The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Restored

In a recent book written by David A. Bednar, a Mormon Apostle, he instructs and advises us to increase our learning regularly. Here are a few tips I would recommend to improve your learning when reading the Book of Mormon.

1. Jesus is the Christ

The Book of Mormon is often referred to as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” In fact, that is written on the cover of the Book of Mormon. What does this mean, being another testament? It means that this book of scripture teaches us about the divinity of the Lord.

We learn that Jesus is more than just a great teacher or prophet, but that he is in very deed the Only Begotten Son of God. In a vision, known as the vision of the Tree of Life, the prophet Nephi is shown Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Christ.

He records: “And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!” Later in the Book of Mormon, the Lord Jesus Christ himself visits the people and tells them, “And they shall believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the Father in my name.”

The simple truth is that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, the Son of the living God.

2. How to Gain Faith in Christ

Believing that there was a Christ and having faith in Jesus Christ are different.

Mormon.org teaches us: “Faith in God is more than a theoretical belief in Him. To have faith in God is to trust Him, to have confidence in Him, and to be willing to act on your belief in Him.

It is a principle of action and power.” It can be hard for someone to have faith in someone that they have never seen with their own eyes, but have only read or hear about. How can a person gain faith then? In the Book of Mormon a prophet by the name of Alma teaches plainly how to gain faith. Alma compares faith to a seed that one plants in a garden.

When a gardener plants seeds in his garden he must prepare the ground, continue to water it, and weed the area. Faith can be looked at in much the same way. “Now,” Alma teaches, “if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, …behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves - It must needs be that this is a good seed” (Alma 32:28). But, much like a real garden, it is not enough to simply plant the seed of faith. You must nourish it, observe it. Pray and read the scriptures about Christ, and if you begin to feel these “swelling motions” you will know that there is something to these things. As you continue on you can gain more faith. I echo the words of Alma: “If ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words” you will find faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. The Atonement of Christ

The four gospels in the Holy Bible all teach the truth of the Atonement of Jesus - His experience in Gethsemane, crucifixion, and resurrection. The prophets of the Book of Mormon all teach about the wonder that is the Atonement of Christ. The Son of God came to earth in a mortal body to “fulfill all righteousness.”

He, at the end of his mortal ministry, entered the Garden of Gethsemane and paid the price for all mankind’s sins and sufferings. He was then crucified on a cross and died. Three days later the miraculous event that is the resurrection took place. Our Lord was raised from the dead, making it possible for all of us to be resurrected. These three things, and many others, can be found by reading the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes in life we feel empty. There is a void in our hearts that seems to leave us thinking to ourselves, “Is this all there is to life?” Well, do not give up hope because belief in Jesus Christ can help fill that void.

Our faith can bring us joy and happiness that no material want or need can ever fill. It is an unseen happiness that turns into a visual one just by our smile. Sometimes I think of the results faith in Jesus Christ brings into our lives as similar to meeting up with a person you have not seen in a long time, once you meet up with them again, you embrace them and never let go.

Let’s discuss some ways to embrace your faith and bring satisfaction back into your life:

In Romans 5:2 it says:

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Embracing Words of Faith

In my experience, the the first step of coming back home to faith was to read the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. In these timeless books are words of knowledge, support, strength and comfort.

Maybe you are looking for solutions to your unanswered life questions. To that I say: open the scriptures and embrace the words of faith. In the scriptures are the answers to those who have lost faith and examples of those where their faith in Jesus Christ has been restored.

Everyone is looking for more in their lives and the Book of Mormon can help you fill the pieces that are missing.

Embracing Our Lord, Jesus Christ

Our next step is to embrace the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. If anyone could be the best example of undying faith and love, it is Him.

Those of us who chose to live by his gospel words can feel the warmth and light of righteous living. Whether you chose to embrace Him one day at a time our commit yourself totally to Him, your faith will be strengthened and you life will be changed for the better.

Heavenly Father wishes us to be faithful to our covenants and to his instruction and we can do this through embracing our Savior as he still embraces us today. It is said, “Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”(New Testament, 1 Corinthians 2:5)

Embracing Your Family

The third step would be to embrace your family no matter how your family is structured. If you embrace your faith with love and commitment you can embrace you family with that same love. Through the scriptures we are given direction on how to help our families become christlike in nature. As we blossom and grow with gospel roots our family can also grow with those same roots.

Having faith in your family is essential because all members in a family depend on each other for strength and hope; faith in each other makes this possible.

Embracing All of the Above

Okay, now that you have the essential tools to embrace your faith, start rebuilding your life again.

A faith-based life will provide you and others with a brand new perspective in your present and your future. We have been blessed with so much love and care of our Heavenly Father and Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Loving parents who embrace their children with the essentials of life and magnifying their potential through faith.

Fill your life with the words of the Lord and he will fill your life with the fruits born from obedience, trust, love, dedication, and faith in his teachings and His word. I hope that these words will help you find comfort from the storms of life and shield you from the waves of depression that may inhabit your life.

