Making Christ-Centered goals

When we think of New Years resolutions we might be tempted to say, “I hate my life and I want to fix this or fix that.”

God doesn’t “fix” things, he creates things (note the difference). Jacob 4:9 says, “The earth was created by the power of His (God’s) word.”

Following Christ’s example then - setting goals is an act of creation by the power of our word.

Nephi and his brothers were told to get the plates of Laban. Laman and Lemuel complained and resisted. Nephi was able to accept it and act in faith.

Likewise, our goals must not be worded as complaints. In addition, our attitude should be based on faith in the future not resistance to the present or past. If, like Nephi we accept the state of things as they are now and act in faith, we will succeed in creating a new reality… even if it will require a miracle.

Fighting Hopelessness

Some of us feel stuck. When we don’t see ourselves making progress we assume that we are stuck and this sometimes leads to a feeling of hopelessness or depression. The scriptures say, “Having all these witnesses we obtain a hope,” that things will work out and “our faith becometh unshaken insomuch that we can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us or the mountains or the waves of the sea. Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.” (Jacob 4:6-7)

Read more here

Igniting Heavenly Blessings

Once when I was a  young girl, I prayed for a puppy. Nothing happened. When I asked my parents if we could have a puppy, they said that the yard between the house and the perimeter fence was not fenced and so we couldn’t keep a puppy in the yard. I asked if I could contribute my own money towards materials to finish the fence. They were not accommodating.

Did God hear the prayer of my little-girl self? Of course he did but the timing was not right. Later in life, I got a puppy.

“The question of how to access and obtain those blessings has been the subject of theological debate and discussion for centuries. Some contend that blessings are completely earned; we receive them only through our works. Others argue that God has already chosen who He will bless and how—and that these determinations are unchangeable. Both positions are fundamentally flawed. Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing ‘good deed coupons’ nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery. No, the truth is much more nuanced but more appropriate for the relationship between a loving Heavenly Father and His potential heirs—us. Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential.”

Read more here

At Christmas

At Christmas

"A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;

He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season is here;

Then he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before,

And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.

He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;

When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.

When it's Christmas, man is bigger and is better in his part;

He is keener for the service that is prompted by the heart.

All the petty thoughts and narrow seem to vanish for awhile

And the true reward he's seeking is the glory of a smile.

Then for others he is toiling, and somehow it seems to me

That at Christmas he is almost what God wanted him to be.

If I had to paint a picture of a man, I think I'd wait

Till he'd fought his selfish battles and had put aside his hate.

I'd not catch him at his labors when his thoughts are all of self,

On the long days and the dreary when he's striving for himself.

I'd not take him when he's sneering, when he's scornful or depressed,

But I'd look for him at Christmas when he's shining at his best.

Man is ever in a struggle and he's oft misunderstood;

There are days the worst that's in him is the master of the good,

But at Christmas, kindness rules him and he puts himself aside,

And his petty hates are vanquished and his heart is opened wide.

Oh, I don't know how to say it, but somehow it seems to me

That at Christmas man is almost what God sent him here to be."

- by Edgar A Guest

The Father's Words

December is a busy time of year and this post may be all that I get around to writing. The thoughts simmer in my heart but taking them out and organizing them on paper is an extra step. I also think we need to honor the prophets who wrote down the spiritual insights they had with God. It would make more sense to just benefit personally from a spiritual experience and not bother with sharing the experience with others. The act of recording these experiences was a major sacrifice especially if the mode of writing was more of an engravers art. That being said, I want to share with you a prophet’s words where he directly quotes God the Father. There are very few times where the Father speaks. The most memorable might be, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.” (Matt 17:5, variation in 2 Pet 1:17)

The Author of Salvation

Jesus Christ introduced the sacrament of bread and wine/water at the Last Supper in preparation for his great atoning gift to the world.

