The Nephites were a group of people who left Jerusalem in 600 BC. Most were members of the family of Lehi, and the family of a friend whose children married into Lehi’s family. After Lehi died, the people, now settled in the Americas, split into two opposing groups, those who wished to follow God and were known as Nephites, after Lehi’s fourth son, and those who did not. This latter group was known as the Lamanites, followers of Lehi’s oldest son.

By the time Nephi had died and his younger brother Jacob had taken on leadership of the church, the Nephites were losing their way. Many of them were ignoring the teachings of their childhood and were filled with pride, which led to a variety of other sins.

At this time, when their faith was weakened, a man named Sherem came to the city. We don’t know where he came from, whether he was a Lamanite, or whether he was one of the many people already on the American continent, today known often as Native Americans. He spoke and understood their language fluently, however, which gave him greater access to the people, and made it easier to win them over.

Sherem turned on the charm, using flattery to win people over to his message—that there was no Christ. Christ had not yet been born, but the prophets of the Book of Mormon taught of His coming regularly. Anyone who knew the Nephite language most certainly had heard these teachings.

He was particularly anxious to meet Jacob. I’m sure he felt it would be quite an accomplishment to win the prophet over to his teachings. When he finally had an opportunity to talk with Jacob, Sherem went right to the heart of his false doctrine:

6 And it came to pass that he came unto me, and on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you; for I have heard and also know that thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ.

7 And ye have led away much of this people that they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is the right way; and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me.” (Jacob 7)

Notice that right away, Sherem is contradicting himself. He suggests Jacob can’t know Christ will be born because no man can know the future. However, he, Sherem, apparently considers himself an exception to the rule that you can’t see the future, since he claims to “know” Christ isn’t going to be born.

Jacob is neither amused nor shaken. He sets out to calmly undo Sherem’s slick arguments. He directly asks Sherem if he denied Christ. Sherem openly admitted to denying Christ.

Sherem says if there were a Christ, he would believe in Him, but since there isn’t, he doesn’t. Jacob then asks Sherem if he believes the scriptures and Sherem says he does. Jacob responds that if he truly believes the scriptures, he misunderstands them, because the prophets have clearly stated that Christ will come.

Then Jacob does what every good missionary must do. He shares his testimony of Christ, saying that this testimony came to him through the witness of the Holy Ghost. Sherem now goes for what he fully expects to be the big finish: he demands a sign.

Jacob refuses to promise him a sign.

14 And I said unto him: What am I that I should tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it, because thou art of the devil. Nevertheless, not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let that be a sign unto thee that he has power, both in heaven and in earth; and also, that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and not mine.

15 And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch that he fell to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space of many days.

Certainly Sherem was hoping Jacob would try to move a mountain or something harmless—to Sherem—unsuccessfully, in order to “prove” his point. Instead, Jacob, while refusing to promise anything, selected a sign that would penalize the sinner, should God choose to act on it.

Sherem understood that he was dying and asked to have the people brought to him. He made a death bed effort to undue what he had done, fearing, he said, that he had committed the unpardonable sin of lying to God and denying Jesus. He asked forgiveness and admitted to the people he had indeed lied and had been deceived by Satan. Shortly after making this confession and sharing his true testimony, he died.

The people were astounded and were shocked back into spirituality. The spirit was able to touch their hearts and they returned to the gospel and repented as well. The tide of wickedness beginning to take over the city came to a rapid end.

Children's author, Lori Conger, agreed to share with us her thoughts and testimony on Jesus Christ and His gospel:

I am an author, a teacher, and most importantly, a mother of four. I have been blessed in my life to be able to do many things I love, like writing (my children's picture book My Squishy Pants just came out, and I am working on many other writing projects as well), substitute teaching at the local elementary schools, reading great books, playing (and even coaching some) volleyball, and being a full-time mother. I also had the opportunity of serving a full-time mission in Utica, New York, which was a wonderful experience. I now live in Kaysville, Utah with my husband, Daniel, and our children. I have been given so much. (Lori Conger, 29 July 2008)

Candace: As an author of children's literature you have a unique love and connection with the children of the world. Will you please share with us the value children have in the eyes of our Lord?

