The Fulness

With the release of “To The Rescue,’ I will be interested in whether the following story is included in the bio and what version is used. Here are two versions of a story. One found in the Ensign and the other recited in a meeting. Can you spot some of the differences between the two versions? Are they significant in your opinion? It certainly isn’t to the level of a Dunn’ism but where is the line?

I have been in several meetings where President Monson spoke, each time, at the conclusion of the meeting, he quickly departed out a side door and did not linger to greet members or shake hands. I guess you need to be Samoan to deserve that level of attention.

The blog Weeping for Zion has a clip from KSL news regarding the new Monson biography being released and a clear message of similar  concern. Please swing by there if you get a chance.

There is a display of Monson’s life from his earliest years recounting the decades of service at Deseret Book. As I listened to the news clip, I had a mental image of a similar panorama I recall in the visitors center of the life of Christ. I wonder how many of those who call themselves saints have shifted their adoration to this man and away from Him who is the true head of the church

What think ye?

The question I have been pondering recently has been: What should our relationship be with the world? Perhaps I should define what I mean by ‘world.’ We have around us political, cultural, and religious entities with which we must interact on a daily basis. We have a worldly government that dictates compliance with a set of laws intended to ‘provide for the common good.’ We must deal with worldly cultural pressures that seem to strike at our values of home and family. We encounter, on a daily basis, displays of behavior that are not in line with our values and standards by the media and by people around us. We are confronted by other world religious groups who do not accept our institutional or personal revelation regarding the dictates of the ‘One True God.’ It is this last relationship that is of interest to me this day. How should we deal with other churches?

The Book of Mormon speaks of only two churches in first Nephi, chapter 14:

10  And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

This scripture tells me that, in God’s view, there are only two groups when it comes to His church. The church of Christ contains all those who have fulfilled the requirements of the gospel and have been admitted into His church. His doctrine as found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 10 states:

67  Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.

68  Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.

The path to membership in the church of Christ is found in repentance and the process of coming unto Christ (see Moroni 6:1-4). By default, all those who have not completed the task of ‘coming unto Christ’ do not belong to His church. I would add that those that have loaded more requirements than what is found here do not qualify either – no more or less is acceptable. Further, I am not convinced that only members of the Mormon church can meet this criteria.

But, we have to deal with two planes in this discussion. I would suggest that there has become a clear distinction between the spiritual church defined above and the corporate church – the entity that presents itself to the world as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The corporate church is supposed to overlap and encompass the spiritual church and administer the ordinances associated with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If the corporate church requires more for membership than repentance and the act of coming unto Christ, does it still meet the criteria of being called the church of Christ? If not, has it found residence in that other church?

With that said, let me move on to the topic of this post. If the corporate church is truly the church of Christ, what should be its relationship to other religions? Here is where the dissonance erupts in my mind. The epistle of James, chapter 4, verse 4, tells us the following relative to the world:

…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Is it us and them? Are we to isolate ourselves from the world and not participate in their games and business activities? Brigham Young spent most of the last three decades of his life trying to isolate the saints from the world. His efforts to make the church self-sufficient through the United Order and other activities ended without success.

Today, this desire for isolation has been supplanted with a strong desire to be afforded worldly respect and to unite with others who share a common goal. It seems that in today’s environment, ‘the enemy of our enemy is our friend.’ Catholics and Mormons set aside their differences to unite in defense of their views on the family. They have collaborated on the delivery of medicine, supplies, and food to those devastated by the cruel side of nature. In fact, they have shared the podium; this year, Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, spoke at a BYU devotional.

Recently, Elder Quentin L. Cook blogged about our friendship with those of other faiths. His thoughts are found here at www.pantheos.com. He speaks of the value derived from working together for a common goal:

These relationships are not ecumenical; that is, we are not trying to come to an agreement on principles of doctrinal practice, but instead there is a mutual respect for each other’s beliefs and a desire to collaborate on important issues where we find common ground.

So, we seem to have moved away from the position of the source of restored truth to a ‘mutual respect for each other’s beliefs.’ Herein lays the continual struggle. We are told that we are to be a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9) yet we have, in today’s world, embraced other’s beliefs with respect and united with them in defense of the social issues of the day.

