Stake and ward leaders

Ward mission plans

Member missionaries

New member development

Full-time missionaries

Resources

Teach us!

Draper Eastridge Mission Preparation Class

---

 

Jerry Borrowman, Instructor

jerry@borrowman.net

Table of Contents

Class 1 – Course Overview and Introductions

Discuss Class Expectations and Introduce Course Topics

Class Members Introduce Each Other

• Please interview the person next to you, gaining the following information (pick four from the list):

1. Name and ward.

2. Relevant Family Info (parents, # of brothers and sisters, etc.)

3. Employment

4. Mission Call if already issued

5. Favorite hobbies and sports

6. Something unique about this individual (an experience or talent) that others aren’t likely to know.

Review Class Calendar

Welcome to the Class by a Member of the Stake Presidency

Class 2 - The Power and Organization of the Priesthood

The priesthood has two areas of influence:

1. Actual authority to invoke divine power to influence people and the physical elements.

• Examples: Healing and Forgiving Sin: James 5. Joseph Smith on the banks of the Mississippi River.

• Examples: Controlling the elements. Christ moves out of threatening crowds (Luke 4: 25-31, quote Elder Carlos Asay) changes water to wine (John 2:7-11), calms the storms (Matt 14:23-33), etc. Joshua makes the sun and moon stand still (Joshua 10:13 and Helaman 12:15)

2. Authority to organize the activities of the church

We are ordained to offices within the priesthood, each which has unique responsibilities and authority, including the Ministry and Administration of Church affairs:

• The priesthood is conferred upon a person and he is ordained to an office.

• D&C 107 outlines the priesthood offices, which include:

• Apostles

• Seventy

• Patriarch

• Bishop (President of Aaronic Priesthood, Presiding High Priest of Melchizidek Priesthood)

• High Priest

• Elder

• Priest

• Teacher

• Deacon

• Members of the priesthood are organized into quorums, each with specific responsibilities:

  • First Presidency

  • Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

  • Quorums of the Seventy

  • High Priest Quorum

  • Elders Quorum (96)

• Priest Quorum (48)

• Teachers Quorum (24)

• Deacons Quorum (12)

• For administrative purposes and to manage the auxiliary organizations the members of the church are assigned to units:

  • Missions Primary

  • Stakes Young Men

  • Wards Young Women

  • Branches Relief Society

  • Temple Districts Other callings as needed

We exercise priesthood authority by acting in harmony with God’s will. If worthy, we actually become His spokesmen and representative:

• Example: Businesses are organized to accomplish their mission. Authority is delegated to managers who control physical assets and direct the activities of employees. Oftentimes this includes giving literal “keys” to these individuals to open buildings, start machines, transfer assets, such as cash, etc.

• Keys of the Priesthood: In the same way, certain rights and keys are delegated to each person who holds a priesthood office. The apostles are given all the keys of the priesthood, although they exercise them under the direction of the president of the church. When a president dies, the First Presidency is dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve collectively exercise the priesthood keys until a successor is set apart.

• What does it mean to use the “keys of the priesthood?” Consider an example: When you turn the key in the ignition of your car, the engine starts and you can move 4-6,000 pounds of metal across the terrain with very little effort on your part. The key enables you to use the power of the engine. It isn’t you moving the car – it’s the tremendous explosive power of gasoline pushing against the pistons that provides movement. You simply direct the use to which that power is applied.

• The keys of the priesthood allow you to invoke the power of God, manifest through the Holy Ghost, to bring about the healing or other priesthood blessing. It isn’t your power that heals someone – it is the power of God. By living worthy of His inspiration, you can use that power to bless other people.

It is our individual responsibility to become skilled at using priesthood power:

• I recently co-authored the story of Bernie Fisher, a fighter pilot who saved a man’s life in Vietnam and won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Bernie was an outstanding pilot who had practiced tens of thousands of hours to be one of the finest pilots in the world. Because of that he was prepared to act when a moment of crisis arrived.

• In the same way that you gain skill in athletics, music, or academics, you can gain greater skill in using the priesthood. Parley P. Pratt learned that you can’t take it for granted when he asked permission to translate the Book of Mormon. The Lord made it clear that he had to apply his energy first, and then he would be blessed with the spirit he needed.

• Some of the ways we acquire skill in using the priesthood is thru:

• Prayer

• Diligent study to know the word of God. (Seek not declare his word, but first seek to learn his word…)

• Personal worthiness

• Desire

• Seeking the Spirit of the Lord

• Fasting, when appropriate

• Service. The more we are engaged in helping other people, the more often we will have opportunity to use our priesthood to bless them.

• Accepting calls and assignments. In the mission field you may be called to a number of positions, including: trainer; district leader; zone leader; assistant to the president; mission home staff, etc.

• Each of those responsibilities will entitle you to inspiration on behalf of the people you preside over. It is through the Holy Ghost that you will receive inspiration on their behalf, when you are in tune.

There is great personal satisfaction in living worthy of your priesthood calling. The D&C teaches that we each have a unique calling and role to play. The priesthood gives us the power to fulfill that assignment. It should never be used, however, to fulfill your own pride or ambition.

• Consider D&C 121: 25-46

Class 3 – Overview of World Religions

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints represent 1 out 500 people currently living on the earth. Many of the other 499 are devoted members of other faiths. There are a number of reasons why we should be familiar with their religious traditions:

3. Respect: Before challenging someone else’s religious convictions, it’s important that we have at least a rudimentary understanding of their doctrines so that we can show empathy and respect for what they already believe.

1. One of the distinguishing features of the Restored Gospel is Joseph Smith’s contention that “if there is anything lovely or praiseworthy or of good report, we seek after these things.” In other words, to the degree those other religions teach good behavior and ethical conduct, we embrace that element of their doctrine.

2. As a general rule, the LDS Church doesn’t take away from the positive elements of other religions – rather it brings additional truth and the fullness of the gospel. We speak of the “light of gospel” truth. Think of those of other faiths as people holding a candle – and doing as well as they can by candlelight. In essence you are bringing them sunrise – so they can see more clearly by the full light of the restored gospel.

3. When you approach someone in humility, sincerely congratulating them for the good they already embrace, but inviting them to accept more, they will be far more receptive to your message than if you seek to disparage or belittle their religious beliefs. That’s simple human nature.

4. Satan uses contention between religious traditions to close people’s minds to the truth. He uses prejudice against our church to slow the spread of missionary work. We should not be guilty of the same sin – prejudice against others. Prejudice means to “pre-judge.” It inevitably leads to conflict, and conflict leads to the withdrawal of the spirit. The way to avoid prejudgment is to have knowledge of their religious beliefs in advance.

5. Important: understanding other religions will help you to avoid accidentally offending someone. There have been instances where missionaries have caused deep harm, even ending up in prison, for violating the religious customs of the area in which they serve.

2. Better Prepared: A basic understanding will help you be a better teacher – one who can more easily respond to your investigators questions and concerns.

1. Sincere investigators will have questions … that is good and natural … it means they’re interested. To the degree you can provide meaningful answers that are in context with their current understanding of the world you will have greater credibility.

2. Finally, since there is one God who created us, but many different views of who He is and how He brought about the creation, (confusion often introduced by Satan) it’s important to find the common themes that exist between religions. That will make it easier to open people’s heart to your message. Consider Ammon meeting with King Lamoni … when he asked Lamoni if he believed in God, Lamoni replied that he knew nothing of God. But, when Ammon spoke of a “Great Spirit,” Lamoni recognized their common ground and became interested. So it can be for you.

Overview of World Religions & Christian Denominations

Summaries of world religions were written by Scott Borrowman

Summaries of Judaism and Christianity were condensed (and modified) by the instructor from: Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View by Spencer J. Palmer, Roger R. Keller, Dong Sull Choi, James A. Toronto published by Brigham Young University, 1997;

Additional Reference: www.religioustolerance.org.

THESE SUMMARIES ARE VERY ABBREVIATED AND PROVIDE ONLY A GLIMPSE AT THE RICHNESS OF THE RELIGIONS DESCRIBED.

Topic	Hinduism (India)
Purpose of Life	To escape the cycle of reincarnation, samsara.
Creation of the World	Manifestation of the ultimate reality, Brahman. See below.
Nature and Role of God	Polytheistic. Hinduism recognizes thousands of gods, devils, and angels. However, all reality is thought of as a manifestation of the arch-God Brahman. Brahman manifests itself in three principal forms: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (also Krishna, the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). These three are seen alternatively as independent gods or as manifestations of the same god (Brahman). Each of these three have various manifestations, called avatars, who come to earth and interact with people. Vishnu is seen as having at least ten avatars—including Krishna, perhaps the best known avatar. Brahma creates new realities, Vishnu preserves them, and Shiva destroys realities when their time is passed. Despite Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Shiva is not considered frightening or evil. Without destruction, Brahma cannot create new life or realities. Shiva is also the manifestation of the sensual, and therefore, quite popular.
Our relationship to God	All personal souls are fragments of the greater reality, Brahman. Thus, our goal is to reunite with Brahman. As long as we are caught up in the cycle of reincarnation we cannot rejoin with Brahman.
Heaven and How We Get There	There is little agreement about what, if anything, happens after someone escapes the cycle of reincarnation. Meditation is important as a way of escaping reincarnation, with yoga being the chief example. Karma is a Hindu principle, and there is both good and bad karma. Good karma ensures high birth—educated class or in an area where you will learn truth; whereas bad karma means that you still have a lesson to learn, and you will be born in a place where you will face challenges similar to the ones that led you to choose acts creating the bad karma.
Organization and Structure	There is no single founder of Hinduism, in fact, Hinduism has been described as thousands of individual religions. Hinduism is mostly practiced in India, but there are adherents in southern Asia. Hinduism is the fourth largest religion in the world, and includes nearly 1 million adherents in the United States. Some statistics suggest that Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, but most modern statistics place Buddhism in the number three position (after Christianity and Islam). For many years, Hinduism involved a caste system: Brahmin or priest, Kshatriyas or soldiers, Vaishyas or merchants, sudras or peasants, and dalit or the untouchables. India has abolished the caste system and prohibits discrimination based on caste. Caste was thought to represent your position based on karma from past lives.
Scripture	The Vedas (dating back as far as 1500 BC); the Upishandas, the Bagavad Gita (500 to 300 BC). The Bagavad Gita details a meeting between Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) and a mortal warrior prince. It is largely symbolic and poetic.

Topic	Buddhism (India)
Purpose of Life	To escape the cycle of reincarnation (reach Nirvana).
Creation of the World	Many traditional sects borrow from Hinduism, and believe that the semi-sentient universe creates itself. Many modern Buddhists accept the Big Bang and evolution, without reference to a purpose in the creation of the world.
Nature and Role of God	There is no personal god. Some sects of Buddhism believe in Bodhisatvas, which are people that stood on the brink of Nirvana and chose, out of compassion, to be reborn into the world and guide others to Nirvana. These Bodhistavas, such as Amitahba and Maitreya, are spiritual leaders. The Dalai Lama is believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be the incarnation of the Bodhisatva of compassion.
Our relationship to God	Each person lives a life created by their own illusions, which can be cultural, religious, or otherwise. Freeing oneself from illusion is an individual experience, but Bodhisatvas may help.
Heaven and How We Get There	Buddhism is centered around the Four Noble Truths: Life is Suffering, The cause of suffering is desire—to have, to control, etc.; The relinquishment of attachment/desire leads to Nirvana, which is peace; the Eight-Fold Path leads to the end of suffering. The Eight-Fold Path stresses: right understanding of the Four Noble Truths, right thinking, right speech (no untruth), right conduct (no killing, stealing, lying, adultery or other sexual misconduct, and no use of drugs that cloud the mind), right livelihood (support yourself), right effort (conquer evil thoughts), right mindfulness (be aware of your body and thoughts, so that you can control them), and right concentration (meditation). Nirvana is reached not through god or a savior, but through personal effort. It is our desires that bring our own souls back to this world (i.e. if you are angry when you die, you are reincarnated because that anger brings you back). Some sects of Buddhism (Pure Land) believe that Nirvana is a place of rest where the soul is at peace. Others believe that nirvana is the destruction of the individual consciousness and reunification with the universal consciousness. Some modern Buddhists believe, like atheists, that there is no life after death—they use Buddhist teachings as a moral guide only. This type of modern Buddhism is on the rise in such places as the United Kingdom.
Organization and Structure	Very little formal structure. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, born 563 BC. Raised in a Hindu tradition, where there were 8 paths to enlightenment (which are not strictly followed in modern-day Hinduism), Gautama left his family and political position to meditate with other Brahmin monks. He subsisted on very little food. According to a popular story, one day, when meditating and starving himself, Gautama heard a minstrel teaching a pupil how to play a harp. The minstrel said, “If the string is too tight, it will break; if it is too loose, it will not play.” Upon hearing this, Gautama stood up and ate a bowl of rice. This insight (satori) was that there is a middle way. This middle way is defined largely by moderation and mediation. Gautama was a popular teacher and had many disciples. There are numerous stories about his teachings and miracles, but different sects treat these as either actual or mystical (symbolic). The three mains sects of Buddhism as Theravada (which is more philosophical), Mahayana (which is more influenced by Hinduism and involves more spirits, devils, etc.), and Tibetan.

Topic	Sikhism (India)
Purpose of Life	To escape the cycle of reincarnation by rejoining one’s soul with god. Unlike Buddhism which focuses on individual effort, Sikhism believes that enlightenment comes by the grace of god.
Creation of the World	By the creation of God.
Nature and Role of God	Monotheistic. God is formless and has many names. All religions worship the same god.
Our relationship to God	Universal brotherhood of man. Rejected Hindu caste system. God is known through meditation.
Heaven and How We Get There	Sikhs believe in reincarnation. They regularly attend services at temples. The goal is to escape reincarnation and rejoin god. Sikhs practice charity out of thanks, not because of a belief that failure to do so will result in damnation.
Organization and Structure	Sikhism is seen by many as a variant of Hinduism; others see it as an independent religion. Founder: Guru Nanak, born 1469 CE (AD). There have been other gurus/prophets. There is a temporal leadership counsel, called the Akal Takht. In an interesting note, in the late 1990s, it issued an edict banning the use of furniture at after-service meals. Traditionally, Sikhs sit on the floor to show that no one is higher in God’s eyes than anyone else—the use of furniture caused problems.
Scripture	Granths. Each of the historical gurus have contributed to the granths. The Eleventh, and considered final, guru’s words are contained in the Guru Granth Sahib. There is occasional citation to both Hindu and Islamic holy men in the granths.
Other	Sikhs are known for their turbans and ceremonial daggers, called kirpan, which they wear to show their willingness to defend the weak. The stereotype is that they own half of the cabs in New York City.

Topic	Taoism (China)
Purpose of Life	To balance the conflicting extremes within ourselves and the world. This is similar to Lehi’s discourse on opposites in 2 Nephi 2.
Creation of the World	The world is the product of nature, and of the balance. Taoists are concerned with how to live a good life here, and many do not think about the creation of the world.
Nature and Role of God	Taoism does not believe in a god, but in The Way (Tao, or Dao, depending on where in China you are). This is the famous Yin-Yang. The yin-yang represents light and dark, good and evil, and all other opposites. As one becomes stronger, the other recedes; but in one lies the seed of the other. At various period of Taoism’s history, there has been belief in various gods or immortals. But even then, this was a belief in manifestations of the Tao (Dao), not in physical or personal gods. Unlike monks and the priesthood, the laity often believed in ghosts. These ghosts could be entreated to protect family members or provide help in other causes. Evil ghosts could be bribed and even arrested by spiritual people. This belief in ghosts has promoted, and is intertwined with, China’s belief in ancestor worship.
Our relationship to God	Not applicable since Taoism does not concern itself with God.
Heaven and How We Get There	Balance is achieved by meditation. Chi is particularly important, and many forms of meditation and martial arts (including, most notably, Tai Chi) seek to balance chi within the body. Taoists seek to follow wu wei, which is non-action. Rather than conquering nature, Taoists would allow nature to take its own course. Some Taoists do not believe in life after death, while others believe that ghosts continue to haunt this world. Still others believe in reincarnation. It is important to realize that most Asian religions are not exclusionary—it is perfectly normal to believe in Taoism for living this life, Confucianism for political life, and Buddhism for the afterlife.
Organization and Structure	While the Tao Te Ching (Dao de jing) is attributed to Lao Tse, it is probably the product of many philosophers. Lao Tse (also Lao Zu) means Old Baby, which many believe shows that the philosopher is a composite of many philosophers. After all, they believe, how could the prophet of dualism and balance have been given a name containing balanced opposites? Taoism was once the official religion of China, but now most believers live in Taiwan. Taoist monks are the source of much of popular culture’s views of martial artists (Xiao-lin, etc.).

