“The Importance of the Book of Mormon to the Holy Bible” cji 3/14/10

“The Importance of the Book of Mormon to the Holy Bible” cji 3/14/10

Often times many wonder why the Book of Mormon is so important since there’s already the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is an incredible testimony to the Gospel of Jesus Christ – but yet in it is mentioned other people – other Scriptures.

Many Prophecies are found in the Holy Bible of the wickedness of the people and that there would be a falling away – or an apostasy from the truths taught therein. When apostasy takes place and the plain and precious truths are lost – there is only one way for them to be restored – and that is by a Restoration.

Up until the time of the early 1800’s there had been many reformations – all led by men/women seeking to find the lost truths from the Holy Bible. But a reformation can only take from what is currently available – in whatever shape it is found – thus using translations and transmissions from others like them without all of the truths at hand.

Since all of the reformers claimed that the heavens were closed and they received no revelations as to what the Father or the Son would have them do – they did what man/woman have always done – trying to pick the best of what was at hand.

In 1820 all of this changed – the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. in answer to his prayer of which church he should join and he was told to join none of them! However, if he remained worthy he would be instrumental in the Restoration of all things and the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ again on this earth. This was also prophesized thousands of years before that there would be a restoration of all things before the 2nd Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus this young unlearned man was given the responsibility to translate under divine guidance the records of the people who’d once inhabited this land we know of as North and South America from 2000BC to roughly 460AD. This was and is the Book of Mormon – which provides many plain and precious truths which were lost at the time of apostasy from the Holy Bible. The Book of Mormon gives an indisputable testimony of Jesus Christ and all of his teachings. This makes a 2nd Witness – and with the Holy Bible under constant attack – it validates the Holy Bible as a testimony of Jesus Christ.

While many accept the Holy Bible – because of the various prejudices of the world/worldly they reject the Book of Mormon as being a testimony of both the Holy Bible and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When one considers that many will not even attempt to read the Book of Mormon because of what others have told them – yet will believe the Bible – then one must consider why both testify of each other and of the Savior.

All of the intellectual information in the world cannot get one to believe truth – yet the intellectual material available to teach the truth of the Father and the Son is overwhelming and yet is rejected by those who profess a greater truth from the wisdom of men/women. When one has read the Holy Bible cover to cover – pondering what is being said to them – even with all of the various translations/transmissions – alterations – additions – deletions – and accept literally what is therein contained they will then understand the importance of the Book of Mormon – Joseph Smith, Jr. as a Prophet of God – and the purpose of this mortal probation.

All of the intellectual and theological denials of Joseph Smith, Jr. – the Book of Mormon – the Restoration of the Saviors Church in these latter-days – have come up short with the unfolding of more and more information which has become available.

In the 1970’s an Arabic Scholar decided to translate the Book of Mormon back into its original languages. Below are his findings – while the scholars and theologians say that this was pure chance that an unschooled country nobody could have gotten it all correct – is exactly what they teach and proclaim in their continuous denials of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, Jr. as a Prophet of God.

All people have the agency to decide for themselves or to let others decide for them what is true and what is chance. Most will stay their course and not look for themselves – and thus many of the Prophecies from the past continue to be fulfilled in this scenario.

I know the Holy Bible to be true – I knew this at age 11 (1955) when I read it the first time; I know the Book of Mormon to be true – and by this knowledge I know that Joseph Smith, Jr. was/is and had to be a Prophet of God – and that today a Prophet of God – Thomas S. Monson leads the Lord’s Church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And these things I testify to in the name of Jesus Christ amen – c/ork




