In Sickness and Health

The Real Meaning of Christmas

The Spirit of Christmas

 The True Spirit of Christmas

A Modern Apostle Speaks on Christmas

Dieter F. Uchtdorf - German Apostle--Select Uchtdorf Address

A Modern Prophet Speaks About Christmas

by

Apostle Henry B. Eyring

First Counselor in the First Presidency

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 

What all of uslong for in our hearts, at Christmastime and always, is to feel bound together in love with the sweet assurance that it can last forever.  This is the promise of eternal life, which God has called His greatest gift to His children (See Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).  That is made possible by the gifts to us of His Beloved Son: the Savior's life and mission, Atonement and Resurrection.  It is through the Savior's life and mission that we have the assurance that we can be together in love and live forever in families.

Christmas Homecoming

The feeling of longing for home is born into us.  That wonderful dream cannot become real without great faith--enough for the Holy Ghost to lead us to repentance, baptism, and the making and keeping of sacred covenants with God.  This faith requires enduring bravely the trials of mortal life.  Then, in the next life, we can be welcomed by our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son to that home of our dreams.

Even in this life we can have an assurance of the coming of that day and feel some of the joys we will know when at last we arrive home.  The celebration of the Savior's birth at Christmas gives us special opportunities to experience those joys in this life.

As we gather in that heavenly home, we will be surrounded by those who have been forgiven of all sin and who have forgiven each other.  We can taste some of tha joy now, especially as we remember and celebrate the Savior's gifts tous.  He came into the world to be the Lamb of God, topay the price of all of the sins of His Father's children in mortality so that all might be forgiven.  In the Christmas season we feel a greater desire to remember and ponder the Savior's words.  He warned us that we cannot be forgiven unless we forgive others (See Matthew 6:14-15).  That is often hard to do, so you will need to pray for help.  This help to forgive will come most often when you are allowed to see that you have given as much or more hurt than you have received.

When you act on that answer to your prayer for strength to forgive, you will feel a burden lifted from  your shoulders.  Carrying a grudge is a heavy burden.  As your forgive, you will feel the joy of being forgiven.  At this Christmastime you can give and receive the gift of forgiveness.  The feeling of happiness that will come will be a glimpse of what we can feel at home together in the eternal home for which ye yearn.

A time of joy together

There is another glimpse of that joyful future home that we can see more easily at Christmastime.  It is the feeling of givieng with a generous heart.  This can come as we feel the needs of others more than our own and when we sense how generous God has been to us.

It helps to see the kindness of others at Christmastime.  How many times have our gone to leave a gift on a doorstep, hoping not to be notice, only to find more than one unmarked gift already there?  Have you felt, as I have, the impression to help someone only to find that what y ou were inspired to give was exactly what someone needed at that very moment?  This is a wonder assurance that God knows all of our needs and counts on us to fill the needs of others around us. 

King Benjamin Teaching His People

God sends those messages to us with more confidence at Christmastime, knowing that we will respond because our hearts are more sensitive to the Savior's example and to the words of His servants. At Christmastime, we are more likely to have read recently and been touched by the words of King Benjamin.  He taught his people, and he teaches us, that the overwhelming gift of forgiveness that we receive should make us feel an overflowing generosity toward others.  "And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins.  And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain?  Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy."

The Christmas Season

The Christmas season give us encouragement to remember Him and His infinite generosity.  Remembering His generosity will help us feel and respond to the inspiration that there is someone who needs our help, and it will let us see the hand of God reaching to us when He sends someone to succor us, as He so often does.  There is joy ingiveing and in receiving the generosity that God inspires, especially at Christmas.

There have been times, often at Christmas, when we have felt parts of what we will experience when we at last come home to the Father who loves us and answers our prayers and to the Savior who has lighted our lives and lifted us up.

I testify that because of Him, you may have an assurance that you can go home not only at Christmastime but also to live forever with a family whom you love and who love each other.

