There is an interesting yet understated event in chapter 9 of the Book of Luke that has a great lesson for us.
There's not a lot of clear information on the situation. Jesus decided to head to Jerusalem, and planned to stop in a Samaritan village along the way. He sent messengers ahead to the village, "to make ready for him. And [the people of the village] did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem." (Is this like restaurants that post "Restrooms for Paying Customers Only"? I dunno.) James and John, two of Jesus' most prominent apostles, said: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?"
This is a very interesting request. They are referencing Elijah (aka Elias) from 1st Kings 18 and 2nd Kings 1, who called down fire from heaven in the challenge against the priests of Baal and against other soldiers sent to apprehend him.
One chapter earlier (Luke 8), Jesus and the apostles were caught on the sea in a terrible storm and Jesus commanded the sea and sky to be still, demonstrating he had power over the elements. At the onset of chapter 9, Jesus called the Twelve Apostles and gave them Priesthood authority. A little later, James and John were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, where they received more priesthood keys and power (including from Elijah). Immediately after this, some of the apostles, perhaps James and John included, were unable to heal a boy possessed by an evil spirit and were rebuked by the Master.
James and John were looking for an opportunity to prove their faith (that previously on occasion failed to produce miracles) and exercise their new-found priesthood power, received from Elijah, just like Elijah.
The response: "He rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."
The story concludes with this simple phrase: "And they went to another village."
--------
We are naturally inclined to revenge, pride, anger, returning spite for spite. When someone offends us we want to get even and prove they don't know who they're messing with.We want to have the last word.
Jesus has other ideas. He was fine with just moving on to another town. Let them be. He loved them even though they did not welcome him.
When he was being crucified by the Roman soldiers he exclaimed, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
I am amazed by Jesus' love and compassion. There is not enough forgiveness and compassion in the world. Well would we be to follow his admonition, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
I hope we can do a better job of forgiving and forgetting; of being compassionate; of excusing people who are inhospitable towards us; of having charity--the pure love of Christ--towards everyone around us.
Jesus said he was sent not to destroy, but to save, and if follow that example we will have more peace in ourselves.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
What makes Mormons different than other Christians?
I think Latter-day Saints have a lot in common with Catholics, Protestants, Born again Christians, etc. Still, there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty about our church.
In response to friends asking about what makes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints different than other Christian churches, I've put together these twelve basic statements of belief. I made them concise, salient, and understandable.
1. We believe Jesus is the Son of God who suffered for our sins, died for us and was resurrected. Because of him, we all will be resurrected; it is a universal gift. And because of the Atonement (his suffering for our sins), we have the opportunity to be freed from our sins and return to live with God if we have faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized by the proper Priesthood authority, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost through confirmation, and faithfully keep the commandments.
2. We believe God chose righteous people as prophets in Bible times, but that was not the end of prophets. God chose prophets in other places/periods of time, and has continued to call prophets in our day. Prophets hold the keys of authority to administer the ordinances of salvation, receive revelation from God, and lead the church.
3. We believe Jesus established doctrine, established The Church of Jesus Christ, and gave people priesthood authority to administer the church during his earthly ministry. Unfortunately, in the decades following his death those doctrines were perverted and ultimately the authority was lost.
4. We believe that God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth, reestablish the true doctrines of the gospel, and restore the Priesthood authority. We believe in modern revelation.
5. We believe the Bible to be scripture/the word of God. We also believe God has given additional scripture through other prophets. One example of additional scripture is The Book of Mormon, an account kept by prophets living in ancient America 600 BC-400 AD, translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. One of the ultimate purposes of The Book of Mormon is stated by one its writers Nephi: "We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
6. We believe we are children of God and have divine potential. We believe in eternal progression. We strive to become more like our Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and like God our Heavenly Father. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5). This growth can occur day by day and continue after our life on earth ends.
7. We believe that family relations can continue after death through sacred temple ordinances and continued faithfulness and obedience. This is why we place such emphasis in strengthening the family.
8. We believe the ordinances of salvation (like baptism) and family sealing are not exclusive to "Mormons" living after The Church's organization in 1830. We believe everyone in the history of the world will have an opportunity to hear the gospel in the spirit world after death where they may accept Jesus Christ if they had no opportunity while living on the earth. This is why we perform vicarious work for the dead in holy temples. This sacred service provides an opportunity for those departed spirits who accept the gospel of Christ to receive those ordinances of salvation, before they receive Judgment and Resurrection.
9. We believe that all children who die before reaching the age of accountability and people with significant mental handicaps are heirs of salvation and do not require baptism.
10. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all people. We seek after anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy. We believe in being good neighbors, good citizens, obeying the law, and working hard. We strive to follow Christ's teachings to not judge others and to forgive. We are imperfect but we humbly try do better.
11. We believe our physical bodies are precious gifts and we aim to master our body, be healthy and treat this gift well. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3)
12. We follow Jesus' commandment to lovingly share our beliefs with others. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28). This is why we have a strong missionary presence. This commandment also influences other members of the church to extend loving invitations to their friends, family, and neighbors.
Although we are often referred to as "Mormons" and may go by LDS for short, we prefer to be known as "members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Mormons was a nickname given based on our belief in The Book of Mormon, named after an ancient historian prophet who compiled the book in 400 AD. Our full name reflects our true position as Christians with Jesus as the head of our church and the subject of our worship.
I hope these thoughts clear confusion and alleviate a few concerns. This obviously isn't a comprehensive list of our doctrine as I focused on a few prominent differences.
If you have questions about our church I invite you to email me, contact the missionaries, ask your friends or neighbors who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or check out mormon.org or lds.org.
In response to friends asking about what makes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints different than other Christian churches, I've put together these twelve basic statements of belief. I made them concise, salient, and understandable.
