Basic Beliefs of Mormons

Mormons are encouraged, from birth, to educate themselves as much as possible.

Elder Orson F. Whitney, an apostle of the Jesus Christ, said:

It suffices me to know, and to testify, that this people are the friends, not the foes, of education; that they are seekers after wisdom, lovers of light and truth, universal Truth, which, like the waters of earth, or the sunbeams of heaven, has but one Source, let its earthly origin be what it may.

"Truth is truth, wher'er 'tis found,
On Christian or on heathen ground,"

and worthy of our love and admiration, whether far or near, high or low, whether blazing as a star in the blue vault of heaven, or springing like a floweret from the soil. (Bishop Orson F. Whitney, Home Literature at the Y.M.M.I.A. Conference, June 3, 1888, and subsequently published July, 1888 in The Contributor)

Mormons are a curious people and we like to learn. As there are different levels of interest in education in the world, so too are there in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons.

Mormons have three institutions of higher learning as well as being associated with, while privately owned, numerous private colleges, universities and high schools. We have been told by the Lord, as has every person ever born to this earth, to:

Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." -- D&C 88:118

God has given us books of scripture, if we are an illiterate people how we are to learn, grow and succeed during our mortal probation? So yes, from Joseph Smith himself and every prophet, apostle and general authority thereafter we have been urged to educate ourselves.

A natural outreach of that is the onslaught of writers of fiction and nonfiction which come onto the market every year.

Elder Whitney went on to say:

Wake up! ye sons and daughters of God! Trim your lamps and go forth to meet your distiny [sic]. A world awaits you: rich and poor, high and low, learned and unlearned. All must be preached to; all must be sought after; all must be left without excuse. And whither we cannot go, we must send; where we cannot speak we must write; and in order to win men with our writings we must know how and what to write. If the learned will only listen to the learned, God will send them learned men, to meet them on their own ground, and show them that "Mormonism," the Gospel of Christ, is not only the gospel of truth, but the gospel of intelligence and culture. The Lord is not above doing this. He is merciful to all men, not willing that any should perish. or have it to say they were unfairly dealt with. For over fifty years the gospel has been preached to the poor and lowly. It will yet go to the high and mighty, even to kings and nobles, and penetrate and climb to places hitherto deemed inaccessible. Our literature will help to take it there; for this, like all else with which we have to do, must be made subservient to the building up of Zion. (Ibid)

And for those who would make their living at writing he promised:

We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own. God's ammunition is not exhausted. His brightest spirits are held in reserve for the latter times. In God's name and by his help we will build up a literature whose top shall touch heaven, though its foundations may now be low in earth. Let the smile of derision wreathe the face of scorn; let the frown of hatred darken the brow of bigotry. Small things are the seeds of great things, and, like the acorn that brings forth the oak, or the snowflake that forms the avalanche, God's kingdom will grow, and on wings of light and power soar to the summit of its destiny. (Ibid)

Elder Whitney's words have become the watchcry of Mormon writers, even inspiring the organization of The Whitney Awards, an award for excellence in fiction written by Mormon writers.

The LDS (Mormon) market regularly publishes books which sell between 3,000 and 10,000 copies, as well as those books which have sold into the hundreds of thousands and millions. Each of us, for I am one of those Mormon authors, in our hearts yearn to fulfill the words of Elder Whitney. Each of us work, constantly honing our craft that we might fulfill the full measure of our creation with the gifts given to us.

So yes, Mormons are a literate people. We have scriptorians (those who know the scriptures like the back of their hands,) theologians (those who know the Gospel of Jesus Christ deeply and well,) professors of science, medicine, education, history, students of life and all the beauty she has to offer, our search for knowledge stretches into the farthest reaches of the universe and lingers in the corner of a quiet garden.

So yes, we are a literate people and only intend to become moreso.

The Doctrine & Covenants is a fascinating book of revelations given to Joseph Smith, Jr. during his sojourn as Prophet of the Restoration.

The very beginning of the Doctrine & Covenants, known as the D&C, says this:

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in the last days. Although most of the sections are directed to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the messages, warnings, and exhortations are for the benefit of all mankind, and contain an invitation to all people everywhere to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to them for their temporal well-being and their everlasting salvation.