http://www.moroni10.com/Hanna.html


Reflections of Sami Hanna
Elder Russell M. NelsonGeneral Sunday School Presidency 1976My neighbor, Sam Hanna, is a native Egyptian. He is an academic scholar who moved into our neighborhood to accept an assignment with the University as a specialist in Middle Eastern Studies and the Semitic group of languages such as Arabic, Abyssinian, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Assyrian. Being a newcomer into our community, he felt the Mormons were a bit of a curiosity.Upon learning the name Mormon came from our belief that the Book of Mormon is divine scripture, he was intrigued by the existence of the Book of Mormon. He has erroneously thought this was American literature. When he was told that the Book of Mormon was translated from the ancient Egyptian or modified Hebrew type of hieroglyphic into the English language by the Prophet Joseph Smith, he became even more engrossed, for this was his native language and he knows much about the other Semitic languages as well as the modern languages.So challenged was he by this book that he embarked on the project of translating the Book of Mormon from English to Arabic. This translation was different from other translations, for this was to be a translation back to the original language of the book. To make a long story short, the process of this translation became the process of his conversion; for he soon knew the Book of Mormon to be a divine document even though he knew virtually nothing of the organization of the Church or of its programs. His conversion came purely from the linguistics of the book which he found could not have been composed by an American, no matter how gifted. Some of his observations I think will be of interest to you, as they were to me, for they clarify some of the unique aspects of the book.1. Jarom 2: "It must needs be . . ." This expression, odd and awkward in English, is excellent Arabic grammar. Elsewhere in the book the use of the compound verbs "did eat," "did go," "did smile," etc., again awkward and rarely used in English, are classical and correct grammar in the Semitic languages.2. Omni 18: "Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers, according to his memory." Brother Hanna indicates that this is a typical custom of his Semitic forebearers to recite their genealogy from memory.3. Words of Mormon 17: Reference is made here as in other parts of the Book of Mormon, to the "stiffneckedness" of his people. Brother Hanna perceives that this word would be a very unusual word for an American youth as Joseph Smith to use. An American would likely prefer an adjective such as stubborn or inflexible. But the custom in the Arabic language is to use just such a descriptive adjective. Stiff-necked is an adjective they use in describing an obstinate person.4. Mosiah 11:8: "King Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings and ornamented them with fine work and precious things, including ziff." Have you ever wondered about the meaning of the word "ziff" referred to in this scripture? This word, although in the Book of Mormon, is not contained in dictionaries of the English language. Yet it translates freely back into the Arabic language, for ziff is a special kind of curved sword somewhat like a simitar which is carried in a sheath and often used for ornamentation as well as for more practical purposes. The discovery of the word "ziff" in the Book of Mormon really excited my neighbor, Brother Hanna.5. Alma 63:11 Reference is made to Helaman, son of Helaman. Why did not Joseph Smith interpret this as Helaman, Jr., which would have been more logical for him, bearing the same name as his father, Joseph, and being named Joseph Smith, Jr. In Arabic, Brother Hanna explains, there is no word "junior" to cover this circumstance. Their custom is to use the terminology Joseph, son of Joseph; Helaman, son of Helaman, etc.6. Helaman 1:3: Here reference is made to the contending for the judgment seat. Brother Hanna observes that the use of the term "judgment seat" would be quite strange to an American who might have used a more familiar noun such as governor, president, or ruler. Yet, in Arabic custom,the place of power rests in the judgment seat and whoever occupies that seat, is the authority and power. The authority goes with the seat and not with the office or the person. So, this, in the Semitic languages, connotes the meaning exactly.7. Helaman 3:14: In this verse, there are a total of eighteen "ands." Reviewers of the Book of Mormon have, on occasion, been critical of the grammar in such a passage where the use of the word "and" seems so repetitious. Yet Brother Hanna explains that each of the "ands" in this verse is absolutely essential to the meaning, when this verse is expressed in Arabic, for the omission of any "and" would nullify the meaning of the whole verse.8. Helaman 3: 18-19: Have you wondered why the Book of Mormon cites a numbering system such as this? Do we say "forty and six, forty and seven, forty and eight"? No, Joseph Smith's natural interpretation would more appropriately have been forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight without the "ands." Brother Hanna excitedly observes that the use of "and" in "forty and six" is precisely correct Arabic. Remember they number as well as read from right to left and recite their numbers with the "and" to separate the columns.Well, I have just cited a few of these examples. There are many more! As Latter-day Saint leaders, we are aware of the Semitic origin of the Book of Mormon. The fact that an Arabic scholar such as this seems a beautiful internal consistency in the Prophet Joseph Smith's translation of the book, is of great interest, for the Prophet Joseph did not merely render an interpretation, but a word for word translation from the Egyptian type of hieroglyphic into the English language. Brother Hanna said the Book of Mormon simply flowed back into the Arabic language.You will be pleased to know that the Arabic translation of the Book of Mormon is now complete; that it will soon be available in this language which is read and spoken by 150 million people. Actually, there are about 700 million people who are able to read Arabic who now do not have access to the precious truths of the Book of Mormon. This is over two times the number of people on earth during the Savior's earthly ministry, at which time He challenged His disciples to preach the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
A Treasured TestamentElder Russell M. NelsonOf the Quorum of the Twelve ApostlesEnsign: July 1993The Book of Mormon stands as another testament of Jesus Christ. The power of its message will transform the lives of all who earnestly study its precious pages. Its very reality is an inspiring fact.Many of you are experienced in the difficult task of translating written text from one language to another. I am intrigued, as you are, with the process Joseph Smith used to translate the Book of Mormon, which he said was done through "the gift and power of God." (Book of Mormon, title page.) The Prophet learned the nature of that gift the night the angel Moroni first visited him. Moroni told him that "there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of [the American] continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; "Also, that there were two stones in silver bows--and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim--deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted 'seers' in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book." (Joseph Smith History 1:34-35.) The inscriptions on the plates were written in a Semitic language, using a modified Egyptian type of script. Some critics have scoffed at such a linguistic mix. May I tell you of Doctor Moses Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and Jewish philosophers of the Middle Ages. He died in a.d. 1204. He served as a court physician in Cairo and is one of the most famous figures in the early history of medicine. Hospitals are named after him today. In Cairo he read and pondered the words of earlier Muslim thinkers and wrote his philosophical books in Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet. This is but one of many instances from ancient and medieval periods in which the script of one language has been used to write in another language. (See Daniel C. Peterson, Abraham Divided; An LDS Perspective on the Middle East, Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 1992, p. 205.) Indeed, history confirms that such a linguistic mix was not unusual at all. I am intrigued that Joseph Smith--an unschooled young man in rural America--could have translated this Semitic language mix into the English language. That unlikely scenario relates to Isaiah's remarkable prophecy: "I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder." (Isaiah 29:14) The Hebrew text of the Old Testament from which that phrase was translated uses the word pele, meaning "miracle." Thus one could also accurately interpret "a marvellous work and a wonder" as a "miraculous miracle." Truly, this latter-day work is precisely that. Think of the short time Joseph took to translate the Book of Mormon. Working from April to June of 1828, Joseph translated the 116 pages that Martin Harris later lost. Joseph began translating again on Tuesday, April 7, 1829, with Oliver Cowdery as scribe. The manuscript was completed eighty-five days later, on June 30 of that year. Of course, not all of that time was spent working on the translation. The Prophet and his scribes also took time to eat, to sleep, to seek employment, to receive the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, to make at least one (and possibly two) trips to Colesville thirty miles away, to receive and record thirteen revelations that are now sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, to move from Harmony to Fayette, to acquire the Book of Mormon copyright, and to begin making arrangements for the publication of the Book of Mormon. Conservatively estimated, this left sixty-five or fewer working days on which the prophet and his scribes translated this book, which contains 531 pages in its current edition. (See John W. Welch, Ensign, Jan. 1988, pp. 46-47.) That calculates to an average of eight pages per day. Consider this when you translate a book, or as you schedule your own reading of the Book of Mormon. As Oliver Cowdery testified a few years later: "These were days never to be forgotten--to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated...the history or record called The Book of Mormon." (JS--H 1:71n.) The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known. Yet we do have a few precious insights. David Whitmer wrote: "Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man." (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, Mo.: n.p., 1887, p. 12.) Emma Smith, who acted as an earlier scribe for Joseph, gave this account in 1856: "When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it, as he dictated each sentence, word for word, and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he spelled them out, and while I was writing them, if I made any mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct my spelling although it was impossible for him to see how I was writing them down at the time. Even the word Sarah he could not pronounce at first, but had to spell it, and I would pronounce it for him. "When he stopped for any purpose at any time he would, when he commenced again, begin where he left off without any hesitation, and one time while he was translating he stopped suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, 'Emma, did Jerusalem have walls around it?' When I answered, 'Yes,' he replied, 'Oh! [I didn't know.] I was afraid I had been deceived.' He had such a limited knowledge of history at that time that he did not even know that Jerusalem was surrounded by walls." (Edmund C. Briggs, "A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856," Journal of History, Jan. 1916, p. 454.) On another occasion, Emma Smith recorded: "The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once felt of the plates as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book." ("Last Testimony of Sister Emma," Saints' Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, p. 290; spelling modernized.) Although the Prophet would polish his skills over the years, Emma acknowledged that Joseph possessed only rudimentary literacy at the time he translated the gold plates: "Joseph Smith...could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter; let alone dictating a book like the Book of Mormon. And, though I was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, it is marvelous to me, 'a marvel and a wonder,' as much so as to any one else." (Ibid.) Because the Book of Mormon is a translation of a modified Hebrew language, it contains many Hebraisms. We might list a few examples because they are so unlike the language that would have been familiar to a young man in rural New York at that time:
 Nouns followed by descriptive phrases--such as "altar of stones," "plates of brass," "mist of darkness."
 Prepositional phrases used instead of adverbs--such as "with harshness," "with joy," "with gladness," "in diligence."
 Cognate accusative constructions--"dreamed a dream," "cursed with sore cursing," "work all manner of fine work."
 Hebrew words with double meaning--such as Nahum, meaning "mourning," and Jershon, meaning "inheritance." Events involving those specific actions took place at locations bearing those meaningful names.
 Chiasms. This term is derived from the Greek letter Chi (or the English x), which describes text written in an inverted parallel structure. As a young LDS missionary, John Welch discovered that many chiasms exist in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible. I am told that emphasis in these ancient languages was not provided by punctuation. Therefore, other devices, such as chiasm, were used occasionally to stress important thoughts. Sister Nelson and I have a close friend and former neighbor, Sami Hanna, who was born in Egypt. He is a scholar with special expertise in Semitic languages. As a linguistic exercise, he translated the Book of Mormon from English into Arabic. The exercise converted him to the divinity of the Book of Mormon. Among the many linguistic features that convinced him of the book's divinity was this unusual sentence in Helaman, chapter 3, verse 14. This would hardly be an expression of a 24-year-old man from the New York frontier: "But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work." That single sentence has eighteen ands. Now, if you were a teacher of English you might tend to downgrade the composition of that sentence. Yet my scholarly Egyptian friend said that every one of those ands was an important element in the construction of that sentence, allowing his translation to flow smoothly back to a Semitic language. Of course the great worth of the Book of Mormon lies not in its miraculous translation, wondrous as it was, nor in its stories that we read to our children. The great worth of the Book of Mormon is that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. All four of its major authors--Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni--were eyewitnesses of the Lord, as was His inspired translator of that book. The Book of Mormon is the great clarifier of doctrine. It refutes many myths, and at the same time affirms truths previously obscured. And it reveals many glorious doctrines lost or previously unknown. First let us examine a few myths the book refutes or denies. The Book of Mormon refutes the doctrine of predestination. It refutes the ex nihilo ("out of nothing") idea of creation. It refutes the false but pervasive notion of original sin. It refutes the fable of faith without works. It refutes the adequacy of goodness alone without exalting ordinances. It refutes the practice of infant baptism. It refutes methods of baptism other than that of immersion by one bearing proper authority. It refutes the arbitrary restriction that revelation from God ended with the Bible. There are some things that the Book of Mormon is not. It is not a text of history, although some history is found within its pages. It is not a definitive work on ancient American agriculture or politics. It is not a record of all former inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, but only of particular groups of people. Resoundingly, the Book of Mormon affirms, among many eternal truths, the existence of a living and loving Father in Heaven. It affirms the nature of our Heavenly Father's plan of salvation, happiness, and mercy. It declares, as another testament, the generation and divinity of Jesus the Christ. It teaches of His ministry, and of His atonement. While doubts about Jesus exist among today's ministers and scholars, the Book of Mormon stands as an international beacon of divine truth. The Lord said: "The testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another....And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also." (2 Nephi 29:8) The Book of Mormon affirms the sublime status of man's moral agency and sets forth stern standards of accountability and responsibility for our choices. It affirms the reality and inevitability of our impending judgment, which will be done with a perfect blending of the justice and mercy of God. (See Alma 12:15.) It deepens our understanding of the Master's statement once made near Galilee's shore: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)To the Nephites Jesus reaffirmed that commandment, but then as the resurrected Lord, He listed Himself as having recently achieved that state of perfection. (See 3 Nephi 12:48) The Book of Mormon affirms that the people in the Western Hemisphere were among the "other sheep" to whom Jesus had earlier referred. (See John 10:16; 3 Nephi 15:17, 21) And it affirms the existence of another society to whom Jesus would minister--those we know as the lost tribes of Israel. It affirms the reality of premortal life. It reaffirms the sanctity of and the necessity for the sacrament, as taught in the Bible. In addition to the refutation of myths and the clarification of concepts previously unclear, the Book of Mormon reveals glorious truths heretofore lost or unknown to the mind of man: It reveals the state of the soul between death and resurrection. It reveals the endless nature of the priesthood of God and the foreordination of choice spirits called and prepared from the foundation of the world for leadership in the latter days. From the Book of Mormon we know that each of you has been foreordained, foredetermined, and reserved to come forth at this particular time to accomplish the mighty work you have been called to do. The Book of Mormon reveals what the term gospel truly means. The Lord declared, "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." (3 Ne. 27:13) That sentence is as sparklingly clear as it is brief. The Savior then explained in fuller detail His mission and His atonement (see 3 Ne. 27:13-21), concluding His definitions by again saying, "This is my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:21). The Book of Mormon reveals the important interrelationships between the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. One cannot fully comprehend the Atonement without first understanding the Fall; and the fall of Adam cannot be fully understood without first understanding the Creation. These three great doctrinal pillars sustain each other in God's eternal plan.The Book of Mormon reveals that Joseph, the son of Jacob who was once sold into Egypt, foresaw the Prophet Joseph Smith and his day (see 2 Ne. 3:6-21) and noted that there would be many similarities in their lives. Centuries later, the Prophet Joseph stated, "I feel like Joseph in Egypt." (The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, ed. Dean C. Jessee, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984, p. 409; spelling modernized.) The Book of Mormon reveals that the inheritance of Joseph, son of Israel, was not forgotten when, as promised in the Abrahamic covenant, land was distributed to the tribes of Israel. Joseph's inheritance was to be a land choice above all others. (See Ether 13:2, 8.) It was choice not because of beauty or wealth of natural resources, but choice because it was chosen. It was to be the repository of sacred writing on plates of gold from which the Book of Mormon would one day come, choice because it would eventually host world headquarters of the restored church of Jesus Christ in the latter days. The Book of Mormon reveals that Jesus of Nazareth, born of Mary, is literally the Son of God. No book of scripture bears more solemnly the weighty burden of that testimony than does the Book of Mormon. Its pages contain nearly four thousand references to Christ, using more than one hundred different titles for Him. His holy name is mentioned on the average of once per every 2.8 verses. No wonder this book has been designated "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." The Book of Mormon reveals that the keeper of the gate at Judgment will be Jesus, the holy one of Israel. There each one of us will stand before Him to be judged. The Book of Mormon contains many insightful and stunning gems. The late Elder Robert E. Sackley of the Seventy attributed his conversion to this brilliant passage of scripture, which he memorized while hospitalized as a young military commando--even prior to his baptism: "The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19) Elder Sackley's life was never to be the same after his decision to live in accord with that remarkable single sentence of scripture. To me, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon is most evident in the mighty change that comes into the lives of those who read it "with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ." (Moroni 10:4.) Many of them forsake much that they held dear to be true to their new commitment to abide by the precepts of that book. The Book of Mormon truly is a treasured testament. There is no other book quite like it. Can you find any other book delivered by an angel? Can you think of any other book prepared for people to read centuries later? Its writers did not write it for readers of their day. No royalties accrued to its authors from sales to contemporary consumers. In fact, its authors paid dearly for their privilege of authorship, as did its translator. It is a book that the Lord Jesus Christ has personally testified to be true. In the form of an oath, the Lord said--referring to the Prophet Joseph Smith's work: "He has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true." (D&C 17:6.) You know well this promise that the Lord offers to readers of the Book of Mormon: "If you do these last commandments of mine, which I have given you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; for my grace is sufficient for you, and you shall be lifted up at the last day." (D&C 17:8) The Prophet Joseph Smith declared--and his successor, President Ezra Taft Benson, has reaffirmed--that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is a treasured testament of truth. It is the prophesied sign that "the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill his covenants." (3 Ne. 29, chapter heading.)Solemnly, I add my witness to that of my Brethren. It is true! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

