The Message I Got From General Conference!

Let's talk updates, recent experiences, happenings in the news, and of course - highlights from April 2019 general conference!

 

Truth Will Cut Like a Knife!

I beat the record with the length of this week's video message! There is symbolism in 3:23:00. After publishing the video to YouTube, I noticed those numbers. 23 is the same as 11 in that they are both the final hour of the day. 3rd day power in the 23rd hour!  

In this message I share my experience with the ten-day social media fast, as well as discussing current headlines, happenings, and a powerful message from Elder Ballard who spoke at my regional conference - and just what tools the adversary is using against us in this final hour. What are those tools? Watch to find out.

 

Are You an 11th Hour Worker - And What Does That Mean?

Are you an 11th hour worker - what message can we learn from this final hour? I explain what that means and it's connection to 311. Check out what viewers have been sharing - and more about stars.

The Apocrypha - A Link to the Wisemen's Gifts?

Christmas has come and gone but while the decorations and spirit are still in my home, I'd like to share something I discovered a few years ago that will shed some new light for many on the significance of the three gifts the wisemen brought the Christ child.

So, have you ever wondered why the wisemen of the east brought the young Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Was it just a kind thought or something valuable to show honor and respect? Or, could there have been great symbolism and ancient scripture supporting these gifts of choice?

New Testament scripture doesn't say much about these wise men or their gifts:

Matthew 2:1,10-11

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The Bible Dictionary tells us this about the Magi:

It seems likely that they were representatives of a branch of the Lord’s people from somewhere east of Palestine, who had come, led by the Spirit, to behold the Son of God and who returned to their people to bear witness that the king Immanuel had indeed been born in the flesh. We are not told how many wise men there were, but tradition usually speaks of three, because of the three gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense. If they were serving in the capacity of witnesses, there would of necessity have been two or three. 

A few years ago, I received a prompting to read and study the Apocrypha. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Apocrypha, they are a set of ancient texts with unknown authors, that were not selected to be included the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and are generally considered unworthy to be properly called scripture by most Christian denominations. Reformist Martin Luther termed them "Apocrypha, meaning books which are not considered equal to the Holy Scriptures, but are useful and good to read."

The word "apocryphal" (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered too profound or too sacred to be disclosed to anyone other than the initiated. "Apocrypha" was also applied to writings that were hidden not because of their divinity but because of their questionable value to the church.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the Apocrypha as scripture and their Old Testament Cannon contains several books from the Apocrypha. At "the Council of Hippo" in 393, and the third Council of Carthage in 397, under the influence of Augustine, who attended both, fixed the catholic canon of the Holy Scriptures, including the Apocrypha of the Old Testament.

So, what are members of the LDS church counseled in regards to the Apocrypha? The Lord gives us this counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 91;

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly;

2 There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.

3 Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated.

4 Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;

5 And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom;

6 And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited. Therefore it is not needful that it should be translated. Amen.

It's a "read at your own risk" approach. Those who have the gift of discernment are told by the Lord they will benefit from it's teachings. There is no need for translation because it's teachings are simply not for everyone.

In fact, the LDS Bible Dictionary provides a list of Apocrypha books that "are of special value" (see link here) Among these recommended books are the books of the First and Second Maccabees, which reveal the preserved story of Hanukkah which describes in detail the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the lighting of the menorah.

As I eagerly followed my prompting to read the Apocrypha, I was very pleased with what I discovered. When I came to the Forgotten Books of Eden something caught my eye. The Forgotten Books of Eden is a collection of 17th-century and 18th-century English translations some of which were assembled in the 1820s, and then republished with the current title in 1926. Many scholars argue that these books are none other than fiction giving them a negative stigma, while other scholars believe these works to be truthful and of great insight and value to the history and period of that time. They are described as "simply a version of an account handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the time that the first human life was created to the time when somebody finally decided to write it down. This particular version is the work of unknown Egyptians." accounts of it can be found in the Talmud and the Koran.

In the First Book of Adam and Eve (also known as "Conflict of Adam and Eve" from the earliest translation of an Arabic original) Chapters 29-31 speak of a token given of the Lord in similitude of the gifts that the Lord will receive as a mortal child, and also as a consolation and comfort to Adam and Eve for trusting in the Lord and the covenant they made with Him. Prior to this token offering, Satan attempts to deceive Adam and Eve and take their lives, by appearing with his hots as angels of Heaven with a promise to return them to the Garden of Eden. He leads them up a steep mountain with the intention to push them off to their deaths. God intervenes and Adam and Eve beg for forgiveness. Adam weeps and begs for something from the Garden that might offer him comfort. The Lord sends His angels to bring tokens of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. He tells Adam that the gold symbolizes His kingdom; the incense symbolizes His divinity; and the myrrh symbolizes His suffering an death.

Chapter 29

5 And Adam wept before the Lord God, and begged and entreated Him to give him something from the garden, as a token to him, wherein to be comforted.

6 And God looked upon Adam's thought, and sent the angel Michael as far as the sea that reaches unto India, to take from thence golden rods and bring them to Adam.

7 This did God in His wisdom, in order that these golden rods, being with Adam in the cave, should shine forth with light in the night around him, and put an end to his fear of the darkness.

8 Then the angel Michael went down by God's order, took golden rods, as God had commanded him, and brought them to God.

Chapter 30

AFTER these things, God commanded the angel Gabriel to go down to the garden, and say to the cherub who kept it, "Behold, God has commanded me to come into the garden, and to take thence sweet smelling incense, and give it to Adam."

2 Then the angel Gabriel went down by God's order to the garden, and told the cherub as God had commanded him.

3 The cherub then said, "Well." And Gabriel went in and took the incense.

4 Then God commanded His angel Raphael to go down to the garden, and speak to the cherub about some myrrh, to give to Adam.

5 And the angel Raphael went down and told the cherub as God had commanded him, and the cherub said, "Well." Then Raphael went in and took the myrrh.

6 The golden rods were from the Indian sea, where there are precious stones. The incense was from the eastern border of the garden; and the myrrh from the western border, whence bitterness came upon Adam.

7 And the angels brought these three things to God, by the Tree of Life, in the garden.

8 Then God said to the angels, "Dip them in the spring of water; then take them and sprinkle their water over Adam and Eve, that they be a little comforted in their sorrow, and give them to Adam and Eve.

9 And the angels did as God had commanded them, and they gave all those things to Adam and Eve on the top of the mountain upon which Satan had placed them, when he sought to make an end of them.

10 And when Adam saw the golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he was rejoiced and wept because he thought that the gold was a token of the kingdom whence he had come, that the incense was a token of the bright light which had been taken from him, and that the myrrh was a token of the sorrow in which he was.

