We all have our free agency and God holds us accountable for the way we use it in thought and deed. "Kindness, compassion, and love are powerful instruments in strengthening us to carry heavy burdens imposed without any fault of our own and to do what we know to be right."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks

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strengthining families

There Are Opposites In All Things

By on Sep 01 in Blog tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

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For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.

If not so, .. righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.

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Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

And if ye shall say there is no law,
ye shall also say there is no sin.

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If ye shall say there is no sin,
ye shall also say there is no righteousness.

And if there be no righteousness,
there be no happiness. 

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And if there be no righteousness nor happiness,
there be no punishment nor misery.

And if these things are not there is no God.

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And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

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But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—

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Behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.

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Have you ever wondered why similar spiritual feelings permeate your soul whether you are reading the prayerful words of the Hebrew military commander Joshua . . . or General Washington? Or why your eyes get equally misty, and your heart similarly joyous, whether you are singing Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing . . . or the The Star Spangled Banner? Yes, you know it is a “choice land” given by God, but have you ever considered that perhaps there is a deeper connection — even deeper than you ever imagined — between Heaven and America?

Open your eyes to this deeper connection and learn how and why ancient prophets — from Jacob (Israel), Joseph, Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah — foresaw the United States and knew of its divine ordination. Besides the advent of the Messiah, there were few things that almost all ancient prophets saw. America was one of them!

More astonishing, perhaps, is the idea that the fathers of this nation — from the Pilgrims to the revolutionaries, to the patriots of the Civil War — knew they had been seen by the ancients!

Why else did the early settlers insist they were the “New Israel?” Why was George Washington’s scripture of choice an Old Testament prophecy about the gospel destiny of America? Why did John Adams seek a “Restoration,” and why did Jefferson directly prophecy that it would occur shortly after his death and that it would land upon the foundation of the Constitution? Why (and how) did Abraham Lincoln, like a prophet of old, fulfill ancient and modern prophecy? And how did God prepare him for the work he accomplished. Learn why history has repeated itself in the founding of latter-day Israel, and why the Founding Fathers felt such a profound connection (in life and death) to “temple” worship?

These are but samples that reveal the true nature and purpose of America. Other evidences include symbolic images on our dollar bill, miracles in war, a prophet’s warning, a president’s prayer, scriptures with cryptic meaning hiding in plain sight — pieces, clues, words and symbols that actually fit perfectly together.  You may say, “How did I not see all this before?”

The key to assembling the pieces of unrest and in solving the puzzle, and to understanding the miracles that are found in an ancient promise from the God who created this nation is that there was and is The American Covenant.

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For The Family 

Today In Ohio Was Absolutely Awesome! You Should See What We Saw!

By on Jun 04 in Blog tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

You Should Have Been With Us Today!

Looking at Evidences of The Book of Mormon.

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the familyAfter breakfast this morning Suzanne and I joined Rod Meldrum and our tour group and got on board our motor coach and wound our way south first stopping at Flint Bridge where saw where the Native Americans got their flint to make their arrow heads, and other sharp edged tools.

We then went to the the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, Ohio.   This museum houses the famous “Holy Stones”, found in a Hopewell mound near Newark, Ohio.  These stones, inscribed with ancient Hebrew writings, demonstrate a North American connection to the Old World.  READ MORE!

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This carved stone was found ing the stone box (behind left and right) and has Ancient Hebrew writings on it. It says Moses, and has the Ten Commandments inscribed!  Remember, it was found in the Ohio.

 

This is an important ‘keystone’ that was also found.

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As we continued back on the bus towards Newark, we discovered that this area was filled with the most extensive and monumental earthworks in the world, including the Great Circle and Great Octagon, built by the Hopewell Civilization.

Suzanne drove me on a golf cart as this area is several football fields in area!

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the familyThey date it between 150 AD and 250 AD, during the peaceful time following Jesus Christ’s visit to America after His crucifixion.  Scientists have recently discovered embedded astronomical alignments proving this was a highly advanced civilization.  I watched Suzanne and others ascend the 30 foot embankments and walk the ‘place of entrance’ of the Great Circle as I rode my motor cart following right behind, due to my having M.S..  But, I stayed up with them.  I learned a lot about our early history of this country as we discussed the ancient Hopewell Mound Builder civilization that inhabited this area during Book of Mormon times.

This is a survey back in 1860 of the Newark Earthworks.

