Today in History: Abraham O. Woodruff Dies

I haven't blogged in over two years, but now that I have a job with internet access, I can do so. Today is June 20, 2014.

On this day 110 years ago, June 20, 1904, Elder Abraham Owen Woodruff of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dies in El Paso, Texas of smallpox at the young age of 31.

Ironically, Elder Woodruff said this around the year 1900: "I hope the Lord will take me home before I do anything that will deprive me of my salvation." [1] Woodruff was a staunch supporter of post-Manifesto plural marriage, & took a second wife himself on January 18, 1901, Eliza Avery Clark. [2] It seems that the Lord took Owen at his word & gave him his wish.

Owen was known for his "gentleness, kindness, & Godly charity." He & is wife Helen were modest people, even keeping a pleasantly-looking modest home (in between pages 297 & 299). He & Avery's home in Mexico was also similarly modest (page 27).

1. Driggs, Ken, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 23:2, https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V23N02_41.pdf, 44.
2. Herlin, Clark LeRay, "The Motivations Beyond the Manifesto: Post-Maifesto Polygamy, 189-1904", Utah Valley University digital collections, http://contentdm.uvu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/UVUTheses/id/631, 23.

The Healing of a blind man

"Jesus Healing a Blind Man" by Del Parson

All my stitches in my eye are gone.  It has been a long 3 years, almost to the day, since I got a cornea-eating parasite.  It is now over.  I do not wish to aggrandize myself, for that is sin.  I wish, however, through the recounting of pages from my diary, to aggrandize the Lord and His mercy toward me during this long, hard ordeal.  Therefore, the following is all from my diary, dating from July 2009 until 18 June 2012:

15 July 2009 - Wednesday
Yesterday at around 4pm I was told I had Herpes Simplex, and given a prescription for Trifluridine ($128).  My cornea on my left eye swelled, and the eye drop is supposed to cure it.  I'm to take it every 2 hours, minus sleeping.  I go back to Dr. Plowthow Friday at 9:15am to find out how long I have to take it.

19 August 2009 - Wednesday
Around the 20th of July (Monday), Dr. Plowthow transferred me to a Dr. Meyers in north Provo by the Riverwoods Business complex.  He kept me on the drops (Viroptic and Zymar) for about two weeks, then realized that I had Acanthameba [sic], a parasite eating at my cornea, which could cause me to go blind if not fixed.  On Friday, August 7th, he sent me to the University of Utah's Moran Eeye [sic] Center to see Dr. Mifflin.  He had my eye numbed, and they [scraped] it 7 times with tiny spatulas to culture it and find a way to kill the parasite.  They mixed a drop called Chlorahexadine, which from August 8th-10th I was to take every house 24 hours a day.  I met with him on Monday August 10th and he told me to take Chlorahexadine every house whilst awake, and whenever I get up during the night.  I also took Zymar every hour during the week of the 10th of August.  Cyclopentolate was given to sooth the pain and help my sensitivity to light; taken every 8 hours, including during the morning.  Acyclovir was a pill given my Dr. Meyers that Dr. Mifflin wanted me to take 4 times a day.  He told me not to work that whole week, so I slept, medicated my Lortab, [a] pain-killer.  My wife has prayed for me a lot, and this has been a good thing for both of us.
I went back to Dr. Mifflin on the 17th, and he told me he was amazed of the improvement.  This was no doubt due to a family fast on Sunday the 16th for me.  The Chlorahexadine is hitting the cornea and killing the parasite, albeit slowly.  The Dr. Also said to take all other drugs 2 times a day except Chlorahexadine, - take that every hour still.
This has not been a very fun trial for me.  It has been very hard - a lot of intense prayers and scripture study.  Indeed I have found myself murmuring.  I have received revelation through blessings and the Spirit's voice telling me my eye will heal.  I have felt the Lord's almighty hand stretching me.  I admit that I have told Him I want it over with, and asked for more patience.  He has given me patience, and has unfolded the scriptures' meanings to me like never before, for which I am eternally grateful.
I know the Lord lives and answers prayers.  I know He will lead us along and instruct us if we are patient.  He will not forsake us if we trust in Him.  The Book of Mormon and Bible are true.  They do teach of His love and mercy.

27 September 2009 - Sunday
 . . . 2 weeks ago last Thursday I got prescribed PHMB and an anti-inflamatory steriod for my eye.  I use the steroid 3 times daily and PHMB every odd hour.  The drops kicked the diseases trash, but Friday, yesterday, and today the virus came back with a vengeance.  It brought with it light sensitivity.  I am trusting in God and learning patience.  I have been promised I will heal from this.  I know I will be, but it is hard to trust in the Lord's will now.  However, Joseph Smith said, "All difficulties . . . must be surmounted.  Though the soul be tried, the heart faint, and the hands hang down, we must not retrace our steps; there must be decision of character" (History of the Church, 4:570).  I read of the Savior's agony in Gethsemany [sic], but even He says, "Not my will, but Thine, be done" (Luke 22:42).  He will help me, and I will not back away!

