My soul wells up...

"It either occurred or it did not occur"

"Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens." ("The Marvelous Foundation of Our Faith", Gordon B. Hinckley Oct 2002)

"Inquiries from honest searchers after truth should always be welcomed. Intelligent learners, in any field of knowledge, ask for explanations as problems appear in their studies. Indeed, the questions asked often mark the degree of proficiency attained. Those to whom no problems occur are asleep at the wheel of truth."
(John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, p. ix)

“The doctrine of the Church cannot be fully understood unless it is tested by mind and feelings, by intellect and emotions, by every power of the investigator. Every Church member is expected to understand the doctrine of the Church intelligently. There is no place in the Church for blind adherence.”
~John A. Widtsoe, Evidence and Reconciliations, p. 226

“The man who cannot listen to an argument which opposes his views either has a weak position or is a weak defender of it. No opinion that cannot stand discussion or criticism is worth holding. And it has been wisely said that the man who knows only half of any question is worse off than the man who knows nothing of it. He is not only one-sided but his partisanship soon turns him into an intolerant and a fanatic. In general it is true that nothing which cannot stand up under discussion or criticism is worth defending”
~James E. Talmage, Improvement Era, Jan. 1920, p. 204

“If faith will not bear to be investigated; if its preachers and professors are afraid to have it examined, their foundation must be very weak.”
~George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 14, p. 216

“Man must learn to know the universe precisely as it is, or he cannot successfully find his place in it. A man should therefore use his reasoning faculty in all matters involving truth, and especially as concerning his religion. He must learn to distinguish between truth and error.”
~John A. Widtsoe, A Rational Theology, p. 8

“Now I have mentioned freedom to express your thoughts, but I caution you that your thoughts and expressions must meet competition in the market place of thought, and in that competition truth will emerge triumphant. Only error needs to fear freedom of expression. Seek truth in all fields, and in that search you will need at least three virtues; courage, zest, and modesty. The ancients put that thought in the form of a prayer. They said, 'From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it has all truth—O God of truth deliver us’.”
~Hugh B. Brown, BYU Speech, March 29, 1958

"All of it"

I am listening to "Tough Questions about Mormon Polygamy - Brian and Laura Hales". This quote by Brian Hales stood out to me.

Well, the Gospel Topics Essays are really helpful because they’re dealing
with controversial topics that we never really talked about, or if you tried
to talk about them just a few years ago, people would think that you were
a heretic in church. Also, I’ve had a couple of conversations that have
impressed me, that the church is committed to this. 

One was with Elder Stephen Snow, as the church historian. I had noticed
how much material, scanned documents, the church is now making
available, without charge, for download by any researcher on the church
history library’s website. It’s amazing, it’s staggering the amount of
material that you can now download from that site. I complimented him
on that, and he just said simply, “Transparency is important; the internet is
allowing the church to do many things it couldn’t do before.” 

I also had a conversation with the church historian, who related how he
had asked President Uchtdorf of the first presidency, “How many of these
documents should we make available online?” President Uchtdorf
reportedly said, “All of it.” I’m sure that won’t include church discipline
and temple items, but what President Uchtdorf is reflecting is that the
church can withstand scrutiny. That’s why we’re willing to put up all these
documents and let the critics as well as the believers have access to them. (Transcript)

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It reminds me of this quote “If we have the truth, it cannot be harmed by investigation. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed.” -- J. Reuben Clark

And this,

"Our homes are not as strong unless we are using [The Book of Mormon] to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat falsehoods in socialism, rationalism, etc. Our missionaries are not as effective unless they are “hissing forth” with it. Social, ethical, cultural, or educational converts will not survive under the heat of the day unless their taproots go down to the fulness of the gospel which the Book of Mormon contains."
("The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God", Ezra Taft Benson, Jan 1988, Ensign)

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It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. 

And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. 

And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.
(Alma 12:9-11)

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Enhance my Gospel Learning and Find Answers

Over 7 years ago, I had several conversations with a friend over why he decided to stop attending church. I feel the same way today.

There are many great resources available to "enhance gospel learning and help provide answers to doctrinal, historical, and social questions." Gospel Topics, Essays, and Other Resources is a collection of many of them. I also really enjoyed "How Do I Know If I Know?" by John Bytheway. Here are a couple more articles of my experiences: Into the Woods, Jesus was in the Ashes

I feel the same way I did last November.