“The Sabbath Day – Today”

cji
3/14/10

Once each week to account
our batteries spiritual recharge
minds and thoughts cleanse
purifying our hearts/souls
covenanting with the Father
our obedience unto Him
acknowledging our advocate
His Only Begotten Son
Our Lord and Savior
even Jesus Christ today
on this the Sabbath Day!

Copyright © 2010 – cji

"The Parasitic Nature of Authority and Power"

“Doctrine and Covenants 121:39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”

“The parasitic Nature of Authority and Power”
cji
3/12/10

Throughout the written history of mankind one can find the literature ripe with those men/women who’ve desired that which was not theirs. Starting with Cain and coming into the present day in which we live this is found to be true. While written history also reports on those like Able, Enoch, Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Isaac and many others to our day who’ve been good, loving, and desiring to be in the Service of the Lord – doing His Will and not theirs.

Thus there appears always two camps to be identified; the first, which is trying to live a righteous life – being obedient in all of the Commandments and true to all of the Covenants in which they’ve made with the living Lord. The second, which denies the literal truth or the teachings of the living Lord and accepts in return the precepts, philosophies and wisdom of men/women to pursue their own desires, wants, lusts and to be found worldly. (Note: please do not consider the world/worldly to be the same as the Earth which is of the Lord and not of men/women – while the world/worldly is totally of men/women.) One can be in one group or the other but not both – i.e. one is either seeking Zion or Babylon.

There are many who believe themselves to be in the first group or what we will term disciples of the living Lord – who in reality because of their lifestyles and doings cannot be considered in this group. It’s the simple things like obedience to the Ten Commandments (or Decalogue) and to the more serious things like keeping one unspotted from the sins of the world. These are those who proclaim a belief and love of the Savior and thus His Father who sent him – but decide on a varying definition of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy! Or proclaim this love but decide the poor, needy, homeless, naked, hungry, widows, orphans and all others in similar situations are someone else’s problem. It’s these who use the Lord’s name in vain – swearing – seeking peer acceptance rather than the Lord’s acceptance.

Thus we find the first group (the Disciples) to be pretty small and condemned by the world and worldly. Why are they so condemned? Because their integrity brands them as trouble makers and making others look bad in comparison. Within the written history we read of the stoning of the Prophets or their imprisonment – for nothing other than to declare the word of the Lord to their brothers and sisters. In the history of the United States a nation formed under the divine direction of the Lord (as each of the Founding Father’s gave credit) where the freedoms have been used to kill a Prophet of the Lord, rape and murder women and children and drive them as a group from the then boundaries of the then States. Not happy with these actions they pursued and have abused them where they next settled in the Far West. Even today in the newspapers we find untruths printed as truth by the leading men/women of other denominations for no other reason than they live the commandments and teachings literally of the Father and the Son as found in the Scriptures.

This is not to say that there are others who also live the commandments and teachings of the Father and the Son – so please don’t mistake this as excluding them from peer rejection and alienation from others within their communities. One also must remember there are those descendants who fled to the West which are not all they proclaim to be in living the commandments. Thus the lines of both groups cross each other. Most who are found as Disciples of the Living Lord – keep pretty quiet about being so – living quietly in the sure knowledge and seeking more truth. Thus there are those who are quite loud and outspoken in their beliefs – while yet they continue to be a hard heart in rejecting the words of a living Prophet.

What does the above have to do with the parasitic nature of authority and power? Those who have chosen not to honor their covenants – or to follow literally the teaching of the living Lord or his Prophet – have done so for one of several reasons. One: They’ve not been taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that his Church has been restored in these latter-days with a Prophet at its head; Two: That when being so taught they’ve been influenced by others who seek to continue their domain over them by the usage of rhetoric to keep them from leaving their flock; Three: The teachings of false doctrines and beliefs of men mixed with Scriptures to deny that such a restoration was necessary; Four: The teaching that the Bible is complete and nothing more is needed – that it cannot be added to or changed in anyway; Five: The teaching that there is no one church and that any church is good enough; Six: The teaching there is no God and this life is all that there is; and Seven: The teachings that as long as one is good person – it matters not how they treat others – acquire wealth or use or abuse authority or power.

In approaching these seven we’ll look at each one in turn. One – They’ve not been taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that his Church has been restored in these latter-days with a Prophet at its head. The reason for this can be two or three fold; First – the type of government in which they live permits no freedom of religion and thus the authority and power of those who lead such a nation is corrupted and given birth by the teachings of men/women. In these forms of government those in authority and power take this from the abuse of those they lead into submission and obedience to them alone. Second: these people live in such an environment where freedom of religion is in effect but is not tolerated outside of the community leaders myopic beliefs. Third: They live in such an environment where peer pressures denies them to look outside of family or community to seek further understandings of the Scriptures or to ask questions to find such information within their communities.

Each of these three cases requires others to have usurped authority and power over the lives of those who’ve they’ve taken control. This is a parasitic condition of not leaving others the choice and denying any outside influences to occur. There are nations in the world where no proselytizing can take place. There are locations where missionaries have been stoned for teaching the message of the restoration. Thus without the ability to hear of the Restoration of all things – one simply cannot make a choice to believe or not. These people have been denied their rights by others.

The Second issue – the influence of others to bring peer pressure and deny one from leaving their flock is parasitic in nature because the welfare (income) of those leading the pressure is at stake. For if the teaching of the Restored Church is true – then they too would have to admit to such truth and give up their livelihood in preaching, etc. One can only use rhetoric to deny truth – rhetoric is a nice word created by the Greeks to take the place of lying. It’s used as an excuse to give the people what they want to hear – and that they’ll pay to hear such words – rather than the truth. Thus further complicating the parasitic nature as both feel they’ve gained by such rhetoric rather than the truth.

The Third issue – the denial that any Restoration is necessary and therefore there can be no Restored Church. In this those who preclude others from hearing and or believing the truth proclaim that they’ve all the truth they need and they need no more! Of course in this they’re proclaiming to have had such revelations to this ‘fact’ while at the same time proclaiming the heavens are closed. Usually their charismatic appeal which is used in a parasitic manner to cover themselves in sheep’s clothing while being the predators of the flocks they’re to feed.

The Fourth issue – the teaching that the Bible is all that’s needed and cannot be changed or added to in anyway. Parasitically those who teach this and proclaim this know they are teaching something that is both false and contradicted within the Scriptures which they quote. As an example in the US alone by 1957 there were over 2700 different versions of the Holy Bible – who knows how many there are now. Each of these with changes, additions and deletions from whatever came before them. The Holy Bible is made up of various books written from the beginning or recorded history through to the teachings of the Savior and the Apostles. It is well known that many of the Old Testament books are missing – some Prophets completely removed and that texts were changed to be more politically correct to the both the Jews and the Christians of the 3rd and 4th Century. The New Testament or Scriptures following the birth of the Savior and after his literal death and literal resurrection contained some 3400 books of written records. With the advent of the Gnostics after the death of the last Apostle about 150AD – many changes rapidly took place. It’s also to be remembered that some of the now contained books of the New Testament were not recorded until after the 1st Century AD. Each of these records were changed at the time of Augustine and Origen the respective leaders of Western and Eastern Christians. Both of these esteemed men were students of the schools of rhetoric – Augustine having studied or taught rhetoric for 25 years of his life. They both desired a religion of the educated classes – i.e. political correctness – as these are those who had money to pay them generously for their teachings – which in turn made most of the Holy Bible un-literal in direct opposition to those few remaining Saints alive. Augustine and other solution was to kill all of the older Saints who still believed literally in the teachings. All of these changes, additions, deletions were done by man/woman and not by the Lord or his Prophets. Thus there had to be an apostasy – a falling away from the truths of the Savior and the Apostles – and this had to happen from within those members of the early Church as organized by the Savior with his name and his Apostles. Those who came after as Augustine and Origen were the 2nd and 3rd generation of reformers – in that they could not have been part of the apostasy for the Church was no longer found headed by a Prophet and Apostles in their day. To use without authority given to them by the Lord – these men took the authority and the power attendant to their positions to take without giving of any substance – and thus were the greatest of the new parasites. Many others have followed them – we can see them on TV – in college stadiums – claiming to save people for their money and substance.

The Fifth issue – The teaching that there is no need for only one church and any church will do. This is difficult to classify as parasitic but in reality it is such. For in reality no church is needed to be saved only not to commit murder (the shedding of innocent blood) and/or to deny the Holy Ghost. Only those who’ve received the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one having authority can then deny the Holy Ghost. Others have light from the Spirit of God – which all born into mortality have had or can have – it helps to testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ when one hears it taught by those having authority from the Savior to do so – this does not mean some theological school or university – all of their authority comes from men/women and those who pay them to teach or preach. Everyone is saved by the Atonement of the Savior on our behalf – all of us none excluded who’ve been born into mortality. Thus one can be equally saved staying in their homes – reading the scriptures for themselves or not - as long as they don’t shed innocent blood! However, there’s much more at stake than just being saved! None of those who teach the doctrine of being saved – talk about the eternal nature of families or how this can become a reality. They don’t teach of having a resurrected body of flesh and bone just as the Father and the Son have. They don’t teach about husbands and wives being able to have children eternally and forever. Thus by what they don’t teach they deny the truthfulness of the Holy Scriptures. And in so doing they teach doctrines of men/women and not God – for money – authority and power – which equal the parasitic nature of their own goals.

The Sixth issue – The teaching that there is no God and this life is all that there is. This is false and abominable in the sight of the Lord. And it’s only taught for one to get gain from the world and those who’ll follow after them. It sells books – movies – and lies for the love and lusts of the world/worldly. This is pure Babylon – and Babylon is nothing if not parasitic – in destroying it’s host over and over again. Yet some believe theories still as yet unproved and never to be proven about the origin of life and it’s lack of meaning.

The Seventh issue – The final teaching is similar in nature to several of the above – in that it simply teaches it doesn’t matter if you’re bad or good – abuse or slander or set aside the commandments and assume authority or power over others. Within this teaching is the guile of men/women to believe a little – deny a little – do works that others can see and praise you for – and do in private what’s needful to remain in authority and power. One might think that the heroes/heroines in the movies meet this standard and thus it’s a good standard to emulate by others. Or better the life styles of the rich and famous – even better the fact that one can sing and become rich makes them an authority on political correctness and how others should live. This would include Madison Ave. doing what they do simply for the profit of today with no thought of the morrow or the consequences of deceit to those who believe in their advertising. In the end they’re each saying there may or may not be a God – but spend your money to buy the latest fashions – drinks – or other products to make you more comfortable in this world without regard to the next. That if there’s a God – he made you to be rich and others to be poor – it’s not your concern just because you’re rich in the things of the world.

Unrighteous dominion comes from being a parasite – living off of the productivity of others and only giving lip service in return. Having authority and power to demand conformance of others to what you believe and want and lust after. Nowhere is it found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that one can or should force their authority or power over another. Each person is given their own agency – to make choices of right and wrong – what’s true and what’s not – thus when another intervenes to usurp this agency they are doing it parasitically for their benefit and not for the person. Coercion is a tool of the adversary – rhetoric is a tool of the adversary – parasitic behavior is a tool of the adversary – contention and confusion are tools of the adversary – which is why so many have chosen to deny the existence of the adversary so as to justify the actions and decision they make. Parasitic behavior is found in both the one in authority and power and those who they exercise their dominion over. This is caused by the need to be loved and accepted in a familiar environment rather than to change to another where there might be more truth and light. Thus they are limited in their choices for selfish reasons – and thus parasitic in nature.

Each must understand the nature of the world/worldly is parasitic as the world/worldly derive all they have from others. The world/worldly cannot survive without living off of those who come unto them in obedience and subjection. The world/worldly have only the material things of today to offer for this obedience and subjection and these you still have to buy, beg or steal to obtain.

Our Lord and Savior is the opposite of this in that all that he desires is for each of us to be happy and have joy in the truthfulness of the Gospel. The living Lord is giving and offering the gift of eternal life – forever and ever with our families and loved ones – taking nothing in return – and without any coercion. In doing this it does require obedience to all of the commandments, statutes and laws which are tried and true to give one happiness and joy in this life and eternal life in the life yet to come. This obedience is for our benefit and the benefit of others – as we will be better people and true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus one can chose what they want to know and understand – they can be under the influence of others – as in the case of issue one above – without choice or agency – or to rebel against the norm of peer pressure to learn for themselves what’s true and what isn’t. The information is easily available especially with the easy access to the Internet – public libraries – and simply just reading the Bible for oneself (cover to cover) and asking questions of clarification – doing research on one’s own and prayerfully asking the Father through the advocacy of the Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as stated in James 1:4-6.

“Doctrine and Covenants 121: 34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
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.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”

When one reads more of Doctrine and Covenants 121: 34-46 - it can be seen the Lord’s way is directly opposite to the world/worldly way. We’ve to chose this day which to follow. Yes one can be saved by doing nothing more – than not shedding innocent blood (murder) – but this is only saved to the worldly way of thinking and not to be found as eternal life – with the Father and the Son – forever and ever with a physical body of flesh and bone. One must understand as well that the Mother Teresa’s are the exception to the rule – she by her works and unselfish desire to help others – and doing so in her ability and calling set her apart from the world/worldly. And those with no opportunity in this mortality will yet have a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness during the millennial time frame. All others who’ve had the opportunity – to seek the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ either have done so or haven’t by their choice of agency. Even those who under the parasitic dominion of others claiming authority and power – and have not availed themselves to look, research, read, seek and pray will in the world’s to come chose the same as they choose now in most cases. Those who’ve been denied choice or agency in any of the several issues above – will still have the opportunity to hear the Gospel in its fullness. Both the demands of Justice and Mercy will be mete and none will be omitted from their judgments.

Remember in conclusion – those who are the parasites among us – will deny even that they’re the parasites – and tell you all this is nonsense. That there is no living Prophet – that the Church doesn’t or didn’t need to be Restored – and that only they can interpret the Scriptures for you. We’ve also to remember in the exercise of unrighteous dominion is to have the power over life and death – deciding who will live and who will die – men/women ardently strive to take this power from on high as the ultimate power. To deny one learning of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Restoration of All things – is take ultimately eternal life from who they’ve beguiled to follow them and their savior even the master of deceit – Satan. They’re his minion’s either knowingly or unknowingly doing his work and denying the purposes of this life and mortality.

Each person must decide in which direction to go either to Zion or Babylon – by asking oneself the questions: Who’s to gain and What is the gain – or Who’s to lose and What is the loss. The Parasites have everything to gain by persuading you and everything to lose if they’re unsuccessful which they can obtain from you. While those like myself have nothing to gain or to lose regardless of how you chose. We share with each of you because it’s true and your our friends – loved ones and we want you to know what we’ve learned so that you too can be with us throughout all eternity if we all prove to be worthy.

None of us will know until we stand at the bar – where the Prophets and Apostles will be standing also – as to if we’re worthy to all of the eternal blessings covenanted with between us and the Lord.

May we each try to live so to be worthy – in the name of Jesus Christ amen – c/ork

“Of a Parasitic Nature”

cji
3/12/10

Having desires of authority
seeking power over others
who will live and/or die
what price is to be paid
what offerings so needed
burning incense to Baal
crying for each to be saved
demanding respect first
and dominion always
ruling in unrighteousness
while claiming to be of God
knowing him not at all
claiming he cannot be known
all this because of greed
for the authority and power
denied unto them forever
of a parasitic nature within
and hidden from without!


Copyright © 2010 – cji

Continuation on the Work for the Dead

“Can all these things be done by an old man for his Beloved wife and family? This sounds like so much to get done. How many miles before I sleep?”


To answer your question – YES! And you’ll have lots of help! But one starts with the basics – your beloved spouse and family! This is the genealogy which is being done for all families in fulfillment of the direction of the Prophet Malachi and the Sealing Keys of the Prophet Elijah. Without the Restoration of the Gospel and the Church and the building of Temples in these latter-days the answer would have be no. Yet this Restoration has taken place in its fullness and now all can learn of the truthfulness and fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The work which is needful to be done will not be done alone. In each Ward/Branch and Stake there are many called to assist with such necessary work of preparation. Many will much of the work either done or easily done by checking family records. One starts with their immediate family – Dates of Birth, Death, Marriages and full names of each member of the family. Next they add their siblings and parents and grandparents. Statistically* speaking when one gets to the 4th generation or Great Grandparents there should be found others who’ve done research at this level and tied into your families.

(* Note: in 1974/75 – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did a concerted effort to get all active families in the Church to do their four generation charts. This data was then compiled with all of the other data collected over the years within the Church records. Even at this time the Church was at the forefront of the coming usage of computers and since then this effort has multiplied at an ever accelerated rate.)

Once one has the basic records prepared – these will be converted into Temple ready data. Next step is to get the names to the Temple which is closest to you where you and the members of your Ward/Branch and Stake can assist you in doing the work inside the Temple Walls.

There will be need to be a Sister or Sisters to assist and do the work of spouses/mothers and all of the female relations – as well as Brothers to help with all of the Male relations. Where each individual is most fully involved is with their spouse and parents which can be sealed to you for time and all eternity! As the generations continue back in time many more will need to be actively involved. Once you get back to Great Grandparents you’ll find somewhere – others may have already done some of the work most likely – if not you chip away one family at a time.

However, and this is a big however one needs to be baptized – smile – so you can do the work of your own kindred dead – otherwise others will have to do your work for you – and while all of your family – generation upon generation will be sealed for time and all eternity – until each living individual has gone through for themselves no work can be done for them!

The meekness required of the Lord is that we accept His word and the word of his Prophets literally! In doing so we will recognize the True Church and come into the waters of Baptism – and thus begin the journey to the Temple (it normally takes one year before one can enter the Temple).

How many miles before one can sleep is only known by the Lord – and thus we keep taking each step in the direction of the next mile – soon we’ve traveled many more than we ever thought we would or could.

Hugs and love – and it’s all true – each of you know it and I know you know it – which is what little brothers are all about! - c/ork

“Many Miles Before I Sleep”

cji
3/11/10

Each step is thus taken
never once to need rest
doing Father’s will first
seeking righteousness
to be a forever family
sealed and accepted
offering a broken heart
contrite in one’s spirit
in meekness obedient
many miles before I sleep
knowing and discerning
finding time so fleeting
measured steps awaken
where having been before
yet seeing without ending
all of the all to be seen!


Copyright © 2010 – cji

“More on Baptism for the Dead”

“More on Baptism for the Dead”
cji
3/11/10


“Tell more about baptism (for the dead) and why it is only done to Temples not churches/chapels. And how it works with a stand in for the dead. Elders said the person could/would make their own choice to accept or reject these works for the dead?”

First any living ordinance which is not required to be done in the Temple (or House of the Lord) – can be done in a Chapel or designated place. In referring to ‘living ordinances’ of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – one thinks of giving a name and blessing on a new born child and baptism at the age of eight and/or when a person joins into fellowship with the Church. The next living ordinances are the ordaining the person a member of the Church and the giving the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by proper authority. All of these ordinances have to be done by one holding the appropriate Priesthood and being delegated to them by the presiding authority. These are the living ordinances which are most commonly thought of within the Church.