Most of the revelations in this compilation were received through Joseph Smith, Jun., the first prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Others were issued through some of his successors in the Presidency. (See headings to Sections 135, 136, and 138, and Official Declarations 1 and 2.) (Doctrine & Covenants, Explanatory Introduction)

Filled with wonderful revelations there is much one can learn as the pages of this sacred scripture is studied. In Section 89 we learn about a Word of Wisdom, which if obeyed, will predispose one to great health. One of my favorite sections (or chapters) is Section 130 which is a question and answer period between God and Joseph Smith.

Joseph had questioned the Lord about intelligence gained in mortality and the Lord answered him:

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. (D&C 130:18-19)

I've always wondered why I crave knowledge so much. Maybe it is an innate understanding of this eternal principle. While many are content to coast through life, like a butterfly flitting from one flower to the next, I find myself unsatisfied unless I am constantly learning more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all the mysteries of heaven it entails. Whatever the reason, I'm relieved to know this knowledge is going with me. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on those heavenly libraries which must surely exist.

In Verse 22 we learn:

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. (D&C 130:22)

Okay, I know my friends of other friends are freaking out right about now, but I refer them to the New Testament and to a previous blog I wrote called Personal Reflections on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

But this knowledge makes everything make so much more sense. I never could figure out what Jesus was supposed to have done with His resurrected body after ascending into heaven in Acts, Chapter 1 of the New Testament. In addition, an understanding of the Holy Ghost and his role makes things so much more sensible to me.

Born into a Mormon family, I was baptized at eight years of age and continued to grow in my knowledge and testimony of the gospel from that time forward. But the first time I read the Doctrine & Covenants, beginning to end, I was delighted by what I learned and Section 130 quickly became one of my favorites.

These are just two nuggets of knowledge which can be found in Section 130 of the Doctrine & Covenants. Enjoy! Go forth and seek knowledge, my friends.

Andrew C. Skinner, noted theologian and history, said:

A broken heart and a contrite spirit are a perfect likeness or similitude of Jesus' atoning experience, and He undoubtedly wants us to comprehend the nature of that atoning experience. The word contrite comes directly from a Latin root meaning "to grind." To be contrite is to be crushed in spirit. (Andrew Skinner, Prophets, Priests and Kings, Salt Lake City, Deseret Book 2005 13)

Indeed, when one has committed a sin then the repentance process begins, and only begins, when one recognizes that action as sin.

Having been one who has not lived a perfect life, I recall specific times when I have undergone the recognition of a broken heart and contrite spirit as the consequence of my actions. Indeed, the burden which weighs upon a broken and battered heart is great, although nothing in comparison to what the Savior suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane that night.

At this particular time in life recognize that Satan will do all he can to keep you burdened with your sins. He will whisper in your ear:

"You aren't worthy. You're a loser. You've lost the love of the Father. There is no turning back. There is no hope."

These are lies, lies, lies!

President Ezra Taft Benson, the 13th called prophet is these modern times, admonishes us to remember:

One of Satan’s most frequently used deceptions is the notion that the commandments of God are meant to restrict freedom and limit happiness. Young people especially sometimes feel that the standards of the Lord are like fences and chains, blocking them from those activities that seem most enjoyable in life. But exactly the opposite is true. The gospel plan is the plan by which men are brought to a fulness of joy. This is the first concept I wish to stress: The gospel principles are the steps and guidelines that will help us find true happiness and joy. (Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct 1989, 2)

President Benson speaks of every aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for indeed, following in His path does allow for everlasting joy.

What does the world have to offer?

Drugs? Drugs trigger addiction which trigger crime which trigger the utter destruction of your physical health and the loss of freedom. It is a vicious cycle which does not end until you, the abuser, suffer great pain and agony from withdrawals. You then fight that craving for the rest of your life.

What is the Lord's solution? Stay away from drugs in the first place and you never enter this downward, spinning out of control, cycle which ends in certain death.

Alcohol? Alcohol follows the exact same path as drugs. Coming from a home where my biological father was an alcoholic, I have the beauty of damaged genes due to his excesses. Eventually he left his wife and children so that he could devote his life fully to women and booze without the restrictions of family. He died alone in his apartment with two young men frantically trying to revive him. It didn't work. The alcohol he turned to in his youth cost him everything, including his mortality and his eternities, because he could not walk away from it.

Again, what is the Lord's solution? Don't drink alcohol and strong spirits . . . that way lies only madness.

All that the world has to offer in the way of excess leads the partaker down this destructive and potentially deadly path.

But there is a way to return to our Savior, even Jesus Christ, who committed the greatest act of love ever known to this earth. He has paid for that addiction. He has paid for that pain. He has paid for that loss of self-respect, self-control and a hopeless future. All that is required of you? A broken heart and contrite spirit.