Chapter 31

AFTER these things God said unto Adam, "Thou didst ask of Me something from the garden, to be comforted therewith, and I have given thee these three tokens as a consolation to thee; that thou trust in Me and in My covenant with thee.

2 "For I will come and save thee; and kings shall bring me when in the flesh, gold, incense and myrrh; gold as a token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My divinity; and myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death.

3 "But, O Adam, put these by thee in the cave; the gold that it may shed light over thee by night; the incense, that thou smell its sweet savour; and the myrrh, to comfort thee in thy sorrow."

4 When Adam heard these words from God, he worshipped before Him. He and Eve worshipped Him and gave Him thanks, because He had dealt mercifully with them.

5 Then God commanded the three angels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, each to bring what he had brought, and give it to Adam. And they did so, one by one.

6 And God commanded Suriyel and Salathiel to bear up Adam and Eve, and bring them down from the top of the high mountain, and to take them to the Cave of Treasures.

7 There they laid the gold on the south side of the cave, the incense on the eastern side, and the myrrh on the western side. For the mouth of the cave was on the north side.

8 The angels then comforted Adam and Eve, and departed.

9 The gold was seventy rods; the incense, twelve pounds; and the myrrh, three pounds.

10 These remained by Adam in the House of Treasures; therefore was it called "of concealment." But other interpreters say it was called the "Cave of Treasures," by reason of the bodies of righteous men that were in it.

11 These three things did God give to Adam, on the third day after he had come out of the garden, in token of the three days the Lord should remain in the heart of the earth.

12 And these three things, as they continued with Adam in the cave, gave him light by night; and by day they gave him a little relief from his sorrow.

In Chapter 75 the Lord tells Adam;

"Take the gold and give it to Eve as a wedding gift, and promise to marry her; then give her some incense and myrrh as a present; and be you, you and she, one flesh." Adam obeyed the angels, and took the gold and put it into Eve's bosom in her garment; and promised to marry her with his hand.

If true, this could be the very first recorded account in history of the gold wedding band being given as a token of marriage.

In a 2011 article written in the New Era Magazine titled, "Thoughtful Gifts", by Rebekah Atkin we read about the meaning of the wisemen's gifts;

Gold - Practical use: For a young couple who would soon have the expense of traveling to Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod, the gold would be an invaluable gift.

Symbolic meaning: Gold is the typical gift for kings (see 1 Kings 9:14, 28) because it symbolizes kingship and royalty—a fitting gift for the “King of kings” (1 Timothy 6:15).

Frankincense - Practical use: Aside from its considerable monetary value, frankincense was used as a sweet-smelling incense and perfume.

Symbolic meaning: Frankincense comes from a sweet tree resin and was used in priesthood ordinances, in burnt offerings (see Leviticus 2:1), and in oil for anointing priests. Thus, it can represent the Lord’s priesthood and His role as the Lamb of God to be sacrificed on our behalf (see John 1:29).

Myrrh - Practical use: Myrrh, a bitter oil from a tree resin, was also economically valuable but probably more beneficial to Mary and Joseph for its medicinal uses.

Symbolic meaning: In the New Testament, myrrh is usually associated with embalming and burial because of its preservative qualities (see John 19:39–40). Myrrh’s medicinal uses can symbolize Christ’s role as the Master Healer, and its use in burials can symbolize “the bitter cup” He would drink when He suffered for our sins (see D&C 19:18–19).

I have heard some Christian ministers say that the wisemen would have traveled in large caravans with many servants accompanying them. They would have been very wealthy to afford this for their two-year journey (possibly a four-year journey if you take into account the travel back home). Their purpose was to most likely provide enough gold, frankincense and myrrh to sustain Jesus and his family over the course of his life. And that a master carpenter occupation (as they believe Joseph to have been) was a very well-paid occupation in it's day. They believe that Jesus and his family may not have been wealthy but were most likely well-to-do.

Whether fact, fiction, or pure speculation - one thing is for certain and that is the Divine symbolism in the three gifts that were brought by the wise men. Whether their inspiration came from ancient scripture, or was simply a Divine prompting from God, I believe they knew and understood the meanings of their gifts. Gifts that were fit for a king and not just any king but the King of Kings! Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was born among men and died among men to save us all. Because He lives we can have eternal life too.

Developing a Personal Relationship With Jesus Christ - Powerful Testimonies

This topic seems to be growing in great interest in many circles as of lately. I couldn't refrain from sharing what the Spirit has taught me. 

Did you know there are about twelve experiences recorded in the New Testament of Jesus personally visiting his apostles and disciples in between His Crucifixion and final ascension into Heaven? In fact, during one of those visitations He appeared above a group of 500 bretheren all at the same time. Paul tells us of some of those accounts,

"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time."  1 Corinthians 15:4-8

When Jesus finally ascended into Heaven there were two angels that said to His apostles,

"...Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." 

As we reflect on the timeline and process of Jesus' ascension we see that His final ascension into Heaven was preceded by many visitations in the flesh. If He is to return in the same manner that He left (from the Heavens), would that mean that the process might also be the same? A succession of visits and appearances in the flesh to His chosen servants leading up to His final return and descent to the earth?

When the Savior ministered for 40 days following His crucixicition, He was preparing His disciples for their approaching missions. Luke states that during the 40-day ministry the Savior spoke “of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God,” Mark concurs that Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples included the charge to go “into all the world, and preach.” Mark 16:15 Could it be that prior to His return, He will in likewise manner appear unto His disciples all over the world and give them instruction for their last days missions, to gather in the final harvest? Will He again share precious things pertaining to the Kingdom of God?

In the Book of Mormon it is recorded in Third Nephi that during 34 A.D. the resurrected Savior visited the American continent and ministered to the Nephite people in the flesh. He spoke of many things that "no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things" (seen and heard). 3 Nephi 17:17   Could the Savior have been speaking in Heavenly tongues? And might this have created the powerful event as the veil was opened and angels ministered unto the people? They too were taught many beautiful truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 

In 3 Nephi 18:25, Jesus commands them to feel Him and to see Him, then to likewise go unto the world and preach this commandment.  

"And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation."

As we think about the many lands and nations upon the earth that forbid proselyting, evangelism, and the practicing of Christianity, we might wonder how these people will ever learn of Jesus Christ and know that He is their personal Savior? Could it be that the Lord will work upon them in like manner as He did the Nephite people, Alma the Younger, or the Apostle Paul?

As scripture says, the apostle Paul (prior to his conversion) was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission to arrest any who were preaching of Jesus Christ, when the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in a great light. He was struck blind, but after three days his sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus and Paul began to preach that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and the Son of God.

