The church says that 2 planes will be sent as early as this morning from Denver and Miami, carrying 80,000 pounds of hygiene and medical kits in addition to emergency food supplies.

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-sends-additional-aid-to-haiti-earthquake-victims

If you would like to donate to the Church’s Humanitarian Fund, pleasevisit http://give.lds.org/emergencyresponse

All funds go directly to the aid of those in need.

Throughout my life I’ve had doubts about  things, as we all do. Little thoughts like “What if it isn’t true?” or, “What if God doesn’t exist?”. Usually I dismiss it because I know who those thoughts are coming from-Satan. The master of lies and deceit would love to drag my soul away from it’s safe harbor. But still the thoughts would come. Over and over I would be reminded of what God has done in my life to show me of His existence. But none were as strong as my testimony of the calling of this man, the Prophet. It has weathered the harshest storms and carried me beyond the point of breaking.

I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet, called by God and His Son, Jesus Christ, to restore the True Church upon the earth. It had been lost due to the selfishness and evils of men. This knowledge has kept me afloat more than once. If I knew he was called of God, then I know that God existed and that He created all things. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and is an ancient record of the peoples of the Americas.

Last week I was able to visit the Liberty and Carthage Jails, where Joseph and his brother Hyrum were imprisoned on false charges. In Liberty they were put in a small cellar, about 15×15. There was no way to heat it, and during the winter it is freezing in Missouri. At any time they could have declared it all to be a lie. They would not have suffered and they would have gone home to their families. But he did not. Why would he have lied anyways? What was there to gain? He and his family were persecuted, and run from the state within an inch of their lives. He was imprisoned more times than I can count. Were there treasures and gold to lie for, perhaps he would have. But there were not. In Carthage, the place of his death, he could have done the same. Joseph could have said “I’m sorry, but I lied.” But he didn’t because he did not lie. All that he said was truth. And he sealed that truth with his blood. He died as a testament to all that he lived for.

God has set his prophet on this earth. After Joseph’s death, God choose another, witnessed by hundreds. Brigham Young was called of God just as Joseph was. And neither of these prophets have done anything contrary to God’s will, or they would have been removed from their places.

God’s prophet on this earth today is Thomas S. Monson. I know, just as I know Joseph was a prophet, that President Monson has been called of God. I have asked God, and He has answered.
How wonderful it is to have this truth!

Elder Boyd K. Packer once said, “There are some things just too sacred to discuss: not secret, but sacred; not to be discussed, but to be harbored and protected and regarded with the deepest of reverence.” (Teach Ye Diligently, 1991, p. 87)

Despite the clamor for boycotts and protesting to end this issue, things will end as they always have. There will be an uproar for a time, and then things will die down, and only be another chapter in the persecution of the Mormon Church. The Church’s newsroom has issued a article that lists the many times that these experiences have happened in recent years:

• During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
• When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
• When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
• In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.

 (http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-publicity-dilemma)

My purpose in writing this blog entry is not to focus on what is going on right now with HBO, but to get to the real issue-What do Mormons use their temples for? The following is a wonderful video about the purpose of temples:

From the Church’s website on temples ( http://www.lds.org/temples/home/0,11273,1896-1,00.html ), this frequently asked question covers briefly the purpose of a Mormon Temple.

What is the purpose of the temple?
To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple is the “House of the Lord.” It is a sacred building, and after its dedication only faithful members of the Church may enter. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellow man. In addition, they participate in religious ceremonies that reach beyond mortality, such as baptisms on behalf of deceased ancestors and eternal marriage.

Temples are beautiful places where we make covenants with God. They are sweet, sacred places where we perform ordinances for the dead as well. I would hope that all would respect this.

Joseph Smith lived in the United States, one of the only countries in the world that enjoyed religious freedom. It was a time of great religious awakening, and his family was deeply religious. Joseph listened to many preachers, pastors and teachers but was unable to join with a religion because of the many different positions that they held on different doctrines. “So great were the confusions and strife,” he said,”among the different denominations that it was impossible for a person young as I was..to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong..” A midst all of this, Joseph turned to the scriptures for guidance. He was reading in his Bible one day and came across a scripture in James 1:5, which says: “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”. Because of this passage, Joseph determined to ask God which church was the true church.

It was early in the spring when Joseph went to a nearby wood to pray and ask which church to join. His faith was great as he knelt in those woods. He realtes the experience in his own words: 

   “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me…When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other, “This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him!”

In this vision, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and told him not to join any of the churches, for they were all wrong. Christ stated “They draw near unto me with their lips but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (Joseph Smith History 1:19)”. Even though many good people believed in Christ and tried to follow His teachings, they did not have the fulness of the truth, nor the power and authority of God to lead and direct the Church.

Just as God had called prophets like Adam , Moses and Abraham to lead the Church, God called Joseph Smith as a prophet to lead in the Restoration of the Gospel. Many angels appeared to Joseph to restore priesthood keys, John the Baptist, Peter, James and John and Elijah. 

A living prophet leads the Church today. He is an authorized successor to Joseph Smith. He and the present apostles can trace their authority to  Jesus Christ in an unbroken chain of ordinations through Joseph Smith.

With the death of the Apostles, the authority and power to direct, lead and teach the Church (the Priesthood) was lost to the earth. No one had the correct authority to lead, only the Apostles had that power, but now they were gone. Amos, a prophet in Old Testament times, prophesied of these days: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from north even 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) Without the Apostles, doctrines became corrputed and unauthorized changes were made to ordinances such as baptism and conferring the Holy Ghost.