1 October 2009 - Thursday
Went to the eye doctor again at 12:35pm.  We were there until around 4:30pm.  Met with Dr. Mifflin for about 1 1/2 hours.  He was afraid that a fungus was in my eye.  He told me to take Chlorahexadine and PHMB every hour; the red cap drop that dilates my eye twice a day; Neomycin drop every 4 hours; and then sent me to the UofU Moran Eye center to see Dr. Moshirfar, who has been on Americas Best Doctor's list the last 3 runnings.  Moshirfar OKed what Dr. Mifflin said, but also gave me an ointment to use every 4 hours (8, 12, 4, 8) called Brolene.  I have been told through blessings that I will be healed, but I must learn patience.  Joseph Smith, Junior taught that "God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God" (John Taylor, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, Aug. 21, 1883, 1).  Indeed He is feeling after me; . . . He is the Puppet Master working my strings until I am forced to bow to Him.  He is real, and I have personally covenanted with Him in the House of the Lord and elsewhere, that I will give my ALL for His Kingdom.  I will do whatever He commands, even if He decrees I must go blind, for I WILL ALWAYS SEE THROUGH THE LENSE OF OBEDIENCE!  I will never betray Him!
I go back to the doctor on Tuesday at 12:30pm at the U.  They will then tell what grew on the culture.

7 November 2009 - Saturday
Still have Acanthameaba Karatitis.  This Wednesday the medicine caused my eye to melt - basically for its skin to die very fast and fall halfway off and hang there.  It felt like there was something like dust in my eye.  We went to the UofU Hospital and Dr. Chang pulled it out and now it's healing. . . . I have neer seen clearer than I see now.  I hope God heals my eye before Christmas.  I must be obedient.

17 December 2009 - Thursday
About two days ago we received money in the mail.  We have been diligently paying tithing and wondering how we're going to make paying for car tags and drugs [for my eye] and stuff.  Then two days ago we received $600 in the mail from my parents.  Yesterday we took all the money we had and put of $1,200 in the bank.  It is a testimony to me of paying tithing.

31 January 2010 - Sunday
. . . The doctors say they think my acanthameaba is gone completely, but that there could be fungi still in my eye.  The healing of my eye can only be due to the Lord.  I must still continue to show obeisance to Him as thanks, and continue to live as He has taught.

20 August 2010 - Friday
Arose at 4:00am to get ready for my cornea transplant which started at 6:45am.  We couldn't find the Eccles Outpatient Building at the Intermountain Surgury [sic] Center at first, but called around and eventually found it.  The surgery only took an hour and fifteen minutes.  There was an aquarium there and a fish with a gimp eye like mine.
While I was being put under, the doctors said I spoke German to them.
I owe much to the Lord for this trial that I can never repay, whichi is kinda lame.  My faith in the power of prayer and that God answers prayer has grown.  I have cried out to God so many times, and He has heard my cry.  I have been so scared I would lose my eye, and my greatest desire is to have sight to be able to read scripture and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  God has given me my sight back and increased by understanding of the scripture exponentially.  I know God lives and has a body because of what I have gone through - God could not help me unless He knew what it's like - and He only can come to that knowledge with a body.
I am taking Lortab for pain, and tomorrow get to start taking Vigamox and Pred Forte.
I am so grateful for Alicia and how she relies on the Lord.

26 August 2010 - Thursday
 . . . We meet with the doctor again at 1:10pm.  I need to be better at taking it easy on my left eye.  The Lord has healed it miraculously, and I hope it will continue to heal, but I must be obedient.
I addition to taking Vigamox and Predforte 4 times a day, I'm taking Combigan, an anti-biotic twice a day and preservative-free tears 8 times a day.

29 August 2010 - Sunday
 . . . I saw the doctor on Thursday.  I'm only taking Pred Forte 4 times a day and the artificial tears 8 times a day.  It has been stinging over the last few days, I assume from the stitches.  I hope it gets better.  It will get better. . . .
The Lord has been good to me and I am grateful to Him for it.  I need to be less impatient with His timing.  I know He hears my prayers.

12 September 2010 - Sunday
On Friday I withdrew from my German 3050 class because of orders from the doctor. . . .
I was reading a snippet from a talk Elder Maxwell gave at the May 1985 General Conference wherein he said, "The submissive soul will be led aright, enduring somethings well while being anziously engaged in setting other things right - all the time discerning the difference" (Ensign, May 1985, 71).  That got me thinking about the doctor's orders not to read much or play more than an hour of TV a day.  He actually said do none of those things.  How am I to submit to the Lord's command to read the scriptures every day?  I have decided to read five minutes a day then go back to bed.  I dont know how this is going to pan out.  The Lord will guide me.

1 October 2010 - Friday
Yesterday, 30 September, a Thursday, Alicia and I went to the doctor; before we went we prayed that all will be well with my stitches and that none would come loose.  The Lord answered our prayers.  No stitches were loose; my eye was healed well more than the doctors expected.  I no longer need to sleep with the eye patch and we don't need to see them for six weeks.