Could the Lord appear to those who have not known Him, and choose them to His ministry? To gather in the fold from their part of the world to prepare for the greater gathering that is to come? Could this be the first step toward their receiving the fullness of the gospel? Could the Lord already be preparing His people right now? 

As you ponder that question, I'd like to share with you some scripture, followed by some of my most favorite interviews of those who did not know Jesus was their Savior until they had their own Divine encounters with Him. We are talking  Jews, Muslims, atheists, occult members, and those in communist countries where Christianity is forbidden. 

Just how can we explain people of diverse or non-Christian faiths having such encounters, conversions, and callings? In Moroni 7:24-26 Moroni tells us, 

"And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.

Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.

And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you."

In Moroni 7:30 Moroni tells us the purpose of ministering angels and just who they visit;

"For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.

And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men."

No, they do not focus on those who are near perfect, rather they call the imperfect to repentance. He declares His word unto those whom He chooses (whom he has called to repentance) so that they may bear testimony of Him. And let me tell you, these kinds of conversions make the best testimonies, and often lead to even greater conversions. He does this to prepare a way for men to have faith in Him, so the Holy Ghost may have a place in their hearts. This prepares the way (the desire to receive) to the fullness of the gospel and the covenants. 

Just as there are diverse ways that He manifests truths to the children of men Moroni tells us there are also diverse ways that He administers gifts of the Spirit to all men. He reminds us that God cannot be put in a box. As we encounter others (using our gift of discernment) who have received spiritual gifts in a manner that seems "outside the box" He reminds us that they (all good gifts that bear good fruit)  are all from the same God. We need not fear or doubt them. These gifts are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God in which He has said are manifested in different ways. 

"And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them."

These scriptures I have shared contain a wealth of treasure and I encourage you to ponder them with sincere prayer. 

I hope you enjoy the videos of the beautiful testimonies (shared below) as much as I have, but before you watch them, I'd like to share some of my most favorite quotes from the recent General Conference about attaining our own personal relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. Per the Stake President's message shared at our recent stake conference, that's the most important thing we should be seeking right now. I have felt a strong witness of the truth of that. It has been the theme of my stake conference as well as General Conference. Did you hear it too?

“'Thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.' Do we trust Him enough to abide in Him and walk with Him?" Neill F. Marriott

"If you will hear Him, He will speak to you this very day."  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"...we must bring the Savior into our life—into our very being—that we may be one. How does this happen?

...spend much time in secret with Jesus alone

...If we yearn to dwell in Christ and have Him dwell in us, then holiness is what we seek, in both body and spirit." Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"Make time and take time to come to know Jesus Christ..." Jean B. Bingham

CONCLUSION

Could the apostles be encouraging us to seek the Lord so that we might come to know Him in a way that we never imagined possible? So, that when He comes to us we will know Him because we will be like Him? The imagination is a powerful gift that the Lord has given us, are we using it enough? If we can visualize it first, we can bring it to life with faith. The Lord calls many to His work, but few say "yes Lord". It is my prayer that with great zeal we say "yes" when He calls.  

Claim Your Blessings Today!

Several years ago I wanted to run a promotion for my skin care product that I had newly re-branded. I met with the owner of a popular coupon magazine that circulates monthly here in Utah. After receiving advice from a successful local business owner, I decided it would be a fantastic idea to offer my product for free in this magazine! A shipping fee of $9 would cover the cost of the manufacturing on each product as well as packaging, the cost to mail it, and hopefully the cost to place the ad. This same idea with this same shipping amount, offered in this same magazine, is what launched this certain business owner's success. I was so excited to follow suit!

Because my product had been an As Seen on TV product, I had that advantage over the other business owner. I was sure that I would have just as much, if not more success with this offer. I paid the large amount of money for my ad to be featured with fingers crossed that enough people would claim the free product to cover that cost. The ad was big, beautiful, had striking colors and font and my very best before and after pictures. The title of the ad was FREE!! The details explained the coupon was good for one free product (excluding shipping) and explained the benefits of the product with bullet points. I was very excited for it to run.

Without any doubt, I was certain that several hundred people or more would claim this free offer. It was an incredible deal because the product truly was free. The product sold for retail at $20 a jar. In fact, in order to be eligible to place the ad, I had to have 2,000 products made as the magazine owner told me I could expect to surely get half of that as a minimum claimed on my offer.

The day the magazine came in the mail, I opened it up to find my ad. I was so excited! I checked my online store several times a day to see the status. And....as the hours, days, and weeks passed by...nothing. No one claimed my offer. I could not believe it! Towards the end of the month I was amazed to see that one person had claimed my offer. A couple years later when we moved, I became her neighbor and when she learned I was the owner of this product, she told me she had a jar that she had claimed on the free offer. She told me how much she loved it. She had no idea that she was the only one who had claimed the free offer.

For several months I could not wrap my mind around this. I could not believe that only one person saw the value of this offer and claimed it. There were so many people who saw the ad, saw what it could do for their feet, saw that it was free, and all they had to do was go to the link and enter the code. It was so simple! There would never be such a good deal offered again.

Years later, I ran a similar promotion on social media and again, this time, no one claimed the offer. Months passed and I ran another free promotion in which I went to the fan page of my product. I notified everyone on social media that all they had to do was like, share, or comment on the post, and they would be entered in a drawing in which I would pick several winners  to win free product with free shipping! They could enter as many times as they liked and the contest was only 24 hours.

Again, I was amazed. Only a handful of people responded and so every person who entered won. I could not believe how many loyal customers and fans did not make the easy effort to get the product they always purchase for free. I wondered if they doubted they would win, or doubted it was actually free, or just too busy to take the step.

Lastly, I recently held a promotion where I drew several winners who each won $50 of free product plus free shipping. The winners were very excited to have won, however to this day not one of them have claimed their prize. On the contrary, for the past several years, whenever I offer a discount such as buy 5 get 5 free or 50% off, my orders explode. I have learned that when something is free, people do not associate value with it. However, when something  is slightly discounted and the customer must also pay for shipping, they attach a value to that and jump on the opportunity.

As I have pondered this, I made a connection to the Plan of Salvation and our blessings that the Father has in store for us. Salvation is for everyone, you don't have to earn it or pay for it. Jesus already paid the price and His gift is free to all who will just accept it. As simple and incredible as it seems, many do not jump at the opportunity.

Spiritual gifts are also free, they are a gift to us. However, many of us do not claim them.

There are mountains of blessings being stored for each of us, all we have to do is claim them. However, many of us never make the simple effort to claim them. I imagine giant warehouses all over Heaven full of blessings, just sitting on the shelves, waiting to be claimed.