1. We believe Jesus is the Son of God who suffered for our sins, died for us and was resurrected. Because of him, we all will be resurrected; it is a universal gift. And because of the Atonement (his suffering for our sins), we have the opportunity to be freed from our sins and return to live with God if we have faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized by the proper Priesthood authority, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost through confirmation, and faithfully keep the commandments.
2. We believe God chose righteous people as prophets in Bible times, but that was not the end of prophets. God chose prophets in other places/periods of time, and has continued to call prophets in our day. Prophets hold the keys of authority to administer the ordinances of salvation, receive revelation from God, and lead the church.
3. We believe Jesus established doctrine, established The Church of Jesus Christ, and gave people priesthood authority to administer the church during his earthly ministry. Unfortunately, in the decades following his death those doctrines were perverted and ultimately the authority was lost.
4. We believe that God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth, reestablish the true doctrines of the gospel, and restore the Priesthood authority. We believe in modern revelation.
5. We believe the Bible to be scripture/the word of God. We also believe God has given additional scripture through other prophets. One example of additional scripture is The Book of Mormon, an account kept by prophets living in ancient America 600 BC-400 AD, translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. One of the ultimate purposes of The Book of Mormon is stated by one its writers Nephi: "We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
6. We believe we are children of God and have divine potential. We believe in eternal progression. We strive to become more like our Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and like God our Heavenly Father. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5). This growth can occur day by day and continue after our life on earth ends.
7. We believe that family relations can continue after death through sacred temple ordinances and continued faithfulness and obedience. This is why we place such emphasis in strengthening the family.
8. We believe the ordinances of salvation (like baptism) and family sealing are not exclusive to "Mormons" living after The Church's organization in 1830. We believe everyone in the history of the world will have an opportunity to hear the gospel in the spirit world after death where they may accept Jesus Christ if they had no opportunity while living on the earth. This is why we perform vicarious work for the dead in holy temples. This sacred service provides an opportunity for those departed spirits who accept the gospel of Christ to receive those ordinances of salvation, before they receive Judgment and Resurrection.
9. We believe that all children who die before reaching the age of accountability and people with significant mental handicaps are heirs of salvation and do not require baptism.
10. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all people. We seek after anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy. We believe in being good neighbors, good citizens, obeying the law, and working hard. We strive to follow Christ's teachings to not judge others and to forgive. We are imperfect but we humbly try do better.
11. We believe our physical bodies are precious gifts and we aim to master our body, be healthy and treat this gift well. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3)
12. We follow Jesus' commandment to lovingly share our beliefs with others. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28). This is why we have a strong missionary presence. This commandment also influences other members of the church to extend loving invitations to their friends, family, and neighbors.
Although we are often referred to as "Mormons" and may go by LDS for short, we prefer to be known as "members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Mormons was a nickname given based on our belief in The Book of Mormon, named after an ancient historian prophet who compiled the book in 400 AD. Our full name reflects our true position as Christians with Jesus as the head of our church and the subject of our worship.
I hope these thoughts clear confusion and alleviate a few concerns. This obviously isn't a comprehensive list of our doctrine as I focused on a few prominent differences.
If you have questions about our church I invite you to email me, contact the missionaries, ask your friends or neighbors who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or check out mormon.org or lds.org.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
General Conference Preview Recap
General Conference is this weekend. For those who don't
know, GC is 10 hours of sermons from the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (plus musical numbers) over two days that comes up twice a
year. It's a lot of church, but at least now I can watch it via internet at
home on the couch in my pajamas.
Before hearing the new messages, I wanted to reflect on some
of my favorite nuggets from the last Conference in October, specifically
messages about the Savior. Here are six.
--- "Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ. We worship
and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us collectively and for the pain
He endured for each of us individually, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on
the cross. He bore with great humility and with an eternal understanding of His
divine role and purpose...The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited
to those who commit sins either of commission or omission, but they encompass
the promise of everlasting peace to all who will accept and follow Him and His
teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent."
-- Boyd K. Packer
--- "In every way possible, [Jesus] was His Father's
perfect disciple. He was so perfect in representing His Father that to know the
Savior was also to know the Father. To see the Son was to see the Father. To
hear the Son was to hear the Father. He had, in essence, become
indistinguishable from His Father. His Father and He were one." --- Lynn
G. Robbins
--- "The Lord invites us using various verbs: 'Come
unto me,' 'Follow me,' 'Walk with me.' In each case it is not a passive
invitation; it is an invitation to act... Make the decision today to act and
say, 'Yes Lord, I will follow Thee!" -- Eduardo Gavarret
--- "Our wounded souls can be healed and renewed not
only because the bread and water [the sacrament] remind us of the Savior's
sacrifice of His flesh and blood but because the emblems also remind us that He
will always be our bread of life and living water... Aaronic Priesthood holders
represent the Savior when they prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament. As a
priesthood holder extends his arm to offer us the sacred emblems, it is as if
the Savior Himself were extending His arm of mercy, inviting each one of us to
partake of the precious gifts of love made available through His atoning sacrifice--gifts
of repentance, forgiveness, comfort, and hope." --- Cheryl A. Esplin
--- The most important event in time and eternity is the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. He who accomplished the Atonement has given us the
ordinance of the sacrament to help us not only remember but also claim the
blessings of this supreme act of grace. Regular and earnest participation in
this sacred ordinance helps us continue to embrace and live the doctrine of
Christ after baptism and thereby pursue and complete the process of
sanctification. Indeed, the ordinance of the sacrament helps us faithfully
endure to the end and receive the fulness of the Father in the same way Jesus
did, grace for grace." -- James J. Hamula
--- "As we strive to place Christ at the center of our
lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His
path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that he Died to gain.
There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His
discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives.
Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can." --
Thomas S. Monson
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