Indeed, as one is going through the repentance process it can be one filled with great emotional and spiritual pain, and certainly physically painful depending on the sin. But know this, in fact, burn it into your memory:

You are loved. The gospel plan of salvation is the plan of happiness. Freed from addiction, pain and sorrow of sin you will be astounded at how you can begin to soar above the mundane and filth filled streets of what the world has to offer.

Our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ have already made great sacrifices in order to assure you immortality and the possibility of eternal life (Moses 1:39.)

Stop and consider this for a moment. The amount of love which must exist in the heart of our Father in Heaven must be beyond comprehension that He stepped back and allowed the Atonement to continue and the Crucifixion to go forward. His only begotten Son in the Flesh was pleading with Him to remove the cup, and it could not be done without costing every single one of us our immortality and eternal salvation.

Imagine, if you can, a small portion of the amount of love your Father in Heaven has for you that He allowed this to move forward. And then stop and consider the incomprehensible level of love Jesus Christ feels for you that He willingly suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane that night, even bleeding from every pore the pain was so great that it caused even God to tremble. Even more, consider as He underwent the sham of a trial, the whippings, the mocking, the torture to finally be cruelly nailed to a cross on Calvary, the nails tearing through His flesh, and remaining in that excruciating agony until every last sin, sorrow, grief, illness . . . all that brings us pain, addiction and sorrow, was paid for, every last iota . . . and then He gave up the ghost. (Matthew 26:36-75 and Matthew 27) How deep was the love Jesus Christ had for you that He willing suffered through all of that . . . deeper than you can ever imagine or know.

Is it too late for you? No.

Are you worthy? Yes.

Is there hope for you? Yes.

Does Satan have you firmly in his grasp? No.

All you have to do is reach out to Jesus Christ and offer a broken heart and contrite spirit. Is that so much to ask? No, it isn't. You simply follow in His footsteps, walking the path He walked, living your life as He lived His and realize you are free from the bondages of pain, sin, sorrow and grief . . . there is so much hope awaiting you and all you have to do is take that first step.

Fall on your knees, and from deep within the recesses of your broken and torn heart, beg for forgiveness. Continue to plead until peace overcomes your body and then reach for the scriptures and find the answers and peace that await you. Then it's time to go back to church. You can find a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at going to the Worship With Us section of www.mormon.org. Then you simply ask anyone you run into to direct you to the missionaries. They'll take it from there. Or you can simply call 888-537-7700.

Either way, you have turned a corner to a brighter and more peaceful life.

According to my genealogy I am descended of Joseph of Arimathaea. Yes, he is the man, the Sadducee, who begged Pontius Pilate for the body of the Savior and laid Him to rest in the tomb he'd prepared for himself.

Was Joseph a follower of Jesus Christ? Certainly. According to the Talmud, he was the younger brother of the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. He was her uncle and the Savior's great-uncle. Joseph, like many of early Christian history, have been sainted by the Catholic Church. Then He was rumored to have brought the Holy Grail from the holy city of Jerusalem and was then written into the Arthurian legends. Much of his life has been mixed with legend until it is difficult to know what is truth and what is legend.

Decades ago George F. Jowett wrote The Drama of the Lost Disciples. In it, he claims to have been granted access to the journals of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea which are carefully preserved in the archives and catacombs under the Vatican.

Joseph of Arimathaea was a man of refinement, well educated, and one who possessed many talents. He had extraordinary political and business ability and was reputed to be one of the wealthiest men in the world of that time. (George F. Jowett, The Drama of the Lost Disciples, Covenant Publishing, London, 1980 17)

Jowett goes on to say that Joseph controlled the tin trade in the Roman empire and therefore was the Carnegie of his day. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish religious body that ruled Jews within the Roman empire as well as a legislative member of a provincial Roman senate. In other words, he was a man of great power and wealth.

We know that Joseph never forsook his nephew [Jesus Christ.] He stood beside Him as a bold, fearless defender at the notorious trial, and defied the Sanhedrin by going to Pilate and boldly claiming the body when all others feared to do so. His arms were the first to cradle the broken corpse when taken from the cross and place it in the tomb. After death he continued to protect the mutilated body of Jesus from the conspiring minds of the Sadducees. He risked his all, wealth, power and position in those crucial years fulfilling his obligation as guardian of Jesus and of the family of Mary. (George F. Jowett, The Drama of the Lost Disciples, Covenant Publishing, London, 1980 18)

Much of this knowledge was drawn from the journal of Nicodemus. As things became quite precarious for Christians in the Roman Empire, Joseph began using his ships to give Christians safe passage to the British isles where he had large holdings. Ship after ship carried those who would leave and the last ship carried Joseph, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

The rest of the history of Joseph is shrouded in mystery, shadow and legend. Sufficeth to say, he took his familial responsibility and duties seriously and protected those who followed the Savior until his last day on the earth.