Elder Cook also notes another example of our Christian service in the wider world:

Similarly, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, members of our Church and other faiths spontaneously rose to the occasion to help relieve the suffering. This was so fittingly illustrated when a United Methodist congregation in Slidell, Louisiana, graciously offered their church as a place to sleep to Mormon volunteers from Houston, Texas. When the congregation arrived for services on Sunday, they found that the Mormons had cleared trees and other debris from their churchyard. As a show of thanks, our members also mounted their hurricane-damaged flag as a keepsake and flew a new banner from the flagpole. During the shared worship service, the pastor voiced a feeling of unity shared by those of both denominations: “The Mormons are now our friends.”

The idea seems to be that we need to show ourselves as good and upright citizens in hopes that we might influence them on the ecumenical side. Isn’t that why the church promotes the worldwide welfare and emergency relief operations it entertains? Do we publicize these examples of giving in order that we may get something in return – the praise of the world and an expectation to be treated as a ‘friend’ rather than be despised? Is it wrong to assume the ends justify the means in our worldwide relief activities?

How do we stay apart from the world and, at the same time, help those in need as found in Luke, chapter 6:

30  Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also love those that love them.

33  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also do even the same.

34  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?  for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

I read this to mean that we are not to help with some ulterior motive. We are to help without expecting anything in return. Do we expect something when the help is rendered? Do we expect the world to recognize and applaud us for our service? Is this done to open doors for the message of the restored gospel? Do we, by simply publishing our efforts, indicate we desire something in return?

Nephi provides us a definition of priestcraft In second Nephi, chapter 26:

29  He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

Can the church leadership be guilty of priestcraft when they engage in worldwide relief efforts that are promoted widely and that are not contributing to the welfare of Zion? Or is it just the publicity department of the church that expects a value for the time and goods dispersed?

From my perspective, the true church of Christ cannot be ‘friends’ with the world. As a peculiar people, we cannot expect them to treat us with anything but contempt. If we are indeed the true church of Jesus Christ, what can we expect to gain by participating in these worldly relief efforts if even a minor component of our intent is to gain the praise of the world? At what price is our recognition that we are able to out-Christian the other Christian sects?

What think ye?

I have been a subscriber to the Church News for a long time. Living out in the so-called mission field, it was a weekly touch point with my roots and the heritage I claimed. On occasion, I would see a name or a place that brought back memories of my younger days and the somewhat idyllic visage I held of the dry, dusty desert in which I was born.

For many years, the Church News was delivered  wrapped in plastic and folded such that the religious content was not easily recognizable. Now things are different. The Church News comes wrapped in Mormon Times; a weekly periodical that not only expands the coverage of events of the church but also carries within its pages the proper Mormon-sanitized advertisements from places like LDS Travel and The Missionary Depot.

This week’s (August 7th, 2010) front page ad from Mr. Mac touts “Testimony tested, Wool and Wool Blends, Solids and Stripes, Stretch arm holes, Reinforced seat and crotch.”

In another prominent position, the half page advertisement on the back page encourages you to “start saving today” at Zions Bank.  I am not sure what their tag line means: “We haven’t forgotten who keep us in business.” Does this refer to the bank’s origin as a ‘sacred’ institution or to its care of the riches of modern-day Mormons? Inside you can find more advertisements encouraging you to buy genealogy software, or expand your years supply, even your very own ‘title of liberty.’

As I pondered the situation, the weekly arrival seemed to speak in symbolism. Much like the Church News is now wrapped by the messages of buying and selling, so was the temple at the time of Christ where convenient merchants ringed the facility proffering their ‘church approved’ doves, lambs and other emblems required in religious acts.

Have we fallen victim to the same rationalization as the moneychangers in the temple? Have we deemed it acceptable to wrap the ‘good news’ of the church with tempting offers of merchandise? Many of you will scoff and scorn at this idea. Why shouldn’t the Church News be wrapped in an ad for Zions Bank? It’s simply how we operate in these modern days. This serves as a reminder to me that there may be many rites and rituals we perform today that may not be acceptable to the Lord.

