Religion, Relationship and God

God uses religion to put us in relationship with him. God had a covenant people in the people of Israel. Baptism is part of the new covenant God revealed in the New Testament.

We can bind ourselves to God through covenants. Weekly communion is a renewal of our covenants. It allows us to declare before God and our community neighbors that we want to live after the manner of happiness that God directs us to do. We can be renewed every week.

We can privately renew our relationship through prayer each day. We can ask for His grace, His strength to live after the manner of happiness, following God.

What the Bible is based on

We are not based on the Bible. We are based on what the Bible is based on. - Ross Baron, FAIR talk.

See "The Never Changing Gospel" by Ben Spackman cited https://benspackman.com/2019/11/10/video-interview-about-seminary-complexity-manuals-and-other-fun-stuff/

Covenants permit divine influence to flow into our souls

From a FB post of D. Todd Christofferson, Sun 3 Nov 2019

Today I am in Paraguay for the rededication of the Asunción temple. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the work in Paraguay. It was in 1949 that missionaries began to serve there. To show you my age, this new mission was established when I was four years old. In my lifetime, the Church and the restored gospel in Paraguay have grown from no presence to 11 stakes, 2 missions, and a beautiful temple. 

To me, the fact that we sacrifice to build temples is an undeniable witness that Jesus Christ is the living, resurrected Son of God. I bear my personal witness that Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God, our living, resurrected Redeemer. I bear witness that it is Jesus Christ who is the Master Builder of celestial men and women in this, the house of the Lord. 

God does not force grace or goodness upon us, but the covenants we make through temple ordinances permit Him to let His divine influence flow into our souls. This brings power in the priesthood, power to declare the word of God, power to gather scattered Israel, and power to offer redemption to the dead. It is the power to resist temptation and overcome evil. It is the power to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. In other words, it is the power to lay hold on eternal life. 

I pray that all of us may repent daily and become increasingly holy. I pray that each of you will be armed with righteousness and the power of God all the days of your life.

I love how he describes God as not forcing his grace or goodness upon us. God offers his covenants to us. As we accept and honor them, we receive of the grace of God. We receive the power enabling us to become increasingly holy. We receive power to know God because we are doing what Jesus would do in our place.

An extraordinary conference of the church

From "Episode 36—The Mission of the Twelve to England"

An extraordinary conference of the church. 16 Aug 1841. Willard Richards noted in his diary, "Business of the church given to the Twelve"

"It was a constitutional change to bring the twelve into responsibility jurisdictional assignments within the organized stakes of Zion.
(Video mark 25:23)

Nine members of the quorum of the twelve that went on the mission to England are the nine who stuck with it. (26:58)

"the twelve should be authorized <​wh​> to assist in managing the affairs of th[e] kingdom in this place. which he said was their duties of their office"
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/minutes-16august-1841/2