From the Heart and Soul of a Mormon

I feel it needed that my witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ be written down for generations to see.

I, Clark LeRay Herlin, know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, my Savior.  I know that the Bible is true and teaches of the need for Jesus.  I know that Jesus Christ came down as God's Only Begotten Son and atoned for my sins in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross of Calvary.  I know he was resurrected after three days in the tomb.  I know He has a body of flesh and bone, like His Father's.  I know They live with bodies of flesh and bone.

I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and that he translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God.  I know that Joseph Smith received the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods from John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John respectively.  I know that Joseph Smith gave the Priesthood Keys he held into the hands of the entire Quorum of the Twelve Apostles before he and Hyrum were martyred.  I know those Keys are with the LDS Church today.

By knowing that the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Joseph Smith was the Prophet called of God to restore His Church, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living Church upon the face of the earth.  I know that the Priesthood Keys are vested within said Church, and no other church.

I know the Authority to bind families together forever can only be found and used in the Houses of the Lord built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I know that I will have my wife in the eternities in the marriage relationship because of the Sealing Authority, which Authority is only within the LDS Church.

I know that the Word of Wisdom was given by God through Joseph Smith, and that by abiding within it's principles our temporal salvation is secure.

I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God today - the only man authorized by God to use all the Priesthood Keys.  I know that the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles now living are prophets, seers, and revelators and speak God's will for us today.

I know that the calamities spoken by ancient and modern prophets will be poured out upon those who do not follow God's servants.  I know all I have previously written within The Mormon Eagle is true, and is my witness, forever given to the world through the medium of the Internet.

I know God lives, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that the LDS Church is true - the only true Church - through the power of the Holy Spirit.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The "Myth" Un-"Mythed"

In an article by Lauren Green (see article here), mention is made of an ad campaign by American Atheists.  One of the ads state, "You know it’s a myth.  This season, celebrate reason."  The American Atheists major question is whether or not Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God or whether Jesus is a myth.  In this article, we will examine the Messiahship of Jesus.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught,  

How do you prove the resurrection?  As we are going to see, you prove it by testimony. . . . How do you prove spiritual truths? . . . The way Peter and the ancients proved that Jesus was the Son of God, and therefore that the gospel which he taught was the plan of salvation, was to establish that he rose from the dead.  And the way you prove that a man rises from the dead, because it’s in the spiritual realm, is to bear witness by the power of the Spirit of knowledge that is personal and real and literal to you. (Ensign, Dec. 1980, p. 11)

It all centers on witnesses.  In our courts of law, witnesses testify to the guit or innocence of a man.  So in the Gospel of Jesus Christ do witnesses testiry to the validity of the resurrected Son of Deity.

 Mary is the first of all mortals to see her Risen Lord.  The event is heralded in the Gospel of John in these words:

"But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcure, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?  She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?  She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.  Jesus saith unto her, Mary.  She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master (John 20:11-16)."

Before the close of the New Testament, it is marked down that the Savior appears to Paul, Stephen, the Eleven Apostles, and lastly to 500 bretheren.  John, on the Isle of Patmos, gives a moving description of the Redeemer of the world.  He said,  

"The Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. . . . His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength (Rev. 1:13-16)."  

So far, that is 514 people who still know that Jesus is not a myth.  

We turn now to the pages of the Book of Mormon, and let it establish a witness of the Son of God.  In that holy Book we learn that 2,500 people saw, conversed with, learned from, and felt the wounds of the Messiah risen again from the dead.  This included the Twelve whom Messiah called on the American continent who were also there.  We also have knowledge of both Mormon and Moroni seeing the Risen Lord.  Of these two special witnesses, the words of Mormon reverberate through the sidereal heavens.  Saith he, "And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus (Moroni 1:15)."  What a powerful but precise testimony!  Included with the 514 people in the New Testament, we now have 3,016 people who knew Jesus is not a myth!

In modern times the witnesses who have left us accounts either by their own hand or spoke these accounts to their children and were thereby recorded, we have at least the Prophet Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and Lorenzo Snow.  The risen Lord appeared in the Kirtland Temple to accept of the edifice.  It is written,  

"The veil was taken from our minds, and the eye 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 (D&C 110:1-3) . . ."  