3 November 2010 - Wednesday
Yesterday I was reading the Book of Mormon in 1st Nephi wherein he has a vision of the Savior.  He speaks about John the Baptist saying "There is one among you who's shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose."  In my mind's eye I saw me kneel down and try to unloose His sandal, but I was stopped by the would in His feet.  I realized no one is worthy to take His shoe off because it causes us to bow in awe instead of fill His place!

19 June 2011 - Sunday
For the past half-week or so, my right eye has been red, bloodshot, like I've been sitting in front of the TV too long.  That usually goes away.  This redness, however, has not; my eye was like this (red and itchy) just before it was diagnosed with Acanthameaba Carititus.  Whether it is or not, I do not know.  This much I do know: if It is or not, God is at the helm and will steer rightly if I but keep His sayings.

21 June 2011 - Tuesday
Around 9am today we went to the Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City to talk with the doctor.  We found out I have Epi Scleritus in my right eye.  The doctor gave me a prescription for Flourolanethaalene, a steroid drop, to be taken every 4 hours until the redness disappears; then decrease to 2-aday [sic] for 3 days, then for 1 drop a day for 3 days, then none.

7 July 2011 - Thursday
Today I saw Dr. Mifflin at 4pm.  My Eppi Scloritis is healed from my right eye.  I got one more stitch removed from my left eye, but before that my prescription was checked in my left eye.  The machine didn't totally focus, and I was again reminded taht I must constantly rely on the Great Physician for everything, but especially my sight.  God be praised.

16 July 2011 - Saturday
Alicia noticed today that my right eye is still red, evidently not fully healed from Eppi Scloritis.  I put two drops of Florolpretholene.  Tomorrow I will take them again four times throughout the day.  I hope it is not another parasite.  The Lord will help me as I am humble.

18 April 2012 - Wednesday
 . . . I went to the doctor on Monday and got one more stitch out; I now have 7 stitchnes in my eye.  The doctor said I can go swimming in Hawaii, and can drive now.

18 June 2012 - Monday
All the stitches (all 16) are gone.  The last 7 were taken out today.  Doctor Mifflin said i can go swimming when I go to Hawaii.  My next appointment is on Monday July 30th.  I will get prescried new lenses then; I am excited for new glasses.
I am always humbled beyond belief for the bounteous blessings the Lord has given me.  He has blessed my mom and my dad with wealth, because He knew Dad could hadle it, but also that he would need it.  The first sign of that was my, Dana's, and Russell's $250,000 hospital bill.  The Lord be praised for trying me in such a way as my eye infection and cornea transplant.  He knows i have passed, as I have told Him many a time I would give up my eyesight were it according to his will.  Fortunately, it was not.  He has seen fit to teach me and bestow upon me a display of His almighty power in the healing of my eye and in the miraculous improving of my eyesight in my left eye.  Indeed, it has gotten better, else the need for ew frames and lenses would not be.  God be praised for His marvelous blessings upon me through His Priesthood and His Church, which is only The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints.  I love the Savior Jesus Christ for this gift, which gift I do not deserve.  I have been a wicked man during this ordeal, even to murmuring against Him at times; nevertheless He has seen fit to heal me, so that I might see clearer both physically and spiritually.  My scriptural knowledge has grown beyond anything I've ever before known (including more than during my mission to California).  I owe Christ Ahman more than I ever can hope to repay.  I hope, however, he accepts my eternal gratitude.  he has done this great things for me; I do not deserve His blessing of awesome parents, Godlike Grandparents, and a Goddess of a wife who has been by my side through it all.  She has given of her time, talents, and love.  I praise God for the beautiful wife I have.
My prayer to Go is: Oh Thou great Ruler of the Universe, Thou who art mindful of the sparrow's fall, hast condescended to heal one of Thine unworthy children, for which goodness, oh Father, I am ever grateful.  Thou hast led me by Thy almighty and tender hand, and hast opened Thy word that I might sup from the cup of Thy wisdom.  Thy mercies are great unto me, oh Lord.  For the gift of restored sight I thank Thee, in the Name of Thy Holy Son Jesus Christ, amen.

The Savior Suffers In Gethsemane Bible video

As The Mormon Eagle has been established to promulgate the Gospel of the Redeemer to the world, we give you this video produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and under the direction of the Council of the First Presidency of said Church.  Enjoy!

I, Clark LeRay Herlin, author of The Mormon Eagle, know Jesus is the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of the Living God.  It is through Him, and Him only, that mankind shall be saved.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mormon Theology no. 47 - Love

As it is Valentine's Day on Tuesday, The Mormon Eagle will expound on the true meaning of love.

Meaning of Love
Let us firstly define the word "love".  Dictionary.com's first definition for "love" reads as "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person".  This is true.  Passionate in this case doesn't necessarily mean romantic or sexual love.  For our purposes, the "passionate affection" we're talking about can be termed in another word - friendship - true, genuine, heartfelt friendship.  Now, this love speaking of friendship is defined by the Prophet Joseph Smith in a letter he wrote to James A. Bennett on 13 November 1843.  The Prophet wrote, "That friendship which intelligent beings would accept as sincere must arise from love, and that love grow out of virtue, which is as much a part of religion as light is a part of Jehovah.  Hence the saying of Jesus, 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends'" (History of the Church 6:73).