He was a man of honor, strength, courage and integrity and I am very proud to be a descendant of this great man.

There are those who say Jesus Christ survived the cross, therefore was not resurrected on the morning of the third day. They are wrong. This line of thought actually denigrates and denounces one of the greatest and most wonderful sacrifices in the history of all of Heavenly Father's children.

For indeed, too many witnessed the nailing of our Savior's hands and feet to the cross, the crown of thrones jammed onto His head, piercing His skin, causing blood to run in streams down His beloved face. Weeping eyes saw Him raised up between two thieves and mocked as the King of the Jews. Broken and mourning hearts saw Him cry out to His Father:

My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:34)

And finally, as those who loved Him in mortality and in the heavens watched on with horror and grief ripping through their souls, they heard Him say:

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Luke 23:46)

And the greatest act of love ever committed in the history of this earth was finished. Jesus Christ, the Beloved Son of God, gave up the ghost and completed His mission which was to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

This brings us to the resurrection. It is written in the scriptures that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and other women came to the Savior's tomb early on Sunday morning. It was customary among the Jews to check the body of the deceased at the conclusion of three days to insure the person was definitely dead.

It was Mary Magdalene, Mary and the others who came to finish the preparations for Jesus' burial which had been interrupted by the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath. There were oils to anoint along with other preparations. It was at this time they discovered the stone had been rolled away and the Savior was gone.

The followers of Jesus Christ had greatly feared that His body would be stolen and it is the first thing that came to the mind of Mary Magdalene who raced to find Peter and John.

Andrew Skinner, a noted historian and theologian, states:

As the other women drew near to the opened sephulchre for the first time that morning, they saw two angels, not one as reported in the King James version of Matthew and Mark. The angels were dressed in long, white, shining (glorious) garments. (JST Mark 16:3; JST Luke 24:2) Matthew adds that their countenance was like lightning and their raiment was as white as snow. (Matthew 28:3) The Joseph Smith Translation is a tremendous gift in helping to clarify our understanding of events that first resurrection morning. (Andrew Skinner, The Garden Tomb, Deseret Book, 2005 102)

And so it was from two angels, sent from our Father in Heaven, who told these women who loved Jesus Christ that He was resurrected and now was a time of great rejoicing, both in the heavens and on earth.

Be not affrighted; ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He is risen; He is not here; Behold the place where they laid Him; and go your way, tell His disciples and Peter, that He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him as He said unto you. And they, entering into the sepulcher, saw the place where they had laid Jesus. (JST Mark 16:4-6)

The events rolled forward until Mary Magdalene returned to the Savior's tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea, who is Mary the mother of Jesus' great uncle, to weep and mourn for the loss of her Savior's body. At this moment Jesus appeared unto her and said;

Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. (John 20:15-18)

Mary rejoiced. Her Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, was resurrected as prophesied and she had seen Him once again. She rushed to the apostles as instructed.

It took them a few minutes to believe her because they had not considered resurrection but the robbing of the grave and kidnapping of Jesus' body.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:19-31)

And so we now have a total of twelve plus witnesses to the resurrected Jesus Christ.

Pontius Pilate, yes, that Pontius Pilate who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ wrote to his grandfather-in-law, Caesar Tiberius, the ruler of the Roman Empire:

And on the first of the week, about the third hour of the night, the sun was seen such as it had never at any time shone, and all the heaven was lighted up. And as lightnings come on in winter, so majestic men of indescribable splendour of dress and of glory appeared in the air, and an innumerable multitude of angels crying out, and saying: Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace, among men goodwill: come up out of Hades, ye who have been kept in slavery in the underground regions of Hades. And at their voice all the mountains and hills were shaken, and the rocks were burst asunder; and great chasms were made in the earth, so that also what was in the abyss appeared. And there were seen in that terror dead men raised up, as the Jews that saw them said: We have seen Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, that died two thousand five hundred years ago; and we have seen Noah manifestly in the body. And all the multitude walked about, and sang praises to God with a loud voice, saying: The Lord our God that has risen from the dead has brought to life all the dead, and has plundered Hades, and put him to death. (Letters of Pontius Pilate: Communique to Caesar Tiberius regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ)

The witnesses to this glorious event go on and on, some religious, some secular, but all swear by all that is holy that they saw the resurrected Christ.

