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IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE WORLD IS GOING, KEEP IN MIND THAT Jesus Christ is Yeshua Jehovah The Holy Messiah and Savior of the World who will soon come in Power and Great Glory. I personally invite you to join THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, THE TRUE RESTORED CHURCH OF CHRIST LED BY LIVING PROPHETS AND APOSTLES. IT WILL BE YOUR KEY SOURCE OF PEACE AND JOY AND HAPPINESS IN THIS TROUBLED WORLD. Richard Linford.
I personally invite you to join THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. To do so you simply need to contact the Church and
- Accept the fact that God the Father and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ are two separate exalted glorified perfect persons with resurrected immortal bodies of flesh and bones.
- Accept the fact that you are a child of God the Father and that you lived before this very short mortal test which has been designed by God to see if you will do good during your lifetime and accept the fact that you will continue to live after you die.
- Accept the fact that Jesus Christ suffered and paid the price in Gethsemane and on the cross for your sins if you accept Christ and repent of your sins.
- Accept the fact that Joseph Smith was visited by The Father and The Son and that they commissioned him to be the great prophet of the Restoration of the true Church of Jesus Christ, once more with a foundation of living apostles and prophets who hold the true priesthood keys and who are the conduits for Christ’s true doctrine of eternal life.
- Accept the Bible as the word of God and the Book of Mormon as the word of God.
- Be baptized by water immersion for the remission of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands – by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who hold Christ’s priesthood authority.
- Attend Church, partake of the sacrament, keep Christ’s commandments, including pay tithing and fast offerings.
- (P.S. You can contact me if you want to at r.linford@comcast.net and I will answer your questions and help you meet with wonderful missionaries and attend Church and learn about Jesus, The Holy Messiah, Yeshua, who soon will come in Power and Great Glory.
Or you can contact The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by clicking here https://www.comeuntochrist.org/contact-us
Keep in mind that Christ is your and my Resurrection and Eternal Life.
“And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)
Contact The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by clicking here https://www.comeuntochrist.org/contact-us
Or CALL 1-240-1000 or
CALL 801-240-3500 or
CALL 1-240-2222
or check your internet or phone directory for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Because of COVID, if you would like, Missionaries can contact you by phone or facetime or zoom or GotoMeeting or the like to share with you the principles of the gospel, to help you repent of any sins, and to schedule your baptism by immersion for the remission of your sins, and the laying on of hands for your confirmation as a member of the Church, and your reception of the Gift of the Holy Ghost,
Contact The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by clicking here https://www.comeuntochrist.org/contact-us to
Attend a Sunday Service
Enter your address to find your local church. You can get in touch with leaders and representatives. Or, better yet, worship Jesus Christ with us by attending services. You’ll meet new neighbors and make some friends! Click here to learn more about what to expect at church.
Contact The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by clicking here https://www.comeuntochrist.org/contact-us to
Find a church near you
For LocationSearch Click Here https://www.comeuntochrist.org/contact-us to Contact The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Find a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near you.
I know you will gain peace and joy by meeting with two wonderful missionaries in person or online such as by Zoom or GotoMeeting or Facetime to study the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Missionaries would love to meet with you in person or online and answer any of your questions.
And if Missionaries meet with you in person, most of these missionaries are young men and women ages 18 or 19 or close, they come bearing gifts!
If you’d like free copies of the Book of Mormon or the Bible, they’d be happy to bring or send one or both when they come.
So please take time to Request a Visit ›
Feel like something is missing in your life?
›Two missionaries can stop by with a FREE Book of Mormon and teach you about it.
They will be happy to answer your questions.
Request a Bible ›Request a Bible. Missionaries will bring it by and share an uplifting message.
You can keep the Bible and if you like what you hear, they can come back and teach you more.
And if you would like, you can receive an Inspirational message in your inbox
If you so desire, you can also get an uplifting message each week via email. https://www.comeuntochrist.org/contact-us
On the subject of your Resurrection – here are doctrinal scriptures for your consideration.
- he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up, 1 Sam. 2:6.
- If a man die, shall he live again, Job 14:14.
- destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, Job 19:26 (Moses 5:10).
