Valuing Scripture As Our Brazen Serpent

After liberation from slavery and a precipitous exit from Egypt, Israel sluggishly wandered for 40 years in the wilderness following the prophet Moses. Frustrated, tired and hopeless, the band of travelers frequently hardened their hearts against their leader and against the God of Heaven.

King Arad, after learning Israel camped nearby, feared their presence, imprisoned some and fought mightily against them. Alarmed, quick to repent, Israel turned to the Lord, vowing such a vow, that Heaven delivered them from the entire Canaanite population.

Still reeling and recovering from the latest battle, the camp of Israel unmoored and continued marching over the harsh landscape. When apprising Israel that they would travel to Moab by marching around Edom rather than taking a shorter route, the people bemoaned discouragement because of the chosen way.

“Why hast God brought us out of Egypt, to die in the desert?”

“Moses, where is our Bread?”

“Where shall we find water?”

“We have to eat the same awful manna day after day, we hate it.”

Hearing such complaints after facilitating another escape from its enemies, the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people of Israel. The serpents bit thousands and many died.

“Moses!” Cried those who remained, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee. Pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.”

Ever faithful, Moses prayed and received healing instructions, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 17)

Numerous looked and were healed. Many, because of the simpleness of the way, did not perform the easy labor and perished. (1 Nephi 17:41)

In the wilderness Moses raised a symbol of a future atonement that literally saved the lives of those who would look. “But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.” (Alma 33:20)

Thousands of years later, when comparing the brazen serpent of the past to the tangible scriptures we easily access today, the prophet’s call to heal the soul remains, “if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish? If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he [came] to redeem his people, and that he [suffered] and [died] to atone for their sins; and that he [rose] again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.” (Alma 33:21-22)

“Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high…They are always available when needed.” (Richard G Scott, General Conference, October 2011)

In Mosiah chapter 4, King Benjamin testifies that daily look into the scriptures matures over time into a course of study that allows the reader to:
• Believe in God
• Believe that He is
• Believe He created all things
• Believe that He has all wisdom
• Believe that He has power
• Believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend

And if the reader believes all these things:
• Believe that they must repent of sins and forsake them
• Believe that they must humble themselves before God
• Believe that they must ask in sincerity of heart
• Believe that He would forgive

Then as the reader:
• Comes to the knowledge of the glory of God
• Knows of his goodness
• Tastes of his love
• Receives a remission of sins

The reader:
• Will enjoy exceedingly great joy in the soul
• Will remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God,
• Will remember their own nothingness
• Will remember God’s goodness and long-suffering
• Will humble themselves even in the depths of humility
• Will call on the name of the Lord daily
• Will stand steadfastly in the faith
• Will always rejoice
• Will be filled with the love of God
• Will always retain a remission of sins
• Will grow in the knowledge of the glory of Him
• Will grow in the knowledge of that which is just and true
• Will not have a mind to injure one another
• Will live peaceably
• Will render to every man according to that which is his due
• Will not suffer that children go hungry or naked
• Will not suffer that others transgress the laws of God
• Will not fight and quarrel one with another
• Will not serve the devil
• Will teach all to walk in the ways of truth
• Will teach soberness
• Will teach all to love one another
• Will teach all to serve one another

Looking upon the word daily, as Brigham Young taught, gives here a little and there a little. Thus the Lord increases wisdom, and they that receive a little, and are thankful for that, shall receive more and more and more. (Times and Seasons, July 1845)

“The word of God, as found in the scriptures… has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.” (Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference, April 1986)

Strive to never let a day pass without uttering a prayer similar as that articulated by the Brother of Jared, “O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these [scriptures], O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us… that we may have light. Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men”.

Then shall that day come when “the Lord stretche[s] forth his hand and touche[s] the [scriptures] one by one with his finger. And the veil [will be] taken from off the eyes…” and the Wonderful Voice of Eternity declares, “I am He who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.” (Ether 3)

Covet

I went to bed wondering, “Why is THOU SHALT NOT COVET such a big deal? Murder, lies, theft, adultery and the rest I understand, but covet—really?”

To covet is to desire, to yearn for, to have one’s heart set upon, to want, to wish or to long for something one does not posses. A person who covets eventually finds oneself experiencing feelings of anger, envy, resentment, jealousy and bitterness. These are the yields of comparison.

In contrast, the ability to accept and be comfortable in one’s current circumstance while also being happy for or even celebrating others in their circumstance may be one of life’s greatest virtues.

When one accepts that his neighbor’s grass is often greener; he stops peering over the fence.  Regardless of the actual appraisal, the person participating tends to place himself as the lesser: it’s human nature.

Those who reside in the winner’s circle of life typically don’t participate in the act of paralleling oneself to others—rather they rise above as they have better things to do. Because time is not wasted passing judgment between oneself and another, the result may be a richer life of liberating happiness and contentment.

Since no mental, physical, emotional or psychological energy is wasted on anger, bitterness, jealousy and all its accompanying fruits, one’s natural capacity is toward maximization: being the person who somehow schedules 35 hours into a 24-hour day; whereas, one full of yearning, longing for, desire toward someone else’s situation wastes away the day and, with weighted drudgery, endures a lesser, even 18-hour-a-day-life.