Without revelation and priesthood authority, people relied solely upon the wisdom of men to interpret the scriptures. Soon, false ideas were taught as truth and the knowledge of the the true character and nature of God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost were lost. Many churches began to rise because of different interpretations of the scriptures.

Centuries past and finally truth seeking men and women began to protest against the corruption of the doctrines being taught. Men like Martin Luther and John Calvin went about to reform their prospective churches, realizing that portions of the truth had been lost. These men never professed to be prophets, because they had read the scriptures and knew that only those called of God could be a prophet (Luke 6:13, John 15:16 and Hebrews 5:4). 

Along with all of the prophesies and warnings about the forthcoming Apostasy (Matt 24:9-11, Mark 12:1-9, Acts 20: 28-30, Galations 1:6-9, and 1 Timothy 4:1-3) there is also a scripture in Acts 3:20-21, where Peter cries repentence to the people, telling them to do so before the second coming of Christ, when they would be in His presence. An interesting phrase is mentioned in verse 21, “Whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution of all things…” . I looked up the word “restitution” in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary. It means 1: an act of restoring or a condition of being restored: as a: a restoration of something to its rightful owner b: a making good of or giving an equivalent for some injury 2: a legal action serving to cause restoration of a previous state (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restitution). 

This verse is a prophesy of the apostasy that was to come, for why would Christ need to restore the Church to it’s original state if it had not become corrupted? 

To read about The Restoration please read the post titled  ”The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.

Media

    To start off with, we have been counseled by our church leaders to never participate  in any form of entertainment that is violent or pornographic in any way. We believe that these things desensitize our spirits, making it harder for us to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
     Several of our church leaders have asked us not to watch R-rated movies. President Ezra Taft Benson said : “We counsel you…not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for the mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards. Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic.” (1)

W e have also been counseled:”Do not attend, view or participate in any entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any was presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable.”(3)

Pornography in all its form is especialy dangerous and addictive. It can lead to transgression and even criminal behavior. It is a poison that can weaken self control and change the way you see others.
    Regarding music, we are told to only listen to those songs that are uplifting in nature. Anything that contains inappropriate language or references is to be avoided.”Choose carefully the music you listen to. Pay attention to how you feel when you are listening. Don’t listen to music that drives away the Spirit, encourages immorality, glorifies violence, [or] uses foul language.” (4)

Dress and Appearance

We believe that our bodies are God’s sacred creations. We know that because of this, we must respect them as the gifts that they are. We will not defile out bodies in any way because of this knowledge. Prophets have counseled us to dress modestly . Elder Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once stated, “Choose your  clothing the way you would choose your friends – in both cases choose that which improves you and would give you confidence standing in the presence of God. Good friends would never embarrass you, demean you, or exploit you. Neither should your clothing.”(2)

Common guidelines include not wearing tight or revealing attire, wearing all shorts and skirts to (or below) the knees. Immodest clothing also includes shirts that do not cover the stomach,and  shoulders. We avoid extremes in clothing, appearnance and hairstyle.

We show respect for our bodies by not disfiguring it with tattos, or body piercings. If they desire, girls and women may have one modest pair of earrings. 

Physical Health

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that our physical health is very important. Through modern revelation to our prophets, we have been commanded by the Lord to take care of our bodies. In section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of latter-day scripture) we are given what is commonly known as the “Word of Wisdom”, or a health code of sorts. By reading that and listening to present day revelation, we are counseled to eat nutritious meals and to exercise regularly. We are told to avoid things that will harm our bodies, such as drugs, tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. These substances are harmful to our bodies in more than one way. They are addictive and can enslave our bodies and minds. To be healthy we avoid these. We know that these substances will not make us happier and they most certainly will not make us more attractive.

1. Benson, Ezra T., May 1986 Enisgn, paragraph 42. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=dc8eef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

2. Holland, Jeffrey R. November 2005 Ensign, p. 28, http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=b99c78de9441c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Entertainment and the Media, For the Strength of Youth.

4.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Music and Dancing, For the Strength of Youth.

The Monday after Pentecost, called by some “Whit Monday” was an important day of celebration in Yorkshire, England. On this particular Whit Monday, children from two villages would march through their own streetsand  then join somewhere in the middle. Sabine Baring-Gould wished  that  they  would  sing  something  as  they  marched. He searched for a suitable hymn, but could find nothing. He then resolved that he would write the song himself. 

What he wrote in the next 15 minutes is inspired. “It was written in great haste, and I am afraid that some of the lines are faulty” he claimed. He did not realize then what a profound effect this hymn could have on so many Christians.

1. Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banners go!

[Chorus]
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.

2. At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory.
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise.

3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the Saints have trod.
We are not divided;
All one body we:
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.

4. Onward, then, ye people;
Join our happy throng.
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the King.
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.

My brothers and sisters, throughout the globe, we are fighting a battle against the enemy of all righteousness. Shall we not  join together? Satan is sifting us as wheat, trying to tear us apart. We may be different in many ways, but we share common ground, belief in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.

Over the past 2 months or so, the LDS/Mormon Church (of which I am a member), has taken a lot of fire over the definition of marriage, especially in states that have recently banned gay-marriage (including Proposition 8 in California). We believe that marriage, between a man and a woman, is ordained by God. We believe that we have a living prophet, who listens to the voice of the Lord, and is instructed to lead His church on the earth. The following is a proclamation that the church issued over 13 years ago….regarding our beliefs on this subject.

The Family-A Proclamation to the World

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.