Apostle Henry B. Eyring

A Personal Witness of Jesus Christ

Suggestions On Prayer

 Jesus Set the Example

Prayer must always be done in faith, as we receive the Spirit of prayer only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to pray to God our Heavenly Father with a sincere heart and with real intent, having faith in Christ our prayers will be answered in the way that is best for us.  We need to learn the language of prayer, which shows that we love and respect our Heavenly Father.  In English we us scriptural pronouns such as Thee, Thou, Thy, and Thine.

We Can Pray Almost Anywhere

Always express gratitude for your many daily blessings.  A conscious effort to be grateful will help you recognize just how merciful the Lord has been in your life.  Pray specifically for the guidance and help of the Holy Ghost. Show that you value this blessing by being sensitive and aware of spiritual promptings when they come.  Then courageously follow the promptings.  You may be seeking help for yourself and then be prompted to offer help and assistance to someone else.  Many of our prayers will be best answered by other people and we must follow the prompting to seek out those who are prepared to help us.  Others of our prayers are best answered through service to others.  It is often when we can forget ourselves and think only of the needs of others that we receive the answers to our own prayers.


Pray with love and charity for other by calling them by name.  Pray for the understanding and and what you can do to help others.  Pray that you will be shown where to go and what to do.  Pray that you might be led to those that your can serve; for in this you are assisting the Lord in answering the prayers of others.  Remember always that your Heavenly Father know what you need better than you do.  Rely on the Spirit to prompt you regarding the things you should pray for.

Prayer Is Our Heritage

In your prayers at night, give the Lord an accounting of your day's activities and review with him your plans for the next day.
Pray to overcome temptation and for the strength to do what you know is right.  Pray and ponder about the scriptures; for it is the scriptures that can open the window to revelation.  Keep in mind that what you say to God is prayer and what he says to you is revelation.  

Pray With Family Members

Believe that God will answer your prayers recognizing that God's thoughts may not be your thoughts and trust that God will answer your prayers in his own way and in his own time.
If you offer the same prayer day after day, your are not giving sufficient thought and preparation before praying.  When you communicate with your friends you would not just say the same thing every time your meet. So don't do it with God. Let prayer become the way your begin and end each day, but carry a prayer in your heart as your perform your daily tasks.   Don't suppose that God will answer your prayers if you do no more than just ask.  It is the way you think and the way you live that determines, at many times, just how your prayers will be answered.  To offer sincere and worthy prayers takes practice and is not learned on the spur of the moment when a crisis confronts you.  The way you live may well determine the nature of the answer you will receive when you pray.  Our prayers and the way we live are carefully intertwined and difficult to separate.  Live a good life and enjoy the fruits of prayer which are the miracles, revelation, and other spiritual prompting, and protection to endure the trials of life with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a knowledge of your Heavenly Father that can only come from sincere communication with him.

Always Remember You Are Talking with Your Heavenly Father

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Men and Women Are Creators

 Man Has Created the Means to Travel Across the World and Into Space

As the children of God, we inherit a tremendous ability to create either things that have never existed before, or we can create something better than what already exists. We even have the opportunity to create new life like unto our own.  Our great ability to create, unlike all other forms of life, is proof positive that we are the children of the Great Creator of worlds without number and all that first exists upon them.  Creativity was not an evolutionary ability that gradually came to primitive life forms.  If so, other life forms would be able to create more than a den, a nest, a hive, and bear their young in a bed at best made of either feathers or fur. Man alone can alter his own environment and protect himself from danger, disease, and other crisis generating problems. Man along can travel high above the earth and into outer space.


Create  See this video

Housing Being Built in Baharine in the Middle East

Could evolution possible explain the tremendous creations shown on this page.  Don't fool yourself.  Men and women were born into this life with a natural ability to create and there seems to be almost no limits upon what they can create, because they are the literal children of a Great Creator, even our Heavenly Father.