- swallow up death in victory, Isa. 25:8.
- together with my dead body shall they arise, Isa. 26:19.
- I will open your graves, and cause you to come up, Ezek. 37:12.
- sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Dan. 12:2.
- ransom them from the power of the grave, Hosea 13:14.
- Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, Matt. 22:23 (Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8).
- graves were opened; and many bodies … arose, Matt. 27:52 (3 Ne. 23:9).
- as touching the dead, that they rise, Mark 12:26.
- thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection, Luke 14:14.
- spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have, Luke 24:39.
- Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, John 5:21 (Rom. 4:17; 1 Tim. 6:13).
- come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, John 5:29 (D&C 76:17).
- raise him up at the last day, John 6:54.
- I am the resurrection, and the life, John 11:25.
- Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains, Acts 2:24.
- apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord, Acts 4:33.
- they heard of the resurrection of the dead, Acts 17:32.
- resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, Acts 24:15.
- Why … incredible … that God should raise the dead, Acts 26:8.
- we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection, Rom. 6:5.
- he … shall also quicken your mortal bodies, Rom. 8:11.
- God … will also raise up us by his own power, 1 Cor. 6:14.
- by man came also the resurrection of the dead, 1 Cor. 15:21.
- Christ the firstfruits, 1 Cor. 15:23.
- So also is the resurrection of the dead, 1 Cor. 15:42.
- it is raised a spiritual body, 1 Cor. 15:44 (D&C 88:27).
- trust … in God which raiseth the dead, 2 Cor. 1:9.
- quickened us together with Christ, Eph. 2:5.
- change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his, Philip. 3:21.
- you … hath he quickened together with him, Col. 2:13.
- dead in Christ shall rise first, 1 Thes. 4:16.
- erred, saying that the resurrection is past, 2 Tim. 2:18.
- that they might obtain a better resurrection, Heb. 11:35.
- unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus, 1 Pet. 1:3.
- doth also now save us … by the resurrection of Jesus, 1 Pet. 3:21.
- when he shall appear, we shall be like him, 1 Jn. 3:2.
- Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, Rev. 20:6.
- after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, 1 Ne. 10:11.
- that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, 2 Ne. 2:8 (Alma 33:22; 40:3; Hel. 14:15; Morm. 7:6; D&C 88:14).
- bodies and the spirits of men will be restored, 2 Ne. 9:12.
- obtain a resurrection, according to the power, Jacob 4:11.
- they are the first resurrection, Mosiah 15:22.
- there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, Mosiah 16:8.
- day cometh that all shall rise from the dead, Alma 11:41.
- body is raised … the whole becoming spiritual, Alma 11:45.
- all things shall be restored to their proper order, Alma 41:4.
- many saints who should arise from the dead, 3 Ne. 23:9.
- death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, Morm. 9:13.
- my spirit and body shall again reunite, Moro. 10:34.
- then shall all the dead awake, D&C 29:26.
- he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, D&C 29:43.
- shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, D&C 43:32 (101:31).
- they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection, D&C 45:54.
- rise from the dead and shall not die after, D&C 63:49.
- have slept in their graves shall come forth, D&C 88:97.
- spirit and element, inseparably connected, D&C 93:33.
- Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones, D&C 129:1.
- intelligence … will rise with us in the resurrection, D&C 130:18.
- graves of the saints shall be opened, D&C 133:56.
- departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, D&C 138:14.
- dry bones, which were to be clothed upon with flesh, D&C 138:43.
- bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, Moses 1:39.
- See also Deut. 32:39; Ps. 16:9; 17:15; Matt. 25:46; Heb. 6:2; Rev. 20:12; D&C 43:18.
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Do Good to those who hurt you. Jesus is the Resurrected Living Christ Messiah Yeshua. His resurrection was glorious. All will receive a resurrection. The Father has a glorified, perfect, resurrected body as tangible as man’s. The Son has a glorified, perfect, resurrected body as tangible as man’s. I invite you to contact the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints www.churchofjesuschrsit.org and learn the gospel and be baptized.