Topic	Confucianism (China)
Purpose of Life	Unlike most other religions, Confucianism is concerned with leading a good life here. It has very little to do with life after death or more metaphysical questions.
Creation of the World	There is no inquiry in Confucianism into this. Most adherents either do not ask (as in Taoism), or believe in Buddhism (i.e., they adopt a Hindu approach or a scientific approach).
Nature and Role of God	Confucianism does believe in spirits, which must be placated through certain rituals. These rituals are limited to birth, marriage, and death. Because these are also social/civic events, most Confucian adherents believe that public ritual is important for a well-ordered society, even if there is no spiritual aspect to the ritual. Still others impose Buddhist-style significance to Confucian principles.
Our relationship to God
Heaven and How We Get There	There is no discussion of heaven in Confucianism. Most adherents adopt Buddhist principles. Because Confucianism is concerned with the here-and-now, it is concerned with the effective, smooth operation of society. Therefore, it focuses on good works towards others and has a golden rule idea. Honesty is seen as one of the highest virtues.
Organization and Structure	Confucianism is very much concerned with government, both in the family and in the state. Confucianism is extremely patriarchal. The emperor is seen as the father of the country. The father (either the emperor or the actual father) owes a duty to those under his care, and they owe a duty of respect to him. Filial piety and respect run deep in Confucianism, and Asian culture generally. This respect extends to elders, of both sexes, who are treated with special reverence (or, at least, ought to be under Confucian teachings). Confucianism prescribes a large number of social and civil duties and rituals. Social harmony is the main goal.

Topic	Shinto (Japan)
Purpose of Life	Please the kami.
Creation of the World	There is extensive mythology on the creation of the world, but because Shinto is the native Japanese religion, it tends to focus on the creation of the Japanese archipelago. Gods created the world in the process of fighting and playing with one another. Izanami and Izanagi gave birth to a number of children. Their daughter, Amaterasu, who is the sun, was tricked by some other gods into hiding for three days. The world began to die, so the gods convinced her to come out. Because her reemergence showed the other gods that without the sun, life on this planet is impossible, Amaterasu (She Who Lights the Heavens) is considered the most important god. The myth is that the cave in which she hid is in Japan. Thus, Japan is seen as the home of the sun. Nihon, the Japanese word for Japan, means origin of the sun.
Nature and Role of God	There are thousands (if not more) gods. There are the main gods, like Amaterasu and Izanami, but every stream, mountain, hill, etc. has an individual spirit or god (called a kami). The imperial family long maintained its descent from Amaterasu. At the end of WWII, the United States required the emperor to renounce this position. Because all of nature is seen as being filled with a kami, respect for nature is emphasized.
Our relationship to God	The gods are satisfied by small sacrifices. Most of these are made at new years and involve small payments given in exchange for blessings. There are a number of high rituals, but very few people actually believe in them. Often you will see small gifts (mandarin oranges) left out for the kami of a local region. There are priests concerned with the conduct of the ceremonies and rituals. They are seen as representatives of the people with the kami. When entering a shrine or temple, visitors pass through a torii, the red gates. This marks the division between the world and the infinite realm of the gods.
Heaven and How We Get There	Shinto is concerned with purity, and therefore bathing and cleanliness are central to the religion. It is for this reason that Japanese remove their shoes upon entering a house—to do otherwise would bring in dirt. In many ways, Shinto does not even address life after death. There are some vague discussions of a high plain of heaven and a dark land, but there is very little discussion of these. Most Shinto follow Confucianism’s moral and civic code for life now, pray to the kami at festivals and new year, and believe in Buddhism for death and related issues. It is not considered unusual to have a Shinto wedding and a Buddhist funeral.
Organization and Structure	There are some shrines, like the largest shrine at Ise, that are highly organized. Many shrines function at a local level without specialized clergy. Virtually all Shinto are Japanese. There is effectively no way to join the religion.

Topic	Zoroastrianism (Persia … modern day Iran)
Purpose of Life	To lead a good life so that you can go to heaven.
Creation of the World	Creation of god.
Nature and Role of God	There is one god, Ahura Mazda. There is an evil force, Angra Mainyu, who wars with Ahura Mazda. Ahura Mazda is the creator, and there is a belief that at the end of the current time, Ahura Mazda will overthrow Angra Mainyu and all humans who have accepted evil (humans are the only creations with agency). At this time the world will be purified with fire and dualism will be undone—all that will be left is goodness.
Our relationship to God	The holy book is called Avesta, and primarily contains five hymns (Gathas, mostly abstract poetry) written by Zaruthustra. Centuries later, the Avesta was amended to include rituals and other accounts.
Heaven and How We Get There	Dualistic heaven/hell concepts first originated in Zoroastrianism. After death, the spirit is judged either by three judges or by Sayoshyant, a savior who would be born of a virgin in the line of Zaruthustra, the prophet. Judgment is based on “good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.”
Organization and Structure	Founder: Zaruthustra (born 1500 BC). Zoroastrianism is widely considered the oldest monotheistic religion. Its current membership is small (140,000 or so, mostly living in India), but the religion has exerted enormous philosophical influence. Many believe that the magi mentioned in Luke were actually Zoroastrian fire priests.

Topic	Judaism (Israel)
Purpose of Life	The purpose of life is to live a moral life by following the revelations of God as contained in the Torah (generally the Pentateuch, which is the first five books of the Old Testament). The Talmud also contains the oral traditions that have been provided by prophets who have interpreted the law given to Moses on Sinai. Jews consider themselves “people of the book.” They also believe they are the “chosen people” who are to speak for God and teach of him. Judaism was born as a monotheistic religion in the midst of a polytheistic world, so there unique burden is to proclaim the “one true God.” Because evil will congregate where righteousness is declared, the Jews have been made to suffer through all their days.
Creation of the World	God created the world in seven days as told in the Old Testament.
Nature and Role of God	Judaism is monotheistic – there is only one true God. He is a personal God who hears and answers prayers, who loves his children by giving his revelation to Moses on Sinai, and who is active in the history of the chosen people. He is known by numerous titles and roles, King, judge, Father, Shepherd, Healer, Redeemer. He is incomparable, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and invisible. God stands above all things he has created, including people. While some of the Jews believe in a Messiah, they view him as a human who will free the Jews from physical bondage and usher in a peaceful world order where men and women of all nations will live together in harmony. The Messiah is not needed to atone for men’s sins or provide eternal life.
Our relationship to God	People get to choose whether to turn to God, or away from him. The Torah is his blessing to man by giving them rules to follow in living with other people. Thus, the law helps us not only stay close to God, but to have better lives with one another.
Heaven and How We Get There	The Jews don’t give a lot of attention to the afterlife. Indeed, there is a split as to whether there is an afterlife, with some sects asserting that there is no resurrection and that death is an end of a mortal’s existence. Others, mostly in the Pharisees’ tradition, believe in continuing life after death, complete with resurrection of the body and spirit, (the Pharisees were connected with Persia, home of Zorastrians, so may have brought their tradition into Jewish belief). In any event, the references to an afterlife are few and far between in the Old Testament with one speaking of a place of learning for the righteous and a place of darkness and despair for those who live with Sheol (Satan). Judaism is primarily concerned with our mortal lives.
Organization and Structure	There is no formal worldwide organization. Rather, rabbis (teachers) administer to local congregations at the temple. No one individual stands at the head of the Jewish religion. The Jews are covenant making people who remember God through elaborate rituals, such as Passover, Hanukkah, Fast days, and through various rites of passage, such as circumcision, and bar (male) / bat (female) mitzvah (a ritual at age 13 for a boy and 12 for a girl in which they become a “son or daughter of the commandment.”

Topic	Islam (Mecca in Saudi Arabia)
Purpose of Life	To prepare for Paradise.
Creation of the World	Created by God as described in the Torah. Most Muslims (fringe fundamentalist groups aside) believe that the creation took a long time, rather than 7 literal days.
Nature and Role of God	Islam’s position on the nature of God is summed up in the shadah, the confession required at least once in live, usually repeated daily: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His prophet.” Islam is the most monotheistic religion. God has no counterparts, no coequals. There is neither trinity nor Godhead. There is just God. God is merciful and just. In fact, every sura (chapter) of the Qur’an (Koran) opens with the phrase, “God the merciful, the just.” Allah is simply the Arabic word for God; Arabic Christians refer to God the Father as “Allah.” There are both angels and devils. The devils are often known as Jinn (Genie).
Our relationship to God	God is known through His word. Muslims (followers of Islam) believe the Torah, the Psalms, much of the Old Testament, much of the Gospels (but not so much Paul), and most importantly, the Qur’an. Muslims also rely on the Hadith, the sayings of Muhammad. However, if they conflict with the Qur’an, the Qur’an wins.
Heaven and How We Get There	Heaven is a place of physical and spiritual peace and pleasure. The sinless go there. . All children to puberty are considered sinless. Adults are made sinless solely by the grace of God—there is no need for a savior, God’s will alone saves. Muslims are also commanded to comply with the five pillars of Islam and certain behavioral guides. The behavioral guides include not drinking, eating pork, using drugs, or gambling. The five pillars of Islam are 1) the recitation of shadah (above), 2) daily prayers (five), 3) zakat—a 2.5% tithe, believers are encouraged to give more, 4) Ramadan—Muslims fast during daylight hours during the month in which they believe Muhammad received the Qur’an; 5) if economically and physically possible, to make at least one hajj to Mecca. Paradise, Janna, is often described as a garden. The righteous will be attended by angelic servants (often portrayed in the news as 70 virgins). The Qur’an describes a very physical heaven, with eating, drinking, and loving. To enter heaven, one’s good deeds must outweigh his evil ones. Then God exercises his mercy to bring someone into Paradise. Jihad is one of the most misunderstood Islamic concepts. To most Muslims it means struggle against oneself, and one’s own sinful desires. Engaging in jihad is essential to prepare yourself to enter Paradise. Some Muslims combine the idea of jihad with stories of Muhammad’s military campaigns to conclude that war against non-Muslims is appropriate. Obviously, this has become a key issue in the world after 9/11.
Organization and Structure	Muhammad was born in about 570 CE. He had extensive contact with Judaism, Christianity, and the pagan religions indigenous to the Arabian peninsula. There are a number of miraculous stories told about his birth and childhood. In 610 CE, when Muhammad was about 40, he was living with his wife in Mecca. There he was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who brought Muhammad many revelations. Muhammad took the message of Gabriel to the indigenous people; based on the extensive persecution he received in Mecca, he moved to Medina. This move is memorialized in Islamic thought as the hegira. From Medina, Muhammad became a powerful social, religious, and military leader. He is often best known for his work as a judge. Most Muslims believe that their religion is the continuation of the revealed word of God to Adam, Abraham, Ishmael (unlike the Old Testament, the Qur’an tells that it was Ishmael, not Isaac, Abraham took to sacrifice), Moses, and Jesus. Muslims believe Muhammad is the “seal of the prophets” the great and last prophet. Outside of individual traditions, there is no authoritative voice in Islam. Certain imams and clerics are influential, especially in their region, but there is no (or very little) hierarchy outside of local mosques. In mosques, anyone can teach.
Comparison with Christianity	Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet. That he was born of the Virgin Mary through a miraculous process. That Jesus worked miracles. However, they do not believe that Jesus was the son of God. Their position is that all mankind are equal before God at birth. Jesus was not resurrected, rather he escaped crucifixion and was taken to Paradise directly by God. Some Muslims believe he will come again. Muslims believe Adam is the first great patriarch and father or all mankind. He is not attributed with the first of all sins and Islam has no original sin concept.
Sunni and Shi’ite	Sunni Muslims are the largest group (90% world-wide). They believe that the 4 caliphs (generals and followers of Muhammad) had the authority to carry on the faith. Shi’ite (Shi’a) are a smaller minority (10%)—except in Iraq, where Shi’ite constitute a majority. Shi’a believe in 12 imams, leaders who guide mankind. The first imam was Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and one of the caliphs. The last imam went into hiding, and where he waits to return to earth and guide mankind through the end of the world. Shi’a also adhere more strictly to traditions not contained in the Qur’an. This includes sharia, the oral law given when Muhammad was a judge. Sufi is a mystic tradition that often combines elements of Islam with Christian ideas (mostly Gnostic and Coptic Christianity) and Buddhist-style meditation.

Topic	Atheism, Agnosticism, Humanist Secularism
Overview	Perhaps the single largest “religion” in the world includes a vast group of people who do not believe in God. Consider each of three approaches: Agnostics neither believe nor disbelieve – they simply don’t know. A small group of agnostics are very active in religion, but do not have a strong enough conviction to declare that they have faith in God. Sometimes folks in this first group feel uncomfortable in church, because others assert a much stronger “witness” or testimony and the “agnostic believer” feels less worthy. Still, they value their association at church, hope that there is a God, and act as if it’s true. The second, much larger group of agnostics are indifferent to religion, taking the attitude “There may or may not be a God, but it really doesn’t matter to me. I’ll find out when I die.” This group is characterized by indifference. Agnosticism is not a religion, because it does not involve belief. Atheists assert that “there is no God,” and that anyone who believes that there is are simply deluding themselves. Because they “believe” that there is no God, this could accurately be described as a religious belief – or perhaps an irreligious belief. Atheists tend to actively resist religion and to persuade people to give up their “misguided” faith. They work hard to eliminate reference to God in any public forums. Humanist Secularism simply takes the approach that religion has no place in the public discourse and that we should act and live our lives as if there is no life but this one. Whether or not there is a God is irrelevant to the way we live our lives. Generally, Humanists believe that since we are here without an active, “hands-on” God working on our behalf, we are responsible for the social welfare. All moral decisions are determined by people, and it would be unfair for one group of people to impose their beliefs on another group. Secularism demands a strict separation of church and state.
Purpose of Life	Life is biological in nature and we come into existence at birth and our consciousness ends at death. There is no heaven or hell – just life here on earth. Because our time is limited, moral secularists believe that people should be good for its own sake, not because it’s commanded by God. “We’re all in this together,” is the attitude, which means that moral secularists work for environmental causes, conservation, kindness between people, and policies that will perpetuate the human race so that our children and grandchildren can inherit a decent society and unspoiled earth. Unscrupulous secularists take the attitude (like Korihor in the Book of Mormon), “since this life is all there is and since there is no punishment awaiting me after death, I’ll take everything I can get, even if it comes at the expense of other people.” This group is conniving and often ruthless because of their strict self-interest – or their interest in their own “group,” “family” or “tribe.” At the personal level, positive secularists believe that our purpose in life is to improve ourselves, improve society, and leave the world better for our having lived in it.
Creation of the World	Creation was accomplished as an act of nature. Current thinking is that there was a “Big Bang” in which incredibly compacted matter exploded through a series of reactions that created the universe. The universe is not eternal or limitless, but rather is expanding until one day it will start to collapse on itself, compacting into a mass so dense that there will be another “big bang.” In other words, no outside force, such as God, had anything to do with creation. Biological creation (plans, animals, people) came about as a result of chemical reactions that started an evolutionary process. We are, today, the result of all prior evolution, with man at the top of the evolutionary cycle. Our attitudes and beliefs are shaped by both experience and our evolutionary inheritance. Thus, people are generally cooperative because cooperation has proved the most effective survival strategy through the millions of years that man has evolved.
Nature and Role of God	There is no God. Only people. The strong survive and lead, the weak falter and their heirs fail. Man has achieved dominance because of his learned ability to craft tools. Thus, a lion may be stronger in killing an undefended man, but the lion is not as strong as a man with a spear or a gun.
Our relationship to God	Generally, this group asserts that belief in God is archaic and actually counter-productive. In this worldview religion is simply a way to manipulate people into enduring an unhappy place in this life with the promise of eternal bliss in the next world. Thus, unscrupulous leaders can use religion to hold the “masses” down while enjoying the fruits of their own social dominance.
Heaven and How We Get There	Life ends at death – there is no Heaven or Hell. Thus, we should live this life to its fullest, learning how to find joy here. Our value is “eternal” only in the sense that if we have children we become part of a great chain extending backwards and forward through history. Our role is to nurture and sustain the next generation, then step aside through death so that unborn generations can have their chance to experience and enjoy life.
Organization and Structure	Agnostics are not organized – because they have no agenda. Not knowing whether there is or isn’t a God, they don’t have any moral position to push through the courts or civil institutions. Atheists and Humanists, on the other hand, are committed to extinguishing any public role for religion, and often join together to initiate lawsuits that will strictly separate “church and state,” in all governmental affairs. Lately, they’ve even initiated actions against large corporations to get them to delete any reference to religious traditions in their advertising, even though they are privately held and not subject to governmental restrictions. Hence, large companies referring to “Happy Holidays” instead of Christmas, and prevention of the Salvation Army bell ringers, who are seen as a religious army attempting to do good. Another example is the attempt to remove Christmas music and prayer from public school performances. Religiously inclined people are quite frustrated by these attempts – particularly when it involves private institutions. Their feeling is that this campaign infringes on their rights to free speech and the ability to share their faith and beliefs in a public setting.