Should we be concerned by the continual encroachment on the sacred by that which is profane and worldly? Should we be concerned when the message of the church is wrapped by the message entwining testimony and a reinforced crotch?

And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

2 Nephi 28:21

What are the warning signs of ‘carnal security?’ Should we be concerned when Zions Bank prospereth? Carnal can be defined as temporal and worldly just as easily as being defined as marked by passions and sensuality. Does Mormon Times represent that worldly security that encloses the words of the church?

The message here is that the gradual and imperceptible slippage into the world has been underway for many years. The latest issue of Mormon Times is simply a weekly reminder.

What think ye?

The Confession by Pietro Longhi

In this painting by Pietro Longhi, we see the penitent waiting patiently for a turn at the confessional. Confession is a component in our spiritual development and is the topic of my random thoughts in this post. Perhaps a good place to start is the Church Handbook of Instruction, the authoritative guide  to church management:

Two types of confession are identified here. We are to confess our sins to the Lord. The second, reserved for more serious sin, is confession to their presiding church leader. In my study of the scriptures, however, I came upon a third version of confession – confessing our sins to each other or to the church.

Here are some of the scriptures in support these three confessional choices:

Confession to the Lord

From Romans, chapter 14:

11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

From Alma, chapter 17

4  And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him.

From Doctrine and Covenants, section 64:

7  Nevertheless, he has sinned; but verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death.

We receive, through the blood of Jesus Christ, a cleansing and sanctification that we cannot do for ourselves. No matter how we try to live and no matter how much good we do in the world, it will not wash away our sinly stains. Confessing our errors to the Lord can bring a peace to the heart. The prompting can also help us understand what we can do to protect us from further attacks.

Confession to an ecclesiastical leader

From Helaman, chapter 16

1  AND now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city.  And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord.

From Doctrine and Covenants, section 42

88  And if thy brother or sister offend thee, thou shalt take him or her between him or her and thee alone; and if he or she confess thou shalt be reconciled.

89  And if he or she confess not thou shalt deliver him or her up unto the church, not to the members, but to the elders.  And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world.

90  And if thy brother or sister offend many, he or she shall be chastened before many.

91  And if any one offend openly, he or she shall be rebuked openly, that he or she may be ashamed.  And if he or she confess not, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of God.

92  If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that the church may not speak reproachfully of him or her.

93  And thus shall ye conduct in all things.

I couldn’t find a good scripture supporting confession to a leader in the New Testament but one probably exists. We are told to first take our offense to the person that was involved. If there is not penitence, the complaint should be taken to the elders (that should spice up quorum meetings). This is done to apparently avoid embarrassment on the part of the parties involved which seems to run counter to the need for humility and a broken heart.

It is interesting to read in verse 90 regarding what audience is involved in the chastening. A crime against the community should be dealt with in front of the community. While this may take place in the community at large, it doesn’t seem to be the process within the church. When was the last time you heard someone chastised from the pulpit? I guess we are now much more socially correct than in the past.

Confession to the members

From James, chapter 5

16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

From Moroni, chapter 6

2  Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.

From Doctrine and Covenants, section 59:

12  But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.

This last option of confession to others seems to have lost favor within church today. As is stated in Moroni, chapter 6 above, there is an expectation of new members to witness before the church regarding their repentance. This practice has not been implemented in the church today. Perhaps this is too much of a shock to the system for new members, especially when one is more concerned with the numbers rather than the salvation of the individual.

We, as James indicates, should confess our weaknesses to each other. This idea seems somewhat contrary to the direction given in D&C, section 42, where we are to deal with offenses in secret so that the person involved does not suffer from the scorn of the other members.

Confessing our faults one to another can be a real blow to the ego. One who comes forward with a broken heart and a contrite spirit would likely be humble enough to be willing to witness to their fellow saints of their repentance.

Confession is good for the soul. It gives us the opportunity to lighten the burden that sins bring. Christ has offered to make our burdens light if we but give them to Him. I believe we, in our confessions to the Lord, can achieve that soul cleansing benefit.

