Heather

I have created a new video of the testimonies that were given during the 178th session of General Conference by the First Presidency. It was such a great experience to make this video--to listen to the words of our leaders letting me know that God lives and that he loves us.

Errr bow wow what? Sorry Pam, he's too immature for the sophisticated crooning of of clay aiken.

Don't make me come back there! I'll turn this car around, so help me... C'mon friends! Lets stop making rash judgements about people. There's no need to judge people you don't know or even judge people in this thread. We all have different view points on certain matters, and that's okay. Stop being mean to each other just because you disagree. Take a higher road. Talk to each other like you care about each other--as we should all care about each other.

Help me out here, but I heard it was said that if you read the scriptures daily as a family, your children would never go astray? I'm probably way off on that one.

I thought that was funny too. I would be happy with myself if I only became limp and pale, and limber as a rag after such a vision. My heart goes out to Sidney.

The study you mentioned really makes sense to me. Children follow by example far more than they follow what you instruction them do.

No. Just tell everyone you met at a Clay Aiken concert. Then have MyDogSkip change his name to LaidBackSkipper and no one will even know.

This diagram may be of some use here too: Gallery » book of mormon plates and records » LDS Mormon Network

In Dyer and Kunz’s study of effective Mormon families (Effective Mormon Families), they found that only 28 percent of effective Mormon families read their scriptures regularly. Eder Gene R. Cook has estimated from traveling as a General Authority that only 10 to 15 percent of Church members read the scriptures together as families. See Raising Up a Family to the Lord, p. 110 A recent study conducted by the Church has forcefully confirmed statistically what we have been told again and again. That is, if loving, inspired instruction and example are not provided at home, then our related efforts for success in and around Church programs are severely limited. It is increasingly clear that we must teach the gospel to our families personally, live those teachings in our homes, or run the risk of discovering too late that a Primary teacher or priesthood adviser or seminary instructor could not do for our children what we would not do for them. Jeffrey R. Holland, “Within the Clasp of Your Arms,” Ensign, May 1983, p. 36 Presently the Book of Mormon is studied in our Sunday School and seminary classes every fourth year. This four-year pattern, however, must not be followed by Church members in their personal study of the standard works. All scripture is not of equal value. Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, p. vii True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than the study of behavior will improve behavior. Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, October, 1986, p. 20 I have a vision of homes alerted, of classes alive, and of pulpits aflame with the spirit of Book of Mormon messages. I have a vision of home teachers and visiting teachers, ward and branch officers, and stake and mission leaders counseling our people out of the most correct of any book on earth—the Book of Mormon. I have a vision of artists putting into film, drama, literature, music, and paintings great themes and great characters from the Book of Mormon. I have a vision of thousands of missionaries going into the mission field with hundreds of passages memorized from the Book of Mormon so that they might feed the needs of a spiritually famished world. I have a vision of the whole Church getting nearer to God by abiding by the precepts of the Book of Mormon. Indeed, I have a vision of flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon. Ezra Taft Benson, Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon, 1988, 4-5

1 Nephi 1:5-8 5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people. 6 And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly. 7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen. 8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. Quotes for Discussion 1 Nephi 1:5-6 Instead of punctuation, the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon divides up its phrases by introducing each by an “and,” “behold,” “now,” or “It came to pass….” Simply outrageous—as English literature, but it is standard Egyptian practice….In Egyptian these expressions were not merely adornments,…they are a grammatical necessity and may not be omitted. Hugh Nibley, Collected Works, 7:150 1 Nephi 1:6 Similarly, Joseph Smith learned much in the First Vision that he was forbidden to write or tell (see Joseph Smith—History 1:20). Of his vision of the degrees of glory he said, “I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.” TPJS, p. 305 1 Nephi 1:7 Overcome with the Spirit The presence of God withdrew from Moses…as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth…it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself:…for this…I know that man is nothing…I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and…I was transfigured” (Moses 1:9-11). Describing the reaction of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to the vision of the three degrees of glory, Philo Dibble said, “Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which, Joseph remarked, smilingly, “Sidney is not used to it as I am” (Philo Dibble, “Recollections,” Juvenile Instructor 27 [1892], 303). 1 Nephi 1:8 How is this verse textual evidence of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon? In Alma 36:22 we read, “methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” These words are a twenty-one word quote from 1 Nephi 1:8. The impressive thing about these verses is that they are separated by hundreds of pages and several weeks of translating time. See Church History in the Fulness of Times, 58-59.) Given the fact that Joseph dictated as he went, the record’s consistency points to an inspired source for the translation’s accuracy. After all, can you quote the twenty-one words of Lehi [after just having read them]…without looking? John W. Welch, ed., Reexploring the Book of Mormon, 23

I love hearing stories about my ancestors too. I really enjoyed President Monson talking about stories from his family history this last conference. I need to be better myself about keeping a journal. I am so grateful for digital media, that it's so easy to make our memories last forever.

