that you would use your influence with your fellow clergymen to dispel them of this practice.

Over the past couple of days, I've seen some disturbing posts on the site here. They involved individuals confessing extremely private information about their transgressions or their family conflicts. I work in the information technology field. I also worked in the Air Force in what has come to be known as Information Warfare. Let me assure everyone that there is no assurance of privacy on the Internet. Web sites can be hacked. Search engines allow a skilled user to mine data using key phrases and characteristic patterns of writing. It isn't very hard for the authorities or someone unscrupulous to identify a user with commonly available tools. Also, you should be aware that what you post on the Internet is forever. Just go to "www.archive.org" and you can find multiple iterations of web sites that have long since disappeared. The information is archived on servers and can be recalled in the future. It is prudent to be cautious about what information you post about yourself and your loved ones. From a doctrinal standpoint, leaders of the Church have discouraged "public" confessions of sins. Here are instructions regarding confession from President Brigham Young. "Keep your follies that do not concern others to yourselves, and keep your private wickedness as still as possible; hide it from the eyes of the public gaze as far as you can. I wish to say this upon this particular point in regard to people's confessing. We wish to see people honestly confess as they should and what they should. "But if you have stolen your neighbor's cattle, own it, and restore the property, with fourfold if it is requested. If you have taken your neighbor's spade, own it, and return it, with fourfold if he requires it. I believe in coming out and being plain and honest with that which should be made public, and in keeping to yourselves that which should be kept. If you have your weaknesses, keep them hid from your brethren as much as you can. You never hear me ask the people to tell their follies. But when we ask the brethren, as we frequently do, to speak in sacrament meetings, we wish them, if they have injured their neighbors, to confess their wrongs; but do not tell about your nonsensical conduct that nobody knows of but yourselves. Tell to the public that which belongs to the public. If you have sinned against the people, confess to them. If you have sinned against a family or a neighborhood, go to them and confess. If you have sinned against your Ward, confess to your Ward. If you have sinned against one individual, take that person by yourselves and make your confession to him. And if you have sinned against your God, or against yourselves, confess to God, and keep the matter to yourselves, for I do not want to know anything about it." I pass this information onto the site's members in the hope that they will accept this as wise counsel. There is much to be gained from studying the teachings of the prophets and the scriptures and avoiding idle speculations about subjects that don't edify. Believe me, as a person who serves currently as a "judge in Israel," there is nothing edifying about hearing legitimate, proper confessions of sin. My heart aches for people who struggle with sins and it weighs me down. Thank goodness the Lord takes this burden from my heart when it becomes too much to bear. Certainly it is not uplifting to the site's visitors, investigators, and those who are seeking strength. Every member of the Church has a bishop or branch president appointed to hear his or her confessions. They have authority from the Lord given to them to assess, counsel, and administer discipline as necessary. They are the Lord's agents in the redemptive process. The Internet and forums like this offer no saving virtue, no redemptive power. If anything, they open up a person who is weak and struggling to even greater power of the Adversary because of the open nature of the replies that come. The site moderators would do well to remove discussions that are contrary to President Young's counsel regarding confession and to privately contact the members with encouragement to seek counsel from their priesthood leaders.

My wife and I have talked about going, but we fear there will be some potential conflicts. The New Black Panther Party has threatened to disrupt the event. The radical left would love for this event to be marred by some violent altercation. I would be concerned about bringing family members there. In addition to that, standing out in the August heat and humidity in D.C. surrounded by a half-million people isn't my idea of "inspiration." Think parking, crowded Metro stations, $4.00 bottles of water, and porta-potties. I'll watch the clips on TV.

Agreed. Here is a brother who is struggling for help and encouragement to cling to the "iron rod." I have little patience for anti-Mormons or preachers of false religions who try to steer latter-day saints from our religion. However, when a brother is drowning, throw him a line not an anchor! Dear brother, hang in there. Don't listen to those who want to destroy your faith. Listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. He loves you and he has power to save you! Just don't let go!