We also have an account of President Lorenzo Snow seeing Jesus after praying in the Salt Lake Temple for revelation on when to reorganize the First Presidency after the death of President Woodruff on 2 September 1898.  The account reads thus,  

"I want to tell you something. It was right here that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me at the time of the death of President Woodruff. He instructed me to go right ahead and reorganize the First Presidency of the Church at once and not wait as had been done after the death of the previous presidents, and that I was to succeed President Woodruff. . . . He stood right here, about three feet above the floor. It looked as though He stood on a plate of solid gold. . . . [I] actually saw the Savior, here in the Temple, and talked with Him face to face (Improvement Era, Sep. 1933. p. 677)."
The hallway in which this event occured is pictured below:

Presidents Smith and Snow knew Jesus was not a myth!  I also know that Jesus Christ is not a myth.  

Thus let it be known that I know that there is no myth of Jesus - He is a reality.  He is the Son of God and all people's Savior, even if they say there is not a God in heaven and that they can pove it.  I know God lives and restored His Church through Joseph Smith.  I know the scriptures testify of Jesus as a reality and that He is real.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mormon Theology no. 14 - Are Mormons Christian?

An article appeared from the Associated Press which states,

"A Presbyterian church was happy to have Jeremy and Jodi Stokes as Cub Scout leaders, at least until officials there found out they are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and told them they would have to step down because the church does not consider them real Christians."

Most Evangelical churches teach that Mormons are not Christians.  They are wrong, and I will say why.

First off, the Mormon Church's official name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as received through revelation (D&C 115:4).  What more evidence do you need than that?

Second, I will cite scripture which states our position.  From the Book of Mormon we read, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)"  Also from the Book of Mormon we have the words of the prophet Amulek: "And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. (Alma 34:8)"

The Bible teaches us, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31)"  From the pen of Isaiah the prophet we read, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)"  He also writes in chapter 9 verse 6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Councellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

In modern times the Prophet Joseph Smith said,  

"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, 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. (HC 3:30)"

The world's current prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has said,

"I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that . . . Jesus is . . . the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. (Ensign, May 2007, 22–25)"

I, Clark LeRay Herlin, also know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does indeed teach and preach of Him, and those that say He does not need look again!

Mormon Theology no. 7 - Jesus Christ vs. Joseph Smith

Within the past years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been in the news concerning everything from Adam to Zion. Among all of the publicity the LDS Church gets, the bystander should come away with a true understanding of the two principle persons of our religion: Jesus Christ our Savior and Joseph Smith the Prophet. One commands the other, and the other teaches the commandments and reality of the One. But who are they?

WHO IS JOSEPH SMITH?
Joseph Smith, Junior is the man called "the Prophet" in the LDS Faith. That is all he was and is. He is nothing more, nothing less. He restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ, beginning with a marvelous manifestation from God the Father and Jesus Christ. He describes the event thus:

"The Lord does reveal himself to me.  I know it.  He revealed himself first to me when I was about fourteen years old, a mere boy. . . . I kneeled down, and prayed, saying, 'O Lord, what Church shall I join?'  Directly I saw a light, and then a glorious Personage in the light, and then another personage, and the first personage said [of] the second, 'Behold this is my beloved Son, hear him (The Papers of Joseph Smith, ed. Dean C. Jessee, 2 vols. [1989–92], 1:444).'"

This opened the final dispensation of the Gospel. Joseph served the Lord his whole life.  Joseph Smith was an instrument in bringing forth new revelation called the Book of Mormon.  He said, "By the power of God I translated the Book of Mormon from hieroglyphics, the knowledge of which was lost to the world, in which wonderful event I stood alone, an unlearned youth, to combat the worldly wisdom and multiplied ignorance of eighteen centuries, with a new revelation. (History of the Church, 6:74)"  Of revelation, the Prophet declared, "The plea of many in this day is, that we have no right to receive revelations; but if we do not get revelations, we do not have the oracles [prophets] of God; and if they have not the oracles of God, they are not the people of God. . . . Jesus in His teachings says, 'Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' What rock? Revelation. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 272, 274)"  The Prophet Joseph Smith taught revelation and Jesus Christ. He taught us who Jesus is very plainly.

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
Joseph said, "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, 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 (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121)."  Jesus Christ is placed at the center of Joseph's (and every other Mormon's) life, because He taught Joseph everything about religion.  So, we can see here that Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and that Joseph was merely an instrument in bringing Jesus forth to the modern world.

This I know of myself, because I have read the Book of Mormon and know, like Joseph and the Lord, that it is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen!