The Mountain of the Lord's House - An LDS Perspective on Temples, part 5

That is a call I’d like to extend to the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple is a place of beauty and blessing. You Young Women and Young Men [ages 12-18] are able to go perform baptisms for the dead. Living the gospel – keeping the commandments and remaining true to your baptismal (and priesthood, for you young men) covenants can be difficult at times. Pres. Monson, our beloved prophet, stated in the April 2008 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “[You] youth…in particular, face temptations we can scarcely comprehend. The adversary and his hosts seem to be working nonstop to cause [your] downfall. We are waging a war with sin…but we need not despair. It is a war we can and will win” (Ensign, May 2008, p. 90).

You youth are in the midst of a war for your souls. On one side are Satan and his followers; on the other are the Lord and His followers. You choose which side to fight for. There will be casualties along the way but we know which side wins in the end. Just as Helaman’s army suffered no losses, with faith and righteousness you can survive the battle and not be counted among the casualties. You might be wounded and suffer blood loss but those are wounds that can be cleansed and healed at the fountain of living waters. Satan will try his utmost to keep you from attending the temple. He will try all sorts of feints and tactics. He will try to get you to lower your guard and remove your armor but you must remain strong and ready. You have inspired parents, leaders, and friends who can help you remain strong and faithful and who can help prepare you to enter the temple and receive its blessings.

The Mountain of the Lord's House - An LDS Perspective on Temples, part 4

The Savior used the pearl analogy again when he stated that we should not cast our pearls before swine - meaning that holy things are to remain sacred and pure. The same goes for our lives, if we are to be holy. Once we receive temple blessings we need to remain worthy of them and not drag them through the mud. When we become physically dirty or muddy we can wash ourselves and be clean. In a like manner, when we become spiritually dirty or muddy, when we sin and are become as lost sheep as Isaiah stated (see Isaiah 53: 6), then there is a way prepared for us to become clean again. "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isa. 53: 6) but the Good Shepherd, who is also the Lamb of God, prepared the way for us to return to the fold; indeed, He leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one who has wandered and who seeks forgiveness. The light of repentance disperses the darkness of sin.

The Lord promises great blessings to those who return unto him. During the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith pleaded: "And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house. And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them; And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfill that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days." (D&C 109: 21-23; emphasis added).

If we have transgressed, if we have strayed, we need to repent; when we repent, the blessings of heaven shall be poured out upon us, which blessings will also help wash away our imperfections. Let me repeat some of the blessings promised unto us by the Lord as we remain faithful to temple covenants: we shall be armed with power - power to do the Lord's work and power to resist temptation; we shall have God's name upon us; the glory of the Lord will be round about us - His image will shine in our countenances and he shall be as a pillar of cloud and of fire unto us; and angels will have charge over us, providing strength and comfort. All are powerful blessings. When we receive these blessings I think it is important to remember the words of the Prophet Joseph; he prayed that the saints would go forth from the temple unto the ends of the earth bearing great and glorious tidings. Again, the call is to welcome all people to become worthy to enter the temple. We have a responsibility to share our precious pearl and call to others, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord."

A Response to a Website Critical of Mormonism

Edit: I removed a portion of this post in order to simply it and focus on just one topic. I'll rewrite the first part of the post (that I removed) at a later date. I also removed the comments because they no longer applied to this post; they weren't removed because of content, they just weren't relevant any more. The author(s) of them should feel free to re-comment, if they desire, when I post the first part of my article again.

Here is my review of a website I stumbled across. 

This site is full of so-called intellectual criticisms of Mormonism that often consist of random quotes taken out of context to make a narrow and often unrelated point. Sometimes quotes are cleverly juxtaposed to make it easier for someone to make a faulty intuitive leap. Many of the quotes can be true independently but they sometimes are put together in a specific way to make a point that is not true. This is a common anti-Mormon tactic. This is a common tactic in political campaigns. It is also a common general rhetorical tactic.