In the sacrament he gave two great symbolic elements, bread and water, to help the people understand his gift. The bread was likely unleavened because the Last Supper was a Passover meal. Because unleavened bread does not have yeast, it has less moisture and is less prone to decay. The bread represented the purity of Christ’s body and the incorruptibility of his gift.

The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness with Moses. The manna was a gift from God at a time when other food was not available. This taught them to depend physically on God before introducing the idea of relying spiritually on God. When Christ came he expanded the metaphor of manna when he said, “This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” (John 6:58) Christ was the bread from heaven. He was the epitome of the symbol from the Old Testament.

The sacrament at the Last Supper used wine but water has been used interchangeably for this symbol. Christ declared, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14) The water is a symbol of the blood which Christ was about to give in his atoning gift to the world.

Christ was the lamb of God. His death was a fulfillment of a symbolic ritual of animal sacrifice in the Old Testament where a lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the people. (see 1 Pet 1:18-19) “In Leviticus the sacrificial offerings for sin fall into two categories, those designed to atone for unintentional transgressions and those that atoned for willful sins.” (Stephen Ricks, Source) Under the law of Moses unintentional sins were paid for by the transgressor himself. Willful sins cannot be redeemed by the transgressor and require an intercessor. Intercession by Christ on our behalf is necessary because no unclean thing can dwell with God and all of us are unclean due to our intentional sinning. 

While observing the Mosaic law of sacrifice, as we understand now from Christ’s own teachings, was not fully effective in perfecting the people.  It was part of the author’s plan to show his people where to look for their salvation. Jesus Christ, the author of salvation, uses imagery, symbolism and poetic words to explain his great gift. The gift of salvation has much deeper levels of meaning which are understood after we participate in and ponder the physical representations of bread and water, lambs and sacrifice, the cross and the garden.

In the garden and on the cross, Jesus Christ experienced personally and individually every pain and sorrow from every sin committed and all it’s repercussion for each and every person who has lived on earth before and after his life on earth. Peter thought Jesus should flee the evil men who wanted to kill him. Jesus knew that the pain was necessary. He said to his Father, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” (Matt 26:42) He showed perfect submission to the will of God in the way that we all must submit both to God’s laws and to his punishments. During this time of intercession, the pain caused Jesus Christ to sweat drops of blood from every pore. (Luke 22:44) The blood sanctified us his people.

If we are sanctified by his blood, why must we appeal to him via repentance to have mercy on us? Jesus Christ became the one to hold the key of salvation because he broke the confining bands of death and sin. Only through him can we be saved. This means that he sets the terms and conditions of the salvation that he offers. 

Because Christ is the author of the terms and conditions, we have no right to demand his grace. As we submit to his authority and guidance, we begin to understand what our role is in turning away from sin and what his role is in finishing our faith. The first condition of salvation is baptism by an authorized servant of God. John the apostle taught, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) Being born of water is baptism. Being born of the Spirit is a process of sanctification that must occur during this mortal life through the obedience and direction of God’s emissary, the Holy Spirit. The remaining terms and conditions are spelled out in scripture and in the divine tutelage that the Spirit gives. 

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Why Imagination is Vital to Faith

If you have stopped believing, it is possible that you have stopped imagining what is possible.

When Jesus started his ministry he had a barrier to entry that he crossed by engaging his listeners in a way that made them think about and question the possibilities.  He came in a time when the leadership had stifled questions. They had done this by threatening all who opposed them with death. Very few people were willing to think out loud. John 6:13 says that “No man spoke openly of him (Jesus) for fear of the Jews.”

