Puritanism Parallels with Mormonism: Preparation for the Restoration - Part 2

Because of their beliefs, many Puritans viewed themselves as standing as examples to their neighbors - they felt they should be lights unto others. Many of these Puritans viewed their towns in the flat fields of eastern England as spiritual cities upon hills or as candles on candlesticks, a view they would carry with them to the New World. That's a view that many Americans incorporated for America as a whole (based on Puritan influence). It's a view members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold of themselves and the church. We talk of raising an ensign to the nations; we have temples which are lights upon hills to all around. We believe our lives should be as lights unto others. Being a light unto others is not done in an attitude of condescension but rather as a solemn responsibility for fulfilling the sacred covenants we make as members of the LDS church. It is the beckoning call of, "Come, partake of milk and honey without cost."

In addition to the Protestant feelings of many people in the eastern parts of England, anti-monarchical political feelings were also prevalent in that part of England. Numerous peasant uprisings occurred in eastern England. During the English Civil War, when many sought to reject the monarchy and establish a parliamentary government system, the strongest support came from that eastern part of England. These were people who sought not only religious freedom but also political freedom. This was an important desire that would eventually lead to the founding of the United States of America. Latter-day Saints, like the Puritans, had and have a strong desire for political freedoms (i.e., democracy). Even as the government of the United States failed to protect the persecuted Mormons in the 1830s and 1840s (and later), Latter-day Saints were some of the staunchest supporters of the government. We believe that the founding of the United States was inspired by God; prophets had preached about it thousands of years before (see 1 Nephi 13:17-19). The United States existed in part so that the Restoration of the gospel could occur - even so, the Church barely survived in this land of freedom (eventually they had to leave the country for a while to gain religious freedom). After the prophet Joseph's assassination, some scorners of the prophet prophesied the demise of Mormonism. Yet the stone cut without hands did not and will not fail (see Daniel 2:34,45; D&C 65:2). The Puritans helped loosen that rock from the mountainside.

When many Puritans started moving from England to the New World, they left largely as family units - more so than any other concurrent migration. Family was very important to these Puritans. They viewed marriage as a covenant relationship between two willing partners (i.e., marriages were typically not arranged). They had some of the highest marriage rates in the world - many towns in the 1600s had marriage rates of close to 100%. Husbands and wives "worked very hard at perfecting their relationship, in a mutual effort to achieve love and harmony within the household." In addition, they also had a strong love of genealogy; they cared about their family names and their hearts were drawn to their ancestors. Their love and respect for family was strong - they viewed their families as part of the Abrahamic Covenant. The Puritans in Massachusetts also had very large families. In some communities over a span of years they had an average of almost 10 children per family! While many children died in infancy and in childhood, they still had many children survive. Family was important. Fathers also played a strong role in the raising and care of their children - they were very involved in their education, training, discipline, and care. Many of these are similar to LDS beliefs and practices about families.

Link to part 1 of this essay.

Reference

Fischer, D. H. (1989). Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Puritanism Parallels with Mormonism: Preparation for the Restoration - Part 1

I'd like to preface my essay by stating that although I am drawing parallels between Puritanism and Mormonism, my point is not to argue that Mormonism came from Puritanism. There were many differences between the two religions and societies; there were many things about Puritan society and religion that were greatly at odds with Mormonism (including the severity of some their punishments of crime, for example). However, Puritanism helped pave the way for the Restoration.

Much of the information about Puritanism comes from the following source:

Fischer, D. H. (1989). Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

In the 1600s a wave of emigrants crossed the rough Atlantic Ocean, huddled together in their sailing ships headed to a new land and new opportunity. Some of the ships were comfortable and safe; others were cramped and unsound. Sometimes illness and death swept through the ships, breaking the health and hearts of the travelers. Those who came to Massachusetts, particularly the Bay Colony, were generally the middle-class in England. They were some of the cream of the crop of England. Charles Dickens made a similar comment about one group of Mormon emigrants he visited as they prepared to depart for America: "In their degree [they are] the pick and flower of England" (Source). The journey for the Puritan families was pricey - up to four times the gross yearly income of many middle-class workers. They sacrificed much to cross the ocean in order to have religious liberty. Why did they give up so much?

