Israel – Page 6 – Jesus is the Christ, the Holy Messiah who soon will come so repent and get ready!

Jehovah Jesus Christ, the holy Messiah, King of kings, Lord of lords, Our Advocate with the Father, Our Exemplar, Our Judge, the kind and merciful one, is the healer of our souls who soon will come, so you may want to repent of your sins today and get ready.

What and Who is God?

If you would like our Savior Jesus Christ’s promised peace and eternal life, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ I invite you to call right now 1-888-537-7700 or 1-800-453-3860 extension 2-4914 or 801-240-4914 in order to visit with the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can also reach them via the website https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/easter-2021/talk-with-missionaries

God our Eternal Father in Heaven

It is life eternal to know God Our Eternal Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jehovah Jesus Christ, Yeshua, The Holy Messiah.
There are three separate Gods in heaven with whom we have affinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Of God the Father we testify:
“There is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them.” (D. & C. 20:17.)
He is not a progressive being in the sense that liberal religionists profess to believe.
He was not created by man.
He was not a God of vengeance and war in Old Testament times and a God of love and mercy in a later New Testament era.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God is known only by revelation.
He stands revealed or remains forever unknown.
He cannot be discovered in the laboratory.
He cannot be discovered by viewing all immensity through giant telescopes.
He cannot be discovered by cataloging all the laws of nature that do or have existed.
A knowledge of his powers and the laws of nature which he has ordained does not reveal his personality and attributes to men. This kind of knowledge comes only by revelation from the Holy Ghost as a consequence of obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.
Man’s purpose in life is to learn the nature and kind of being that God is, and then, by conformity to his laws and ordinances, to progress to that high state of exaltation wherein man becomes perfect as the Father is perfect. (Matt. 5:48; Teachings, pp. 342-362.)
He is God Almighty.
He is THE ALMIGHTY God.
He is not an amorphous personage of Spirit. He is not properly defined by apostate creeds.
Apostate creeds teach that God is a spirit essence that fills the immensity of space and is everywhere and nowhere in particular present.
In a vain attempt to support this doctrine that God is a spirit essence, formulated by councils in the early days of the great apostasy, it is common for apologists to point to the statement in the King James Bible which says, “God is a Spirit.” (John 4:22-24.) The fact is that this passage is mistranslated; instead, the correct statement, quoted in context reads: “The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth.” (Inspired Version, John 4:25-26.)
It is true that God may be said to be a Spirit, but this statement must be understood to mean that he is a Spirit in the same sense that a resurrected man is a spirit.
When the apostles, beholding the resurrected Lord, “were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit” (Luke 24:36-43), there was not the slightest intimation that the “spirit” was a vaporous nothingness that filled immensity. Spirits are personages. God the Father is a glorified and perfected Man, a Personage of flesh and bones (D. & C. 130:22), in which tangible body an eternal spirit is housed. It is in this sense that God is a Spirit.

HIS NATURE IS DIVINE AND ETERNAL.
God the Eternal Father, our Father in Heaven, is an exalted, perfected, and glorified Personage having a tangible body of flesh and bones. (D. & C. 130:22.)
All men, Christ included, were born as Heavenly Father’s spirit children in pre-existence. (D. & C. 93:21-23; Moses l; 2; 3; 4; Abra. 3:22-28.)
He is married for eternity to our Heavenly Mother.
He is the Great Creator. Through His Son He created, which is to say organized, our universe. He organized the earth and universe from existing matter. All things are round about and known by God the Father including past, present, and future.
He embodies all virtues perfectly – honesty, trustworthiness, faith, hope, charity, love, kindness, long-suffering, courage, chastity, purity, knowledge, wisdom, happiness and joy.

BECAUSE HE LOVED US FIRST, HE ASKS THAT WE LOVE HIM AND LOVE HIS SON AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
He asks that we show our love for Him by helping Him accomplish his singular objective which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of us his children.
He asks that we show our love for Him by repenting of our sins and by keeping His commandments for such will bring us his children the greatest happiness. Righteousness is happiness. Wickedness never was happiness.
He asks that we show our love for Him by visiting with Him in prayer multiple times daily.

WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.
He desires to exalt his children by giving them experience in mortality, death, the resurrection, and exaltation
He gave his only begotten beloved son that we might not perish.
He forgives our sins and remembers them no more conditional on our acceptance of Christ Jesus as our Savior and repentance of our sins.

He is GOD the First in the godhead.
He is bound by law.
He is Holy, Holy, Holy.
He is immortal which is to say He cannot and will not die.
Once again, He has a resurrected, glorified, perfect body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s.
He is an exalted being.

He is Perfect in Spirit, Mind, and Body.
He is Omnicharitable (all loving).
He is Omnipotent (all powerful).
He is Omnipresent (all present, in and through all things).
He is Omniscient (all knowing).

His is the great plan of our Happiness.
He implemented His great plan of joy and happiness, salvation and exaltation.

He holds the keys of presidency of our universe.
He holds the keys of creation delegated to His Son.
He holds the keys of the priesthood from eternity to all eternity delegated to His Son.
He holds the keys of the resurrection delegated to His Son.

His Son mirrors Him in person and attributes.
If you know the Son, you know the Father.
Like His Son, He is a God of mighty miracles.
We come to the Father only through His Beloved Son.

He is our Father in Heaven.
He is our Holy Father.
He is the Father of our spirits.

Like His Son, He is the God of truth and cannot lie.
Like His Son, He is the Great Creator of our universe.
All of his billions if not trillions of creations were organized by His Son and are known, named and numbered to both of them.

We worship the Father in the Son.
We also worship the Son.
Heavenly Father is the only true God whom we worship in the name of His Son.

He is the source of good.
He is the supreme being in our universe.
He is the Supreme God we worship in the name of his son Jesus Christ.
He lives in eternal celestial burnings.
He lives in the center of our universe near a great governing star Kolob.

He receives and answers our prayers proferred in the name of the Son.
He too has a father and a mother as rightly taught by The Prophet Joseph Smith.

Lucifer opposed Him and His Son.
In pre-existent counsels, He was opposed by his son Lucifer.
By Jehovah and Michael Heavenly Father banished Lucifer with “a one third part” of His rebellious children.
As consequence, Lucifer with his fallen angels became Satan the god of evil on earth.