When we have dealt wrongly with our friends or neighbors, we should expect to be confronted and use the opportunity to seek forgiveness. Some day, I would expect the confessions to be shared among ourselves as we strive to establish that which was lost – Zion.

What think ye?

In my last post on ‘living the gospel,’ I focused on the point of one, understanding what living the gospel means and, two, what the gospel truly contains. As I thought about the subject, I felt there was more that needed to be said.

First, it is disappointing to hear members of the church misuse the term ‘gospel.’ Either the scriptures are correct in an effort to clearly and concisely define this term, or we as ‘saints of the Most High God’ have a moving target as a goal. It is not just church members that, in my opinion, abuse the term, I have also seen it misrepresented from the pulpit. In 1991 October conference, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin  presented a talk entitled “Fruits of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ” In his talk, recites from Matthew 7:24-25 regarding building on rock rather than sand. He then states:

“This analogy teaches us an important lesson. We cannot have the fruits of the gospel without its roots. Through revelation, the Lord has established those roots—distinctive principles of the fulness of the gospel. They give us direction. The Lord has taught us how we should build our lives on a solid foundation, like a rock, that will withstand the temptations and storms of life.

May I give you some of the major principles of the gospel?”

Elder Wirthlin then proceeds to elaborate on what he considers to be the ‘major principles of the gospel’ including:

• The Godhead

• Resurrection

• Parenting

• Word of Wisdom

• Welfare Principles

• Missionary Work

• Chastity

As you could suspect, I have a controversy with this list as representing the major points of the fulness of the gospel. Talks giving a broad application of the term gospel are easy to find. None of these points can be found in the scriptural definition of the gospel. These types of talks are, however, where members internalize the idea that topics like the word of wisdom and chastity are core to the gospel. The girl who posted her plea in my last post has accepted this man-made definition of the gospel and has found heartache and alienation.

Again, it comes down to this. Either the gospel is as defined in the scriptures by Jesus Christ or the words I presented in my last post represent only a recommendation to be modified by man. I believe strongly that the misrepresentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ is why, in 3 Nephi 16:10, we are accused of rejecting the fulness of the gospel.

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.”

Christ clearly defined His gospel in the same chapter of the Book of Mormon. He has also defined, for us, the relationship between the gospel and His Church In 3 Nephi 27 just before His exposition on His gospel, he tells us:

“9  Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;

10  And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.

11  But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.”

As we read here, Christ expects His church to be built upon His gospel. He also tells us the outcome if it is, instead, build upon the works of men. Please look again at the list of major attributes of the gospel as defined by Elder Wirthlin. I hold that most of the topics are, indeed, the works of men – what else is parenting, missionary work and welfare?

If we build a church based on the works of men, we will have joy in those works but will ultimately be hewn down (see verse 11).

As a final thought on this topic,  I would refer to the first topic presented to the Nephites when Christ appeared to them. He explicitly defined His doctrine in 3 Nephi 11:31-40. While I will not repeat that entire scripture, I would like to refer to the last few verses:

“39  Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40  And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.”

I find it ironic that this is the same allegory that Elder Wirthlin used to open his conference address. Clearly, anyone who adds or removes items from the doctrine of Christ will lose their footing and fail. I believe the same is true for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we are truly to receive the benefits of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must apply ourselves to the correct version. Spending our efforts sustaining an incorrect flavor will not bring the desired outcome. The gospel of Jesus Christ can be for each of us a wellspring of joy and peace.

I challenge you to carefully read and prayerfully ponder the chapter of the Book of Mormon that contains the definition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – 3 Nephi, chapter 27. It should be the bellwether for our spiritual activity and a beacon by which to gauge the ‘light’ of the church.

What think ye?

What does it mean to live the gospel? I would encourage the reader to pause and consider how you would answer this question. Here is what one would typically find in a web search based on a search of that phrase:

Living His gospel is more about treating others with as much love as I can, and less about, say…getting my Visiting Teaching done on time.

(Feminist Mormon Housewives by Emily S., Sept. 29, 2009)

This line of reasoning aligns with the comment from a Mormon missionary once gave me in response to the question: What is the gospel? His answer was: “The gospel is love.”

