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I am a missionary from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from Nevada! I love being a missionary and I love being able to meet people in New York. I am serving in the western New York area for two years.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Press Forward

          Today I wanted to blog about one of the central parts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is enduring to the end. In the Book of Mormon the Prophet Nephi put it like this.
 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. (2 Nephi 31:19-21).
             So the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are so we can become cleansed of our sins through the Atonement of Jesus Christ to achieve Eternal life. They are Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism by Immersion for the remission of sins, and receiving the Gift of The Holy Ghost. The first two are principles and the latter two are Ordinances that must be performed by one who holds the Priesthood Authority of God that was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. Entering into the Covenant of Baptism is the strait and narrow path that Nephi describes in verse 19. After we have done this however we must continue to do the right things and try to live as Christ lived by obedience to his commandments.
              Paul puts it this way "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" So after we are baptized and receive the Gift of The Holy Ghost this doesn't mean we can throw in our retirement towel. We are only recipients of Heavenly Father's promise of Eternal life if we hold up to our end of the bargain, that is obeying his commandments and always remembering Jesus Christ our Savior who made it all possible. Christ himself said, as recorded by Matthew "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."(Matthew 10:22). We must recognize that we are saved entirely by our Savior Jesus Christ. However we only accept Jesus Christ as we show our Faith through our accepting his invitation "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15).

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Rock of Revelation

         When Jesus was on the earth he taught his Apostles that it would be through Revelation that his Church would be built upon. He explained, as Peter received Revelation that Jesus was the Son of God, that if his church was organized on this principle of receiving Revelation from God that no power the adversary could muster would be able to stop it (Matthew 16:13-18). This is how the Church of Jesus Christ was ran and it is the way that it has always been ran.
            In ancient days God through Revelation spoke to his chosen servants the prophets. In Amos 3:7 the Bible teaches,  "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets." Today just as in times of past The Church of Jesus Christ is ran through revelation. The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Thomas S. Monson, is a living prophet who receives revelation for the Church as a whole. Other members of the Church are also entitled to Revelaton for themselves and for their family. Also members of the Church of Jesus Christ are called to callings in which they serve. There are leadership callings in the Church such as a Bishop. A Bishop presides over a congregation of members living within an area. The Bishop through much prayer, fasting and pondering is able to receive Revelation for the congregation he presides over and give members in the area he serves certain calling to assist him in the work. Each Bishop is selected through Revelation that is given to a Stake President, who presides over several congregations or what is known as a stake. This continues to Area Authorities and General Authorities up the ladder in this same process to The Quorum of the twelve apostles and the President of The Church, who is a Prophet.
               It is through Revelation that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints operates today. There is no voting on who should receive a calling and no-one that goes to school to become a minister. The church is guided by divine authority. None of the ministry in The Church of Jesus Christ is paid. It is set up in the same way that it has been set up in previous dispensations and is ran through Revelation.