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We took pictures, had great conversations with Rod Meldrum about these ancient earthworks, and went to dinner only to keep talking about what we had seen with our own eyes.  
There is a golf course adjacent to these earthworks and I asked a young man if I could hire him to drive me over to some of the mounds that surrounded the area.  I asked him what he thought about these earthworks and he said, ” I don’t know much about it.  I just know that in the spring, the Native Americans come here and do something.  We just let them do it.”  I told him that they celebrate the day of passover that the Jewish people recognize but in remembrance of the day when Creator appeared to them. I then asked him a question which I ask all of you who are reading this:

Did the Book of Mormon take place in America’s “Heartland?”  From the Garden of Eden to Adam-ondi-Ahman; from the restoration of the gospel to the building of the New Jerusalem – the Heartland of North America has been the setting for sacred and significant events throughout human history.

New research involving Book of Mormon prophecies, Joseph Smith’s historical writings, DNA, archaeology, anthropology, metallurgy, horticulture, climate indicators, voyage routes, geography, astronomy, and symbology point to the very real possibility that the people and places of the Book of Mormon occurred in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.

Secular evidence continues to mount that the Book of Mormon may have occurred in the Heartland of North America.   This new research Is offering unprecedented answers to critics of the Book of Mormon and its coming forth from non-LDS sources.  Learn more about why this research is so compelling.

Below are links to recent news and articles exploring what is now being called “The Heartland Model Geography” for the Book of Mormon. You can also access their latest newsletters by visiting the ARCHIVE.

“And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record.”  Mormon 9:33

NOTE:  Tomorrow, we visit HOPEWELL MUSEUM – MOUND CITY – SEIP MOUND – FORT HILL – SERPENT MOUND!

 

Our Planet Earth And Families. By George Virl Osmond

By on Apr 22 in Blog tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Our Planet Earth

The purpose of Families upon our Beautiful Earth.

By: George Virl Osmond

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Earth Day – 22 April 2011

As large and great as it is, our planet Earth is part of something even greater – that great plan of our Heavenly Father.  In other words, the Earth was created that Families might be.

I will long remember the excitement of the construction of the new Osmond Studios for the family here in Orem, Utah during the year of 1977.   For us, not long ago, there was only an orchard field of Apple trees where the Studio now stands.  We watched its construction with much interest and fascination.

This construction process is inspiring to me.  From conception to completion, any large building project reflects the work of the master Creator.  In fact, the Creation—of planet Earth and of life upon it— supports and secures something from below, all other creative capability.  Any manmade creation is possible only because of our divine Creator.  The people who design and build are given life and capacity by that Creator.  And, all materials used in the construction of a large or impressive building, “are ultimately derived from the rich resources of the earth.”  The Lord declared, “The earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things.”(1)

It is difficult for our mortal minds to comprehend the majesty of the Creation.  It is much easier for us to think about good things to eat or fun things to do.   Let us stretch our minds to think of things beyond our easy grasp. The creation of man and woman was wondrous and great. So was the creation of the earth as their mortal dwelling place. (2)

The entire Creation was planned by God.

  • A council in heaven was once convened in which we participated. (3)

  • There our Heavenly Father announced His divine plan. (4)

  • It is also called the plan of happiness, (5)
  • the plan of salvation, (6)
  • the plan of redemption, (7)

  • the plan of restoration, (8)

  • the plan of mercy, (9)

  • the plan of deliverance, (10)

  • and the everlasting gospel. (11)

The purpose of the plan is to provide opportunity for the spirit children of God to progress toward an eternal exaltation.”

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George Virl Osmond (Like Father Like Son)
For The Family

Reference Notes

1. D&C 104:17.
2. See Russell M. Nelson, “The Magnificence of Man,” Ensign, Jan. 1988, 64–69; “We Are Children of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 85–87.
3. See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 349–50, 365.
4. See 2 Ne. 9:13; Alma 34:9; Abr. 3:22–27.
5. See Alma 42:8, 16.
6. See Jarom 1:2; Alma 24:14; Alma 42:5; Moses 6:62.
7. See Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:25–34; Alma 17:16; Alma 18:39; Alma 22:13; Alma 29:2; Alma 34:16, 31; Alma 39:18; Alma 42:11–13.
8. See Alma 41:2.
9. See Alma 42:15, 31; 2 Ne. 9:6.
10. See 2 Ne. 11:5.
11. See Rev. 14:6; D&C 27:5; D&C 36:5; D&C 68:1; D&C 77:8–9, 11; D&C 79:1; D&C 84:103; D&C 99:1; D&C 101:22, 39; D&C 106:2; D&C 109:29, 65; D&C 124:88; D&C 128:17; D&C 133:36; D&C 135:3, 7; D&C 138:19, 25; JS—H 1:34.