Class 4 – Christian Denominations and Unique Doctrines of the LDS Church

Part I - Christianity

Topic	Christianity (Jerusalem/Rome)
Purpose of Life	The sole purpose of life is for men and women to praise God forever and to give glory to His name.
Creation of the World	God lived alone through eternity, with no beginning of days or end of years. He was complete and self-contained with no need for others. However, at some point he desired companionship and so created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden where they had children. God gave them strict commandments and expected them to follow them in innocence, always remaining childlike in their devotion to Him. Yet, God realized that blind worship had little value so he gave men agency. When tempted by the serpent, Eve yielded to temptation out of curiosity, and persuaded Adam to follow. This act of disobedience was seen by God as blasphemy and he cast them out of the garden in anger. The scriptures say that it “repented God that he had made man,” and he left them alone for an extended period of time. Finally, God relented and provided a way that the family of Adam and Eve could return to live with him after death by providing a Savior to redeem them.
Nature and Role of God	God is a spirit who is: omniscient (all knowing) omnipotent (all powerful) omnipresent (in all places at all times) and perfect in every regard. Generally, Christian religions believe that there is one God (monotheistic) although the scriptures speak of Christ and the Holy Ghost as having godlike characteristics which had led to some great disagreements through the centuries about the nature of God as it relates to the Trinity. The Greek Orthodox believe that there are three separate beings made out of the same divine substance. The Catholic and Protestant churches assert that God is one being with three different manifestations based on need. For example, in one tradition God lived as a spirit in the Old Testament (Jehovah) and then came to earth as Jesus where he took on a physical body, and finally returned to Heaven as a spirit in the form of the Holy Ghost. There are two schools of thought as to why God came to earth as a man: 1) He was curious and wanted to experience mortality – in this view, there was no requirement of a Savior, but God assumed the role to fully experience mortality; 2) Because man had sinned an atonement had to be made and only God had sufficient righteousness to effect it. Therefore, he came to earth to take on a physical form so that he could carry out the atonement.
Our relationship to God	Men are eternally inferior to God. Only he is complete and self-contained. After mortal life, we will live in heaven (or hell) to sing praises to his name. Since the Fall of Adam, men and women are inherently evil and, because of their rebellious nature, try to kill God. Their act of disobedience in the Garden was the first evidence of this. Their murder of Jesus was an attempt to kill God so that they would no longer be subject to him, and for three days the evil men of Jerusalem thought they had succeeded. But, on the third day he was resurrected, which foiled their plans and brought about His redemption.
Heaven and How We Get There	There are two distinct trains of thought on this matter: one asserts that men and women must repent and confess God and then do all possible to earn his trust. Virtually all Christian churches believe in baptism, although they view its method and purpose differently. The Catholics believe that babies are born subject to the original sin of Adam, and so must be baptized. Protestant religions believe that men must be baptized for their own sins. Some sprinkle, others pour, and a few immerse their adherents in water to complete this sacred ordinance. In the Catholic tradition one gains redemption through the intervention of saints who pray in our behalf. To satisfy the saints of one’s sincerity the worshipper partakes of the Eucharist (the sacrament of bread and wine) as well as all other sacraments of the church (such as last rites, confession, and penitence) and then find their way to heaven, purgatory, or hell. In other words, one must work, believe, and accept the rituals of the church as manifested through the priesthood to be saved. The second tradition, espoused by Martin Luther, is that Christ’s atonement is universal and that no one needs to intervene between God and man. Thus, the ministers of the church are simply fellow-saints whose particular calling is to preach and minister, but not to grant salvation. In this case, one simply has to declare one’s belief in Christ to be saved. Since no one could do enough good works to overcome their own inherently evil nature, works are meaningless – only Christ has power to save, and that through personal belief. Once converted, men and women will testify of the “good news” of the gospel to bring others to Christ.
Organization and Structure	Catholic – The authority to act in God’s name has been passed in an unbroken line from Peter, the first Bishop of Rome (Pope) to the present Pope. Thus, priesthood authority comes from God in a hierarchical fashion from the Pope, Bishops, and Priests who administer the various sacraments and rituals. Life is generally seen as a period of suffering to be endured, that will end at death with the joy of the resurrection. Eastern Orthodox – The orthodox church broke with the Catholic church over the doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope. In this tradition, the bishop of each country presides over the priesthood in that area, although the Bishop of Constantinople is considered “first among equals.” The orthodox church has a deep concern for the spiritual dimensions of life, as opposed to the structural or theological concerns of the traditional Catholic church. They seek the divine light that shone in the transfiguration of Jesus. To help believers achieve this oneness with the spirit, they use spiritual icons, which are two dimensional artistic representations of sacred subjects, such as pictures, beads, and crucifixes. Protestantism – It is generally felt that Protestantism started with Martin Luther who challenged the church for selling indulgences to relieve people of their rightful place in purgatory. This, along with his assertion that priests were not necessary for salvation, was too much for the Catholic church, which led to his excommunication. There are a hundreds of denominations within Protestantism, although they can generally be classified in three categories – Episcopal, reformed, and independent movements. Episcopal – Churches of this tradition have bishops and priests who stand in a mediatorial way between God and the lay members of the congregations, granting grace to to them through sacraments. The clergy are “ordained” to an office that separates them from the people. The Episcopalian church is the American version of the Church of England. The Methodist church arose from within the Church of England and claims no divine authority, although its priests still dispense the sacraments. It has a strong centralized organization. Methodism is very active in social welfare. Reformed – The reformed group were influenced by Martin Luther and holds that God has come to humanity in Jesus Christ, that all people are ministers for Jesus, and that God’s word is found in the scriptures. There is no hierarchy or need for priests to mediate for members. Rather, priests are simply there to facilitate worship. The Lutheran fellowship has many fellowships throughout the world. These are associations, with no one head or controlling authority. They believe in justification by “faith alone.” Presbyterian church is the American form of the Church of Scotland. Presbytery refers to “elders,” who are elected by the congregation to organize their affairs. In other words, the Presbyterian church is very democratic in nature. Each congregation is part of presbytery, the synod, and the General Assembly. Members at each of these levels are elected as representatives for the next higher level. Historically, they believed in predestination. The Congregational and United Church of Christ are also from the Reformed tradition. Independent Movements – The third group encompasses churches that believe in ancient traditions, such as baptism of adults by immersion, anticlericalism (no priests) and rejection of ornate places of worships. They believe in the active feeling of the Holy Ghost, and include Mennonite, Unitarian, and Baptists. Personal morality is stressed as much as spirituality. In this form each congregation is completely independent from one another, although congregations may choose to join with others in a convention (such as the Southern Baptist Convention). This allows the churches to purchase materials and textbooks as a group, and to enjoy fellowship at national conventions. Laypersons are deeply involved in the daily operations of the church. They believe that no priest need intervene between God and the believer, and a profession of faith is all that’s required for salvation.

Part II – Unique doctrines of the LDS Church

Latter-Day Saint theology differs from other Christian denominations in numerous ways:

• The Nature of God and the Godhood: Prior to Joseph Smith’s first vision there was great confusion regarding the nature of the Godhood. While all churches believe that there are three members within the Godhood, only Latter-day Saints understand the Father has a physical body. That differs from the doctrine of Trinity in which there is one God with three names who is “of one substance,” or who is “without body parts and passions.” LDS members believe that the Godhood is “one in purpose and love,” but not in physical essence.

It was Joseph’s first vision that ended all speculation when he saw two distinct personages, God the Father and Jesus Christ. We believe in three distinct Personages, each with their own form and each a member of the Godhood:

• Jesus is the “God of this Earth,” having acted as Jehovah, a spirit, prior to his mortal ministry, and now as a resurrected being. In the Book of Mormon Jesus is spoken of as our father, which means the spiritual father of those who accept his atonement and make the covenants associated with the gospel.

• Jesus stands at the right side of Elohim (God the Father) who was both the father of our pre-mortal spirits and the creator of the plan of salvation that provided a mortal experience so that we can become like him. He was both the spiritual and physical father of Jesus Christ (first born in the spirit, only begotten of the flesh).

• The Holy Ghost remains a spirit and is responsible for carrying the spiritual communications between mortal man and immortal God and Christ. Elder James E. Talmage also teaches that it is through the Holy Ghost that the physical elements, such as weather, are acted upon. The Holy Ghost is a companion to those who accept baptism and the laying on of hands and will “bring all things to remembrance,” that is needful for their happiness here and in eternity.

• The Creation of the World. The earth was formed by Jehovah and Michael (Adam) under the direction of God the Father so that the spirit children of God could come to earth to gain a physical body and learn the lessons of mortality. Since we are his children, it is God’s desire that we become like him, and part of that includes learning to control a physical body and to develop faith – which can only be done when outside his physical presence.

This contrasts with Christian teaching regarding Creation, which holds that God was all alone in the universe and desired companionship. We believe that he had fellowship with his spirit children long before the creation of earth.

In the Christian world, Adam and Eve were despicable for having succumbed to sin and bringing death and pain into the world. In the Latter-day Saint view, Adam was the great patriarch who willingly accepted his fall so that the great purpose of God could be fulfilled. Think of it this way: Adam and Eve had committed no sin. Therefore, they were not guilty of any act that could cause their expulsion from God’s presence. Yet, for mankind to have a mortal experience, it was essential that they suffer both spiritual and physical death … for that is the way of progression. Thus, God in his infinite wisdom gave Adam and Eve a choice. He also allowed them to be tempted. They made a decision – a conscious decision – to take upon themselves death so that mankind could implement the Father’s plan for spiritual growth. Of course in making that decision they became unclean and therefore were unworthy to be in God’s presence. That’s why a Savior was needed … one who would offer himself a sacrifice to the demands of justice, offering His mercy as a substitute. That was the Father’s plan, and Adam and Eve and Jesus were the means of its implementation. This doctrine is unique among all Christian churches.

• The Purpose of Life. In the Christian world the sole purpose of life is for men and women to give glory to God. It’s all about Him. The Restored Gospel teaches that “This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39) In other words, God’s purpose is to perfect his children. He loves us

• Our Relationship to God –

Latter-day Saints are unique in their belief that we each existed prior to this earth … first as unorganized intelligences, then as the spirit children of God. We believe that we were part of the great councils in Heaven that determined the course of mortal life and that it was up to us to choose whether to follow Lucifer or Jesus. God speaks to His children in a very direct way …

1. And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters (Mosiah 5: 7)

2. And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are mine apostles, even God’s high priests; ye are they whom my Father havth given me; ye are my friends. (D&C 84:63)

Christian religions hold that God is infinitely above man, and that the gap will never be narrowed. We can no more become like Him than an apple tree can grow electronic equipment.

He speaks in Latter-Day Saint scriptures to His “children” and “friends.” Latter-Day Saints accept the couplet offered by President Lorenzo Snow, “As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.” This concept of eternal progression, even after death, is vastly different than other Christian’s perception of heaven. In fact, it is this doctrine that leads to the charge that “Mormons are not Christians.” It is seen as demeaning God. We view it as the natural desire of a parent for a child … that they grow to be like Him.

That doesn’t mean it will be easy or fast … no one but Jesus has attained to perfection in this life. Yet, who can deny that men are commanded to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as I am perfect.” Would God give a command that cannot be fulfilled?

• Heaven and the afterlife -- Most Christian religions confuse Paradise with Heaven. Restored truths provide clear guidance … after death our physical body is separated from the spirit, which returns to a Spirit World -–either Spirit Prison if our deeds have dark and unworthy, or Paradise if we have been among the good people of the world.

In the Spirit World all men and women will be taught the gospel to the point of understanding so that they can voluntarily accept or reject Christ’s atonement. While the atonement is infinite in scope, promising resurrection and immortality to all men and women who have lived, the gift of eternal life, which is life in the presence of both God the Father and Jesus Christ, is reserved for those who accept the gospel and undergo the ordinances of salvation, including baptism, ordination to the priesthood (for males), temple ordinances, and eternal marriage. The temples prepare men and women to reach this highest degree of glory. Heaven consists of the Telestial Kingdom (the world in which we now live), the Terrestrial Kingdom (a kingdom of glory where good and honorable people live as ministering angels, and the Celestial Kingdom where those who have been faithful in the gospel go. In turn, the Celestial Kingdom has three degrees, with the highest reserved for those who have entered the “New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage.”

• Atonement – one of the most beautiful aspects of the restored gospel is its ability to explain the atonement of Jesus Christ. Shortly after the release of the movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” Time Magazine ran a front page article entitled “Why did Jesus have to die?” The authors of the story interviewed high church officials from both the Catholic and Protestant denominations. In the end, none could give a satisfactory answer to the basic question, “why did God have to suffer in such a cruel way?” Moreover, virtually all other churches focus on the tortuous death by crucifixion. Difficult as that was, the Romans killed thousands of men that way … it was not unique. Overlooked is the great battle in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ won the victory over sin. It is the instructor’s belief that the atonement can never be fully understood in the absence of the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants. A simple reference to the Index to the triple combination shows dozens of scriptures under the topic “Jesus Christ. Atonement Through,” and “Jesus Christ, Mediator,” and “Jesus Christ, Savior,” etc. Finally, what more poignant scripture is there than the verse in D&C 19: 16-19, “For behold, I, God, have suffered thee things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit – and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink – Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men”. Truly, the scriptural record is incomplete with the restored gospel.

Briefly stated, other Christian religions hold that God created men and women as permanently dependent companions. When they rebelled in Eden by partaking of the fruit, he regretted his decision to create them, and cast them out of the garden in anger. Later, after his anger cooled, he decided to provide a way for them to overcome this sin of rebellion, and so came to earth as a mortal and willingly took upon himself this burden. In other words, there rebellion was not part of God’s plan, and the atonement was required to overcome their accidental fall from grace.

The restored gospel teaches that God organized eternal intelligences into spiritual bodies. Thus, He is our father. To progress, we needed to be exposed to mortality. Adam and Eve were given the gift of Agency, and chose temporary spiritual death and physical death so that God’s plan for our learning could be implemented. Because men and women sin, we would forever be kept from returning to God’s presence. Yet, the whole purpose of His plan was for us to learn to become even more like Him – to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and stature. Therefore, Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice in our behalf so that the great danger we expose ourselves to by coming into mortality (namely that we would forever live in our sins and be eternally unworthy to live again with God) would be mitigated in the atonement. It is through Joseph Smith and the restored gospel that these great truths are revealed.

• Canon – Latter-day Saints accept and study the Bible “as far as it is translated correctly,” but have added modern revelation to the official canon of the church. Belief in The Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine & Covenants are unique in all the world.

While all other churches believe that the official canon is complete, Latter-day Saints believe in modern prophesy that can add to the scriptural record. Within the past two decades a number of additional sections have been added to the Doctrine & Covenants.

• Organization and Structure – The LDS church is Episcopal in nature, with a highly organized structure in which the President of the Church, as well as counselors in the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are sustained as “prophets, seers, and revelators.” All authority flows from God to these apostolic leaders, and hence to other area and local authorities. The priesthood is the delegated authority to act in God’s name. Men and women do not nominate themselves for position, but rather are called by revelation by those in authority.

Authority is transferred by the laying on of hands with a blessing and appropriate keys or authority transferred. Records are kept of these ordinations and callings so that order will prevail in the church.

In this regard (a highly structured priesthood) the Latter-day Saints are more like the Catholic church than protestant churches. But, even there a significant difference exists in that lay persons act in authority at all but the highest levels of church government. This reliance on lay members has created an extremely robust leadership group that responds to the needs of an ever expanding church.

• The role of the Jews and Gathering of Israel – Most Christian churches believe that the Jews have fallen into disfavor with God because of their rejection of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith taught that if God is indeed “unchangeable and everlasting,” then He will honor the covenants he made with ancient Israel. Thus, the Jews (descendents of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon) will be gathered together to return to their own land. Descendents of Joseph (through Manassah and Ephraim) as well as all those gentiles who are “adopted in” to the covenant will worship through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ultimately, all tribes will be drawn to Zion and the nations of the world will be grafted in, forming a united people. This process is explained in the Book of Mormon allegories of the Olive trees.