Perfect Representative of Love

Owing to the above words of President Smith, it follows that the best example of love is Jesus Christ Himself.  It is written, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35).  The question must now be asked, how did the Savior love us?  How did He show that love?  The answer is found in the words of the Master through His Prophet Joseph Smith.  Said the Redeemer, "But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men" (D&C 19:17-19).  Christ the Lord showed His love to all mankind - both the wicked and the righteous - by suffering for their sins on conditions of repentance.  In other words, He did for others what they could not do for themselves.  We must also, as He did, do for others what they cannot do for themselves, whatever that may be, as led by the Holy Ghost.

How to obtain love

The Prophet Joseph Smith was once asked, "'Why is it this babbler gains so many followers, and retains them?'  I answer, It is because I possess the principle of love" (HC 5:498).  How can we gain the "principle of love"?  The scriptures teach of the Love of God, even Jesus Christ Himself.  As Jesus Christ is the Exemplar of all good things, it is through Him - and Him only - that love is obtained.  As we read the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, we are taught what Christ personally did in His ministry to His sheep in Israel, and also taught His doctrine as taught by Prophets and Apostles as well. 

I know the scriptures are true, and through a study of them, we can gain the Love of God, even Jesus, and learn through the Spirit to treat others a He would.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Bible Video App for iPhone and iPad now available

From newsroom.lds.org, we read the following in full:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has released a new interactive app, which includes videos from the Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos website that launched last week.

This free app for iPads, which appeared in the iTunes app store Thursday, 8 December allows users to experience Bible stories through sight, sound and touch.  Users can explore biblical environments, watch scripture-based videos and photo slideshows and discover interesting facts about biblical accounts.  The website and app are based on accounts of Christ's life from the King James Version of the Bible.

As new videos are added to BibleVideos.lds.org each month, and as new features become available, the App Store will automatically notify users that an update is available.

Plans to expand to other tablet platforms and languages, including Spanish and Portuguese, are in the works.

"Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things"

Doctrine and Covenants 59:7 reads, "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things."  As today is our National Day of Thanksgiving, The Mormon Eagle feels disposed to list three things one should always be thankful to God for.

1. Almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ
Neither the Bible nor the Book of Mormon ever take any effort to prove the existence of God or Jesus Christ; rather, they acknowledge Their existence as an absolute.  Thus it is so.  We should be ever grateful to God for His bountiful gifts to us: the gift of sight, that we might see the Word of the Lord on the pages of scripture; the gift to hear, that we might learn the word of the Lord from the mouths of His living Prophets and Apostles; the gift of touch, that we might hold the Bible and Book of Mormon in our hands and turn their pages as we learn of Him whose Church it is; the gift of taste, that we might taste with sweetness the many foods He has given us for nourishment; and the gift of smell, that we might with reverence bask in the fragrances of the flowers at the Houses of the Lord.  I know the Lord Jesus Christ is real, that His love is infinite and all-encompassing, and that He calls Prophets and Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ in this day, as He has in the past.

2. The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a supernal volume which, when read humbly, deliberately, and thoughtfully, opens the mind to the correct doctrines of Jesus Christ and His Gospel as found in His Church, both ancient and modern.  Well did President Joseph Smith say, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (Book of Mormon Introduction).  No other volume has caused the author to weep as the Book of Mormon; no other volume will open one's eyes to how much the Lord loves him, and to how much the Lord has done for him, as the Book of Mormon.  I, Clark LeRay Herlin, know the Book of Mormon is true and that it truly brings the sincere reader closer to God than by any other book.

3. The Prophet Joseph Smith
Well did President John Taylor write,


Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.  In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain.  He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum.  In life they were not divided, and in death they were not ^fseparated (D&C 135:3)!

Joseph Smith the Prophet was the man, under the Lord Jesus Christ's direction, who restored the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth after the Great Apostasy spoken of by Paul and Amos (see 2 Thes. 2:3 and Amos 8:11-12 respectively).  He was a Prophet, and the Book of Mormon is the fruit of his labors.  As Jesus hath told us we shall know a false prophet from a true prophet by his fruits, it is to the Book of Mormon we must look to discern truth from error.  If, as Jesus saith, "every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit" (Matt. 7:17), then it stands to reason that if the Book of Mormon is what it purports to be (scripture in companion to the Bible), it will testify of Jesus Christ; if the Book is false, it will bring forth no good feelings to the soul.  Because the Book of Mormon is true, and is what the Lord commanded Joseph Smith the Prophet to bring forth by His power, President Smith is a Prophet of the Lord, and President Monson is God duly-ordained representative in our day.

I know what I have said is true.  If hearkened to, the Lord will bring peace to the heart, joy to the soul, and salvation to the body.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sex-spread disease and the Law of Chastity

In Provo, Utah's Daily Herald of Friday 18 November 2011, we read on page A6 in full:

Cases of some common sexually spread diseases continue to increase in the United States, but the syphilis rate dropped last year for the first time in a decade.