“Plain and Precious Parts” Were Lost From The Bible!

By on Mar 19 in Blog tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

So that you may know “the truth of all things”, I wish to share with you ancient records that foretold of what would happen to “Plain and Precious Parts” of The Bible that were “kept back by that abominable church which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb”! (The Lamb is Jesus)

An Ancient American History records what happened HERE.

Note: The Bible itself speaks of other authoritative books of scripture which are missing including books of

Yes, Jesus told other writers of ancient scripture of what would happen to The Bible.

To help explain this, I will show you the scriptures, and also leave my comments in [brackets and Red text].

These scriptures come from The Book of Mormon,  1st Book of Nephi, Chapter 13:34-42.

(Please accept this only as an act of love and kindness for all mankind.  ”The Truth shall set you free”!)

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Chapter 13
(A Description)

About 600–592 B.C.  - Nephi sees in vision the church of the devil set up among the Gentiles, (The Old World) the discovery and colonizing of America (Lehi’s family who left Jerusalem and came to America, 600 B.C.), the loss of many plain and precious parts of the Bible, the resultant state of Gentile apostasy (The killing of the Apostles and the Fall of Jesus’s Church) , the restoration of the gospel, the coming forth of latter-day scripture (God the Father and Jesus Christ’s visitation to Joseph Smith in 1830 with the return of John the Baptist, Apostles Peter, James and John, return of Elijah the Prophet to Joseph Smith and in restoring Jesus’s Church), and the building up of Zion. (The Pure in heart”)

Selected verses of scriptures:

34And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God (Jesus), after I have avisited the bremnant of the house of Israel (People as recorded in the Bible) —and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father (Lehi and his family that left Jerusalem and came to America) —wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them (Of the Old World) by the hand of the Gentiles, and after the Gentiles do cstumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the dgospel of the Lamb (from The bible) which have been kept back by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb (Jesus)—I will be merciful unto the eGentiles (followers of Christ) in that day, insomuch that I will fbring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my ggospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb. (Jesus…As contained in the Book of Mormon.)

35For, behold, saith the Lamb (Jesus): I will manifest myself unto thy seed (Lehi’s family in America),that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after thy seed shall be destroyed, and dwindle in unbelief (Lehi’s family in America), and also the seed of thy brethren (Jesus’s followers in the Old World), behold, athese things shall be hid up (Upper State of New York), to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.…………………………………………………………………………………………..Jesus’s visit in America

(They were buried by Lehi’s descendants, later to be shown by an angel to Joseph Smith, theProphet.)

36And in them shall be written my agospel, saith the Lamb, and my brock and my salvation. (God’s word and teachings.)

37And ablessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my bZion (The pure in heart) at that day, for they shall have the cgift and the dpower of the Holy Ghost; and if they eendure unto the end they shall be flifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting gkingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall hpublish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.
(This is the Restored Church of Jesus Christ [of Latter-day Saints]. )

38And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren (Lehi’s family from Jerusalem), and also the abook of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew (The Brass Plates of Laban which was a copy of the Bible  that Lehi’s family also brought from Jerusalem, 600 B.C.), that it came forth from the Gentiles (Followers of Jesus – Old World) bunto the remnant of the seed of my brethren. (Lehi’s family in America.)

39And after it had come forth unto them I beheld aother bbooks (Book of Mormon, and Books from the Lost Ten Tribes, yet to be known), which came forth by the power of the Lamb (Jesus), from the Gentiles unto them (Bible), unto the cconvincing of the Gentiles (Followers of Jesus – Old World) and the remnant of the seed of my brethren (Lehi’s family in America), and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth (All other countries), that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are dtrue.

40And the angel spake unto me, saying: These alast records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles (The Book of Mormon), shall bestablish the truth of the cfirst (The Bible), which are of the dtwelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God (Jesus) is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the eSavior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved.

41And they must come according to the words which shall be established by the mouth of the Lamb (Jesus’s words from all scriptures); and the words of the Lamb shall be made known in the records of thy seed (Decendents of Lehi in America), as well as in the arecords of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (The Bible); wherefore they both (The Bible and The Book of Mormon) shall be established in bone (One Purpose); for there is cone God and one dShepherd over all the earth.