If you were to sit back and analyze your comments with some degree of detachment, you'd realize that your primary consideration is what other people think about you (your parents, your bishop, the stake president). What about what the Lord thinks? He is real. The Church just isn't a club for people who pretend to be righteous. It's a place where we come to deal with our humanity, our weaknesses, and bring them to the Lord. You've been taught since you were young that there are standards and that there are consequences to violating those standards. Going to the bishop and confessing your mistakes would be the first truly adult decision you will have made in your life. It's probably the first true act of faith you've ever done on your own. I don't care what time it is when you read this in your time zone. Put down your computer and go talk to your father. Then call your bishop. It doesn't matter if it's late. Call him. Tell him you need to speak with him as soon as possible. Don't care what people think about you. Think only what your Heavenly Father expects. Go to him with humility and admit your errors. He promises that he will forgive you because Jesus Christ has already died to pay for your mistakes. This will show faith in Jesus Christ and it will be pleasing unto him. It might be painful to do. If so, welcome to the real world. Jesus said it is better to to "pluck out an eye" or "cut off a hand" that offends and to enter the kingdom of heaven without them. In the worst case, if you were to have to wait a year to go to BYU, it would be better to "enter the kingdom" of God without schooling than to be an educated, faithless sinner. The sooner you get this resolved, the better you're going to feel. Your family will stand by you. The Lord loves you and he will forgive you. There are more important things in life than going to BYU.

Dear brother, It is painful to hear of your innermost struggles in such a public forum. The Internet certainly isn't the place to discuss your personal weaknesses and follies. Nothing goes away on the Internet. It is here forever. That's unfortunate. Nevertheless, it is not without compassion that we consider your situation. Welcome to what are called the "buffetings of Satan." When a person places himself in spiritual danger, you give Satan unparalleled access to your life. He doesn't want you to be happy and he will lead you from one degree of unhappiness to another. The doubts you feel come from that influence, coupled with the loss of the Spirit's companionship. It's to be expected. It's normal to have psychological defense mechanisms kick in. When you feel unworthy, it's easy to justify your mistakes and place the blame on the Church. Satan wants you to forsake the Church because it's the way to strengthen yourself against him. He'll tempt you to not believe in God and Christ. He'll try to confuse you with false statements from those who hate the Church and oppose it. Is there a way out? Yes. It comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Everyone sins. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone exercises bad judgment. We're flawed. We'll never be perfect on our own. When we consider the perfection of God, we should rightly sense that we fall short and are unworthy to be in his presence. That is true for all of us. Nobody gets to heaven on his own without Jesus Christ's help. How do we claim his help and his mercy? We humbly admit that we can't do it on our own. We accept his death as the payment for what we've done wrong. There is no punishment we can suffer that will pay the price for our mistakes. We have to accept that Jesus did it for us. Then we come to him. We realize that he willingly died to help us as individuals. He does not condemn us. He wants us to come to him and be healed. Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ and thank him for all he has done. Ask to be forgiven, then press on. Don't belabor the point. Don't focus on the negative. Instead, focus on the blessings he gives you every day. Gratitude has incredible power to draw you near to God. Study the Book of Mormon, lingering over those passages that teach of Christ. Enjoy them. Feel the hope they give you. Thank the Lord for them. Last of all, this is the hardest part, begin to think of yourself as a righteous, forgiven person. Accept that the price has been paid for your mistakes. Press on. Be grateful for the Lord's forgiveness. If you screw up, start over immediately. Eventually, you will enjoy the peace of the Spirit in increasing doses. You'll come to cherish the companionship of the Spirit and you'll have less of a desire to do things that would offend it. You can have strength to put aside web sites, media, movies, magazines, or whatever it is that might tempt you. If you see an immodestly dressed woman, a picture in a magazine, or a web site, replace the thoughts that come with a grateful thought. Don't focus on self-condemning thoughts. You can defeat temptation with thankfulness. Thank the Lord for your family, your friends, your job, your car, the food you have to eat, or anything. Just shift away from the tempting thought to a thought that expresses gratitude. I can't begin to tell you how powerful gratitude is in changing your life. As you do this, you'll feel the power of the atonement changing your life. You'll feel worthy again. You'll feel forgiven. You'll still make mistakes, but you won't feel condemned. You'll feel the Lord's love and wish to return it and serve him. At that point, your bishop will see the change in your life. You can return to full fellowship in the Church. Don't be discouraged. This is what the gospel is all about. It is about redemption. It's about the power of God touching your life. You can experience all that. Don't give up. Stay close to the Church and make friends with faithful members. You'll make it. I know the Lord loves us and that being "born again" is a real experience. You can feel that, too. I know that Jesus Christ can save us from our sins and bring us peace.