His Son Jesus Christ is in His express image.

In addition to the fact that all men are brothers in the sense that all have descended from Adam, they are also brothers in that they have the same personal Father who begat them in the spirit.

Pre-existence.
In heaven, He convened the grand council and other councils to discuss the plan of salvation and exaltation.
Sacrament.
In the name of Jesus Christ, He blesses the sacrament in remembrance of His son’s atoning sacrifice, including His broken body and shed blood.

Fatherhood of God
It is only by understanding the real and literal sense in which God is our Father that we are able to understand what is meant by the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.
Our Lord had reference to this when he said, “Go to my brethren, arid say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17.)
The designation Father is to be taken literally; it signifies that the Supreme Being is the literal Parent or Father of the spirits of all men. (Heb. 12:9.)
This is the reason men are commanded to approach Deity in prayer by saying, “Our Father which art in heaven.” (Matt. 6:9.)
We are His and our Heavenly Mother’s spirit children.

Beatitudes and Ten Commandments
Through His Son, He is the source of beatitudes.
Through His Son, Jehovah, He is the source of ten commandments

Godhead.
There are three Gods-the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-who, though separate in personality, are united as one in purpose, in plan, and in all the attributes of perfection. Thus anything, in these fields, which is revealed with reference to any of them is equally true of each of the others; and hence no attempt need be made in these fields to distinguish between them.
By definition, . God (generally meaning the Father) is the one supreme and absolute Being; the ultimate source of the universe; the all powerlul, all-knowing, all-good Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things.
Of him, when considering the object upon which faith rests, the Prophet observes “that God is the only supreme governor and independent Being in whom all fulness and perfection dwell; who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient; without beginning of days or end of life; and that in him every good gilt and every good principle dwell; and that he is the Father of lights; in him the principle of faith dwells independently, and he is the object in whom the faith of all other rational and accountable beings centers for life and salvation.” (Lectures on Faith, p. 9.)

The godhead is comprised of three glorified, exalted, and perfected personages. They are the supreme presidency of the universe. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. I, pp. 1-55.)
They are: God the Father; God the Son; God the Holy Ghost. (First Article of Faith.) “Everlasting covenant was made between three personages,” the Prophet said, “before the organization of this earth, and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth; these personages, according to Abraham’s record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the witness or Testator.” (Teachings, p. 190.)
Though each God in the Godhead is a personage, separate and distinct from each of the others, yet they are “one God” (Testimony of Three Witnesses in Book of Mormon), meaning that they are united as one in the attributes of perfection. For instance, each has the fulness of truth, knowledge, charity, power, justice, judgment, mercy, and faith. Accordingly these three separate persons think, act, speak, and are alike in all things; and yet they are three separate and distinct entities. Each occupies space and is and can be in but one place at one time, but each has power and influence that is everywhere present. The oneness of the Gods is the same unity that should exist among. the saints: (John 17; 3 Ne. 28:10-11.)
Perhaps no better statement defining the Godhead and showing the relationship of its members to each other has been written in this dispensation than that given by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Lectures on Faith. “There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and · supreme, power over all things, by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space. They are the Father and the Son, the Father being a personage of spirit meaning that he has a spiritual body which by revealed definition is a resurrected body of flesh and bones (I Cor. 15:44-45; D. & C. 88 :27)], glory, and power, possessing aII perfection and fullness.
The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, is a personage of tabernacle, made or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or rather man was formed after his likeness and in his image; he is also the express ·image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fullness of the Father, or the same fullness with the Father; being begotten of him, and ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who should believe on his name, and is called the Son because of the flesh, and descended in suffering below that which man can suffer; or, in other words, suffered greater sufferings, and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be. “But, notwithstanding all this, he kept the law of God, and remained without sin, showing thereby that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remain also without sin; and also, that by him a righteous judgment might come upon all flesh, and that all who walk not in the law of God may justly be condemned by the law, and have no excuse for their sins. “And he being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fullness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme, power over all things; by whom all things were created and made that were created and made, and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one; the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness-filling all in all; the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory, and power; or, in other words, the spirit, glory, and power, of the Father, possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom, sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father, mediator for man, being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father; or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father, which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments. “And all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullness of his glory, and become one in him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.” (Lectures on Faith, pp. 50-51.)
That exaltation which the saints of all ages have so devoutly sought is godhood itself. Godhood is to have the character, possess the attributes, and enjoy the perfections which the Father has. It is to do what he does, have the powers resident in him, and live as he lives, having eternal increase. (D. & C. 132:17-20, 37.) It is to know him in the full and complete sense, and no one can fully know God except another exalted personage who is like him in all respects. Those attaining this supreme height are sons of God (D. & C. 76:50-60); they receive the fullness of the Father and find membership in the Church of the Firstborn (D. 294 GODHOOD & C. 93:17-22); they are joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:14-18), inheriting with him all that the Father hath. (D. & C. 84:33-41.) They are gods. (Ps. 82:1, 6; John 10:34-36; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, pp. 35-79; Gospel Kingdom, pp. 27-30.) Joseph Smith said: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! … I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see …. It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a· man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, ·the same as Jesus Christ himself did; and I will show it from the Bible . . .. “Here, then, is eternal life-to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power … . [Such persons are] heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. What is it? To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a god, and ascend the throne of eternal power, the same as those who have gone before.” (Teachings, pp. 345-347.) Again: “Every man who reigns in celestial glory is a god to his dominions.” (Teachings, p. 374,)
. Christ is the God of, our Fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (D. & C. 136:21-22; Ex. 3:1-16.) It was he who appeared to and covenanted with Abraham (Abra. 2:6-11), who was the one by whom salvation should come (I Ne. 6:4), and who was destined in due course to come into the world and be crucified for the sins of the world. (I Ne. 19:7-17.) 2. Since Abraham, who had the fulness of the gospel, worshiped both the Father and the Son, Peter and others have taken occasion, quite properly, to refer to the Father also as the God of our Fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Acts 3:13; 5:30; 22:14.)
“Every man who reigns in celestial glory is a god to his dominions,” the Prophet said. (Teachings, p. 374.) Hence, the Father, who shall continue to all eternity as the God of exalted beings, is a God of Gods. Further, as the Prophet also taught, there is “a God above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . … If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that he had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? … Hence if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that he had a Father also?” (Teachings, pp. 370, 373.) In this way both the Father and the Son, as also all exalted beings, are now or in due course will become Gods of Gods. (Teachings, pp. 342- 376.)
Christ [the Son] is the God of Israel (I Ne. 19:7-17; 3 Ne. Il:7-17), the God of Jacob (Ps. 146:5; Isa. 2:3; D. & C. 136:21), the Lord God, the Mighty One of Israel (D. & C. 36:1), the Lord God of the Hebrews. (Ex. 3:18.) These names signify both that he came of Israel himself and also his personal, attentive care toward that chosen race. They point to his “great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his Iovingkindnesses.” (Isa. 63:7-9; D. & C. 133:52-53.) Christ is the God of Jeshurun (Deut. 33:26), meaning that he is the God of Israel. Jeshurun or Jesurun, translated as upright one, is used by Moses and Isaiah as a symbolical name for Israel. (Deut. 32: 15; 33:4-5; Isa. 44:2.) Many who do not profess belief in God as he is revealed in the scriptures, or even as he is described in the false creeds of sectarianism, yet recognizing that law prevails in the universe and among all forms of life, speak of the manifestations of this law as the God of Nature. In reality, Christ [the Son] is the God of Nature (l Ne. 19:12), for it is in and through his almighty power that all things are created, upheld, governed, and controlled. Our Father in Heaven (Matt. 6:9) is the God of Spirits (Num. 16:22; 27:16) or the Father of Spirits (Heb. 12:9), meaning that he is the literal Parent of the Spirit Christ and of all other spirits. Inasmuch, however, as Christ attained Godhood while yet in preexistence, he too stood as a God to the other spirits, but this relationship was not the same one of personal parenthood that prevailed between the Father and his offspring. Christ is the God of the Whole Earth (Isa. 54 :5; 3 Ne. 11 :14), an appellation he carries to bear record of his universal interest in all men and their salvation. He is not alone the God of the Jews, or of Israel, or of the Latter-day Saints, but of the whole earth and all life on its face. This world of carnality and lust, of every lascivious and · evil thing, belongs to Satan. He created it; he is its father and its god. All those who belong to it-all those who are carnal, sensual, and devilish- are _his children, the children of disobedience. The earth itself is the Lord’s, and he is its ruler; but the world (the corrupt society on earth) is under the rule of him who is the god of this world. “If our gospel be hid,” Paul wrote, “it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Cor. 4:3-4.) Christ is a God of Truth (Ex. 34:6; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 31 :5), meaning he is the embodiment and personification of truth. In the same sense he is the God of grace, mercy, love, righteousness, charity, integrity, and all of the attributes of godliness.
Sources. Holy Scriptures. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine.
Godhood. See CELESTIAL MARRIAGE, CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, DAUGHTERS OF Gon, ETERNAL LIFE, ETERNAL LIVES, EXALTATION, fULNESS OP THE FATHER, JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST, PLURALTI’Y OF Gons, SALVATION, SoNs OF Goo God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. See CHRIST, Gon, Gon OF ISRAEL, GREAT I AM, JEHOVAH.

