Prophecy of Our Day - What Nephi Knew

There are many people who often think us mormons are crazy. We are always talking about the gospel and looking for ways to share it. It's not because we are crazy, it's because we are excited! When you know something exciting that has changed your life you don't want to keep it a secret you want to tell the world. You want everyone to have the opportunity to know what you know and feel what you feel. After all, the definition of the gospel is "the good news".

So what is this good news that many men, women and children have sacrificed their lives for? It's that God lives, we are His children, and we have the opportunity to live with Him again. Families can be together forever and are essential to God's plan of happiness. The teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints focus on not just where we came from and why we are here but where we are going. That's what is so exciting!

To receive guidance for us specifically and to learn these truths is a precious gem. I absolutely love the book of 2 Nephi, especially chapter 28. As I was reading it a few weeks ago I realized how spot on this prophecy of our day is. Just about everything Nephi talks about in this chapter I can see happening all around me on a daily basis. This solidifies my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the teachings of the ancient prophets. They surely wrote this book for our day. It was not to benefit them, it was for the future generations - us! What a blessing!

With that said, this is a chapter that I can feast on for days. There is so much being said here to warn us and prepare us for what we are facing today. Satan is trying hard to destroy us and rip apart our families. This chapter was written to warn us and protect us. None of these verses should be skipped over or swept under the rug, they are all valuable for each and every one of us.

Click here to read the entire chapter otherwise, I'm just going to focus on select verses. Also, this link is to another blog that offers greater detail with more examples of this chapter and how it affects each of us. If you have time I recommend you read it.

So, Nephi has spoken of the coming forth of Book of Mormon in our day. He has already spoken of the prophet Joseph Smith who would translate the Book of Mormon and restore the gospel to the earth. He reiterates the words of Isaiah as in Isaiah chapter 29. Then, in chapter 28 verse 2 he says,

And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel.

Yes, this is of great worth to you and I and our entire generation. Let's find out why in verses 3-6

3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—

4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.

5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.

I have heard this many times in our day. People who deny the power of God saying that God no longer performs miracles or speaks to man. God is ALWAYS God and is the same today as he was yesterday, He will always love his children, speak to them and bless them.

He goes on to say,

7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.

8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

I have heard this as well. The devil is a natural at putting this idea in the minds of men. It's an easy way to justify sin and avoiding accountability for your sin to think that it's okay to do wrong because God is so merciful that He will slap your hand and then all will be well for you. We are all accountable for our actions. If our deeds be bad will be punished according to those deeds. It is better to live a good life and avoid sin as much as possible. Not only will your life be more fulfilling, you will be blessed and avoid many pains and sufferings that sin naturally causes.

Too often, people want to sin without feeling the guilt. The devil in his crafty ways will tell these individuals that in order to do this they need to deny that what they are doing is a sin. If they can convince themselves that it is not a sin, then they do not have to worry about accountability and thus feel guilt. They create their own philosophies to support their actions and desires. To make things temporarily easier, Satan tells them that if they just deny the gospel or God all together then they do not have to worry about accountability period because they do not believe. In fact, the devil is so crafty, he will convince them that even he, the father of all lies does not exist.

These people are not genuinely happy people. They will convince themselves they are happy because they feel "free" to do whatever they please without having to answer to anyone or God. However they are not free. They are bound by the devil and his awful chains of sin. They do not feel the peace that comes from living close to the Lord (true freedom). Because they are truly not at peace they continue their quest for real happiness in all the wrong places. Any mentioning of basic gospel principles, Christ or even God may send them into a bitter upheaval and they become very vocal about their anger, annoyance or disagreements. It's a downward spiral that leads to eternal pain and suffering.

In verses 15 and 16 Nephi speaks to these very individuals and warns them of what will happen. Notice the three woes. There is great significance in this number. Woe is an exclamation of grief. You can see that Nephi is very sad and trying to get our attention when he says,

15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!

16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.