There are numerous posts that seemingly point out inconsistencies and shifts in church doctrine over time, as if this somehow hurts the church. The LDS Church is founded on modern-day revelation; on the belief that we have a living prophet who is the only one authorized to receive revelation for the entire church and to authoritatively interpret the scriptures and speak for the Lord. If some doctrines did not have to change over time in response to the times, why would there be a need for a living prophet?

Because the authors who contribute to this site come across as providing intellectual criticisms of the LDS Church, church doctrine, and church leaders, I'll write about the Church and intellectualism.

The LDS Church is sometimes criticized for being anti-intellectual. What is true about that is that the Church does not approve of intellectuals who place their own personal beliefs and egos above that of revealed doctrine; who think that they know better than the prophet just because they might think they are smarter than the prophet or than a particular church leader. Some of these intellectuals want to sell their messes of pottage for what they think is truth. So some criticize the Church for occasionally excommunicating these "free-thinkers" for "doing nothing" but questioning authority or telling the "truth." This brand of intellectualism consists of religious anarchists, people who believe that they should have complete immunity and impunity for their words and actions.

They criticize the Church for encouraging blind faith while at the same time disregard LDS doctrine that teaches that God values moral (free) agency so much that a war was fought in heaven over it. Church leaders always let people have their agency, even if that means the people lose their membership in the Church. Church leaders do not call for us to have blind faith, although there are instances when we need to take a step or two into the dark or to take a leap of faith, they want us to have simple faith (that's not simple-minded faith, it's pure and holy faith - the faith of a child in a parent). The LDS Church is certainly not opposed to intellectuals. Does not God have the greatest intellect of all? Do we not believe that we are His children and can become like Him?

I am not encouraging people to think less or to stop asking questions. Think hard, ask the tough questions but make sure you ask God to know the truth; you can know all truth through the power of the Holy Ghost. The gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accept and encompass all truth, regardless of topic. Science and doctrine go hand in hand when science is true (and when the doctrine is true).

My personal belief and philosophy is that I may believe many theories and "truths" of science and philosophy but I'm not willing to bet my eternal salvation on those. For example, I could spend my whole life doing neuropsychology and neuroscience research and discover, in the next life, that everything I thought I knew was true was in fact false. I would not be upset because I leave myself open to that possibility, even if it is not likely. The only sure thing that I really know is my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that He lives, that He has a plan for me and all of us, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His church restored to the earth and that the keys, authority, and ordinances necessary for salvation are held therein. Everything that I know to be true is related to that knowledge. All worldly, scientific, or other knowledge is secondary. The more I study science, the more sure I am that Truth is only revealed by God through His prophets and through the Holy Ghost.

The Mountain of the Lord's House - An LDS Perspective on Temples, part 3

Being holy also requires us to be clean. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of the cleansing that comes in the temple and through temple service: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36: 25-27). The Lord promised a new heart, a heart softened by the Spirit, to those who receive saving ordinances and keep His statutes. This new heart allows us to be better people: better saints, better citizens, better mothers, fathers, and friends. It is a new heart that beats warmly within our chests, filling us with love and charity for our friends, neighbors, and the entire world. The temple is a place where we learn to live as better people in this world while striving to remain spotless from the sins of the world; Elder Maxwell stated, "Temple work is not an escape from the world but a reinforcing of our need to better the world while preparing ourselves for another and far better world. Thus, being in the Lord's house can help us to be different from the world in order to make more difference in the world" (N.A.M. Quote Book, p. 339). Inner change is not enough, we need to take that change and seek to bless others.

The Savior likened the gospel and the kingdom of heaven unto a pearl of great price, which a man sold all that he had in order to purchase (see Matt. 13: 45-46). The kingdom of heaven is something for which we need to be willing to give up everything. Hopefully, none of us view the gospel as a pearl of great pride instead of a pearl of great price. A pearl of great pride is something we hide away and don't share; we may have worked hard to obtain it and we want the world to know that. A pearl of great price is something that we give our all for and then share it with others so they too can experience the beauty and blessings of that pearl. That's what Elder Maxwell said about the temple - it's not a place that removes us from the world; it's a place that moves us to improve the world. The temple is not an exclusive club that keeps out the rabble (it's not a pearl of pride), it's an education center that gives us the opportunity to, as the BYU motto states, "Enter to learn, [and] go forth to serve;" the temple is a pearl of great price - something we should be willing to give our all for; it’s not just a one-time purchase but something that requires our whole lives. The price - the responsibility - of the temple is a life of willing sacrifice and service and of obedience and repentance.