The Puritans sought religious freedom and new lives. Many of these emigrants came from the eastern shores of their native country England. They came from an area in which the Protestant Reformation movement was strong. This part of England was populated by many people who rejected the rules and doctrines of the prevailing church and who protested its power. Some of these Protestants met together sometimes at the peril of their lives to hold Bible study groups. Many were viewed as heretics and were often persecuted. They suffered much at the hands of the ruling theocracy. In fact, during the 1500s, most of the Protestants who were burned as heretics were from this eastern region of England. One prominent English minister called this eastern portion of England the "throbbing heart of heresy in England" (Fischer, p.47).

A particular sect of Calvinists called the Puritans, who based many of their doctrines on the teachings of John Calvin, flourished in this region. They were among those persecuted by the prevailing church. However, they persevered through persecution; they longed for a day when they could worship how and when they wanted. They wanted freedom of religion.

A House of Prayer Podcast - Episode 4

In this episode I present a talk I gave shortly after I returned home from serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is titled The Weight of Missionary Work. As members of the LDS Church we have the responsibility to share the gospel with those around us in whatever way we can (that is one of the purposes of this blog). Missionary work neither begins nor ends with full-time missionary service. The transcript of the talk has not yet been posted on my blog but will be at a future point. So for now, just enjoy the podcast. :)

Update: The post/podcast is now fixed - re-download the audio files if you downloaded them before today!

If you've subscribed to my feed, you should receive the audio file automatically. If you have not subscribed to my feed, it's never too late! You can also click on the following link to download the podcast directly (right-click {or option-click on a Mac} to save the file): A House of Prayer 4 - The Weight of Missionary Work

You can also subscribe directly from the iTunes Store by clicking on this link: A House of Prayer podcast (notice: requires and opens iTunes).

Let me know what you think!

Credit: The short music clip I use as an entrance and exit to the show is an arrangement of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing from the album Reflections of Christ. Visit that link to find out how you can purchase the music (I'm not associated with the artists; I just enjoy the music).

The podcast album art is an image by Irwin-Scott. Check out his photo stream on Flickr. I thought his photo of the Salt Lake Temple would be a fitting image as a house of prayer. His night-time photo of the illuminated temple surrounded by darkness has a lovely symbolic meaning of the temple as a light on a hill, an ensign to the nations, a lighthouse shining forth in the darkness.

The Light of Truth - Part 4

In this manner is intelligence, as used in the scriptures (as something that can grow and progress), quite different from how psychologists understand it (as something that is usually quite static), which is not necessarily wrong, just different. I briefly mentioned earlier a few ways people secularly define intelligence. One theory I particularly like is based around an underlying global construct of intelligence, referred to as Spearman's g. This general intelligence can be quantified, assuming we understand all the components of it, by a single value. Why I like this theory is because it seems to fit with scriptural and prophetic references to intelligence, especially as found in the book of Abraham: "If there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other" (Abraham 3:19).

This seems to mean that we all can be ranked according to our intelligence - there is someone less and more intelligent than you (unless you happen to be at the very bottom of the rung {or at the top but God is at the top}; even so, I don't believe intelligence is limited to humans, so even the not brightest spirit has animals below him! However, as I stated before, one of the great blessings of the plan of salvation, of God's plan for us, is that even the most humble intelligence can progress and grow and gain an intelligence like God's according to the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ). Because we can be ranked according to our intelligence, a unitary measure of intelligence seems the most concise way of ranking; hence my affinity for the concept of g. Additionally, I like to simplify things as much as possible - simplicity is often beautiful.

I want to return to the concept of intelligence as the light of truth. Light is an interesting thing. It exhibits properties of both a particle and a wave. Light has a dual existence - the duality of the wave-particle. We too are dual beings - spirit and body (not that our spirits are waves or our bodies particles but we have dual existence). Light has a set speed in our universe - almost 300,000 kilometers per second. Light, as particles called photons, has energy. In fact, light is part of the equation of the relationship between energy and mass: E=mc^2. There are other physics equations that describe the properties of light waves and particles. They are not the focus of this essay.

Light is energy. It gives power and force. In fact, photons are what allow the electromagnetic force to work - they carry the force that binds molecules together. Without light, without photons, atoms could not stay together in molecules. Without photons, all creation could not exist in an ordered state. Light is a powerful force in the universe. When we learn that intelligence is the light of truth, we can change the words slightly to say that intelligence is the power of truth or the force of truth. Intelligence just might be part of the basic power of the universe. I believe that intelligence is light and light is intelligence! It's no coincidence that we refer to people who are (or at least seem to be) more intelligent as bright.