If you would like our Savior Jesus Christ’s promised peace and eternal life, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ I invite you to call right now 1-888-537-7700 or 1-800-453-3860 extension 2-4914 or 801-240-4914 in order to visit with the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can also reach them via the website https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/easter-2021/talk-with-missionaries

The Resurrected Perfect Jesus Christ is Able to Save and Exalt you. Come to Jesus and join his “restored thru the Prophet Joseph Smith” true Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jesus is the Christ, Yeshua, The Holy Messiah who soon will come in power and great glory.

Able.

Christ is “Able … to save [us] to the uttermost [if we] come unto [God the Father] by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for [us].” (Hebrews 7:25) He is “Able to do all things according to his will, for [us], if it so be that [we] exercise faith in him …”. (1 Nephi 7:12) “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is Able to succour [we who] are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)
“Our God [Jehovah] whom we serve is Able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace” and from the lions. (Daniel 3:17; 3; 6) As he has “promised, he [is] Able also to perform.” (Romans 4:21)
Our “God is Able to make all grace abound toward [us].” (2 Corinthians 9:8) Jesus Christ “is Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”(Ephesians 3:20, 21)
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is Able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
He is “the Lord [who] is Able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him. Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.” (1 Nephi 7:12)
For He said: “I am Able to do mine own work.” (2 Nephi 27:20) Indeed, He “is Able to keep [us] from falling, and to present [us] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25) Through our repentance, he is Able to lift us up when we fall.
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is Able to save your souls” (James 1:21) both temporally and spiritually.
The Father and The Holy Ghost are also Able.
THINK JESUS CHRIST IS YESHUA, THE HOLY MESSIAH. THINK JESUS CHRIST’S SECOND COMING IS SOON. THINK JESUS CHRIST’S TRUE CHURCH IS RESTORED THRU THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH AND OTHER HOLY PROPHETS AND APOSTLES.[To translate this into your language. Click the red button below.] Come join The “Restored” Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today to be spiritually strong and able to cope with the increasing weather, financial, war, crime, and other social difficulties. [READ/STUDY a FREE digital Bible and a FREE digital Book of Mormon and other holy scripture at www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Again, to translate this into your language. Click the red button below.] Come to Jesus and join His true Church today. I invite you to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the true Church. See www.churchofjesuschrist.org

So, what is faith in God?

Question. What is faith in God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Ghost?
Answer. In the Lectures on Faith, it is defined and described as follows.

Faith Defined

LECTURE FIRST

1 Faith being the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness, necessarily claims the first place in a course of lectures which are designed to unfold to the understanding the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

2 In presenting the subject of faith, we shall observe the following order:

3 First, Faith itself—what it is:

4 Secondly, The object on which it rests; and

5 Thirdly, The effects which flow from it.

6 Agreeably to this order we have first to show what faith is.

7 The author of the epistle to the Hebrews, in the eleventh chapter of that epistle, and first verse, gives the following definition of the word faith:

8 Now faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

9 From this we learn, that faith is the assurance which men have

of the existence of things

which they have not seen;

and the principle of action

in all intelligent beings.

10 If men were duly to consider themselves,

and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds,

they would readily discover that it is faith,

and faith only,

which is the moving cause of all action, in them;

that without it,

both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity,

and all their exertions would cease,

both physical and mental.