The Mountain of the Lord's House - An LDS Perspective on Temples, part 2

The prophet Isaiah saw in vision latter-day temples and the church members who attend them: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths" (2 Ne. 12: 2-3).

In the last days - in our day - comes the clarion call to the temple. It is a call to learn the ways of God and to walk in the paths the Lord has marked. It is a call to one and all to visit the house of God as individuals and as families in order to receive the blessings of time and eternity. Why is the temple so important? A temple is the House of the Lord. It is the place where ordinances necessary for exaltation are performed. Temple ordinances weld generation to generation; husband to wife, mother to daughter, and sister to brother. A temple is a place of covenant - it is a house of holiness.

To be holy means to be dedicated, set-apart, or consecrated. When we are holy we consecrate all our lives and everything we have to the work of the Lord. The prophet Zechariah spoke about consecration: "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD...Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 14: 20-21). Zechariah envisioned the day when even the horses and dishes would be consecrated for the work of the Lord. Many of us do this in our lives - we drive our children and the children of others to church activities or we drive to our visiting or home teaching appointments; we also use our dishes to take food to those who are ill or in need. Those may seem like small matters, but that is the essence of consecration - it is using our means to serve and support others and further the work of the Lord.

The Mountain of the Lord's House - An LDS Perspective on Temples, part 1

From the days of Adam, temples have always been important to the followers of God. In the ancient world, temples were often at the center of city life. This also is how some modern cities are designed. A good example of this in our day is Mesa Arizona. The temple is built on Main Street and very close to Center Street – right in the middle of the city. The city radiates out from that point. Salt Lake City is designed in the same way. Wherever the saints of God lived, they built temples. Moses was commanded to build a tabernacle – a portable temple. Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem that was alternately destroyed and rebuilt over the years. Shortly after Nephi and his family reached the Promised Land, they built a temple. Following the Restoration, the prophet Joseph was commanded to build a temple. The saints built one in Kirtland, Ohio (some of my ancestors were heavily involved in the building of that temple as well as others). The saints fled Ohio following persecutions - leaving behind the precious house of the Lord. Land was dedicated in Missouri for a temple. That structure has not yet been built.

Once in Nauvoo, the saints built a temple, finishing it with a trowel in one hand and a wagon in the other as they fled the state to head to the Salt Lake Valley. The Nauvoo temple was dedicated before it was fully completed so some of the saints could receive their temple blessings before they had to cross the plains. I’m sure those blessings gave courage and strength to many who faced the grueling journey ahead. The Prophet Joseph stressed the importance of temples: "The main object [of gathering the Jews, or the people of God, in any age of the world] was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose" (as cited in R. Millet, The Power of the Word, p. 218).

Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship

Elder Robert D. Hales spoke on Christian courage at this past General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a conference held semiannually from Salt Lake City, Utah and broadcast to church locations, homes, and computers worldwide.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from his talk.

When we do not retaliate—when we turn the other cheek and resist feelings of anger—we too stand with the Savior. We show forth His love, which is the only power that can subdue the adversary and answer our accusers without accusing them in return. That is not weakness. That is Christian courage.

Through the years we learn that challenges to our faith are not new, and they aren’t likely to disappear soon. But true disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition.

Meekness is not weakness. It is a badge of Christian courage.... True disciples speak with quiet confidence, not boastful pride.

By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. The high ground is where the light is. It’s where we see the first light of morning and the last light in the evening. It is the safe ground. It is true and where knowledge is. Sometimes others want us to come down off the high ground and join them in a theological scrum in the mud. These few contentious individuals are set on picking religious fights, online or in person. We are always better staying on the higher ground of mutual respect and love.

You can read the rest of his talk here.