I choose to believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I choose to believe. I want the truths that they teach to be true. I choose to live as if they are. I have felt many, many times how my life is blessed by living by the principles taught at church. 

I recognize that there are imperfect people at the founding of the church up to the present time. In high and in local callings. I am one of those imperfect ones. 

I love the church. I love the family and friend connections I have because of my association in it. I believe that the church is still undergoing a restoration. That the most bitter branches are being cut off to make room for the sweet fruit. I want to be a part of that process.
("I Choose to Believe")

My Aug 20, 2017 FB Post

I Choose to Believe Because I Choose to Believe

What works for me is to be clear on what I know for sure and what I believe.

What I know for sure has gotten smaller and I have become more at peace with being uncertain. Uncertainty is another side of faith.

With everything cleared away, after considering everything, I choose to believe in the restored gospel. I choose to believe because I choose to believe. I choose it of my own free will and choice.

I claim this privilege and allow all men the same privilege, be they Mormon, theist or atheist.

I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

Of all my experience of the General Conference this fall, the singing of "How Firm a Foundation" touched me deepest. President Uchtdorf announced that we were going to sing verses 1, 2, 3 and 7. I was curious as to why to include the 7th. As I sang the last lines of that verse, I broke down. I heard the promise that God will not forsake me, never, never no never!


1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2. In ev'ry condition--in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea--
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

To have a Personal, Private Spiritual Experience

Elder Todd B Hansen was the visiting area authority at our stake conference recently. At one point in his talk to us he had the 12-18 year olds stand up. He asked them what they thought was the single most important thing that would keep them converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. What would nurture the seeds of testimony? He didn't give the answer right away. He said that the church had spend considerable amounts of time and effort researching this question.

The answer was to have a personal, private spiritual experience. To do whatever it took to have the spirit of the Lord wash over them. What kind of things helps prompt that? Praying with real intent. Intent to follow what the Spirit tells you to do. Write it down. Have these experiences over and over. It gives us power over temptation.

It reminds me of this quote,

When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:151). (Quoted in Chapter 7: The Holy Ghost, Gospel Principles, (2011), 31–33)

It is important to note that not every experience with the Holy Ghost leaves an indelible impression. I have had some such experiences. More often than not, my experience with the Holy Ghost is like a portion of oil for my lamp. Over time you can see the results of my experiences. A full resevoir that can be drawn upon when needed.

I know others that have not felt the emotional manifestations of the Spirit. They experience it more as a clarity of mind.

It is important to recognize that many people experience the Holy Ghost in different ways. But it is vital that we become able to recognize the influence of God in our lives.

I Am

I am not my depression
I am not my stretch marks
or any other part of my declining body or mind.

I am a son of Heavenly Parents.
They know me in my heart and my divine potential.
They know my pain and my heartache.
They know my missteps and my surrenders to sin.
They love me anyways.

They love me enough to let me choose.
Let me learn the hard way.

Yet they always beckon through their Firstborn. The Anointed One.
The great I AM.

Jesus came to earth to show me. To run to me when I call with
    a sincere heart with intent to follow.
Because I am done with the self-inflicted pain.
I am done with dangerous detours.

Let my heart be satisfied in the path the Lord leads me in.
To move inch by inch, mile by mile to where He is.

Not just a place but a way of being.
With only the inclination to do good to be good.
Willing to sacrifice all my sins.
Step by step, He leads me.
To freedom from the shackles.
To greater capacity to do good.

I am not my sins. I am not the desolation of the Fall.
I am a son of Divine Heavenly Parents.
They will guide me to where they are.
To live a life like them.

Why do I Believe?

A Facebook conversation snippet I thought was worth saving.

Randy Galbraith:

After a careful consideration of the evidence, your conclusion is: "Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. He restored the true church of Jesus Christ. And he was faithful to the Lord throughout his life." But could not the same form of reasoning be applied to Wayne Bent? If not, why not?

Richard Alger:

I had not heard of Wayne Bent. I just looked up a bit of info from him. I believe that God, or the Universe or Good shows up in all places. In all religions, in those with no faith at all in Deity.  

President Hinckley said, “Let me say that we appreciate the truth in all churches and the good which they do. We say to the people, in effect, you bring with you all the good that you have, and then let us see if we can add to it. That is the spirit of this work. That is the essence of our missionary service” (meeting, Nairobi, Kenya, 17 Feb. 1998, "Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley").