These are just a few of the many truths restored to earth through the prophet Joseph Smith and those who have followed. Parley P. Pratt wrote the song, “The morning breaks, the shadows flee, Lo Zions’ standard is unfurled, the dawning of a brighter day, now unfolds upon the world

In other words, through the Restoration of the Gospel, many truths that have been lost to Christianity are now restored. By the administration of angels, including John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Malachi – indeed through the laying on of hands of every prophet who presided over one of the dispensations of the earth, the gospel has been restored through Joseph Smith and those who labored with him. All the ordinances of salvation can now be performed for both the living and the dead (through service at the temples) so that all men and women, in every age and time, can learn of Jesus Christ and inherit His grace through the Infinite Atonement.

Class 5 – Evidences of the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon plays a central role in defining the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

1. First, it adds important doctrinal substance to the canon (list of approved scriptures) of the church. The Book of Mormon stands as an important testament of Jesus Christ, both before and after his birth, adding vital insights to our understanding of the purpose of life, the nature of God, the atonement, the fate of children who die without knowledge of the gospel, etc.

2. The Book of Mormon is prima facie evidence of the divine calling of Joseph Smith. If it is, as he claims, an ancient record that was translated by the gift of prophecy, then he is indeed a prophet. The Book of Mormon testifies that his testimony of the first vision, of the restoration of the priesthood, and of the organization of the church is legitimate and true. In other words, it verifies that there was a restoration. If the Book of Mormon is not true – but rather a novel created by Joseph Smith – then all other feelings one has about the church and its doctrines are meaningless, for he is a false prophet and the church is not divine. Therefore, the Book of Mormon becomes one of the primary means whereby a true disciple can search to establish the truth of the restoration.

3. Finally, the Book of Mormon has direct application for those of us living in “the last dispensation of time” in that the prophets who recorded their thoughts on the metal plates were concerned for their descendents in the last days, and wrote accordingly. The Nephite prophets knew that their own children would eventually be swept off the earth through wickedness and that the followers of Laman would enter a period of apostasy. Yet, they had the assurance of the Lord that the Book of Mormon would be brought forth in this time to “speak from the dust” to the children of Lehi, as well as to believing gentiles. Thus, they warned of the dangers that overtook their people thousands of years ago to help us avoid the same mistakes.

While the only valid test for the truthfulness of the origin of the Book of Mormon is spiritual (personal revelation following study and prayer), it is the purpose of this class to briefly summarize some of the external evidences that support Joseph Smith’s assertion that this is an ancient book that was written by multiple authors speaking from the worldview that existed in the ancient world. These evidences are interesting and compelling, and may serve as a point of curiosity to inspire people to apply the spiritual test promised in Moroni. It will also sustain the testimonies of those who accept the challenge to read, ponder, and pray.

Consistency with the geography and habits of the mid-eastern world as it existed in ancient times

In 1952 professor Hugh Nibley authored a book entitled Lehi in the Desert and The World of the Jaredites in which he set out to compare the first forty pages of the Book of Mormon, (which all take place in the middle east) to our modern knowledge of that time and place. His contention was that since Lehi was an Israelite who lived in Jerusalem, who also traded actively with the Arabs and Egyptians, it was possible to test the writing of the Book of Mormon against publicly available knowledge. If the Book of Mormon record is inconsistent with well established facts, then it’s authenticity can legitimately be challenged.

What he discovered in making this comparison is that the Book of Mormon is absolutely consistent with the lives of Jews living in Jerusalem six hundred years before Christ. The remarkable part of the story, however, is that at the time the book was published in 1830, much of what it said was contrary to well-accepted theories of the period. Critics of 1820 ridiculed the book over points that have now been shown to be the way things actually were. It is only through the archaeological and anthropological studies since Joseph Smith’s time (in other words information that Joseph Smith could not have access to) that the correctness of the writing has been established.

Being historically correct is extremely difficult. For example, I recently completed a four-hundred page novel set in the World War I period. To prepare for the writing I read more than 5000 pages about the war and the period of 1890 – 1920. In spite of that, having consulted 25 sources, in my initial draft I still made a number of errors, such as referring to sleeping bags (not yet invented) and assuming that radios were used for field communication (telephones were available, but not radio). Now, imagine the task Joseph Smith took upon himself … writing about people living in the Middle East some 2,400 years earlier than his time. Not only were there no reliable sources to consult, (the great bulk of material would be discovered after the time he wrote the text), and his writing must be absolutely consistent with what what would become known. Here are some of the ways in which the Book of Mormon got it right (there are no known instances where it got things wrong):

• Nephi refers to Jesus being born in the land of Jersualem, rather than at Bethlehem. This was initially thought to be a glaring and easily corrected error (certainly Joseph Smith, if he originated the text, would have placed Christ at Bethlehem). Yet, we know now that small cities and towns were often listed as being part of the land of the nearest city … in this case Jerusalem. The records that verify this have been available for only the past few decades.

• Historical fact: At the time Egypt was the world’s strongest power and they asked the Jews to support them. Babylon was vying for power. The prophet Jeremiah advised the Elders to support Babylon. The Elders didn’t go along and Judah was eventually destroyed by Babylon. The Book of Mormon tells us that Lehi was a wealthy man who traded with both Egypt and Assyria. Even though it was likely against his best economic interest, he sided with Jeremiah for spiritual reasons, which put him at odds with the Elders. It’s also why his oldest sons were angry with him – they wanted to keep their luxurious lifestyle. Lehi’s assertions are consistent with the historical record, but Joseph Smith could not have known that in 1820.

• The language of the Book of Mormon is very consistent with an Egyptian/Hebrew blend. The words and phrases are far more consistent with these languages than with English. For example, consider the following verse of scripture: And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance. (Book of Mormon | Alma 27:22). It’s only recently that scholars have noted that the word Jershon , which would be spelled “yershon” in ancient Hebrew, means “place of inheritance.” It has to be more than an amazing coincidence that Joseph Smith uses the precise word for a city name that is the definition of what’s taking place as the Nephites give up part of their land as an inheritance to the converted Lamanites.

• The political structures of the Book of Mormon people are consistent with Egyptian politics. For example, the choosing of judges. We should add that while the choosing of judges by “the voice of the people” sounds very much like a democratic exercise that might be similar to 19^th century America, a close reading of the Book of Mormon shows that the actual implementation of the judge system was very different than our political system. For example, each judge nominated his successor, often within a family, and then passed the judgeship on to his son after serving a life term. Thus, there was a confirming vote, but not actual elected representation. This is one of the reasons the Mulekites revolted in the Kingmen/Freemen war – the Mulekites were of Jewish tradition and desired a king, whereas the Nephites had a long-established Egyptian tradition.

• Lehi was able to leave Jerusalem with very little warning or preparation. This is because of his experience as a merchant that made him a successful in organizing caravans.

• Lehi was a “dreamer” “I have dreamed a dream, I have seen a vision.” This phrase is well known in Arabic lands because sheiks often had dreams that told them how to lead their followers. The phrase itself is also a literary device called a “cognate accusative,” that is typical of semitic writing, but not of English. In this type of phrase the speaker repeats both a verb and a noun for emphasis. It would be like saying “I ran a ran,” or “I spoke a speaking.” This is not an English convention, but it turns out to be a very common Hebrew device. But, Joseph Smith did not speak Hebrew and it’s unlikely the library in Manchester New York had books on Hebrew language conventions, and even if it did, the Smith’s were too poor to afford the fee required to join the library.

• The vision of the rod of iron and the great and spacious building hovering in the air are consistent with what a nomad would envision in the wilderness. For example, great buildings were often built on a large, dark stone foundation, to keep the occupants safe from the occasional flash floods. At night, it would appear that these large buildings were floating in the darkness. Also, in ancient Arabic parables the vanity of the world is often represented as a pretentious building. How could Joseph Smith know that?

• Nephi declares that his father “dwelt in a tent.” To us that’s just a phrase. To an ancient nomad it would immediately describe an experienced traveler who could live as comfortably in the wilderness as in a city. This phrase also has an interesting application in the Book of Mosiah when King Benjamin addresses his people. Recall that the people came together near the harvest time and pitched their tents with the doors facing the stand from which the king would speak. This is the precise time that the Jewish “Feast of Tabernacles” would be held and in the same fashion. Of particular note is that it was at the Feast of Tabernacles that a new king would be announced … which is just what happened in this case. No one has drawn attention to this fact until just the past few years. Yet Mosiah’s account is fully compliant with Jewish tradition.

• Anthropologists have remarked on the similarities of the way the American Indians of the 19^th century lived and the way that Bedouin Arabs travel and live.

• According to Bedouin tradition, when Laman and Lemuel wanted to repent of their threat to slay Nephi there was no way they could withdraw their threat without losing honor – except if a woman pleaded in his behalf. Notice that it was the pleading of a woman, perhaps Laman’s wife, that saved Nephi … because it was the only way Laman and Lemuel could get out of their oaths with dignity.

• The naming of places in the desert is consistent with that employed by ancient bedouins. For example, valleys were considered the safe place because robbers and thieves inhabited the mountains. So, in I Nephi it is “as firm and immovable as these valleys.” Modern Americans equate firmness with mountains.

• Lehi named rivers after his sons. Even today there is in Arabia a place called “The Valley of Lehi.”

• The taking of Oaths. Ever wonder why Zoram, the servant of Laban immediately stopped fleeing when Nephi gave him an oath? That’s because in the ancient world to swear upon one’s name was important, but to swear by life was to bind oneself completely. Thus, when Nephi said, “as the Lord liveth and as I live,” would be the single strongest oath that one could swear. Yet, as a 19^th century American growing up on the frontier, how could Joseph Smith appreciate the significance of that phrase?

• The keeping of ancient records on metal plates was unheard of at the time of Joseph Smith – he was ridiculed for it. Today, more than a thousand sets of plates have been found in both the Middle East and in Central and South America. What was once cited as a great condemnation of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is now one of its strongest evidences.

• Finally, the geography described is fully consistent with the Arabian peninsula … including the place of lush greenness described towards the end of I Nephi. There was discovered by Westerners, more than 100 years after publication of the Book of Mormon, a place by the sea near the Qara Mountains a place that matches in almost perfect detail the lush oasis that Nephi described as “Bountiful.” It is little known even today, since most of the Arabian peninsula is thought of as a barren wasteland. Yet, to reach it, one would have to follow the path described in I Nephi exactly, including the sharp turn to the right that Nephi describes.

These are just some of the place and geographical similarities that show that the Book of Mormon is consistent with ancient culture, tradition, language, and geography. The Book of Jared speaks of an even more ancient people, and once again is consistent with what is known of people from that era, though quite different than the people of Lehi. Consider this – at the time of the publication of the Book of Mormon there was intense interest in the American Indian way of life. Yet, the Book of Mormon paints a picture of culture that is totally different than the Indians of Joseph Smith’s time lived (no feathers, headdresses, totem poles). Joseph Smith’s world was consistent with Jewish and Arabic ways of life.

Naming conventions

Perhaps the easiest example of how the naming conventions of the Book of Mormon lend credibility to its claim as ancient record is in the names Lehi gave to his three sons. First, recall, that Lehi identified himself as a merchant … one who traveled extensively in the ancient world:

• Arabic names: Lehi is a well known Arabic name. His first two sons were named Laman and Lemuel, (the name Laman never appears in the Bible while Lemuel appears just two times). Perhaps the reason is that these are well established Arabic names.

• Egyptian names: Lehi’s second two sons were named Sam and Nephi. Neither of these names appear in the Bible. At the time of the publication of the Book of Mormon it was not known that Nehri (or a variation Nepi or Nephi) was the name of an Egyptian captain, or “Nihpi, original name of an Egyptian God). It must have also seemed almost comical that in this supposedly ancient record they would use the name Sam, which is generally thought of us a nickname for the well-known Jewish name “Samuel.” However, since 1830 it’s been discovered that when the leader Nepi died he was succeeded by his brother “Sam.” In other words this is an Egyptian name that Lehi would have been very familiar with. The most common name in the Book of Mormon is Ammon. Not coincidentally, it is the most common name in ancient Egyptian text. In all, dozens of book of Mormon names have Egyptian counterparts, including Manti, Paanchi, Pahoran, Pacumeni, Hem, Helaman, Himni, Giddonah, and almost endless variations on Ammon (Amoran, Ammoniah, etc.)

• Hebrew names. Lehi’s last two sons were born in the wilderness in the “days of his sorrows.” Perhaps after forsaking his comfortable life in Jerusalem, Lehi chose the Hebrew names Jacob and Joseph to signify his spiritual convictions following his calling as a prophet.

• Other names that do and do not appear: Other names in the Book of Mormon are consistent with Hittite, Arabic, and Ionian names that would have been familiar to a merchant living in 600 AD. Strikingly, there are absolutely no Baal names in the Book of Mormon, even though they were common at that time and appear frequently in the Old Testament. Yet, research in the second half of the 20^th century shows that there was a complete turning away from Baal names on the part of Israelites in this time period. In fact, many such names were changed in official records. Thus, it is natural that the people of Lehi would not use these names.

What all of this hopefully establishes is that the Book of Mormon uses naming conventions that are absolutely consistent with its story, and that would have been impossible for a young, uneducated man living in upstate New York to research at the time of the publication of the Book of Mormon. A final word may illustrate the divine nature of the translation. With all these strange sounding names how is that the various scribes of the Book of Mormon knew how to spell them … and to consistently spell them even when different scribes worked on different parts of the book? The answer, according to Martin Harris is that Joseph Smith always spelled the names after pronouncing them. That would only be possible if one were actually viewing a written text.

Writing Conventions

One of the most interesting discoveries of modern scholarship is that the Book of Mormon contains writing conventions known as “chiasmus,” which are a Jewish device in which an author establishes a point line by line, and then repeats the pattern in reverse order so that it ends with a simple variation of the opening line. This is a literary device common to ancient Jewish writings, yet almost certainly unknown in upper New York State in the early 1800’s. Chiasmus were popular because they make it easier to memorize important text.

In addition, the writing style, names, and literary devices (such as allegories, dreams, etc.) of the Book of Mormon are consistent with ancient writing traditions.

Internal story consistency

Popular novelist Orson Scott Card has written that the Book of Mormon could not have been written as a novel. As one of the world’s most popular science fiction writers, he asserts that whenever a writer creates an artificial world he inevitably explains the differences between that world and the one he comes from – automatically in the writing of the story. In other words, he can’t help but provide context for the reader. Yet an historical record does not do that, because it’s being written at the time events occur and so the setting of scene is already known to its readers. If Joseph Smith had fabricated the Book of Mormon he would have inevitably put comparisons in the story between the world of 1830 and the supposed ancient civilization he was writing about. Yet, none of that exists in the Book of Mormon narrative. It simply uses the conventions, both familiar and unfamiliar, of people writing at that time. A simple example is when Nephi writes that he built “an altar of stones.” Today, we would speak of erecting a stone altar – one held together by mortar. But, ancient Jewish law required that an altar be built of loose stones not cemented together. An author who had come across this interesting fact would have drawn attention to the difference, but not Joseph Smith. He simply spoke it as it came out of the ancient record.

The Book of Mormon is also extremely complex, with multiple story lines, hundreds of characters, obscure geographical details, etc. For example, in the books of Mosiah and Alma, you have many different groups going off and getting lost in different parts of the wilderness, then coming together under sometimes miraculous circumstances. You also bring in the people of Mulek and write of their history in the four hundred years since they left Jerusalem. It would be almost impossible for a novelist to keep all these details straight, particularly for a book written in a little over two months, (without the aid of word processing and editing). Yet, the stories of the Book of Mormon are completely consistent and logical. “Gantt charts” have been drawn to outline the various stories and how they weave together, and always they maintain internal consistency.

The doctrines are also consistent with the Bible, while simultaneously expanding on it. Never does the Book of Mormon contract the Bible, and yet it is able to explain it with alacrity. The Jesus that emerges in the Book of Mormon is the same Jesus that walked among the disciples … yet more open and forthright because his mission was of such a short duration.

Multiple authorship

In the early 1980s a group of scholars undertook the task of testing the Book of Mormon for its writing patterns using a new technique called “Wordprint analysis.” Wordprints are like a fingerprint … each person who writes has a particular style and way of using words that is unique to that individual. There are a number of hurdles to applying wordprint analysis to the Book of Mormon:

• First, the book was translated from another language. Would not the translator impose his own wordprint on top of the words he translated?

• Much of the Book of Mormon had been abridged from its original authors by Mormon. Would you not see his wordprint throughout most of the book?

• The record claimed to be of ancient origin … would that not influence the accuracy of the test?

To respond to these concerns, the group first put secular authors, such as Shakespear and Donne through comparisons and concluded that wordprints are a valid technique. Then they tested works by different authors that had been translated from foreign languages, such as German, into English. They were able to establish that the original writer’s wordprint survived, even after translation. Finally, they had to test books that were authenticated abridgements, and found that the original authors wordprint survived in sections where they were directly quoted.