Happy people are naturally industrious and effortlessly produce more each day.

Is that why a God can live eternally? Is he or she so content that he or she can schedule 1,000 or 10,000 years into one of our 24-hour days?

Though I can run long distances (of course I will throw in a running analogy), I am not an actual runner. I have no idea how to train, eat, sleep, recover, stretch, practice, hydrate or dress successfully--even appropriately. I marvel daily that I manage to keep putting one front in front of the other, and even participate in events such as marathons and ultra-marathons.

Because of tonight’s musings, I now realize I can run 50 miles or even 100 miles at a time, because: I ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I AM ACTUALLY RUNNNG THAT FAR. I don’t fight it, resist it, rush it, hate it, dream about not doing it, and wish I were elsewhere or deny it. I accept that I am running (this can apply to any circumstance of life) and try to find ways to enjoy the long run rather than despise it. In three years, I have run dozens of marathons and ultra-marathons. The two I hated, though they were just as difficult or easy as the others, I did not finish.

Accepting my daily situation and finding happiness in my abilities causes me to experience depths of joy, delight, and satisfaction in both congratulating the champions of races and appreciating the winners in life.

Indeed I have much to learn and much to celebrate.

Behold Your Little Ones

“Arrrgh! If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times, we don’t have any newspaper. If you had told me about this homework assignment earlier, I could have done something.”

“Mom!!! I must finish my homework!”

The conversation flew before my eyes in sign language as I walked into the house on a Sunday evening. Parker, at age 6, had an assignment to create a paper mache animal for school and was furious that there was no newspaper in the house for him to use.

“Parker, if you had told me about this homework a few days ago, we could have bought some newspaper. It’s too late right now and we are not going to the store.”

Instead of intervene and rescue either Parker or his mother from this conversation, I just stood with a smile and watched.  I don’t know why, but watching little boys throw a fit is cute to me. The stomping and yelling makes me giggle—maybe it’s from all of the Calvin and Hobbes comics I read as a child. After a few more similar exchanges, Parker turned to me and pled his case.

“I’m sorry,” I responded, “We will not go to the store tonight to buy a newspaper. You will have to tell your teacher that your assignment will be late.”

Parker’s face reddened and he yelled back in retort, “Fine! I will ask God for a newspaper!” He then stomped to his room and shut himself in.

I looked to my wife and wondered if there was anything we could have done to help our son. His distress was obvious and I wanted to help. Before we could think of a solution, Parker came out of his room smiling.

“The newspaper is here,” he announced as he walked to the front door.

My wife and I followed him and wondered what would happen. We didn’t subscribe to any newspaper services, so we knew there was no such thing waiting for him on our porch. Besides that, I had just walked across the empty porch and crossed the naked threshold a few minutes earlier; therefore I knew nothing but disappointment waited to greet him as he opened the door.  

“Here it is!” Parker announced after he opened the door. We then watched him reach down and pick up a huge bundle of newspaper that rested at the bottom of our door frame.

“How did that happen?” I asked Parker in surprise.

“I prayed. Heavenly Father answered my prayer. Let’s make my animal.”

Priesthood Striving for Motherhood

After observing the Savior preach about salvation and the way thereto, Nicodemus approached and asked that which weighed upon his heart, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

After further discussion pertaining to the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, Christ finally answered, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Again…

Again...

Though a man must be born again before entering the Kingdom of God, do we stop often enough to commemorate the original miracle: that man was born at all?

Watching each pregnancy as it was celebrated and endured by my wife filled me with wonder. As Adam saw that his wife was the mother of all living, I noted an equivalent with my companion. Week after week, flesh combined with spirit and grew into a living soul. How wonderful the opportunity must be—trusted by heaven, as a mutual partner, to be the vessel in which water, blood, flesh and spirit combine to create life!

As weeks turn into months, and little cells become eyes, limbs, torso and head, the womb changes from a place of celebration to one of distress. During the final days before delivery, many mothers experience a period of anxious suffering.

Analogously, during the final days of His ministry, in order also to bring about life, Christ suffered.

Mathew recorded, “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

In the final hours of each pregnancy, I watched my wife, heavy and tired, wish for some relief—even some other way that the little life within her could be delivered without such pending anguish to her mind, emotions and body.

Like Christ asked, she too wished for me to tarry near, it was too much for her to bear alone.

As He felt the pending anguish hasten nearer, He continued to seek for support, both from His sleeping friends and from Heaven.

Comfortless, my wife asked me to be awake with her while we waited hours into the night, and like the apostles, I felt helpless and never knew how to provide calm or comfort.

Then came the suffering of our Lord from within the garden. Only He can describe it thus, “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink… how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.”

Moments before each life arrives, as the womb contracts and the body prepares for delivery, many mothers endure such suffering and distress, as to cause tears, sweating, and pain to such extreme that only a woman knows—how sore, how hard to bear, man will never know.

After impossible suffering, the shedding of much blood, even unto death, Christ then rose from the tomb; having delivered himself from all peril to then provide life, with rejoicing and great joy.

Is it any wonder that women saw Him first? Who else, besides a woman or a mother, could ever appreciate that righteous suffering brings forth life triumphant?

How wonderful, amazing, inspiring and awe striking can it be?