Lori? From the time I was very small I was taught that I was a child of God, that He heard my prayers and that He loved me. I think it was the most valuable principle my parents ever instilled in me, for it gave me a sense of self worth and a knowledge of who I was and what my purpose was here on earth. I felt His love many times as a child and knew that He knew me, just as He knows and loves all of His children.

One of my favorite scriptural accounts is found in 3 Nephi, Chapter 17, when the Savior took the little children in his arms and blessed them and prayed for them. It is one of the most beautiful accounts of the Savior portraying His love, and He does it to the children. It is no wonder He always taught to "suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not" (Matt. 19:14). In the Book of Mormon we are taught to become like little children (Mosiah 3:19), and I love the scripture in Matthew 18, verse 10 that reminds us to not despise "these little ones," for their angels always behold the face of God. Yes, God loves little children.

Candace: What is your favorite scripture and why?

Lori I have many favorite scriptures, but one that I have relied on many times in my life is Helaman 5:12, where we are taught to build our foundation on the "rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God." As the influences of the world become stronger and many voices pull for our attention, this scripture reminds me that I need only to make sure I am firmly grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then, no matter what Satan tries or how strong his influence may seem, I will not--cannot--fall. What a remarkable promise!

Candace: Who is your favorite prophet and why?

Lori: I would have to say that my favorite prophet is whomever is the current prophet (is it cheating to say that?). I am so profoundly grateful for a living prophet and feel humbled and blessed to live at such a time when we have divine guidance through a prophet of God that I find myself loving and appreciating whomever is filling that divine calling. Each prophet in my lifetime has influenced my life in tremendous ways. Could you imagine the world without a David O. Mckay or Ezra Taft Benson, or especially a Gordon B. Hinckley? Me niether! So, right now, my favorite prophet is President Thomas S. Monson.

Candace: Will you please share with us your conversion? All of us, whether we are born into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, have a moment of conversion, please share?

Lori: I have to say that I do not have a "moment" of conversion, for my conversion came line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little until I found my heart full with a sincere and profound knowledge and love of the Lord and His church. I do distinctly remember, however, standing in the front of our chapel one Sunday morning in May of 1986, only a few days after our elementary school had been held hostage (miraculously no one but our captors had lost their lives--even after a bomb had exploded) and singing "I Am a Child of God," and knowing deep within my heart that I truly was and that He had been aware of our situation and intervened to save us. Then, as a teenager, when President Benson directed us to read the Book of Mormon every day, I took that challenge, and without really knowing it then, it changed my life. I grew to love and honor that sacred book, and it gave me a deep and abiding testimony of the Savior and a desire to live the life He would want me to live.

Candace: Will you please share your personal testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ?

Lori: I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know He is real, that He came to earth to do His Father's will, to live and die for each of us. I know that because He loves us deeply He has continued to call living prophets throughout time to help us know the truth and the way to live to gain eternal life. I know that every good thing in my life is because of my Savior and Redeemer, who made it possible for me to have true and lasting peace and joy, and I love Him so much for that.

Candace: Christians across the globe face an ever-increasing battle against those who would destroy and erase all that our Savior has done for us. What would you say to them, given the chance?

Lori I think I would say something similar to what Alma told Korihor in the thirtieth chapter of Alma. Korihor kept denying that there is a Christ. Alma shared with Korihor his testimony and then asked a profound question, "And now, what evidence have ye that there is no God or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only." Then he continues by saying that he had all things as a testimony that they are true.

I would hope to share a simple, powerful testimony and then encourage them to sincerely seek for truth, to be honest with themselves, and to go to God, rather than the world, for answers.

Candace: Please share your testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope it brings to every human soul.

Lori: I know God lives, that He is our Father, and that He hears and answers our prayers. I know He wants us to find true and lasting peace and happiness, and that is why He created a Plan that allowed us to come to earth to learn and grow. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, that He lives, and that He provided the way for us to return Home again someday. I know we are led by a prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson, and that the truth was restored to the earth in the spring of 1820 when God and His Son appeared to Joseph Smith in a grove of trees in upstate New York. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it has the power to bring us to Christ. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom on earth today. I know that God loves us more deeply than we could ever understand and that is why He gave us commandments and guidelines so that we would know how to live and be happy. The Gospel is true and it is real. Of that I am sure.