"whatever is true is a part of the gospel" ("My Father’s Formula",  Dr. Henry Eyring, Ensign, Oct 1978)  

"When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." Abraham Lincoln

I have also found that the analogy of the word of God as a seed works well for me. I have found that the seed has swollen within me. It has sprouted and I have nurtured its growth for years. I have tasted of the fruit and I tastes good to me. It gives me life. (Alma 32:26-43) 

"O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good;" Verse 35 

I have seen in my life that as I have given it to Jesus, that I have no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually. I have felt the beginnings of the fruits of the Spirit. (Moroni 7:45-48)

So, in my long winded answer to your question, "could not the same reasoning be applied to Wayne Bent?" It is possible that Wayne has truth and is leading his followers in Good. I have not looked into it. I believe that there are many, many manifestations of God's goodness and truth. I do not believe that Wayne restored the true church of Jesus Christ. 

I believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only organization authorized to make binding covenants between God and humankind. That baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and other ordinances unlock a particular gift to us. To be faithful to what we are taught. That a weekly renewal of this covenant serves as a continual way to rededicate ourselves to what we believe is good and right. 

If we follow these patterns of God in our lives, the calculus 1 of good means that we eventually, through the grace of God, become even as God is. To live the kind of life He lives. That we can begin to receive the joy this kind of life brings starting today.

Why not? Because I feel such a manifestation of the Spirit as I live the gospel as restored in the LDS church. 

I have not found anywhere else teachings that expands my mind and helps me to reach to God. Doctrines like agency and our unique view of the choices of Adam and Eve. 

Our teachings of becoming like God (or theosis) is unique in its centrality of teaching.
The balanced view of justice and mercy that I have not seen in any other teaching. 

And I am sure I could go on. 

I have seen the goodness in my local leaders and members of my congregation. People that I admire and want to be more like. 

The opportunities that I have had to serve and by so doing, to become better than I would have. 

That is why, does that answer your questions, Randy Galbraith?

Randy Galbraith:

The reason that I asked, is because I believe the key point is commitment. Wayne Bent (modern living religious leader) and Joseph Smith (historical) present similar models and similar claims. Above is the quote: "I am not a committed Latter-day Saint in spite of my careful study of LDS history, but because of it." 

It is because of commitment that one does not easily discard beliefs at the first sign of trouble. Understanding this can help us understand folks in various faiths. 

In contrast neither you nor I have made commitments to Bent's group, thus it is relatively easy for us to dismiss his claims as not from God. The flip of this is such can generate a deeper/sympathetic view of former members of a faith. Former JWs (and likely former LDS members) don't give up their faith easily. 

The other area of thought I've been pursing lately is the differences between historical fact, claims made by a faith and personal belief and social interactions such creates

Richard Alger:

I don't doubt that my investment and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored in the LDS church makes it easy for me to remain associated with the church. And committed to it.  

This is human nature. I do not deny my bias.  

I have found it helpful to associate, especially online, with people that have a different point of view than I do. In politics, religion, in nationality. 

I find that their earnest dialog with me helps me to better understand my own views. I have discarded some of my beliefs that I have had as a child. and even as an earlier adult. I am under no allusion that I have the most complete and accurate understanding of how things really are and how they used to be and how they will yet be. 

It seems to be an attribute of this life that we cannot know, with surety the correct path to take. I believe this is by design. Just as with the traveling salesman problem, the best solution sometimes is to make our best approximation and then correct our path with repeated iteration. 

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Testimony Doctrine by Doctrine

A commenter mentioned how a testimony that is gained doctrine by doctrine is more resilient than

simply believing that “Joseph Smith was a legitimate [and by implication, righteous] prophet; ergo, the things he taught are all necessarily true”

This makes sense to me. I remember being taught that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. That if I gained a testimony of it, then I had a testimony of Joseph Smith and all the prophets that have come after him in the LDS church.

This approach to gaining a testimony worked very well for me. I remember teaching it often to others on my mission and elsewhere.

It seems that having a testimony teaching by teaching would hedge up a testimony in that, each teaching would have effort placed into it to understand it and why it is true and what it means to me as an individual. Instead of a monolith testimony, you can have a network of testimonies. Like the Internet, if a node goes out, the network does not fail. And it is possible for the node to get brighter again as we gain knowledge and inspiration or a change of perspective.