As a man, I will never know. While standing along side my wife and observing the birth of my son, I learned a profound truth: I would never empathize with the Atonement of Christ as much as the mother of any child would--for I have never suffered great pains to bring forth life.

When testifying of His work and His glory, it is of little surprise then when He compares his love and concern to that of a mother's, “For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? … I will not forget thee, O house of Israel.”

As a child grows, will the mother disregard him? Never. It seems that it is always the mother that drops everything, every time, to ensure for the well being of her child.

What then is left for the man to do? 

It is for him to learn to be as loving and as full of charity and service toward each child sent from heaven as the mother of that child is. How is it to be done? By obtaining the Priesthood—for Priesthood and Motherhood are directly related.

Just like a mother, the priesthood holder assumes the obligation and opportunity to care for all of God’s children. It is not until the priesthood bearer willfully drops everything, including the cares of the world, and cares for all mankind that he becomes like a mother. Just like she was chosen and called from the foundation of the world to play an intricate role in the Plan of Salvation—namely to bring spirits from heaven to earth, so too, a man ordained with the Priesthood should strive to not only be called, but to be chosen to play his role—namely to bring God’s children safely back to heaven.

Christ did not shirk His calling in the Plan of Salvation.

Mothers do not shirk their calling in the Plan of Salvation.

Would that every priesthood holder attended to his calling, even in the face of pending distress and grief, as well as the mother does to hers or as the Savior does to His.

Many men are called, but few are chosen.

Why are they not chosen?

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and [they] aspire to the honors of men…rather than learn this one lesson: Christ cares for His church as a groom cares for his bride. Men, in like fashion, should care for God’s children, as do their mothers.

If a man desires to do this, he will learn to behave like a mother and will understand that “no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood,

only by persuasion,

by long-suffering,

by gentleness

and meekness,

and by love unfeigned;

by kindness,

and pure knowledge,

which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost;

and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men,

and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly;

then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God;

and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. (D/C 121)

If a man does this, he will finally feel toward others like a mother feels toward her own. This is what every priesthood holder should strive for.

Elder Jeffery Holland taught, “The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever… Mothers, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are, better than you are, and better than you have ever been. And if, for whatever reason, you are making this courageous effort alone, without your husband at your side, then our prayers will be all the greater for you. Know that in faith things will be made right in spite of you, or more correctly, because of you. We thank all of you, and tell you there is nothing more important in this world than participating so directly in the work and glory of God.

May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.’”

Though I have the priesthood, I seek the attributes of MOTHERHOOD.

Applying the Sermon on the Mount

While serving in the military, I was occasionally selected for hurricane duty. When needed, a few of us would fly to various places throughout the world where propositioned maritime equipment was located. Depending on the amount of notice, we untied boats from their moorings and sailed away from the path of the oncoming storm. Sometimes, notice was short and we had to sail the boats straight into gusty headwinds and treacherous waters that preceded the arrival of severe weather.  After avoiding or riding out a storm, we then returned the boats back to their original moorings.

Occasionally, we had the opportunity to talk with teams working on submarines. Inevitably, the topic of riding out storms arose and often ended with a laugh or two from the submarine teams—weather never affected those that maneuvered hundreds or even thousands of feet under water.

Similarly, a person who snorkels has adjust to the ever changing motion of the surface water with persistent sloshing and splashing; whereas a diver, once deep enough, has more control of what may be done within his quiet environment.

When making a comparison between navigating ever changing seas and a life within the gospel, I see that those whose testimonies don’t dive deep enough are often troubled and moved by every little thing. On the other hand, a person who has a great and deep appreciation of the eternal perspective remains undisturbed and is often at peace, even amidst times of adverse trial.

Shallow faith leads to struggles with worry, apprehension, overreaction and fear over every minor change in life. On the contrary, deep, abiding conviction provides calming hope and fills the soul with anticipation and knowledge that God’s hand will soon be revealed. 

As if wading in muddy shallow pools, how can one broaden an underdeveloped faith to become like the unmovable conviction found deeper in the azure sea?

Christ, as He taught the Sermon on the Mount provides some insight. 

When applied one principle upon the other, His teachings will deepen our understanding and appreciation of God and how He cares for His children.

Each will also help to build a final foundation of faith, hope and charity within us that cannot be stirred. We will know God lives, will hope for eternal life and will care for others enough to help them strive for their own salvation and redemption.

Matthew 5 shows the following:

“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The first principle is to be poor in spirit, meaning to be lowly in heart and mind. Once humble, an opportunity arises for the Lord to work from within. Seeds of desire to know God sprout. Then one begins to exercise faith in Christ—which will lead one to repentance, baptism for a remission of sins and receiving the Gift of the Holt Ghost.

Unfortunately, once baptized and confirmed, many cease increasing in faith and pause further progress along the path of righteous living. “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (3 Nephi 14:14)

Moreover, Nephi testifies, “And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.”

After becoming poor in spirit and cultivating the soul, one must learn how to endure to the end. 

The next principle taught in Christ’s sermon shows that after accepting the gospel, a person begins to sympathize with others who suffer or who have had a loss. 