Jesus was bold in declaring his message despite the well-known threat of death (John 6:25). The people who listened to him questioned his education and learning. They were sure he was a fake because he came from Galilee. But a few questioned this assertion and remembered that he was born in Bethlehem. (John 7:41-42)

Jesus circled his listeners with puzzles that distracted them from their certain resistance and got them thinking about what he might intend. He said, “Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.” (John 7:34) They imagined that their problem would disappear if he killed himself. (John 8:22)

The officers said, “Never man spake like this man” and imagined the Prophet who was to come. (John 7:46) They questioned him, “Who art thou?” and he answered, “Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.” (John 8:25)

Poetic words with layers of meaning and especially hidden meanings would have been used by people who were afraid of the authorities. Jesus was not afraid. Yet, the people, hearing this kind of language, began to wonder what it could possibly mean. Within the attitude of wonder is the ability to believe. Their resistance came down. Their certainty became uncertain. And “As he spoke these words, many believed on him.” (John 8: 30)

He saw their faith beginning and he told them that they need to believe and act. “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) In an oppressive society, freedom is a dream. Jesus promised freedom and the people began to hope a little that what he said was true.

The conversation turned to legitimacy. The Jews were at odds with their half-breed neighbor Samaritans and Roman rulers. Jesus said to them, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.” (John 8:40) There were those in the establishment that clung to their legitimacy. But there were those in the audience that started to think about the difference between how Abraham acted and how the Jews acted. Later, Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:56) Can you imagine Abraham rejoicing? Can you imagine what he saw that made him glad?

To imagine the joy is to begin to wonder how a society of people oppressed by their Jewish leaders and Roman rulers could be free. Jesus came to free them, not from their rulers but from their sins. His potential to remove chains that bind leads to unsurpassed joy because it is permanent.

Expectation leads to despair. Unlike imagination, expectation demands that what is imagined become real. Jesus can make it real but we cannot control him. We must submit our will to his. Jesus offers us hope and he expects us to continue with him without knowing how or when our hope will become real. Stay open. Believe. It’s real!

Image credit: Abraham and the Angels by Aert de Gelder in the public domain

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Hens and Chicks

In Matthew 23, Jesus says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

In this scripture Jesus compares himself to a hen gathering her chicks under her wings. He expresses a great desire to gather the people of Jerusalem under his protective wings. His neutral observation of their choice to kill the prophets is interesting. Their choice doesn’t have to be our choice. 

A short time after his death on the cross Jesus appears to the people in the Americas who have been taught by prophets that he will come to earth and atone for their sins. They don’t get to see him during his time in Jerusalem but after his death, he goes to these people, his “other sheep.” (John 10:16) Of note, he says the same thing about gathering them like chicks. 

“And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.” (3 Nephi 10:5)

The instinctive protection of a mother bird is illustrated in this story. After the 1988 wildfire that destroyed most of Yellowstone National Park, volunteers were sent in on foot to look for any animals that survived. A volunteer saw the charred remains of a mother bird on the ground with her wings outstretched. He nudged her carcass with his boot and discovered three baby chicks underneath who had survived. She died so that they would live.

Christ died so that we would live. He sacrificed his body to protect us. His outstretched arms beckon us to come. If we put our faith in his invitation to “Come unto me” (Matt 11:28) his strength will protect our marriages, our children and our sanity.  Faith in him is testing out his advice on our problems, humbly accepting his timing, aligning our wills with his Father’s will and doing our best to go the second mile.

Choose to Stand For God

The Prophet: Thomas S Monson

I love the words of this scripture, “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death.” (Mosiah 18:9)

There are many great people in times past who stood their ground such as Joan D’Arc, Mother Teresa, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Joseph Smith. Which people inspire you to stand as a witness of God?

This post is about intentionally standing with people of faith. It is crucial that we identify people who are standing as a witness of God and join with them. Together we are stronger and more confident.

Modern Prophets

Benjamin Franklin boasted attending church five times in a row.  His opinion of the minister was that his sermons were “dry, uninteresting, and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforc’d…”  Being disgusted, he composed “a little Liturgy, or form of prayer, for my own private use.” This made up his private religious practice. (Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,  pp. 70-71)

The minister of his Presbyterian church admonished him to attend the services being the only minister of that sect in the area. Probably the minister was trained in religious instruction and felt authorized to administer the various sacraments.