Maybe we are deceived to think that there is catch, nothing can really be free can it? Or, do we think if something is free, it must not be very valuable, so what's the point of checking it out? Or are we simply lazy, thinking it seems like work to have to claim an offer. You have go to the link, click on it, enter your information. Maybe we'll just wait until we have some free time or wait until the next offer comes around.

Living the gospel can seem like work at times. Going to church every Sunday, giving service, paying tithing, studying scriptures, praying, and the list goes on. Sure what's being offered sounds wonderful, but we'll get around to it when we have more time.

Are you claiming your gifts, your blessings, and your place in God's Kingdom? It's there for the taking, and you don't even have to pay for shipping. What are you waiting for? I know that when you claim all the Father has to give you, it is then you find your greatest peace and happiness! I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

The Restoration - to be Cheered or Feared?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in his April 2014 conference address, Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?

"Sometimes we think of the Restoration of the gospel as something that is complete, already behind us—Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he received priesthood keys, the Church was organized. In reality, the Restoration is an ongoing process; we are living in it right now. It includes “all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal,” and the “many great and important things” that “He will yet reveal.”2

We are living during this exciting period of restoration! Each day in my own personal life, I pray for restoration in many areas. I know that when we live righteously, we receive God's favor. If ever there was a period in the time of history on the earth to ask for the Lord's favor - this would be the time! Whether it be a restoration of health, prosperity, knowledge, wisdom, love, healing, etc., I believe the Lord is just standing by, waiting for us to ask, so He can bless us and bring us back into wholeness. Think of how powerful we become in His Kingdom when we are whole.

If you are close to the Lord right now, and living in accordance with His will, this is the time to be excited. Lost blessings can and will be yours. But what about those who are not aligned with God's will? Will the restoration have any affect on them? Yes, it will. However, it might not be something to cheer for. The prophet Alma taught this best:

The other day I was reading Alma Chapter 41. I love the broader perspective he shared with his son Corianton on this subject:

 1 And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the restoration of which has been spoken; for behold, some have wrested the scriptures, and have gone far astray because of this thing. And I perceive that thy mind has been worried also concerning this thing. But behold, I will explain it unto thee.

 2 I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself.

 3 And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.

 4 And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other—

 5 The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.

 6 And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.

 7 These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.

 8 Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.

 9 And now behold, my son, do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine, which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.

 10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.

 11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.

 12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?

 13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.

 14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

 15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.


I remember as I read this chapter, verse 11 made me think of addictions. Those who are bound by addictions are unable to experience life in it's fullest. They are unhappy because they are without the presence of God. When we disconnect from God, we put ourselves in a "bad mood". That unhappiness and depression is our spirit mourning that loss. We cannot thrive without God's Light. It gives us our very life. So when we cut ourselves off from His presence, we begin to digress, go backwards, and die. Instead of feeling alive, happy, whole, and healthy, we feel exhausted, fatigued, drained, and often physically ill. We are no longer being replenished and energized by God's life giving Light. We feel a sense of loss and suffering. Truly, we are suffering for own sins. We carry that burden and punish ourselves. We are not whole and we are unable to help build the Kingdom.

During this period of restoration, if we are sending out sin, (negative thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors), we are going to get all of that in return, to the fullest. This is no way to live and not what your Heavenly Father wants for you. It is not His will to see you suffer in your own sins. The time is now, to awaken and arise. Shake off those chains that bind you! The marks of those chains on your wrists do not need to define you. The marks on the Lord's hands and feet have already defined you! Over 2,000 years ago He already broke your chains, so why do you feel the need to carry them around?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's words are exactly what the Spirit shared with me on this topic. I hope that they inspire you to awaken, arise, and claim your birthright! Claim the blessings that can be yours. Let this period of restoration work for you and not against you. Be for the Kingdom and not against it.

"Another thing that may cause us to sleepwalk through this significant season of the world is addiction.


Addictions often begin subtly. Addictions are thin threads of repeated action that weave themselves into thick bonds of habit. Negative habits have the potential to become consuming addictions.

Always remember, with the Savior’s help, you can break free from addiction. It may be a long, difficult path, but the Lord will not give up on you. He loves you. Jesus Christ suffered the Atonement to help you change, to free you from the captivity of sin.

The most important thing is to keep trying—sometimes it takes several attempts before people find success. So don’t give up. Don’t lose faith. Keep your heart close to the Lord, and He will give you the power of deliverance. He will make you free.

Don’t allow selfishness! Don’t allow habits that could lead to addiction! Don’t allow competing priorities to lull you into indifference or detachment from blessed discipleship and ennobling priesthood service!

There is too much at stake for us as individuals, as families, and as Christ’s Church to give only a halfhearted effort to this sacred work.


Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not an effort of once a week or once a day. It is an effort of once and for all.

Those who are faithful unto the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods and magnify their callings “are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.” Therefore, all that our Father has will be given unto them.10

I testify that the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the transformative power of the Holy Ghost can heal and rescue mankind. It is our privilege, our sacred duty, and our joy to heed the Savior’s call to follow Him with a willing mind and full purpose of heart. Let us “shake off the chains with which [we] are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.”11


Let us be awake and not be weary of well-doing, for we “are laying the foundation of a great work,”12 even preparing for the return of the Savior. Brethren, when we add the light of our example as a witness to the beauty and power of restored truth, we will not sleep through the Restoration. Of this I testify and leave you my blessing in the sacred name of our Master, even Jesus Christ, amen."

Healing, Miracles, Spiritual Gifts and the Restored Gospel - An Interview with a Convert

I am in the process of writing a book that the Spirit has prompted me to write. It's a book about removing strongholds of darkness from your life, and repelling efforts of the adversary. Truly, I believe it is going to be very helpful.

While writing this book, I have studied and pulled from many experiences throughout the entire Christian world (across all denominations and faiths) and thought it would be very enlightening to gain perspectives especially from members of various Christian faiths who have since converted to Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). 

The following interview is an incredibly genuine and raw perspective from a Mormon convert who used to belong to several Christian denominations/faiths. I have found that spiritual warfare is a big portion of teaching in many Christian faiths, and is on the rise. Many churches are teaching their members to cast out evil in all appearances and to not tolerate darkness in any form. They are teaching how to protect families and how to strengthen gifts of the spirit as to be more effective in spiritual warfare. 

Many of the miracles I have studied are verified and genuine. There is great faith in the body of Christ as a whole, and many are being healed and brought to the knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ and learning how to use the Atonement in their every day lives. 

I was so grateful and fortunate to have received such a detailed response to my interview questions. This interviewee (who I will keep anonymous) shares such a beautiful perspective in comparison of the churches he came from, and the church he is now a happy member of today (the LDS church). 