The long and the short of their analysis is that the Book of Mormon clearly shows 22 different wordprints. The difference between Nephi and Alma, for example, indicates more than a 98% probability that they were written by different authors.

Further, when the wordprint of the Book of Mormon writers are compared to writings of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sydney Rigdon and Solomon Spaulding (those who critics have suggested actually created the Book of Mormon) and found that none of these men’s wordprints appeared in the Book of Mormon.

Character of the witnesses

Critics of the church have, over the past 175 years, assailed the credibility of the three witnesses and the eight witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Yet, newly published research shows that each of these men were highly regarded in their communities and professions. Oliver Cowdery became a distinguished jurist and elected official. David Whitmer lived a long and prosperous life as a highly regarded citizen, even though he left the church. And Martin Harris was cited by both Mormon and non-Mormon neighbors as a man of integrity and honesty. With all of this they each reaffirmed literally thousands of times that they did indeed see an angel, who presented them with the plates and bore witness of their authenticity. They each signed affidavits pledging their personal honor that their accounts were true. And each of them, on their death benefit, affirmed the reality of the vision and angelic visitation. In any court in the world, the undisputed testimony of three independent witnesses would be more than adequate legal justification to confirm the truth of something.

Plus, while the three witnesses bore witness to a spiritual vision, the eight witnesses never made such a claim. They bore witness to the physical evidence of the reality of the plates, of their ability to hold them, feel them, and turn them. Thus, they claimed to be under no divine “spell” or illusion. They simply walked into the place reserved, and Joseph Smith uncovered actual tangible objects. This is significant because it sets aside the critics conjecture that they were under some sort of group hypnosis. Again, they never claimed a spiritual experience, but a physical one.

Taken together, these eleven witnesses, plus Joseph Smith, rise far above the normal legal challenge to proving the authenticity of an experience.

By their fruits ye may know them

While there are many interesting facts, such as those cited above, that continue to establish the Book of Mormon, one of its greatest tests is simply that with more than 100 million copies distributed, tens of millions have studied for themselves and determined that it is true.

If the Book of Mormon were simply the imagination of an unschooled young man from rural New York, the passing of time would reveal an ever greater number of errors and inconsistencies until it’s supporters would be forced to admit that it was not genuine.

But, rather than having scientific and historical evidence mount against its claims, the exact opposite has occurred. We know far more today than 175 years ago. To paraphrase Daniel C. Peterson in his lecture entitled “Evidences & Witnesses of The Book of Mormon,” we have far more evidence supporting the claims of the Book of Mormon today than we did twenty years ago, ten years ago, or five years ago. Each new archaeological finding, each new evidences of ancient languages, all add to support the secular proof that the Book of Mormon is an ancient record, as Joseph Smith claimed.

Spiritual test

NOW I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ.

2 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever

(Book of Mormon | Moroni 10:1 - 7)

A recent publication by Deseret Book entitled “Why I Believe” records the testimonies of dozens of prominent scientists, political leaders, educators, scholars and more who have been educated at the top universities in America. In it, they declare that they have put this promise to the test, and have received spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith is a prophet.

But, theirs are just a handful of the millions of people who have tested the Book of Mormon spiritually, and who have felt the confirming fire of the Spirit that it is true. Through study and prayer you can have that same experience.

References:

1. Nibley, Hugh. Lehi in the Desert and The World of the Jaredites. Bookcraft. 1980.

2. Peterson, Daniel C. Evidences & Witnesses of the Book of Mormon - CDs. Covenant Communications. 2003

3. Hilton, John L. New Developments in Book of Mormon Research, subsection Language and Literature, a discussion of wordprints. www.lds.org. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. 2004

4. Tvedtnes, John A. (Reviewer). Not Your Everday Wordprint Study: Variations on a Theme. Review of Book of Mormon: Their Words and Messages by Roger R. Keller. FARMS, 1997

Class 6 - REFLECTIONS ON THE SAVIOR

Three Essays by Jerry Borrowman

And Jesus Christ Whom Thou Hast Sent

The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and His voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the father.

(D&C 110: 1-4)

This description of the resurrected Savior, given by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery after they had seen him in the Kirtland Temple is one of the few such descriptions in recorded scripture.

From the beginning of man’s existence on this earth, prophets have testified of the great event that was to take place in the meridian of time in the tiny City of David on the plains of Judea. Their dreams and visions were fulfilled on a cloudless April night nearly two thousand years ago.

At this Christmas Season people throughout the world will commemorate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Yet, their celebrations will likely focus on the events of Christ’s birth, rather than on the purpose of his life. While remembering the Christmas story, try also to remember the eternal significance of its central figure—Jesus, the Christ.

Eternal Life

Most of the accounts of Jesus recorded in scripture describe the things that he did and said. Very little attention was given to describing him. It is very easy, therefore, to know all about Jesus Christ without really knowing him! Yet, one of the key scriptures affecting our salvation tells us that we must come to know both Christ and the Father:

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17: 3)

Eternal life, as we know it in the restored gospel, means the privilege and ability to dwell in the Celestial Kingdom with both the Father and the Son. Those who desire to receive all of the blessings of heaven (which are outlined in the Oath & Covenant of the Priesthood) must come to know the Savior. So, for a few moments, let us focus not on the events of the Savior’s life, but on Him.

The Physical Attributes of Christ

There are very few references that describe Jesus’ physical characteristics. Likely this is purposeful, for the greater challenge is to recognize him spiritually. Isaiah did write briefly about his physical person:

…he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall

see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

(Isaiah 53: 2,3)

These scriptures would indicate that the Savior was possessed of a common appearance. Indeed, he would appear much as any carpenter’s son. Some men are unusually handsome or striking; they have a “kingly” appearance so that all who gaze upon them are impressed by them. People are more naturally inclined to follow such men.

The Savior, though, was to appear in a form that would not stand out, and that would therefore require men to see past his physical appearance to the inner man. In character and worthiness, Christ was the perfect example of true manliness. Reflect also on the prophets of this dispensation—many have had the lines and wrinkles of care and sorrow. Such is the refiner’s fire that it adds beauty and luster to the inner man, but not necessary to the outer man.

Following his death and resurrection, Christ received His inheritance and took His place at the side of God, the Eternal Father. He now appears as a being of light, an eternal personage in the exact image of the Father, as described earlier by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Quite a contrast to the man “without comeliness” that Isaiah saw ministering in the meridian of time.

The Character of Christ

The silence of the scriptures concerning the Lord’s physical appearance is an eloquent appeal for men to come to know the Savior spiritually through its record of his teachings, words and experiences. The responsibility is upon the person seeking a testimony to search out the attributes that characterize the Savior and to incorporate them in their life.

Why didn’t the prophets and apostles simply tell us in straight-forward language the attributes that we should emulate to become like Christ? The answer was given by the Savior himself to the apostles. Shortly after telling a parable to a group of people, the apostles gathered about Jesus and asked why he taught in parables. Even they were confused and couldn’t fully comprehend his message. In response he taught.

He answered and said unto them,

Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from hi shall be taken away even that he hat.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew 13: 10-13)

In other words, those with pure hearts and sincere desire will be able to discover truth as they actively seek it. But those who give mere lip service to the church or to the Lord will find that these divine truths are hidden from them. Thus, the burden is on us to study and seek out a true understanding of the character of Christ. Consider the words of Isaiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord:

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears:

But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (Isaiah 11: 2-4)

Thus we see a man filled with wisdom—not just the wisdom that comes through our mortal senses, but divine wisdom from God. The Messiah was to be a judge that would judge men righteously and with equity. He would be kind and compassionate, yet swift to condemn wickedness and evil. Certainly these prophecies of Isaiah were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. Who among those who are earnestly striving to know the Savior cannot take comfort from the Sermon on the Mount, or will not thrill with the mercy he showed the woman at the well, or rejoice with the Centurion whose son was healed by faith. And, can we not see the wisdom in Jesus’ response, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone,” or read the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept,” without understanding his compassion and concern for every man. Yes, all that Isaiah prophesied was fulfilled in Jesus.

Also fulfilled was his prophecy that the Savior would deal with sharpness, those that were wicked. Imagine the tension that must have accompanied his stern denial of hypocrites when he compared them to whitewashed tombs that appeared beautiful on the outside, yet were full of dead men’s bones on the inside. Think of the courage it took to cast the money-changers out of the precincts of the temple.

Yes, Christ is kind and full of compassion, but he cannot and will not tolerate sin. As we deal with ourselves and with our families, can we use any other standard?

Perhaps we gain one of the finest insights into the Savior’s character when we read from Third Nephi:

And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.

And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.

And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

And when He had said these words, He wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and He took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. And when He had done this He wept again.

And He spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold, your little ones.

And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midsts of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them. (3 Nephi 17: 18-24)

From this we learn of Christ’s compassion and love and also that he loves little children—their innocence, faith, and purity. If we too are to gain his love, we must become as children ourselves.

The character of Christ? All the scriptures reveal it and testify of it. As we begin to discover it ourselves, we will be blessed beyond measure. It is a lesson that for most of us will take a long lifetime, for we learn with our minds first, and then, through hard experience and toil, come to understand with our heart.

A Modern Witness

We have talked a great deal about who Jesus is and our responsibility to come to know him. But, why would we want to know him? The answer lies in the peace that will come to our soul when we do. It’s an interesting project to study the accounts of men and women who have been privileged to see the Savior while in this life. You will be struck by their attempts to describe the experience. Virtually all speak of the wonderful joy they feel in seeing Him and being near Him.

This is well illustrated in an account given by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, an apostle during the 1930’s:

I found myself one evening in the dreams of the night in that sacred building, the temple. After a season of prayer and rejoicing I was informed that I should have the privilege of entering into one of those rooms to meet a glorious Personage, and, as I entered the door, I saw seated on a raised platform, the most glorious Being my eyes have ever beheld or that I ever conceived existed in all the eternal worlds. As I approached to be introduced, he arose and stepped towards me with extended arms, and he smiled as he softly spoke my name. If I shall live to be a million years old, I shall never forget that smile. He took me into his arms and kissed me, pressed me to his bosom, and blessed me, until the marrow of my bones seemed to melt!

When he had finished, I fell at his feet, and, as I bathed them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in the feet of the Redeemer of the world. The feeling that I had in the presence of Him who hath all things in His hands, to have His love, His affection, and His blessing was such that if I ever can receive that of which I had but a foretaste, I would give all that I am, all that I ever hope to be to feel what I then felt!

Go to the sacrament table. Ah, that is a blessed privilege that I now rejoice in, and I would be ashamed, I know, as I felt then, to stand in His presence and try to offer any apology or any excuse for not having kept His commandments and honored Him by bearing witness, before the Father and before men, that I believe in Him, and that I take upon me His blessed name, and that I live by and through Him spiritually.

If we can bring our boys and girls to feel the need of this thing, they will be at sacrament meeting, and we will be there. I see Jesus not now upon the cross. I do not see his brow pierced with thorns nor His hands torn with the nails, but I see Him smiling, with extended arms, saying to us all: “Come unto me.”

Melvin J. Ballard, “Crusader for Righteousness,” pp. 139,140

The Prince of Peace

The fate of many worlds was changed one lonesome night in a quiet garden nearly two millenia ago. In the triumph of the atonement, physical death was forever conquered, and the way was prepared whereby men could overcome spiritual death. In the moment of supreme sacrifice and agony, the Savior glorified the Father and fulfilled the work of salvation. Though in that bitter moment He was abandoned by His friends in mortality, He was welcomed to a glorious reunion in the spirit world by those who at last could be set free.

So great is the message of Christ's life among men that mortal history was forever changed by the events it celebrates. Indeed, Christ's birth became the pivot on which time is measured. Little wonder that at His birth glorious signs were given and heaven rejoiced in hopeful song:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men' (Luke 2: 13, 14)

From our vantage point in the last days it is possible to look back across the years to the prophecies and promises that gave faith and hope to the people who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. A study of the scriptures leads to the inevitable conclusion that in Jesus of Nazareth prophecy was fulfilled, the Lord had come.

Yet, is it enough just to recognize that Christ has come -- even the unclean spirits acknowledge that? No, our charge is to come to know the Savior and to truly make His atonement effective in our own lives.

In this day of trial and despair the comfort that comes from such an assurance can be our greatest source of peace and rest. In a time when it has been prophesied that men's hearts will fail them because of fear, there is hope in the peaceful assurance that Paul promised:

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4: 7)

The events of Gethsemane and Calgary will find meaning only if we each reach out to God to be spiritually born again. The message we celebrate each Christmas isn't just that Christ was born, but that we too may be born of Him. We give true reverence to His sacrifice when we live our lives so the Savior's promise can be fulfilled for us:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14: 26)

As you come to know Christ, your present cares fade into an eternal perspective where they recede in perceived importance.

Perhaps it would be helpful to review, for a few moments, the Lord's promises of peace and His assurances of joy to those who earnestly try to follow Him.

The Good Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul...

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil: For thou art with me: Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...

(Psalm 23)

In spite of the tremendous burdens he carried, David was able to write this beautiful song of praise to the Lord because he knew that in Christ there is solace and support. Just as a young lamb, in a hostile world, finds peace in the arms of his shepherd, so David found peace in relying upon the Lord.

The analogy of comparing Christ to a shepherd is expressed often in scripture. Isaiah wrote:

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40: 11)

Here in America we're familiar with sheepherders who, because of the vastness of our land, are able to watch over huge flocks of sheep. We sometimes confuse these men with shepherds -- though there is a difference. A sheepherder is often seen coming from behind the huge flock, driving the sheep before him. To him, the flock is just a commodity to be tended and sold.

In the Old World, however, each man who owns sheep tends and cares for them individually. At night, one of the shepherds takes his turn at guarding all the combined flocks in the area. When the morning comes, each of the shepherds come to the field and call to their sheep. An amazing thing happens -- from among the vast throng a group of sheep begin to come out to the one calling them. You see, the sheep love their shepherd and know his voice. They follow him through devotion, rather than being driven by him.

So it is with Christ. He is a shepherd, one who men follow out of love and devotion. He came not to coerce men, but rather to protect and save them:

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10: 14, 15)

As the gospel message is brought to a man, if he is of the sheepfold of Christ he will recognize the master's voice and follow Him. The Savior testified of His own mission of comfort before the people of Nazareth, where he lived as a boy...

And there was delivered unto him the book of Isaiah, and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. (Luke 4: 17-19)

As the good shepherd He knows each of us who are in His flock and cares for us. As we strive to serve Him, he has promised to help:

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11: 28-30)

And again,

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55: 22)

The Lord's promise to help is more than mere rhetoric. As the one commissioned to bear our burdens He has proven himself worthy and capable of helping us. So great is the temptation to rely upon the "arm of flesh" that we oftentimes reach out to other people or try to bear the burden ourselves, not having sufficient faith that Christ can give us the needed strength. But remember, countless testimonies have been borne that the Lord can and does help us to bear up under life's trials and afflictions. Christ is the good shepherd who loves us and will sustain us, if only we'll follow Him.

The Prince of Peace

The troubles we are called on to endure in life vary for each of us. Some suffer from physical illness and pain while others worry over a straying loved one. The responsibilities of caring for a family and teaching them truth can weigh heavily.

As we search for peace and security, evil forces try to rob us of our happiness so that we'll be brought down to the same misery that they endure.

But, the great message of the ages is that there is a God in heaven who loves us and who provided a plan whereby we can overcome mortality and return exalted to dwell with Him again. Because of our weaknesses and sins a propitiation had to be made that would pay the price of error and enable us to once again become pure enough to live in heavenly realms. In Christ the plan was fulfilled.

As important as it is to know that there's hope in the next world, it's even more meaningful to learn of His promise that we can find peace and safety in this world, here and now, if only we'll turn to Him. If you struggle now under your burdens, relief is but a prayer away. Alma the younger told of his experience:

...and never until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul. (Alma 38: 8)

"Peace to my soul." What greater blessing could come to mankind than to have peace -- a divine peace that calms the troubled heart and removes the fear that is of the adversary? In looking forward to the coming of the Lord, Isaiah cried cried out joyfully:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 9: 6)

Accept The Invitation

Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ...

(Alma 5: 38)

The Focus of Faith should be Christ Jesus, the anointed one. In Him the divine attributes of justice, mercy, and love have reached perfection. The greatest message of all time is that if you will turn to the Lord with all your heart and soul, He will gather you to His bosom and care for you, protect you, and love you.

Share the joy you find it that message with others so that it might be said of you, as it was said of Him...

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God Reigneth! (Isaiah 52: 7)

Truly, Christ, the Risen Lord, reigns. He is our King and Lord. He can be our friend. He is the Prince of Peace!