- Jesus is The Resurrected Living Christ Messiah Yeshua. His Resurrection was glorious. All will receive a resurrection.
- See also Atone, Atonement; Body; Death, Physical; Immortal, Immortality; Jesus Christ; Spirit
- The reuniting of the spirit body with the physical body of flesh and bones after death.
- After resurrection, the spirit and body will never again be separated,
- and the person will become immortal.
- Every person born on earth will be resurrected because Jesus Christ overcame death (1 Cor. 15:20–22).
- Jesus Christ was the first person to be resurrected on this earth (Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5).
- The New Testament gives ample evidence that Jesus rose with His physical body:
- His tomb was empty,
- He ate fish and honey,
- He had a body of flesh and bones,
- people touched Him,
- and the angels said He had risen (Mark 16:1–6; Luke 24:1–12, 36–43; John 20:1–18).
- Latter-day revelation confirms the reality of the Resurrection of Christ
- and of all mankind (Alma 11:40–45; 40; 3 Ne. 11:1–17; D&C 76; Moses 7:62).
- All people will not be resurrected to the same glory (1 Cor. 15:39–42; D&C 76:89–98),
- nor will all be resurrected at the same time (1 Cor. 15:22–23; Alma 40:8; D&C 76:64–65, 85; 88:96–102).
- Many Saints were resurrected after Christ’s Resurrection (Matt. 27:52).
- The righteous will be resurrected before the wicked
- and will come forth in the First Resurrection (1 Thes. 4:16);
- the unrepentant sinners will come forth in the last resurrection (Rev. 20:5–13; D&C 76:85).
- Though this body be destroyed,
- yet in my flesh shall I see God, Job 19:26 (Moses 5:10).
- I will open your graves, and cause you to come up, Ezek. 37:12.
- Graves were opened, and many bodies arose, Matt. 27:52–53 (3 Ne. 23:9).
- The Lord is risen, Luke 24:34.
- A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have, Luke 24:39.
- I am the resurrection
- and the life, John 11:25.
- The Twelve Apostles taught that Jesus had risen, Acts 1:21–22 (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:33).
- In Christ shall all be made alive, 1 Cor. 15:1–22.
- The dead in Christ shall rise first, 1 Thes. 4:16.
- Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, Rev. 20:6.
- Christ layeth down his life
- and taketh it again
- that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, 2 Ne. 2:8 (Mosiah 13:35; 15:20; Alma 33:22; 40:3; Hel. 14:15).
- Without resurrection,
- we would become subject to Satan, 2 Ne. 9:6–9.
- Resurrection will pass upon all men, 2 Ne. 9:22.
- The Book of Mormon prophet Abinadi taught about the first resurrection, Mosiah 15:21–26.
- The wicked remain as though there had been no redemption,
- except for the loosing of the bands of death, Alma 11:41–45.
- Alma explained the state of souls between death and resurrection, Alma 40:6, 11–24.
- At the Lord’s coming,
- the dead which died in Christ will come forth, D&C 29:13 (D&C 45:45–46; 88:97–98; 133:56).
- Weep especially for those who have not hope of a glorious resurrection, D&C 42:45.
- They that knew no law shall have part in this first resurrection, D&C 45:54.
- They shall rise from the dead and shall not die after, D&C 63:49.
- The resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul, D&C 88:14–16.
- Spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy, D&C 93:33.
- Angels who are resurrected beings have bodies of flesh and bones, D&C 129:1.
- Whatsoever intelligence we attain in this life will rise with us in the resurrection, D&C 130:18–19
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Be kind to those who do or say unkind things. Jesus of Nazareth is Yeshua the Resurrected Living Christ.
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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.
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)
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So how about Love Your Enemies! Do good to those Enemies who harm you! At the same time, protect yourself and your family from Enemies!
Jesus is the Savior of the World.
- Love Your Enemies
- By President Dallin H. Oaks (paragraphs 1-105)
- 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.
Richard W. Linford, editor, member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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DO JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD!
- Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God
- By Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- To do justly means acting honorably.
- We act honorably with God by walking humbly with Him.
- We act honorably with others by loving mercy.