I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who instituted a plan whereby all mankind might be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and through the atoning blood of Christ. He blessed us with portions of His intelligence - His light - and mapped out the way for us to progress to the perfect day where we may gain intelligence like His. Regardless of our abilities at this stage of our lives, we can grown and learn and shine. We lived and learned before this life; we live and learn in this life; we will live and learn in the next life. I pray that we might strive to remember what we were taught before we came to this earth. I pray that we will remain true to our eternal selves - that part of us that came to earth "trailing clouds of glory" (Source). I pray that we might seek to improve upon our talents and intelligence, even if we were only given a little (see Matt. 25:14-30) so that our Father might say unto us, "Well done, good and faithful servants."

Link to part 3 of this essay.

A Father's Day Tribute

A number of years ago before the invention of electricity but after the invention of outdoor plumbing, my father was born. He was born when he was quite young to goodly parents. They taught him the gospel and helped him start along the path of life. When young, he lived for a time in Boston as my grandfather attended law school. However, he grew up mainly in Phoenix, Arizona with time spent in St. John's, Arizona. He loved and still loves spending time outdoors. I think there are relatively few people who have seen as much of the wilderness of Arizona (and Utah) as my father.

Even though my father spends a lot of time outdoors, he also spends a lot of time reading and learning (not that being outdoors and learning are mutually exclusive categories). While he used to read many novels when younger, he rarely reads novels now ("now" goes back many years). Almost every week as we - my siblings and I - were growing up we went to our public library and checked out books. My father would check out many books - all non-fiction - on topics ranging from geology to physics to linguistics (which is what he has a Master's degree in) to art. He would then either read or skim (if the books were not that great) all of the books before they were due; he always had a stack of books checked out from the library. I do not expect to meet anyone who has the breadth and depth of knowledge that my father has. Even as a teenager I always respected my father's opinion, even if I did not always follow it or agree with it. I never thought he did not know anything because he always seemed to know everything.

My father has exhibited similarly broad interests in his work over the years. He spent a couple years as an intelligence officer for the Army during the Vietnam War. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a Master's degree in linguistics. He then attended law school and worked for a number of years as an attorney, which he currently does. He owned and operated an Apple Computer store. He owned and ran a digital design and printing business. He taught classes at a local college. He has always worked hard - his idea of taking a break is working in the garden or repairing something or hiking up a mountain (although he does more leisurely things from time to time). For the church, he served as an LDS missionary in Argentina. He also served in various church callings at the ward and stake level.

My father has been many things in his life but greatest of all, he is a husband and father. My father taught all of us children to love the gospel. He always placed the most important things first - whether it was the gospel or family. He has a testimony of the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he never shied from sharing that testimony with us. He always read his scriptures, reading the complete standard works regularly. He taught our family during family home evening, although we all would take turns teaching. He always went to church and did his home teaching. He is like those of whom the Savior said these words: "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15; emphasis added).

My sister wrote of an experience with our grandfather that is similar in many ways to countless experiences I had with my father. Even though it is about my grandfather, I share it not only for the beauty of the experience but also because it is representative of things my father taught me.

"Almost every year, as is common in late July, a storm builds up. One year the lightning was so fierce that I was terrified. Dad patiently took me by the hand, and we walked over to his father. 'Ask Grandpa to tell you about thunder and lightning.'

"Grandpa stood in the middle of the circle, holding on to his cap and shielding his eyes from the blowing dirt, and began to teach me about storms. He talked about the movement of storms and what caused them. He talked of larger weather patterns in northern Arizona and electrical phenomena, including how to calculate the distance from you to the lightning.

"But more than teaching me the scientific explanations, Grandpa quietly taught me through his example not to be afraid. He taught me that storms are to be appreciated and admired, surveyed and studied, but not feared. So from thunderstorms and Grandpa, I learned how knowledge and courage can dispel the darkness of fear." (Source).