Human-like Robot Performing Many Human-like Tasks

Man now has the power to take a heart from one human and transplant it into the body of another human and extend the live of the recipient for many years.  Did this come to pass only because of evolution?  Did this occur only because the human brain evolved over long periods of time to allow these marvelous things to be created?  Other humans use their creative abilities to create things that destroy life and take from man his God given liberty make his own choices. 

Modern Heart Transplant Surgery Has Saved Humans from Certain Death

Only the children of the One True God could accomplish all that has been accomplished in our successful civilizations since Father Adam entered this world with nothing but the skins God put upon him to hide his nakedness.   Let's all rejoice in the goodness of God to his faithful children,

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are in general a very thankful people. Our prayers offered multiple times a day always include detailed expressions of gratitude for God's blessings in our daily life. We have been promised by the Lord that nothing will be withheld that is for our good, if we live a life of righteousness. Even though our search for righteousness is far from complete, the Lord honors our requests as long as we are working on improving ourselves and our abilities to serve our fellowmen.

We teach our children to pray even when their vocabulary is severely limited and encourage them to enjoy the benefits of prayer throughout their life.  Ask any Mormon about the power of prayer and you will discover just what I am attempting to say.  Prayer is real and prayer is powerful.

Here are some examples of what I am sharing.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

If you don't pray regularly or at all, try getting on your knees, address your remarks to God, and express your gratitude as the people in this video; only make these expressing to God and then ask God for those personal things you need at the time of your pray.  You can pray for other people, your employment, your education, your fears and concerns.  There are no limits to want God wants to hear from you.  Try it.  You'll love the feeling that comes over your as you conclude your conversation with God.

Between Earth and Heaven- Temple Video

Many people around the world have seen one or more of the 140 Mormon Temples and have wondered why they have temples.  Here is a series of videos that helps to explain the importance of temples to the Latter-day Saints. Mormon Temple Video

Prayer and Promptings

“No father would send His children off to a distant, dangerous land for a lifetime of testing where Lucifer was known to roam free without first providing them with a personal power of protection. He would also supply them with means to communicate with Him from Father to child and from child to Father.” To believe anything less than this is to deny the powers of God and his love for each and every one of his children.

God provided every one of His children sent to earth with the Spirit of Christ, or the Light of Christ. We were never to be alone unless we chose to be separated from God. Those who sought guidance and a redemption of their sins could receive it upon their request and their willingness to keep God’s commandments to the best of their ability.

What does God want us to know? He wants all his children to learn all there is to know about His great plan for their happiness and success in this life (Alma 42:8). By keeping His commandments we are prepared to make known to God the desires of our heart and receive counsel and guidance from Him.

God has given to each of His children a power called agency by which the child is allowed to determine what and who he will worship and what he will become. No one is ever forced as to what he will believe and who, if any, he will serve. We are free to seek an understanding of Christ’s Atonement so that our mistakes can be washed away, and our mortal body restored to its perfect frame after death.

To make this possible, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, woman, and child that they might come to know good from evil. That which is good is of God and it will restore to each faithful child the powers and blessings of God. That which is evil, can bring us only sorrow, suffering and future regrets. It is by the Holy Spirit that we can come to know even the “deep things” of God.

A fullness of the knowledge of God is available only to those who have come to him that they might be cleansed of their sins by baptism, and then receive through confirmation the gift of the Holy Ghost which is as Internet between man and God. It is the Holy Ghost that carries our prayerful messages to God and then delivers to us, His answers.

“That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more often as a feeling than it does as a sound. The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through our mind more than through our physical senses. The Holy Ghost communicates with us through the voice we are most familiar with; that being our own. We are more likely to understand messages delivered in our own language than those made known to us through the language of another.

Not even with regular communications between ourselves and God can we expect to always have a life free from troubles, disappointments, and pain. We were sent to this earth to experience both sickness and health, light and darkness, pleasure and pain and both happiness and sadness. Dealing with these vast differences with the help of God, we prepare ourselves to survive and even prosper under different cultures, people and situations.