- As followers of Jesus Christ, and as Latter-day Saints, we strive—and are encouraged to strive—to do better and be better.1
- Perhaps you have wondered, as I have, “Am I doing enough?”
- “What else should I be doing?”
- or “How can I, as a flawed person, qualify to ‘dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness’?”2
- The Old Testament prophet Micah asked the question this way:
- “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord,
- and bow myself before the high God?”3
- Micah satirically wondered whether even exorbitant offerings might be enough to compensate for sin, saying:
- “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten [thousand] … rivers of oil?
- shall I give my firstborn for … the sin of my soul?”4
- The answer is no.
- Good deeds are not sufficient.
- Salvation is not earned.5
- Not even the vast sacrifices Micah knew were impossible can redeem the smallest sin.
- Left to our own devices, the prospect of returning to live in God’s presence is hopeless.6
- Without the blessings that come from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can never do enough or be enough by ourselves.
- The good news, though, is that because of and through Jesus Christ we can become enough.7
- All people will be saved from physical death by the grace of God, through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.8
- And if we turn our hearts to God, salvation from spiritual death is available to all “through the Atonement of [Jesus] Christ … by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”9
- We can be redeemed from sin to stand clean and pure before God.
- As Micah explained, “[God] hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”10
- Micah’s direction on turning our hearts to God and qualifying for salvation contains three interconnected elements.
- To do justly means acting honorably with God and with other people.
- We act honorably with God by walking humbly with Him.
- We act honorably with others by loving mercy.
- To do justly is therefore a practical application of the first and second great commandments, to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind … [and to] love thy neighbour as thyself.”11
- To do justly and walk humbly with God is to intentionally withdraw our hand from iniquity, walk in His statutes, and remain authentically faithful.12
- A just person turns away from sin and toward God, makes covenants with Him, and keeps those covenants.
- A just person chooses to obey the commandments of God, repents when falling short, and keeps on trying.
- When the resurrected Christ visited the Nephites, He explained that the law of Moses had been replaced by a higher law.
- He instructed them not to “offer up … sacrifices and … burnt offerings” any longer but to offer “a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
- He also promised, “And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.”13
- When we receive and use the gift of the Holy Ghost after baptism, we can enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
- and be taught all things that we should do,14
- including how to walk humbly with God.
- Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for sin and salvation from spiritual death are available to all who have such a broken heart and contrite spirit.15
- A broken heart and contrite spirit prompt us to joyfully repent and try to become more like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
- As we do so, we receive the Savior’s cleansing, healing, and strengthening power.
- We not only do justly and walk humbly with God;
- we also learn to love mercy the way that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do.
- God delights in mercy and does not begrudge its use.
- In Micah’s words to Jehovah, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, … will have compassion upon us,” and will “cast all … sins into the depths of the sea.”16
- To love mercy as God does is inseparably connected to dealing justly with others and not mistreating them.
- The importance of not mistreating others is highlighted in an anecdote about Hillel the Elder, a Jewish scholar who lived in the first century before Christ.
- One of Hillel’s students was exasperated by the complexity of the Torah—the five books of Moses with their 613 commandments and associated rabbinic writings.
- The student challenged Hillel to explain the Torah using only the time that Hillel could stand on one foot.
- Hillel may not have had great balance but accepted the challenge.
- He quoted from Leviticus, saying,
- “Thou shalt not avenge,
- nor bear any grudge
- against the children of thy people,
- but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”17
- Hillel then concluded:
- “That which is hateful unto you, do not do to your neighbor.
- This is the whole of the Torah; the rest is commentary.
- Go forth and study.”18
- Always dealing honorably with others is part of loving mercy.
- Consider a conversation I overheard decades ago in the emergency department of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States.
- A patient, Mr. Jackson, was a courteous, pleasant man who was well known to the hospital staff.
- He had previously been hospitalized multiple times for the treatment of alcohol-related diseases.
- On this occasion, Mr. Jackson returned to the hospital for symptoms that would be diagnosed as inflammation of the pancreas caused by alcohol consumption.
- Toward the end of his shift, Dr. Cohen, a hardworking and admired physician, evaluated Mr. Jackson and determined that hospitalization was warranted.