I have done this teaching my teaching method more rigorously since I have had my experience of being shocked by unsavory details of the church history. I feel more grounded and strong in my network of testimonies.

It is not that we don't teach this kind of testimony building. We often say how we gained our testimony of tithing, or the word of wisdom or of temples. Maybe we just need to extend that to all parts of the gospel.

Our leaders have often said that we need to find out about the truth of the restored gospel. It is time that we shore up our networks of testimonies for the time that they will be tested further than we can conceive now.


Testimonies grow (and diminish) gradually.

Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime.
...
If you seek God’s truth, that which now may appear dim, out of focus, and distant will gradually be revealed and clarified and become close to your heart by the light of God’s grace. Glorious spiritual vistas, unimaginable to the human eye, will be revealed to you. ("Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth", Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Oct 2014)

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Do you recall the slow and almost imperceptible increase in light on the horizon? In contrast to turning on a light in a dark room, the light from the rising sun did not immediately burst forth. Rather, gradually and steadily the intensity of the light increased, and the darkness of night was replaced by the radiance of morning. Eventually, the sun did dawn over the skyline. But the visual evidence of the sun’s impending arrival was apparent hours before the sun actually appeared over the horizon. This experience was characterized by subtle and gradual discernment of light. 

From these two ordinary experiences with light, we can learn much about the spirit of revelation. ("The Spirit of Revelation", David A. Bednar, Apr 2011)

The Terrible Questions

Hugh Nibley:

Last week I received two letters that introduce us very well to the "terrible questions." One was from a gentleman in Colorado, a long, long, extremely indignant letter with ninety-eight questions… 

In questions on epistomology our correspondent asks fifty-four questions. For example, "If God is a junior god in the universe, and there are more senior gods, why shouldn't I put my faith in a senior god? 

Next are questions on ontology, the nature of being. For example, "How is Mormonism different metaphysically from ancient pagan concepts?" (We could write a long book on that question!) "What about autonomy of the human will, and free agency?"  

Then come eighteen questions on ethics, or "ethica," as he calls it… 

In the hereafter, what difference will these questions make? The real question, of course, is, Is this all there is? This is what everybody wants to know, the only question that bothers us. If you can answer that definitely, then our troubles are over; there is nothing left to worry about.

To expand on that question, he tells the story of Clement and his questions:
-"I wondered…if I didn't exist before I was born."
-"When was this world made, or what was there before it was made, or did it always exist?"
-"Whether there would be a life for me after death or whether I wouldn't be anything at all afterward."

These remind me of when my son asked who created God? He was never satisfied. For weeks and even months off and on again these kind of questions would come up. To be honest I have never been satisfied by the answers I have gotten except for the question I got as an answer. "What difference does it make if I know exactly what the origin of God is?"

The more pertinent question are:
- "Is there really a God?"
- "Is He really all powerful, all knowing and perfect in every way?"
- "He really loves me knowing perfectly who I am in my deepest, darkest place?"
- "Is my life acceptable to Him?"

These really are the three things that are necessary for salvation.

Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God, unto life and salvation: 

First, the idea that he actually exists.
Second, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.
Third, an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is according to his will. (Lectures on Faith 3:2-5)

"It was tangible and I could feel it"

Kathryn Skaggs decided to share her conversion story.

"Whenever I was around my mother's family, I felt the Spirit and knew that I was amidst truth.  It was tangible and I could feel it. I loved being in the midst of that feeling. To me I was home."

This is how I feel about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unlike Kathryn, I was raised in a practicing Mormon family. They practiced in letter and in spirit. I was raised by parents that love the Lord and are following the best they know how. The Lord requires no more of anyone.

I love the gospel and feel its power down in my bones. It has been a long time since I have gotten emotional about it, but I am now. To be connected to God by knowing and doing His will is life and light and joy to me.

"Everyone has their own ongoing conversion journey..." I love this message in Kathryn's post. Testimony and conversion are not binary. They are spectrums. We move from darkness to light, ignorance to knowledge. From a rebelling attitude to one of freely giving to the One who gave us life. We grow from a seed to a tree and beyond.