"Most of us would like to help, but most of us feel inadequate... For some reason we feel embarrassed to show deep emotion or to be near someone who is showing deep emotion... The Spirit can guide us to know how to comfort those who grieve. Some people want to talk about their feelings. Others need someone to talk to them. Some want visitors; others prefer solitude...Do something, even though you may not know what to do... In our baptismal covenants we promise to be 'willing to bear one another’s burdens.'” (Ensign 9/1987) 

A sure sign that a person’s testimony lacks depth is when pleasure is found from  another’s misfortune.

Third, once humble and sympathetic, a person develops meekness—the ability to recognize individual capability and yet still always relying upon God. Though one thinks meekness is akin to mildness, the original New Testament text used the Greek term praus: meaning great power under control. Moses, who performed mighty miracles, even parting the Red Sea, is a great example of controlled might. Numbers 12:3 says “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”

A.W. Tozer once wrote, “The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto."

Ammon remarked, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.”

Fourth, greater reliance on God through meekness leads to more hunger and thirst for righteousness. As with all heavenly expectations, being righteous is an active pursuit. One cannot be sedentary in observance of God’s law. Blessed are they who DO, for they shall be filled.

Fifth, in the development of testimony is the ability to forgive. Holding a grudge is natural and endorsed by the worldly (I may forgive, but I will never forget). Being merciful though, is what is expected. Offering clemency purges the soul of all waste and encumbrances. Poor health and physical deterioration often are fruits of harshness and begrudging others. In addition, one cannot obtain forgiveness unless one forgives.

President Dieter Uchtdorf shared, "We can so clearly and easily see the harmful results that come when others judge and hold grudges. And we certainly don’t like it when people judge us. But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that those who pass judgment on others are “inexcusable.” The moment we judge someone else, he explained, we condemn ourselves, for none is without sin.5 Refusing to forgive is a grievous sin—one the Savior warned against. Jesus’s own disciples had “sought occasion against [each other] and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened.” Our Savior has spoken so clearly on this subject that there is little room for private interpretation. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive,” but then He said, “… of you it is required to forgive all men.” May I add a footnote here? When the Lord requires that we forgive all men, that includes forgiving ourselves. Sometimes, of all the people in the world, the one who is the hardest to forgive—as well as perhaps the one who is most in need of our forgiveness—is the person looking back at us in the mirror."

Sixth, after washing the soul through offering others forgiveness, one obtains a pure heart. A pure heart allows a person to see the hand of God in all things until eventually and literally, one shall see Him.

"All things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of [God], both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me." Moses 6:63

Seventh, once knowing the reality of God, one seeks for and creates peace.

When Christ visited the Americas after His resurrection, He immediately emphasized the following: "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another."

Contention causes suffering, even the ultimate suffering of our God which led Him to sweat as Luke saw, “great drops of blood”.  Understanding Christ and the burden He bore in the Garden of Gethsemane, becomes the ultimate cause behind one’s desire to end all conflict and to publish peace. 

“If our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned. For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.” (Alma 12)

President Henry B. Eyring teaches, “Happily I am seeing more and more skillful peacemakers who calm troubled waters before harm is done. You could be one of those peacemakers, whether you are in the conflict or an observer.”

Eighth and finally, as one understands eternity, a person clearly sees the difference between good and evil; then knowing the difference, will always stand for good regardless of the persecution.  

David Lin, a man celebrated for his courage and endurance in the face of religious persecution under China’s Communist regime, died February 10, 2011, four days before his 94th birthday.  He was a Christian pastor who refused to abandon his faith, and so endured 17 years’ imprisonment, forced labor, and separation from his wife and five children. After being exonerated, he wrote about his confinement without bitterness, saying: “In retrospect, I praise God for His providential care in making all things work out for the good of all those concerned.”

One cannot control what life on Earth offers. However, one should take charge of the search for truth, light and knowledge.

Rather than tread water and hope for pleasant weather, be ever diligent in cultivating deeper dedication and appreciation for the Lord and His Gospel until that great day when He will say, “well done thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”

Almost? No, Altogether!

There is one little word in our language that probably has as much tragedy packed into it as can be contained in any single word. It is a very innocent looking word: “almost”.

An illustration of its potential tragedy is indicated by an experience of the Apostle Paul.

He had been imprisoned at Caesarea, and it was the responsibility of Festus, the procurator of Judea, to conduct Paul’s trial. As Paul shared his witness in court, Festus grew very interested in both Paul and his message.

Soon after, Agrippa paid a visit to Festus and he told Agrippa about this unusual Christian missionary who was a prisoner in his custody. Agrippa expressed a desire to hear Paul’s testimony. Paul was brought before them and he said to Paul, “thou art permitted to speak for thyself.” Then Paul told Festus and Agrippa about his extraordinary experience on the road to Damascus. He told them exactly what had happened, and bore a firm and convincing testimony of the truth. Agrippa was impressed and interested. How could he doubt Paul’s sincerity or the accuracy of his statement?

But he turned his back on his conversion opportunity BY A METHOD STILL VERY COMMON AMONG US. He would not make a decision to conform to the evidence. He disposed of the whole testimony by merely saying to Paul, “Almost, thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Paul, of course, discerned the intent of this “almost”.

 It meant that even though Agrippa was within reach of his own salvation, he would do nothing about it.

Unfortunately, “almost” relentlessly and continuously shows the way to “nothing”.