42And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations (The Second Coming of Jesus Christ), both unto the aJews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the blast shall be first, and the cfirst shall be last.

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If you would like to know more about this, you can get a FREE Book of Mormon and other media , as well as have a representative visit you and teach you privately.

As recorded, the day is coming soon when, “Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye. (The Last Days) Mosiah 27:31

I, Alan Osmond, share these things openly with you, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  
Romans 1:16

As Jesus said, these records were recorded for “a wise purpose”  that the “fullness of the gospel, which was lost from the Bible shall be known by the Book of Mormon.   The Book of Mormon and The Bible compliment and “prove” each other to be true as they contain Jesus’s words.  Jesus is “the same yesterday, today, and forever,” and what he says to one will NOT conflict with the other!

Actually, this knowledge fulfills prophecy in the Bible in the Book of  Ezekiel 37:16 and 19 where it says,

16 “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one astick, (or Book) and bwrite upon it, For cJudah, (Decendants of Judah or The Bible) and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick (or Book), and dwrite upon it, For eJoseph (Descendants of Joseph or The Book of Mormon), the fstick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
•  •  •
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of aJoseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
(One in Purpose and One in His word.)
This should help all churches and religions better understand each other; especially when we get more records of Jesus’s visit to The Lost Ten Tribes which will come in the future!

Learn More?

Previous Article:  “Plain and Precious Parts” Were Lost From The Bible!

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By:  Alan Osmond
alan@thefamily.com
For The Family

The Church of Jesus Christ Was Restored After His Crucifixion..

By on Mar 16 in Blog tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

This is a follow up to give more support to my family, my friends, and others as to why they must get these sacred ordinances that are only available in Jesus’s Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After Jesus Christ was crucified and all of His Apostles were killed, so went the authority to perform any sacred ordinances in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored by Joseph Smith in the 1830′s .

Here are some of the restoration moments of various keys and authority from Jesus and His Apostles to Joseph Smith in order to restore His Church in these latter-days.

From the Life of Joseph Smith

In the spring of 1836, after three years of work and sacrifice, the Kirtland Saints finally saw their beautiful temple complete, the first temple in this dispensation. On Sunday, March 27, more than 900 people gathered in the temple chapel and vestibule for the dedicatory service. Many others met in an overflow session in a nearby schoolroom, while still others listened outside the open windows of the temple. The Prophet himself helped to seat the faithful.

The congregation heard an address by Sidney Rigdon, a counselor in the First Presidency, and then joined together to sing “Now Let Us Rejoice” and “Adam-ondi-Ahman,” written by William W. Phelps. Joseph Smith then rose to offer the dedicatory prayer, which he had received by revelation. In the prayer, he described many of the remarkable blessings that are bestowed upon those who come in worthiness to God’s temples (see D&C 109). The choir sang “The Spirit of God,” and the congregation then stood and gave the Hosanna Shout “with such power as seemed almost sufficient to raise the roof from the building.” 1

“Let thy house be filled,” the Prophet said in the dedicatory prayer, “as with a rushing mighty wind, with thy glory” (D&C 109:37). This was literally fulfilled, for many Saints testified that heavenly beings were present during the dedication service. Eliza R. Snow recalled: “The ceremonies of that dedication may be rehearsed, but no mortal language can describe the heavenly manifestations of that memorable day. Angels appeared to some, while a sense of divine presence was realized by all present, and each heart was filled with ‘joy inexpressible and full of glory’ [see 1 Peter 1:8].” 2

That evening, as the Prophet gathered with about 400 priesthood bearers in the temple, “a noise was heard like the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by an invisible power.” According to the Prophet, “many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; others saw glorious visions; and I beheld the Temple was filled with angels, which fact I declared to the congregation.” 3

In a meeting held in the temple a week later, on Sunday, April 3, manifestations of extraordinary significance occurred. After the Prophet assisted other Church leaders in administering the sacrament, he and Oliver Cowdery retired to the pulpit behind lowered curtains and knelt in solemn prayer. As they rose from prayer, the Savior Himself appeared to them and proclaimed His approval of the temple: “Behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house” (D&C 110:7).