Knowing That We Know

When the 23-year-old Heber J. Grant was installed as president of the Tooele Stake, he told the Saints he believed the gospel was true. President Joseph F. Smith, a counselor in the First Presidency, inquired, “Heber, you said you believe the gospel with all your heart, … but you did not bear your testimony that you know it is true. Don’t you know absolutely that this gospel is true?” 

Heber answered, “I do not.” Joseph F. Smith then turned to John Taylor, the President of the Church, and said, “I am in favor of undoing this afternoon what we did this morning. I do not think any man should preside over a stake who has not a perfect and abiding knowledge of the divinity of this work.”  

President Taylor replied, “Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, [Heber] knows it just as well as you do. The only thing that he does not know is that he does know it.” ("Knowing That We Know". Douglas L. Callister. Oct 2007)

Within a few weeks that testimony was realized, and young Heber J. Grant shed tears of gratitude for the perfect, abiding, and absolute testimony that came into his life.

I was reminded of this great story when I listened to How Do I Know If I Know? by John Bytheway. I loved the book. It had great insight.

When the Lord desires to speak to the whole Church

The Saints believe in divine revelation to-day. At the head of this Church stands a man who is Prophet, Seer and Revelator, sustained in that position by the vote of the whole body of its members. When the Lord wishes to speak to His Church, as a body, He does so through that individual, His servant. President Wilford Woodruff is a man of wisdom and experience, and we respect and venerate him; but we do not believe his personal views or utterances are revelations from God; and when "Thus saith the Lord", comes from him, the Saints investigate it; they do not shut their eyes and take it down like a pill. When he brings forth light they want to comprehend it. Light, truth, intelligence, wisdom, progress, growth all the time --that is "Mormonism"-- to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. When the Lord desires to speak to the whole Church He does so through its head, not through half a dozen different channels; because in such an event there would be confusion. The Latter-day Saints are not blindly led by leaders or blindly directed by priests; but every man can receive the divine testimony in his own heart and be a priest in his own house.
(Charles Penrose; The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star Vol. 54 - Click on "No. 12 March 21, 1892", then Utah News; PDF;)

I agree with Elder Penrose's approach. We are to investigate the words of our Prophet and the other prophets. We are to seek understanding by study and by faith. If we ask with a sincere heart and intend to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, He will show us the truth.

We can distinguish truth and error. The prophets of God are a solid source of truth.

Read the Book of Mormon

I am reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days. My oldest got his call about a month and a half ago. He was challenged to read or re-read the Book of Mormon again before the start of his mission. My wife challenged me to read with her and him.

In the last few weeks, I have gotten behind in my daily goal. I spent a couple of hours waiting for my car to be serviced yesterday and decided I might catch up. An interesting thing happened. I was reading more critically than I normally do. I looked for a reason to see Korihor's side. I stopped at one point and made a list of the good, salt of the earth atheists I know (I know a few) and compared that list to the good, salt of the earth Mormons I know.

Then today, in church, we talked about Naaman and how his story started because a hand-maiden of his wife said that there is a prophet in Israel. The point was made that it is sometimes just a simple testimony that can cause much good. I raised my hand and said that it probably wasn't just the few words that made the most difference. I imagine this hand-maiden as a salt of the earth kind. One that is trustworthy and faithful. When she said that there is a prophet in Israel, the wife knew she could trust her. It is our examples that are the testimonials that matter.

For me, the greatest testimonies are the lives of the salt of the earth Mormons I know.  My father and mother, my mother in-law and father in-law. Several others that I have known personally. I don't have any illusions that these good people don't have their faults. I see them, or at least I see what I think is them through my own dark glass. But they are good. I admire them. I see the fruits of years and decades of dedication. Of forgiveness between parent and child. Wounds that might have festered and torn the family apart, became whole again.

How do I reconcile that with the good, salt of the earth atheists I know? Only that God judges based on what we know to be true. That no honest person will be denied any chance of progress later. And that even the dishonest ones will be given every chance to repent.

As I was driving home from the mechanic yesterday, I went through my mind again, of the things that I know for sure. One thing I came to that did not seem disputable.
"Say nothing but repentance unto this generation" D&C 6:9
"Say nothing but repentance unto this generation" D&C 11:9
"preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord" Mosiah 18:20
"preach naught but repentance" D&C 19:21
"And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost" D&C 19:31

If I were to do nothing but practice repentance the rest of my days, it would be well for me. What is repentance? To turn away from evil and towards God. To separate myself from my worst habits. To incrementally be better. To fight against the entropy of my soul. To reach for the light that gives life to plants and all life.