I share both of these scenarios as examples of unauthorized religion in America.  The first, Ben Franklin, created his own religion for his own use.  The second, the minister, administered the sacraments without finding out first if God would honor those sacraments.

The Lord has said, “And if they be literal descendants of Aaron they have a legal right to the bishopric, if they are the firstborn among the sons of Aaron; For the firstborn holds the right of the presidency over this priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same.” (D&C 68:16-17)

Of course it is doubtful that an American colonial minister was also a literal descendant of Aaron. The authority to officiate in the church comes from someone who has the authority. When Joseph Smith was commanded to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he asked God a question about the authority to baptize.  In answer to his prayer, John the Baptist, a resurrected being came down from heaven and gave to him and his scribe Oliver Cowdery the Aaronic Priesthood which is the authority to baptize.  That authority has been handed down to the present day. Explore more on this topic here.

Notably, the authority to act as a spokesman for the Lord on Earth with the title of Prophet, has been a guiding force in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This post is about the prophets from Joseph Smith to the present.

“A prophet is one who has been called and raised up by the Lord to further God’s purposes among his children. He is one who has received the priesthood and speaks with authority. Prophets are teachers and defenders of the gospel. They bear witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Prophets have foretold future happenings, but this is not the most important of their responsibilities, although it may be some evidence of prophetic power.” Source

All prophet testify of Jesus Christ. Starting with Joseph Smith, “God has spoken anew and continues to provide guidance for all his children through a living prophet today.” ibid

So how have prophets guided the Saints and what has been revealed to be the will of the Lord?

Joseph Smith (1805-1844):  was a visionary who both restored ancient practices and organized the Saints into a Church.  He saw the Zion of the last days and the building of temples.  He built two temples under the direction of God the Father. One of his great works was to translate an ancient record into English that retold the stories of prophets and the coming of Christ to a civilization in the American continent.  This civilization is long gone but their words were preserved to prepare and guide believers back to the truth in a world of so many choices and voices.

Brigham Young (1801-1877):  He was a visionary who saw the Saints new home in the Western territories of North America and directed them to begin colonizing the land.  Instead of allowing the saints to all bunch together for survival at first, he immediately sent them out to distant places in the West to begin settlements.  He began the construction of three temples.

John Taylor (1808-1887): He was a scholar and spokesperson for the Church as it faced opposition in other parts of the United States. He helped translate the Book of Mormon into French and oversaw the expansion of religious settlements in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Canada and Mexico. Source

Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898): He was the prophet who decided to formally end the practice of plural marriage with a document called the Manifesto. He kept extensive journals which give a first-hand account of life on the frontier and the dealings of the early church.

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901): He was the prophet to bring financial stability to the church by emphasizing the payment of tithes. His efforts were to bring the church stability just 30 years before the Great Depression. He envisioned the world-wide expansion of the church which took many years to become a reality.

Joseph F Smith (1838-1918): He encouraged the Saints to stay in their homelands where previous converts had all emigrated from their homes to the United States. In response to public interest in the theories of evolution, he issued a statement affirming that men are created in God’s image. He had a vision of the the nature of the “Spirit world” where the dead reside which can be read here. He envisioned future Church programs such as Family Home Evening, seminaries and the use of priesthood counsels in local government which were implemented fifty years later.

Heber J Grant (1856-1945): As members of the Church grew, he organized the first stakes outside the Western territories in California and New York. To communicate with these Saints he used phone networks and radio broadcasts.  Following the Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, he organized the Church’s Welfare Program.

George A Smith (1870-1951): As the prophet who saw the end of World War II, he expanded missionary work. He reconciled with disaffected Saints in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.  He was an avid genealogist.