11 Were this class to go back and reflect upon the history of their lives,

from the period of their first recollection,

and ask themselves,

what principle excited them to action,

or what gave them energy and activity,

in all their lawful avocations, callings and pursuits,

what would be the answer?

Would it not be that it was the assurance which we had

of the existence of things

which we had not seen, as yet?

—Was it not the hope which you had,

in consequence of your belief in the existence of unseen things,

which stimulated you to action

and exertion,

in order to obtain them?

Are you not dependent on your faith,

or belief,

for the acquisition of all knowledge,

wisdom

and intelligence?

Would you exert yourselves

to obtain wisdom

and intelligence,

unless you did believe

that you could obtain them?

Would you have ever sown

if you had not believed that you would reap?

Would you have ever planted

if you had not believed that you would gather?

Would you have ever asked

unless you had believed

that you would receive?

Would you have ever sought

unless you had believed

that you would have found?

Or would you have ever knocked

unless you had believed

that it would have been opened unto you?

In a word, is there any thing that you would have done,

either physical

or mental,

if you had not previously believed?

Are not all your exertions,

of every kind,

dependent on your faith?

Or may we not ask,

what have you,

or what do you possess,

which you have not obtained

by reason of your faith?

Your food,

your raiment,

your lodgings,

[your properties,]

[your knowledge,]

[your talents,]

are they not all

by reason of your faith?

Reflect,

and ask yourselves,

if these things are not so.

Turn your thoughts on your own minds,

and see if faith

is not the moving cause

of all action

in yourselves;

and if the moving cause in you,

is it not in all other intelligent beings?

12 And as faith is the moving cause of all action in temporal concerns,

so it is in spiritual;

for the Savior has said,

and that truly,

that he that believeth

and is baptized,

shall be saved.

(Mark 16:16)

13 As we receive by faith,

all temporal blessings

that we do receive,

so we,

in like manner,

receive by faith

all spiritual blessings,

that we do receive.

But faith is not only the principle of action,

but of power, also,

in all intelligent beings,

whether in heaven,

or on earth.

Thus says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. (11:3):

14 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God: so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

15 By this we understand

that the principle of power,

which existed in the bosom of God,

by which the worlds were framed,

was faith;

and that it is by reason of this principle of power,

existing in the Deity,

that all created things exist

—so that all things

in heaven,

on earth,

or under the earth,

exist by reason of faith,

as it existed in HIM.

16 Had it not been for the principle of faith

the worlds would never have been framed,

neither would man have been formed of the dust

—it is the principle by which Jehovah works,

and through which he exercises power

over all temporal,

as well as eternal things.

Take this principle or attribute,

(for it is an attribute)

from the Deity

and he would cease to exist.

17 Who cannot see,

that if God framed the worlds by faith,

that it is by faith that he exercises power over them,

and that faith is the principle of power?

And that if the principle of power,

it must be so in man

as well as in the Deity?

This is the testimony

of all the sacred writers,

and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man.

18 The Savior says, (Matthew 17:19-20),

in explaining the reason

why the disciples could not cast out the devil,

that it was because of their unbelief:

“For verily, I say unto you,”

said he,

“if ye have faith

as a grain of mustard-seed,

ye shall say unto this mountain,

Remove hence to yonder place!

and it shall remove:

and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

19 Moroni,

while abridging and compiling the record of his fathers,

has given us the following account of faith

as the principle of power:

He says, in Ether 12:13,

that it was the faith of Alma and Amulek which caused the walls of the prison to be wrent, as recorded in Alma 14:23-29;

it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi which caused a change to be wrought upon the hearts of the Lamanites, when they were immersed with the Holy Spirit, and with fire, as seen in Helaman 5:37-50;

and that it was by faith that the mountain Zerin was removed, when the brother of Jared spake in the name of the Lord. See also Ether 12:30.

20 In addition to this we are told in Hebrews, 11:32-35,

that Gideon,

Barak,

Samson,

Jephthah,

David,

Samuel,

and the prophets,

through faith

subdued kingdoms,

wrought righteousness,

obtained promises,

stopped the mouths of lions,

quenched the violence of fire,

escaped the edge of the sword,

out of weakness were made strong,

waxed valiant in fight,

turned to flight the armies of the aliens;

and that women received their dead raised to life again, etc.

21 Also, Joshua,

in the sight of all Israel,

bade the sun and moon to stand still,

and it was done. (Joshua 10:12)

22 We here understand,

that the sacred writers say,

that all these things were done by faith

—It was by faith that the worlds were framed

—God spake,

chaos heard,

and worlds came into order,

by reason of the faith there was in HIM.

So with man also

—he spake by faith

in the name of God,

and the sun stood still,

the moon obeyed,

mountains removed,

prisons fell,

lions’ mouths were closed,

the human heart lost its enmity,

fire its violence,

armies their power,

the sword its terror,

and death its dominion;

and all this by reason of the faith which was in them.

23 Had it not been for the faith

which was in man,

they might have spoken to the sun,

the moon,

the mountains,

prisons,

lions,

the human heart,

fire,

armies,

the sword,

or to death

in vain!

24 Faith, then,

is the first great governing principle

which has

power,

dominion,

and authority

over all things:

by it they exist,

by it they are upheld,

by it they are changed,

or by it they remain,

agreeably to the will of God.

Without it,

there is no power,

and without power

there could be no creation, nor existence!

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON THE FOREGOING PRINCIPLES

Question 1: What is theology?

It is that revealed science

which treats of the being and attributes of God,

his relations to us,

the dispensations of his providence,

his will with respect to our actions

and his purposes with respect to our end.

(Buck’s Theological Dictionary, page 582)

Question 2: What is the first principle in this revealed science?

Faith. (1:1)

Question 3: Why is faith the first principle in this revealed science?

Because it is the foundation of all righteousness.

Hebrews 11:6: Without faith it is impossible to please God.

1 John 3:7: Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness, is righteous, even as he [God] is righteous. (1:1)

Question 4: What arrangement should be followed in presenting the subject of faith?

First, Should be shown what faith is: (1:3)

Secondly, The object upon which it rests; and (1:4)

Thirdly, The effects which flow from it. (1:5)

Question 5: What is faith?

