Mormonism Archives - Joseph Smith, Prophet

Mormonism: Open Your Umbrellas- Brace Yourself for the Storm!

byustudent — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:55:55 +0000

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Mormonism: Open Your Umbrellas–Brace Yourself for the Storm!

I’m so excited for this weekend because of the amazing blessing that General Conference is! Ever since last October it seems that the Lord’s work is picking up and progressing more than ever before. In class Brother Griffen mentioned something that I thought was very interesting. He said to picture General Conference as a big umbrella. The brethren who speak have to make it very general to all of us, since people all around the world are watching and listening to their message–hence the part of the umbrella that shelters “everybody”. However, it is our job to take what the brethren say and make it specific to us by putting a “handle” on the umbrella and making it personal to our own lives. So I challenge you to do that!

This week we talked about the chapters of the book of Ether. My favorite concept was in chapter 6 when Mahonri (again, the brother of Jared) and the others were in the barges, and they were headed towards the promised land. I didn’t realize that the Jaredites were in these barges for 344 days! Can you believe the faith they had? In verse 5 it says that God caused “a furious wind.” Then in verse 6 it says that they continued to progress and the storms/tempests became even fiercer. It’s interesting to think that after all of the work these people had to go through in order to build these barges in the first place that Heavenly Father would bring such strife and hardship to them as they were out on the waters.

Trials in our lives helps us learn and humble ourselves.

We could relate this to our own lives. Even as we are striving to do what’s right, a “storm” hits us and brings us trials and tribulation. I know many wonder why God gives us these obstacles to overcome, and my testimony has been strengthened understanding why. God is trying to speed up our learning! Notice how in the next verse (verse 8) it says, “And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters.” Even though they were going through hard times, they were progressing. Whenever we have things that are pulling us down and we continue to keep going—that’s when we make the most spiritual progress and learn! We become humble and more receptive to the Spirit. Heavenly Father simply wants us to reach our destination faster.

My heart was softened when I read that after these tumultuous storms, the Jaredites and Mahonri literally “sang praises” and thanked the Lord all day long, realizing the Lord’s intentions of getting them to their destination faster. Bursting with thankful hearts, they offered up prayers of gratitude.

I have a testimony of the purpose of trials. I know that if we make the most of them and keep stepping forward with a smile on our face, we can get through anything and bless others on the way! Remember that as you go and preach the gospel.

If these reflections helped you, or if you have any questions or comments, I would be happy to hear from you.

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Mormonism: How God Answers Prayers

byustudent — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:49:16 +0000

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Mormonism: How God Answers Prayers

One of the lessons that can be learned in the first few chapters of Ether is that God answers prayers in three different ways: 1) If there is something that we are unable to do ourselves, He performs an act, often miraculous, that solves our problem; 2) He tells us how to solve our own problems by giving us step-by-step instructions; 3) He allows us to use our agency to try and solve our problems.

In the story of the Jaredites (an ancient people living during the time of the tower of Babel), God answered the prayers of the people to not confound their language. Unlike those building a tower to heaven, the Jaredites and their kindred were able to continue to communicate with each other. Though it was beyond their capacity, God had miraculously preserved their language.

The Lord can and will answer prayers.

After this people was lead by God through the wilderness to the ocean on their way to a promised land, the Lord instructed them in a step-by-step process on how to build barges that would carry them across the ocean. He told them how to craft them and how to solve a few of the engineering issues regarding them, such as a lack of air. The Jaredites had to build these barges according to specifications, but God gave them information they couldn’t get on their own.

Upon building the barges according to specifications, the brother of Jared discovered that the barges had no light. Upon asking the Lord for instruction, the Lord told the brother of Jared that he should think of a way to solve this problem. The brother of Jared fashioned sixteen stones to look almost like glass and asked the Lord to touch them so that they might emit light for the barges. The brother of Jared did everything he could within His power to solve his problem, and the Lord saw his offering, accepted it, and provided the Jaredites with that which they could not provide themselves.