More broadly, though, it seems to me that this phrase “living the gospel” usually equates to “living the standards of the church”

I’m Mormon but I dont live the gospel…Help me!!!!!!?

I’m a mormon, and i have been all my life. I believe in the truthfulness of it but i do not live it on a normal basis. I don’t pray, read my scriptures, and i’ve committed some big sins.
I have been touched inappropriately with and without clothes, and i have touched him as well.. I still am a virgin.
I drink coffee.
I only drank a couple of times and stopped because i realized it compromises myself and decisions.
I have a bellybutton ring.
I swear all the time..
MY PARENTS NO NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THIS.

These are all sins, if you are not a mormon you probably think it’s ridiculous. And you would think by the things I do.. I have kicked my religion out the window. but I HAVEN’T. I can’t stand being a hypocrite so i Dont pray anymore. I dont know what to do…because I don’t know how to seek forgiveness.. my father is the bishop as well..so i dont have any where to turn

My parents do not know any of this

Im so lost, i want to be married in gods temple one day but i dont even know how to fix it or maybe i’m just too lazy to.. I have no idea.

I feel like when i pray God does not want to talk to me because i’m inconsistent…I dont know how to stay on one side without swaying.

(http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100407093929AAgzX37)

Is living the gospel equate to the Word of Wisdom? To avoid sexual sin?

Gramps provided a different perspective:

Dear Gramps,

What does “Living the Gospel to the fullest” mean?

Joan, from Frazier Park, CA

Dear Joan,

The commandment given in the Mormon scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants, section 84, verse 44 says,

For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

.In other words, in our daily lives we would do, say or think nothing that would be contrary to God’s will.

The problem is that we live in the most wicked of all the worlds in the universe (see Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:36), and severe temptations to violate God’s word are all around us. So, in practice, we WILL do, say and think things that are contrary to the will of God. However, God is not a harsh taskmaster, but rather a Loving Father. He judges us not so much by our actions as by the intents of our hearts, as He told Samuel in 1 Sam. 16:7

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Therefore, “if our hearts are right,” in other words if we continually try to be as obedient to God’s word as possible, and if when we succumb to any temptation we are truly remorseful, and make a firm resolve to be stronger in the future, God will forgive us of our improprieties, the Holy Spirit will strengthen our resolve and we will be better prepared to meet and overcome such temptations in the future.

Gramps

(http://www.askgramps.org/what-does-it-mean-to-live-the-gospel-to-the-fullest/)

Here we are presented with the concept that living the gospel is to live in accordance with every inspired word that has come from the Lord, by scripture and by the inspired words of his leaders.

In support of this perspective, Joseph F. Smith noted that:

There is no fundamental principle, or truth, anywhere in the universe, that is not embraced in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is not confined to the simple first principles, such as faith in God, repentance from sin, baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, although these are absolutely essential to the salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God.

The laws known to man as the “laws of nature,” through which the earth and all things on it are governed, as well as the laws which prevail throughout the entire universe, through which heavenly bodies are controlled and to which they are obedient in all things, are all circumscribed and included in the gospel

(Gospel Doctrine, pp 85-86)

So… what is living the gospel to you?

How do you live the gospel? By attending your meetings, fulfilling your callings, doing you Home/Visiting Teaching, paying tithing, and attending the temple? Are these actions the essence of living a gospel-centered life?

From my perspective, before one can understand what is meant by this phrase, one must understand how the gospel is defined. Does the gospel mean living based on the golden rule – love they neighbor? Does the gospel mean don’t drink, don’t smoke, and don’t engage in immorality? Does the gospel mean performing a set of regular tasks that are perceived to be of value to the church?

How important is it to maintain a strict understanding of the meaning of the gospel? Paul told the Galatians:

6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Should we, as members of the restored church, be concerned with this warning regarding the gospel? What constitutes preaching another gospel?

