John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
This scripture is beloved by almost every Christian I know. It is one of the most quoted verses of holy writ in all Christendom. It teaches a powerful truth. God loves us, so he sent His Son to show us the way back to him. We must believe in Christ to have everlasting life. There is no other way. Belief, however, must lead to action (see James 2:17). We can say we believe in him, but if we do not do something about it, our belief is hollow. So what do we do?
John 14:15 - "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Simple enough. So what has he commanded?
3 Nephi 27:20 - "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day."
I know this to be true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
http://www.mormon.org/
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Prophets
Amos 3:7 - "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
Old Testament prophet Amos here teaches ancient Israel about how God works.
A simple scripture, stating that before God does anything he reveals it to his prophets. Noah warned the people of the impending Flood (see Moses 8), Joseph prepared Egypt against a famine (see Genesis 41), Lehi prophesied of Jerusalem's destruction (see 1 Nephi 1), and John the Baptist was sent to prepare for Christ's coming (see John 1:19-27). We have a prophet today, and his name is Thomas S. Monson. He recieves revelation from the Lord and then instructs us according to what he has been shown. I know this to be true. I know that following the counsel of the prophets will keep us safe and happy in this world. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
For more on prophets see here. To see what President Monson has said most recently see here.
http://www.mormon.org/
Old Testament prophet Amos here teaches ancient Israel about how God works.
A simple scripture, stating that before God does anything he reveals it to his prophets. Noah warned the people of the impending Flood (see Moses 8), Joseph prepared Egypt against a famine (see Genesis 41), Lehi prophesied of Jerusalem's destruction (see 1 Nephi 1), and John the Baptist was sent to prepare for Christ's coming (see John 1:19-27). We have a prophet today, and his name is Thomas S. Monson. He recieves revelation from the Lord and then instructs us according to what he has been shown. I know this to be true. I know that following the counsel of the prophets will keep us safe and happy in this world. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
For more on prophets see here. To see what President Monson has said most recently see here.
http://www.mormon.org/
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Children of God
Romans 8:16 - "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
Paul the Apostle is teaching the Romans about their relationship with God.
This simple principle, that we are God's children, is a powerful one. If we are His children, then He is our Father. He loves us. He knows us. He wants our happiness. He would never abandon us. The fifth of the Ten Commandments, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12), applies not only to our earthly parents, but also to our Father in Heaven. Our honoring Him makes our days long, because he knows what will bring us happiness and peace. He gave commandments that, if followed, will lead us back to Him, where joy beyond anything we could ever find on earth awaits. I know this to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
http://www.mormon.org/
Paul the Apostle is teaching the Romans about their relationship with God.
This simple principle, that we are God's children, is a powerful one. If we are His children, then He is our Father. He loves us. He knows us. He wants our happiness. He would never abandon us. The fifth of the Ten Commandments, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12), applies not only to our earthly parents, but also to our Father in Heaven. Our honoring Him makes our days long, because he knows what will bring us happiness and peace. He gave commandments that, if followed, will lead us back to Him, where joy beyond anything we could ever find on earth awaits. I know this to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
http://www.mormon.org/
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Natural Man
Mosiah 3:19 - "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."
Here a king named Benjamin is teaching his people the things an angel taught him about Christ.
The "natural man" is anything that we as humans naturally tend to do which do not align with God's commandments. It is embodied in things such as lust, envy, anger, pride, and greed. These kinds of things lead us to misery. They stand in direct opposition to the things which Christ taught. The Holy Spirit, however, leads us to "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit also, through the atonement of Christ, cleanses and purifies us, allowing us to become saints and eventually return to our Father in Heaven. We, however, must work to access this power. It takes effort to put off that natural man and do those things we are commanded. The reward, however, far exceeds everything we could ever accomplish by any other means. I know this to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
http://www.mormon.org/
Here a king named Benjamin is teaching his people the things an angel taught him about Christ.
The "natural man" is anything that we as humans naturally tend to do which do not align with God's commandments. It is embodied in things such as lust, envy, anger, pride, and greed. These kinds of things lead us to misery. They stand in direct opposition to the things which Christ taught. The Holy Spirit, however, leads us to "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit also, through the atonement of Christ, cleanses and purifies us, allowing us to become saints and eventually return to our Father in Heaven. We, however, must work to access this power. It takes effort to put off that natural man and do those things we are commanded. The reward, however, far exceeds everything we could ever accomplish by any other means. I know this to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
http://www.mormon.org/
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