I have experienced all three kinds of answers to my prayers. I know that God answers every single one of our prayers, because He always answers mine. I can’t always tell how He will answer.

If you are reading this post and have any questions or comments, I would be happy to hear from you.

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Mormonism: Pray, He Loves You

byustudent — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:43:59 +0000

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Mormonism: Pray, He Loves You

Heavenly Father loves us. He loves all of his sons and daughters. This means that he loves you, me, your next-door neighbor, and everyone else. We are literally Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters, and Heavenly Father has a fatherly love for all of us.

We can speak to God through prayer.

Most of the interactions and stories in the Book of Mormon come from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the one who appears unto the prophets in a vision. He is the one who visits the people in the America’s after He was resurrected, and He gives many commandments and teachings to the people in the Book of Mormon, as well as us. Heavenly Father loves our elder brother and His son Jesus Christ, so He gave Him almost all responsibility for all His children (us) on earth. But the one thing He didn’t give to only Jesus Christ is prayer.We pray to our Father in Heaven. I think this is amazing. We have a loving Father who wants to hear from us. He gave up everything to Jesus, but didn’t give away that sacred experience to communicate with us here on earth.

Our Father in Heaven loves us and wants to hear from us. He wants that connection with us where He can listen to our thoughts and words being directed to Him. Sometimes prayer can be taken lightly and put low on our priority list. As college students here at BYU, I want us to imagine what our earthly father would think if we never called him, or if we did call him, we never acted interested in talking and never put in real effort to communicate. I know my dad would be very sad. We need to have deep, thought-out prayers with our Father. He is listening and we are actually communicating with Him! He wants to hear from us, and He wants to help us. I know that as we pray to our Heavenly Father, we will feel His deep love for us.

If these reflections helped you, or if you have any questions or comments, I would be happy to hear from you.

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Mormonism: Is Seeing Really Believing?

byustudent — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:25:17 +0000

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Mormonism: Is Seeing Really Believing?

Often times, we hear the catchphrase, “Seeing is believing.” Is that really true though? I mean true, often times seeing something will make you believe in it. But there are exceptions to every rule. For example, illusionists and magicians play on this and make people believe that they are doing supernatural things when really they are just using methods and practiced techniques to play tricks on the eyes. On the other hand, belief does not have to be tied to sight. Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is the perfect example. More times than not, we will not get a miraculous revelation where angels minister or we see heavenly beings in order for us to believe that they exist. We must rely on faith first and believe that these things are true first, and then we will be more likely to receive such revelation. The Nephites did this very thing after Christ came to visit them in 3 Nephi 11 after his resurrection. They came forth and touched his hands and feet where the nails had pierced through on the cross. Then they went forth crying, “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!” and worshiped Him. But did they worship Him and believe in Him after they physically saw Him and touched His wounds? No. They had already believed in Him and had faith in Him. How can we assume that seeing is the only way to build faith when in fact it would not even be faith? Joseph Smith was given a revelation that told us that those who ask for signs to ‘confirm’ their belief are adulterers. We have to grow our own testimony based on faith, and it is possible. Seeing is not always believing.

Yours,

Kristin

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Mormonism: Who Am I to Judge My Brother?

byustudent — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:35:00 +0000

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Mormonism: Who Am I to Judge My Brother?

Excerpt from an email to a non-member:

I realize this week that I made a mistake in ignoring some of my friends. Yes, they had done some things that were pretty mean and disappointing, and for a long time I felt justified in refusing to acknowledge them. I thought that perhaps by seeing my reaction they would realize their mistake. But I have been reading so many scriptures lately that have made me realize that I’m approaching it all wrong! I love it when I am reading the scriptures with something else worrying me, and then suddenly verses that I’ve read hundreds of times before suddenly take on an entirely different meaning and strength. For example: “Judge not that ye be not judged” (3 Nephi 14:1). That hit me pretty hard. I was spending all of this time trying to pick out why I was justified in withholding my friendship when, in reality, that wasn’t helping anyone. Both of us just end up losing a friend and poisoning ourselves with bitterness and regret. The verse that really sealed the message though read: “But behold, I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you” [or your friends] (Matthew 5:44). It makes so much sense, when it is put that way! When I thought about it I realized that, yes, it might seem counter-effective to continue treating these people with respect and even love when all I wanted to do was withhold love as a sort of punishment. But who am I to judge? Who am I to say that because someone makes one or even many mistakes it means that they’ve completely stopped trying to be better. One of my favorite lines from a hymn reads: Who am I to judge another/When I walk imperfectly?/In the quiet heart is hidden /Sorrow that the eye can’t see. There has to be a deeper reason than spite that explains why my old friends are acting this way. And if I ignore them, leave them and show my dislike for them, I’ll probably just make it worse. The Savior never did that. He forgave everyone, even the cruelest of men who crucified Him and scorned his followers. He always saw individuals not for who they were but for what they could become. I want to do that. I’ve been trying to reinitiate my friendship with several of those people, because in the end, that will be much more fulfilling than just giving up on them. That would be the more Christ-like thing to do.

If this has struck a chord with you, I would welcome your questions or comments.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Mormonism: Experience in Forgiveness

byustudent — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:37:12 +0000

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Mormonism: Experience in Forgiveness

To one having trouble forgiving,

I am in love with my iPod. His name is Bruce. I carry him everywhere, I
use him all the time. He holds my music, my emails, my to-do lists,
Facebook, etc. He is quite wonderful and my day is that much better with
him in my pocket. These few sentences do not justify the love I have
for dear, dear Bruce, but you must have some understanding of how
important my iPod is to me.

It was my senior year, the week before Thanksgiving break. I walked into
my first period class, very tired and very “out of it.” I had my iPod
out to play a song my friend and I needed to practice singing. My
teacher needed me near the end of class, so I went into her office; we
chatted, the bell rang, and I grabbed my things and hurried to my next
class so that I would not be tardy. Halfway through second period, I
remembered I had left my iPod on the chair in my first class. I panicked
and asked my second period teacher if I could go back and get my iPod.
She said I could wait until lunch. When the bell rang I rushed back to
my first classroom, praying that it was still there. It wasn’t.

I was devastated and angry at myself for being careless, even in my “out
of it” state. I was also angry at the one who had taken my beloved iPod,
but what could I do? It was gone. After my anger subsided, I had an
idea. I wrote a message on the corner of the white board, describing my
iPod in detail and offering a reward for whoever found it. I also added a
small note at the bottom explaining that I was not angry at the person
who had taken my iPod. I just wanted it back. I said that if it was
returned to me, I would be beyond grateful and I would forgive the one
who had stolen it.

My friends thought it was silly. They said I would never get my iPod back
and that I should just erase the message, but I said no. I kept it up
there, hoping that it would have some small impact. Thanksgiving break
came and went and I had gone two weeks without my iPod. I had prayed and
prayed for the thief’’s heart to be softened by my message, but still
no iPod. Towards the end of the third week, I began to doubt the return
of my beloved iPod and was going to erase the message I had left.
However, on November 29th, nearly three weeks after my iPod was stolen,
it was delivered to me during my fifth period class. One of the office
staff came in, called my name, and handed it to me.

I was dumbstruck! My iPod! It had been given back to me! I rejoiced and I
cried wonderful tears of joy. I turned my iPod on, and I noticed that a
lot of pictures and notes had been deleted. But I found one note on
there addressed to me. I still have that note. It says:

Dear person, im sorry i stole your ipod.. Keep ur reward i dnt deserve it.
It was wrong of me so this is the right thing to do.. I also erased the
notes and some pictures the day i took it because i was at the time
being stupid and at the time was going to keep it but i was raised
better than that. I hope u forgive me even though u dnt knw who i am. I
am sorry if u forgive me then that spot were u wrote missung ipod plz
just say u r forgive.. Im sorry again here is ur ipod back.. Im sure ur a
good person and god loves u. Frm.. Sorry and stupid

I was blown away by the note and filled with gratitude for the return of
my iPod. I erased my previous message and wrote another saying that I
was extremely happy for the return of my iPod, that I had completely
forgiven the thief, and that I loved them very much for giving it back
to me. I still don’t know who did it, but I hope they saw my message and
knew they were forgiven.