"Distrust comes largely from lack of exposure." That's really funny. We have over 50,000 missionaries in the field. We have thousands of members blogging on the Internet. We run commercial spots on TV, radio, and on the web. In fact, one of the chief complaints I've received from anti-Mormons is that they'd be content to leave us alone if we'd just stop proselyting so aggressively. It's like those critics who attack the Church because it's wealthy. Every time we do something good, like the humanitarian relief to Haiti earlier this year, they attack us. I could only laugh as one group of them bashed us for not being "transparent" in our finances. The other group bashed us for "making a spectacle" out of ourselves and boasting of our good works. Which is it? How do we simultaneously "flaunt" our money while keeping our finances secret? I have to ask then, which is it? Are Mormons to be criticized for being "overly aggressive" in our proselyting or are we to be faulted for not getting the word out adequately? I appreciate that you appear to abstain from attacking the Mormon Church in your congregation. You're a rare bird if that's so! The thousands of hostile emails I received from May 2008 to May 2010 when I was operating the S.P.A.M. web site, taught me a lot about anti-Mormon activities, how they're coordinated, the interactions between the parachurches and ministries. It was very enlightening.

A person who would wear temple clothing outside the temple would feel no remorse about spray-painting a swastika on a synagogue, flushing a Qu'ran down the toilet, burning a cross on the yard of an African-American family, or burning a flag at the funeral of a fallen war hero. It is such a distasteful, hateful thing, it should be regarded as a human rights violation. When will the world consider anti-Mormonism "hate speech?" I made a video about this last year after having an anti-Mormon bigot post pictures of temple garments on the conservative Republican web site Free Republic. Here's the link to the video:

Why is it that people don't "trust" the Mormon Church? I'd have to say it is the constant torrent of anti-Mormonism that spews from the pulpits of sectarian Christendom. Since the beginning of the Restoration, anti-Mormons have lied and distorted our beliefs instead of giving them serious consideration. This continues even today. A Texas megachurch shows its high school-age youth "The Godmakers" every semester to "inoculate" them from the influence of their Mormon friends. Whenever we hold open houses before temple dedications, there are "concerned Christians" who are passing out anti-Mormon literature to our guests. When the governments of several African nations were considering giving the Church official recognition and allowing our elders into their lands, prominent anti-Mormons flew to those nations and showed anti-Mormon "documentaries" to their parliaments. Just a week ago, apostate Ed Decker was publishing a bunch of anti-Mormon drivel about Romney and an LDS Church plan to overthrow America. In the years I ran the Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism, I exposed links and cooperation between anti-Mormon Evangelicals and anti-Mormon atheists who swapped notes on how best to attack Mormonism. I found and exposed anti-Mormon gay marriage activists who were in league with anti-Mormon Christians who collaborated against us. Unless you've actually been involved in monitoring this kind of activity, it's hard to believe. But it is very real. There are over 800 parachurches and ministries in the USA who, in most cases, are for-profit businesses that make money selling anti-Mormon books and videos. They refer to themselves as the "counter-cult industry." For nearly two centuries, anti-Mormons in sectarian churches have had a near monopoly on the minds of their followers. That is why we run ads on television and on the Internet to dispel the false notions that are intentionally promoted by so-called Christians. Joseph Smith wrote in D&C 123 that the creeds of men are the "mainspring of corruption." False priests and pastors would suddenly find us acceptable if we were to abandon the word of the Lord to Joseph Smith, given at the First Vision. The Lord told him that the creeds were an "abomination," that their "professors are all corrupt," that they have a "form of godliness" but they deny the power thereof. If we want the world to "trust" us, all we have to do is stop declaring that message. At that point the practitioners of priestcraft would accept us as one of their own. If we want to please men more than God, it's easy to do. If we want to stand up for the truth, there will always be opposition to it.