He offers hope when he says,

17 But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.

You don't have to settle for sin. Repent, repent, repent...trust me only good can come from it. It's not always easy but once you begin the process your life will become easier as the Lord will be able to lighten your burdens. Living life with the heavy weight of sin upon your shoulders is not a fun way to experience life on this earth. There is no joy in living when you are weighed down in pain and struggles. Hand it all over to the Lord and you will find the joy again in your life. He already suffered for you so that you don't have to. However, if you don't repent then you will have to suffer for your own sins in this life and the next. Don't allow what the Savior did for you to have been done in vain. Use his atonement. He did it for you and I because he knew we are not perfect and it was the only way we could become worthy to live with he and the Father again. Please repent.

18 But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof.

19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

Wow! I get chills when I read this. Just look at the headlines. It doesn't take a genius to see that good has been twisted to appear bad. Not a day goes by that I read a news story and have to pinch myself in disbelief at what I am reading. We live in a day when all the principles and truths taught by the Lord Jesus Christ, himself, are being portrayed as evil and wrong. The devil is reigning in the hearts of men. They have been deceived. This is why I have felt strongly prompted by the spirit to write this blog post. It is time to take a stand for righteousness and not let Satan continue to pervert the word of God.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

There can be danger in assuming that there is not much for a person to do to help build the kingdom of God. Becoming complacent and thinking that everyone around you is doing such a great job at serving their neighbor and taking care of the needy that you are not needed. It's never wise to be idle. When you have too much time on your hands you can become victim to the temptations of the adversary. Whether it be negative thoughts about another person, curious thoughts about a particular sin or anything that would pull you away from the path of happiness.

Even worse, lying to yourself that there is no Satan. When this happens you can't recognize when Satan is influencing you thus you don't think to pray and ask for the power of God to deliver you from his grasp. If you don't believe in Satan then you most likely don't believe in God. At this point you assume you are on your own. Not true! There is no gray area or middle ground. If you are not serving the Lord, you are serving someone else - without realizing it. As soon as Satan sees an open door - he'll take it. When you don't believe in him, it's even better for him - because you are not going to recognize his power over you and you are certainly not going to pray for help from above. You are all his.

23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

Again, I see people being more and more persuaded by pop culture, hollywood and politics as to what is morally right and wrong. People are more concerned about what other people are going to think about them and if they are going to be accepted rather than what God thinks. To them it's not worth risking a job opportunity or their reputation so they would prefer not to be associated with defending Christian values and principles. It's more difficult to be the unpopular person and stand up for the Lord but when this short life is over in the blink of an eye and you stand before God to be judged, you'll be glad you did the unpopular thing.

27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

I hear this often. In fact, usually it's what people will say to disprove the Book of Mormon. God always speaks to His children. He loves us all and He wants guide us back to Him. We need instruction for our day. Every generation experiences different issues and they need current instruction from God to guide them. That's why we have a living prophet who gives us counsel and modern day scripture from the Lord. He receives revelation for our day.

God did not stop speaking to His children after the apostles of the New Testament died. Prophets are not a thing of the past. He continues speaking today through a living prophet. Thomas S. Monsen is not just a prophet for Latter Day Saints to follow - he is the one true living prophet on the Earth today for all who desire to follow.

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

If you are searching for truth you will find it. The Lord guides those who have an open heart, to the truth. For those who are not looking, they will not find. When you are ready to find it, He will deliver it to you in bits and pieces. When you understand and accept the small truths He will then bless you with more. For example, someone who does not understand simple gospel principles such as prayer or the law of tithing will not be ready to understand or accept the purpose of the temple and covenants made there. It would be easier for them to deny the importance of such ordinances if they don't have a testimony of eternal life and the plan of salvation. Line upon line, precept upon precept.

31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

32 Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

The purpose of this blog post is to bring light to the realization that we are all children of God. Don't let pride stop you from feeling peace and comfort that the spirit brings. You are important to God. He loves you. If you are unhappy, angry, bitter, sad, confused or afflicted in any way - the Lord is there for you with open arms. You can choose to go to him or turn your back. Either way, he will remain there with his arm reached out to you. When we feel distant from the Lord it is because we moved, not him.

Following the Lord does not mean that your life will be free of struggles or pain - that is necessary for our own personal growth here on Earth. Following the Lord does mean you will be blessed with extra strength to lighten your burdens. You will go through trials regardless of whether or not you follow the Lord. You have the choice to go through them alone or with the help of God. The times that we live in are scary, uncertain and unstable. Why not immerse yourself in something that is constant, stable, certain and unwavering - the word of God.

I can't imagine how my life would be if I chose to go through my trials and and challenges in this difficult world - alone. How miserable that would be. I choose to lean on the shoulder of the Lord. In doing so I have found forgiveness, hope, happiness and unconditional love. It has been a strength in my life and has given me courage to stand up for what I believe in a world of adversity. It has made me strong. There is nothing that could destroy my testimony of what I know to be true. It is this foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ that keeps my feet on solid ground amidst the storm that is blowing all around us. It's a storm of darkness and chaos but the gospel is my anchor and my light.

I know this to be true. God lives. Jesus lives and heads his church here on the earth. The Lord speaks through a living prophet. The gospel has been restored to this earth and this has been testified to us through the words of prophets of old. The Book of Mormon is a true book, written for our time and translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. The words in this book are true and of God. If we read them and follow them we will not lose our way in this dark world of confusion. We will find happiness, peace and safety. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Where Do We Go When We Die? - The Three Degrees of Glory

This is one of my favorite topics in the gospel. What happens after we die?

Our Father in Heaven loves us all and through his Son Jesus Christ and the atonement, we are able to repent of our sins and perfect ourselves through him. The path is laid out before us so that we can follow it and return to live with our Father in Heaven. Through living righteously on earth, utilizing the atonement daily, and receiving specific ordinances and making sacred covenants with our Father in Heaven, we can live with Him again.

In John 14:2 Jesus says, "In my Father’s house there are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." When we die we enter the spirit world. The spirit world is divided into two conditions: paradise and prison (often referred to as heaven or hell). These are temporary dwelling places for spirits until the resurrection and judgement day.

Paradise - includes the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality.

Prison - a place in the post-mortal spirit world for those who have "died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets". This is a temporary state in which spirits will be taught the Gospel and have the opportunity to repent and accept ordinances of salvation that are performed for them in temples.Those who accept the Gospel may dwell in paradise until the Resurrection. Those who choose not to repent but who are not sons of perdition will remain in spirit prison until the end of the Millennium, when they will be freed from hell and punishment and be resurrected to a telestial glory. Spirit prison is both a place and the state of the soul between death and the resurrection, for people who have either not yet received knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or those who have been taught but have rejected it.

It is a temporary state within the spirit world. Those who rejected the gospel after it was preached to them may suffer in a condition known as hell. The suffering associated with the spirit prison refers to anguish of soul because of acute knowledge of one's own sins and unclean state. This is considered to be a condition of great torment, where there will be "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth"

In Peter 3:19 we learn that after Jesus died,... he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Our loving Heavenly Father in His infinite wisdom, created a plan for us so that we could live with Him in eternity. Not everyone will follow His plan but those who do will be able to dwell with Him on high. Because our Heavenly Father is of a perfect glory, we could not last in His presence without being of that same glory ourselves. The intensity of that brightness would destroy us. Therefore God made it possible that we could obtain that same glory and forever live in His presence.

Because God loves us, all of His children are given the chance to learn about His plan (whether in this life or the next) and choose to accept it or not. Those who do accept and commit to righteousness and obedience, heavenly laws, ordinances and covenants will be permitted to enter God's presence and live with Him for eternity. Those who do not, will be unable to dwell in the presence of God, but will still receive a degree of glory. It would make sense that someone who denied God's teachings on earth would not receive the glory of God and live with Him, nor would they feel comfortable being in His presence. It would also make sense that this person would NOT be cast out into outer darkness or hell to forever live with the devil and his torment. We know that hell is a place for the devil, his angels and just a handful of souls who received a witness of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost and then denied it. So what then is to become of those who did not commit the unpardonable sin, yet did not agree to follow or accept God's plan and gospel?

The answer is found in in Revelation 22:10-11 when John says,

10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (final judgment). 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still (telestial kingdom): and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still (outer darkness): and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still (terrestrial kingdom): and he that is holy, let him be holy still (celestial kingdom).

We know that there are three degrees of glory also known as the three kingdoms of glory. The highest kingdom being the Celestial Kingdom, the place where God dwells.

In 2 Corinthians 2:12 Paul says,

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. Again in 2 Corinthians 15:40-41 he describes these three glories or kingdoms,

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestial is another.

41 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.

There is a place prepared for the filthy, the unjust, the righteous and the holy. They are:

The Celestial Kingdom (The brightness of the sun) The celestial kingdom will be the residence of those who have been righteous, accepted the teachings of Jesus Christ and made and lived up to all of the required ordinances and covenants during their mortal lives. It will also be the residence of those individuals that accepted and received the ordinances and covenants in the post-mortal spirit world. All children who die before the age of eight automatically inherit the celestial kingdom. The celestial kingdom will also be the permanent residence of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Those who obtain the highest glory of this kingdom become like their Father, receive His glory and can obtain all that He has.

Terrestial Kingdom (The brightness of moon)

Those who will inhabit the terrestrial kingdom include those who lived respectably but "were blinded by the craftiness of men" and thus rejected the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ when it was presented to them during their mortal lives. It also includes persons who rejected the "testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it" in the spirit world and those who "are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus" after having received it

Ultimately, the kingdom of glory (either the celestial or the terrestrial) received by those who accept the testimony of Jesus will be based on God's knowledge of whether they "would have received it with all their hearts" as manifested by their works and the "desire of their hearts".

Those who inherit the terrestrial kingdom "receive of the presence of the Son, but not the fullness of the Father."

Telestial Kingdom (Glory of the stars)

Individuals in the telestial kingdom will be servants of God, but "where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end"; however, they will receive the ministration of the Holy Ghost and beings from the terrestrial kingdom. Despite these limitations, being resident in the telestial kingdom is not an unpleasant experience: "the glory of the telestial ... surpasses all understanding".

We know from latter day revelation that the majority of man from the time of Adam until now will dwell here. I have read several accounts from NDE books that in the spirit world, the light that emulates from your clothing and spirit is a reflection of the good works you performed while on earth. Some spirits shine brighter than others. I believe the same will be after judgement day. Within the different kingdoms there will be some spirits who shine brighter than others within their same kingdom. This reflects different levels of glory within those kingdoms. At the final judgment, all except the devil, his angels, and those who become sons of perdition during mortal life will be assigned to one of the three kingdoms of glory. Because of our free agency we can choose whether or not to follow God's plan of happiness and accept a testimony of Jesus Christ. Finally, I believe that once we enter the spirit world - our memory of our pre-existence (or life with our Father in Heaven before we came to earth) is restored. We remember Him and His love. We remember promises we made to Him about things we would do to make it back to Him. It is then one will feel great suffering knowing that they rejected His plan and teaching of the gospel while on the earth. Realizing that they will not be permitted to live in His presence for all eternity is the greatest suffering of all. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ felt our pains and suffering so that we don't have to. All we have to do is repent and utilize his atonement and we can avoid that pain and suffering on judgement day. Christ himself said, "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;" Doctrine and Covenants 19:16

Those who don't repent will have to suffer for their own sins. To live without God would be the greatest suffering of all.

I testify that this is true. To be called unto repentance is an invitation of love. The Savior himself invited all to come unto him and be clean. He wants us to come unto him and forsake our sins. He suffered so that if you choose, you don't have to. It is all up to you. The pathway that leads back to God is narrow and straight. The pathway that leads to hell is broad and windy. It isn't easy to live the celestial law while on this earth, but it is worth it. It also is very unpopular to do so. It is much easier to live by your own ideas, principles and philosophies as they are made to be convenient and justify your actions. The world will accept you if you do. After this life, what made people "popular" will bring them pain and anguish, what made people unpopular will bring them great joy and happiness. We have to keep our lives in eternal perspective. When we do, the things of this world do not matter and are not appealing. Our hearts our centered on our eternal rewards, which blesses us greatly in our day to day lives. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

The Atonement - Why God Forsook His Son Jesus Christ

I was taking a shower the other day and was reflecting on the atonement. As I played through the scriptures that record this event I was thinking about the moments from when Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane to his very last moments on the cross. As he took on the pains, sufferings and sorrows of all of mankind, bled from every pore and hung in agony on the cross, the most intriguing verse from the New Testament that burned in my mind was Matthew 27:36

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

I thought to myself, "Why would the Father forsake His Son?" it was then the answer came into my mind. Jesus needed to feel every pain and suffering. What is the worst suffering of all? Being removed from the presence of God. There are and will be many souls who do not repent of their sins and will thus remove themselves from the presence of God for all eternity. That is the worst suffering of all.