I could have stayed angry at the thief, I could have wept and wailed and
gnashed my teeth, crying about how unfair it was that my iPod was
stolen. However, that would have weighed me down, and my grudge would
have made me bitter. Instead, I chose to forgive and I believe that both
of our lives were blessed because of it.

In Alma chapter 60 of the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni writes an epistle
to Pahoran, the chief judge of the Nephites. Moroni is in the middle of
a war and writes to chastise Pahoran for his seeming lack of care for
the Nephite armies. He tells of the hunger, fatigue, and other
afflictions the Nephite army had been enduring and pretty much told
Pahoran that he was a thoughtless traitor for not sending help where it
was needed. Little did Moroni know that Pahoran had been having troubles
of his own; there were insurrections and rebellions against the
government and Pahoran was having about as much trouble as Moroni was.

Now, Pahoran could have been angry at Moroni for insulting him. He had every
right to be mad at Moroni and his false accusations. Men were trying to
overthrow him and the government. Moroni had sent him a terrible
letter. Who wouldn’t be at least a little angry
after being called a thoughtless traitor? Pahoran didn’t get angry
though. In chapter 61,he said to Moroni, “…in your epistle you have
censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the
greatness of your heart.” He forgave Moroni, and they were both blessed
for it. Moroni came to the city and helped Pahoran to retain his
judgment seat.

My point is that forgiveness is a beautiful thing. You can hold grudges
and take personally the curve-balls life throws you, or you can choose
to be happy and choose to forgive. I urge you to forgive–your life will
be blessed because of it.

Love,
One whom forgiveness has brought great joy

If these reflections helped you, or if you have any questions, I would love to hear from you.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

Mormonism: Why Fear When God Is On Your Side?

byustudent — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:37:08 +0000

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Mormonism: Why Fear When God Is on Your Side?
Letter to My Family

Hey family!!

I love you all and miss you so so much! I have been thinking of you and praying for you everyday! I am so grateful to have you in my life and hope you know that I could not have been blessed with a better family! I hope you have all had an awesome week and wanted to send on some sweet treasures and thoughts from my Book of Mormon class.

We are studying in the book of Helaman and one of my all time favorite versus is Helaman 5:12 which says:

And now, my sons [or daughters], remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (emphasis added)

This is not only a message from Helaman to his sons, Nephi and Lehi, but it is also a message for us! Although the scriptures were written thousands of years ago, they are for US in THIS day! Notice that it doesn’t say, IF Satan tries to hit you with his storms…it says WHEN he does! There is no doubt that Satan will attack us and so it is our responsibility to BE READY!!

This scriptures promises IF we are built upon Christ, we CANNOT fall! Another great thought the Spirit let me have was when I read Helaman 7:6–7. These scriptures describe the sorrow and agony of Nephi because of the wickedness of the people and he wishes he could have lived in the past. How many times have we wished we could have lived in another time period? Yes, our world is becoming increasingly darker and more wicked, but ask yourselves this question: “Why fear when God is on your side?” Move forward with FAITH, not backward with fear. Faith and fear cannot coexist at the same time.

I know that God’s plan is perfect and we are here NOW for a reason! We have a great work to do—step up to the call as divine sons and daughters of the Almighty God to build His kingdom and stand valiantly on the Lord’s side of the line. Family, I love you!! Thanks for being who you are! Keep loving each other and striving to put the Savior first. I promise that as you center your life on the Savior, everything will fall into place.