I have been a member of the LDS church my entire life, and therefore I enjoy hearing what it's like for someone outside of the Church to experience it for the first time. Though we have many similarities with various Christian churches and theology, there are some stark differences; and shedding light on them in this interview was very refreshing. 

As a life-long member of this church there are many things that even I take for granted. This interviewee brought up some beautiful and fascinating points that I think you'll enjoy - as well as his spirited sense of humor! 

1) Before joining the LDS church, what church did you belong to? What beliefs, practices, and theology differed most from the LDS church?

We moved around a lot. We started off Baptist, when I was born, then moved to Pentecostal, then charismatic, then everyone became “non-denominational”, then I was with the free Methodists for a while, then moved to Florida and started going to a Baptist church again, then a Baptist church plant, which was kinda more non-denominational in truth, then I stopped going, then LDS.

Baptists are probably the most similar in style, very subdued, most use hymns for their music, Really, aside from their belief that cannon is closed and prophecy is no more, Baptist and Mormons could almost be siblings.

Pentecostals/Charismatics would probably be the most different. While they believe still in the gifts of the spirit (tongues, prophecy, etc.) they surely don’t do ANY of it with any kind of order. They would sing a song (sometimes a hymn, sometimes a regular “worship” song, like those you can hear on Christian radio stations) and then speak in tongues (unknown tongues) for a matter of minutes or more. They would raise their hands in praise while singing, they clap for special music and depending on what type of church, sometimes you had people get up and do anything from yell “Amen” while the preacher was preaching, to straight up wildly dancing and yelling in the isles. Quite honestly, I am pretty sure some of the more insane stuff was actually demonic… but I honestly kinda blame the “tamer” things done without understanding, for providing the gateway. Example: Even when Paul was talking about speaking in tongues, and even where he says that it’s not all known languages, he says “but if anyone DOES do this in your meetings, only 2 or 3 at the most, and ONLY with an interpreter, lest someone from the outside come in, see this, and think your nuts.” Basically. No one listens to such things in most Pentecostal/charismatic churches… they just go all out.

Also, you will have prayer times where people would come to the front, and get hands laid on them for healing, and blessings and stuff. I have seen, and been party to some miraculous healings of this kind, while not being in the church, but I have seen a LOOOOOOT more showmanship than authenticity here. After I left those kinds of circles, or right about that time, there were things going on like “being slain in the spirit” where the preacher touches you and “the power of God” comes and basically short circuits your system to the point where you fall over and just lay there for a while. I’ve had it done a few times… I can attribute it to 1 of 2 things generally. 1: either the one who falls, falls on purpose… indeed when being “taught” how to do it… (Really? Taught? Jeez…) they tell you just let everything go, and fall back when you feel it. Or something like that… well of course you’re going to fall after a minute or two of the preacher pushing you backwards even slightly. So… 1: it’s all just… a show.  2: it is possible (especially with these kinds of crowds) to get so emotionally worked up, and of course so open to influence, that the amount of energy flowing (just from the atmosphere, and the people) might be enough to short circuit their own energy system making it seem they’ve been touched or need to fall or what not… We did something akin to this in the martial arts I practiced for a while. Very energy based… nothing to do with God.

2)Before you converted to the LDS church, how active of a church goer were you? Describe how your relationship with God was and your dedication to the Lord.

Over my life I have had on again off again periods. There would be times when I would go to church every Sunday, Saturday, Wednesday, any time the door was open, and sometimes in between. Then there were other times when I would miss church for months, or only show up once a month or so. Right before I joined the LDS church was one of those off times, I probably hadn’t been to church for real, (i.e. with any kind of regularity) for a year or more. At that time in my life I was kinda mad at God, and although I would still view myself as his servant, Kinda always do… he was surely not my best friend at that moment, but that was DEFINITELY my own doing… I was being really rather stupid at that point in my life on a few issues.

3) Were there difficulties or struggles when learning about the church? If so, please explain.

I was married at the time, my (now ex) wife was not that into it. She didn’t see the need for anything but the Bible. This of course caused some tension, and when I decided to join the church, that was kinda the last (surely not the biggest) straw that made her leave. But mostly, when learning about the church, everything was easy… it was the years that followed my conversion that things were difficult. But I will explain that all in my conversion story.

4) How did you overcome those struggles?

Like I said before, even when God was not my best friend, I still considered myself a servant, and a follower of him… I simply believed that this was absolutely where God wanted me at the moment, and I went. I didn’t, and haven’t let outside discouragement avert me. (granted, I do now, have some issues of my own… but still, not enough to actually avert me from the faith.) Long story short, I believe this is where God wants me, so this is where I am.

5) Did you witness miracles, healings, and wonders in your church? If so, how often and can you share details?

Yes, it’s kinda hard to say how often, because as I am sure you picked up by now, I am somewhat a skeptic, and I really try to shy away from calling things miracles when there are other possible explanations. I believe giving the mundane miraculous status really detracts from the AWESOMENESS that God really is.

THAT said… I have seen things I would indeed count as miraculous. (Though, admittedly, we can’t honestly rule out placebo effect, but for sake of argument, and what I myself consider legit… I have seen things.)

Please know, before I talk of these things, that I REALLY don’t talk of them much… so much in those cultures are showy and flashy and “look at me, look at me” that I REALLY REALLY try my best to “not let my right hand know what the other hand is doing” so to speak… I don’t brag about these things to the point where I really rarely talk of them at all. It’s all very sacred to me, is the best way to put it… I just don’t want to throw it out there for everyone, because I believe that when we stop holding the sacred as sacred, it does a dis-service to God. These things I call miracles are truly God working (in my view) and not just me doing things… so to use them as a show piece REALLY goes against who I am, (though is common practice in Pentecostal circles) so… I shy away… Does this make sense? I just want to outline the way I feel about the things I am about to talk about… Just know I don’t take these moments lightly, and I am not trying to show off or be boastful.

Ok, so… one night, me and a bible study I was currently with went to a weekend music festival… think Christian Woodstock. Well, I had been reading a book called “Victory over the Darkness” by Neil T. Anderson. Was about how to break demonic strongholds and things, WHICH I DO BELIEVE God gives us the power to do. I just hate when people make a circus showpiece out of it… I don’t think that’s right. ANYWAY…. I was talking to one of my friends about the book, and what I was learning, and one of my other friends, who was very quiet spoke up from across the campsite and said “so you think you know a lot about this demon stuff huh?” and without even looking, I knew something had changed… His voice was the same… but… there was something else in it. When I looked, of course his face was physically the same… but again… there was something else there.

LONG story short… I ended up… after a long night, casting the spirits out of him. That I would consider miraculous.

