Be Ye Therefore Perfect: The Possibilities of Perfection, Today
In His sermon on the mount, the Savior admonished: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Accounting for all that Christ has revealed about being perfect, two types of perfection appear: one we can only honor and aim for in this life, but the other, we can do today through His grace and guidance. Apostle Bruce R. McConkie identified these two types of [Read more]
Jesus Christ, the Lord of Light
“Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.” “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9: 2-7). Matthew’s account of Christ’s [Read more]
Jesus Christ: Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer
Christ is called both Savior and Redeemer. As they are used in the scriptures, these two divine titles are closely related–their meanings are often synonymous. However each title sometimes expresses blessings uniquely different for the saved versus the redeemed. Beyond the two main ways that Jesus Christ saves–from sin and from the grave–there are other ways the Son of God saves: “Come [Read more]
Matt Moody’s First Testimony and Conversion
Before I left to serve a mission for the “Mormon” Church, I knew that I had not experienced the “burning” that my mother spoke of as she testified of restored truth. But I always felt good about attending the LDS Church, and I felt good about the decision to serve a mission–I relied upon my mother’s testimony. I knew, that she knew. The word “conversion” refers to a [Read more]
Better than Seeing: Seeking a Spiritual Witness of Christ
“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, . . . he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen after he was risen” (Mark 16: 9-14.) “Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Thus the other disciples said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he [Read more]
Baptism: Changing the Ordinance, Breaking the Covenant
In 740 B.C., Isaiah recorded this prophecy: “The earth also is defiled . . . because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 24: 5). It is clear that the prophet is speaking of generations prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ, for the next verse states: “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein [Read more]
Oh Come Let Us Adore Him: The Babe of Bethlehem
“But thou, Beth-lehem, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5: 2). “And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you” (Helaman 14: 5). “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the king, behold, there [Read more]
Are Mormons Christian? By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them
Imagine you are on the game show “Millionaire,” and the question is asked: “What is the fruit that grows on an apple tree?” You are presented with four possibilities: a) Mango b) Apricot c) Tangerine d) Apple What are the chances you’d be moving to the next round? Of course, the correct answer is glaringly obvious. Jesus taught the pertinent principle: “For every tree is known by [Read more]
Humble as a Little Child: Such is the Kingdom of Heaven
“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is [Read more]
The Last Millennium and Eternal Marriage
A millennium is a period of a thousand years. By Divine decree, the earth’s temporal existence will continue for seven thousand years. The 7th millennium commences with the second coming of Jesus Christ, when the resurrected Lord returns to earth in glory. Exactly what is God’s purpose for this thousand year period? And how is the last millennium related to eternal marriage? First [Read more]