It is the assurance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen:

Hebrews 11:1. That is, it is the assurance we have of the existence of unseen things.

And being the assurance which we have of the existence of unseen things,

must be the principle of action in all intelligent beings.

Hebrews 11:3: Through faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God. (1:8-9)

Question 6: How do you prove that faith is the principle of action in all intelligent beings?

First,

By duly considering the operations of my own mind;

and secondly,

by the direct declaration of scripture.

Hebrews 11:7: By faith Noah, being warned of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Hebrews 11:8: By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went.

Hebrews 11:9: By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

Hebrews 11:27: By faith Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. (1:10-11)

Question 7: Is not faith the principle of action in spiritual things as well as in temporal?

It is.

Question 8: How do you prove it?

Hebrews 11:6: Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Mark 16:16: He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved.

Rom. 4:16: Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed: not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (1:12-13)

Question 9: Is faith any thing else beside the principle of action?

It is.

Question 10: What is it?

It is the principle of power, also (1:13)

Question 11: How do you prove it?

First, It is the principle of power in the Deity, as well as in man.

Hebrews 11:3: Through faith we understand

that the worlds were framed

by the word of God,

so that things which are seen

were not made of things which do appear. (1:14-16)

Secondly, It is the principle of power in man also.

Book of Mormon, Alma 14:23-29: Alma and Amulek are delivered from prison.

Helaman 5:37-50: Nephi and Lehi, with the Lamanites, are immersed with the Spirit.

Ether 12:30: The mountain Zerin, by the faith of the brother of Jared, is removed.

Joshua 10:12: Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

Joshua 10:13: And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves of their enemies.

Is not this written in the book of Jasher?

So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Matthew 17:19: Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Matthew 17:20: And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Hebrews 11:32 and the following verses: And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again,

and other were tortured,

not accepting deliverance;

that they might obtain a better resurrection. (1:16-22)

Question 12: How would you define faith in its most unlimited sense?

It is the first great governing principle,

which has power, dominion, and authority over all things. (1:24)

Question 13: How do you convey to the understanding more clearly, that faith is the first great governing principle, which has

power,

dominion

and authority

over all things?

By it they exist,

by it they are upheld,

by it they are changed,

or by it they remain,

agreeably to the will of God;

and without it there is no power;

and without power

there could be no creation,

nor existence! (1:24)

MY PERSONAL NEW YEAR’S INVITATION TO YOU. JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE HOLY MESSIAH, WHO SOON WILL COME, AND HE HAS RESTORED HIS original Church of Jesus Christ through living prophets and apostles. See www.ChurchofJesusChrist.org for access to a free Bible and Book of Mormon and details about this wondrous restoration of Christ’s true Church. If you are not a baptized member or if you are a baptized member and you are not presently active, simply call 1-801-240-1000 and an operator will connect you with missionaries so you can join and be active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. Click the red Translate button to translate into another language!! May God be with you and your family, Richard Linford

My painting. Richard W. Linford

See https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng

Have you seen this short amazing video? Thirsty from Covid? Drink the Living Christ’s “Living Water.” Jesus and the Woman at the well video link.

¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

¹¹The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

¹²Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

¹³Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

¹⁴But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 4:10-14.https://youtu.be/sma4o3mCPwA