And so we look at this world today and those who would deny the divinity of Jesus Christ because He died and further deny His resurrection as unbelievable. To them I say, Jesus was born to a mortal mother so that He could die. He was born of a god so that He could control the moment of that death. Until He died and resurrected on that third day the grave held captive all who had lived and died since Adam and Eve.

I have not looked my Savior in the face during my mortal life, as much as I long to, but as Jesus Christ said: "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." I believe, and it has been testified to me as truth by the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ lived, suffered, died and was resurrected. This is truth and the denying of it does not make it any less real.

Reach out to Him that paid the ransom for your sins and let yourself be embraced in His arms. For Jesus Christ awaits all who will follow in His path to welcome them home. This I testify of in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

By the time Jesus Christ came into the world the Jews had been captured, freed and captured again with quite regularity. Indeed, as they drew further and further away from the teachings of God their captivity extended over decades, centuries and millennia.

By this point in Jewish History it was firmly entrenched in their minds that the Messiah would come as a great and powerful king who would free them permanently from their captors. He took on the attributes of great generals in history and it was cemented in Jewish minds that he would restore the Davidic royal line and take his rightful place on the throne.

Jesus Christ, descendant of King David and rightful heir to this mortal throne, came into the world in a meek and lowly manner. The God of heaven and earth was born in a stable and laid in a manger, for this was all His earthly father, Joseph, could provide for his wife as she delivered into the world the prophesied Messiah.

But this Messiah, Jesus Christ, came into the world to redeem us from the fall of Adam, not to free the Jews from captivity, that wouldn't come for several thousands of years, and even is still a greatly awaited event by Jew and Christian alike. He came as the Messiah, even the Lord and Redeemer, to redeem our spirits and to break the bands of death. And this He did.

While teaching the multitudes in the temple (see Matthew 23:37–39). As Jesus preached in Jerusalem during the final week of His mortal ministry, He publicly lamented the fate of the city’s inhabitants who would not believe in Him. He told them He would return to Jerusalem in glory with His angels and said, “Ye shall not see me henceforth and know that I am he of whom it is written by the prophets until ye shall say: Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord” (JS—Matthew 1:1), thus fulfilling the messianic words of Psalm 118:26. (Jonathan H. Stephenson, “‘I Am He’,” Ensign, Apr 1999, 7)

And though He fulfilled the law of Moses, was born into the world as prophesied, performed miracle after miracle, confounded the learned and delighted the unlearned with His wisdom and knowledge of the Kingdom of God, still billions do not accept Him as their Savior.

And yet, to this day, millions DO accept Him as the Son of God, acknowledging His divinity. And although He is the Messiah of every man, woman and child, again, many do not recognize Him as such. Interestingly, this does make this truth any less so.

I testify to you that Jesus Christ came at the meridian of time as the promised and foretold Messiah, delivering us from the bondage of sin and death. Because of His great and loving sacrifice we have hope for an eternal reward. Without Him we would have lived forever in sin and been silent in the grave. Only through His Atonement and Resurrection did the Plan of Salvation become complete. Through Him and only through Him will redemption be found as well as that eternal happiness we all long for which is within our grasp if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior and take the hand outstretched to us.

He will, I testify, return in glory and power. First will come the foretold heavenly sign, coming east to west and then Jesus Christ will return as the God of Heaven and Earth and His millennial reign will begin.

This is a day I long for and anxiously await. For though I have far to go in my quest for perfection I grow weary of the pervasiveness of wickedness in this world. I, for one, will shout with joy when He returns, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Looking back over the history of the world, we see one shining moment in history that changed the course of man forever.

Before Jesus Christ came into the world Adam and Eve were commanded:

But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the time that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. (Abraham 5:13)

Adam and Eve did put forth their hands and partake of the "fruit of that tree" and man fell from immortality and the Garden of Eden into our mortal probation. In previous blogs I have discussed the Garden of Eden and roles of Adam and Eve in the lives of all who descended from them, which is every human being who has ever lived, is alive and will ever live on the face of this earth. It sufficeth me to say that Adam and Eve hold a place of honor, admiration and immense gratitude in my heart.