“Lord, I Believe”

"Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe"

Elder Holland gave a great talk in Apr 2013 called “Lord, I Believe”

In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. It was of this very incident, this specific miracle, that Jesus said, “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.” The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know. (emphasis in original)

It will be good for me to remember his counsel.

Race and the Priesthood

"There are relatively few things that 'the servants' collectively have said with one united voice over time – and I accept those things as God’s will."
I thought of this quote as I considered the recent posting on lds.org about "Race and the Priesthood".

I see in the centuries that the church has been here, a clearing away of the branches which bring forth bitter fruit (Jacob 5:64-65).  I see the Restoration continuing until the church and its people are wholly acceptable to the Lord.

What is Real?

Alma 32 tells us that we can experiment on the words that have a claim to be from God.  Elder Bednar tells us that the Spirit can bring the truth unto but not into our hearts. Science can be real. But it certainly is not the only method to discovering what was, is and what will be.

First Vision Accounts

The LDS church has posted an explanation of the different accounts of the First Vision of Joseph Smith.

On fall break my two older sons and I read Joseph The Seer by Steven C. Harper.  It is a great, short read about the different accounts of the first vision and many other insight into the early history of the LDS church. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more the early beginnings of this church.

The True Church

Scott Stover wrote an article on his personal resolution to some difficult history of the church.  This was part of his conclusion,

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and its leaders are not perfect.  They never were and they never will be.  To expect them to be so sets a thoughtless and dangerous precedent.  The church shines nevertheless

At the beginning, he told a story of him playing guitar at a festival. And how the results might have been different if the expectations of those there were different. He then said,

I think it is important to remember the concept behind this story when we consider the church itself.  Sometime in the last 20-30 years, the testimony “I know the church is true” became a common declaration among Mormons.  What does this mean?  I frankly think we do the church, its leaders, and ourselves a disservice with this particular declaration.  I think it is demeaning and reduces the church to a cliché – a caricature of itself.  I think in doing so we are setting the church up as a standard that it cannot meet.

I tend to agree with him. I do like the phrase, "the church is true". There is a comfort to it. It is the white to other blacks. But it may be setting us up to the wrong expectations.

Stover talks about the things the church does well and I agree with him. We sometimes forget the responsibilities we have as members of the church and as part of the human race in general. We have a duty to search out and live by good and true principles. The church have pointed out many of these. It have outlined a path to discover and master more and more good. It is up to us to learn about and put into practice the good and truth we find.

In the Joseph Smith Papers BYU TV series they talk about the difference between Joseph Smith's sermons and his revelations.

Narrator: The saints of the day considered [Joseph's] spoken word not as important as the written word of revelation.
Historian: A classic example is John Whitmer. Joseph uses his words to tell him that he wants him to be the historian of the church. John Whitmer doesn't want to do it. He says, "I'd rather not unless I get a revelation". Joseph then obtains a revelation which is section 47 of the Doctrine and Covenants and John Whitmer accepts it.
("Joseph Smith's Sermons", The Joseph Smith Papers. Starting about 3:34)

I think we all want to know what the Lord wants us to do. It makes it easier to follow if you know that. I remember a time when I was searching for what I wanted to do as a career. After several months, I came to the conclusion that the Lord would be please with many, many options. And that the Lord would not choose for me.

This applies to many other aspects of our lives. The doctrine of Christ is true. There are many other true principles taught by the church. It is more important that we live the truths we are sure of than to pick apart the stuff we are not sure of.

The scriptures give us a guide to go by,

And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation. (D&C 68:4)

So what do you do when one of your church leaders asks you to do something? Do we follow them? If it is a good thing, then we should. Which it is nearly all the time. That does not mean we should not give constructive feedback at appropriate times and appropriate ways. We should not require that our leaders "get a revelation" for every request they ask of us. We are regularly instructed to get a confirmation from the Spirit that the Lord has called our bishop, stake president and the prophets. Once we get such a confirmation we should follow them.

Yes it is possible for them to lose their callings, but nearly all of them are doing good and we should follow them as the Spirit has confirmed to us.

It also means that each of us should seek the Spirit in all we do so as to lead as the Lord would have us lead.