David O McKay (1873-1970): He was the prophet who formed the first stakes outside the United States.  He broadcasted the General Conference of the church worldwide.  He sent the first home teachers to individual member families to teach the gospel and assess needs.  He introduced Sunday School manuals and the Family Home Evening program to the Saints.

Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972): He announced the Youth programs of the Church and coordinated the participation of Church youth in the Boy Scouts of America program.  He began a training program for Bishops, (lay leaders of the Church).

Harold B Lee (1899-1973): A prophet for only one and a half years, Lee did much to support earlier prophets in their inspired leadership.  He was a dynamic speaker and defender of the faith.

Spencer W Kimball (1895-1985): His great contribution to the spirituality of the Saints was the annotated King James Translation of the Bible with footnotes, dictionary and appendix.  He also standardized the additional texts of the Church into a bound book of three texts with footnotes and appendix.  These tools helped the Saints study the gospel on their own and increase in faith. He condensed the worship services scattered throughout the week to one three-hour block on Sundays. He opened the work of spreading the gospel in Africa with his “Revelation on the Priesthood” allowing all worthy males to receive priesthood authority from someone who has been duly ordained.

Ezra T Benson (1899-1994): He reemphasized the study and use of the Book of Mormon and dedicated nine new temples. He was an advocate for freedom and the US Constitution.

Howard W Hunter (1907-1995) Another prophet to only serve for nine months, he helped to draft the Proclamation on the Family which was released the year after his death and he encouraged the Saints to worship more often in the temple closest to them.

Gordon B Hinckley (1910-2008) A energetic prophet who envisioned the construction of “Little Temples” after visiting Saints in Northern Mexico who could not travel across the US Border to Arizona to worship in the closest temple. He constructed a new Conference Center.  He added six quorums to the seventy who administer the world-wide church.  He also introduced the Perpetual Education Fund which helps Saints in foreign countries receive a micro loan  to get a higher education. He increased the standards of worthiness for missionaries to serve.

Thomas S Monson (1927-present) He has been known as the Rescuer who sent more local saints out to find apostate members and also increased the number of missionaries serving by lowering the age at which they could serve.  His most recent address to the Saints can be read here.

Thanks to Wikipedia for providing the dates when these men were born and died.

The Emotional Appeal

I am going to recount a story that I heard on a podcast "The Poetry of Propaganda" by This American Life.

The Columbian government has long been fighting a war with rebels  by the name of FARC who hide in the jungle.  After years of trying to use force to overpower them, the government tried a totally different tactic.  They hired an advertising agency to come up with a campaign to convince rebels to defect.  One year, the agency tried putting Christmas lights on a tree near a major road into the jungle just at the time of year when many rebels miss home and family.  Another year, they floated lit balls down the river which contained messages from home.  A third example of their ingenuity was the campaign that included finding a childhood photo of a rebel and putting it up in the jungle with the words from their mother, "you will always be my baby."  Of course the only person who recognized the photo was the one rebel for whom it was intended but the campaign was very successful.

In each case, the intent was to pull at the heart strings of a real person not "the enemy."  That real person had feelings, wishes and desires which were identified.  Many times, it was home and family that drew the person away from the FARC and back into society.  The government provided a protection program to help the rebels reintegrate without being harmed in retribution.

Just think about what it takes to persuade a person.  The government could have tried rewarding the rebels who defected with cash.  The government could have tried appealing to their patriotism.  Their could have been sermons broadcast over the radio talking about hell, fire and damnation for all rebels. They could have tried to kill all the rebels with ammunition and guns.  But what worked best, was an emotional appeal and a promise of no rejection from their mothers.

All of us are in a rebel encampment so to speak on Earth.  Our Father is hoping to convince us to defect and come back to Him.  The pressure to stay with the group and the fear of rejection are strong reasons not to listen to Him.  He reminds us that we are his children.  He loves us and he will forgive us of all that we have done wrong.