Jesus Christ teaches Love Your Enemies. Do good to those who hate you.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO THIS TALK IN VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSd_ra5e7o
Love Your Enemies
By President Dallin H. Oaks
First Counselor in the First Presidency
Knowing that we are all children of God gives us a vision of the worth of others and the ability to rise above prejudice.
The Lord’s teachings are for eternity and for all of God’s children.
In this message I will give some examples from the United States, but the principles I teach are applicable everywhere.
We live in a time of anger and hatred in political relationships and policies.
We felt it this summer when some went beyond peaceful protests and engaged in destructive behavior.
We feel it in some current campaigns for public offices.
Unfortunately, some of this has even spilled over into political statements and unkind references in our Church meetings.
In a democratic government we will always have differences over proposed candidates and policies.
However, as followers of Christ we must forgo the anger and hatred with which political choices are debated or denounced in many settings.
Here is one of our Savior’s teachings, probably well known but rarely practiced:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43–44).¹
For generations, Jews had been taught to hate their enemies, and they were then suffering under the domination and cruelties of Roman occupation.
Yet Jesus taught them, “Love your enemies” and “do good to them that … despitefully use you.”
What revolutionary teachings for personal and political relationships!
But that is still what our Savior commands.
In the Book of Mormon we read,
“For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another” (3 Nephi 11:29).
Loving our enemies and our adversaries is not easy.
“Most of us have not reached that stage of … love and forgiveness,”
President Gordon B. Hinckley observed, adding, “It requires a self-discipline almost greater than we are capable of.”²
But it must be essential, for it is part of the Savior’s two great commandments to “love the Lord thy God” and to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37, 39).
And it must be possible, for He also taught, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7).³
How do we keep these divine commandments in a world where we are also subject to the laws of man?
Fortunately, we have the Savior’s own example of how to balance His eternal laws with the practicalities of man-made laws.
When adversaries sought to trap Him with a question about whether Jews should pay taxes to Rome, He pointed to the image of Caesar on their coins and declared, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s” (Luke 20:25).⁴
So, we are to follow the laws of men (render unto Caesar) to live peacefully under civil authority, and we follow the laws of God toward our eternal destination.
But how do we do this—especially how do we learn to love our adversaries and our enemies?
The Savior’s teaching not to “contend with anger” is a good first step.
The devil is the father of contention, and it is he who tempts men to contend with anger.
He promotes enmity and hateful relationships among individuals and within groups.
President Thomas S. Monson taught that anger is “Satan’s tool,” for “to be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan.
No one can make us angry. It is our choice.”⁵
Anger is the way to division and enmity.
We move toward loving our adversaries when we avoid anger and hostility toward those with whom we disagree.
It also helps if we are even willing to learn from them.
Among other ways to develop the power to love others is the simple method described in a long-ago musical.
When we are trying to understand and relate to people of a different culture, we should try getting to know them.
In countless circumstances, strangers’ suspicion or even hostility give way to friendship or even love when personal contacts produce understanding and mutual respect.⁶
An even greater help in learning to love our adversaries and our enemies is to seek to understand the power of love.
Here are three of many prophetic teachings about this.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “it is a time-honored adage that love begets love. Let us pour forth love—show forth our kindness unto all mankind.”⁷
President Howard W. Hunter taught: “The world in which we live would benefit greatly if men and women everywhere would exercise the pure love of Christ, which is kind, meek, and lowly.
It is without envy or pride. … It seeks nothing in return. … It has no place for bigotry, hatred, or violence. … It encourages diverse people to live together in Christian love regardless of religious belief, race, nationality, financial standing, education, or culture.”⁸
And President Russell M. Nelson has urged us to “expand our circle of love to embrace the whole human family.”⁹
An essential part of loving our enemies is to render unto Caesar by keeping the laws of our various countries.
Though Jesus’s teachings were revolutionary, He did not teach revolution or lawbreaking. He taught a better way.
Modern revelation teaches the same:
“Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.
“Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:21–22).
And our article of faith, written by the Prophet Joseph Smith after the early Saints had suffered severe persecution from Missouri officials, declares, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” (Articles of Faith 1:12).
This does not mean that we agree with all that is done with the force of law.
It means that we obey the current law and use peaceful means to change it.
It also means that we peacefully accept the results of elections.
We will not participate in the violence threatened by those disappointed with the outcome.¹⁰
In a democratic society we always have the opportunity and the duty to persist peacefully until the next election.
The Savior’s teaching to love our enemies is based on the reality that all mortals are beloved children of God.
That eternal principle and some basic principles of law were tested in the recent protests in many American cities.
At one extreme, some seem to have forgotten that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the “right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
That is the authorized way to raise public awareness and to focus on injustices in the content or administration of the laws.
And there have been injustices.
In public actions and in our personal attitudes, we have had racism and related grievances.
In a persuasive personal essay, the Reverend Theresa A. Dear of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has reminded us that “racism thrives on hatred, oppression, collusion, passivity, indifference and silence.”¹¹
As citizens and as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we must do better to help root out racism.
At the other extreme, a minority of participants and supporters of these protests and the illegal acts that followed them seem to have forgotten that the protests protected by the Constitution are peaceful protests.
Protesters have no right to destroy, deface, or steal property or to undermine the government’s legitimate police powers.
The Constitution and laws contain no invitation to revolution or anarchy.
All of us—police, protesters, supporters, and spectators—should understand the limits of our rights and the importance of our duties to stay within the boundaries of existing law.
Abraham Lincoln was right when he said, “There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law.”¹²
Redress of grievances by mobs is redress by illegal means.
That is anarchy, a condition that has no effective governance and no formal police, which undermines rather than protects individual rights.
One reason the recent protests in the United States were shocking to so many was that the hostilities and illegalities felt among different ethnicities in other nations should not be felt in the United States.
This country should be better in eliminating racism not only against Black Americans, who were most visible in the recent protests, but also against Latinos, Asians, and other groups. This nation’s history of racism is not a happy one, and we must do better.
The United States was founded by immigrants of different nationalities and different ethnicities.
Its unifying purpose was not to establish a particular religion or to perpetuate any of the diverse cultures or tribal loyalties of the old countries.
Our founding generation sought to be unified by a new constitution and laws.
That is not to say that our unifying documents or the then-current understanding of their meanings were perfect.
The history of the first two centuries of the United States showed the need for many refinements, such as voting rights for women and, particularly, the abolition of slavery, including laws to ensure that those who had been enslaved would have all the conditions of freedom.
Two Yale University scholars recently reminded us:
“For all its flaws, the United States is uniquely equipped to unite a diverse and divided society. …
“… Its citizens don’t have to choose between a national identity and multiculturalism.
Americans can have both.
But the key is constitutional patriotism.
We have to remain united by and through the Constitution, regardless of our ideological disagreements.”¹³
Many years ago, a British foreign secretary gave this great counsel in a debate in the House of Commons: “We have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies.
Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and these interests it is our duty to follow.”¹⁴
That is a good secular reason for following “eternal and perpetual” interests in political matters.
In addition, the doctrine of the Lord’s Church teaches us another eternal interest to guide us: the teachings of our Savior, who inspired the Constitution of the United States and the basic laws of many of our countries.
Loyalty to established law instead of temporary “allies” is the best way to love our adversaries and our enemies as we seek unity in diversity.
Knowing that we are all children of God gives us a divine vision of the worth of all others and the will and ability to rise above prejudice and racism.
As I have lived for many years in different places in this nation, the Lord has taught me that it is possible to obey and seek to improve our nation’s laws and also to love our adversaries and our enemies.
While not easy, it is possible with the help of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
He gave this command to love, and He promises His help as we seek to obey it. I testify that we are loved and will be helped by our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Jesus is the Christ, Yeshua, the Holy Messiah who soon will come in power and great glory. Note to every Jewish and Non-Jewish person in the world.