My father taught me the beauty of the desert as we hiked in the Superstition Mountains. He taught me the importance of preparation as we hiked the dusty trails of the Grand Canyon. He taught me perseverance as we plodded our way through the Pariah Canyon. He taught me safety as we rappelled down mountainsides. He taught me love as he brushed away my tears. He taught me how to be a husband by how he treated my mother. He taught me creativity as he wove or drew or sang. He taught me service as he helped those around us in need. He taught me lifelong learning by his voracious appetite for knowledge. He taught me a love of family through his family history work. He taught me the gospel through countless Family Home Evenings. He taught me integrity by always keeping his word. He taught me by his word but most strongly by his deed. He lives as he teaches and teaches as he lives. Above all, he taught me that there is no more important thing in life than building my foundation upon Christ. There is no one whose opinions I value more than my father's. He truly is my hero.

The Light of Truth - Part 3

In the scriptures intelligence is often equated with knowledge, or at least knowledge comprises a significant portion of intelligence (as it does to some degree on modern intelligence tests). Joseph Smith stated that he "received instruction and intelligence" from Moroni each time Moroni appeared to him (see JS-H 1:54). In this instance intelligence implies knowledge but intelligence is not exactly the same as knowledge; I will demonstrate the difference in a little bit. First it is important to point out that Joseph received instruction - he was taught - and he received intelligence. Both were gifts given by Moroni.

We already know that intelligence is the light of truth (see D&C 93:29). Notice that intelligence does not equal truth, intelligence is the light of truth. Elsewhere intelligence was referred to light and truth (see D&C 93:36). I believe these are two slightly different uses of the word intelligence. The light of truth is like the light of Christ - the effects and power of the Holy Ghost given to all creatures that helps us understand right from wrong, within our spheres. Light is energy and power. Light gives power to truth - it is the power of truth. When intelligence is light and truth is truth that is edifying, clarifying, and powerful. It is superordinate to truth, meaning that truth, at least in this meaning of intelligence, is a subset of intelligence. Does this mean that there is truth without light? I believe so. There is truth in hell, there is truth in outer darkness, but there is not light.

We also learn more about intelligence from Joseph Smith: "Truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also" (D&C 93:30). Intelligence is independent and able to act for itself within its sphere of existence. Intelligence has the independence of agency. This implies that there is some sort of life (even if it is not distinct from power) to intelligence (and truth!). This brings us back to Joseph receiving intelligence from Moroni. Joseph received light and truth; he received the light of truth. He did not just receive knowledge, although knowledge can be part of truth and intelligence (however not all knowledge is true or intelligent or good, which is why Joseph did not just receive knowledge but also intelligence). He gained more of the light of Christ. He gained more of the power of truth.

Link to part 2 of this essay.

A House of Prayer Podcast - Episode 3

In this third podcast episode I briefly discuss the topics of cleanliness and overcoming the world. I also touch briefly on manhood and the priesthood. While it's not directly about fathers or even directly about manhood, it is given in honor of Father's Day and my own father, who taught me by word and example what it means to be a man, especially a man of God. The original essay (Arise from the Dust and Be Men) can be read here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

I'm not thrilled with the quality of the audio yet; I'm still learning how to process the audio to improve it's quality. :) I will likely be upgrading my recording hardware soon, which should fix some of the recording issues.

If you've subscribed to my feed, you should receive the audio file automatically. If you have not subscribed to my feed, it's never too late! You can also click on the following link to download the podcast directly (right-click {or option-click on a Mac} to save the file): A House of Prayer Episode 3

You can also subscribe directly from the iTunes Store by clicking on this link: A House of Prayer podcast (notice: requires and opens iTunes).

Let me know what you think!

Credit: The short music clip I use as an entrance and exit to the show is an arrangement of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing from the album Reflections of Christ. Visit that link to find out how you can purchase the music (I'm not associated with the artists or music in any way; I just enjoy it).

The podcast album art is an image by Irwin-Scott. Check out his photo stream on Flickr. I thought his photo of the Salt Lake Temple would be a fitting image as a house of prayer. His night-time photo of the illuminated temple surrounded by darkness has a lovely symbolic meaning of the temple as a light on a hill, an ensign to the nations, a lighthouse shining forth in the darkness.

The Light of Truth - Part 2

The prophet Joseph Smith taught us more on this topic of intelligence. I'm going to quote at length from Doctrine & Covenants 93 in order to provide some context. This will help us understand better what intelligence is and how it grows.

"He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation. For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; and when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple. The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth" (D&C 93:28-36).

