Have Miracles Ceased?

In this day and age we live in, God ministering to men through visions, dreams, or even in physical manifestations, seem to be all, but believable. A person is usually ridiculed and thought of as a lunatic if they make a claim similar to these. The sadder part is most of these persecutors would be ones who come from a Theological based faith. So this is the question I will pose, if we believe that there is a God in Heaven, why would He not be a God of Miracles?


No man or woman can pull down miracles from heaven unless they truly believe and have faith that it will happen. In the story I'm about to post; a man's son that is possessed by a demon is brought before the Savior and He is asked to cure the child. He is informed that His very own disciples could not cast out this devil, but Jesus cast out the devil immediately. The disciples saw this and they wondered why it was that they could not cast out the demon. They had cast out demons before and the would cast out demons after, but I want you to look for the reasons why the Savior tells them they were unable to administer to the child.


"...There came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perversegeneration, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
(Matthew 17:14-21)


In conclusion I'm going to quote a prophet from the Book of Mormon who simply answers this question, "And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust." (Mormon 9:19-20) As an additional testimony that these scriptures are accurate and true, Jesus Christ did not perform miracles in Nazereth because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58).  Brothers and sister, we must believe. We must. If we do not we will not be privileged to the things which could have been ours if we had, but believed. True belief. I invite you to search within your hearts and commit to follow Christ by keeping His commandments, diligently seek to know Him and understand who He is by reading the Word of God, and by emulating His example in kindness, love, and patience.

Do Mormon's Worship Joseph Smith?

This is another question that missionaries and members of the church have faced and I'll address it in this post. To begin I'm going to have you take a look at the name of our Church, it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Despite the controversy it is not The Church of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was called to be the prophet that restored the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter-days, but he is not the means by which salvation comes. Acts 4:12 says, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." We do not worship Joseph Smith, we do not baptize in his name, we do not pray to Joseph Smith to even say that carries a deep offense. Salvation is in Christ, and Him only.

We worship quite differently than some congregations of other faiths. We sing Hymns to glorify God and Jesus Christ His Son. The sacred ordinance of the Sacrament is blessed by ones having authority from God and is then passed by others holding authority as well. Every week, we remember our promise to God when we were baptized, to keep His commandments and remember Jesus Christ continually. Talks are given by members of the congregation about varying subjects. They are asked weeks in advance to be prepared to share their personal feelings and their testimonies of the assigned topic. Afterwards, the congregation breaks up for Sunday school, children gather with children, adults with adults and our taught about the Savior and His gospel.

Baptism in our church is an essential part of accepting Christ's redeeming Sacrifice. As Peter, John the Baptist and the Savior Himself taught, baptism is done for a remission or a removal of our sins. Christ has commanded that all must be baptized if they wish to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:5). As Peter says in Acts 2:38 "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins..." We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because He is our Redeemer, not Joseph Smith.

Our prayers also differ from other faiths. We do as Jesus directed to pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 6:9) We pray in the name of Jesus Christ because He is our mediator with the Father. He died for us and is the One who salvation springs from. Thus our prayers are petitioned to the Father through  Christ's sacred atonement and name. We may thank God for the many blessings each of us have. We may also ask for assistance in areas that we are struggling and we must always ask that His will may be done even if it's not what we asked for or what we want. (Luke 22:42)

I hope this helps everyone understand that we appreciate Joseph Smith for what He did, just as good people from other Christian faiths appreciate Paul and Peter, Luke and Mark and John and James. But, we hold Joseph Smith in such high regards because without the events of 1820 and thereafter we would be indistinguishable and would have no religion. Our gratitude for the prophet Joseph remains at just that, gratitude. Not worshiping, or praying to or even thinking that his name might render some portion of Salvation. I love Jesus Christ. I know He lives.

Are Mormon's Christian?

This question seems to be coming up quite a bit and I feel that I might address it a little more fully. In today's religious world, the general population of Christians who don't believe that Mormon's are Christians believe this for mainly 2 reasons.


1.) We do not believe in the Trinity.
2.) We claim that God continues to speak and that the Bible is not the sole authority on Deity.