A Personal God

The telephone interrupted the late night silence. Wearily a church leader picked up the receiver. "President, this is Brother 'Jones'. I'm very ill and there's something I must tell you. Could you please come over right away?

Though it had been a long, hard day on the farm, a caring stake president got out of bed, dressed, and went out into the cold night air. Soon he was sitting by the bed of an older man who was obviously in a great deal of pain.

After discussing his condition briefly, the man said, "President, I want to tell you something that happened to me a long time ago, something I'd like you to know."

Many years ago, when I was just a young man with a small family, I lived in this area and tried to make a living by farming. It was before the days of sprinkler irrigation and my ground was too high for canals. So I depended on the rains. But, the years seemed to get dryer and dryer, and soon it became almost impossible to cover expenses. The time came when I knew I'd lose my farm.

After planting crops that last year, I watched in desperation as the hot sun baked down on them, withering the leaves and stems. Finally, one day I got up early and walked out behind the house where I knelt down on the south slope of a small hill to pour out my heart to God. After a time, when I was in tune, I pleaded with Him that if He would let me raise enough food to feed my family, I would go wherever He wanted, and that I would try to serve Him with all my heart for the rest of my life.

After that the summer only got worse. By the time harvest arrived all that was left was dust -- except for a small circle, about 150 feet in diameter. From that small circle we raised enough food to feed our family during the coming winter months.

President, that small spot was on the south side of a small hill behind my house, and it surrounded the place where I knelt to pray. We left that next year and it's been many decades since that time. But, now that my time is short, I just thought someone should know...

After a tearful embrace, a grateful church leader got back in his car and went home for the night. Two hours later the telephone rang, announcing that the man had passed away.

President George Lovell of the Ririe, Idaho Stake shared that experience at a mission reunion, bearing testimony that God knows and loves each of us personally, and responds to our special circumstances.

Time To Care

When lost in the faceless crowd of a big city or discouraged by problems or temptations it is reassuring to know that we are children of an incredibly kind and caring Father who knows our needs. As you progress in the gospel you'll have the chance to witness miracles occur in the lives of individual members of the church. Chances are, you'll be the beneficiary of some of those miracles. Rather than just pass over such experiences, take time to contemplate their meaning and to record them in your journal for future reference.

Inasmuch as this is a chapter on "A Personal God," perhaps you'll forgive me for sharing a personal experience. As a new missionary I saw God's love in evidence in the life of one of our contacts.

Harlan

During my first week in the mission field, my companion wanted to introduce me to an investigator. On the way to her house, Elder Despain said that this would probably be our last visit because she wasn't very interested.

In just a few minutes it became clear that my companion was right -- she wasn't ready to receive the gospel. But, as we were getting up to leave she said that her former father-in-law was staying with her for a few days. It seems that his wife, who suffered from a serious heart disease, was being flown from California to Houston. Enroute, serious complications set in and there had been an emergency landing in Dallas. She said that Harlan's wife was a Mormon, but that he wasn't. We asked to meet him.

After teaching Harlan the first discussion we learned a little bit about him. A very quiet man, he didn't want to impose on us. He told us that he'd actually read the Book of Mormon several times, had attended LDS services for many years (weekly, as it turned out) and read the church magazines faithfully each month. When we asked him why he'd never been baptized, he said that he simply hadn't come to know for himself that the church was true, and that the people in his small ward had cautioned him not to join for the wrong reason. We left the discussion a little bewildered.

The next day we were called on to give Harlan's wife a priesthood blessing. In the blessing she was assured that her time wasn't finished, (even though the doctors thought it was). On our way home from the hospital, my companion told me that we probably shouldn't spend any more time with Harlan because he obviously knew enough about the gospel to have made a decision.

As I sat pondering on that, a thought came into my mind -- an impression more powerful than I'd ever experienced before. About the only words I could put to the impression was, "Harlan doesn't need a missionary -- he needs a salesman." Let me explain. Prior to my mission I'd been a successful retail salesman, and so had learned how to help people make decisions. While the phrase that came to mind that day wasn't very eloquent, I understood what it meant.

I turned to my companion and said, "Elder, I'd like to visit Harlan one more time. I'd like to try something else." Fortunately, Elder Despain was willing to listen to a young, green elder, and agreed. The next day we met Harlan outside of the hospital. My companion looked at me like, "He wants to say something, but I don't know what!"

I looked Harlan straight in the eyes and said, "We've been talking about it and we believe that you have a testimony of the church. We think you should be baptized tomorrow! What do you think?" Both Harlan and my companion looked shocked, and Harlan said, "You do, huh?" "Yep," I replied, "we do." As long as I live I'll never forget the smile that came to his face as he said, "I think you're right." He was interviewed that afternoon, and was baptized the following day. Two days later he and his wife flew on to Houston.

He Knows Our Needs

In retrospect it's very clear what happened. For years, everyone in Harlan's ward had been telling him, "We want you to join the church, but

for the right reason." His wife had said that she wanted him to join, but not for her. Finally, Harlan, a timid man, was unwilling to affirmatively say, "I know it's true and want to join." What he needed was someone so young and inexperienced that he wouldn't know better than to simply say, "We think you're ready -- why not be baptized?"

The impressive part of this story is the sequence of events needed to bring that baptism to pass. Just consider the timing. I'd been in Dallas for just two days when I met Harlan -- which provided the inexperience. My companion had been teaching his former daughter-in-law and had resolved on just one more visit. Harlan, who lived in California, had no intention of being in Dallas that week, but was forced there by a medical emergency and called the one person he knew. And in just four days he had accomplished something he hadn't been able to do in sixteen years of active church attendance -- he was baptized!

There was no coincidence in that sequence of events. A kind Father-in-Heaven, who loved Harlan, knew his needs and arranged for them to be met. There's great comfort in knowing that Heavenly Father will intervene so directly to help us.

He Knows Me

Several years ago Elder F. Enzio Busche of the First Quorum of Seventy spoke at a local stake conference. In the afternoon session he shared some of the events that led up to his conversion to the church. One story that he shared particularly touched everyone in the congregation.

Elder Busche said that a few years after World War II he had begun to build a life for himself. He had come from obscure circumstances, was leading a life that wasn't particularly worthy, but was trying to make a way for himself. Then he became deathly ill.

As he laid in a hospital bed for many weeks, questions came to his mind regarding the purpose of life and his mission here. He began asking these questions of one of the Catholic nurses who cared for him. As his questions became more probing, she was unable to answer them. Finally, one day this good sister said, "I'm so very sorry, but the answers you seek aren't to be found in my church. I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. Oh, I hope you find the answers -- I hope you find the answers!"

Later, Elder Busche was found to be dying. Custom in Germany at that time was that a dying person was taken into a room by himself, where he was left to die alone.:

In the first days of my hospitalization, my situation worsened to the degree that I felt life was about to leave me, and I was confronted with the certain expectation of my death.

I remember the impossible feeling I had when I faced the end, because up until then, I had had options. I could say, “Well, if I don’t like this, I can do something else.” However, when I embarked on that road where there is no other option and no return, I felt indescribable panic. What started very slowly suddenly erupted into complete recognition of who I was. I saw myself confronted as if in a sharp, focused mirror. I could not escape being confronted with absolute truth. I felt unclean, completely unfinished, and unprepared to leave this life for the unknown. I felt the nearness of something so holy, something so pure, and of such indescribable beauty and authority, that I preferred to become extinct rather than to meet that dimension of eternity in such an unprepared way. I was full of panic as I saw myself stripped of any protection. It was such a shocking awakening that I wanted with every fiber of my being to escape.

My panic was so acute that I made what I would now call a covenant. I said, “If there is the possibility that I might receive another chance and make a recovery, I will never be the same. I will live in complete awareness of my conscience, in complete awareness of the need to report about everything – every word, every feeling, and every thought o my life!” …

I knew that I needed someone to do something for me that I could not do for myself – to wash me clean. For even in my greatest commitment to become totally clean, I could not see myself ever achieving the same state of purity, harmony, and beauty that I felt in the moment that I seemed to approach the other world.

Exactly one week later, as I continued having these feelings – terrible physical and emotional pain, as well as thoughts of unpreparedness and unworthiness – something again happened. I was alone in my room on a Sunday morning. Suddenly there was a flash of light in the left corner of the ceiling. It penetrated my soul to the very core, frightening me, and creating in me an awakening I had never had before. I was totally numb, totally shocked, when I heard a voice speaking loud and clear, in German, “Wenn du jetzt beten kannst, wirst du gesund.” (If you can pray now, you will recover.) It was just a flash of a few seconds. Someone had told me to do something with an audible voice of penetrating authority and amid a clearly visible brilliance of light. I was actually invited to pray…

I did not know what it meant to pray. I did not have any religious background. Praying was not part of my thinking or a part of my knowledge … It seemed to be more than I could comprehend, and I was confused what I should do. Then it was as if someone were helping me to formulate a prayer – one that for me, was the most honest prayer I could ever pronounce. In German it consists of only three words: Dein Wille geschehe (Thy will be done) I said those few words with the full understanding of the menaing behind them and immediately felt an electric impulse course through my body so powerfully that all pain, panic, and agony changed into feelings of joy beyond my ability to describe.

Elder F. Enzio Busche, Yearning for the Living God, pp. 50-53

It was several years later that he met the LDS missionaries. Today, he is a general authority of the church.

As Elder Busche told that story to us that day, tears came flooding up in my eyes -- both for him and for me. For the realization came as never before that if God could know and care for an obscure young man in the middle of war-torn Germany, he could know me. As the magnitude of that discovery settled in, I was overwhelmed with joy and peace in knowing that God loved me personally. His Spirit confirmed that impression.

He Loves Us, Individually

Imagine the love of God -- how overwhelming and grand. Be assured that He really does know you. He loves you, and will reach out to fill your deepest needs if you invite Him into your life. Call on Him, and He will sustain you. You'll find true peace when you come to love Him as He loves you.

Class 7 – The Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Introduction

Both the Jews and Muslims are called “people of the book,” since they live their lives by the Torah and Quran. While members of the LDS church believe they have a direct relationship with God through inspiration and covenant, they still place great value in the spiritual writings that make up the standard works. Because of our belief in modern revelation we have access to far more detailed spiritual instruction than any other Christian denomination (all of which accept only the Bible as canon). And while the following four books represent official church canon (accepted scripture), members of the LDS church also accept the teachings and sermons of current general authorities as modern scripture. Thus, the body of scripture in the church is growing and dynamic – inspired to meet the needs of God’s children in all ages and places.

The Bible

The Bible is a collection of translations of ancient writings. No original documents exist, but some of the source material is very ancient. It provides a record of God’s dealings with his covenant people. Jews and Christians both regard the Old Testament as scripture, although Christians believe that Christ fulfilled the Mosaic law, while Jews do not.

Many of the books of the Bible were undoubtedly written by someone other than their stated author. For example, many of the original apostles were illiterate so it’s likely that the books written in their name was probably written by scribes who wrote down the spoken word.

Christian scholars question the authenticity of many of the earlier books of the Bible. For example, many believe that there were actually three authors of the Book of Isaiah, at least some of whom did their writing after the birth of Christ. Fortunately, the Book of Mormon provides guidance in this area since it quotes Isaiah, even though the Brass Plates were taken by Nephi in 600 B.C. Hence, the book has to be from an earlier period than these scholars estimate.

Errors in translation are responsible for misunderstandings in the doctrine. The apostles spoke in a Semitic language, while the oldest known texts of the bible are written in Greek (which the apostles didn’t speak or understand). Thus, if there were original texts, they had to be translated into Greek, and then into modern languages. This is the reason the Articles of Faith state that “we believe the Bible as far as it is translated correctly.”

Still, in spite of shortcomings, the Bible remains the most influential book in human history. More copies have been printed and distributed than of any other book. It is the authoritative record of the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ among the Jews and provides remarkable insight into his character and divinity.

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is the modern translation of records kept for more than one thousand years by a group of Israelite immigrants to the lands of meso-America (Central America). Commanded to emigrate from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., Lehi and his family established a new life in the promised land. Their culture flourished for many years as two distinct groups, Nephites and Lamanites. These groups were morepolitical/religious distinctions than actual descendants from Laman and Nephi, since there are records of Nephites defecting to the Lamanites, and Lamanites being converted to the Nephite religion. There were inter-marriages that would have obscured actual blood descendency.

Because the Book fo Mormon was inscribed on plates of gold, it was received by Joseph Smith in its original language, and was translated into English by inspiration using the Urim and Thummim. Thus, it has none of the errors of doctrine associated with the Bible due to translation errors. Perhaps its most important role is to serve as a second witness of Christ to confirm the truths of the Bible, to provide clarification of key doctrines, and to establish the authenticity of the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith preached that the Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on the earth, and that a man will closer to God through a study of the Book of Mormon than by any other means. Although many external evidences support the authenticity of the book, it contains a remarkable promise that anyone who reads it with sincere intent may ask God, in the name of Christ, and receive witness from God of its divine origin.

The Pearl of Great Price

The Pearl of Great Price is a collection of spiritual writings. The first, the Book of Abraham, is the inspired translation of papyrus scrolls that came into Joseph Smith’s possession. It provides a great deal of clarification regarding the creation of the earth and the role that Abraham played in fulfilling the covenants of the Lord. The importance of Abraham cannot be overemphasized since three great world religions trace their origins and authority to him—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (established in the Arab world, who are descendents of Abraham through his oldest son, Ishmael).

The Pearl of Great Price also includes Joseph Smith’s story of his call to be a translator and prophet, his translation of a portion of the Bible, the Articles of Faith, and so forth. One should read the introductory pages to the book for a full description of its origin and purpose.

The Doctrine and Covenants

The Doctrine and Covenants include modern day revelations of God to His prophets, particularly Joseph Smith. Because there is no translation involved, the sections of the D&C are very direct and forceful. They also provide unambiguous instructions as to how the modern church should be organized, and how members today should live and worship.

As a general rule, the sections of the D&C are the answers that prophets received to specific questions they posed to God. In some instance God is quoted in “First Person” voice, which implies that Joseph Smith heard his voice and wrote down exactly what he was told. In others, the prophet describes an experience, such as witnessing the resurrected Savior’s appearance in the Kirtland temple, written from the point-of-view of the person who experienced the revelation.

The D&C is not a finished book. AS recently as 1978 new sections were added, including the revelation that the priesthood should be extended to all worthy males, regardless of race. It is likely that it will expand in the future as additional revelation is received.

Class 8 – Teaching by the Spirit

Introduction

It’s natural for people to enter a conversation with strangers with some degree of anxiety and skepticism. As missionaries, your investigator may have a prejudice against the church because of things they’ve heard prior to meeting you. Prejudice is to “pre-judge,” which means that a negative opinion is already formed before you have a chance to say anything.

Since it’s very difficult to move past a prejudice to get a fair hearing, the ideas that follow are designed to help you gain your investigator’s confidence and trust so that you can open their hearts to the Spirit of the Lord.

Relationship Tension vs. Task Tension

Wilson Learning Company has studied how adults prefer to learn information. Unlike children, who are best taught through specific direction and instruction, adults like interaction, discussion, stories, and examples. They want to be part of the presentation. Perhaps more than anything else, they wish to be “understood” before you try to convince them to make a change. In other words, they have to be convinced that you know and understand their needs and desires and that you sincerely care about them. Only then will they be open to the change that is required by those who gain a testimony of the gospel.

This requires you to learn how to establish rapport and mutual trust. In business terms, your job is to decrease relationship tension while simultaneously increasing task tension. Here’s what that means:

Relationship Tension is the natural distrust that exists between strangers, particularly when one is asking the other to consider new ideas. From the investigator’s point-of-view it might be stated as,

“I’m concerned that you’re going to try to involve me in some kind of religious rituals and practices that are contrary to the doctrines and beliefs I currently hold. There will be negative social consequences to my learning about your church, such as offending my extended family, members of my current congregation, or being seen as odd by my co-workers. All I know about Mormons is that they don’t drink alcohol, coffee, or use nicotine and it would be difficult for me to get along in my social circle without those things. So, no matter how persuasive you are, I’m not sure I’m interested!”

Why are people suspicious? There are a number of reasons. “Don’t talk to strangers” is often one of our earliest memories from childhood, and one that makes us fear for our personal safety when we meet new people. In relation to missionary work, individuals who are active in their church have undoubtedly heard sermons warning against the heresies taught by the “Mormons” (sometimes even using the word “cult” to create a sense of foreboding) with dire warnings about how our church has perverted traditional Christianity,. Another example of prejudice is that although the church hasn’t practiced polygamy for more than 100 years, there is still a perception that we have odd rituals surrounding marriage and our temples are thought of as mystical places where secret ceremonies are conducted. Remember that from the other churches’ point of view, each member who converts to our church is one less contributor to theirs, so they also have a financial motive for keeping people from changing. All of this leads to suspicion and prejudice – which manifests itself as relationship tension.