- Dr. Cohen assigned Dr. Jones, the physician next up in rotation, to admit Mr. Jackson and oversee his treatment.
- Dr. Jones had attended a prestigious medical school and was just beginning her postgraduate studies.
- This grueling training was often associated with sleep deprivation, which likely contributed to Dr. Jones’s negative response.
- Confronted with her fifth admission of the night, she complained loudly to Dr. Cohen.
- She felt it was unfair that she would have to spend many hours caring for Mr. Jackson, because his predicament was, after all, self-inflicted.
- Dr. Cohen’s emphatic response was spoken in almost a whisper.
- He said, “Dr. Jones, you became a physician to care for people and work to heal them.
- You didn’t become a physician to judge them.
- If you don’t understand the difference, you have no right to train at this institution.”
- Following this correction, Dr. Jones diligently cared for Mr. Jackson during the hospitalization.
- Mr. Jackson has since died.
- Both Dr. Jones and Dr. Cohen have had stellar careers.
- But at a critical moment in her training, Dr. Jones needed to be reminded to do justly, to love mercy, and to care for Mr. Jackson without being judgmental.19
- Over the years, I have benefited from that reminder.
- Loving mercy means that we do not just love the mercy God extends to us; we delight that God extends the same mercy to others.
- And we follow His example. “All are alike unto God,”20 and we all need spiritual treatment to be helped and healed.
- The Lord has said, “Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another,
- or one man shall not think himself above another.”21
- Jesus Christ exemplified what it means to do justly and to love mercy.
- He freely associated with sinners,
- treating them honorably
- and with respect.
- He taught the joy of keeping God’s commandments
- and sought to lift
- rather than condemn
- those who struggled.
- He did denounce those who faulted Him for ministering to people they deemed unworthy.22
- Such self-righteousness offended Him and still does.23
- To be Christlike, a person does justly, behaving honorably with both God and other people.
- A just person is civil in words and action and recognizes that differences in outlook or belief do not preclude genuine kindness and friendship.
- Individuals who do justly “will not have a mind to injure one another,
- but to live peaceably”24 one with another.
- To be Christlike, a person loves mercy.
- People who love mercy are not judgmental;
- they manifest compassion for others,
- especially for those who are less fortunate;
- they are gracious,
- kind,
- and honorable.
- These individuals treat everyone
- with love
- and understanding,
- regardless of characteristics such as
- race,
- gender,
- religious affiliation,
- sexual orientation,
- socioeconomic status,
- and tribal,
- clan,
- or national differences.
- These are superseded by Christlike love.
- To be Christlike, a person chooses God,25
- walks humbly with Him,
- seeks to please Him,
- and keeps covenants with Him.
- Individuals who walk humbly with God
- remember what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have done for them.
- Am I doing enough?
- What else should I be doing?
- The action we take in response to these questions is central to our happiness in this life and in the eternities.
- The Savior does not want us to take salvation for granted.
- Even after we have made sacred covenants,
- there is a possibility that we may “fall from grace and depart from the living God.”
- So we should “take heed and pray always” to avoid falling “into temptation.”26
- But at the same time, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not want us to be paralyzed
- by continual uncertainty during our mortal journey,
- wondering whether we have done enough to be saved and exalted.
- They surely do not want us to be tormented
- by mistakes from which we have repented,
- thinking of them as wounds that never heal,27
- or to be excessively apprehensive that we might stumble again.
- We can assess our own progress.
- We can know “that the course of life [that we are] pursuing is according to God’s will”28
- when we do justly,
- love mercy,
- and walk humbly with our God.
- We assimilate the attributes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ into our character,
- and we love one another.
- When you do these things,
- you will follow the covenant path
- and qualify to “dwell with God
- in a state of never-ending happiness.”29
- Your souls will be infused with the glory of God
- and with the light of everlasting life.30
- You will be filled with incomprehensible joy.31
- I testify that God lives
- and that Jesus is the Christ,
- our Savior
- and Redeemer,
- and He lovingly
- and joyfully
- extends His mercy to all.
- Don’t you love it?
- In the name of Jesus Christ,
- amen.
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