Yesterday I replied to a post here on LDS.net where a fellow was asking for "unbiased history" he could read to find "proof" that the Church was true. A dozen or more "helpful" brothers and sisters tried to point him to various historical books and web sites. I made the point that the proof comes through the Spirit. A person who has no agenda--no need of some kind of "ego prop" to justify to his professor, his friends, or his chums on some anti-Mormon web site--can easily find the truth simply by reading the Book of Mormon and listening to the Spirit in his heart. We all instinctively know the truth. It is a misguided desire to look educated or sophisticated that takes us away from what we know in our hearts. Your 7 year-old daughter is perfect proof of that. The gospel is easy to understand. It isn't complicated. Even children understand it. Those who don't "get it" are looking for some reason not to get it.

Respectfully, your approach to find out whether the Church is true will be inconclusive and leave you in confusion. The only way God himself has ordained to obtain a testimony of the Church is by personal revelation. Study is only part of it. You need not study everything. Paul spoke of men who were "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:7) Men want to make some big ordeal out of learning the truth. They want something they can hang on their wall, or that they can give as a "rational justification" that would satisfy their college professor, their family, etc. When one is in that position, it is good to ask if you are concerned about what others think more than what God thinks. If you care more about what men think, God won't give you a personal revelation about the truth. When you are ready for people to think of you as a "fool for Christ's sake" (1 Corinthians 4:10). when knowing the truth is more important that men's opinions, you're ready to get your answer. The Lord has made it easy for every person to obtain a personal testimony of the gospel. All you have to read is one book--The Book of Mormon. You don't even have to read all of it. If your heart is right and you desire to follow the Lord, he will give you a testimony of it. Nothing else will do. Nothing else will satisfy. The Lord told Oliver Cowdery, "Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?" (D&C 6:23) Is the testimony of some archaeologist better than a witness from God? Is the testimony of some historian greater than a personal revelation from the Lord? If you esteem their "proof" more than the Holy Ghost, you'll never, ever know it's true. Please read these words of the apostle John, who was one of Jesus' witnesses as well as one of his best friends. What "proof" did he offer of the reality of Jesus Christ? 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he restored the true Church through Joseph Smith the Prophet. I found this testimony by a personal experience with the Holy Ghost. Though I have studied long and hard over 30-plus years, my testimony came from reading the Book of Mormon and the Spirit's witness that it is true. Anyone, even a latter-day saint, who tells you there is some other way to find truth is leading you astray. They're stealing your birthright as a child of Heavenly Father. God has your answer--not men.

The expression "cease to be God" is a rhetorical device utilized by Alma to teach his son about the need for constant and consistent obedience to the Lord's commandments. Alma 42: 13, 22, 25-- 13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God. • • • 22 But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the claw, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God. • • • 25 What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God. It proposes hypothetical situations where, if certain conditions were to disrupt the balance of justice and mercy, the principles of righteousness would be overturned and "God would cease to be God." Of course, as Alma teaches, God is true and constant and that his laws of justice cannot be robbed by the extension of mercy. The atonement of the Messiah "balances the scales" between justice and mercy. I see where "CommanderSouth" is going, however. He is seeking a way to harmonize the principle that God the Father is God, that Jesus Christ is God, and that the Holy Ghost is also God, yet they are three beings, not one (as our Christian brothers pretend). He suggests that the term "God" is a title, not an actual name. There are many titles the scriptures give us that are used honorifically for Deity: God, Lord, Lord God, Elohim, Jehovah, Redeemer, Savior, Mighty One of Israel, Son of Man, the Branch, the Root of David, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and many more. In one passage, Moses 7:5, the Lord states: Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also." Any superlative might well be a name for our Lord, because he is the ultimate Good that can possibly exist. Perhaps the brother's suggestion that "God" is a collective title like "humanity" is not far off-base. Perfect unity exists among all exalted beings. They are all "one."