Relationship Tension is bad if you want to have an open and honest conversation, so the goal is to reduce it.

Task Tension – Task tension is necessary to get people to change behavior. It’s the kind of internal tension that says, “I don’t like my current situation and I’m motivated to do things differently so that I can feel better about myself and my family.”

We experience task tension in our everyday lives when there is something we don’t have that we desire. For example, as a teenager you probably wanted access to an automobile. If your parents withheld use of their car, your task tension increased with each inconvenient trip you had to take on a bus or train. In time, the inconvenience may have become so burdensome that you were motivated to get a job and buy a car. That’s what task tension is – a gap between what we have and what we wish we had. When it’s high enough, we take steps to correct the imbalance.

With regards to our spiritual life, people need to feel that something is missing before they’ll be open to considering the message you bring. Because ours is the only “true and living” gospel, everyone who is not a member of the church has something missing. Examples of spiritual needs include a desire to understand the purpose of life, the “why am I here, where did I come from, and what can I expect after death?” questions. People also desire to belong to an organization that allows them to express charity, in the true sense of the word, so that they can help other people. Finally, through the light of Christ all men and women desire to find a way to communicate with God, yet most are born into circumstances where it isn’t clear how they should do that.

Your goal is to help them discover the missing elements of their spiritual life so that they feel a desire to fill the gap by becoming members of the church and participating actively and fully in the Lord’s program.

So, in your initial meeting your goal is to reduce relationship tension while increasing task tension:

When the two lines meet (relationship tension has decreased while task tension has increased) you can have a productive discussion.

The question then, is how to reduce relationship tension while simultaneously increasing task tension. Fortunately, the missionary discussions have been carefully crafted to help you accomplish that. Here are some additional ideas that may be helpful:

Managing Relationship Tension:

There are a number of keys to helping people reduce their level of concern to the point that they will open up to an honest discussion:

Personal Worthiness: The single most important thing you can do to cause people to trust you is to be worthy of the constant presence of the Holy Ghost. If you are worthy, the Spirit can bear witness to people that they should listen to you. You will gain their trust by saying your personal prayers, studying the scriptures and missionary lessons daily, seeking to have good feelings between you and your companion (something you may have to work at), and carrying with you an earnest desire to bring the truth of the gospel to these people. They will sense your sincerity and most of their concerns will evaporate, particularly as the Spirit confirms the worthiness of your approach.

Appearance: One of the primary reasons missionaries dress in suit and tie, (or dresses) is to quickly convey a sense of maturity and soberness to their purpose. Since so few young men and women dress that way on a daily basis, your clothes immediately distinguish you as someone who is unique and special.

Positive Attitude: A cheerful smile and warm handshake go a long ways to convincing even the skeptic that you are sincere and earnest – that you are not there to waste their time and that you have something to say that is important to you.

Humility: A positive attitude should not be confused with an overbearing or dominant air. While you are indeed representatives of the “true and living gospel,” that is not something you should flaunt, rather you should cherish it as a special gift you have to share. The wise men knelt at the baby Jesus cradle, even though they were great scholars who saw the signs when no one else did. Remember that you are the servant and Christ is the master whom you represent. You should approach each potential investigator as a brother or sister who is equal to you, but who is missing vital information that you have to share.

State the purpose of your visit clearly: Never use deception to gain an appointment. You should announce clearly that you are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have been commissioned to share a special message. Your mission president will give you specific direction on what to say, but you should always be honest about your intentions.

People are also more comfortable when they know what to expect. A good way to do that is to state the purpose of your visit, discuss the way that you’d like to conduct the discussion, and help them understand how the message you share can make their life more meaningful. You should give them an approximation of how much time you wish to share. That way they will be clear what to expect and are not as likely to become impatient with you as the discussion progresses. Most importantly, stick to the agreed upon time, even if you have to cut a discussion off before you’re finished. They may either invite you to continue, or may ask to schedule an additional appointment. Either way, you should not abuse their time because it will make them nervous and less trusting of your honesty. In other words, failing to stick to the agreed upon time will actually increase relationship tension.

Sincere listening: One of the best parts of missionary work is that you will get to meet many interesting people from varied backgrounds and professions. Give them time to tell you their story. Ask questions, where appropriate, that help you learn about them. First, you can learn a great deal about life from people that will be helpful to you. Second, as they have the chance to express themselves they will begin to feel understood, which reduces their emotional barriers to your message. Finally, as they talk about their spiritual concerns and worries you will gain insight as to how to introduce gospel topics in a way that will raise their curiosity and open their heart.

For example, if in the course of your discussion you learn that a couple lost a child to death, you’ll be able to talk about Mormon’s great sermon about the purity and assured salvation of those who die before the age of accountability. If an older person raises concerns about their own pending death, you can lead the discussion to the plan of salvation, perhaps citing Joseph Smith’s great instruction in the 76^th Section of the Doctrine & Covenants regarding the three degrees of glory.

To listen, you have to be prepared to ask effective questions:

Open ended questions invite a dialogue from the person, such as “Have you ever thought about the purpose of life – why we’re born and what we should accomplish while we’re here?

Closed ended questions seek specific information, such as “How many children do you have?

Confirming questions make sure that you understand what they have said, “So, if I understand you correctly, it’s confusing to you why the Savior would have to die in order to overcome sin for the rest of us – is that correct?” This allows you to review the doctrine regarding the atonement.

Avoid manipulation: In the course of a good discussion you’ll use all these types of questions. Please understand that questions can become manipulative if you always “telegraph” the answer you want, and people will eventually resent it. For example, “So, from our discussion I think you’ll agree that only baptism performed with priesthood authority is valid, so what does that say about your baptism?” While the investigator knows that the only correct answer is that their baptism is invalid, they’re likely to resent you forcing them into that statement. A better approach would be, “So, Mr. Investigator, if what we’ve taught you about the priesthood is correct, how could you take advantage of that authority to bring you closer to Christ?” It will be much easier for them to then reply, “I could seek baptism.”

Bear testimony: It’s inevitable that you will encounter people who are more familiar with the Bible than you are. Others will have many years of experience in their church. You’re young, so it’s okay – you aren’t expected to be gospel scholars. What you can do is bear testimony of that which the Spirit has told you is true. The doctrines of the church are not yours to defend … God gave them and He will bear witness of them through you. Simply and honestly share the feelings of your hearts and leave it to the Holy Ghost to carry that message into the hearts of the people you are meeting with. If they are honest in heart, they will recognize your sincerity, and they will trust your honesty and feelings.

How to increase Task Tension

Task tension is necessary for us to get anything done. We take the trouble to eat because we are hungry. We play sports because we feel better when physically fit or because it helps avoid boredom. We never do anything unless we feel task tension.

If you want people to sincerely investigate the church, you have to help them feel a sense of loss – that there is an additional dimension to their life that can only be filled through the restored gospel.

Listening:

The missionary lessons are carefully crafted to help you accomplish this. Additionally, use questions and the prospect’s own experience to help increase task tension. For example, a great way to start a meeting is with this question:

“Brother and Sister Investigator, we appreciate you inviting us into your home this evening. There must be something on your mind or in your heart that caused you to let us in. Do you mind sharing with us where you’re at spiritually and tell us of any questions or concerns you have?”

You’ll be amazed at the responses you get. Often, they’ll tell you exactly what you need to know to help open their hearts to the teachings of the spirit.

Stories:

Think of the best teacher you ever had in church or at school. Chances are high that he or she taught with lots of stories and examples. No matter how old we are, we like stories. This isn’t new, Jesus used parables to masterful effect.

There are a number of effective ways to illustrate a point with stories: draw on experiences from the scriptures; relate stories from modern prophets and leaders; share experiences from your own life; create examples using your imagination (always making sure that they understand it’s only a made up story).

Try to relate complex ideas to simple real-world experiences. For example, when talking about faith you might relate it to a light switch. We approach the light switch with the expectation that when we flip it into the “on” position the room will fill with light. Why do we believe that? Because we’ve had many experiences in which that belief has been justified. Of course the light switch isn’t always reliable – every so often we flip it to the “on” position only to find out that the bulb is burned, or the power is out. But, over the course of a lifetime we develop faith that flipping the switch will create light. Spiritual faith is like that – we say our prayers and feel the calming influence of the spirit. As we do that often enough, we begin to have faith that we can trust God to be with us when we need him.

Paint a word picture:

One of the most effective means of creating task tension is to draw a contrast of where the individual is today versus where they could be if the gospel were part of their life. You need to be careful not to make it manipulative, but done skillfully you can help them visualize what their life could be if they make commitments and prepare for baptism. Here’s an example:

John, as we’ve talked over the past few weeks I believe we’ve come to know you pretty well. You have a good heart and desire to live a decent life. Yet, at the present you don’t really know what that means, and it’s frustrating to you. I’ve heard you say that life has no purpose if all we do is get up and go to work every day, only to grow old and one day die.

The essence of our message is to tell you that there is more than that – that life does have a divine purpose and that you can begin to live in such a way that you are making progress towards realizing your full potential. How? Let’s review … first of all we know that we have always lived and that this mortal experience was created for us by a kind and loving Father who wants us to become like him – after all it’s natural that any father wants his children to grow up and mature. So, this life, rather than being arbitrary and unfair is a learning experience where we encounter difficulty and gain strength by overcoming our problems. Fortunately, God has not left us alone. He has sent prophets who have captured the essence of what it takes to be happy in the scriptures and in their modern teachings. We can bear testimony that when you understand that, and when you live worthy of having the Holy Ghost come into your heart to teach you, that you will find your life happier and more purposeful – that your time on earth will become precious to you because it’s a way for you to prepare to live in eternity. We know from our own families that you can be happy. Is that something you’d like to share with us?

Key points:

• Enter the interview spiritually prepared

• Don’t patronize (act as if you now more than they do). Rather, declare the truth and let it speak for itself.

• Don’t respond too quickly … give people time to express themselves so they’re sure you understand their concerns or question.

• Do ask questions to get to know your investigator, to clarify questions, and to confirm understanding.

• Don’t get angry. If you do, find a way to hold your response until you calm down.

• Remember that it is not in your power to convert – only to testify and warn.

In the end, the way to teach by the Spirit is to listen to the Spirit. Let it speak through you. While you can’t know everything that is important to your investigator, the Spirit of the Lord does. Your task is to be a worthy servant.

Always remember that there will be millions who are praying for your success. You’re part of a righteous army and God can give you power to succeed.

Class 9 – The role of moral worthiness in tuning into the Spirit of the Lord

I - Introduction –

• President Harold B. Lee taught a great lesson about the importance of personal worthiness in the following story. (first discuss how a tube radio differs from today’s solid state with digital tuning radios)

“RadioTubes”

Some years ago when I served as a stake president, we had a very grievous case that had to come before the high council and the stake presidency and that resulted in the excommunication of a man who had harmed a lovely young girl. After a nearly all-night session of the council that had taken that action, I went to my office rather wearily the next morning to be confronted by a brother to this man whom we had had on trial the night before. This man said, “I want to tell you that my brother wasn’t guilty of that thing which you charged him with.”

“How do you know he wasn’t guilty?” I asked.

“Because I prayed, and the Lord told me he was innocent,” the man answered.

I invited him to come into the office, and we sat down. I asked, “Would you mind if I ask you a few personal questions?” and he replied, “Certainly not.”

“How old are you?”

“Forty-seven.”

“What priesthood do you hold?” He said he thought he was a teacher. “Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?” He answered, “Well, no.” He used tobacco, which was obvious.

“Do you pay your tithing?”

He said, “No”—and he didn’t intend to as long as that blankety-blank-blank man was the bishop of the ward.

I said, “Do you attend your priesthood meetings?”

He replied, “No, sir!” and he didn’t intend to as long as that man was bishop. “You don’t attend your sacrament meetings either?”

“No, sir.”

“Do you have your family prayer?”

“No.”

“Do you study the scriptures?” He said, well, his eyes were bad and he couldn’t read very much.

I then said to him: “In my home I have a beautiful instrument called a radio. When everything is in good working order, we can dial it to a certain station and pick up a speaker or the voice of a singer all the way across the continent or sometimes on the other side of the world, bringing them into the front room as though they were standing right there. But after we have used it for a long time, there are some little delicate instruments or electrical devices on the inside called radio tubes that begin to wear out. When one of them wears out, we get a kind of a static—it isn’t so clear. Another wears out and if we don’t give it attention it fades in and out just when we are about to hear who makes the winning touchdown. If we don’t give that attention and another one wears out—well, the radio sits there looking quite like it did before, but something has happened on the inside. We don’t hear. We can’t get any singer; we can’t get any speaker.

“Now,” I said, “you and I have within our souls something that might be said to be a counterpart of those tubes. We have what we might call a ‘Go-to-Sacrament-Meeting’ tube, a ‘Keep-the-Word-of-Wisdom’ tube, a ‘Pay-Your-Tithing’ tube, a ‘Have-Your-Family-Prayers’ tube, a ‘Read-the-Scriptures’ tube, and, as one of the most important that might be said to be the master tube of our whole soul, a ‘Keep-Yourselves-Morally-Clean’ tube. If one of these becomes worn-out by disuse or is not active—if we fail to keep the commandments of God—it has the same effect upon our spiritual selves that that same worn-out tube in the radio in my home has upon the reception we otherwise could receive from a distance.

“Now, then,” I said, “fifteen of the best-living men in the stake prayed last night. They heard the evidence, and every man was united in saying that your brother was guilty. Now you who do none of these things, you say you prayed, and you got an opposite answer. How would you explain that?”

And then this man gave an answer that I think was a classic. He said, “Well, President Lee, I think I must have gotten my answer from the wrong source.” And you know that’s just as great a truth as we can have. We get our answer from the source of the power we list to obey! If we are keeping the commandments of the devil, we will get the answer from the devil. If we are keeping the commandments of God, we will get the answers from our Heavenly Father for our direction and for our guidance.

The following instruction is repeated in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price, which emphasizes it’s importance to missionaries:

40 And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a commandment, that every man, both elder, priest, teacher, and also member, go to with his might, with the labor of his hands, to prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded.

41 And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness.

42 And go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Even so. Amen.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 38:40 - 42)

• Why is “clean” so important?

• Consider how microchips are produced – even the smallest contaminant can destroy a chip so that it can’t do the vital processing that makes a modern computer possible. The impurity (dirt, grease, pollen) comes between the various etchings that allow electric current to flow in the proper paths and the chip is rendered useless.

• In the same way, sin and immorality are contaminants that interfere with our spiritual connection to the Spirit of the Lord. It isn’t that He loves us less, it’s that we have created a barrier between us.

• It’s because God is perfect … He has washed all sin from His life and as a perfect being cannot “look on sin with the least degree of tolerance.” Something that is clean cannot endure in filth. Thus, when we sin, we create a gap. Create enough of these breaks, and our spiritual sensitivity becomes dulled.

• As our sins compound we no longer “thirst after righteousness.” Soon we become hardened to spiritual feelings. Pornography is particularly illustrative in this regard. What starts out as something erotic and exciting quickly becomes addictive. It dominates a persons thoughts and causes them to look on other people, particularly women, as objects of lusts, rather than as creative, intelligent human beings with feelings and affections. Soon, the physical aspect predominates, and all sensitivity to other individuals is dulled. Almost inevitably, pornography escalates to scenes of physical domination, struggle, and pain. That’s how abuses like those of Iraqi prisoners comes about – through a persistent breaking of commandments that leads to a broken connection with spiritual feelings.

• Think of sin as a blanket thrown over the Light of Christ. Soon, the sinner’s eyes become sensitive to the light and he actually resents the positive promptings of his own heart and the Spirit of the Lord.

• As president Lee taught, we receive inspiration from whoever’s commandments we keep.

• By remaining morally clean, we keep ourselves “in tune” with the Spirit of the Lord.

• That’s why we have to resist base impulses and turn from behaviors that at first seem enticing. We have to “keep the lab free of contaminants” so that we can feel the answers to our prayers.

II – Power in the Priesthood

• For more than 5,800 documented years, mankind could travel no faster than he could walk, or a horse could run.

• Then, someone observed that steam, when confined, can exert great pressure – enough, in fact, to force a piston back-and-forth in a sealed tube. With that simple discovery, the nature of man’s existence on earth was forever changed.

• It is by containing the great explosive forces of gasoline, jet fuel, and steam that power is created. If left to simply dissipate in the air, steam does nothing other than condense into rain. But, controlled in cylinders, it can power steamships, nuclear powered generators, and so forth.