Love for eternity,

Your daughter, granddaughter, sister, and friend,
Aubrey

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

Mormonism: The Pride Cycle

byustudent — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:30:11 +0000

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Mormonism: The Pride Cycle
Letter to My Grandparents

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Last week in our Book of Mormon class, we discussed the Pride Cycle in detail. It went into more depth than the usual Sunday school lesson, and goes like this:

Prosperity → Pride → Sin → Destruction → Sorrow → Humility → Repentance → Blessings → Prosperity

My professor, Brother Griffin, explained that we as people shouldn’t get into a cycle, because when we do, we can’t progress. If your life were constantly a pride cycle, it means you’re neither on God’s side or on Satan’s side; you’re stuck in the middle. The pride cycle is considered the Terrestrial state of living; there are also two other structures to live life within the pride cycle, such as the Telestrial spiral:

Pride → Sin → Destruction → Sorrow → Pride

This is often seen in the Book of Mormon concerning the Lamanites, or any other wicked people. Not only do they not progress, but they completely reject God and are therefore doomed to a spiral of pain, sorrow, and destruction.

There is also the Celestial Staircase (or upward spiral):
Prosperity → Humility → Repentance → Blessings → Prosperity

The progressive aspect of the staircase is that when you prosper, you shouldn’t be prideful but instead humble and thankful to God for the blessings you have received. It is obviously possible to switch between these three spirals in life, but as long as we try our very best with help from God, we can be living a Celestial life.

I know these things to be true, that our Father in Heaven is there for each of us every step of the way and if we turn to Him, He can make our lives so much better than we could ever make them by ourselves.

I love you,

Whitney

[Celestial refers to God’s kind of life; terrestrial is one step below; telestial is the lowest, where only minimal light and truth are accepted.]

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

Mormonism: Left in Their Own Strength

byustudent — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:25:15 +0000

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Mormonism: Left in Their Own Strength

I recently had a conversation with a friend that reminded me how important daily scripture study is in our lives. Not surprisingly, both of us agreed that we can tell the difference between the days we really study the scriptures and the days we just read a verse or two. Unfortunately though, we often don’t notice the difference scripture study makes in our lives until that influence is gone.

Most of the times when I do/say something I regret, I look back on the days preceding and find that those days are consistently when my scripture study consisted of “just a verse or two.” Perhaps I was “too tired” or “too busy” or a variety of other excuses. Regardless, the result is the same.

In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites, who were typically a righteous people, really struggled with living the gospel and bounced back and forth between being righteous and being wicked because they were becoming prideful.

“And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper” (Helaman 4:13)

I love that line. Because of “their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength.”

Isn’t me choosing not to read the scriptures just like telling Heavenly Father, “Hey, I think you’re really great, but today, I won’t need your help. I’m pretty sure I can handle temptation and trials on my own today, so I’m just gonna go to bed, skip the scriptures. I’ll read and pray when I need you again. Okay?”

Maybe that’s a little extreme, but you get my point.

By the end of the Book of Mormon, the Nephites, who were as righteous as can be through nearly the whole Book of Mormon, became totally wicked and ended up being destroyed through warfare.

I don’t believe the Nephites went from being stalwart church attendees to murderers overnight, but that they fell away little by little. Maybe one day they skipped church, and then a few days later they didn’t read their scriptures or pray, and then they began to let pride creep in as they started to attribute their various successes to themselves rather than recognizing God’s influence.

The end of the chapter says, “thus had they become weak…in the space of not so many years” (Helaman 4:26).

I think scripture study operates on this principle: when we don’t read our scriptures like we should, we too become weak in a short amount of time. If we aren’t familiarizing ourselves with the scriptures daily, we are less likely to make good choices simply because we won’t be as aware and spiritually conscious.

Now, not everyday is going to be a winning day with scripture study, but the more we surround ourselves with the words of Christ, the more likely we are to make the choices that He would. And isn’t that our end goal? To become more like Christ.

Perhaps we can all follow President Hinckley’s advice to try a little harder to be a little better.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