I ran across a beautiful story about the power of music the other day. I was looking for something appropriate to post on Memorial Day, because one of the best ways I know of to express strong emotions and bring peace is through music. With this account I read the truth of my thoughts.

The writer speaks of being a young man during a period of war and political unrest in his home land of El Salvador. Shortly after his family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the tensions and conflict became serious enough that many, including the LDS missionaries, were leaving the country. To the saints left in the area, this marked a great loss. The missionaries and the gospel of Jesus Christ were a source of peace and joy in an otherwise very sad world.

Rather than giving into the grief and anger surrounding them, many of the young people in the area began to form small groups to sing the songs of the gospel. Their hope was to replace some of the spirit of goodness and hope that had left their home land. They came together and sang on the street corners and they introduced many others to the power of gospel peace through their music.

As things got even worse for these people, the writer recalls the fear of huddling with a mattress over them as bombs fell around. Again, they turned to the hymns of the church to carry them through these moments of ultimate fear. They sang, they poured out their hearts in prayers of song, and waited for the violence to end.

They sang hymns such as:
Come, Come, Ye Saints (Hymns, no. 30)
How Firm a Foundation (no. 85)
Joseph Smith’s First Prayer& (no. 26)
High on the Mountain Top (no. 5)
O My Father (no. 292)
I Stand All Amazed (no. 193)

Why these hymns? Because of the message they carry. There was a message of God’s love, a message of the Savior’s love, and a message of the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were messages of hope and faith letting everyone in the land that though it might seem God is ignoring their pain and needs know that He is still among them, sharing in their suffering and holding them up whenever He can.

It’s a message of hope for all of us. Even in the darkest times, music and songs with a theme of hope and faith can do more than we know to lift and succor us.

I remember when I first joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormons,) my sister was very concerned for me.

“You have so many restrictions on you now. I don’t see how you can be happy with all those rules,” she said.

I tried to explain it, but my knowledge was purely based in feeling at that time—I didn’t have adequate words to express what I knew in my heart to be true. Now I would like to answer my sisters’ questions and I can do so with confidence. I know now what I once only believed, that being obedient to the laws of the gospel is precisely what sets me free and that freedom brings me daily peace and happiness beyond measure.

When you do what God tells you to do, you have His promise: “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10.)

Mormons believe that God is the same today as He was yesterday and that He speaks to His apostles today just as He did in days long past. Many modern day revelations are recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. How grateful to know that He remembers us still and provides guidance for us in these latter days.

The Doctrine and Covenants go on to say: “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21.)

Our Father in Heaven created us and He loves us. Just as any good and loving father, He desires for His children to be successful and above all, to be happy. The Book of Mormon tells us clearly: “Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25.)

The prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith said, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976, p. 255.)

I desire to be happy as much as my Heavenly Father desires to grant it. All He has asked me to do, is to be obedient to the things He has asked me to do and He will see to it that I have my reward, both on earth and in heaven.

As in all things, I have a choice. I can choose to go my own way, to not follow any of the guidelines the leaders of my Church have given me—but I’ve lived that life and I know that for me, it did not bring me any kind of lasting happiness.

Choosing each day to follow the Lord, to read my scriptures, say my prayers, refrain from consuming substances that have been deemed to be harmful to my body or to my mind, strive to remember God in all that I do and keep the Sabbath day holy, sets my feet firmly on the path to happiness and peace--this is true happiness.

As daughters of God, “our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction". (Relief Society Declaration) God loves all of us, His spirit daughters, and has a plan for our lives, a plan of happiness, also known as the plan of salvation.

“Questions like, Where did we come from? Why are we here? and Where are we going? are answered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prophets have called it the plan of salvation and “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). Through inspiration we can understand this road map of eternity and use it to guide our path in mortality.” Dallin H. Oaks, “‘The Great Plan of Happiness’,” Ensign, Nov 1993, 72

Though this Plan of Happiness is a road map for eternity, there is plenty of room for the individual variety of talents, gifts, and strengths of each of God’s children. Why? Though there are certain signposts which are elements that the road map provides for God’s children, these things do not make us cookie cutter Saints. Each of us is different, just like vehicles on any road will be.