God organized us and taught us the plan that would allow us to progress and gain intelligence like His. Regardless of our starting intelligence or ability, we are able to grow and progress in this life and in the eternities (more so in the next life) to become like our Father. Again, I will repeat this point because it is important: regardless of our starting intelligence we can progress and gain intelligence like God's! That is quite the blessing.

We add to our intelligence by study. How much we know is a component of intelligence. As we study, especially by faith, we gain more light. This light will be spiritual; it will also be temporal. The power of faith rends through the inky shroud of ignorance. It helps truth resonate in our minds and our spirits. I believe that much of the truths we discover in this life are actually un-covered, or more accurately, re-membered - brought back again to our memories. That is why some truths and knowledge resonate with us - we knew it in our life before this life. There are great blessings promised to those who seek and gain more intelligence. Pay attention to the key words in this passage:

"Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (D&C 130:18-21; emphasis added).

The key words were diligence and obedience but the key word is obedience. We gain knowledge and intelligence through diligence and obedience - in fact we obtain all blessings from God by obedience. Knowledge and intelligence are blessings from God; He is the source of all Truth. As we are obedient to the principles and ordinances of the gospel we obtain more light and truth. As we are obedient to our pursuit of knowledge and intelligence, we will be blessed accordingly.

Link to part 1 of this essay.

The Light of Truth - Part 1

What is intelligence? That's a question people have debated for many years. In France in the early 20th century, a psychologist developed the first modern intelligence test. Since then psychologists have given intelligence tests. We live in a society obsessed with intelligence. There are flashing ads all over the internet asking, "Are you smarter than [so and so]?" or "What's your IQ?" Do those online quizzes really test your intelligence? There are many different ideas of what intelligence is. Some people view it as a mixture of knowledge and ability to learn. Others view it as a conglomeration of skills - social, academic, physical, and so forth. This focus on intelligence is not new. The ancient Greeks were interested in intelligence. Socrates is well known for saying, "I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing." That quote has been retold in various ways by various people over the years. But even before the Greeks, Abraham thought about and understood intelligence. His source was pure - the Lord explained intelligence to him.

"If two things exist, and there be one above the other, there shall be greater things above them...if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all.... I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones" (Abraham 3:16,18-19,21-22).

There is a lot of doctrine and truth in these few verses. The Lord told Abraham that if there are two spirits (or people), one will be more intelligent than the other. However, these "intelligences" are eternal - without beginning or end. In this way they are co-eternal with God; God did not create intelligence. However, God is more intelligent than all of these spirits. That can even be interpreted to mean that He is more intelligent than them all combined! God saw the intelligences and organized them in the pre-mortal realm.

The Witness of the Book of Mormon, Part 5

I'll address other ways the Book of Mormon can help clarify the Bible. For instance, there are many differences in beliefs about the resurrection. Some people believe we will remain as spirit bodies. Others believe we will have physical bodies. Some believe that all will be resurrected while others believe only some will be resurrected. The Book of Mormon teaches that we will all be resurrected - all who ever lived on the earth - and that it is a physical resurrection (see Alma 40; Mosiah 15). Having these two witnesses (we also have additional teachings by modern prophets - see D&C 76, for example) clarifies doctrine. We no longer have to rely solely on the Bible, even as wonderful as it is. We can understand the doctrines with more clarity and purity. However, it is the living prophets who provide true clarity and additional light and knowledge. [image by AllAboutMormons.com].