Much of what I have written here is inspired by words written here by a Mormon Apostle named Boyd K. Packer.

Have you ever wondered what happens when a person dies? Many people believe that the spirit stays with the body. Other people believe that when you die your spirit gets reincarnated.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that when a person dies their spirit does not actually stay with the body. The spirit goes up, and if you have already accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, your spirit goes up to what is called “spirit paradise.” But, if the deceased hasn’t accepted the gospel, the spirit goes to what is called “spirit prison.” But don’t worry, when those souls are there they will have a chance to accept the gospel and go to spirit paradise.

After the spirit world we will all be resurrected to a perfect body, a body without problems, because Jesus Christ broke the hold of the grave. So if you could not walk you will be able to walk at that time. If you had any problems they will be no more in your body. After everyone is resurrected we will be taken to the judgment seat of Christ to be judged of our works.

We will be put in one of 3 kingdoms of glory. The ancient apostle Paul taught this when he wrote to the Corinthians:

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars:  for one star differeth from another star in glory.”

These kingdoms are named:  Celestial, Telestial and Terrestrial. The Terrestrial is that compared to the glory of the stars. But there is something better than that. The Telestial kingdom is compared to the brightness of the moon. It is better than the Terrestrial kingdom, but there is something more that everyone should shoot for. The Celestial kingdom is the highest level of glory. It’s glory is compared to the brightness of the sun.

If we follow the teachings of the Lord’s ancient and modern-day apostles and prophets, we will be worthy to enter into the rest of the Lord, the Celestial kingdom.

I believe this to be true. I believe that there is life after death. I believe that we will be rewarded for our works here on earth.

I hope you enjoyed this article.

This article was inspired by: Boyd K Packer, Mormon apostle.

By: Elder Volkomener

Our country was founded upon Judeo-Christian values and could not exist without it. That is a fact that the founding fathers and their successors stressed for many years. Now we seem to be falling away from that principal.

The problem is, the adversary (Lucifer) has lead all too many people into an instant gratification attitude. They all want something for nothing. This causes problems that can destroy a family as well as a country.

God teaches self reliance, and not unexpectedly the adversary fights against it. The solution starts at the family level. The family unit is the center of God’s plan. If parents do not take charge of their children, they end up with a breakdown of the family unit. If we don’t do all that we can to support ourselves and our families before asking for help, are we not playing into the hands of the adversary?

We should not be asking for a free handout from our country, or our church, unless we have exhausted all other means at our disposal first.

If your children need recreation, it should come from their parents first.
If your children need counseling, it could come from their parents first.
If your children need food, it should come from their parents first.
If it comes from anywhere else first, then we have a problem.

This is an all important concept taught by President Boyd K. Packer at general conference. Read his talk at: https://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/01/solving-emotional-problems-in-the-lords-own-way

Families should be self reliant. Following that concept teaches self reliance to their children. There are many good results that can come from this that range from morality to honor, from family stability to the stability of your country. It is not a matter that should be taken lightly.

On the other hand, if we have exhausted all our resources both financial and physical, we then should talk to tour bishops. It is the Lord’s requirement that we help those truly in need, and we will do just that. We also, when we are successful, should give to the support of those in need. The best way is through our church as our church follows the concept of  “… to help people help themselves” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936).

“It is a self-help system, not a quick handout system. It requires a careful inventory of all personal and family resources, all of which must be committed before anything is added from the outside.” – Boyd K. Packer, 1978.

Doing these things will solidify our families and our country. Teaching these things to both church members and to non members is what God wants us to do. The results will magnify our lives or country, and we will be blessed by doing so.

Reading the scriptures makes you feel so powerful. The power in the scriptures will make you realize that the scriptures are true. Most people don’t read all the way through them. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the scriptures.

How do I get the most out of the scriptures?

1. Highlight parts that stand out to you- When you read, highlight stuff that stand out to you. Doing this will allow you go back to it later and learn more.

2. Check the footnotes- In the LDS copies of the scriptures, there are footnotes added, which share related scripture. If you go to the scriptures footnotes you can learn more about a particular scripture you were reading.

3. Pray before you read scripture- When you read scripture it is always nice to pray to understand what you’re reading. Pray for the strength to know what to look for. If you do that you will often find it.

4. After you read, pray to see if what you read is true- If you have questions about something that you read, pray to see if it is true. If you have a good feeling inside then you know it is true.

5. Write notes in the margins- Writing notes in your scriptures or other paper is the best way to remember your thoughts and feelings. You could write “this made me feel…” or “this is great because,” or definitions to certain words you don’t know.

6. Get a scripture study book or guide- If you don’t understand certain parts of the scriptures or just need to know what a chapter is about, get a study guide or book to go along with the scripture you are reading. Most of the time you will better understand what you are reading.

7. Share what you read with others- If you felt good about what you read share it. When you share your experiences other people feel what you’re feeling and good feelings spread around.

I have read the scriptures and felt the power and peace that comes from them.  As Boyd K. Packer taught, “A knowledge of the scriptures is important. From them we learn about spiritual guidance,” and I have come to know that this is true.