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. (2 Nephi 2:25)

Had Adam and Eve not made the choice they did we would not be here today. But because they did make that choice, all man born to the world from that point forward were caught forever in their sins because no Savior had yet been born to redeem them.

Enter Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, our Lord and Redeemer.

And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; (Abraham 3:23-24)

And that One who was like unto God was Jesus Christ. Two stepped forward after Heavenly Father presented His plan of salvation, one was chosen and one fell taking a large number of the hosts of heaven with him. (Revelations 12)

From that moment a sacrifice beyond compare was agreed to and Jesus Christ, under the explicit and loving direction of His Father in Heaven, was born into the world in the meridian of time. Thirty years passed before He took up the mantle of godhood and began preaching His Father's Word.

At the culmination of His great mission where miracle upon miracle was performed, the great and precious truths which had been lost until He taught them again in the synagogues, homes, streets and hills of Israel. Those who had previously been cast aside, those who preached at the pulpit, those who fished in the waters of Galilee, those who carried water from the wells were all taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His Father's word.

Then on that night in Gethsemane when Jesus Christ first took upon the weight of all the sins, sorrows and illnesses of all the children of God, no matter where or when they lived it caused even God, the greatest of us all, to bleed from every pore. This painting by artist, Derek Hegsted, shows the moment of greatest despair in the Savior as His robe was drenched in blood and His physical body weakened by the ravages of sin.

Throughout the night as He lived up to His promise to His Father in Heaven and to each of us, wave upon wave of agony was poured out upon Him as He descended below the lowest of us all and paid the price for our redemption. Justice was satisfied and mercy magnified on that night so long ago in a garden of Israel.

Of this astounding and boundless act of godly love Andrew C. Skinner said:

The Atonement of Christ is so great in its effects and so far-reaching in its consequences that it easily qualifies as the most important occurrence in time or in all eternity. Nothing ever has or ever will surpass in its significance. Nothing is greater in the entire universe or in the history of created things than Christ's Atonement. ... "When the prophets speak of an infinite Atonement, they mean just that. Its effects cover all men, the earth itself and all forms of life thereon, and reach out into the endless expanses of eternity." McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 64) (Andrew C. Skinner, Gethsemane, Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, 2002 11)

This sacrifice beyond compare was, is and ever will be the single most critical and redeeming moment in the history of the children of God.

It is not often that I stop to consider the absence of hope and its effect on the human spirit. But I have done a lot of thinking on the topic as of late. Sometimes it seems as if life is so overwhelming that to go on one more day is beyond one's capabilities. This is where Jesus Christ comes in.

At times when life is as a midnight sky whose brilliant stars are obscured by clouds or pollution, it seems as if those pinpoints of light in our lives are no longer visible. But this could not be further from the truth. When the weight of sorrow, grief and stress seem too heavy to bear, that is when it is important to step out onto your porch and looking into the midnight sky, realize that the God of Heaven and Earth is there and listening.

I just read of a man who decided God didn't exist because his prayers didn't prevent his parents' divorce. It seemed perfectly logical to him, but it makes no sense to me . . . not if one truly understands the Plan of Salvation as laid out by our Heavenly Father, accepted and championed by our Savior, Jesus Christ and taught to us by His prophets and apostles, both modern and ancient, across the ages. Their words can be found in the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price: The scriptures which teach of the word of Jesus Christ, the God of Heaven and Earth.

Moroni, a prophet in the Book Mormon said:

And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity. (Moroni 7:40-44)

The absence of hope than deters us from gaining the faith that we need to survive this world, actually, more than survive, but literally triumph over it! Life cannot be endured without light and I invite each of you to allow the light of the eternal promise of Jesus Christ, the God of all Christian scripture, to provide for you the Balm of Gilead, as it were, and let your spirit be soothed.

That "free agency" clause that the war in heaven was fought over allows for terrible things to happen to good people. It's just the way it comes down. It causes a young boy's heart to break when his parents divorce. It allows for wicked men and women to subjugate and dominate nations, families and homes. It allows for wickedness to pervasively invade television, radio, movies and the internet . . . but it does not, nor can it ever, eliminate the light and hope of Jesus Christ.

It matters not what trial or tragedy you are currently enduring, whether caused by sin or by a circumstance of life, there is no place so low that the extended and loving hand of the Savior cannot reach you and lift you up. If you will let Him. Remember, that Jesus Christ, the God of Heaven and Earth, loves you more than you will possibly ever know or could ever comprehend. Allow Him to lighten your burdens as He has done for the enslaved throughout the history of the world.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)