Another time, I had a friend who’s knee was getting worse and worse over the course of a few weeks, till one night, he showed up for church on crutches, and said that as of that morning, he could not walk without them. This man was a friend of mine, and also one who was not just a showy person, so I have every reason to believe him.

After church we went outside, me and a couple other friends circled him, and we prayed for him, that God would heal his knee. When we were done praying, I told him to do something he couldn’t do before, and he handed me his crutches and walked without them. Never needed them again. I consider that miraculous.

6) Would you describe your religious upbringing as conservative?

Yes, quite. Even in my family’s Pentecostal phase (one most have grown out of… kinda… my dad is now (he wasn’t then) really big into it…) we were all really conservative. As far as the word goes…

7) Did you participate in speaking in tongues, prophecy, and additional spiritual gifts? Please explain.

This goes again, with what I was saying before…  I don’t just speak of these things lightly… most today don’t even know… but… yes, I can speak in tongues. A few people have told me to “prove it” and I won’t, because the Bible is clear… speaking with unknown tongues is the spirit praying, and not to be “shown off” so Regardless of their lack of belief, I don’t just demonstrate this thing, but yes, I can.

Allow me a moment to explain why I believe I can. I am NOTORIOUSLY bad at improvisation. To the point where if I wanted to just make up something on the fly… a language, a melody, anything I literally feel like I hit a wall, and just can’t do it. I’ve been this way for most of my life. VERY VERY VERY Few times in my life… it seems I have, through God, or some other means I don’t know always, been able to reach beyond that wall and receive something. Truly, reaching beyond the wall is wrong, it’s almost like something from the other side reached through and gave me something… that’s better.

One such time is, on the third or fourth attempt at people praying for me to receive the gift of tongues, I felt a swell of energy, and it started coming out. It’s funny, I don’t even really think about this much myself… I rarely if ever use it anymore… and hearing about people speaking in tongues REALLY puts a bad taste in my mouth because of how extremely over-and incorrectly-used it is… but, I cannot deny this in my own life, and though I rarely use it… when I do… I do feel a kind of power in my spirit. For all I can say, and all I know about it specifically from Scripture, this ability/gift/technique/whatever lines up with what should be according to Paul.

Prophecy is a difficult one. There are so many ways to interpret that. I DO have a STRONG (again I do not say this to brag, or boast) ability to discern things, to the point where I can sometimes tell what is going to happen in the future if paths are not diverted from.

I believe though, the gift of prophecy is more than just a future teller, it is that of someone who hears from God, and warns the people. Or cries out the word of God to the people… Honestly, there are a lot of different ways you could take the word “prophecy” or “prophet” but… I have, at various times in my life moved in these areas, most if not all of them. I have had people call me a prophet, which is a big deal, because I FIRMLY believe, that just calling yourself something doesn’t make any difference, but if someone else recognizes you as something, it pulls a lot more weight. There is a line from a book series that I love, but cannot recommend, where one of the characters says “Any man who must say “I am the king” is no true king.” I love that line, and live by it most of the time… so… I hope that helps with the prophecy thing.

Additional spiritual gifts: Like I said, I have, usually, really good discernment. Well I should say always… I just don’t always listen to it well… if you consider healing a gift, I have done that a few times. Going by the list in Romans, I would say (humbly) serving (when possible) leadership, exhortation, mercy. Going by Corinthians, healings, miracles, discernment, tongues. Again, most of these I haven’t thought of in AGES… I really try not to flaunt them… but, when I NEED them… (and we could write a whole paper on the word NEED as opposed to WANT) they have always been there. Except for the tongues… that came on kinda suddenly. Also… from an LDS perspective on the gift of tongues, I have ALWAYS been very good with worldly languages. It’s kinda a hobby of mine, but… always, since I was a child, very good and very quick picking them up and speaking… so… for whatever that’s worth.

8) If you made a comparison between members of your previous church and members of the LDS church what would you say the biggest differences are in culture, spiritual gifts, faith, miracles etc. Are there any at all? Please explain.

The BIGGEST difference (and there are many smaller ones) would be what brought me to this church in the first place, and that would be “the fruit”. I don’t know how I missed it all those years, perhaps I didn’t, and I just didn’t know of an alternative, because LDS is a “cult”, and I don’t do cults (ugh… such stupidity…) but the Fruit is the biggest thing. Every church I went to was cool when you’re a new member, but, after a while, the façade always wore away, and the body was just… cancerous. In fact, one of the best sermons I ever preached was “Leafy Vegetables Cause Cancer”.  Based off the story where Jesus curses the fig tree, it was about how people who talk the talk, but never walk the walk, who just come to church on Sunday to tick off their checklist and go home and live however they want, cause “cancer” in the bride of Christ (the church). The more churches I went to, eventually, the more cancer I found. It was horrible, because the TRUE church, was supposed to be without spot or wrinkle…a glorious bride. I believed it existed (almost gave up hope…) but everywhere I went, this is all I could see. Then I came to the LDS church… I found the fruit of the spirit… Love, Joy, Peace, etc (this is huge for me… again… see my conversion story, this was a BIG part of it…). Now sure… there are indeed rough patches in our history, heck, there are some rough patches in our now… I have heard HORROR stories of bishops and stake presidents using their positions… shall we say… unrightfully… so… even here I sadly see some cancer cells… but… buying large, it seems to be a lower percent in this church than in others… and the love and the fruits of the spirit, when visible, are far less rotten inside.

That would be the biggest difference I would say. (NOTE: This is not to say that EVERYONE in every other church had rotten fruit… there are good people all over the place… but… so far I’ve found the highest concentration of good fruit here in the LDS church, compared to other Christians churches.)

9) If worshiping in tongues, prophesying and healings were a common practice at church and in Sunday services, did you find it difficult to leave that behind when converting to the LDS church?

Nope… they all do it wrong… to be honest I left that crowd long before I joined the LDS church… seeing the gross misapplication of such things was nauseating for me. And of course, the spirit behind it was nauseating as well, since when I would bring up the unbiblical nature of such things, I was told pretty much excuses and anything to be able to do whatever they want, regardless of what scripture says… so… I knew that wasn’t for me.  This is a good question to kinda wrap up my whole thoughts on the matter… Do I believe these gifts exist? Yes. Do I have such gifts? Yes. but I surely don’t miss the culture… the culture behind it all is more devastatingly wrong than Mormon culture (as opposed to Mormon doctrine…) Talmud and Torah… I’ll stick with Torah. You know?

10) Did you notice a difference in reverence or level of Spirit that you felt during LDS church services compared to your previous church?