Health officials on Thursday released their annual report on sexually transmitted disease, and found chlamydia and gonorrhea rates continued to grow last year.

More than 1.3 million cases of chlamydia were reported last year - the largest number ever reported in one year for any condition.  The number of new gonorrhea cases surpassed 300,000.

Bluntly Stated

When will the people learn that the Law of Chastity is put in force by God for a reason?  Thus saith the Lord, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14).  I like the words of President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  He bluntly stated, "We are free to ignore the counsels and commandments of the scriptures, but when the revelations speak in such blunt terms, such as 'thou shalt not,' we had better pay attention" (Boyd K. Packer, "The Fountain of Life", Eternal Marriage Student Manual).  The Savior stated succinctly, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:27-28).  How can it be stated more plainly than that?

Lastly, the Prophet Alma stated, 

Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? . . . But behold, ye cannot hide your crimes from God; and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day.  Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God (Alma 39:5, 8-9).

"Hope Which Thou Desirest"

For those who have fallen into the snare of premarital or extramarital relations, there is hope.  The Redeemer saith, "Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me" (3 Nephi 9:14).  Also in another place He urgeth, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

I know the Son of God's mercy covereth the whole Earth, and he who cries out to God in sincerity will be answered by a most benevolent God.  I know the Savior is real, and the laws He proclaims through His servant the Prophets - whether ancient or modern - are immutable.  I know if they are followed happiness will also, and in no other way.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

To Follow Jesus

The following was published on 3 November 2011 on newsroom.lds.org:

Anyone familiar with the history of Christianity knows that it has been quite a complicated matter. The word “Christian” was first used during New Testament times (see Acts 11:26) to describe the disciples who accepted the message and redemption of Jesus Christ.  Now after two millennia, Christianity has weathered centuries of change and experienced periods of growth, persecution, reformation, schism, globalization and more.  While inspiring believers of every race and nationality, Christianity has taken a multitude of forms and advanced a diversity of doctrines.  As a result, questions about who should be called a Christian and who should not continue to be discussed by some within the religious world.

Religious beliefs are no light matter, and it’s only right that they are taken seriously.  Yet, earnest and well-meaning interlocutors have sometimes, in the words of the president of Fuller Seminary, Richard J. Mouw, “talked past each other,” due to their differing doctrinal lenses.

For some in the Christian tradition, an individual’s Christianity is defined primarily by theological boundaries.  Accordingly, one must adhere to a theological tradition stemming from formalized creeds or statements of belief (such as the Nicene Creed and the Chalcedonian formulation) composed several centuries after Jesus Christ died and the New Testament was written.

There are differences between the post-biblical creeds and the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most notably, Latter-day Saints believe God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are one in will and purpose, but are not literarily one being, as the creedal conceptions of the Holy Trinity suggest.  Also, members of the Church believe in living “apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20) and a more open canon of scripture, which includes both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ.

To describe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a non-Christian church to any audience spreads a misconception that there is something other than Jesus Christ at the heart of the Mormon faith.
For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is the Savior of all people, the divine Son of God. He is the same Jesus Christ of the New Testament, who taught about faith and about love for God and mankind.  Jesus Christ — not Moses, Paul or Joseph Smith — is the object of Mormons’ devotion and worship.  As the Prophet Joseph Smith himself taught, “The fundamental principles of our religion are … concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

This is indeed the daily reality for Latter-day Saints.  Jesus Christ is perpetually front and center in the lives of practicing members of the faith.  Whenever Mormons pray to God, for instance, they do so in the name of Jesus Christ.  Baptism by immersion, according to the symbolism of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, marks a person’s entrance into the faith.  The sacrament (what other Christian traditions call communion) is administered weekly in Sunday services for members to reflect on the mercy of Jesus Christ.  When Latter-day Saints seek forgiveness, they do so through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice.  They serve the poor and needy and give of their time and money to numerous humanitarian aid efforts in order to follow Christ’s teachings.  Images of Christ adorn the faith’s meetinghouses and temples.  Church leaders and members testify of Jesus Christ’s reality and divinity.  The Son of God appears in the Church’s official name: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”  While some outsiders know Latter-day Saints as Mormons, members know themselves as part of Christ’s Church.

At their best, Latter-day Saints’ behavior, speech, thoughts and identity all reflect Christ and His teachings.  If you ask a member what it means to belong to the Church, he or she will tell you that most fundamentally it means to believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world and to follow Him.

For Latter-day Saints, being a Christian means being a disciple of Jesus Christ, loving and worshiping Him above all.  It means prizing Christ and centering one’s life on His teachings from the New Testament.  It means striving to live the kind of life that Christ commanded, honoring Him in word and deed. This is the meaning of a Christian, and there is no doubt that Latter-day Saints — who pattern their lives after all of these things — belong to Christ’s fold.

Mormonism and the Christ no. 4 - Abinadi's Teachings

 
In our no. 4 of this current topic, the Eagle uses the words of Abinadi to the wicked King Noah to further explain our belief in Christ.  We shall start from the beginning of the sermon and proceed through to the end.