Jesus taught the people to “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63). We must make the effort to initiate a conversation with God, and it need not be just when we are facing a mental or physical crisis. We can, and should seek him, when things are going well, as when we have dire need of his help. We can always seek God, if for no other reason, we desire only to express our gratitude for his many blessings and miracles in our life.

These sacred communications between man and God are intended to enable the faithful and obedient to discover, through prayer, the powers and glories of heaven and how we might be granted approval to exercise them in righteousness.

Often, it is not sufficient to merely ask for the desires of our heart. Rather, we must ponder and pray that our desire might be magnified until they worthy of God’s attention. Jesus has said, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it is not right you shall have no such feelings” (D&C 9:7-9).

Thus we must learn how to pray. We must pray often. Pray in your mind as well as vocally. Pray in your heart. Pray on you knees, or while you are in bed, or as you are laboring. Prayer is our personal key that unlocks the doors of heaven. The lock is on our side of the veil separating man from God. We have the key and we have access to the lock that will open the doors of heaven when we seek knowledge with real intent.

I ask each of you that when you have read these things, “I exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart; with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

Listen to Why Mormons Build Temples

Why Mormons Build Temples

Why Mormons Build Temples

The Temple is literally the House of the Lord on earth where He comes as he visits the earth in our day as He did and is recorded frequently in both the New and Old Testaments.  Thus the Temple is a sacred place that can not be defiled by anything that is offensive to God.

Because of their sacred nature temples across the world are built of only the finest of materials that their beauty will be unsurpassed by any of the houses of men or businesses.  The decor is simple yet it is exceedingly beautiful.  Materials for temples come from across the world and are not limited to just those materials available in the locality of the temple.  It is not uncommon, in the modern temples, to find that materials and furnishings came from Africa, Italy, Germany, China,Mexico an other parts of the world where craftsmanship is superior to that found in most temple locations.  Together the materials, furnishings and the design create an atmosphere of beauty and peace; even the peace that is so difficult to find in the world today.

When you enter the temple you leave behind all the things of the world; that regardless of your personal situation you will feel comfortable and loved by all present.  You don't enter the temple as a lawyer or teacher you enter as children of God and consider all there to be your dearly beloved brothers and sisters.  You feel the presence of God in all that you do in the temple and leave with added spiritual knowledge and the desire to be an even more valiant servant of the Lord when you return to your daily responsibilities.

The fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can only be learned and enjoyed through the temple experience; for these sacred things are not available outside the temple though you take your knowledge of these sacred things with you when you leave the temple even though you seldom ever speak of them outside your own trusted family.

Therefore, temples are as essential to the salvation of our Heavenly Father's children in our day as they were anciently.  The sacred ordinances performed in the Temples of the Lord are the same identical ordinances performed in Adam, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and Peter, James and John day.  They are ancient,yet they are as timely and necessary today as they were in Adam's generation.  Partaking of the temple ordinances enable you to feel a connection to your ancestry even back to our first parents: Adam and Eve.

The Blessings of the Temple

The Blessings of the Temple

In the Temples of the Lord, be they in Utah or in South Africa, you receive proof perfect that your existence did not begin at birth and it will not end with death; for as you labor for and in behalf of your own kindred dead you experience the great joy that is theirs and the gratitude they share for your service to them.  Temples, therefore, are places for both the living and the dead.  This is because Jesus Christ is the Redeemer and the source of Salvation for both the living and the dead. 

Those familiar with the blessings that can only be found in the Temples of the Lord soon come to realize that the temple is the Lord's University; for it is within the walls of this sacred edifice that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ can be learned and understood.  Much of what Christ desires us to know is too sacred to be taught publically where the enemies of God would mock God in their efforts discredit, defame, and otherwise abuse and torment the righteous servants of the Lord and their most sacred beliefs and understandings.  Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the Mount of Transfiguration where they learned many of the sacred things only available in the Temples of the Lord.  Great and glorious as this experience was for these three humble Apostles of Christ, they never taught our mentioned what they learned from those who visited and taught them in this sacred place that was apart from the things of the world.  