After this vision closed, Joseph and Oliver saw three separate visions in which ancient prophets appeared to them to restore priesthood keys necessary for the latter-day work of the Lord. The prophet Moses appeared and committed to them “the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth.” Elias came and committed to them “the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham.” (See D&C 110:11–12.)

Then, in another glorious vision, Joseph and Oliver saw the prophet Elijah (see D&C 110:13–16). The coming of Elijah was so important that the ancient prophet Malachi had prophesied of it centuries earlier, and the Savior had repeated the prophecy to the Nephites (see Malachi 4:5–63 Nephi 25:5–626:1–2). Elijah came to commit to Joseph and Oliver the keys of sealing—the power to bind and validate in the heavens all ordinances performed on the earth. The restoration of the sealing power was necessary to prepare the world for the Savior’s Second Coming, for without it, “the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Joseph Smith—History

The ancient prophet Malachi foretold the coming of Elijah.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said the following about Moroni’s visit to him on the evening of September 21, 1823, as recorded in Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39: “[Moroni] first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:

For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

“And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

“He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. 4

Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple.

Joseph Smith described the appearance of the ancient prophet Elijah to him and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland Temple, later recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16: “Another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

“Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.” 5

Elijah restored the sealing keys—the power and authority to bind in heaven all ordinances performed on earth.

“‘And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord,’ etc., etc. [see Malachi 4:5]. Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood; and [unless] the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness.” 6

The Prophet Joseph Smith said the following in a letter to the Saints, later recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 128:8–11: “The nature of this ordinance [baptism for the dead] consists in the power of the priesthood, by the revelation of Jesus Christ, wherein it is granted that whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. …

“It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of—a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven. Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given a dispensation of the priesthood to any man by actual revelation, or any set of men, this power has always been given. Hence, whatsoever those men did in authority, in the name of the Lord, and did it truly and faithfully, and kept a proper and faithful record of the same, it became a law on earth and in heaven, and could not be annulled, according to the decrees of the great Jehovah. This is a faithful saying. Who can hear it?

“And again, for the precedent, Matthew 16:18, 19And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

“Now the great and grand secret of the whole matter, and the summum bonum of the whole subject that is lying before us, consists in obtaining the powers of the Holy Priesthood. For him to whom these keys are given there is no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men, both as well for the dead as for the living.” 7

Through the sealing power, families can be sealed for time and all eternity, and sacred ordinances can be performed for the dead.

“The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelation, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers, even those who are in heaven.

“Malachi says, ‘I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.’ [Malachi 4:5–6.]

“Now, what I am after is the knowledge of God, and I take my own course to obtain it. What are we to understand by this in the last days?

“In the days of Noah, God destroyed the world by a flood, and He has promised to destroy it by fire in the last days: but before it should take place, Elijah should first come and turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, etc.

“Now comes the point. What is this office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest and most important subjects that God has revealed. He should send Elijah to seal the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children.

“Now was this merely confined to the living, to settle difficulties with families on earth? By no means. It was a far greater work. Elijah! what would you do if you were here? Would you confine your work to the living alone? No: I would refer you to the Scriptures, where the subject is manifest: that is, without us, they could not be made perfect, nor we without them; the fathers without the children, nor the children without the fathers [see Hebrews 11:40].

“I wish you to understand this subject, for it is important; and if you will receive it, this is the spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection; and here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven. This is the power of Elijah and the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah. …

“Again: The doctrine or sealing power of Elijah is as follows:—If you have power to seal on earth and in heaven, then we should be wise. The first thing you do, go and seal on earth your sons and daughters unto yourself, and yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory.” 8

The coming of Elijah was a necessary preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior.

“The hearts of the children of men will have to be turned to the fathers, and the fathers to the children, living or dead, to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. If Elijah did not come, the whole earth would be smitten.” 9

“Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to His Temple, which is last of all. … Elijah was to come and prepare the way and build up the kingdom before the coming of the great day of the Lord.” 10

“The world is reserved unto burning in the last days. He shall send Elijah the prophet, and he shall reveal the covenants of the fathers in relation to the children, and the covenants of the children in relation to the fathers.” 11

“How shall God come to the rescue of this generation? He will send Elijah the prophet. … Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers.” 12

1:39).

Quit The Church?

By on Jan 09 in Blog tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

As a member of the LDS Church, or its real name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…I share this email that a friend ‘Ollie’ sent me with a smile on my face!

Quit the Church?