You can't get any clearer than D&C 138. However, if you have nonmember friends who want answers from the Bible, you can show them these other scriptures about what occurred between Jesus' death and resurrection: Isaiah 24:21-22-- 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Isaiah 42:6-7-- I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. Isaiah 61:1-- 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim iliberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Zechariah 9:11-- 11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. John 5:25-- 5 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 1 Peter 4:6-- 6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Peter 3:18-20-- 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

When I joined the Church in 1978, long hair was still in fashion to some degree. I had shoulder-length hair at the time. A few months after I became a member, I was called to be a stake missionary and I was asked very diplomatically if I would consider cutting my hair. I was honored to be extended a calling and especially to work with the missionaries, so I went to the barber shop before the next Sunday and got a regular men's haircut. Some people at Church nearly didn't recognize me! It was funny. I never regretted cutting my hair. I figured that personal vanity was a small thing to sacrifice for the honor of serving as a representative of the Lord's Church. After my mission, I got into the habit of wearing plaid or "other than white" shirts to Church. I often wore sweaters and such instead of wearing a tie. As a young father with children, I usually sat with my family and I didn't have to pass or bless the sacrament as often as I had done when I was single. Eventually, I came to realize that the simple thing of wearing a white shirt and a tie sent a signal to my priesthood leaders (and thus to the Lord's servants) that I was ready and willing to participate in priesthood ordinances. I decided that I would always wear a white shirt and tie from that point on. It was a small thing, but it signified a change in my attitude to be personally more available to the Lord. Ten years ago, I was called to a bishopric. The bishop always has to be clean shaven, thus his counselors (as his proxies for some business) should be clean shaven as well. It's a sign of support to the bishop. Again, it shows a ready mind and a willingness to shoulder the yoke as the bishop's fellowservants. Today, I'm a branch president. I appreciate it so much when my brethren come to Church wearing the simple, dignified apparel that will allow them to pass the sacrament, administer to the sick, or to teach a class without undue distraction. I am grateful for sisters and young women who wear modest apparel and set a good example. We don't wear "burkas," but what we do wear is an outward manifestation of our readiness to submit ourselves to the service of God. Very often, when we are trying to resist the Lord's Spirit, it shows up in how we dress and groom our bodies. It's a small thing we can do to invite the Lord's Spirit to be with us and to show respect for him and his Church.

