A Religion To Rejoice In

[Teancum18]

I have often thought about the vast differences among the Christian world. I always notice how the beliefs of the different denominations, and non-denominations alike, have changed so much over the past two thousand years. Even more confounding to me is the changing of beliefs among the Christians themselves. Though they all center around a general belief in the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; if you look at the life of an average Christian, the specifics of their beliefs change multiple times throughout the course of their lives. Obvious I can't speak for every single Christian on this planet, but from the life-long friends I have had, this has been my observation.

Throughout our lives, it seems that many of us will follow a pattern of jumping around from idea to another, from one belief to the next. After one idea becomes old and doubted, we lose faith until we come to something else that is easy to believe because it's new and fresh. Then that idea becomes old and doubted and we repeat this life-long process. Brothers and sisters, that's not faith!! We're just convincing ourselves over and over again to keep some kind of faith because we feel a void in our lives. Now, this is a good thing to a degree, because that void is the truth we yearn for about our existence and our Father in Heaven. That is why this world needs, more than anything right now, to find solid, eternal truth. We can't be guessing and changing our beliefs all the time. So let me take some of the basics we know about Jesus Christ from the Bible*.

As we know, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 3:18) So how could so many beliefs be true when they're always changing? We're constantly wandering around in confusion. Are we to assume that the Eternal Father is the author of confusion? I say no! For Paul so solemnly declared, "God is not the author of confusion." (1 Corinthian 14:33) He has established a pattern for revealing truth and it begins with prophets. For Amos truly so testified, "Surely the Lord, God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secrets until His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) These prophets are righteous men called called by God to be His witnesses. (John 15:16; Exodus 28:1, 41; Mark 16:15-20; Jeremiah 1:5)

When Christ was on the earth, He formed His church. It was "built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." (Ephesians 2:20) If He did not feel it important to establish a church, He would not have done so. Yet, He did so that His gospel could be taught. So that Heavenly Father's children "may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26) For there is "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5) And unto that faith, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors; and some, teachers." (Ephesians 4:11) Their job was to lead and guide with correct principles of eternal truth. Heavenly Father wants us to come home to Him after this mortal life. He sends us these people to teach us about the plan He has created, that we must follow to return home to Him. These prophets and apostles also teach us about the central figure in this plan, Jesus Christ; "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Christ, Himself even said, "I am the way the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6) However, grace is not sufficient for us alone because we cannot be saved in our sins, only from our sins. "He [Christ] cannot save them in their sins. For I cannot deny His word, and He has said no unclean thing can enter His kingdom;" (Alma 11:37) which is "not of this world." (John 18:36) We, as Heavenly Father's children must always be trying to do the best we can: "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father, which is in Heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) But this is so hard, we all know. We need every bit of guidance we can get, which is just one more reason why Christ gave us His church: "for the perfecting of the saints [members], for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-14) All the saints who are of the church of Christ must be edified together. For Christ so easily discerned, "if ye are not one, ye are not mine." (D&C 38:27; John 17:21-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:13)

The thing to remember is that I am not trying to push my beliefs on anyone, or condemn anyone for what they believe. However, the truth must be spoken, as it has heretofore been. And "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard." (2 Nephi 16:2) I know this is truth because it is known by the power and feelings of the Holy Ghost: "but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is now law." (Galatians 5:22-23) Through these feelings all of Heavenly Father's children may come to know the truthfulness of this message, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. And it shall be given him." (James 1:5) Anyone can know the truths that Heavenly Father has to offer unto us. For I truly do agree with Alma, the younger, when he said, "Behold I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. (Alma 5:46) All we have to do is pray and ask Him and He will answer us. For He has said, "This [truth] I give unto you that ye not be deceived." (D&C 43:6)

Sometimes we want to give up. We feel we wont find the answers we're looking for. Rest assured the truth is out there. We just have to find it, "For there are many on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations... who are kept from the truth because they know not where to find it." (D&C 123:12) The prophet Amos prophesied of these times when he said, "For the time cometh, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but hearing the words of the Lord; and they shall wander from sea to sea, even from north to the east. They shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." (Amos 8:11-12) These times are over now, and have long since passed. Now we're in our time, the fullness of times, and Heavenly Father has revealed His truth unto us once again, through modern-day prophets and apostles ("...He revealeth His secrets unto His servants, the prophets.")

Exercise a particle of faith in the words I have spoken here. Pray and ask Heavenly Father if these things are true. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the one and only! He has revealed it unto His church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a religion to rejoice in. I promise that the Holy Ghost will tell you the truthfulness of this message. But, you must listen, "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15) The Savior knows, and has said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and the follow me." (John 10:27) We need His voice because we can't decide truth for Heavenly Father. We don't determine who is right and who is wrong. Only Heavenly Father determines such things for us. And He has said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Well, we all can be part of Christ's sheep. And if we truly listen we will hear Christ Himself tell us that these things are true. But we must listen! It only begins here. When we being to know these things for ourselves, that these things are true, we will begin to see the blessings that flow into our lives. Among many of them will be an increase of happiness, that will only continue to increase as we progress in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For truly, this is a religion to rejoice in!