We all speak of the restoration of the gospel – the Lord saw fit to call a prophet to ‘restore’ that which was lost. We preach that the Book of Mormon contains the ‘fulness of the gospel.’ What is the gospel? Should we pay strict attention to what the Lord has defined as the gospel to ensure that we are not accursed per Paul’s warning?

I would strongly suggest that the answer should be ‘yes.’ We should strive to understand what that gospel is and what it is not. We should not twist the gospel into something else that fits with our worldview.

To me, the best place to go for a definition of the gospel is that book we have been told contains the ‘fulness of the gospel’ – The Book of Mormon. What better source could we have than the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, in telling us what constitutes His gospel?

While the following quote is lengthy, I will place it here. This is how Christ defined His gospel in the twenty-seventh chapter of Third Nephi:

13  Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14  And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15  And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

16  And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

17  And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

18  And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men.  And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.

19  And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

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.

21  Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;

That, my friends, is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Christ came that He could draw all to Him

• We will be judged according to our works

• Repentance, baptism and enduring to the end

• We must be cleansed of all our sins by the blood of Christ

In my opinion, verse twenty summarizes the gospel. We must repent and come unto Christ. We are to achieve sanctification through the receipt of the Holy Ghost. That will allow us to present ourselves as clean and free of all sin at judgment day.

Do we preach another gospel? Have we found ourselves cursed because we have accepted another gospel – one that focuses on ritual and the works of men? Does the expansion of the definition of the gospel to include all truth and all the laws of nature constitute ‘another gospel?’

This is the message we should take to the world. We believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior – that he died on the cross that we might live. We have restored that plain and precious truth of the gospel that there is a way for us to be sanctified – to be free of sin through the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. This is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What think ye?

There are phrases in the scriptures that carry extra meaning in one’s life.  For example, Alma’s simple self description found in Alma 27:18 regarding the joy that was felt when dear friends reunite:

Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.

I would like to consider myself on the path to becoming a ‘truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.’ Could it be that the message of Jesus Christ through the restoration of the gospel is to guide us on a path to become such? True penitence would be an accurate and honest recognition of our sins and weaknesses. This type of honest assessment brought the people of King Benjamin to the point where they were receptive to the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost. To me, truly humble means that our thoughts are always selfless. We think and act in a way that separates our wants from our actions.

I also yearn to be a ‘seeker of happiness.’ In the sense that this was used by Alma, they sought the happiness that comes from bringing to others the joy found in the application of the gospel in their lives – namely the spiritual bond with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Another phrase which has deeper meaning to me is the name of this new website: Just and True. The term ‘just’ would mean in accordance with God’s proper standard. Justice is the proper accounting relative the standard given to us by God. True, to me, means genuine, the real thing. Truth is what we should all seek for. That which we seek for should be correct and truthful.

This phrase is found ten times in the scriptures. Here is a glimpse into the use of this term.

First, from Revelations, chapter 15:

2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous areare thy ways, thou King of saints. thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true

Those that overcame the beast sang the song on the Lamb defining the actions of the Lord just and true.

From 1 Nephi, chapter 14, we find that the words originally written by John fall into this category.

20  And the angel said unto me: Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21  Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been.

22  And he shall also write concerning the end of the world.

23  Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.

Scripture can be held to the standard of being just and true. The words of John originally fit into this characterization.

The words of men influenced by the power of the Holy Ghost also fit the model.

34  Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true;

I take these scriptures to mean that the God’s message to us must be just or correct and true or accurate.

For this reason, I acquired the name for this website, www.justandtrue.com. It is my fond hope that we can all seek and portray the correct and accurate statement of the purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you look around in a typical LDS ward, you will see people who are striving to do the right thing. We come to church in right attire, men in white shirts and suits, women in modest dresses. We present the right image of being clean and pure. On occasion, we talk of repentance as a necessity, but something done in private away from the prying eyes of our fellow saints who distain evil and vice. We speak of shunning sin as though we have accomplished the feat. But how accurate is the public image we have chosen to present?

Aren’t we all broken? Do we not all have sin and evil in our lives? Not all of us wear the odor of our addiction on our clothes as smokers do. But what if this was the case? What would our environment be like if the addiction to pornography, or to drugs, or even to material possessions and worldliness generated an odor that could be sensed by those around us? What would our church be like?