In Mosiah 13, Abinadi begins teachings the wicked King and his wicked priests of the importance of the law of Moses, and what it typifies.  He reads to them the Ten Commandments out of the scriptures, and then goes on to say, "For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people?  Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?" (Mosiah 13:33).  The fact that the Ten Commandments are here read by a Prophet of God, as well as the interpretation of the meaning of the Law of Moses, is clearly an indication that the believers in the Book of Mormon both believe the Bible and also believe in Christ, and thus are Christians.

Abinadi goes on to quote Isaiah 53, wherein the Prophet describes the true Manhood of the Savior and what He will do for His people.  Abinadi then continues to teach, 

I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.  And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Fatherof heaven and of earth (Mosiah 15:1-4).

The teachings of Abinadi concerning "God Himself" coming down among His people may seem contradictory when one remembers that Jesus is also called the Son of God.  How, then, is Jesus Christ both God Himself as well as the Son of God?  Can He actually be the Son of Himself?  Christ is called "God Himself" by Abinadi here because it was He, under the direction of His Father Elohim, who gave Moses the Law and who appeared unto His prophets.  He always acts under the direction of His Father.  Also, the use of the phrase "they are one God" means that God the Father and Jesus Christ are distinct Personages united in one purpose.

To further and finally prove my point, Abinadi, speaking of Christ, says, "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death. . . . redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father.  Amen" (Mosiah 16:9, 15). 

Thus we can plainly discern the Light by which the Mormons walk, which is Jesus Christ the Savior.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mormonism and the Christ no. 3 - Elder Russell M. Nelson

Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

In today's Deseret News, an article compares the venomous Reverend Robert Jeffress - who made remarks about Mormonism, saying it wasn't Christian and a member thereof is "not a Christian" - with the example of Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  The article reads,  

Daniel Ruth, a columnist for the St. Petersburg Times, had a lot to say. . . . For Ruth, the Christianity of Mormonism was illustrated by a recent visit by Elder Nelson to his newspaper's editorial board.  "At 87, he was lean, fit, mentally sharp and about to embark on a multi-nation tour on behalf of the church. . . . There were no horns.  No signs of Beelzebub.  No harems.  This was just a thoughtful, spiritual man.'  Ruth said Elder Nelson 'readily acknowledged the church's image problems.  His solution?  Simply live a moral, decent life.  Be a responsible member of the community.  And by living a virtuous life, you set an example for others to recognize Mormonism is not a threat to anyone - except perhaps Starbucks."

Ruth does no consider himself a religious man, and is probably not even a member of The Church of Jesus Christ, but he asks,

What if I suddenly faced some personal crisis and I wanted to talk to someone for spiritual insight, guidance or consolation?  Whom would I be more comfortable with?  Would it be the bloviating little God-baiting parson in Dallas who is so quick to condemn, to judge, to exploit the worst ignorant fears in people?  Or would it be the octogenarian gentle man, who may hold dogmatic beliefs I don't subscribe to, but nevertheless yearns to simply lead a meaningful life?  I think . . . I would be on the next plane to Salt Lake City. ("Columnist contrasts Elder Nelson and Rev. Jeffress", Deseret News, Friday 14 October 2011, A3).

What a remarkable example is Elder Nelson!  I say this not to extoll him, because it is not he whom we should extoll, but rather Him who gave His life as the perfect example, even Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Elder Nelson is a true Apostle of the Lord, don't get me wrong.  However, as is demonstrated by the account of Elder Nelson's love for people, it is because of Elder Nelson's Mormonism - not in spite of it - that he is the way he is.  It is ultimately Jesus Christ who sets Elder Nelson's actions, because Elder Nelson tries to emulate Him whom he serves.  Well did the Savior say,  

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7:15-20).

He also saith, "What manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).  May we ever be like the Lord Jesus Christ in all our actions, so that the world may know that the Latter-day Saints follow Christ, and that Mormonism is true Christianity.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mormonism and the Christ no. 2 - King Benjamin's Teachings

In view of the continuation of the national anti-Mormon tirade against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Mormon Eagle has established the "Mormonism and the Christ" section, in hopes that the anti-Mormons will shut their mouths and hearken to the truth, as taught by the Mormons themselves, rather than by the false priests of a decadent and degenerate so-called "Christian" pastor.  We will examine Mormonism and the Christ by dissecting King Benjamin's sermon to the Nephite people.

We begin in the third chapter of Mosiah, wherein an angel of the Lord prophesies of the coming of Christ.  The angel saith, 

For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.  And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.  And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.  And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary (Mosiah 3:5-8).

This is plain enough for anyone - especially any anti-Mormon - to see Whom we believe in and declare as the Savior.  But, in case the foolish and unwise be stubborn, we shall continue in quoting King Benjamin's words.  He continues to teach that "salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Mosiah 3:12).  The link will suffice in proving our point heretofore explained.  He also prophesied of these days.  He said, "The time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.  And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent" (verses 20-21).  In what way has the Lord ordained that the knowledge of God's Son be promulgated throughout the entire Earth?  Why, through the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  As President Ezra Taft Benson taught, "the Book of Mormon is the greatest single tool which God has given us to convert the world" ("A New Witness for Christ", Ensign, November 1984, p. 6).