Women are essential to God’s plan of happiness and have a sacred and unique role in this plan of salvation, to bear and nurture the souls of men. Only women have been given the capacity to bear children. This is a sacred trust. I marvel that God trusts us with such vital tasks. The children that women bear are spirit sons and daughters of God.

“Motherhood thus becomes a holy calling, a sacred dedication for carrying out the Lord’s plans, a consecration of devotion to the uprearing and fostering, the nurturing in body, mind, and spirit, of those who kept their first estate and who come to this earth for their second estate ‘to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.’ (Abr. 3:25) To lead them to keep their second estate is the work of motherhood, and ‘they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.’ ” (read by J. Reuben Clark, Jr. "General Epistle of the First Presidency to the Saints in Every Land, October 3, 1942)

So, we see that motherhood helps fulfill God’s purposes in bringing to past the immortality of man. God blessed women with special gifts to bear and nurture children. I find it interesting that we refer to the marriage ceremony as holy matrimony. The word matrimony comes from the Latin “mater” meaning mother, and -monium which is a Latin suffix, meaning or signifying “the state or condition.” So, Holy Matrimony quite literally means sacred, or set apart for motherhood, which is a holy calling.

“President Gordon B. Hinckley stated that “God planted within women something divine.” That something is the gift and the gifts of motherhood. Elder Matthew Cowley taught that “men have to have something given to them [in mortality] to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women. [They] are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls … and the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.” (Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96)

As a mother of seven children and a grandmother to five grandsons, I have felt the weight of my holy calling to teach and guide my children. Yet, the knowledge that I am not alone in this task has been a boon to me. These are God’s children and I go to Him often in prayer and search the scriptures and words of the living prophets for guidance in this awesome task. I have found answers and received impressions as to what I should do. These have guided me to do the things I need to do to rear His children. I am not perfect in this. When I am not, He does not let me alone, the circumstances soon draw me to my knees, where I find peace, encouragement, and direction.

Though some women may never bear children in mortality, it is important that they understand that motherhood is not limited to bearing of children.

“Motherhood is more than bearing children… It is the essence of who we are as women... Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us.” (Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96)

I have a daughter. She is single and approaching 26-years-old. She is not a mother, in the sense of having given birth. She does mother many though. She has a gift of being able to reach out to and inspire children and adults alike, by sharing stories of those who have influenced her.

One of the great sacred blessings of Church membership is to receive a Patriarchal Blessing. Often, within that blessing are further indications of the purposes that God has for you, in your life, and the unique gifts He has given you to carry out that purpose.

I watch as individual women turn to their Heavenly Father, He does help them to see and understand the meaning, purpose, and direction for a life and eternity that will lead them to everlasting joy.

When Nephi, whose writings are the first we have in the Book of Mormon, was a teenager, his father had a great vision. Nephi longed to know for himself that what his father had said was true, so he went off alone and asked God for confirmation. In response, he received a vision of his own, which helped him to understand his father’s vision and prepared him to take over leadership of the church in the future.

When Nephi returned home, he found his older brothers had taken a different approach to the problem. Instead of asking God what the vision meant, and if it was true, they were arguing about it. Nephi, who had seen in his vision the unhappy fate of his two oldest brothers and their descendants, was sad. He knew that what his father had taught was very difficult to understand without God’s help. When the brothers asked Nephi what the vision meant, complaining that they hadn’t understood it, he asked them if they had prayed about it.

9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you. (1 Nephi 15)

Nephi did not enter into the debate they had been holding. Instead, he gave them straightforward information, answering the questions they had for him. He shared his testimony of what he was telling them. Even this was not enough, however.

Although the brothers asked a great many questions, they didn’t really want to know. Their questions were more from curiosity than from a desire to know the truth. As a result, the answers they received did not convert them any more than the debate had. They refused to pray, because they didn’t believe God would answer them. They preferred to let Nephi do the praying and just tell them—but that has no converting power.