What would the recognition of the fact that we “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) do to our religious community?

In Ether 12:27 we read that we, all, have weakness:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

The Lord tells us that we are given weaknesses, the inability to withstand all sin and temptation, in order for us to be humble. In my opinion, pride is the antithesis of humility. Humble is not having anything hidden. Humility is not doing anything that we place ourselves above another.

Nephi demonstrated this openness when he told us in 2 Nephi, chapter 4:

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

What would our reaction be if one of our leaders today were to make a similar statement?

Pride means we must project and protect our image; whether it is a fine home, an SUV or a lifestyle. Self righteousness is a blatant form of pride. We can easily fall into a mode where we become proud of our circumstances or accomplishments and look with distain upon others who are not at the same ‘level.’ Christ referred to people who wear an external appearance of good but were rotten inside as ‘whited sepulchres”

We read in D&C 121 what impact this has on one who holds the priesthood.

37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

A priesthood holder can lose his priesthood authority by covering his sins. Does this mean that any attempt to keep our sins secret negates our priesthood? Is this why Nephi was so candid? How many truly hold priesthood authority if the simple act of sinning and hiding the fact disconnects them from the priesthood?

This type of candid self assessment by anyone in the church is almost shocking. What if the Lord expected us to be this open to those of our religious community?

In Moroni 6:2 we read:

Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.

How many of our new members have stood before the church and witnessed that they have repented of all their sins before they were baptized? Moroni states this as a prerequisite to baptism. What would the atmosphere be like if we all witnessed unto the church of our degree of sinliness? I will let you go first…

After King Benjamin delivered his sermon at the temple, the people had this reaction found in Mosiah, chapter 4:

1 AND now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them.

2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

How much of our own pride would we need to dismantle before we would see ourselves as ‘less than the dust of the earth?’

The people of King Benjamin were blessed with the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost and were sanctified because they reached this state.

3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.

These people received a remission of their sins as a group of the followers of Christ. They had the burden of sin removed from them and had received great joy. They did it as a collective membership of the church. What would it take to have this same experience among us today? Would we be willing as a ward to lay ourselves open to all, to be stripped of all pride and view ourselves as nothing? The prize would be to truly receive a remission of our sins.

This is the same result as defined by Moroni regarding the prerequisites to church membership.

4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

As we read here, it was not until AFTER the person had been baptized by water and cleansed and sanctified by the power of the Holy Ghost that they were admitted into the membership of the church.

This is the same result as the people of King Benjamin. They also were cleansed of all sins. I believe this is significantly different from coming out of the waters of baptism and immediately having a confirmation where we are told to receive the Holy Ghost. This simple act does not garner a remission of sins. It is not until we have had the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost that we can be truly clean, that we can be truly sanctified.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that if we desire to have membership in his spiritual church (as opposed to the corporate church) and administer with true priesthood authority, we must be willing to bear our souls. We must be willing to leave no sins hidden. We must strip ourselves of all pride and ambition in any degree of unrighteousness in order to be cleansed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Are we individually and collectively willing to truly approach God with a ‘broken heart and a contrite spirit,’ to bear our souls as an open book, and seek to be cleansed by the Holy Ghost as required in Moroni 6?

What think ye?

We seem to honor wealth and worldly success. The General Authorities are typically chosen from the ranks of doctors, lawyers, and business men. The president of the church is provided a multi-million dollar penthouse suite complete with driver and limousine. Even the local ranks of stake president and bishop are typically filled with professional people who are successful, live in the best areas and exhibit all the trappings of wealth and material abundance. The gospel of prosperity extends to the corporate church itself as the message of tithing, while filling the coffers of the church, is spread as a means for guaranteeing financial stability for the rank and file.

Is material success a prerequisite to spiritual administration?

Can God and mammon peacefully coexist?

Without the coins and special paper which carries the emblem of the state, we cannot buy nor sell. We are all entwined in Babylon and carry the marks of the beast with us ready for the opportunity to exchange his currency for the material things we desire.