I'm going to focus on topic #1 in this blog and I'll post later about #2. instead. I'm also not going to explain why we don't believe in the Trinity, but rather explain why we believe that "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit..." (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22) 

The Appearance of The Father and The Son.

We believe that God, our Heavenly Father, is the literal Father of our Spirit's.  Hebrews 12:9 refers to Him as the "Father of spirits...", Romans 8:16 refers to us as the "offspring of God" and in John 20:17 Jesus identifies the Father not only as His Father, but "our Father" as well. We believe He has a physical body, but unlike ours His is Immortal, Glorious, and Perfect. 


We believe that Jesus Christ when He was resurrected received a body exactly like our Father in Heaven's and that Jesus Christ still has His body at this very moment. Several times throughout the New Testament His Apostles testified to thousands that He was risen and that He has physical body of flesh and bone at this very moment. The Savior Himself testifies of this in Luke 24:36-39. He appears to His apostles and they are scared because they think He is a ghost, a personage of Spirit, but he calms them and says, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."


We believe that the Holy Ghost doesn't have a body, but He is a Spirit. We believe that He touches the hearts of many people and that He bears witness of the truth to all who seek for it.


Well, I can testify that Jesus Christ lives and that His kingdom is on the Earth today and it is being led by a Prophet of God. I have received that witness of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost.

God's Plan For You: Why On Earth Am I Here?

Believe it or not there is an answer to this question. There are specifically 2 reason's for us being here on Earth. Both of them deal with where we came from and where we are going, so if you haven't checked out my blog, "God's Plan For You:We Lived Before This" it will help you understand this blog. So the first reason I will explain for us being here is the objective to get a body.

You may wonder, why would getting a body be a reason for us being here, well if we remember God has a corporeal body, or a tangible physical body. And we wanted, in the pre-earth life, to be like our Father and get a body just like His. So He prepared a way for that to happen. Adam and Eve were introduced to the world and with their transgression those spirit's from Heaven were now able to receive their bodies. We have our bodies here on Earth and they will be with us in the next life because of Jesus Christ's Atonement.

The other reason we are here is to progress in righteousness. We are here to be tested and to see if we will obey God's commandments at all costs. We are faced with trials and obstacles everyday so that we can become stronger in our faith and our relationship with God. God said to Jesus Christ after creating the Earth," And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them..." Unfortunately we all mess up and make mistakes, hence the Roman's scripture,"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Clearly we all have fallen short of the glory of God and are not qualified to enter into the presence of God and abide with Him through all eternities, but there is hope and help that would allow us to overcome sin and death. And that is... through the atoning blood of the Good Shepherd, even Jesus Christ.

God's Plan For You: Adam Fell That Men Might Be

Many people have different theories relating to the first parents, Adam and Eve. I would like to show you how they are a part of God's plan and how what they did was a liberating and actually was best thing they could have done. The Book of Mormon teaches us that in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve didn't have the capacity to have children or the ability to increase in intelligence.

2 Nephi 2:22-23 explains, "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." These scriptures clearly explain that Adam and Eve had no room to grow.

Without Adam and Eve's decision to eat of the fruit, we wouldn't be here. I don't know everything about what went on in the Garden of Eden, but I do know that it was a good thing that they ate. Some may argue that it was an accident and that wasn't how God's plan was supposed to be, but 1 Peter 1:19-20 says, "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you..." Christ was foreordained before the world was even formed to what? To make an infinite Atonement for Adam's fall. It was part of the plan. But, because of their decision that gave room for the possibility of sin and death, but with that they also allowed rightness to grow within us, and because of the pain we experience in life we are able to feel joy. My next blog, "God's Plan For You: Why On Earth Am I Here?", will teach us the purpose of life and the purpose of our creation.

Ash Ketchum Vs Lt Surge!