Candace: You stand, as it were, on a world stage. In that circumstance, what message do you have for this troubled world?

Lori: We live in a miraculous time! There is so much to rejoice in and hope for. The truth is on the earth and there is a way for every human soul to find it. The heavens are open, God is waiting, and He will answer every sincere desire for truth. There is a way to live and be at peace, even in troubled times, for we need only to follow the living Prophet. We need not be in despair. God lives. He is aware of us, and He will lead and guide us if we let Him.

Lori, thank you for dropping by and sharing your testimony with all the readers of LDSBlogs.com.

This was the lesson I gave in my Young Women's class recently. I didn't make it to Sunday School, where most of my spiritual epiphanies originate, so I'm taking my inspiration from the messages I delivered in class.

Perspective is a funny thing. It has to be based on truth, not our interpretation of truth. Our own personal perspectives can be skewed by our experiences and the experiences others bring into our lives. These are not based on truth.

I've been thinking a lot about how others perceive the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church). For those who have heard nothing about it, or who have been taught by those who are against it, many of our beliefs may seem really weird, out-there, or nutty. Even in this century there are individuals who are still taught that Mormons have horns, that the men still have plural wives, and other things that simply aren't true.

One of my favorite accounts of this comes from the latter-day apostle Boyd K. Packer. He recalls:

Years ago, I was at a symposium at a college in Oregon. Present were a Catholic bishop, a rabbi, an Episcopalian minister, an Evangelical minister, a Unitarian clergyman, and myself.

The president of the school, Dr. Bennett, hosted a breakfast. One of them asked which wife I had brought. I told them I had a choice of one. For a second, I thought that I was being singled out for embarrassment. Then someone asked the Catholic bishop if he had brought his wife.

The next question came from Dr. Bennett to me: “Is it true that Mormons have horns?”

I smiled and said, "I comb my hair so that they can’t be seen."

Dr. Bennett, who was completely bald, put both hands on the top of his head and said, "Oh! You can never make a Mormon out of me!” (Boyd K. Packer, “A Defense and a Refuge,” Liahona, Nov 2006, 85–88)

It can be difficult not to get one's ire up just a little when these sorts of untruthes are spoken, but one of the big things I felt impressed to share with my girls is this: we don't know where others are coming from. We don't know what they've been taught. We don't know what experiences they've had to fashion out their own perceptions on life.

The same can be said for us. Others don't know what we've had to endure in this mortal life. They cannot perceive what personal testimony we might hold. Most of all, they do not know why we are the way we are. Therefore, we must treat others carefully, and with respect concerning their beliefs.

The second big point I felt impressed to share was that God knows so much more than we can ever hope to know. He sees everything, from where we lived before we were born (where did we come from?), to what we need to accomplish in this life (why are we here?), right down to where we can hope to be in life after death (where am I going?).

The Father's knowledge far surpasses ours. He knows what we are capeable of, what we need to learn in this life. Sometimes He'll ask us to go through hard times. Ask anyone who has come out of a trial seemingly stronger for the experience, and they'll tell you they've learned things they never could have learned any other way. Our trials are not always punishment for doing something wrong. Sometimes they're there to help us progress.

We all have things set up for us here in this mortal life. I personally have been given many trials in this life, most of which can't be seen with just a glance. These lessons I had to learn were in my brain and in my heart, and I've passed - not with flying colors, but enough that my Heavenly Father has placed a new path my life is to take before me.

At times life feels overwhelming. At times it's beyond exciting. At times we're humbled. And at times we're scared.

Lastly, it is important to keep an eternal perspective in our daily doings. We need to remember who we are: precious children of our Heavenly Father, who gave us an opportunity to learn and grow and choose this mortal life in the pre-existence. We need to remember why we're here: to continue learning and growing and making a daily, even hourly choice to keep along the Lord's path. We also need to remember where we're going, and what we can become: even like unto our Father, forever connected to our families. This knowledge has brought me through many a hard time.

It is so important to make sure our perceptions, of anything and anyone, are based in truth. How? Well, we can guess at what something is or what it means, but then comes the important part. We need to take the matter to the Lord in prayer and ask if what we think or feel is truth. Be ready for the answer, whatever it may be.