Without living prophets and even with the Book of Mormon, the doctrines of the gospel would quickly corrupt (we certainly have a broad range of opinions about many doctrines or practices within the Church, even among the General Authorities), just as they did following the Savior's resurrection and the deaths of His original apostles. It's not the books that the most important - what's most important is the gift of the Holy Ghost - the ability to receive personal witnesses and revelation concerning the truths of the gospel - and the Priesthood power and authority. The priesthood allows for the organization of the church to function and exist. The priesthood keys as held by the prophet (and given to others through delegation and inspired callings) allow the ordinances of the gospel to be performed here on earth and be notarized in heaven.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we claim that the Bible is the word of God. We do not, however, accept it as a closed canon. We view scripture as open, expanding, and contemporary through ongoing revelation. We believe this view to be Biblical. Just as what Amos wrote added to what Moses had written (to refer back to Elder Holland's quote at the beginning of this essay) and what Paul wrote added to the words of the Redeemer, we claim that modern prophets give new scripture. Instead of simply retranslating the Bible into more modern English, we have prophets who receive new revelation. We certainly can apply the doctrines and teachings of the Bible to our day and adapt them to our understanding and lives but we are not limited any more to the Bible. Does God love His children today any less than those who lived during Biblical times? No! He speaks to prophets today just as He did then. He caused the Book of Mormon to speak from the dust (see Isaiah 29:4; 2 Nephi 26:16; 2 Ne. 33:13). He restored His Church through the prophet Joseph Smith, a restoration that brought about the blessings and promises of the fullness of the gospel, including the blessings of continuing revelation to prophets who speak with authority from God. God speaks to us today - individually (just as He has done throughout the ages) and through prophets. Not only does the Book of Mormon stand as Another Witness of Jesus Christ, but also the testimonies of the prophets verify the truth of the Bible and the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Atoner.

Link to part 4 of this essay.

A House of Prayer Podcast - Episode 2

In this second podcast episode I briefly discuss prayer as a means of communication with our Father in Heaven. I present an essay I wrote in 2008 called The Power of Prayer. Prayer seems like such a simple thing yet it provides great power. Through prayer, the Lord blesses us and others.

If you've subscribed to my feed, you should receive the audio file automatically. If you have not subscribed to my feed, it's never too late! You can also click on the following link to download the podcast directly (right-click {or option-click on a Mac} to save the file): A House of Prayer Episode 2

You can also subscribe directly from the iTunes Store by clicking on this link: A House of Prayer podcast (notice: requires and opens iTunes).

Let me know what you think!

Credit: The short music clip I use as an entrance and exit to the show is an arrangement of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing from the album Reflections of Christ. Visit that link to find out how you can purchase the music (I'm not associated with the artists or music in any way; I just enjoy it).

The podcast album art is an image by Irwin-Scott. Check out his photo stream on Flickr. I thought his photo of the Salt Lake Temple would be a fitting image as a house of prayer. His night-time photo of the illuminated temple surrounded by darkness has a lovely symbolic meaning of the temple as a light on a hill, an ensign to the nations, a lighthouse shining forth in the darkness.

The Witness of the Book of Mormon, Part 4

"And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.

And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day. And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come. And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews [the Bible, mainly the Old Testament], and also my words [the Book of Mormon], and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God [contained in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and spoken by modern prophets], behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day" (2 Nephi 33:10-14).

As we accept the truths of the Book of Mormon we will better understand the doctrines found in the Bible. In addition to verifying the truth of the Bible, the Book of Mormon can clarify its teachings. Over the years of translations and copies of copies, changes were introduced into the Bible - on purpose or inadvertently. Most were inadvertent and could have included simply choosing to translate one word in a particular manner. Even aside from changes, people interpret the Bible in many different ways. Interpretations might be similar but many are significantly different.

Some people take the Bible as a completely figurative and spiritual book while others take everything strictly literally. Joseph Smith explained it well: "The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others....the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (Joseph Smith-History 1:9,12).

Joseph did not state that the Bible was false or untrue or wrong; he just said that people argued and debated over what particular passages of scripture meant. Some of the arguments were and are very bitter. If he asked the Baptists, they said one thing. If he asked the Methodists, they said another. These debates continue today; look at the myriad Christian churches throughout the world. There are as many different and distinct churches as verses in the Bible (to be a bit hyperbolic)! So who has the truth? Do they all have the truth? I believe all have truth but do all have all the truth (or at least all the truths necessary for salvation)? No. How can we know the truth? Who is the source of truth? Who inspired prophets in Biblical times and gave them revelations that they wrote down? The Lord did.

Because God is the source of truth, Joseph's solution was to do as the Bible suggested in James 1:5 (verse 6 is also linked to), "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Joseph knew he had to ask the Lord in prayer. The Lord is the source of Truth so Joseph went to that Source. In response to Joseph's prayer at the age of 14, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph. They called him by name and called him to be the prophet, a role he would grow into over the years.

Link to part 3 of this essay.