Knowingly, Paul responded to the king, “I would to God that not only thou but all who hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am.”

If Agrippa had been as Paul, he would not have been “almost” persuaded. There was no “almost” so far as Paul was concerned. Paul had always been either one thing or the other. There never was a middle ground. Either Christianity was true, or it was not true.

A partial conversion must have been an unintelligible concept to Paul. Paul was altogether. He went all of the way. *

99% is never enough. The remaining 1% is the difference between “almost” and “altogether“. 

Diligent endurance begets eternal dividends. 

Here is another testimony from Paul,  2 Corinthians 12: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

All have some variety of thorn in the flesh, a weak spot, a temptation or desire that never goes away. Regardless of one’s station in life, each of us struggle from within. All deal with a weakness that leads one to say, “I will never do this again,“ or “this is the last day I do this,“ or “I will try again tomorrow.“ “Just this one more time and I will never do it again.”

Because of this enduring Achilles’ heel, a person too often sanctions “almost” and gives up rather than continuing to engage and strive toward being “altogether“. 

What “almost” has been accomplished today? Was it the same thing that was “almost” completed yesterday? 

A transition needs to be made from accepting “almost” to being whole or “altogether”.

Notice that “wholly” and “holy” not only sound similar, but are in fact related in concept.

President Ezra Taft Benson teaches about a source of encouragement that, when applied, helps to overcome weakness:  “It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.…” (“The Book of Mormon is the word of God. “ Ensign May 1975)

A solemn, regular regimen of Book of Mormon study will cause one to become whole and thus holy. Reading and pondering scriptures and the words of life inspires and feeds the soul. 

Never accept “almost”. 

Like Paul, strive to be “altogether”.

*Adapted from Sterling W. Sill. Leadership: Bookcraft 1958

Falling out of bed or Falling out of the Church?

A theme has been attributed to the teachings of Apostle Marvin J Ashton, “people fall out of the church for the same reason they fall out of bed: they don’t get in far enough.”

This theme then causes a person to ask, “how far in is far enough?”

The answer may be found in what the Savior taught Joseph Smith as they met in the woods in 1820, “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

Many teachings and principles pertaining to heaven and godliness taught within the church and elsewhere may cause a person to draw close to our Savior. However, a person is not one with Him or His church unless he or she has experienced and exercised His power.

How then, does one experience His power? How does the Lord express His power and how might we observe it?

In one of my favorite passages of scripture, we see how his power may be conveyed and measured.

1 Kings chapter 18 describes a time in the days of Elijah where a battle of religions lingered. The population wondered if they should worship the God of Abraham or if they should worship Baal. To end the discussion once and for all, Elijah called upon 450 priests of Baal and offered a challenge:

“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, how long halt ye between two opinions?

If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.”

So doing as instructed, the priests of Baal dressed their animal for sacrifice and began to pray. As they prayed, nothing happened, so they continued to pray. The day grew long and their prayers became more earnest yet nothing happened.

As Elijah watched he gave the following encouragement:

"Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."

Though they cried louder, and mutilated their own bodies for the rest of the day, nothing happened. Baal did not answer.

As evening approached, Elijah called the crowd to his broken altar and had them watch him rebuild it. Once assembled, he dug a trough around the altar and laid his sacrifice thereon. After all preparations were made, he had buckets of water thrown on the altar to drench his presentation. (Using copious amounts of water proved two points: Elijah knew the power of the Lord’s fire and he knew that the same power would soon end the current famine and drought.)

After the water soaked the altar and the animal, Elijah prayed.

"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again."

Then the fire of the Lord fell. It consumed everything, altar, animal, stones, dirt and even the water in the trough. Through his servant, the Lord showed his power.

1 Kings 19 describes that later, as Elijah pondered this the Lord showed how His power could be measured:

"And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?"

Even after the wind and earthquake, the Lord and his power were measured and perceived as a still small voice. This principle can only be understood by prayer, pondering and actual experience.

How then does one become eligible to access His power?

Power comes to a person as he or she exercise the laws that govern. All things in nature, or with people or even within governments and principalities obtain power via obedience to laws. The scriptures clearly teach that all heavenly encouragements come from obedience to the specific law that the blessing is related to:

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

Laws are universal and apply to everyone regardless of the amount of knowledge or ignorance toward the law. 

Whether I study the intricacies of gravity or if I am clueless, it is proven that what goes up, must come down. If I seek to defy gravity and decide to jump off a cliff, I will meet my unfortunate end at the falling rate of 9.8 meters per second. Conversely, if I learn enough about gravity and how to use it, I could fly to the moon.

The same applies to Laws decreed by God—whether in knowledge or ignorance, we reap the consequence.

Financial studies have shown that one of the quickest ways upward on a path of wealth is to give away at least one tenth of your earnings. We would call that principle, the opening of heaven’s windows after obedience to the Law of Tithing.

When the body is sick, before it can begin to heal, it vacates all unused food and water. Medical journals and holistic healing point to the health benefits of a regular fast.

Society deteriorates as it moves further from proper human relationships and observance of the Law of Chastity.

My own observation: when parents do not honor God on the Sabbath, their children likewise do not honor them. The rising generation has strayed from home and family foundations because the home has similarly wandered away from its heavenly origins.