Reverence is a bit of a hard word to pin down… after serving in primary, we kinda equate reverence to “quiet” but… I digress. No… I would have to say, if anything, other churches seem to have more reverence (or, that I noticed) on things like sacrament, and church time and stuff… I look around now, at church, sometimes, EVEN DURING SACRAMENT… and see people playing on their cell phones, there’s always baby’s crying or laughing, or gaming, or whatever… you don’t get that kind of thing in a Baptist church… I would say Baptists might be more reverent than LDS…

THAT Said… again, going back to my conversion story, one of the biggest differences I FELT… was peace. The first time I checked out the LDS church with a couple of my friends, I will never forget leaving the building and feeling peace. This was the first time I had left a church… ANY church… in the past, oh… 2-3 years(?) that I felt peace, and not depression. THAT was a big deal to me.

Perhaps my first paragraph wasn’t fair… I know a LOT of LDS people who REALLY are reverent during the meetings… but… just like everything… the negative is kinda, always more noticeable?

11) Some say that conservative religions such as the LDS church are “boring” and seek churches where there is loud worship and praise, dancing and live bands performing. What are your thoughts about this?

SUCH a great question. And this ties into my thoughts a lot about church’s in general, actually spawned from a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTION… so… it’s fun to see how this question fits too (personally fun… maybe not for you LOL.)

I believe that the purpose of a church, ANY church, is to clearly and loudly proclaim the dictates of their deity. They should not shy away from the hard parts, but be bold in their proclamation. A Church is to be a lighthouse, shining brightly the light of what they believe is truth. THAT’S ALL. It’s not something for people to get mad at. It’s not for people to go blow up if they disagree… the church is there to proclaim truth, and give space for likeminded people to meet and share and grow into better more holy people. (assuming we are talking about today’s idea of church, not the “ecclesia” specifically…)

IT IS THEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES… to come to God, pray, and seek the confirmation of the spirit, as to which church is true, or, which church God wants them in. FROM THERE… it is really the PERSON who should be moldable… NOT THE CHURCH. The church needs to be stationary and solid… it is the PERSON who is to be molded and grown. We see in our church all these protesters… who think the church should change… WHAT GOOD IS A CHURCH THAT CHANGES DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND?! You might as well just sit at home and call it church, then it will never need to change cause it’s already “perfect” in the eyes of the self… (seemingly the only one that counts to such people). No, the church is supposed to be solid… WE are the ones who are to change… THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT of church… anything else would be ridiculous…so to answer your question specifically… my thoughts are those people should just find some local rock concerts or music shows, or stay home and watch MTV… they are not going to be changed, they are going for a good time and a show… which is not what Church is supposed to be.  My thoughts are, they are missing the entire point.

12) For Christians who attend churches in which they have regular, supernatural encounters with the Holy Spirit, experience and witness miracles and healings, signs, and wonders, such as guests of the Sid Roth Show and those who attend revivals, in your opinion, what would be something that might peak their interest in the LDS church, as our meetings, leaders, and members, are much more conservative?

Well, this kinda gets into everything I said for the last question, so I think the answer is very similar… the only thing I would say more here is, The Bible… Jesus himself… warns against those who are always just looking for a sign. He warns against “tickling ears” that just want a good show to give a scratch. So, I would say, coupling the ideas I’ve presented about how wrongly practiced these things are according to scripture, and the purpose for the church in general, I would say that I personally hold very little hope that people attracted to such church shows would ever be attracted to us.

HOWEVER,… if there is someone in those crowds who is genuinely seeking the truth, who is looking for what the scripture says points out the followers of God, rather just the signs and wonders that can easily be duplicated… then I would say that the members, for the most part, are where the people would want to look to find interest in our church. The fruit of the spirit is abundant there… and indeed… if in a far more quite way, miracles DO happen in our church. I had a very hurt ankle a few weeks ago… I had my home teachers give me a blessing, by the next morning it was fine. So, all those things CAN be found in our church… of course, because those things are TRUE… we simply do not just go and make a show of them… which is far more biblical in my opinion (as you know LOL)

13) Are their aspects of faith, spiritual gifts, or culture that you feel are lacking among members of the LDS church, or the church you previously attended?

Not as such… in fact, if anything I would almost say the LDS church has a bit too much faith. I believe firmly a modicum of skepticism is good for a person, it keeps one engaged, it keeps one always making sure they are on the right road. I have heard so many people who talk against “blindly following” even the prophet… who do just that. DO NOT GET ME WRONG… I love our Prophet, I am thankful for him, but I don’t see him (as most do) as infallible. Here’s my thinking.

We have a prophet, who guides us the best he can, but he’s still human, WHICH IS WHY… we need the holy spirit to testify to the truth. Now sure… the spirit will testify to the leader’s words 99% of the time or so… but what happens when He doesn’t? At those times, very sincere people like me tend to get looked at oddly, or given cliché “well just follow the prophet and you can’t go wrong…”

BUT if we were just supposed to blindly follow “in faith” or whatever, what in the world is the point of the Holy spirit? If the prophet is always right… WE WOULDN’T NEED the spirit AT ALL for guidance… so… I think this is one thing… I guess you could put it under “spiritual gifts/Discernment” that is lacking in the LDS faith… It’s not always a BAD thing per se… but… it does kinda get annoying to someone like me… when the spirit and the prophet says 2 different things… (or when the spirit goes against some “well understood” piece of doctrine… not always… indeed rarely what the prophet actually SAYS… does this make sense?)

14) Aside from priesthood keys and authority (which sets apart the LDS church from all other churches) how do you view men, women, and children of other Christian churches who obviously do not have the priesthood but have the gift of healing, faith, prophesying, tongues, and miracles? How do you feel that LDS members generally view this practice in other churches?

Well, how I feel about it is simple… the Bible says God’s gifts are without repentance. i.e. He gives gifts to all his children… and then won’t just take em’ back. The Bible says God so loved the WORLD… in Matthew 5 it talks about loving EVERYONE and how THAT is being perfect… not just loving our friends, but our enemies… To this end… much like the priesthood, our spiritual gifts are for ministering to OTHERS (save for unknown tongues, which is very clearly laid out for self-edification).

THE BIGGEST key to ANY of these gifts… is Faith. FAITH of the person ministering, and indeed faith of the person being ministered to is what activates and brings about many of these gifts… and FAITH is inherent in ALL humanity… so let’s even move outside of other “churches” and ask the question… well… what if someone goes to a witch, or a shaman, or something like that and received a miracle? IT DOES HAPPEN… It’s because it is all about FAITH… not keys. Keys, I believe are for authority WITHIN our church… FAITH is a universal constant. See the difference?

As to how LDS people see this… I don’t know… the only times it’s ever come up it’s kinda been a non-issue, I’ve basically heard that the Holy Spirit helps all the sons and Daughters of God… not just LDS… so… I think basically, over all, my thoughts are the thoughts of most in the church… if they aren’t… I am not aware.