Scriptures record Christ verbalizing this shortly before he dies. We do not know at what point the Father removed Himself from the Son. Because it is recorded as one of the final events before the Savior dies it is assumed that Christ verbalizes this as soon as he feels it which would mean that God only removed himself at the very end of Jesus' suffering - completing the atonement. I believe that God knew how painful this would be for the Savior to feel but knew that it was necessary - which may be why He saved it for the very end.

Jesus Christ suffered for us so that we don't have to. Because of Him we will not have to suffer all of eternity without being in the presence of our Heavenly Father. If he did not do this for us, we would be unclean and unworthy to enter the highest kingdom and dwell with God. All we have to do is use the atonement. Repent of our sins daily and reflect upon the atonement and our repentance every Sabbath day when partaking the sacrament. When we utilize the atonement we make it so that Christ did not suffer in vein. We are made perfect through our Savior Jesus Christ.

The atonement is for all but will only be used by those who want to live with their Father in Heaven. After proper ordinances (for those who live beyond the age of 8) such as baptism and marriage sealings, utilization of the atonement is what will grant someone worthiness to dwell with God. For those who do not use the atonement, they will have to suffer for their own sins. They will suffer for eternity - their greatest suffering of all - not being able to live with God.

The atonement is there for us. I don't think we fully appreciate it and it's importance until we fully understand it.

“It was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, in Gethsemane that His pain was equivalent to the cumulative burden of all men, in Gethsemane that He descended below all things so that all could repent and come to Him. The mortal mind fails to fathom, the tongue cannot express, the pen of man cannot describe the breadth, the depth, the height of the suffering of our Lord—nor His infinite love for us” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 14).

“Christ’s agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. … It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, ‘the prince of this world’ could inflict. …

“In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world” (Jesus the Christ, 613). Elder James E. Talmage

I am grateful that God loves us enough to have sent His son to sacrifice himself for our eternal salvation. To feel our pains so that we don't have to. To be saved is to be able to dwell with God. I hope and pray that all who read this will be prompted to take advantage of the atonement. Repent of your wrongdoings so that you can stand spotless before the Lord at judgment day. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy - The Lord's Commandments

I so much look forward to writing on this blog! I always hope and pray that each post I write finds it's way to whomever is in need of those words at that time. If you find that to be true when reading this post I would love to hear about it in the comments section.

For the last three weeks I have felt the need again to write about the importance of the Sabbath day and keeping it holy - and further more what it means to keep it holy. I have written about this topic in the past which seemed to make me quite unpopular but recent events and stirrings within my heart have prompted me to relay it again.

I always hope and pray that my children will take what I teach them and desire to do even better with it. If every generation tried to do a little better than the generation before - wow, what a world we would live in. And so, that is what I have tried to do with what I was taught as a child - to do even better. Let, me tell you I will be such a proud parent if any of my children ever came to me in the future and said, "Mom, I know you taught me this...but I think I can do even better." or " I can go the extra mile with it."

There have been occasions in my family where siblings and others have criticized me for doing my best to keep the Sabbath day holy. It saddens me because if I learned that anyone in my immediate family was trying their best to live the gospel (a little harder each day) I would praise and admire them. I am only concerned about my little family (whom I am responsible for as a mother and wife). What others choose to do on the Sabbath is their choice and does not concern me. Because there have been a few who have observed how I keep the Sabbath day holy and have felt the need to chastise me, I have felt the need to explain what I believe and extend an invitation to all with the promise that if you pray about what I have written, you will receive a confirmation of it's truth. Also, if you choose to follow what I speak about, you will be blessed. Only good will come from trying a little harder to live a little better.