With diligent adherence to these and the rest of God’s laws, we move from being nearer to Him to being one with Him. Therein is the source of heaven’s power: obedience and oneness.

Over the years I have watched with sorrow as close friends have fallen away from the Lord’s Church. I wish their return was as easy as when one falls out of bed. Though each has made a certain academic or spiritual claim as the rationale behind their apostasy, one thing has been true for each person I saw fall: they never fully observed one or more of the following:

The Law of Chastity

The Law of Tithing

The Law of the Fast

The Lord’s Law of Health

The Law of the Sabbath

Each person that has lost their faith and left the church, in my observation, never obeyed some or each law fully for an ongoing duration. It has not been lack of prayer, or lack of study or lack of doing a calling, but it has been the lack of observation and obedience.

When fully observed, a Godly power flows into one’s life which leads a person to do the rest of their duty. But when even the slightest rebellion occurs, light and power flee which leaves that person floundering in a fog of doubt, temptation and weakness.

My challenge is this: observe these laws with diligence for at least 2 years and note the power of heaven that flows into your life. It will lead you beyond faith into the realm of knowledge. Once there, as obedience continues, you may find yourself participating in miracles even like those of Elijah and Moses.

To those who say the Church isn’t true, I say observe the Lord’s laws diligently for at least two years and then see how true and tangible the Lord and his powerful teachings become.

Let me share a few examples of the Lord’s expression of his power in my life. Before I continue, I understand that sharing things like this places me into more public scrutiny than I am comfortable with. However, though I am just a man, struggling to repent each day, and am just seeking to find my way back home like the rest of us, stories like this may be of some benefit to someone.

Though I have have seen dozens of such examples, the following few will be a sufficient sample.

One example: in Seattle, a teenage boy was in a horrible car accident. He was smashed between a semi and another car, and then sent flying down a hill because he was not wearing a seat belt. He was thought dead, because his head was crushed and more than 100 bones in his body were broken. I was called to administer a blessing. When I arrived, this boy was in an ICU and being kept alive via machines. The family was trying to decide whether or not the pull the plug and let this boy pass to the next life. When I saw how serious the situation was, I went to a different room and asked for spiritual guidance. In undeniable terms, I was told that this boy would be healed completely and that all would be well. So I went into the room, anointed and blessed him to be whole. As I did, I felt light and power flow out from me to him. As I closed in the name of Jesus Christ, the flow stopped. The family may have felt what I felt, but they were surprised to hear that he would be healed. I left the hospital and wondered how things would proceed. Within two days he was moved from the ICU to a normal room. Over a very short time, he was released and basically restored to full capacity.

Another: one night as a missionary, a missionary companion and I prayed together to end our day. As my companion prayed, we both felt a desire to increase our prayers for personal safety. So we offered some extra prayers. While doing so, this same feeling of light and power flowed through me. Though I wondered why we felt such a need, I went to bed. In the middle of the night, I woke up to the sound of pounding on our door, but I decided to ignore it and go back to sleep. When we left our apartment the next morning, we were shocked to see that the entire complex had been on fire. There was smoke and water and fire damage throughout our whole building—every apartment on each side was damaged. Oddly, though, when we went back into our apartment, we couldn’t smell any smoke at all. When we went out to our car, we were also surprised by what we saw. Though it was parked in the middle of 4 other ash and firefighting foam covered cars, ours was pristine. There was no ash on it, nor water spots, nothing blemished the shine of our car at all.

Another: while in the MTC, I woke to the screaming of my companion. I was in a threesome. I had one deaf and one hearing companion. My hearing companion was screaming out loud pointing at the door. My deaf companion was asleep in his bed. When I looked over to the door, I saw a large black thing standing against it. It was around 7 feet tall and had no discernible features. It was just a black shadow like thing that stood at the door. Though Cruz kept screaming, I rose out of my bed, placed my right arm to the square and commanded in the name of Christ that the thing should leave. When I finished speaking, it turned around and walked out of our room passing through the closed wooden door.

Another: a friend of mine and I were called to the home of a person who was addicted to heroin. The mother of the person was at her wits end and asked if there was anything we could do for her son. When I looked at her son, I could tell that he had recently been high and had all telling signs of a heroin user. I then turned to the son and asked if he had a desire to be healed. He said yes. I felt that light and power begin to flow again and asked if he believed that through the atonement of Christ he would be made whole. He again said yes. So we laid our hands on him and blessed him to be clean and whole. From that moment on he went cold turkey and did not experience the normal and painful process of withdrawal. As far as I know, he is still clean to this day.

Another: hurricane Isabel hit the Washington DC area in 2003 (if I remember right). while living there and an hour before the storm hit, I saw the distress of my wife and children. I wanted to be some source of comfort to them, so I went up to my bedroom and prayed for help. The guidance I received was to go outside and rebuke the storm. “seriously?” That’s what I thought, but I did it anyway. I went to the back yard, held my arm to the square and with a loud voice said something like, “in the name of Christ, I rebuke you and say to you to do no harm to this property or the people herein.” An hour later the storm hit. Though we were inside, we heard the howling wind and pelting rain. It lasted for hours, but we were warm and safe in our home. We never lost power. The next morning, we went outside and saw the damage. There were tree limbs down everywhere and power lines had been severed. In fact, almost everyone from Raleigh NC to Philadelphia PA had no power. Some had it restored in a few days, but others didn’t have any power for up to two weeks. Though all of my neighbors had no power, somehow we did and our living space was absolutely unaffected by the hurricane.