I've read some of these demographic studies and surveys. To me they're bogus. They make some assumptions that are not based in doctrine. One secular demographer used his data to show that, at current rates of decline in Christian church membership, there will be no more Christians in the United States by 2240. Here are some things we need to understand: 1. The Church will never be large compared to the Gentiles around it. 1 Neph 14:12 says: "And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw." The "dominion" of the saints is (and will be) small because of the wickedness of the "great whore" of fallen Christianity. For two years I ran the Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism. I was amazed at the scope, organization, and money that is poured into disinformation about the Church. There are over 800 parachurches and ministries in the U.S. that are organized for the intent of hindering the progress of the Church. It is a miracle to me that we are as large as we are and that we experience as much growth as we do. 2. Daniel prophesied in the last days that the "beast" will "wear out the saints of the most High" and that they will be given into his hand for a period of time. The time will come when the kingdom of God will prevail. Until then, we will be under the dominion of secular kingdoms, subject to their laws, and opposed by their philosophies. 3. John, in the Revelation, pointed out that the beast-kingdom would "make war with the saints, and to overcome them..." for a time in the last days. (Revelation 13:7) Again, we do face and we will face organized opposition. That's to be expected. It will always look like we're losing until the very end when Christ comes. 4. The "times of the Gentiles" will be fulfilled in this generation. Doctrine and Covenants 45:28-30 says: "And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel; But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." There will be an eventual decline in missionary success among the Gentiles at some point. I'm not saying we're there now, but it's anticipated. At that point, missionary efforts will focus on the house of Israel. The ending of the times of the Gentiles brings great judgments upon the wicked. 5. The Gentile nations will collapse as a result of corruption, wickedness, and their rejection of the gospel. Zion will rise from the collapse and the few remaining among the Gentiles who seek righteousness will have to flee to Zion. D&C 45:66-69 states: "And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God; nd the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion. And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety. And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another." Demographers and statisticians assume that conditions will remain somewhat constant. They don't and can't account for Divine intervention. The Lord will hasten his work and gather the elect from among the nations. The Church will do what it can to help missionary work move forward, but the Lord will run his own "PR campaign" when he sees fit. Don't be discouraged by what these "experts" say. Follow the prophets and prepare.

It's a bit off-topic, but the reference to the Three Witnesses keeps coming up during the thread. People often ask why men who saw the gold plates would turn against Joseph Smith. To me, the fact that they did turn against him, but never denied their testimony strengthens their witness even more. They knew and recognized that Joseph was a mortal man. He could have (but didn't) fail in his ministry. Nevertheless, the gold plates did exist and witnesses saw them. The Church split into two factions after the Kirtland period. The splinter group, which later made up the folks who established the Reorganized Church, represented what I call "Kirtland Mormons." This group of saints believed that Joseph indeed translate the Book of Mormon by inspiration, that he received keys of authority, received revelation, etc. Nevertheless, they rejected plural marriage, temple ordinances, and other doctrines that matured in the Nauvoo years. In other words, they were saints who drew a line and said essentially, "this far and no more." They believed that Joseph lost his prophetic mantle and died. The other faction, which was the core of the Church, believed that Joseph lived and died a prophet of God. This group of saints went west following those who held the keys. The three witnesses were all part of the "Kirtland Mormons." Thus they found it perfectly consistent to testify of the plates, the angel, the revelations, etc., all while declaring was a fallen prophet. They never doubted that the plates were real. To me, that actually strengthens their testimony of the plates. I have learned that the testimony of the three witnesses is something the Adversary truly despises. You wouldn't believe all the hateful emails I still get about this video after more than a year. Joseph had some gold plates. Eleven men saw them. Eight men touched and handled them. Three of the men saw an angel and heard the voice of God bear record that the translation was correct. OK, that's far enough off-topic for now. :)

This is all very good advice. Matthew chapter 13 says it so perfectly in the parable of the sower. It isn't the quality of the "seed" (the Word) that is questionable, it's the quality of the ground where the seed falls. Some people are too hardened to even consider looking for truth when it's presented. Others embrace it with enthusiasm, but they quit after facing trials, ridicule, persecution, etc. Others get caught up in worldly pursuits and the gospel gets crowded out of their lives. They mean well--they're not overtly wicked--they just dont' value the gospel enough to give it a high place in their list of priorities. Others will be faithful, bringing forth fruit in varying amounts. That's why people fall out of the Church once they've been in. Note that the growth of ancient Christianity didn't really "explode" until after the apostles of Jesus were all dead and gone. Once the apostasy was complete, Satan let up on the opposition and it became fashionable to be a "Christian" in a church that no longer had revelators, keys of authority, etc.