Defecting is painful and difficult.  We have to give up our crutches -- the anger that protects us, the addictions that numb us, the fear that cripples us -- and just let ourselves go into God's arms.  Defecting might mean that we take the scorn of our friends, the possibility of being disowned, the soberness that comes when parties are declined, as we embrace the tranquility of prayer.  Our church family may never fully compensate for the natural family ties that were broken.

As a child of a religious convert, I saw the effects of a massive religious realignment on the family ties.  They were strained.  They healed slowly.  In some cases they never healed.  What price will you pay?  What level of commitment is required to fully transition into a godly kind of life?

I can say for sure that opposition will fly in your face like a tornado unleashed as you try to change.  That kind of opposition indicates that the stakes are high.  The battle for souls is real and while God uses warmth to invites us, the devil uses fury and power to dissuade us.

My reasons for living a Christ-like life in a world of glitter and glam are simple.  I feel better when I'm focusing on my relationship with God.  I act better when I'm thinking about eternal truth than when I'm focusing on myself.  I have weathered fierce storms in life and I attribute my strength to the rock of Christ on which my life is built.  I have experienced anger and depression, fear and abandonment but these things were temporary.  What lasts and endures in my life is the testimony deep in my heart that Christ lives.  His gospel is the absolute truth.  This life is preparatory phase that tests our convictions.  It is not the only reality and death is not the end.  I know that after I leave this mortal world, I will be resurrected and judged. God will know me and I will know him. Family and faith matter; money and fame don't.  I believe that this life's test is only possible because Jesus Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf so that we could be redeemed.  Whatever I am asked to give, it is less that what He gave.  I am working on being willing to give all that I have and am for Christ.

Image credit: Silvia Andrea Moreno / Flickr

War in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a scriptural record from a civilization with Jewish roots.  The book contains a narrative of the prophets and post-mortal visit of Jesus Christ to the people in the Americas somewhere.  It is also a story with symbolic merit regarding the second coming of Jesus Christ in that the sequence of events in the narrative supposedly mirror the sequence as it will occur in the last days.  In this way, the record is instructive in preparing for the second coming.

With that in mind, I looked at the sequence of battles where Captain Moroni, a heroic Nephite leader, successfully beats back a Lamanite invasion to see if there is any similarity between this war and World War II.  It is my hypothesis that there is a loose similarity which would support the idea that the whole book mirrors end times.

I can tell you for sure that there is not a Book of Mormon warrior that I would equate with Hitler although there is a similar use of flattery to gain political power. (Alma 46:3-7)

However, the similarities I found are interesting.

1. There is a major exodus of Lamanites out of their homeland into Nephite-occupied territory before the conflict (Alma 27:14-15).  The similarity is that roughly half a million people left their homeland and fled to other countries in Europe and America because of conflict surrounding Nazi domination.  Source
2. Massive defenses are constructed by Captain Moroni. (Alma 50:1-6)  During the 1930’s the French constructed the Maginot line.  (Source)  In 1942, Hitler started building the Atlantic Wall.  (Source)
3. The citizens desire to change their form of government.  Nephites government has consisted of a secular rule by judges combined with a religious rule by a prophet.  The citizens want a king to supersede both. (Alma 51:5)  The similarity is that throughout Europe there was a collective interest in changing governments.  With capitalism in the middle, some advocated the political far right like Hitler, while others advocated the political far left like Stalin. (Source)
4. The Nephite armies with Captain Moroni at the helm are faced with a two-front war. One Lamanite military general Jacob was unconquerable.  (Alma 43-62, 52:22, 33)  World War II was fought on two fronts, the European front and the Asia/Pacific front. The Japanese Kamikazi fighters were unconquerable.
5. Young men turn the tide for the exhausted Nephite army. (Alma 56:5-7)  Young untrained men fly planes for the British Air Force and turn the tide against advancing German forces which makes it possible for US forces to land on British soil before invading France. (Source)

The Book of Mormon is a significant body of the prophetic words and counsel of God, the Father, to the whole world.  I believe it.  I see both practical truths for daily living and global truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God on Earth.  My testimony started when I asked God if this book is true.  It has continued to grow and develop as I search and discover the significance of each holy prophet in ancient and modern times.  Here is a second witness that the Book of Mormon is true.