Another: when I was serving as a Branch President in Washington DC, I had a feeling that there were some brethren in the branch that needed to resolve some law of chastity issues.  There wasn't a good system of finding out who to speak with and I didn't want to schedule interviews with each male adult in the unit. So I prayed and prayed and prayed. On a certain Sunday, while the sacrament was being passed, I prayed again. This time, I felt light and power fill me inwardly. As I looked up from my prayer, I scanned the congregation. While doing so, I saw 4 men that were shaded in a blue hue. I don’t know a better way to explain it. They each appeared as though they had been covered in a dark blue shadow. I looked to my lap and wrote the four names on my notepad. When I looked up at the congregation again, the hue was gone and everything looked normal. I scheduled meetings with these four brothers. Each meeting began with my greeting and something like “hello, the Lord asked me to meet with you. Is there anything you would like to talk about?” In each case, each brother confessed to struggling with a variety of law of chastity issues. Over time, the issues were dealt with and repented of.

Another: for some reason—maybe due to the experience of living through Hurricane Isabel, my daughter has been extremely frightened by howling winds. One day, when she did not return home as expected from 1^st grade, I went over to her school to look for her. As soon as I stepped outside and felt the gusty wind on my face and heard the howling blow past me, I knew she would be frozen with panic somewhere between her classroom and her home. After searching, I found her curled up into a tight ball with her face buried deep in the grass of the school playground. She sobbed and said she couldn't make it home against such an awful wind. So I picked her up and carried her home. We still live in the same home and from time to time experience severe wind. Each time, though she’s learning to cope, she still becomes a little anxious. Another night, the wind blew with such ferocity that much of the siding on my house blew off and scattered itself around the neighborhood. (I guess we all could benefit from knowing how to put siding on a house—I learned how, after gathering and reassembling each blown piece.)  I woke up one recent night to another bout of loud and powerful wind gusts. While knowing how the wind has damaged both my house and daughter’s psyche, I knelt in prayer and asked the Lord if we could be blessed with a quiet and restful night. As I prayed, light and power flowed through me and I felt that if I stood, held my arm to the square and rebuked the wind that it would grow still. So I stood and did just that and as soon as I uttered the word “amen” the wind stopped and didn't blow for the rest of the night—I mean it went from window shaking gusts to absolutely nothing.

Here is one more for now: once when on a military assignment in Virginia, I had a day off and went to the gym for a workout. It was a Bally Total Fitness gym in the Hampton Roads area. While working out, I had a cold/sickly feeling stirring inside. It grew in intensity until I could no longer proceed with my exercise. I have learned that that feeling happens to me when there is an evil vibe around me. So I went into the locker room and began to pray. I asked the Lord why I felt so bad. In an obvious manner, he revealed to me that this gym was a place where evil men gathered to conduct business in drug trade and human trafficking. I responded that the thought was awful and wished there was something I could do. I then felt that I should gather my things, go to the front door and upon leaving, wipe my feet off at the threshold and rebuke the place in the name of Christ. So I did. After doing it, nothing happened. I went to my car and waited for a few minutes, but again, nothing happened, so I left. Out of curiosity, I returned to the place two or three days later. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was floored. Instead of a building, there was just a hole in the ground. The building had been razed.

