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.

The Declaration of Easter

Today being Easter Sunday, I will promote the Mormon views on Easter and the Christ.

Nothing but joy can emanate from my heart on a day like today.  It was a warm day in Provo, UT, and testimony rang from the sermons at Church regarding the Christ.  Still, many outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wonder of our declaration of the Christ on Easter, and I feel to give it here, as spoken by the Prophets and Apostles, both of old and of modern origin.  Then I will give my own knowledge pertaining thereto.

It is amazing to me that One so pure and undefiled would be willing to put His life on the line - both His physical and spiritual life - to expiate my every sin.  But, not only did Jesus do that for me, He did that for you - He took upon Himself every pain, sorrow, heartache, sadness, loss, difficulty, blemish (physical and otherwise), inadequacy, trauma, etc. - for you and me and everyone who has, does now, or will yet live upon the earth.  "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent. . . . 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. (D&C 19:16-18)"  This suffering took place in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The Master was then taken to a mock trial, and afterward crucified between two thieves.  Elder McConkie tells us that whilst Messiah was hanging on the cross "all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred" ("The Purifying Power of Gethsemane", Ensign, May 1985).

After three days, a most marvelous, miraculous, and transcendent event occurred.  As prophesied by many ancient prophets, "now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept" (1 Cor. 15:20).  Because of this Resurrected Christ, we need not fear with the lowering of the body into the cold and silent grave, but rather rejoice evermore in that Christ hath swallowed up death in Himself, He having the key to the bottomless pit.  

We need not trust in just the written word alone for this knowledge, for it has been given anew by modern Prophets and Apostles that Christ is indeed risen again from the dead.  Joseph Smith taught, 

The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying: I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father. (D&C 110:1-4)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, 

And now, as pertaining to this perfect Atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that He is the Son of the living God and was crucified for the sins of the world.  He is our Lord, our God, and our King.  This I know of myself, independent of any other person.  I am one of His witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in His hands and in His feet and shall wet His feet with my tears.  But I shall not know any better then than I know now that He is God’s Almighty Son, that He is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through His atoning blood and in no other way ("Purifying Power", Ensign, May 1985).

President Gordon B. Hinckley testified boldly, "He is our triumphant Lord. He is our Redeemer, who atoned for our sins. Through His redeeming sacrifice all men shall rise from the grave. He has opened the way whereby we may gain not only immortality but also eternal life.  As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bear witness and testimony of these things this Easter day. I speak in solemnity and reverence and gratitude" ("He Is Not Here, but Is Risen", Ensign, May 1999).

I also bear record that I, Clark LeRay Herlin, know with assurance, that Jesus Christ did indeed rise from the dead.  This doctrine taught I in California for two years, and have been teaching the doctrine online for the past two also.  I know that Christ lives and that we will see our loved ones who have died again, and that in our own bodies - all because of One single life - that of Jesus the Christ.  In the Name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Mormon Theology no. 8 - The Genius of the LDS Church Organization

On 22 November 2009 at 11:20am inside the Provo Tabernacle, I heard Elder D. Todd Christofferson testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Priesthood Authority that the Lord has given the LDS Church.  What are the Apostles?  Who are the Seventy?  Where and when do they fit into Jesus' original Church He set up?  In this essay, we will examine these claims.  It must always be remembered that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and that He leads said Church.


The Council of the First Presidency
During certain occasions, the Lord Christ took with Him Peter, James, and John - and only them - to witness certain pivotal events in His ministry.  Such pivotal events were the raising of the daughter of Jairus, the raising of Lazarus, the events on top of the Mount of Transfiguration, and our Lord's sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The reason the Lord took Peter, James, and John upon the Mount was to ordain them to the Priesthood and give them the Keys that only the First Presidency can exercise.  These three able men eventually led the Church and called and ordained new Apostles such as Paul and Barnabas and Matthias.  Unfortunately, all Christ's original Apostles were killed, and His Authority taken from the Earth.  It was eventually restored under the hands of these same ancient Apostles (Peter, James, and John) upon the heads of Joseph Smith, Junior and Oliver Cowdery near Harmony, Pennsylvania in May or June of 1829.  Four years later on 18 March 1833, the Lord organized the First Presidency, then consisting of Joseph Smith, Junior, President; Sidney Rigdon, First Counselor; and Fredrick G. Williams, Second Counselor.  The First Presidency at the time of the death of Joseph Smith consisted of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith.  The First Presidency has been subsequently dissolved and reorganized at the death of every Church President since Joseph Smith.  The current First Presidency is Thomas S. Monson, President; Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor; and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
During Jesus' mortal ministry (Matt. 10), He organized the first ever Quorum of the Twelve Apostles which consisted of Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Lebaeus Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas.  As stated above, this Quorum was all killed off or taken from the Earth by the Lord, thus their Authority going with them.  It was reconstituted by the Lord on 14 February 1835 with Thomas B. Marsh, David W. Patten, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, William E. McLellin, Parley P. Pratt, Luke S. Johnson, William Smith, Orson Pratt, John F. Boynton, and Lyman E. Johnson as members.  As in former dispensations, at the death or excommunication of a member of the Twelve, a new person in called into the Quorum so as to always have twelve.  The current Quorum consists of: Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffery R. Holland, David A. Bednar, Quinton L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, and Neil L. Andersen.  Together, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hold and exercise all the Priesthood Keys on the Earth, with the President of the Church the only man authorized to exercise all the keys at one time.

The Quorums of the Seventy
In Acts 6, the Twelve Apostles chose seven able men to assist them in the work of the ministry.  The Savior had previously organized a Quorum of Seventy shortly after the organization, empowerment, and sending forth of the Twelve.  The Seventy were organized to help the Apostles lead the Church.  After the Great Apostasy, the Lord brooded upon Joseph Smith to reorganize the Seventy in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times.  Just two weeks after the formation of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles in 1835, Joseph Smith organized the First Council of the Seventy.  One of the original members was Elder George A. Smith, a cousin to Joseph, and only 19 years of age at the time

From 1835 until 1975, the Quorums of the Seventy became so numerous that they eventually became unwieldy, which eventually were put under the supervision of the Stakes of Zion.  They were so unwieldy and disorganized, that in 1975, Spencer W. Kimball, then 12th President of the Church, reorganized the First Quorum as a Quorum of General Authority Seventies, with the Stake Seventies remaining under local jurisdiction.  By 1986, the Priesthood office of Seventy was no longer a Stake position, but operated Church wide, with the discontinuance of Stake Seventies.  Also in 1986, the Second Quorum of the Seventy was constituted, also consisting of General Authorities.  Then, in one of the great administrative motions of President Gordon B. Hinckley, he, in 1997, created the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Quorums of the Seventy.  Today, the Church has Eight Quorums of the Seventy.  With the creation of the Seventies Quorum, the Church can grow as large as ever God wills it, because the Quorums of the Seventy can expand to any number, whereas there will always and only be Twelve Apostles.

Seeing, therefore, that the Lord actually established a Church on the Earth when He was mortal, it stands to reason that His Church on the earth would have His same organization and offices in this dispensation as in former dispensations.  To fully know if what we have discussed is true, you, the reader, must read the Book of Mormon, carefully comparing its doctrine with the Bible.  If done with a prayer of faith, you will find that the LDS Church is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth.  I know this is true, because I have done it.  Remember the words of Jesus, "If any man will do [God's] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17).  I bear witness of the Lord's establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that He established no other modern nor ancient Church or religion, save His Church.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.