Marriage which is performed by someone who has that authority done without the walls of the Temple – is no different than a civil marriage and it’s only valid while both parties are alive (as in all civil marriages). Within the Church this marriage must have the authority delegated to the person performing the marriage by the state in which it is being performed. i.e. Bishop’s and Stake Presidents and Branch Presidents usually hold this civil authority as most ministers, priests, etc. This marriage is done without charge as all of the Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a lay ministry unlike other civil authorities to perform marriages.

Second, all Temple Ordinances are both sacred and done within the walls of the Temple. There are both work for the living and work for the dead (or those who’ve predeceased us in this life without hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness since the Restoration or since the time of the Savior or other dispensations which fell into apostasy and lost the authority to perform these ordinances.

The most important ordinances performed for the living is that of receiving their endowment – where they make covenants with the Lord and he with them; and Marriage for time and all eternity – or the Sealing Ordinance. The Sealing Ordinance is part of the Marriage ceremony – for those having a Temple Marriage – and is the Sealing of a couple and their family who’ve previously been married in a civil ceremony. As an example – Joyce and I were married in a civil marriage on December 20, 1968 – and Marc-Charles was born on June 18, 1973. We went to the Washington DC Temple on June 13, 1975 to be Sealed for Time and All Eternity at which time Marc-Charles was also sealed to us and as yet any unborn children which we might have at a future date. When Morgen was born on July 2, 1979 he thus was already sealed to us for time and all eternity – or what’s known as Born in the Covenant (BIC). Thus we did not have to return to the Temple to have him sealed to us.

Third, the work for the dead is spoken of by Paul – and for the most part not mentioned as either having been removed or simply so well known as to not deem it needful to mention what work was done in the Temple. One must remember – Temple Work has always been done wherever/whenever the Church has been on this earth in its fullness. Yet as there were converts to the Church – their work and the work for their kindred dead also needed to be done. Everyone has to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ on this earth whoever lived in their mortal probation on this earth. This is one of the purposes of the millennial time when the Lord Jesus Christ will reign – for all of this work to be done. When Jesus died on the cross – one of the things he did during the three days was to go teach in the prison world to those who had not heard the Gospel while alive.

Now in our day with the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness once again there are Temples on this Earth wherein the work for the living and the dead can be performed. The work for the dead is done vicariously usually by a living relative who’s a member of the Church and has a valid Temple Recommend. Temple Recommends are good for two years and must be renewed by an interview with one’s Bishop or member of the Bishopric and then a second interview with a member of the Stake Presidency. This includes everyone in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – there are no exceptions – even the Prophet and the Quorum of the Twelve and all of the other General Authorities of the Church are required to have these interviews to determine their individual worthiness to enter the Temple (or House of the Lord). Non-members or those without Temple Recommends can only take a tour through a Temple before its dedication or when a Temple has been renovated and before once again being dedicated.

The actual work for the dead done is the same as those listed above – i.e. Baptism, Confirming a Member of the Church, Giving the Gift of the Holy Ghost (by the laying on of hands), one’s Endowment and then the Sealing of family members – to both the living and the dead. This is not to be confusing – for if one takes through the Temple their parents, grandparents (no matter how many generations) a loved one (spouse) then the sealing to each and all is accomplished – thus the living and the dead. However, if a proxy other than a direct line descendant is doing the work – which much of this is done – for there’s lots who’ve lived on this earth who’ve not heard the Gospel. As with Joyce and I we can submit work – but due to health cannot be in attendance this work is done by others for us.

The Church of the Lord is organized and makes common sense. Thus the work proceeds for both the living and the dead. Why the dead? When a King was converted to Christianity in the early Middle Ages – he questioned about his parents and lineage – and was told nothing could be done for them. He therefore refused to join the church as it made little sense for him to be able to go where his forefathers/mothers could not go. The family unit is the only eternal unit which is found on this earth and in the next life to come. Without the integrity of the family – sealed for time and all eternity what real meaning would there be? As most churches teach all are saved through the Atonement - but to them there’s nothing after that – there are no families, no resurrection of body and flesh, no continuation into a 3rd Estate as taught by all of the Prophets and the Father and the Son!

Many have said – that it matters little which church one belongs to – but yet if that were the case why in dispensation after dispensation have the Father and the Son organized a Church to be called the Church of Jesus Christ – led by Prophets and Apostles throughout the recorded history of mankind? We are literally their children – with the same birthright as they have. We are to learn to know them – and thus to be able to become like them – and thus eternally to live with them and our families and their families. Yet many have hardened their hearts to the literal teachings of the Scriptures preferring instead the teachings of men.

Lastly – whenever any work is done for either the living or the dead – there is a caveat! One must accept what is taught to them – we all have our own agency – both the living and the dead to accept or reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Fullness as found in the Restoration in these latter-days. For the living who accept this – are baptized – endowed – sealed they must live worthy of the covenants which they’ve made or they are to no avail! For the dead the same applies! One cannot intervene other than loving and caring about family members who reject – turn-away – or otherwise deny the truths of the eternal and literal Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can only be responsible for teaching correct principles – sharing our testimony of these truths – and calling all (including ourselves) to repentance – forgiveness and forgetting. One can only know the Father and the Son by turning away from the sins of the world – or all ungodliness and living as one should live to return to the presence of their/our eternal parentage!

There are no surprises in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – all is found within the Scriptures – literally believed and understood. The Father and the Son love us and want us to know where we came from – why we are here and where we can go (with our families) if worthy and in enduring to the end.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ and testify to their truthfulness – c/ork


“More to Know”
(so much to know)

cji
3/11/10

Wherever to start
then where to end
learning is forever
eternal and unending
we start each day
ending in the night
embracing all truth
in old age and youth
seeking more to know
with so much to know!


Copyright © 2010 – cji

"Looking Around"

One need to look around to see the daily wickedness of the world we live in – no matter where one looks it is evident. If in case one misses something the media/press, TV or even friends will make sure one knows what evil has most recently taken place. How or why we deal with this is entirely up to each individual. We can let it ruin our day – impede our progress – distract us from what is really important or we can do what we need to be doing with a will – and find happiness and joy in the service of others and most importantly to the Will of the Father. Yet, sadly most cannot reconcile themselves to be so found.

All need to remember the world will get worse and worse – Rome – Greece – Babylon – Sodom and Gomorrah - Pompeii have/had nothing on the world today! We’ve to do all that we can and trust in the Lord. And we’ve learned that the world doesn’t really care what we think about anything. They’ll just laugh and mock as in the days of Noah – it’s a difficult pill to swallow and there’s nothing else we can do – except what Father has commanded us to do – Doctrine and Covenants 109 (for starters); Section 93; Isaiah; and many others – and in James 1:27 – to keep ourselves unspotted from the sins of the world.