Die Boek van Mormon by John M. Pontius

I was searching through my books in storage a few days ago and came across a first edition of the Book of Mormon in Afrikaans. I served a mission in South African from 1971 to 1973. It was an interesting and challenging experience.
I attended the special conference in Johannesburg on May 14, 1972 when the new translation of the Book of Mormon into Afrikaans (Die Boek van Mormon) was presented. It was an electric moment. People wept. Some had waited all of their lifetimes to read the Book of Mormon in Afrikaans. Many people had learned English for the sole purpose of reading this scripture. The Spirit was strong among us as we rejoiced.
Remembering back more than 40 years, I can still remember Professor Felix Mynhardt as he spoke of his experience in translating that sacred book. We also had a special Zone conference a few days prior where our Mission President, Harlan Clark, recounted his involvement and experience of the translation of the Book of Mormon. I had a good friend who was an Assistant to President Clark, and who later shared with me his experiences of being in meetings with Professor Mynhardt and Elder Clark several times. I can no longer remember who said what exactly, but I remember what I felt, and how it affected my newly-minted testimony as a young missionary. I will retell it as best I can recall.
Professor Mynhardt was invited to come to the stand and speak about his experience in translating the Book of Mormon. He recounted how he had been given a gift of languages from God from his youth. He said that he was fluent in over 60 languages. He was presently employed at Pretoria University as a language professor. He said he had been praying that the Lord would give him some task, some divinely important task, that would justify his having this gift of language from God.
He said in about 1970 that he had visited a group of Mormon leaders, including a Bishop Brummer, Mission President Harlan Clark and others, who sought to commission him to translate the Book of Mormon from English into Afrikaans. He said that he knew of the Book of Mormon from his religions studies, and his initial reaction was that he did not want to be involved in translating it.
However, that evening, as he prayed upon his knees, as was his habit, he said the Spirit of the Lord convicted him. The message was something on the order of, “You asked me for a great, divinely inspired task of translation, I sent it to you in the form of translating the Book of Mormon, and you declined.” Professor Mynardt said he could not sleep through the night because he knew that translating the Book of Mormon would get him into trouble with his university, which was owned and operated by the Dutch Reformed Church. When morning came he agreed to begin the translation immediately.
He stood at the pulpit and described the experience. He said something like, “I never begin translating a book at the beginning. Writing style usually changes through a book, and becomes more consistent toward the middle. Accordingly, I opened to a random place in the middle of the Book of Mormon, and began translating.” He said, “I was startled by the obvious fact that the Book of Mormon was not authored in English. He said, “It became immediately apparent that what I was reading was a translation into English from some other language. The sentence structure was wrong for native English. The word choices were wrong, as were many phrases.” He said, “How many times has an Englishman said or written, ‘And it came to pass?’” We all laughed, and knew he was right, of course.
He explained that when he realized this, he knew that he had to find either the original language or a median language then proceed to translate it into Afrikaans. He listed a half-dozen languages he tried, all of which did not accommodate the strange sentence structure found in the Book of Mormon. He said he finally tried Egyptian, and to his complete surprise, he found that the Book of Mormon translated flawlessly into Egyptian, not modern, but ancient Egyptian. He found that some nouns were missing from Egyptian, so he used Hebrew nouns where Egyptian did not provide the word or phrase. He chose Hebrew because both languages existed in the same place anciently.
He said had no idea at that time why the Book of Mormon was once written in Egyptian, but he said that without any doubt, the Book of Mormon had been authored in Egyptian or a language with very similar syntax. I heard him say this over and over. Then, he said, “Imagine my utter astonishment when I turned to chapter one, verse one and began my actual translation and came to verse two, where Nephi describes that he was writing in the language of the Egyptians, with the learning of the Jews!”
He said, “I knew by the second verse, that this was no ordinary book, that it was not the writings of Joseph Smith, but that it was of ancient origin. I could have saved myself months of work if I had just begun at the beginning. Nobody but God, working through a prophet of God, in this case Nephi, would have included a statement of the language he was writing in. Consider, how many documents written in English, include the phrase, “I am writing in English!” It is unthinkable and absolute proof of the inspired origins of this book.”
He noted that he was one of the few people in the world with any knowledge of old Egyptian writing. He was certainly the only person who was also fluent in Afrikaans and English. He indicated that when a verse would not translate directly into English, that he used Egyptian as a tool to arrive at a correct translation into Afrikaans.
Professor Mynhardt spoke of many other things regarding the translation of this book, and then said, “I do not know what Joseph Smith was before he translated this book, and I do not know what he was afterward, but while he translated this book, he was a prophet of God! I know he was a prophet! I testify to you that he was a prophet while he brought forth this book! He could have been nothing else! No person in 1827 could have done what he did. The science did not exist. The knowledge of ancient Egyptian did not exist. The knowledge of these ancient times and ancient Peoples did not exist. The Book of Mormon is scripture. I hope you realize this.”
“I have since been asked to translate the book you call the Doctrine and Covenants. I got part way through and set it down. It is not like the Book of Mormon. Anyone could translate it into Afrikaans. It is not scripture in the same sense that the Book of Mormon is scripture. I declare that the Book of Mormon is of ancient origin, and is scripture of the same caliber as the Old Testament, or for that matter, the New Testament.”
“I have taken this book of scripture, this Book of Mormon, and presented it to my Board of Regents, and urged them to embrace it as scripture. They declined, of course. I took it to the head of our Dutch Reformed Church and demonstrated why the Book of Mormon is scripture, and urged them to at least study it, even if they did not canonize it or even share it with the people of the church. I urged them to just think what having a new and profound book of scripture could mean to the church, to my church, the Dutch Reformed Church. I pointed out that they need not become Mormons, in the same way that they did not need to become Jews to embrace the Old Testament. They considered my presentation for a very few seconds and then rejected it. They next threatened me regarding my belief in the Book of Mormon, threatened my employment, and ejected me from their presence. I am deeply disappointed, but I am not deterred. I will keep promoting this book as scripture for the remainder of my life – simply because it is scripture, and I know it.”
He paused then added, “I am not a member of your church, and do not expect to become one. I have been asked why I have not joined your church many times, and my answer is because God has not directed me to join you. If He had, I would be standing here as a fellow Mormon. Perhaps my mission in life is better served outside of your church. I haven’t studied your doctrine or your history since Joseph Smith. The only thing I know about you is that you have authentic, ancient scripture in the Book of Mormon, and that all of the world should embrace the Book of Mormon as scripture. It simply can’t be denied. I believe every religion could embrace the Book of Mormon without becoming a Mormon. You probably disagree with that, but it is my present belief, and my message to anyone who will listen.”
I have pondered that experience for half of a century now. I do not know if Professor Mynhardt ever joined the church. I know my memory of his exact words is wanting, but my memory of what I felt and what I knew and how potent it was to hear his testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is one of those things that I will never forget.
Brother John
© March 2012, John M. Pontius, all rights reserved. Non-commercial reproduction permitted.