I know the Savior Jesus Christ is indeed my Redeemer.  The foregoing is sufficient to teach any man the right doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ.  Mormonism is Christianity, and the only religion on Earth recognized by God as His True Church.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Reality Check

Throughout this world, there are certain absolutes that in no way can be changed, no matter what one thinks.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints declares these absolutes to the world.

1.  God Exists
There is a God in the Heavens who loves all His children.  He is the great Elohim, He who created this earth and all things thereon.  He is the great Father of the human family, and decrees His doctrine through Prophets in every dispensation, including this the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.

2.  Jesus Christ is the Savior
Jesus Christ is God's Son, and the only name whereby anyone can receive salvation and exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom.  His life is an example to all the world how one should conduct his life, what one must do to inherit eternal life, and how one should react in all situations.  Ineed, He said in the Intercessory Prayer, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).  Although skeptics say that both He (Jesus Christ) and His Father (God) do not exists, yet it is so.  They exist in spite of the gainsayers.

3.  Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God
When the Angel Moroni came to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he told him that Joseph's name would be had for both good and evil.  Truly this prophecy has come to pass.  Joseph Smith has indeed "has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it" (D&C 135:3).  President Joseph Smith brought forth the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God, which contains the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and with the Bible convinces one of Jesus Christ's reality clearer than anything else.  Joseph Smith also was the instrument on whom the Keys of the Priesthood were conferred by John the Baptist, Peter, James and John, Moses, Elias, Elijah, and Gabriel.  These Keys are only held by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in no other religion.

4.  The Book of Mormon is True
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is as true as the noon-day sun.  It shines resplendent to all the world, that they might know that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.  It is the only book to which the Lord has personally given His own testimony.  Thus saith He, "And he [Joseph Smith] has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true" (D&C 17:6).  Scientific fact is not needed to prove it's veracity, for the Holy Spirit beareth record.  Those who say it is not true, whether having read the Book of Mormon or not, do not and cannot have the Spirit of the Lord in its fulness, for the Church connected therewith is the only Church which has the Authority to give the gift of the Holy Ghost.

These four criterion must be believed in order to find salvation peace in this life, salvation in the next life, and exaltation with God the Father and Jesus Christ.  This I know to be true.  I add my testimony with God as my witness, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

27 June - A Day of Solemnity

Today is 27 June 2011.  Two things of vast interest happened today.  One is the murder of Joseph Smith the Prophet and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch in 1844, and the other is the dedication of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple in 2002.

Joseph and Hyrum
Joseph and Hyrum died for the Truth of God.  Joseph Smith has indeed done more in the world for the salvation of mankind than any other person, Jesus Christ excepted.  Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God into English, that it might stand as a second witness to Jesus Christ the Redeemer, along with the Bible.  The Book of Mormon also stands as a testament to the world that Joseph Smith was in fact a Prophet, because the only way it could have been brought forth is how Joseph Smith said it was - by revelation, nothing more nor less.  Hyrum Smith stood by his brother's testimony of the Book of Mormon no less quietly, for he also knew it is true, for the Holy Ghost told him so.

I know Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that the Church he was an instrument in restoring is the only true and living Church upon the face of Earth, for the Lord God hath spoken it: "And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually" (D&C 1:30).  Also, "For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (D&C 115:4).

The Nauvoo Illinois Temple
This House of the Lord was built on the same spot of ground of the original.  This House of the Lord is a second witness (along with the Book of Mormon) to the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith, in that the only Church on Earth to teach the fulness of the ordinances of the Priesthood is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The covenants within the Endowment ceremony have not changed since Joseph Smith gave the ordinance in the second story of his Red Brick Store in Nauvoo on 4 May 1842, which building is now owned by a church who believes in Joseph Smith in name only - they have rejected him as a Prophet of God, as has the rest of the the world.

Conditional Salvation For Men in this Age
The only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ the Son of God.  He, and He alone, is the Author of Salvation and Exaltation.  However, for mankind now living, one must accept Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World and also Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God (whether in this life or the next), or they cannot be saved.  Jesus Christ must be accepted because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Joseph Smith must be accepted because he was the humble instrument Jesus Christ used to restore His Church to Earth again.  Through Joseph Smith the Priesthood Authority was brought from the Heavens and given to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and only to that Church.  All others are pretenders.  This I solemnly proclaim in humility and by the power of the Holy Ghost, for He is my witness that I speak the truth.  Search the revelations and commandments that have been given to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and you will find I speak the truth.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Proof of God

For those who want physical proof that God exists, I will give it them.

Above is a picture of firemen inside the Provo Tabernacle, which burned down on 17 December 2010.  They are holding a painting by Harry Anderson titled "The Second Comiing".  The only thing remaining is Jesus Christ.  This picture hung in the Tabernacle for 14 hours straight whilst the Tabernacle burned, the roof collapsed (taking with it the balcony section), and the building continued to burn.  It is a statistical impossibility that anything would remain intact after 14 hours in flames, except God protect it, as He did this image of His Son.