The Culture of Christ
By Elder William K. Jackson Of the Seventy
Click here to watch Elder Jackson’s talk.https://youtu.be/_BMIsM5B78c
Click here to listen only https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BMIsM5B78c
We can cherish the best of our individual earthly cultures and be full participants in the eternal culture that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What a magnificent world we live in and share, home to a great diversity of peoples, languages, customs, and histories—spread out over hundreds of countries and thousands of groups, each rich in culture.
Mankind has much to be proud of and to celebrate. But though learned behavior—those things to which we are exposed by the cultures we grow up in—can serve as a great strength in our lives, it can also, at times, become a significant obstacle.
It may seem that culture is so heavily embedded in our thinking and behavior that it is impossible to change.
It is, after all, much of what we feel defines us and from which we feel a sense of identity.
It can be such a strong influence that we can fail to see the man-made weaknesses or flaws in our own cultures, resulting in a reluctance to throw off some of the traditions of our fathers.
An over fixation on one’s cultural identity may lead to the rejection of worthwhile—even godly—ideas, attributes, and behavior.
I knew a wonderful gentleman not too many years ago who helps to illustrate this universal principle of cultural myopia.
I first met him in Singapore when I was assigned to be his family’s home teacher.
A distinguished professor of Sanskrit and Tamil, he hailed from the south of India.
His wonderful wife and two sons were members of the Church, but he had never joined nor listened much to the teachings of the gospel.
He was happy with the way his wife and sons were developing and supported them fully in their undertakings and Church responsibilities.
When I offered to teach him the principles of the gospel and share our beliefs with him, he initially balked.
It took me a while to figure out why:
he felt that by so doing, he would become a traitor to his past, his people, and his history!
To his way of thinking, he would be denying everything he was, everything his family had taught him to be, his very Indian heritage.
Over the next few months, we were able to talk about these issues.
I was awed (though not surprised!) by how the gospel of Jesus Christ was able to open his eyes to a different viewpoint.
In most man-made cultures, there is found both good and bad, constructive and destructive.
Many of our world’s problems are a direct result of clashes between those of differing ideas and customs arising from their culture.
But virtually all conflict and chaos would quickly fade if the world would only accept its original culture, the one we all possessed not so very long ago.
This culture dates back to our premortal existence.
It was the culture of Adam and Enoch.
It was the culture founded on the Savior’s teachings in the meridian of time, and it is available to all women and men once again in our day.
It is unique.
It is the greatest of all cultures and comes from the great plan of happiness, authored by God and championed by Christ.
It unites rather than divides. It heals rather than harms.
The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that there is purpose in life.
Our being here is not just some big cosmic accident or mistake!
We are here for a reason.
This culture is grounded in the testimony that our Heavenly Father exists, that He is real and loves each one of us individually. We are His “work and [His] glory.”1
This culture espouses the concept of equal worth.
There is no recognition of caste or class.
We are, after all, brothers and sisters, spirit children of our heavenly parents—literally.
There is no prejudice or “us versus them” mentality in the greatest of all cultures.
We are all “us.”
We are all “them.”
We believe that we are responsible and accountable for ourselves, one another, the Church, and our world.
Responsibility and accountability are important factors in our growth.
Charity, true Christ-like caring, is the bedrock of this culture.
We feel real concern for the needs of our fellowman, temporal and spiritual, and act on those feelings.
This dispels prejudice and hatred.
We enjoy a culture of revelation, centered on the word of God as received by the prophets (and personally verifiable to each one of us through the Holy Ghost).
All humankind can know the will and mind of God.
This culture champions the principle of agency.
The ability to choose is extremely important for our development and our happiness.
Choosing wisely is essential.
It is a culture of learning and study.
We seek knowledge and wisdom and the best in all things.
It is a culture of faith and obedience.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of our culture, and obedience to His teachings and commandments is the outcome.
These give rise to self-mastery.
It is a culture of prayer.
We believe that God will not only hear us but also help us.
It is a culture of covenants and ordinances, high moral standards, sacrifice, forgiveness and repentance, and caring for the temple of our bodies.
All of these bear witness to our commitment to God.
It is a culture governed by the priesthood, the authority to act in God’s name, the power of God to bless His children.
It edifies and enables individuals to be better people, leaders, mothers, fathers, and companions—and it sanctifies the home.
True miracles abound in this, the oldest of all cultures, wrought by faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the priesthood, prayer, self-improvement, true conversion, and forgiveness.
It is a culture of missionary work.
The worth of souls is great.
In the culture of Christ, women are elevated to their proper and eternal status.
They are not subservient to men, as in many cultures in today’s world, but full and equal partners here and in the world to come.
This culture sanctions the sanctity of the family.
The family is the basic unit of eternity.
The perfection of the family is worth any sacrifice because, as has been taught, “no other success can compensate for failure in the home.”2
The home is where our best work is done and where our greatest happiness is attained.
In the culture of Christ, there is perspective—and eternal focus and direction.
This culture is concerned with things of lasting worth! It comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is eternal and explains the why, what, and where of our existence.
(It is inclusive, not exclusive.)
Because this culture results from the application of our Savior’s teachings, it helps provide a healing balm of which our world is in such desperate need.
What a blessing it is to be part of this grand and noble way of life!
To be part of this, the greatest of all cultures, will require change.
The prophets have taught that it is necessary to leave behind anything in our old cultures that is inconsistent with the culture of Christ.
But that doesn’t mean we have to leave behind everything.
The prophets have also emphasized that we are invited, one and all, to bring our faith and talents and knowledge—all that is good in our lives and our individual cultures—with us and let the Church “add to it” through the message of the gospel.3
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hardly a Western society or an American cultural phenomenon.
It is an international church, as it was always meant to be.
More than that, it is supernal.
New members from around the world bring richness, diversity, and excitement into our ever-growing family.
Latter-day Saints everywhere still celebrate and honor their own heritage and heroes, but now they are also part of something far grander.
The culture of Christ helps us to see ourselves as we really are, and when seen through the lens of eternity, tempered with righteousness, it serves to increase our ability to fulfill the great plan of happiness.
So what happened to my friend?
Well, he was taught the lessons and joined the Church.
His family has since been sealed for time and all eternity in the Sydney Australia Temple.
He has given up little—and gained the potential for everything.
He discovered that he can still celebrate his history, still be proud of his ancestry, his music and dance and literature, his food, his land and its people.
He has found that there is no problem incorporating the best of his local culture into the greatest of all cultures.
He discovered that bringing that which is consistent with truth and righteousness from his old life into his new one serves only to enhance his fellowship with the Saints and to assist in uniting all as one in the society of heaven.
We can, indeed, all cherish the best of our individual earthly cultures and still be full participants in the oldest culture of them all—the original, the ultimate, the eternal culture that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What a marvelous heritage we all share.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Jesus is the Living Christ. Theology. The Culture of Christ.