Too many desire to be in and of the world – overlooking what they consider to be ‘okay’ sins or transgressions. Approve of the various movies and TV programs which teach incorrect principles – lewd behavior and or deviant behavior all in the name of entertainment. Too many no longer read good material – which they say is subjective as to what one considers good and one does not. Spending time doing selfish desires instead of unselfish alternatives. Over time the insidious decay of moral fiber or virtue in the world is taking its toll of the youth and thus the future generations.

Truth is a variable which depends on what is to gain or what is to lose per each individual in their life. Thus what is taught in our schools has to be value free and politically correct – omitting the one and encouraging the other leads away from truth and reeks of rhetoric. Someone has said our media/press speak in platitudes of Platotudes – and thus are empty high sounding words and nothing more.

Religion has strayed far from the God of the Bible – in that many scholars and theologians have decreed the churches of today have killed the Lord of the Scriptures. Churches are turning from their leaders in opposition to the things which are not politically correct. The common sense once taught in the meridian of time quickly disappeared as the Church was overrun by the Gnostics first and then the Philosophers who took over the leadership in the 3rd and 4th Century until our day. Even today the vengeance, contention, confusion and ready rhetoric continue to deny truth. As the Prophets have foretold men/women are without feeling – thus can no longer hear or see – and thus are numb to eternal truths when they are taught today by those having authority from on high.

Stoning the Prophets is repeated over and over again – words have become the stones – rumor and libel fill the pulpits and the media airwaves. Evangelists gather in their thousands and thousands – proclaiming all are saved with doing nothing except to claim to believe in Christ and pay them for preaching to them. The teaching that one need do no works is not taught in the Scriptures – but is taught over and over again by those who know better – because it pays to tell the people what they want to hear. The teaching that one can sin a little – repent a little – sin a little – repent a little – and they’ll still be okay in the eternities. This is not taught anywhere in the Scriptures!

The Father and the Son are taught to be incomprehensible – and therefore we can neither know them or ever think to become like them. This is not taught anywhere in the Scriptures. In fact the reverse is taught – that we can and should know the Father and the Son – and to seek to become like unto them. It is taught that the Father and the Son have no bodies of flesh and bone – yet the Scriptures teach that they do! There are witnesses who testify over and over again that the Father and the Son are resurrected being with bodies of flesh and bone.

It would appear that most of the world doesn’t really care what to believe or care what they or others do – as long as they can do what they want. That few imagine that they’re not good people or that they will be saved is beyond question. They believe that any road will lead to Rome – thus the same is true about eternal life. That most are taught that they will not be resurrected beings – that they will no longer be married and be a family unit – seems to matter little to them. Yet this is exactly what is taught in the Scriptures – that they will be resurrected with a body of flesh and bone and that if they covenant in the sealing ordinances authorized under the direction of Prophet and Apostles in these latter-days they can be an eternal family in the highest degree of glory in the Celestial Kingdom with the Father and the Son and their families. This is not taught or believed by all of the Churches of this world with one exception. The one exception teaches the truth from the Scriptures about the resurrection of the individual and the eternal nature of the family if worthy and having been sealed for time and all eternity in this world in the Temple of the Lord.

Yet we’ve a generation which no longer craves to know the truth – that no longer reads of the best books – seeking through prayer and investigation to know what they should know. One can look around and see the continuous fulfillment of prophecies from the Old Testament and the New Testament and the Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants – but they look not! As stated above – in the days of Noah – none paid attention except to laugh and ridicule Noah and his family – until the rains came and then it was too late. All men and women are called unto repentance – to humble themselves and to seek the kingdom of the Lord in these latter-days. In meekness to enter the waters of Baptism (by one having authority to act in the name of the Lord) – and then to progress until worthy to enter the Temple of the Lord. But most are too wrapped up in the worldly – unwilling to face their peers – their families – and lose their standings in the world and amid the worldly.

Denying – not hearing – not seeing – not feeling – will not matter – for the Scriptures also teach there will be no excuses for one who could’ve heard the truth and then refused to accept it in this lifetime. Let’s go further in this understanding – even those who hear the promptings – become humble – and receive all of the ordinances which make them eligible for the Celestial Kingdom are not assured if they do not remain worthy in all ways and all things as pertaining to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Too many sit back on their laurels – and forget that one must continue to endure to the end. Lip service in obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not count – works and service unselfishly given – honoring ones covenants and being in complete obedience to the Commandments of God are what count.

When will the accounting take place – no one knows! None know! Only the Father knows and thus all of the rest must continue to act as if it will be today or tomorrow while yet preparing for it to be somewhere in the future. For none of us know when or where we will die who is righteous in all things. Thus to stop doing is out of the question (smile) thank goodness!

“Looking Around”

cji
3/5/10

Seeing into the deepness
blacker than even black
souls into the hidden core
where none seek the light;

Coming now day to night
too late all locking the door
evil ever now to attack
unseeing into the deepness!

Copyright © 2010 – cji

"Failing Government"

"Failing Government"

cji
3/2/10

Jumping from buildings
rivers breaking bounds
mountains in upheaval
ice and cold and chill
forgetting the important
thus failing government
leaving pain and agony
suffering and remorse
teaching false doctrine
stealing another's agency
as a ship without rudder
and a sea without end!

Copyright © 2010 – cji



The word Oligarchy hits the nail on the head - we've no longer a Republican from of government - and we've no longer a two-party system (if ever we did) as the Constitution was not written with this intent. Sadly the Commandment given is that we are to stay unspotted from the sins of the world - and as many confuse the world with this Earth - which it is not. We must understand given their right to choose right or wrong many will follow the path of least resistance which usually if not always is not correct. However, we must not forget it's always easier to be obedient to the Commandments - but the worldly have taught the opposite.

Is there to be found a good politician - I think this thought reeks of an oxymoron. There are very few 'good' people and even far fewer of these who'll willingly get involved in corrupt politics. And then any who do will be raped and pillaged in the name of free speech/1st amendment by the media/press/TV/Follywood and other special interest groups.

The voice of the people and the idea of taking back the Government from these self-serving politicians and their ilk - is scaring the 'hot air' out of them - but they'll fight to the death and kill millions of others along with themselves. The politicians are already organizing military units into 'riot control' groups to fight against their own. The organizers are already going into High Schools and signing up youth to be trained in same manner our current person sitting in the White House was - with our tax dollars.

But chin up - this is all foretold in the Scriptures - even down to in the Book of Mormon one only need to change the names and dates. It also will continue to get worse!

Thus we've over 600,000 without power - yet we've to spend billions and trillions on the rich and corrupt and on 3rd world countries and in reality giving our first born to the enemy! We've much to remember and be grateful for - and to be mindful that we remember who we are - why we are here and where we can be going if worthy!
c/ork