I agree. One thread becomes really annoying fast. I think an online video section would be great here. I know I really enjoy the Church related videos on YouTube.

Maybe we need a youtube forum? What do you think the best route for this would be? We could also get them loaded into the video section here so they stream from youtube. It'd be great to find all of the great lds videos in one convenient location. I'm open to suggestions on what would be the best.

WOW!!! Once again, you've done an amazing job! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

Hehe sorry! :) I've been wanting to add all these resources I have. Some of them are a bit lengthy.

Mosiah 1:3-5 3 And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God. 4 For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time. 5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The enemies of the Church understand this clearly. This is why they go to such great lengths to try to disprove the Book of Mormon, for if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church. But in like manner, if the Book of Mormon be true—and millions have now testified that they have the witness of the Spirit that it is indeed true—then one must accept the claims of the Restoration and all that accompanies it. Yes, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion—the keystone of our testimony, the keystone of our doctrine, and the keystone in the witness of our Lord and Savior. Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, p. 19 Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none. Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 7 vols., 2:52 Few men on earth, either in or out of the Church, have caught the vision of what the Book of Mormon is all about The Book of Mormon shall so affect men that the whole earth and all its peoples will have been influenced and governed by it. There is no greater issue ever to confront mankind in modern times than this: Is the Book of Mormon the mind and will and voice of God to all men?Bruce R. McConkie

Daniel H. Ludlow The Book of Mormon Was Written for Our Day Of the 522 pages in the present edition of the Book of Mormon, more than 515 were either written or abridged by four men: Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni. Four of the remaining seven pages were written by two additional writers—Enos and Jarom. All of these major writers of the Book of Mormon fully understood that their writings were primarily for the people of future generations, rather than for the people of their own day. That each of these writers understood that the records were designed primarily for future generations is made clear in the following quotations: Nephi: “The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation….” (2 Nephi 25:21.) Jacob: “For he [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation.” (Jacob 1:3.) Enos: “Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually…that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.” (Enos, verses 15-16.) Jarom: “And as these plates…are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites,…it must needs be that I write a little….” (Jarom, verse 2.) Mormon: “…I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared,…that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel….” (Mormon 7:1.) Moroni: “I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day….” (Moroni 1:4.) Through the power of vision and prophecy, these writers were shown the people of our day, for whom they were writing their records. Thus, from the voluminous records at their disposal, they were able to select those principles and experiences which would be most useful in helping us to meet our challenges and solve our problems. An effect of these visions of the future is indicated by Moroni in the following statement: “Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” (Mormon 8:34-35.) The following brief quotations show the extent to which Moroni saw our day in vision. Concerning the conditions which would exist in the world at the time of the publication of the Book of Mormon, Moroni expressed the following thoughts in Mormon chapter 8: “It shall be said that miracles are done away. (verse 26.) “It shall come in a day when the power of God shall be denied. (verse 28.) “There shall also be heard of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes. (verse 30.) “There shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth;…murders…robbing…lying…deceivings…whoredoms, and all manner of abominations. (verse 31.) “There shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. (verse 31.) “There shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins. (verse 32.) “Ye do walk in the pride of your hearts…and your churches…have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. (verse 36.) “Ye do love money…more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. (verse 37.) “Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? (verse 38.) “Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life? (verse 39.) “Why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain?” (verse 40.) Many purposes can and have been listed for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, including the following list of reasons prepared by B.H. Roberts: First, to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers. Second, to teach them the covenants the Lord made with their fathers, that the remnants may know that they are not cast off forever. Third, to convince both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, and that He manifests Himself to all nations. Fourth, to bring the knowledge of a Saviour to the remnant of the house of Israel on the western hemisphere, through the testimony of the Nephites and Lamanites as well as through the testimony of the Jews, that they might more fully believe the Gospel. Fifth, to bring to the Jews the testimony of the Nephites that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that they might have the testimony of the Nephites as well as that of their fathers that Jesus is their Messiah. Sixth, to be a witness for the truth of the Bible, to establish its authenticity and its credibility by bringing other witnesses than those of the Eastern world to testify to the same great truths that are contained in the sacred pages of the Bible. Seventh, to restore to the knowledge of mankind many plain and precious truths concerning the Gospel which men have taken out of the Jewish Scriptures, or obscured by their interpretations. Other students and scholars have suggested the following additional reasons for the publication of the Book of Mormon: 1. To help the people of this generation solve their problems. 2. To convince mankind that every person must be judged of his works. 3. To prepare the faithful for the second coming of Jesus Christ, and for the millennial reign. 4. To test the faith of this generation and to help the faithful. 5. To provide mankind with secrets of national survival. Unfortunately, many members of the Church read the Book of Mormon as though it were simply a history book. The major writers of the Book of Mormon did not intend it to be a history book at all. In fact, Jacob said that his brother Nephi commanded him that he “should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people.” (Jacob 1:2.) The Book of Mormon was written to include principles which would help us solve our problems. Each time we read a story or incident in the Book of Mormon, we should ask ourselves these questions: Why did Mormon (or Nephi, etc.) select this particular story or event to include in the records? What principle is contained in this account which would help us understand and solve our problems? The following are major areas of interest to us: 1. Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of government. 2. Causes and effects of war (The answers to such questions as, Under what conditions is war justified? Should we disarm if any enemy is preparing to come to battle against us? Etc.) 3. Secrets of national survival (The Book of Mormon includes principles which can help a righteous people preserve themselves from their enemies.) 4. Evils and dangers of secret combinations which are built up to get power and gain over the people. 5. Inherent weakness of priestcraft, and a warning for us against those who set themselves up as teachers of the truth but who are not concerned with the welfare of Zion. 6. Reality of the devil, and an indication of some of the methods he uses. 7. Wise and proper uses of wealth. 8. Plain and precious truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 9. Reality and divinity of Jesus Christ and His atonement. 10. Major aspects of the gathering of the House of Israel in the last day. 11. Purposes and principles of missionary work. 12. Warnings against pride, indifference, procrastinations, dangers of following false traditions, hypocrisy, unchastity, etc. The prophets of the Book of Mormon have given us sound principles and excellent advice which we can use in meeting our problems today. It is up to us to learn these principles and to apply them in our lives. Daniel H. Ludlow, “The Book of Mormon Was Written for Our Day,” Instructor, July 1966, pp. 265-66

