Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

RS/EQ: “The Mission of John the Baptist”

The sixth lesson in our Joseph Smith manual is entitled: “The Mission of John the Baptist.” We read that John the Baptist was “a legal administrator and the forerunner of Christ.” What all does that mean? As Joseph and Oliver Cowdery worked on the translation of the gold plates, they came to a passage about baptism that struck their souls. They went out into the woods to pray about it, and were given in answer a visit from John the Baptist, who ordained both of them to the Aaronic Priesthood. This event was significant, as it marked the return of … Continue reading →

A Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ

At this time of year, the focus seems to be mostly upon the Baby Jesus who was born in a manger. At Easter, we think about the Atonement, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. What do we think about the remainder of the year? Having a personal relationship with our Savior is a crucial part of our exaltation. As we come to know Him, we come to understand the role He played in our redemption, and how we absolutely cannot return to our Heavenly Father without the Savior. Everything we are and have is possible because of Jesus Christ. He created … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: “Jesus Christ: My Savior, My Lord”

“Jesus Christ: My Savior, My Lord” is the title of lesson #3 in the Spencer W. Kimball manual from which we have been studying this year. Even just the simple six words of the title evoke such feelings of worship and love as to be overwhelming. We begin the lesson with an experience from President Kimball’s life. Fairly early in his apostleship, he suffered three heart attacks in two weeks. After spending seven weeks recovering at home, he desired a change of scenery and traveled down to New Mexico to stay with his Navajo friends. One morning, his friends were … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: How Do Mormons Perceive the Godhead?

When people start asking questions about the LDS Church, they are often surprised to discover we believe that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate individual beings. This puts us in the category of a nontrinitarian religion, meaning that we do not believe that the three are one in body. When Joseph Smith had his first vision of the Father and the Son, he too was amazed to discover that they were separate. He had attended many churches in his search for religion and each of those churches taught that the Godhead was contained in one entity. … Continue reading →

Trust in the Lord

“We all face choices in the course of our lives, some of them with a siren song of wealth and prosperity; others appear less promising. Somehow the Lord has watched over and guided my choices, although it was not always evident at the time. . . . “As I look back upon my life, I do so with a measure of wonder and awe. Everything good that has happened, including my marriage, I owe to my activity in the Church.”” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Seek Ye the Kingdom of God,” Ensign, May 2006, 81) Trusting in the Lord is sometimes a … Continue reading →

The Eternal Plan of Salvation

I had a discussion with a Muslim acquaintance of mine the other day. Rather, we were going back and forth on Jesus Christ, Muhammed and modern-day prophets. If you know much about Islam you know they do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, nor do they believe there have been any prophets since Muhammed. While I find that a sad state of belief, I feel the need to share the plan of salvation as Latter-day Saints understand it. Long before the world was formed, we lived with our Father in Heaven, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and all our other … Continue reading →

What is Life Without Hope

It is far too easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of life. If your life includes all the normal things like family, job, church and community responsibilities it can get trying enough. Add to that mix, health issues which can send your debt and stress to screamingly high levels, and you have a life that can easily be a little low on the hope meter. Elder Neal A. Maxwell states: “Without hope, what is the future of lubricating forgiveness among the human family? Without hope, why forgo now in order to preserve precious resources for future generations? … Continue reading →

The Divinity of Jesus Christ

With the advent of many books into the market, such as The DaVinci Code (which I enjoyed), The Last Templar (which I mostly enjoyed) and on and on and on, the divinity of Christ has been called into question so much that some Christian sects are backing off, they are now saying that Jesus Christ is not God. I am deeply saddened by this. Our Lord and Savior condescended to come to this earth as a mortal babe. He grew into adulthood with parents that loved and accepted Him and brothers who struggled with that same knowledge. At thirty years … Continue reading →

And Peter Wept Bitterly

There are many situations in life where we are asked to stand for our beliefs. In the easier situations – it would be standing for school colors, fellow students and the football team. In a twisted situation – standing for gang colors. But with all this devotion and loyalty, how many of you, in a dangerous situation, would stand and say, “I am a follower of Christ.” More important, to Latter-day Saints, would you stand and say, “I am a Mormon. I know Joseph Smith to be a prophet.” Would you, could you say it if your life were threatened … Continue reading →

The Mentally Ill and Their Responsibilities to the Lord

Yet another difficult subject. Fortunately, one which has been amply covered by the brethren. There are so many mental deficiencies that I cannot begin to address them one by one. There are many people who suffer at one point or another in their lives of mental deficiency. Merely consider the excruciating stresses which accompany life, at times soaring to perceived unmanageable highs. We wonder what actions of the mentally ill are dismissed without further glance by the Lord and which they are to be held accountable? The Prophet Joseph Smith said that “all the minds and spirits that God ever … Continue reading →