Lt. Surge

In the Pokemon television show Ash Ketchum had a quest, he was out to be the worlds best Pokemon trainer. This would be a tough feat, being the best, but the road to the being the best was lined with opposition. One of the main oppositions that Ash faced was Gym Leaders, basically the strongest Pokemon Trainers in the area that got progressively harder and harder until he defeated all of them (which was 8). Ash usually won his matches, however Gym Leader's were especially challenging for him, one in particular was Lt. Surge. Lt. Surge specialized in electric-type Pokemon. They were generally speedy and powerful. However his Raichu, his main pokemon and Pikachu's evolved form, was fast and extremely powerful. So when Ash faced him with his Pikachu, he lost. The battle was over before it began and Lt. Surge cleaned him up. Ash was faced with a difficult decision. there was almost no way he could beat him. He could either give up on his quest and return home or he could replan his strategy and keep pressing forward. Well despite the opposition which laid ahead of him he pressed on. He came to find out that Lt. Surge had evolved Raichu too soon and in return wasn't as fast as Ash's Pikachu. So Ash redrew his plans and used Pikachu's superior speed to overcome the seemingly unbeatable Lt. Surge.

Well, this is a story with a moral. Don't give up! Even when it would appear that all hope is gone and that the odds are stacked in the favor of the opponent, don't give up! Why? Because you have too much to lose! You have more to lose than just a Pokemon battle, eternity hangs in the balance! So keep up your chin and take the battle to the Savior. He fought the battles for the people in the Old Testament, surely He would do the same for you. Moses says this in Exodus 14:14 "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." We can overcome our battles and the Savior makes this promise to all those that overcome their trials and the battles in the world, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

Charizard Teach's Us a Few Life Principles

So, what could a fiery dragon teach us about the meaning of life? Well, my purpose in this blog is to show you using a Charizard our purpose and possibilities while on this Earth. One of the most frustrating things as a Pokemon trainer is this when your Pokemon have gotten too high in their level for where you are at and they become disobedient, the words the game uses to describe them as loafing around or turning away. This sucked! You would be in an important battle. The most important you've yet faced and your Pokemon won't listen. This is the topic I'd like to relate. Charizard is famous in the Pokemon series as being too experienced for Ash and in turn he would not listen and would just sleep. In fact the only times when Charizard would fight is when it was a against a foe that was an actual challenge. Over time and through Ash's love and efforts to help him, Charizard finally softened his heart and helped Ash and was loyal to him.

Well, I'd like to compare this to us. Sometimes we get the crazy idea that our way is better and is greater than God's way. We sometimes are like the Charizard who wouldn't obey his master's commands and in return risked losing his life. We need to listen and obey God's commands even though we may think we have a better way or that there is a more rewarding way. Charizard reveals to us that our purpose just like his was to grow and become stronger in fact the strongest we can be, and that way comes through obedience to our Master's commands. We can become everything that God wants us to become by obeying His commands. He will guide us and tell us what to do to become truly happy. Let's soften our hearts and be the dependable fighting monsters we can be. 

Who Could You Become

   

There is a difference in the principle of acting and becoming. Acting, is only good in movies and musicals. Being, is good in reality. So look at yourself and decide right now who you are and who you want to become. I'm not talking about what kind of job you'll have or what kind of car you'll drive or even what kind of family you'll have. I'm talking about when all of that is gone. Who do you want to be there? What kind of person are you going to be. If you are striving for the sole purpose of Christianity to become like Christ and be saved by His grace then this is the route you have to take. Christ charged us, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Take this however you want, but I take this as, "You really want to follow me? You really do? Then take up your cross and become like me." That's the whole point of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. For us to become Son's and Daughter's of God like Christ. True Son's and Daughter's. The kind that are going to live with Him.

This is what I would challenge you to do. Decide if you want to be like Christ and then do it. Don't act like it or give a hollow shell that might suggest you're Christlike. No rip that old self out and stick a new one in there. Change today. Don't give excuses. Don't tell yourself, "Oh I can't it's too tough." or "This is just how I am." That's a lie. To honestly believe that you can't change is to honestly not believe in Jesus Christ or His suffering and death which was in your behalf. So don't tell yourself you can't. Know that you can and know that there is always Someone there to help you.

Dude I Just Levelled Up!@!@!@!@

So the main goal in basically any MMORPG is to level up or advance in experience and progression. I really enjoyed these games for several reason, but this was a main reason. You could take a basic, run-of-the-mill character and with a little time, okay a lot of time and effort you could basically make him a great hero. So if we were to just look at the character progression alone we see this. In the beginning the character was weak, inexperienced and just wasn't the hero it wanted to be and knew it could be, but through determination and constant effort it progressed. It slowly, but surely increased. It gradually changed from the block of stone into a marvelous marble masterpiece. This wasn't done in the click of a mouse or the defeating of one foe, but through numerous triumphs and trials. I will now show you this relates to us and our relationship to God.