The brothers were not humble. They didn’t seek for truth, and complained about the information Nephi gave them concerning what God had said. They were unwilling to go to God and ask for a testimony, and unwilling to act on the knowledge they received. The information simply didn’t fit into their plans or the way they wanted the world to operate.

As a result, they never did find out what God wanted and they forfeited the blessings they could have received had they humbled themselves and bowed themselves to God’s will instead of their own.

The Book of Mormon periodically refers to an evil church. It is called the great and abominable church or the church of the devil. What church are they referring to?

24 And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.

25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.

26 And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

27 And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. (1 Nephi 13)

The scriptures referring to an abominable church don’t actually refer to any specific religion at all. The church in this context is the world. Scripturally, the world is a term used to describe those who do not properly follow the Savior, and therefore follow Satan, however unintentionally. Those who didn’t recognize Jesus as the Savior during his lifetime were sometimes referred to as the World.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17)

Nephi was told that over time, many “plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.” (1 Nephi 13:28) These precious and clearly explained teachings were taken away through poor translation or through leaders wishing to impose their personal interpretations onto the text. Over time, as multiple translations were made, the original meanings were lost.

There are many churches in the world today, all teaching different things. They can’t all be correct, because God is not a God of confusion. In addition, there are many who wish to do away with religion altogether, or to take God out of religion. This has created a world filled with confusion, as the various groups battle for prominence. Those who seek only truth, and not what is politically correct, fashionable, or individually profitable are left with an overwhelming assortment of choices.

How can one be certain of finding the Lord’s truth, and not, by mistake, wandering into Satan’s world? There is only one certain source of truth: God. By praying, we can know exactly where God’s truth is found.

Doing this takes great courage. There is a lot of psychological and sociological pressure on us today to follow Satan’s paths. In some places, there are even attempts to criminalize those who stand for truth and righteousness. Do you have the courage to stand up to society and stand on God’s side? Pray, find out what His side is…and stand for truth.

The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi experienced his first vision as a teenaged boy. An angel instructed him in many aspects of the gospel, including the importance of the Bible, which of course, was not yet complete, since the vision happened around 600 BC. In this portion of the vision, the angel taught:

23 And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The abook that thou beholdest is a brecord of the cJews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the dplates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.

24 And the angel of the Lord said unto me: Thou hast beheld that the abook proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew it contained the fulness of the gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God.

25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the aJews in purity unto the bGentiles, according to the truth which is in God. (1 Nephi 13)

Note that the angel said the scriptures we now call the Bible were perfect when they were first written. Joseph Smith said, ““I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 327).”

It can be enlightening to study how the Bible came into existence. It did not come as a single record handed down from prophet to prophet, as was the Book of Mormon. Many records were made, and those included were chosen by various committees of men. Many translations have occurred over the years.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in the Bible as far as it’s correctly translated. Since the translators were not prophets, they were subject to error and personal interpretation.

The Book of Mormon testifies of the Bible often. The Nephites had some of the Bible—this was contained in the records Nephi’s family brought with them to their new home. They actually had additional records that are referred to but not included in the Old Testament, including the teachings of other prophets such as Zenock, Neum, Zenos, and Joseph, the son of Jacob. They learned more of it when the Savior came. The Book of Mormon prophets quoted often from Isaiah, and in fact, portions of this book are reprinted in the Book of Mormon as reminders to us today, for whom the book of Mormon was written, of the importance of those scriptures and of the Bible. The records of the Jews are frequently referred to by the prophets in the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon teaches us the importance of the Bible. The Nephites, who had them, were able to keep and hand down their religion through many generations. However, another group, the Mulekites, who came to the same location without any of the Bible, lost not only their religion, but their language and culture as well. The Bible made the difference in the ability of the people to hold on to their faith and without them, as Nephi’s father was told by God, the people would “dwindle in unbelief.”

The Book of Mormon is called another testament of Christ, but it is also another testimony of the Bible. It is yet another proof that the Bible is not just a collection of historical documents, but a sacred record of our Father in Heaven’s dealings with His children. We need the Bible if we are to hold on to our faith.