The Longest Day - Remembering Those Who Fought

Sixty-five years ago the Allied forces launched the largest amphibious single-day invasion in history. By air, by sea, and by land the Allies approached the shores of Normandy in a risky but important endeavor to beat back the Nazi army. While the invasion was costly with approximately 10,000 Allied casualties (wounded, captured, killed) and up to 9,000 German casualties, it proved to be the beginning of the end for the Nazi regime and for World War II. The Allies fought for freedom and family. They fought for God.

In the Book of Mormon, the great military and church leader Moroni faced similar attacks - from within and without his people - on freedom. He decided he needed to rally his people to fight for their freedoms.

"And it came to pass that [Moroni] rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—For thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the church of God, called by those who did not belong to the church. And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come. And therefore, at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the freedom of the land might be favored" (Alma 46:12-16; emphasis added).

Just as Captain Moroni invoked the blessings of God on his people in their cause, in their fight for God, religion, freedom, families, and ultimately peace, so did the Allied forces invoke the power of the Almighty on their battles. Gen. Eisenhower, the commander of the Allied forces, sent out these words to the troops before their invasion.

"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

"Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.

"But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!

"I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

"Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking" (Source).

I am grateful for the God-given liberties and freedoms we enjoy. I am grateful for those who fought to protect our freedoms. I am grateful for those who sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom. What a price they paid! I pray that we will always remember the Source of our freedoms and honor Him in righteousness.

Please take the time to view portions of Rob Gardner's The Price of Freedom, a musical production honoring those who sacrificed so much during World War II. You can watch close to an hour of the production online by visiting this page or the YouTube priceoffreedommusic channel. I've embedded two clips from the musical - one about D-Day as well as a preview ("trailer") video.

The Witness of the Book of Mormon, Part 3

As Latter-day Saints we believe that the Book of Mormon is a collection of the writings and teachings of prophets who lived in the Americas over a span of a few thousand years. The Savior taught "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16). When the Savior visited some of the people in the Americas after His resurrection He said, "And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (3 Ne. 15:21). However, He had even more sheep that needed to hear His voice: "And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister" (3 Ne. 16:1). We believe that God's words do not cease. He speaks to us today through His prophets just as He did in Biblical times.

Brigham Young said something that I think is important here: "Learning a, b, c, d, does not hinder me from learning e, f, g" (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 245). In other words (and to adapt his quote to this essay), just because someone happens to know a and b does not mean they cannot also know c, d, and e. Believing in the Bible does not preclude believing in the Book of Mormon. Or, having the Book of Mormon does not lessen the importance of the Bible. In reality it increases the importance of the Bible because it stands as another witness to the veracity of the Bible. We have that additional testimony that the Bible is true! "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Cor. 13:1; see also Deut. 17:6, Matt. 18:16, D&C 6:28). God establishes the truth of His words through many witnesses. However, many believe that the Bible is enough. The Lord cautioned those who state that the Bible is all they need.

"And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.... Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews? Know ye not that there are more nations than one?...Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another?

Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever. Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written....

For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it. And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews" (2 Nephi 29:3,6-13; emphasis added).

Those are strong words but sometimes the truth is hard to bear. However, they are also very loving words; they show God's care and concern for all His children. He speaks to many nations so they may know His words of great joy and love. He wants all His children to hear His words. I think all would be glad to know that God speaks to us today (except for those who find it more convenient to believe God is dead, God doesn't exist, or God at least only spoke to a bunch of old dead guys)! His words and works do not cease. His work and glory is to provide eternal life to as many as will accept it (see Moses 1:39). I testify that the Book of Mormon contains the words of Christ. It builds, strengthens, and fortifies the Bible.

A House of Prayer Podcast - Episode 1

In this first podcast episode I briefly discuss the meanings of the terms justification and sanctification as they apply to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I present an essay I wrote based around the scripture Moses 6:60: "For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified."

This means that I'm announcing a great new feature for my blog. I decided to turn my series of essays into podcasts! That statement should make anyone start to salivate and feel giddy. The essay of this first episode is my can be read here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. It was originally posted in September 2008.

I'm new to podcasting and don't have a fancy recording set-up. Please excuse the occasional breathing sounds my microphone picked up. I need to find a mic position that reduces the sounds of me exhaling. Of course, by pointing that out you will all notice my breathing a lot more. :) If this podcast proves to be at least marginally popular, I will consider getting a nicer podcasting set-up.