I believe in brief and simple teachings. So as simple as can be put, the Sabbath day is the one day each week that the Lord has set aside for the purpose of us resting from our weekly activities and worshiping Him. It's a "holy" day which means that all that we do on this sacred day should be centered around Him. Reaching out to neighbors, friends and family and extending our love, studying scriptures and pondering the words, reflecting on what we can do to have a better week, attending all of our Sunday meetings and worshiping the Lord. Instead of looking for ways to justify activities that we aren't sure are appropriate on the Sabbath, we should be looking for more ways we can better respect the Sabbath. Our actions, reflect our respect for the Sabbath and our respect is a reflection of how we feel about the Lord and the love we have for Him. Respecting our Heavenly Father is respecting His holy day.

It's not anyone's responsibility or place to tell you what you shouldn't do on the Sabbath, that is a decision you have to make for yourself. Your love for the Lord and the Spirit will guide you in determining how you and your family can best keep this day holy.

As for me and my house, we choose to avoid TV, limit computer use and any other media outlet or activity that can distract us from feeling the Spirit in our home. We avoid all forms of unnecessary labor and recreational activities. We choose not travel far on the Sabbath unless visiting family or someone who is sick or lonely. But instead of focusing on what "we choose NOT to do" we focus on what "we choose TO do". We look forward to coming up with enjoyable activities that can help us feel the Spirit and grow closer together as a family with the Lord. By doing this we have truly been blessed in our lives. We feel an abundance of joy and happiness in our daily lives and spiritually rejuvenated each week. By keeping the Sabbath day holy, the Lord blesses us with the strength we'll need to take on the next week. We are happier for living this commandment as best we can.

I have several friends who are having many difficult struggles in their lives and bouts of depression and unhappiness. They express frustration in their situations and the Lord. These are friends who have been taught the commandments and have made sacred covenants with the Lord to always keep His commandments. So, when they casually mention certain activities they are participating in which are contrary to the commandments and covenants they have made, in hopes of feeling some quick, temporal happiness I am always in awe that they expect the Lord to keep His promises to them when they are breaking theirs. I am in awe that they don't get it. True happiness comes from making good choices and keeping yourself in places and around people where you can feel the Spirit speak to you and not compromise your values. By keeping the basic commandments you will be in a position for the Spirit to speak to you and teach you what to do to be truly happy.

The Lord gives us commandments for our own good. The universe is governed by certain laws that if broken yield certain consequences. By obeying God's laws we will be happier - it's a natural consequence. Too often people look for "shortcuts" or "convenience" when trying to obey the commandments or live the gospel. When it seems tempting to take that U turn, in a "No U turn" zone, we must be prepared to deal with the consequences whether that be a hefty fine or ticket, or worse...a fatal car accident. The law is there for our own good and if we obey it we will be safe.

More importantly, living the higher law prepares us for eternal glory and progression. God gives us laws to prepare us for what lies ahead fur us in eternity if we desire it and are worthy of it. I desire to progress and move ahead in all areas of my life, so choosing to live a higher law is natural for me. If we can't live by those laws here on earth then our spiritual progression is slowed/delayed and it is much more difficult to progress in the next life. For some, they are comfortable living a lower law or "the easier way" and in the next life it will remain the same for them. Their progression will be limited but they will be fine and comfortable with that. For others, we want to progress as much as we can. We want to further our light and knowledge about the mysteries of God. If that is what we desire now, it will be the same in the next life. We will progress to the highest glory of truth and light that we desire.

Though we have our free agency when choosing how we keep the Sabbath day holy, it is very important to the Lord that we do this which is why He made it a commandment. In fact to express the importance of the commandment we are are reminded in Exodous 31:15 when the Lord says to Moses,

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

Today we do not face a death penalty for breaking the Sabbath, instead we suffer a spiritual death, for by breaking the Sabbath we remove ourselves from the Lord.

Sarah Menet, the author of There is No Death, had a near death experience in which she was given heavenly council and instruction on how to keep herself and her family safe from the evil that lies ahead in the last days. She spoke at a fireside in Utah several years ago, and here is an excerpt of part of that transcript. Here she speaks directly to the saints of the church in Utah in regards to the blessings of having a living prophet.