Baptristry

These same blessings received by Peter, James, and John in their day, by Moses, Aaron, and Joshuah in their day and by Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek and Abraham in their day are available to all in our day who will prepare themselves to be worthy to enter the House of the Lord where these things can be obtained and enjoyed through the remainder of our lives; for we leave the Temples of the Lord with an absolute assurance that God lives and loves us with a love that is difficult for mortals to completely understand.  


In the Temples of the Lord, be they in Sweden or Japan or anywhere else in the world, we are able to prepare ourselves for all that will be available to the faithful and the true in heart when they pass through the experience we call death; for death is not the end for us, it is a new beginning where what we receive after death will depend upon how well we prepared ourselves before death.  And it is in the Temples of the Lord where these preparations can be learned and enjoyed.

Thus the Lord is sending his servants and personal representatives throughout the world into every nation and among every kindred, tongue and people inviting them to come unto Christ and prepare for their temple blessings.  Nowhere else in this world is there a larger army of God's servants taking his message into over 192 nation and teaching the people in their own language and making available to them the full blessings of the Lord's earthly kingdom.  If you would like to be included please visit (www.mormon.org).  It will change your life and you will discover a happiness that you probably never knew existed.


www.mormon.org

Listen to the Modern Apostles

A Modern Apostles Speaks To the World

PreEarth Life

Our existence did not begin with our birth on this earth.  We existed as children of our Heavenly Father long before we came to this earth.  We are the literal spirit children of God.  He is our Father and desires that all His children become like him.  Isn't this what all fathers want: their children to be like them or better.  All men and women are in the similitude of their Eternal Father and Mother. and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.  Though all don't honor their sacred heritage we should endeavor to do so and become pleasing in the sight of God.

The Bible explains that we were created in the very image of God.  All our body parts are identical to His body parts except that ours are mortal and prone to aging and disease, while his body is glorified and everlasting.  As spirits we appeared in every way as we appear now, except that our spirit bodies were made of a more pure and refined substance, than are the elements from which our current physical bodies exist.  Just as a grandchild appears like his father and grandfather so we appear like our Heavenly Father in our physical appearance.  We are not clones of our mortal parents and neither are we clones of our Heavenly Parents.


If our Heavenly Father was not a personal Being, he could not have begotten spirits in his image, and if there had been no self-existent spirits elements, there would have been no substance from which those spirit bodies could have been organized.


There is so much more we can learn about ourselves and our Heavenly Father.  I shall try to share some more in a day or so.

A Little About Myself

Oct. 25, 2009

I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 53 years. I consider my decision to be baptized one of the most important decisions I have ever made. It has been my great joy to marry my sweetheart and raise five children in the Church. In all my family and careen responsibilities the Church has been the most helpful in preparing me to have a successful and rewarding life.

In addition to my regular family, Church, and career responsibilities I have written extensively about the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it has been revealed to the ancient and modern prophets, apostles, and other faithful latter-day saints. As I read from my own writings I must acknowledge the inspiration I have received from the Holy Ghost, whose companionship I received when I was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. HIs presence in my life has been constant and continual for over a half century.

Please feel free to inquire about my faith and experiences as a Latter-day Saint.

Most of the time we spend on this earth is to help us prepare for the eternities that are to come before and after our death. Our Heavenly Father wants us to learn as much as we choose about mortality and eternity. He promises us that nothing shall be withheld from those who have the faith and desire so seek the desires of our hearts. First, our Heavenly Father wants us to learn as much as possible about Him and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Again, nothing will be withheld if we are worthy, prepared, and seek it in righteousness. This does not mean that we have to be perfect in all things to be worthy to receive counsel, guidance, and information from the Lord. But we should be trying to take advantage of all that is available to us to improve our lives and our service.

Thanks for visiting this blog. I hope it will provide you with information that will be of value to you in making the most important decision that are thrust upon us in this life.