Best response so far, Wingnut. Before answering a question, seek first to understand the question. Then, answer the question that needs to be answered by the Spirit. Many times, questions we encounter are simply veiled suggestions or accusations. Sometimes questions are intended to conceal motives and intents. Sometimes they're intended convey a spirit of impartiality when the mind is already made up. There is no real question posed here, but there are some assumptions being voiced. First, the picture was taken at a "legalize gay marriage" demonstration somewhere, most likely California. The scripture cited is being used to convey a message that Christians don't follow the Bible, so why should it apply to homosexuals? The sign is being used to conceal the face of the one carrying it. The individual posting it here says they're too "tired" (read: lazy) to do their own homework and research into the history of ancient Israel. The title of the post tells us he has already formed an opinion: that Christians misinterpret Deuteronomy. The individual is just inviting you to step into a situation that may well be contentious. Without taking the bait laid in the trap, we can simply answer that, if the Lord commanded people to be executed for sexual sins, adultery, fornication, cross-dressing--all for the common good of Israel in ancient times, he must consider those to be serious issues. Morality, marriage, family, are important to us and to society in general--for the common good. Latter-day saints are prepared to step up and defend them.

From the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843–44, p.373: "I learned a testimony concerning Abraham, and he reasoned concerning the God of heaven. "In order to do that," said he, "suppose we have two facts: that supposes another fact may exist—two men on the earth, one wiser than the other, would logically show that another who is wiser than the wisest may exist. Intelligences exist one above another, so that there is no end to them." "If Abraham reasoned thus—If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son? Whenever did a tree or anything spring into existence without a progenitor? And everything comes in this way. Paul says that which is earthly is in the likeness of that which is heavenly, Hence if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a doctrine, for the Bible is full of it. "I want you to pay particular attention to what I am saying. Jesus said that the Father wrought precisely in the same way as His Father had done before Him. As the Father had done before? He laid down His life, and took it up the same as His Father had done before. He did as He was sent, to lay down His life and take it up again; and then was committed unto Him the keys. I know it is good reasoning." I first learned this doctrine when I had been a member of the Church after about six weeks. It was the most exciting thing to me. The Spirit witnessed it to me and I felt as if I was radiating light, it was so strong. There is no more glorious knowledge we can obtain. Once we know the nature of God (and thus our nature), our purpose here on earth and our destiny in heaven, living the gospel takes on a renewed urgency and importance.

Who said anything about not studying history or DNA? The scriptures teach us that "all truth is independent" in the sphere where God has placed it to act. So it's important to learn truth from all sources. I'm not anti-intellectual in the least. I have studied lots of things that are confirmations of my testimony, such as the "Tree of Life Stele" at Izapa (Chiapas, Mexico). It shows what appears to be a depiction of the tree of life vision. There are six figures, a boat, the tree of life. Two of the figures (Laman and Lemuel) are facing away from the tree. Here's the link to it: Izapa Stela 5 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. But I would never, ever recommend it as "proof" of the veracity of the Book of Mormon to someone who has not received a testimony by personal revelation. If a person's testimony comes from "evidence" like this, then some scholar has the potential of convincing that person that his testimony is in error by merely presenting contrary "evidence." Thus it is important to always direct investigators to seek their answers from the Lord alone. When someone seeks evidence, his or her heart isn't right before the Lord. You don't need humility to have evidence presented to you. You don't need to consider "how merciful the Lord has been unto the children of men." You don't need a sincere heart or real intent to find evidence. All of those things are necessary along with faith in Christ to get a testimony. Being a latter-day saint in the times that are coming will require deep spiritually-rooted testimonies. Those who don't have a testimony from the Spirit won't abide the day. Each of us needs to dig our roots deep into gospel soil and draw nourishment from the Spirit. If our testimonies are weak, we need to strengthen them. This is not an objection to scholarship. It's about learning things the proper way the Lord intended. D&C 50:18-20 plainly teaches that, if we preach the gospel by some other way than by the Spirit, it is not of God. The Lord will hold us accountable for the unbelief of those we could have saved, if we had only taught them the gospel in the Lord's way.