Image credit:  2000 Stripling Warriors, painting by Arnold Friberg, used with permission

The Bride

I went to a wedding reception at the Paloma Pachanga, a ranch in Texas.  The bride was beautiful and beaming.  The groom was impeccably dressed and very suave.  The parents graciously greeted the guests and provided the feast.  All the guests celebrated the auspicious beginning of this couple’s new life.  It was all very traditional.

John the Revelator saw a wedding…

“The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white…” Rev 19:7-8

Join me as I explore the details of this wedding.  John said that the holy city, New Jerusalem, descends out of heaven like a bride. Rev 21:2

This is no ordinary wedding.  The groom is called “The Lamb.”  The bride is called, “New Jerusalem.”  New Jerusalem is a literal place and a gathering of saints. Isaiah speaks of a land that “shall be married” and that God will “rejoice” over it the way a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.  Isa 62:4-5

So is this wedding really an event?  If Jesus hadn’t told so many wedding stories, I might say no.  I think this is an event at the second coming that we need to watch for and prepare to attend.  Allow me to summarize briefly the stories Jesus told.  

• The Ten Virgins:  Ten women wait at the gate to be admitted to a wedding.  Five leave to replace oil in their lamps and when they return, the gate is shut and they are not admitted. (Matt 25:1-13)
• Men with Lights Waiting For Their Lord:  The Lord returns from a wedding and when he knocks, they open immediately because they have been watching. (Luke 12:35-48)
• Great Supper with Guests who Wouldn’t Come:  The invited guests wouldn’t come so the poor and later the destitute were compelled to come. (Luke 14:16-24)
• The Master Who has Shut the Door:  The dialogue that happens after the bridegroom has come, let the guests in, shut the door, and more come. (Luke 13:25-30)
• When You Go to a Wedding:  Instruction to sit in the lowest seat, and how to invite guests (Luke 14:7-15)

All these stories talk about getting in to the event, not the actual ceremony or the feast thereafter.  Have you ever heard of a wedding where the invited guests weren’t allowed to enter?  I haven’t.  These stories emphasize being ready and waiting.

Why doesn’t John’s narrative include the feast?  Isaiah talks about a glorious feast when he says, “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.” (Isa 25:6)  He talks about the people who waited for the Lord, but doesn’t mention that the Lord is the bridegroom.  The picture becomes clearer as the details are gathered from various locations in the Bible.

The bride wears a white dress as noted above.  Her skirts are symbolic of the gathering of people who come to her. (Isa 49:18) Unfortunately, the skirt is soiled with the blood of the innocents, which is why the Last Days will begin with destruction and end with a wedding. (Jer 2:32-36)  It is the peril of destruction that compels the destitute as mentioned in Luke 14.  When the Lord returns to the Earth at the second coming, those that are waiting for him will be invited into the marriage supper…and there’s going to be a rush for the lowest seats.

postscript:

So if the bride is the church as clarified by Joseph Smith in D&C 109:73-75, and the church is a collection of saints as described by the Revelator in Rev 3:13-22, then here’s a proposition that requires some stretching.  There may be a correlation between the church as Grecian cities and the revelation Daniel saw of an entity called Grecia in Dan 8:5-8, 21.  If there is a positive correlation, then the collective “church” is going down because of the blood of the innocents.  Yet, individually, the saints will be saved as stated by Jeremiah, “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jer 3:14-15  I truly believe that biblical prophets wrote so extensively about the Last Days to prepare us to weather great losses and still be found waiting for the bridegroom when he comes.

Image credit:  Wedding Reception In Gold - Flickr/Flower Factor