1 Nephi 1:1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. Quotes for Discussion Goodly Parents Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God. The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102 After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all man-kind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman. One is universal and eternal greatness, the other is ephemeral….Let us not be trying to substitute an artificial life for the true one. Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp 285-286 The newspapers give front page to ever increasing acts of violence, and magazines devote pages to the growing menace….Can it be arrested? ….The answer is yes…The Lord has given us a plan so simple, so costless. It requires a change of attitudes and a transformation of lives. But the answer has always been here though ignored by the masses because it requires that sacrifice and dedication which men are reluctant to give….But the Lord…gives promise to return the world to sane living, to true family life, to family interdependence. It is to return the father to his rightful place at the head of the family, to bring mother home from social life and employment, the children from near total fun and frolic….An early American prophet said: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; … yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore, I make a record. …”[1 Nephi 1:1]. Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, Apr. 1965, p. 60-61 Spencer W. Kimball, “Home: The Place to Save Society,” Ensign, Jan 1975, 3 But no child in this Church should be left with uncertainty about his or her parents devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Restoration of His Church, and the reality of living prophets and apostles who, now as in earlier days, lead that Church according to the will of the Lord, the mind of the Lord, the word of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation. In such basic matters of faith, prophets do not apologize for requesting unity, indeed conformity, in the eloquent sense that the Prophet Joseph Smith used that latter word. In any case, as Elder Neal Maxwell once said to me in a hallway conversation, “There didn’t seem to be any problem with conformity the day the Red Sea opened.” Parents simply cannot flirt with skepticism or cynicism, then be surprised when their children expand that flirtation into full-blown romance. If in matters of faith and belief children are at risk of being swept downstream by this intellectual current or that cultural rapid, we as their parents must be more certain than ever to hold to anchored, unmistakable moorings clearly recognizable to those of our own household. It won’t help anyone if we go over the edge with them, explaining through the roar of the falls all the way down that we really did know the Church was true and that the keys of the priesthood really were lodged there but we just didn’t want to stifle anyone’s freedom to think otherwise. No, we can hardly expect the children to get to shore safely if the parents don’t seem to know where to anchor their own boat. Isaiah once used a variation on such imagery when he said of unbelievers, [Their] tacklings are loosed; they could not strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail. Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. Give priesthood blessings. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own. The prophet Nephi said near the end of his life that they had written their record of Christ and preserved their convictions regarding His gospel in order to persuade our children that our children may know [and believe] the right way. Nephi-like, might we ask ourselves what our children know? From us? Personally? Do our children know that we love the scriptures? Do they see us reading them and marking them and clinging to them in daily life? Have our children ever unexpectedly opened a closed door and found us on our knees in prayer? Have they heard us not only pray with them but also pray for them out of nothing more than sheer parental love? Do our children know we believe in fasting as something more than an obligatory first-Sunday-of-the-month hardship? Do they know that we have fasted for them and for their future on days about which they knew nothing? Do they know we love being in the temple, not least because it provides a bond to them that neither death nor the legions of hell can break? Do they know we love and sustain local and general leaders, imperfect as they are, for their willingness to accept callings they did not seek in order to preserve a standard of righteousness they did not create? Do those children know that we love God with all our heart and that we long to see the face and fall at the feet of His Only Begotten Son? I pray that they know this. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, A Prayer for the Children, Ensign (CR), May 2003, p.85 Journal Keeping President Spencer W. Kimball said, “Your own private journal should record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity….What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?...A journal will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity….Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events.” Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 350-51 I am convinced that journal writing gives each of us the opportunity to speak from the dust and continue to make a difference in the lives of people here in mortality. Our words may be a deciding factor in saving the soul of one of our own relatives who may get to know us only through our journal because they were born after we passed away. Perhaps this is what President Kimball meant when he said “angels may quote from it for eternity” (“The Angels May Quote from It,” New Era, October 1975, 5). Perhaps we will be one of those angels who speak through the veil to our loved ones reading our journals. In a very real sense, when we die, our voice is silenced to those left in mortality—if we do not keep a record of our lives. Let me illustrate how just a little effort can make a tremendous difference in the lives of those we love. In chapter 4 I mentioned that my father passed away around the time Preston was born. Dad had known for quite some time that his days were numbered. On one evening, while my mother was at work and with the house all to himself, he did something that illustrated his great love for my mom. He brought out the tape recorder and recorded his most tender feelings for my mother. In a sense, he recorded a love letter to his wife—sharing his emotion and devotion for her at the conclusion of his life. He then hid the tape behind some books on the bookshelf, expecting that this small treasure would be discovered following his death. My mom is a cleanaholic. My dad knew that she would eventually dust the bookshelves and discover the tape. In this way, he could literally speak from the dust to his wife—offering her words of love, comfort, and encouragement to carry on without him. Shortly after his funeral, Mom was busily cleaning the house and happened to come across this tape. Imagine her feelings upon placing it in the tape player and hearing her recently departed companion expressing his love and appreciation to her for the life they had spent together. That tape has become an important part of our family history. What little effort it took on my father’s part to record his feelings on that tape—maybe five minutes out of his life—yet its value cannot be measured in terms of money; it is truly priceless to our family. Each of us has the opportunity to keep a record of our feelings and testimonies, which could be a lifeline that may touch, inspire, or direct a loved one after we have passed through the veil. This becomes one of the ways we participate in the mission of Elijah, which is to bind the hearts of the fathers to the children. K. Douglas Bassett, The Barber’s Song, p. 121-122