The Culture of Christ
By Elder William K. Jackson Of the Seventy
Click here to watch Elder Jackson’s talk.https://youtu.be/_BMIsM5B78c
Click here to listen only https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BMIsM5B78c
We can cherish the best of our individual earthly cultures and be full participants in the eternal culture that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What a magnificent world we live in and share, home to a great diversity of peoples, languages, customs, and histories—spread out over hundreds of countries and thousands of groups, each rich in culture.
Mankind has much to be proud of and to celebrate. But though learned behavior—those things to which we are exposed by the cultures we grow up in—can serve as a great strength in our lives, it can also, at times, become a significant obstacle.
It may seem that culture is so heavily embedded in our thinking and behavior that it is impossible to change.
It is, after all, much of what we feel defines us and from which we feel a sense of identity.
It can be such a strong influence that we can fail to see the man-made weaknesses or flaws in our own cultures, resulting in a reluctance to throw off some of the traditions of our fathers.
An over fixation on one’s cultural identity may lead to the rejection of worthwhile—even godly—ideas, attributes, and behavior.
I knew a wonderful gentleman not too many years ago who helps to illustrate this universal principle of cultural myopia.
I first met him in Singapore when I was assigned to be his family’s home teacher.
A distinguished professor of Sanskrit and Tamil, he hailed from the south of India.
His wonderful wife and two sons were members of the Church, but he had never joined nor listened much to the teachings of the gospel.
He was happy with the way his wife and sons were developing and supported them fully in their undertakings and Church responsibilities.
When I offered to teach him the principles of the gospel and share our beliefs with him, he initially balked.
It took me a while to figure out why:
he felt that by so doing, he would become a traitor to his past, his people, and his history!
To his way of thinking, he would be denying everything he was, everything his family had taught him to be, his very Indian heritage.
Over the next few months, we were able to talk about these issues.
I was awed (though not surprised!) by how the gospel of Jesus Christ was able to open his eyes to a different viewpoint.
In most man-made cultures, there is found both good and bad, constructive and destructive.
Many of our world’s problems are a direct result of clashes between those of differing ideas and customs arising from their culture.
But virtually all conflict and chaos would quickly fade if the world would only accept its original culture, the one we all possessed not so very long ago.
This culture dates back to our premortal existence.
It was the culture of Adam and Enoch.
It was the culture founded on the Savior’s teachings in the meridian of time, and it is available to all women and men once again in our day.
It is unique.
It is the greatest of all cultures and comes from the great plan of happiness, authored by God and championed by Christ.
It unites rather than divides. It heals rather than harms.
The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that there is purpose in life.
Our being here is not just some big cosmic accident or mistake!
We are here for a reason.
This culture is grounded in the testimony that our Heavenly Father exists, that He is real and loves each one of us individually. We are His “work and [His] glory.”1
This culture espouses the concept of equal worth.
There is no recognition of caste or class.
We are, after all, brothers and sisters, spirit children of our heavenly parents—literally.
There is no prejudice or “us versus them” mentality in the greatest of all cultures.
We are all “us.”
We are all “them.”
We believe that we are responsible and accountable for ourselves, one another, the Church, and our world.
Responsibility and accountability are important factors in our growth.
Charity, true Christ-like caring, is the bedrock of this culture.
We feel real concern for the needs of our fellowman, temporal and spiritual, and act on those feelings.
This dispels prejudice and hatred.
We enjoy a culture of revelation, centered on the word of God as received by the prophets (and personally verifiable to each one of us through the Holy Ghost).
All humankind can know the will and mind of God.
This culture champions the principle of agency.
The ability to choose is extremely important for our development and our happiness.
Choosing wisely is essential.
It is a culture of learning and study.
We seek knowledge and wisdom and the best in all things.
It is a culture of faith and obedience.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of our culture, and obedience to His teachings and commandments is the outcome.
These give rise to self-mastery.
It is a culture of prayer.
We believe that God will not only hear us but also help us.
It is a culture of covenants and ordinances, high moral standards, sacrifice, forgiveness and repentance, and caring for the temple of our bodies.
All of these bear witness to our commitment to God.
It is a culture governed by the priesthood, the authority to act in God’s name, the power of God to bless His children.
It edifies and enables individuals to be better people, leaders, mothers, fathers, and companions—and it sanctifies the home.
True miracles abound in this, the oldest of all cultures, wrought by faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the priesthood, prayer, self-improvement, true conversion, and forgiveness.
It is a culture of missionary work.
The worth of souls is great.
In the culture of Christ, women are elevated to their proper and eternal status.
They are not subservient to men, as in many cultures in today’s world, but full and equal partners here and in the world to come.
This culture sanctions the sanctity of the family.
The family is the basic unit of eternity.
The perfection of the family is worth any sacrifice because, as has been taught, “no other success can compensate for failure in the home.”2
The home is where our best work is done and where our greatest happiness is attained.
In the culture of Christ, there is perspective—and eternal focus and direction.
This culture is concerned with things of lasting worth! It comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is eternal and explains the why, what, and where of our existence.
(It is inclusive, not exclusive.)
Because this culture results from the application of our Savior’s teachings, it helps provide a healing balm of which our world is in such desperate need.
What a blessing it is to be part of this grand and noble way of life!
To be part of this, the greatest of all cultures, will require change.
The prophets have taught that it is necessary to leave behind anything in our old cultures that is inconsistent with the culture of Christ.
But that doesn’t mean we have to leave behind everything.
The prophets have also emphasized that we are invited, one and all, to bring our faith and talents and knowledge—all that is good in our lives and our individual cultures—with us and let the Church “add to it” through the message of the gospel.3
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hardly a Western society or an American cultural phenomenon.
It is an international church, as it was always meant to be.
More than that, it is supernal.
New members from around the world bring richness, diversity, and excitement into our ever-growing family.
Latter-day Saints everywhere still celebrate and honor their own heritage and heroes, but now they are also part of something far grander.
The culture of Christ helps us to see ourselves as we really are, and when seen through the lens of eternity, tempered with righteousness, it serves to increase our ability to fulfill the great plan of happiness.
So what happened to my friend?
Well, he was taught the lessons and joined the Church.
His family has since been sealed for time and all eternity in the Sydney Australia Temple.
He has given up little—and gained the potential for everything.
He discovered that he can still celebrate his history, still be proud of his ancestry, his music and dance and literature, his food, his land and its people.
He has found that there is no problem incorporating the best of his local culture into the greatest of all cultures.
He discovered that bringing that which is consistent with truth and righteousness from his old life into his new one serves only to enhance his fellowship with the Saints and to assist in uniting all as one in the society of heaven.
We can, indeed, all cherish the best of our individual earthly cultures and still be full participants in the oldest culture of them all—the original, the ultimate, the eternal culture that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What a marvelous heritage we all share.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Sheriff is Coming. Jesus The Resurrected Christ Messiah Yeshua is Coming in Power and Great Glory. So Repent and Get Ready!

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-sheriff-is-coming-tomorrow-my-friend-richard-w-linford.html

Jesus Christ Painting - The Sheriff is Coming Tomorrow My Friend by Richard W Linford