Just as the player behind the character doesn't want to stay as a "Noob" or an inexperienced player, but wants that character to become better stronger and more capable. So does our Creator want us to advance. He wants us to become better and stronger in the spiritual sense and in obedience to Him. And just like the games it doesn't come through one experience or through one small or even great action, but through an immensity of diligence and perseverance. Now it is by Christ that we can reach our full potential or "Level Up", but He has asked that we put forth our effort and show our love for Him by keeping His commandments. This is the way He has given us and this is the way He walked, this is evidence of His unshaking and unfailing love and trust in Our Father when He said, "not what I will, but what Thou will." (Mark 14:36)

Team Rocket's Blasting Off Again!



Team Rocket Blasting Off Again

Okay so now that I've roped in the fans of Pokemon and those who just like my blog. I have been pondering the philosophical potential of Pokemon and have found yet another correlation between the beloved Gospel of Jesus Christ and Pokemon. Well, as in every great story, there is always an antagonist as popular or as strong as the protagonist. Well, in the case of Pokemon that antagonist is Team Rocket. So for those of you who aren't familiar with them let me give you a better understanding of what Team Rocket's pretty much sole objective is. It is to capture and steal Ash's Pikachu. They do this by coming up with plans and cunning inventions to try and apprehend Ash's Pikachu. So this is their purpose or at least Jesse and James' purpose. May I suggest that the world of Pokemon and our world aren't too different we too are faced with an enemy that is after something a lot more precious than Ash's Pikachu. That is our happiness.

The antagonist in this situation is Lucifer, the diabolical one. He is constantly coming up with snares and traps to hopefully lure us off of our path to happiness. He does this with several things like drugs, pornography, and disbelief. These things can form addictions that impede our progression and dull our spiritual sensitivity. But, there is an Answer or better yet a Weapon that will destroy those traps and that Weapon is the, Word of God. In Helaman 3:29, it says this about the Word of God, "Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked." So this is the answer or at least the way we can avoid this miserable state. By reading the scriptures and applying them daily.  

Who wants some truth!?

What would you do if you were faced with deciding which of the 33,820 different types of Christianity has the one true gospel of Jesus Christ? Or perhaps choosing between the other millions of religions, denominations and branch-offs that exist and worship? You alone had to find the right answer for any hope of comfort and peace in this world and in the world to come. What do you do? I suppose you can meticulously study each religion and their texts and everything about them. Ranging from their origins and their history down to the present hour, but let's be honest here. With a tremendous effort you might be able to understand and come to a real decision on maybe 50 religions in a lifetime of real thorough study. Well maybe you can ask someone. You have scholars of every religion you could ask. You could ask Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, and leaders from all religions, but you would still have to make a decision. Feel like this task might be a little overwhelming? Ah, but there is hope because there is one more Person you could ask. This would be God, the Creator, the Being whom we all are trying to find out. Maybe They, whoever God may be, would give you an answer. Well, that's really the only method that would work. Who better to go to, to find out which religion is the correct one, than the actual Creator?

So you might be wondering what does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with every thing! This is the truth of EVERYTHING! Have people not been in a quest to find out and understand God and the truth since the beginning of the Earth's and man's origination? I mean this is the truth, reality, the facts. To know if God is. To know if there is actually something to believe in and live for. To know that all those stories we hear about God aren't just made to bring hollow hope and fictitious faith to the hearts of the gullible. To know that there is a Greater Being out there. Well, I can attest that this is the only way to know if there is a God. It's not going to come through archaeological findings, carbon dated things, or through hearing the good word. Yes not even through studying the Bible or Book of Mormon will one come to know that God is, they'll be exposed to ideas or beliefs about God, but the only way you can come to know if God is, is by Divine Manifestation. Only through prayer and seeking for an answer, will you come to know. I know that there is a God not because I  come to the conjecture on my own or because I read it somewhere in a book, but because I have sought Him through sincere and humble prayer and have received a witness more vivid and real than sight.