If you've subscribed to my feed, you should receive the audio file automatically. If you have not subscribed to my feed, it's never too late! You can also click on the following link to download the file (right-click {or option-click on a Mac} to download): A House of Prayer Episode 1

You can subscribe to my podcast in iTunes by following the "Subscribe to Podcast" link under the Advanced menu. Then paste my feed address in the box: http://feeds.feedburner.com/AHouseOfPrayer

You can also now subscribe directly from the iTunes Store by clicking on this link: A House of Prayer podcast (notice: requires and opens iTunes). I hope you subscribe.

Let me know what you think!

Credit: The short music clip I use as an entrance and exit to the show is an arrangement of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing from the album Reflections of Christ. Visit that link to find out how you can purchase the music (I'm not associated with the artists or music in any way; I just enjoy it).

The podcast album art is an image by Irwin-Scott. Check out his photo stream on Flickr. I thought his photo of the Salt Lake Temple would be a fitting image as a house of prayer. His night-time photo of the illuminated temple surrounded by darkness has a lovely symbolic meaning of the temple as a light on a hill, an ensign to the nations, a lighthouse shining forth in the darkness.

The Witness of the Book of Mormon, Part 2

What is key to understand is that the Bible is a collection of individual books. These books were selected over the years, eventually comprising what we now know as the Bible. The two main divisions of the Bible - the Old and New Testaments - can be viewed as old and new covenants with the covenant people of the Lord (and with the broader world). This is not strictly true because the "new covenant" was largely the original "oldest covenant" (although there were some differences - animal sacrifice being one of them. Adam offered up sacrifices unto the Lord); when Moses was called to restore the covenant that had been lost during the years of the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt, he found that the people were slow to listen. They had grown stony hearts in Egypt, hearts that yearned too much for the deaf but permissive idols of the Egyptians. [Image source].

The Lord, understanding the hardness of His people's hearts, restored unto them through Moses, not the covenants originally made with Adam but a new covenant of strict ordinances and laws - a covenant that would command them in many things but ultimately prepare them to receive the higher and original covenant. It was not until the coming of the Savior upon the earth that the new covenant was made (or, more closely, re-introduced). However, this new covenant was quickly lost from the earth. The priesthood, which allowed the ordinances of the covenant to be performed with true authority, was lost. The people apostatized. The covenant would not be known in its fullness until the Lord started revealing it unto His prophet Joseph Smith in 1820. That restoration took a number of years before it was complete. Our living prophet continues to receive more light from the Lord. We live in a day when we have the fullness of the gospel, a thing that never occurred before on the earth, at least not in the general and widespread manner it is today.

As Latter-day Saints we have the Bible. We revere it and love it. We follow its teachings and place it first in our canon. Elder Ballard spoke these words about the Bible at General Conference in April 2007,

"It is a miracle that the Bible literally contains within its pages the converting, healing Spirit of Christ, which has turned men's hearts for centuries, leading them to pray, to choose right paths, and to search to find their Savior. The Holy Bible is well named. It is holy because it teaches truth, holy because it warms us with its spirit, holy because it teaches us to know God and understand His dealings with men, and holy because it testifies throughout its pages of the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham Lincoln said of the Bible: 'This Great Book . . . is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong' (Speeches and Writings, 1859–1865 [1989], 628)."

We do not, however, view the Bible as the breadth, width, and depth of God's words to His children. The Bible is a collection of the words of prophets. That is what makes it special! It is a record of the revelations given to prophets over thousands of years. Surely prophets received many other revelations that are not recorded in the books of the Bible! We know that the Savior taught many things are not contained within the Bible: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book" (John 20:30); "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen" (John 21:25). While John was using hyperbole, the underlying meaning is true - there are many things that the Savior said and did that are neither contained in John's writings nor the writings of the other prophets.

There are many things Jesus said and did that we do not have in the Bible. This is true for all the prophets throughout history. Scrolls and tablets and other things to write on were relatively expensive and difficult to manage. Scrolls decomposed quickly, parchment was very expensive, and tablets or plates were awkward. In addition, not every one could write. Many prophets lived in circumstances where they traveled a lot or they had other things to deal with - wars and families and employment. The words and prophecies that were recorded were selected because they were the most important or they were selected because they survived time, or both. It is a miracle we have the Bible as it is!

Link to part 1 of this essay.