In a local newspaper there had been an ongoing series of articles written by
individuals who wanted to persuade LDS Church members to leave the Church.

In response to the highly critical and spirited remarks, a local member wrote this rebuttal:

Editor:

I have been thinking of quitting the Mormon Church.  Yes, if I can, I am
going to get even with that church.  As soon as I can find another church
that teaches about the Gathering of the House of Israel; the return of the
Ten Tribes
and their mission; the return of the Jews to Palestine and why,
and how they are going to build the temple; the building of temples and what
to do with them
; the mission of Elias, the  prophet, as predicted by
Malachi
; the method for the salvation of the people that died at the time of
Noah in the flood; the origin of the American Indian; the complete
explanation of why Jesus of Nazareth had to have a mortal  mother but not a
mortal father; the explanation of the three degrees of glory (three heavens)
as mentioned by Paul; the complete explanation of why Elias and Moses did
not die
but had to be translated (since they both lived before the
resurrection was introduced by Christ); the restoration of the gospel by
modern revelation as promised by Peter and Paul and Jesus himself; the
belief in eternal marriage and the family, and the knowledge and the place
to seal for eternity
; that teaches abstinence  from all harmful drugs and
foods
; and that sells the best fire insurance  policy on earth, for the
last days
, for only a 10th of my income.

Yes sir, as soon as I can find another church that teaches all that, or
even half as much, I will say good-bye to this Mormon Church. The church
that I am looking for must also be able to motivate 50,000+ youth, and
adults, for the first, second or third time, to leave their homes for two
years at their own expense and go to far-away places to teach and  preach
without salary.  It must be able to call, on a frosty day, some 5 or 6
thousand professors, students, lawyers, doctors, judges, policemen,
businessmen, housewives and children to go and pick apples at 6 am.  It must
be able to call meetings and get the attention for two hours of more than
150,000 men. Yes, it must also teach and show why salvation is assured for
children who die before eight years of age.

Mr. Editor, could you help me find a church that  teaches all that  and more
than hundreds of other doctrines and principles, which I have no room to
mention here, and which brings solace and comfort  to the soul; peace,
hope, and salvation to mankind, and above all, that answers the key
questions that all the great philosophers have asked; questions and  answers
that explain the meaning of life, the purpose of death, suffering and pain;
the absolute need for a Redeemer and the marvelous  plan conceived and
executed by Jesus Christ the Savior?  Yes, as soon as I find another
church that teaches that, and also that has the organization and the powers
to make that teaching effective, I am going to quit the Mormon Church.   For
I should not tolerate that “they” should   change a few words in the Book of
Mormon-even if those changes simply improve the grammar and the syntax of
the verses-for, after all, don’t  you think the Divine Church should employ
angels as bookmakers, and clerks, to do all the chores on earth?  Don’t you
think, Mr. Editor that the Divine Church should also have prophets that
don’t get sick and don’t get old and die, and certainly, that don’t make a
goof here and there. No, sir! A Divine Church should be so divine that only
perfect  people should belong to it, and only perfect people should run it.
As a matter of fact, the Church should be so perfect that it should not even
be here on earth!

So, I repeat, if any one of the kind readers of this imperfect letter  knows
about another church that teaches and does as much for mankind as the
Mormon Church, please let me know.  And please do it soon, because my turn
to go to the cannery is coming up.  Also, “they” want my last son (the fifth
one) to go away for two years and again, I have to pay for all that.  And I
also know that they expect me to go to the farm to prune trees, and I have
heard that our ward is going to be divided again, and it is our side that
must build the new chapel.  And also, someone the other day had the gall of
suggesting that my wife and I get ready to go on a second mission, and when
you come back, they said, you can volunteer as a temple worker.

Boy, these Mormons don’t leave you alone for a minute.  And what do I get
for all that, I asked?  ”Well,” they said, “for one, you can look forward to
a funeral service at no charge!”… Do you think you can help me to find
another church?

Thomas D. Clark

Personally, there is ‘NO WAY‘ that I would ever leave this Church of ours for it has the authority to perform those eternal saving ordinances that will get me and my wife Suzanne with our family back together and resurrected into the highest ‘mansion‘ in the everlasting heavens to be with our Heavenly Parents once again…. unless I choose to sin and to not live those higher  laws that deserve the highest blessings and ‘mansion‘ , which I WON’T!

Learn More? Also to Get a FREE Book of Mormon!


ALAN OSMOND

John 14: 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.