We learn from the Bible that “the love of money is the root of all evil,” but there is more to the story from the writings of Timothy found in his first book, chapter six:

“1 LET as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

What should be the linkage between personal material wealth and spiritual wealth?

In the passages from Timothy, we find servants counseled to serve their masters faithfully. We read that we are not to blend material success with the doctrines of the kingdom, even to the point of rejecting the use of material gain as a marker of the spiritual gain of those around us.

Must we be satisfied with only food and raiment in order to be free of the corruption that is imbued in our society? Can we strive for more than is required to feed and clothe us and still be counted among the righteous?

I see the emphasis on wealth within the church as yet another indication of the impending apostasy. The more ground we cede to Babylon, the less the righteous have room to stand. Many of us took an oath to consecrate our time, talents, and possessions to the building up of the kingdom of God, yet much of what we do to acquire possessions simply adds to the barrier between us and the righteous environment of the Zion community.

Would you be willing to give all you have to know God? Is the carnal commandment of tithing and its ten percent sufficient to position you one hundred percent in the kingdom of God?

What think ye?

The Revelation of John contains a rehearsal of the vision John received of the future, our future. One of the quandaries I always find myself in when I read these revelations is when to consider them as figurative or symbolic and when to assume they are literal. This is especially true for me as I read of the seven seals. Much has been written, of which I have read only a small part, but I have had times in my life when an image or an event causes my mind to bring up a scripture. This happened again recently with respect to the plagues discussed in Revelations, chapter 8 and 9.

For many years, I have blindly assumed that the seals represented in Revelations were linear representations of periods of time, roughly 1000 years each. This idea has shifted somewhat as I read the descriptions of the sixth and seventh seals.

This is mainly driven by a consideration of the 144,000 described in Revelations, chapter 7, where twelve thousand are selected from each tribe and are ‘sealed the servants of God in their foreheads.’ This appears to be one of the main events of the sixth seal. Yet, later during the seventh seal, we find that the angels of destruction associated with the fifth trumpet are not to hurt those who were sealed:

“And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

I would suggest that those with the ‘seal in their foreheads’ are the same talked about the discussion of the sixth seal. Unless the 144,000 were not mortal, which I would also include as a possibility, they are among us during both the sixth and seventh seal.

If there is overlap between the times sixth and seventh seal, we could see events associated with the plagues of the seventh seal transpiring at the same time as other events.

With that background, I would like to discuss the events of the seventh seal as described in Revelations, chapter 7.

“1 AND when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Could the silence in heaven pertain to a period when there is no revelation? There has been decades now when there has been no meaningful revelation given to the church. Has the seventh seal been open for some time?

It is also interesting to note that a great earthquake is found at the beginning of both the sixth and seventh seals. Are the earthquakes we have experienced in the last few decades considered ‘great?’

The seven angels with seven trumpets represent the plagues that will visit the earth:

“7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Recently, as I was driving through the mountains of Colorado, I was amazed at the expanded devastation of the pine forests. Many trees have been killed by this infestation as is seen in this picture from Wikipedia.

Could this represent the first plague where a third part of the trees are ‘burnt up?’ Or could this killing be a precursor to a monster forest fire that would devastate a significant portion of this infested area?

“8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.”

I have often heard the potential of the sea turning to blood as being a result of an algae outbreak, the red tide. But as I watch the events transpire in the Gulf of Mexico, I had this scripture come to my feeble mind as I saw the great plumes of brownish red oil spread out across the sea. This photo is from the National Geographic website.

If you consider Strong’s treatment of the Greek word for blood, ‘haima,’ you can find its extended meaning to include death, killing, and sacrifice. This ongoing devastation in the Gulf has unleashed a massive tide of red death that is taking a toll on the sea animals as well as those who make their living on the waters of the area.

As this disaster began, we were confronted with images of the burning deep water rig as captured in this photo from MSNBC.

“as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea.”

The tremendous fire that resulted from the blowout of this drilling rig caused the platform to sink into the sea and unleashed millions of gallons of oily red death upon the area. Is this in fulfillment of the second trumpet of the last or seventh seal?

What think ye?