15)  It is not common to see men, women, and children in the LDS church healing, prophesying and declaring miracles over fellow church members. What are your thoughts about this? It is typical practice for members to call upon another member who holds the priesthood to give them a blessing, or to rely on faith and fasting in more serious circumstances. Prophesying is generally left to the leaders of the church. Do you feel that the majority of LDS members are living below their spiritual potential where faith, understanding, and spiritual gifts are concerned?

MAN these are awesome questions. Honestly, I think this church acts, in these matters EXACTLY as it should. We don’t glorify miracles, or the ones involved, we focus on Christ, and we understand that supernatural power is there if needed, but we don’t go and glorify the power. Does that make sense? Other churches glorify the POWER, the signs, the wonders… This is nothing short of idolatry. I have heard from many sources even that understand that EVERYONE, or at least EVERY PRIESTHOOD holder (more often than not EVERYONE) is a prophet, that they get direction and guidance from God to guide those they have authority over. The key here is Authority. Aside from the previous questions and the connotation of “prophet” in the LDS religion I AM a prophet… but only in my household. The difference between ME and President Monson is our area of Authority… THAT’S IT. (and he is most likely a much better man than I will EVER be… but… that aside….)

The ONLY way I can ABSOLUTELY see LDS members living under their spiritual potential is the “put your shoulder to the wheel” “carry your own burdens” mentality. This has brought us to a place where, EVEN WHEN WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY be asking for blessings, we don’t. “we don’t want to bother”. It was honestly one of the things that shocked me SO much when I was investigating the church. An LDS friend would be sick. I would ask “did you get a blessing”? “No… I don’t want to bother anyone, I’ll be fine.”

O M G>>> WHAT DO YOU THINK BLESSINGS ARE THERE FOR?! It’s like… THE ENTIRE POINT of the priesthood being back on the church is to give blessings… but you don’t want to bother… then tell me, what is the point of the priesthood being here?! It’s insane to me.

Indeed I was talking to one of my previous bishopric, about this exact topic, and he hung his head a bit and said… you know… I’ve only known one case where we advised that a lady stop asking for a blessing,  because she was literally asking for the same thing, every day, for a couple of weeks. We had to tell her that, with faith, one or two was more than enough. And certainly not EVERY DAY… but, (he said) we do not ask for nearly enough blessings. And he agreed with me it was a sad thing.

Funny story? Now I see myself doing the same things… Yes… we live FAR below our spiritual potential, but it has NOTHING to do with HOW we practice… but everything to do with HOW OFTEN.

16) As in other churches, many members of the LDS church might be what some consider lukewarm members – meaning that they go through motions every week, and they have accepted all the saving ordinances and made temple covenants, but they have not quite experienced the “mighty change of heart” or being “born again of the spirit”. Their passion for Jesus and the gospel seems to be lacking. Is this what other Christian churches deem as “being saved”. Might a member of a born-again Christian church, view these types of members as not being saved? What are your thoughts about that with the LDS church and other churches?

Oh geez… that’s such a huge question… Honestly… VERY VERY Honestly?! I believe most people, regardless of religious label, consider “being saved” as pretty much “agreeing with everything they themselves think theologically”. I have seen SOOOOO much on this topic, ESPECIALLY once I converted… how some of my best friends at the time, who would come to my house and stay for 12 or more hours just talking theology and whatever, who knew my heart, and knew me to be a “saved” person, just turned around and called me a “traitor to God” and have not talked to me since because I joined the church instead of even asking why I would do such a thing.

I think these terms… “saved” “born again” (born again… fun fact… or rebirth… is baptiso in Greek… aka baptism… but we won’t tell right? LOL) “Mighty change of heart” is things that people use to judge others, and feel better about themselves.

I know these are terms in the Bible, but they were terms used by Christ… the most righteous judge. We are so prone to judging in the moment. See, I used to be a VERY dark person (NO, I never hurt anyone because of it… you can breathe LOL) but… I hated people… there were nights when I hated people so much I couldn’t sleep until I lulled myself to sleep by visions of torturing whoever I didn’t like at the time.

All this hatred of course, as it always does, came from being so hurt by people that I couldn’t think straight anymore. The pain caused me by society was just too much… …until a sister missionary shared some thoughts on the atonement, and the holy spirit gave me about a month of a crash course in the atonement and what it means, and now I have a heart that doesn’t hurt anymore… doesn’t want me to kill myself daily, and instead of wanting to destroy humanity, might flip someone off on occasion (and I’m still working on that bit)…

See, with a bunch of perspective… I would say I HAVE had a MIGHTY change of heart… I am NOT who I once was thank God… and indeed I am not yet who I should be. People use these things, these ideals of perfection, to show how people are not yet what they should be… and no one looks at who they once were, or what is going on in the moment. To that end, and I don’t know if this is answering your question or not really, but, I feel terms like this should be reserved for the one who first said it.  Our job is to love everyone, and help everyone on their journey… not shiv them from behind when they are not as far along the path that you (we) deem they should be for a title of “righteous”.

Case in point, I am probably considered inactive atm. I haven’t been to church in a couple months or more… Why? I have sleep apnea… I find it VERY hard to get enough rest… and 9 am church is just NOT conducive to that. Saturday and Sunday are really my only rest days… and then I have another week of VERY little sleep, and even smaller rest. So yes, I haven’t been to church in a long time, but, you know, I miss it? I genuinely miss it. (which is kinda odd) and if anyone needed anything I would surely be there. I do my home teaching, and I help out where I can. People might not see me in church and judge me, people might see me home teaching and judge me differently…

I would offer, instead of worrying about lukewarm, or change of heart, or these surface things… we worry more about the why? “Man… this guy seems to know his stuff, he seems REALLY genuinely moved when he talks of the spirit, but he never goes to church, and seems to only half-heartedly follow the teachings most times… Why?”

“Jeez, my best friend who I’ve talked theology with has joined what I consider to be a cult… why in the world would he do that? I know he’s intelligent… and I know he loves God… so what’s the deal?”

See… this moves us from judgement to love. Do you see that? And when love is introduced, we can talk, we can move, we can help… if all we do is judge based on some perfect ideal of “saved vs. unsaved” we are going to screw it up so often we might as well not even bother.

I guess re-reading your question I am answering this backwards… those are my thoughts… As to others viewing people like that…  I think it’s really hard to tell, I think there are as many definitions of “being saved” as there are people trying to define it. I think that’s human nature. I think we are called to go beyond human nature though into an eternal nature… and as such, I think we are called to stop worrying about all these terms, do our best before God, and help others do their best before God.

Does this make sense?