Evidence . . . or Lack Thereof

I have often read of people saying that God doesn't exist because our five senses (touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight) cannot identify Him.  This is not evidence that there is no God.  It is actually evidence that God DOES exist.  Let me explain through historical fact and other means.

I.  VIEWING THE CELL

According to the timeline on http://nobelprize.org/educational/physics/microscopes/timeline/index.html:

"1675 – Anton van Leeuwenhoek uses a simple microscope with only one lens to look at blood, insects and many other objects. He was first to describe cells and bacteria, seen through his very small microscopes with, for his time, extremely good lenses."

Now, is this to say that cells did not exist up to this point in time?  No, but rather that man did not comprehend them, or even know of their existence until 1675, because they could not yet be comprehended.  This also means that just because something abstract can't be seen and understood until aided by another thing, doesn't mean it doesn't yet or beforehand exist.  So it is with God.  One man may say, "I have never seen God or experienced Him with my five senses, therefore, he doesn't exist."  Or one may say, "I cannot at this point in time see, hear, taste smell, or touch God, therefore, He doesn't exist."  God exists, regardless of how many people have not yet experienced Him; they haven't looked hard enough.

II.  THE TRAVELERS AND HAMBURGER

A man living in Tonga who has never experienced a hamburger cannot say hamburgers do not exist, for if two travelers come from the United States to Tonga and say they have experienced hamburgers, and thoroughly explains the experience, the Tongan cannot refute it, especially because there are more witnesses than one.  Therefore, God exists, just like the hamburger, because there is more than one witness.

III.  THE LAW OF WITNESSES

Deuteronomy 17:6 reads, "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death."  In ancient Israel, it required more than one witness to condemn a man to death, so as to verify to the people the man's evil deeds, and justice served.  If the witnesses were false, the man was set free.  So it is with God and proof of Him.  Alma states,

"ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets?  The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator (Alma 30:44)." 

Alma lists eight things proving the existence of God.  Doctrine and Covenants 88:45-47 states,  
"The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.  Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand?  Behold, all these are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or the least of these hath seen God moving in his majesty and power." 

The order of planet Earth, the tides moving with the phases of the moon, the artistic beauty of a sunrise and sunset, and the soothing sound of waves upon the seashore give proof of God, because all things are in order.  Chaos cannot create chaos.  But God, who is a God of order, can turn chaotic matter into order, as in the creation of the earth.  It is explained by the Prophet Joseph Smith in these words:   

"The word create . . . does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos –chaotic matter (HC 6:308-311)." 

Only God can turn chaos into order and be as beautiful as this earth.

In conclusion, Elder Joseph F. Merrill of the Council of the Twelve Apostles said, "He who makes no effort to learn of the existence of Deity will, in this life, likely not learn there is a Deity. But his ignorance does not warrant him in declaring there is no God (The Truth-Seeker and Mormonism, Deseret Book Co., pp. 76–77)."  If I have not sufficiently proven, through many instances, the existence of God, the reader must search for God, as Elder Merrill said, or they will never find Him.  One cannot say something does not exist until there is substantial proof that it does not exist, and this from witnesses.  

I myself know God exists.  I use the term "know" the same way one "knows" the Sun shines because I have experienced God.  The Sun still shines regardless if people say it does not; that fact is a reality.  God still exists regardless if people say He does not; that fact is a reality.  In the Name of Jesus Christ His Son, Amen!

Mormon Theology no. 3 - The Book of Mormon

To truly understand the LDS nature of the Godhead and all other doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ, one must understand where that doctrine comes from - the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is the hinge upon which the door to our other doctrines is opened. All our doctrines can be found in the Book of Mormon. But before the doctrines can be understood, the nature of the Book must be understood first.

The Book of Mormon was written between the years 600 BC and AD 421 by many prophets and apostles that lived on the American continent. The preeminent figure in the Book is the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of the Book is to bring all unto Christ to obtain salvation in His only true and living Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the only book in the world to be hand delivered by an angel to a boy whom God hand picked.

If the Lord's words in the Holy Bible are sufficient enough, then what of the Mormons claiming new and additional revelations? Does not the Bible contain sufficient? The answer is that it does not. Throughout the Bible, the Savior's prophets and apostles have spoken about Israel being restored a SECOND TIME to the land of their inheritance. The Book of Mormon teaches that it alone is proof of this second gathering of the Lord's people. The Mormon Missionaries are called to go to California, Chile, Korea, Japan, Germany, and all the world to find the remnants of Israel. They go out preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified through this ever-revelatory book. This preaching comes with a prescript: obey the teachings within the Book of Mormon, repent of past sins, be baptized by immersion by those having proper authority, and receive eternal salvation in the Kingdom of God or be damned for all eternity. We say this because it is a fact that if one rejects the Book of Mormon and the teachings of Jesus Christ within it, that person rejects Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

Having said this, I extend an invitation to all people. Come! Come and begin to read this marvelous book known to the world as The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Doing this will answer all your questions (especially those questions about the nature of the afterlife) and will lead you to total joy. This I know because i have read the Book of Mormon and seen it change people's lives, including my own. It can change your life as well. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!