• Containing and controlling these substances is crucial to their power. Think of it this way: the solid rocket fuel that can send a shuttle into space causes a destructive blast that destroys everything around it if the rocket engine develops a crack from which some of that incredible pressure can escape. Sin is like a crack in your containment vessel.

• You have physical, emotional, and spiritual power. If you allow it to dissipate through immoral acts, or through laziness, or carelessness, it will be just like steam coming out of the top of an open pot – it will accomplish nothing.

• But, if you discipline your natural powers by keeping the commandments, you develop great spiritual power to speak with the authority of God, to invoke the blessings of heaven to heal people, to enjoy the right to call on the Holy Ghost for inspiration when giving a talk or teaching a lesson.

• In other words, because you are morally clean, you are entitled to the Spirit of the Lord if you request it. Think of the confidence that will give you.

III - How does one capture and keep this positive frame of mind, spirit, and behavior?

• We’ve actually talked about two different things so far – one is staying clean and worthy so that you can be inspired by the Lord and have His spirit (the radio analogy) while the other is to develop your personal skills and confidence so that you can exert positive power (influence) in the lives of other missionaries and investigators (the steam and rocket analogy).

• Both of these aspects of your personal development are facilitated by living lives that are free from serious moral transgression.

• There are two parts to this exercise: 1) Avoid doing harmful things; 2) Actively do positive things. Sound simple – but nature and Satan will try to tempt you otherwise.

• Positive things: Here are some examples: Listen to uplifting music; study gospel literature, particularly the scriptures; affiliate with people who are similarly motivated – while it’s perfectly okay to have friends who are not active or members of the church, you should balance those friendships with people who share your same values since it’s difficult to stay uplifted while in a negative environment. It would be hard to think of the temple while in a bar or nightclub; offer sincere prayers that thank the Lord for His blessings and that invoke His spirit. Jesus taught that we must “knock” before we receive. It’s one of the great lessons of mortality that the Lord wants us to request help so that we can develop faith. Provide service to others, for “when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are in the service of your God.” It’s hard to be selfish while selflessly helping others. Stated in the reverse, it’s hard to hear God’s voice when you’re busy thinking about your own glory and ambition.

• Avoid negative things: The pamphlet “Morality for Youth,” is a great source for knowing what is and isn’t acceptable. As missionaries, you are expected to avoid any kind of intimate or close relationship with other persons, particularly those of the opposite sex, for the period of your service. Immoral thoughts generated by pornography are like sludge in the transmission of a car … performance deteriorates until the car eventually grinds to a halt. Likewise, immoral thoughts dwelt upon will kill your desire to serve the Lord. Fortunately, your missionary environment is structured to help you avoid negative places and things … the rules will keep you safe if you observe them.

III – What about mistakes?

• I love electronic equipment. One of my older pieces of stereo equipment periodically gets static in one channel, with annoying crackles and pops. Sometimes, a channel goes completely dead.

  • What do I have to do to fix it? I have to twist the knob back and forth vigorously until the contact is cleaned. Sometimes I have to take the component apart and spray cleaning fluid on it.

  • If the offending resistors were alive, they would undoubtedly think of this twisting and spraying as painful. They might even resist it. But, it’s for their own good, for after getting clean once again the current flows easily through them.

  • When a contact is dirty, heat builds up because of the electricity that is present on both sides of the gap. When it’s clean, the heat goes away and it operates efficiently.

  • So, even though the process of getting clean is troublesome and difficult, it’s in the long-term interest of the piece of equipment to periodically restore it.

• Repentance is the equivalent process in getting our own lives back in order. It’s inevitable that you will have wayward thoughts, or lazy days, or perhaps even more serious transgressions.

• Fortunately, our Heavenly Father knows that and has prepared a process for you to become clean again. By confessing serious sins and enlisting the help of a priesthood blessing, you can forsake the sin and bring your life back in order.

  • In “raising the bar’ it’s not expected that you will be perfectly perfect. What is expected is that you will keep a core set of requirements, that you will strive to control your thoughts, and that you will repent when you err too grievously. The Lord promised that we will never be tempted beyond what we can bear. Likewise, the Savior taught that we should forgive not the seven times seven required in Jewish Law, but “seventy times seventy.” In other words, He is patient and will forgive us and clean us as long as we sincerely keep trying.

• Again – because of the sacrifice of the Savior, you can become CLEAN.

  • When you do, you’ll be like a well-tuned radio that can sense the promptings of the Spirit of the Lord.

  • When you keep the commandments, you will harness the power of the Holy Ghost to help you accomplish many wonderful things in the Lord’s service.

  • When you serve other people thoughtfully and with concern about personal gain, you’ll be like an amplifier and speaker in fine piece of high fidelity equipment … you will give voice to the Spirit of the Lord in a way that enables your investigators to desire his blessings. Be clean, ye that will bear the vessels of the Lord.

Class 10 – There is a Tide in the Affairs of Men

There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or forever lose our ventures.

William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar Act IV, Scene 5

The Changeable Perception of Time

• Ever notice how long it takes for Christmas to arrive when you’re a six year old? Compare that with how fast the time flies when you were out with the Priest Quorum on a high adventure, perhaps water-skiing.

• Time, according to Elder Neal A. Maxwell, is an artificial condition of mortality – one that we never really get comfortable with. “Whereas the bird is at home in the air, we are clearly not at home in time—because we belong to eternity. Time, as much as any one thing, whispers to us that we are strangers here.

• The practical meaning of this is that when you get in the mission field time will sometimes drag, while other times it will fly by. Some of that’s unavoidable as you adjust to unfamiliar circumstances, but the real question is, “How can I live my two years in the mission field so that they are full and rewarding?”

• May I suggest the that the key to using your time to best advantage is to hit the mission field with no reservations … to go just as hard as you can!

It’s Easier to Go Fast Than it is to Go Slow

• Examples:

• Trotting vs. Galloping. When you trot, the rider is bounced around in a very unnatural motion that is quickly tiring. When the horse goes at full speed, however, the rider and horse become one in a very smooth and graceful motion. It’s actually less work and much more enjoyable.

• Getting a boat to hydroplane – when a speed boat starts out it just plows through the water, but as it gains speed it will start to hydroplane, and soon only a sliver of the hull is in the water as the boat flies across the lake.

• Watching Olympic Snowboarding convinces me that if the athlete doesn’t get enough speed, he’s going to have a lot of crashes.

• The secret to all this is that it’s easier to go fast than it is slow. I believe this is a true principle in all of lives endeavors, but particularly in the mission field.

• The missionary who holds back, fights the mission rules, tries to sleep in just a little longer, or who is resentful of being there is going to have a long, tedious, two-years. His heart will always be somewhere else (home) and the days will pass slowly.

• But, if you can get into the activities of your mission with enthusiasm and vigor, time will fly by and before you know it you’ll be regretting the end of this most rewarding period of your life.

Getting “In the Flow”

• Chuck Cutler, a member of the Draper Utah Hidden Valley steak and a former two-time All American football player speaks about “getting into the flow,” a condition in which your mind and body work at full capacity. The following slides show what happens when you are in the “flow channel.”

• But, one has to work at getting in the flow. It’s the proper match between a person’s CAPACITY and the CHALLENGE they face.

• Consider what you experience when your capacity exceed the challenge you give yourself:

• The way this would happen in the mission field is if you resist efforts to find investigators and instead “hang out” at members houses, call on the same non-interested investigators time and again just because they’ll see you, or stay home at the least excuse to avoid going out and working. You’ll be bored, unproductive, and time will drag.

• The opposite condition is when you are circumstances that are too challenging for your capacity. In this circumstance you experience anxiety.

• The way this would happen in the mission field is if you set unrealistically high goals, don’t take time to get proper nourishment, work to teach lessons not because you love the investigators, but because you’re trying to impress the mission president and other missionaries. If you’re there to serve your own ego, rather than to help other people, you’ll experience anxiety and frustration. Two years will seem like a long time, even though you’re working hard, because you’re striving for the wrong goals. You’re definitely not “in the flow,” which, translated into spiritual terms, is you’re not working under the direction of the Spirit of the Lord.

• So, one of the things you can learn in the mission field that will serve you throughout your life, is that you need to balance your skills with your goals so that you operate at peak efficiency. Going fast instead of slow doesn’t mean that you have to work yourself to exhaustion – rather you need to work efficiently and effectively with an “eye single to God.”

• Consider: And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.” Mosiah 4:27

How can a missionary “Get into the Flow”

• The single most important answer to this question is to follow the counsel of your Mission President. Listen to his advice in conferences, read the mission handbook, and commit to follow the rules.

Here are some other practical tips that may help:

• Learn to plan. A “To Do List” and daily calendar can help you organize your days so that you aren’t wasting time. Plus, a To Do List (activities to complete) can provide enormous psychological satisfaction as you complete an activity and “cross it off” the list. It shows progress, which helps you enjoy the activity more. Computer programmers found that when they put a “progress indicator” on programs that are opening or being loaded, people’s anxiety and frustration dropped significantly. The same is true of our lives – if you set goals, write them down, measure progress, and then cross them off when finished, time will go by much faster and easier.

• Habit – the single best form of being a disciplined person is to reduce routine tasks to habit. If your mission rules call for you to get up at 6:30 a.m., and you do it every single day, soon it causes no stress in your life. If you have to make the decision every single day, then it gets you down and diminishes your enjoyment of the mission experience.

• Live Mission Rules –

• They are there to protect you from falling into transgression and dangerous situations.

• They also give you cover if someone is trying to tempt you – blame it on the rules and simply indicate that you promised yourself that you would live the rules, even when they don’t seem to apply. It’s hard for those who tempt you to argue with the rules.

• Mission rules empower you by keeping your worthy to receive inspiration from the Holy Spirit. When your life is in order, you can call on Heavenly powers to assist you in your work. One of my favorite stories is told in

II Kings 6: 13-18 in which the prophet Elisha, though surrounded by enemy forces far stronger than his own, is able to call on heavenly chariots of fire that easily defeat Israel’s foes. You too can call on the powers of heaven by living the mission rules.

• Set Priorities. Someone once said that it’s easy to spend one’s time “In the Thick of Thin Things.” When you start out in the morning, decide what it is that will best help you share the gospel that day, and then focus on that activity. While it’s important to go to the post office, and you need to wash the car, there is a time and a place for that. Stay focused on the things that will help you succeed in your mission to declare the gospel, and then do it! Remember, you’re there to serve the Lord, not for your own purposes:

• You may be called as a leader, or not

• You may have lots of teaching appointments, or few

• You may get to participate in many baptisms, or just one or two

• You may get great companions, or some that are not motivated.

None of that matters. You can only control what you do – not what other people do (including your investigators). It is for them to search their heart for conversion. Your job is to try. Control yourself, and you will have a great mission no matter where you’re called or what level of measurable accomplishments you can write in your journal.

Consider the attached story called the Heart of the Two Mile Game. It teaches some profound lessons – most importantly that you have to concentrate on what really matters, not what other people think, not even your own goals, but rather the work that you are called to do.

You Can Do Great Things – Don’t Be Intimidated

• Number One – Be serious about your work. Be worthy.

• Number Two – RELAX! Have fun. Get into the flow and enjoy your mission. It will be the only two years of your life when you get to concentrate on just one thing … so make the most of it.

• Number Three – have confidence in yourself. Read the attached story, The Parable of the Eagle, and always remember that you are like the eagle – no matter your background or fears, you can soar to great heights in the service of the Lord.

• Finally, always know that many, many people are praying for your success – family, friends, ward members, and even the prophets of God. If you’ll do your part, you can’t help but succeed. God bless!

Excerpt from The Heart of the Two Mile Game

By: Jerry Emerson Loomis

The New Era, December 1981

What can you do with a minute? What can’t you do with a minute? There’s nothing in the world you can do that you can’t do a little of in a minute … I could run a long way in a minute.

Yesterday…

I ran two miles yesterday, like every other day. Fifteen laps, mouth shut all the way, to strengthen the heart and lungs. Two miles a day, whether I like it or not.

I never could work out a labor-saving system for running two miles. Sometimes I tried running with short, quick strides, not lifting my feet very high off the track, and sometimes I tried bounding along with great, high strides. But, no matter what method I used, two miles were still two miles, and every inch of them had to be run in the very old-fashioned way of throwing one foot in front of the other for as many times as it took to carry me all the way across the finish line. There’s no way to sleight-of-hand a two-mile run…

The first two laps were always the hardest, because that was as far as most of the other fellows ever ran. I’d seen them come onto the track, run their two laps, and quit.

Some of them quit sooner. Sometimes one of them would pass me, running just as hard as he could go, and I’d be tempted to race him. It bothered me to have anyone pass me on the track. But, I’d let him go, and in a lap or two I’d pass him back.

Sometimes he’d be walking, sometimes he’d be standing still, and sometimes he’d be doubled over at the edge of the track, gasping for breath like a chronic smoker.

I had fifteen laps to go, and I didn’t dare forget it. I had my choice of racing with the sprinters or running my fifteen laps.

One or the other… but not both. I did run with the sprinters a few times… The competition was a thrill! I’d be running along at a good two-mile speed, and I’d hear one of these sprinters coming up behind me, moving fast. He’d swing out around me and start to pass, and I’d let him get two or three strides ahead of me; then I’d hit it with all the speed I had and pass him like a blur!

Or else, I’d pass him slowly, staying just a chest ahead of him, until he was at his absolute limit. Then I’d move like a race horse and show him what a distance runner could do in an all-out sprint!

One day I walked onto the track and sprinted for two laps, keeping to the outer edge of the track and passing every person in sight. I couldn’t stand to have the sprinters think that I was a distance runner only because I didn’t have the power and speed to sprint.

I fed my ego, but I used up the wind I needed for my two miles.

I decided I had to choose between my wind and my ego. I chose my wind. In a marathon, ego is no substitute for endurance.

I had to co-exist with the sprinters. I had no more to gain by racing them in their sprints that they did by racing me in my distance runs. I never raced them again. If I raced with them, I didn’t make my fifteen laps.

You can’t win your own game by playing someone else at his, even if you beat him. There’s no way in the world you can win your own game without playing your own game… And somewhere along the line, I made a decision in cold blood – my game was the two-mile game; I was running to win.

After that I ran my two miles every day, at a two-mile pace, and left the sprinting to the sprinters.

But, the first two laps were still the hardest. That was probably because I could always think of so many good reasons why I should quit at the end of the first two laps. There was only one way I could get past that point – I just had to grit my teeth and keep on running. And I did …

The rest of the first mile was easier, but at the end of it was another mental barrier. After running one mile all the way to the finish line, I found myself at the starting line of another mile to run, and knew that I had to begin at the beginning and do it all over again.

I tried to ignore the quitter hidden in my mind, the traitor who liked to relax in a mental easy chair and taunt me: “A mile’s enough for anyone…”

I had to keep complete control crossing that dual line, the quitter-killer line, where quitters quit and winners keep on running. That line killed a lot of quitters…

But once I crossed the line, I crossed the border into a new world, where the air came easier and my body was lighter, and my brain was quicker and clearer.

The ultimate reward for running the first mile was the opportunity to run the second.

The second mile…

A mile of meditation, and even… relaxation. My brain was rich with oxygen, and I did some of my best thinking bounding along that second mile.

I thought of the physical world and its laws, and I thought of the fine arts and their expression, and I thought of people and their feelings. Especially the people I loved….

The Parable of the Eagle

James Aggrey

Once upon a time, while walking through the forest, a certain man found a young eagle. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat chicken feed and to behave as chickens behave.

One day a naturalist who was passing by inquired of the owner why it was that an eagle, the king of all birds, should be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens.

“Since I have given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it has never learned to fly,” replied the owner. “It behaves as chickens behave, so it is no longer an eagle.”

“Still,” insisted the naturalist, “it has the heart of an eagle and can surely be taught to fly.”

After talking it over, the two men agreed to find out whether this was possible. Gently the naturalist took the eagle in his arms and said, “You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly.”

The eagle, however, was confused; he did not know who he was, and, seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again.

Undismayed, the naturalist took the eagle the following day, up on the roof of the house, and urged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” But the eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food.

On the third day the naturalist rose early and took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There, he held the king of birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. You belong to the sky as well as to the earth. Stretch for your wings now, and fly.”

The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Still he did not fly. Then the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble, slowly he stretched his wings. At last, with a triumphant cry, he soared away into the heavens.

It may be that the eagle still remembers the chickens with nostalgia; it may even be that he occasionally revisits the barnyard. But as far as anyone knows, he has never returned to lead the life of a chicken. He was an eagle though he had been kept and tamed as a chicken.