Kamperfoelie, thanks so much for sharing your experiences!

The Church uses the word Mormon in their Youtube videos. The Church also owns and operates the website mormon.org/mormons.org. In Alma 18:26,28 -- Ammon taught with the phrase "Great Spirit" so Lamoni, because that is the phrase Lamoni used. Once they established a common understanding, then Ammon could connect the term "Great Spirit" with the concept of "God." Likewise, friends of other faiths search for and understand the term Mormon. By using that term, we then have a common understand and then can then teach them the true name of the Church. PC - I was just wondering, when you were curious about this religion after the school board incident, did you search for "mormon" or "lds" in google?

Don't cut and paste garble from other sites on here. I've told the mods to delete such posts. If you want to ask a question, fine, but copy and paste jobs aren't doing anyone any good. Honestly I don't care if leading questions from anti's are posted here, because at least then people are going to find the truthful side of the conversation. People are doing internet searches for this kind of stuff. If we don't have the answers, you know what sites will. By having the questions here, at least people can find our site and be able to find the truthful answers to them. Remember that LDS FAIR Apologetics Homepage has a lot of resources available, and link to them where applicable. So let me state this again -- Cut and paste from other websites will be deleted. I'm okay if you take a few lines from lds.org or fairlds.org and then link to the rest of the article, but don't paste the whole thing. This doesn't help our site at all. Also, I'm okay if the QUESTION is asked, but I'm not okay for this forum to be used to spread false, misleading information about the Church. Any posts such as those will be deleted at the posted dealt with according to the rules.

I uploaded a screenshot so you can at least see what it's suppose to look like: Gallery » LDS Mormon Network

ctrl+f5 refreshes your cache of the image. So once that link shows it's the temple, when you refresh the ldsblogs.com page, it'll show the temple.

Click on this link: http://ldsblogs.com/skins/nautica_2l/img/banner_mountains.jpg Then hold down the ctrl key and hit f5 at the same time.

I agree, we're not going to discuss the temple cerimony. But when you consider all the incorrect and ugly information out there produced by antis, it's okay to take a moment and explain some basic points, like this: YouTube - What is the magical Mormon underwear or garment?