It is like living in a small city with Moses right there and yet we take it for granted that we have a prophet of God right here in our city, just a few miles away from us. Do we care? We take it for granted because we see him on TV a couple of times a year and that is great. It is wonderful to see the prophet but do you know that 50% of the Church in the last days will totally apostatize and fall away from the Church. That is half. So if we have 10 million members now, at least 5 million will not be greeting the Savior when he comes and of that percentage that is left, few of those will be left to greet the Savior. (Do not raise your hands.) How many of you consider yourself to be Christ-like people, not good members of the Church- but Christ-like people, righteous people. I am not a righteous person. I am a good person, a really good person but I do not think that I am righteous. We have been given so much and we have a prophet right here in our valley!

We have Saints that go shopping every single Sunday. They run to the store or run to Smith's. Do you know that the reason why the malls, the shops, the markets are open is because the LDS people shop on Sunday? I am going to tell you tonight a secret for saving your life in the latter days from these calamities that are coming. We as members of the Church have been told to pay an honest tithing, now that is not when you can afford to or when you have an abundance, that means if somebody gives you $.50, you pay tithing on it.

Literally every penny that you get, not just because you have more but out of every amount of money that is given to you, give 10% to the Lord. That is going to protect you completely and if you have not done it in the past.

Today is a new day. I am one for saying: "Every day is a fresh clean piece of paper." You can start your life over today. It does not matter what you did yesterday, last week, or last month. Today is a new day!

Tomorrow they can be up there looking at your crystals and blotting out what you have done. If you have hurt someone, I do not care if you feel like you were in the right or not, you go to that person. They have to pay for what they have done. Believe me, no one gets out of this life without paying for what they have done. You are responsible only for your salvation, for how you live your life, how you treat your fellow man. I have had people, even recently, do things to me. I think I am in the right. I did not do it but I still will go to that person and say, "If I have done something to you to offend you, I hope you will forgive me, and I am sorry." I will say this even if I just think you are the one. It does not matter. You do not have to be proven right or anything else. You are in control of your own life, what you choose to do with it. You pay your honest tithing. That protects you. What have we been told?

What do you think is going to be the great burning in the last days? You will not burn in the nuclear war if you pay an honest tithing. If you have not paid an honest tithing in the past - that is past. Today is a new day - Sunday is a new week. Commit to yourself that! You give the Lord your tenth and you will pay an honest tithing.

Fill your day with things that are of the Lord. It is a little hard at first but I have a nine-year-old boy who does not play outside on Sunday. I do let him watch the Book of Mormon video tapes because that is the same as a spiritual experience for him but there is no regular TV. There is no picnicking. Some people say why can't we just drive up in the canyon and enjoy the beauty of the canyon on Sunday. That is not breaking the Sabbath. I tell them, "You do what you want, but wouldn't it be far better to spending that time in service of our fellow man than entertaining yourselves by even enjoying God's beauty on the Sabbath." That is what Saturday is for and the evenings in the summer. To keep the Lord's Sabbath day holy is to spend it in service of him. How are we in service of our God? When we are in the service of our fellow being we are only in the service of our God”. So you will be protected from the biological warfare and the plagues by keeping the Sabbath day holy, your whole family. No one should enter into your home or be a part of your home that is not keeping the Sabbath holy. It should be a family situation. When I have guests or anyone else come from out of town, I tell them the same thing. If they do not choose to be there, they can stay at a motel or they can do something else but they will not stay in my home and break the Sabbath. That is how adamant I am about keeping the Sabbath holy.

The other greatest thing, of course, is to be as close to the Savior as we can be, to pray day and night that we are becoming a Christ-like people. The most Christ-like attitude that you can have is to love your fellow man, to love them unconditionally. That is probably the hardest thing that I would ask you to do but to try and have a unconditional love for every being that you come in contact with. After awhile of practicing it you do not even have to try, you do not even have to try, it is second nature, it comes naturally, you become a Christ-like person.

For more on this transcript you can visit this link

To be protected against the adversary and the destruction that will come during these last days that we are living in, it is important that we keep the commandments and keep the Sabbath day holy. I know that keeping this commandment has blessed me and my family immensely. Not only are we happier, we have been able to avoid unnecessary sorrows, suffering and pains and have been able to enjoy our life to the fullest. I know that the Lord loves all of His children and just as any loving parent, He gives us rules to keep us safe and happy. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ - amen.