Eliza R. Snow: Poet, Leader, and Activist
Filed under: History of Music, Mormon Women's History, Women, Women of the Church
Eliza R. Snow was a pioneer, an early president of the Relief Society (an organization for Mormon women), president of Deseret Hospital, president of the Women’s Department of the Endowment House, and an author. She is considered one of the great women in Mormon history.
Eliza R. Snow
While many people pictured Mormon pioneer women as meek and mild, no one ever accused Eliza of such. She repeatedly protested this mischaracterization. One month before the Utah legislature returned to Utah women the suffrage they had lost when they gained statehood, she said: Read more
Curious About What’s in the Book of Mormon?
You’ve probably heard rumors and gossip about the Book of Mormon but the only way to know what is really in it is to read it. Many people who have finally taken the time to do so have been surprised to realize it isn’t what they were told it was. They’re startled by the emphasis on Jesus Christ, the discussions of grace, and the correlations to the Bible. There is no certainty the person telling you what is in it is telling the truth. In fact, there is no certainty he has read it. Only by reading it yourself will you know what is really in it.
There are many ways to read the Book of Mormon and I’ve read it myself in a variety of ways. One way to read is to read it as a story. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon has a story. The stories in the Book of Mormon serve the same purpose as those in the Bible—to teach moral and spiritual lessons. I’ve known many people who are not Mormon and who enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon as literature and this can be an interesting way to get started. Read more
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Basic LDS Beliefs, Bible, Book of Mormon, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Gospel & Doctrine, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Judge of all Humanity, Mortal Ministry & Mission, Plan of Salvation, Premortal Life
When Jesus Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane, He embarked on one of the most powerful experiences in human history. As He took on our sins, He suffered extraordinary pain. It was an experience that was essential for our own salvation but also one essential for His own calling in life. By experiencing the pain of sin, He became able, despite having never sinned Himself, to completely understand what we go through when we sin. This makes Him uniquely qualified to be our Savior and judge. What we’ve experienced, He has also experienced. In this article, and the one that follows, we will explore the nature of the atonement and what it means for us personally.
The Atonement is Personal
Atonement is a gift of love. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, said, “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love, (2 Nephi 1:15) Doesn’t that scripture help you understand the extraordinary gift of atonement? Picturing ourselves encircled in the arms of Jesus’ love is what the atonement does for us, and it’s why the atonement was done at all. Read more
What is the Mormon General Conference?
General Conference is the name of a meeting held in Salt Lake City, Utah for all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often known as Mormons. Held twice a year, in April and October, it is an opportunity for people world-wide to hear from Mormon leaders. The meeting is broadcast over television, radio, satellite, and Internet, so anyone is welcome to watch the weekend-long proceedings, or to watch or read the proceedings later on the Internet. Read more
Moral Courage
Filed under: Becoming More Christlike, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Jesus Christ, Leading a Balanced Life, Obedience
One of the purposes of mortal life is to prove to God that we will keep His commandments when that takes courage (Henry B. Eyring, “Moral Courage,” Liahona, Mar 2010, 4–7).
An important aspect of Mormon beliefs is that one purpose of our life on earth is to be tested. Passing the test requires moral courage, because if it were easy, the test would be meaningless. Read more
Dialogue between a Catholic and a Mormon/ Part 2
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Netiquette & Correspondence, The Fall, The Garden of Eden
Continued from Part I…
Actually Valerie my wife used to be a mormon, she is now studying in RCIA to become a Catholic. Also my brother -in-law has been a mormon for over 25 years so I know about your faith. I know about your belief in eternal progression and your belief in the various stages of heaven. Also you believe that you can be like God and have your own world to have dominion over.
Harmony Mormon
There is no distinction between wanting to be like God (there is only one God not a plurality of Gods) and being a God. Eve didn’t have to be like God to understand that it was forbidden to eat of the fruit. GOD instructed her not to eat it. Faith in God is trusting Him and being obedient to His commandments. If we are living in God’s grace we surely don’t have to elevate ourselves to Godhood, and we shouldn’t, in order to comprehend His commandments. Rather we should live in true humility as Christ instructed us to do and as he humbled Himself in countless ways. –Alan
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Alan, That is good that you already know so much about our Faith. If you don’t mind me asking, what is RCIA? I grew up with my cousins who were all Catholic. We went to Mass with them each Christmas. I loved my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins. I still keep in touch with them.
Yes, you are right…Adam and Eve knew they were not supposed to take the fruit because God told them. They knowingly disobeyed. But it wasn’t until after they took the fruit that they became ashamed of their nakedness…hence, they were now able to tell right from wrong without being told. They became as God in knowing Right from Wrong. So again, they were not able to discern for themselves from right and wrong until after they disobeyed and took the fruit. You stated the following…”Faith in God is trusting Him and being obedient to His commandments. If we are living in God’s grace we surely don’t have to elelevate ourselves to Godhood, and we shouldn’t, in order to comprehend His comcommandmentsbsp;Rather we should live in true humility as Christ instructed us to do and as he humbled Himself in countless ways.” I agree with what you said!!!! We definitely need to be humble. Pride is one of the worst sins in the world. So I agree! None of us are elevated to Godhood here on earth. We aren’t even close to it!! But I can understand how non-members (or former members) would think that seeking the Celestial Kingdom (and someday way in the future achieving godhood) can appear the opposite of humility! Seeking Eternal Exaltation (Godhood) certainly looks to be the most prideful goal there is. But in our hearts and minds this is a righteous goal, and we believe some ways to be worthy of this goal is to be humble, teachable, and Christ-like here on earth. If we were seeking power the way some CEO’s and/or politicians seek power, then we would certainly be a prideful people. But again, we believe it to be a righteous goal…and one that Heavenly Father wants to bestow on ALL OF HIS CHILDREN. He wants all of His sons and daughters to have what He has….to have glory added upon our heads. And we, as mormons, want all of our brothers and sisters in Christ to have all that God can bless us with. We want everyone to be happy, in this life AND in the next. This is not pride, this is Christlike Love and Sincerity. If we were prideful we would not want to share what we know with others. If we were prideful we wouldn’t care about other people’s lives. When you find something that changes your life for the better, in miraculous ways, you want to share it with the whole world. Out of LOVE, not out of pride.
Can you see where I’m coming from? I enjoy hearing from you and getting a better perspective of what some people think of Mormons. Hope to hear from you soon. Take Care! Sincerely, Valerie
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Hi Valerie,
RCIA is the Right of Catholic Initiation for Adults. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beliefs with me. It is good that we do have some common ground in both our religious beliefs. I became close to one of the mormon missionaries when my wife was studying your faith.
Glad you keep in touch with your relatives. Thank you for the red roses. May God continue to guide, bless and protect you always.
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To Valerie, From Alan / You have received a YouTube Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhAyEZR4gUk
Fr. Corapi’s Conversion Story – Condensed Version
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Hello Alan,
Thank you for your last email and for sending that wonderful YouTube Video. It was very touching and inspiring. I feel so blessed because I get to hear stories just like that from mormons, and from people of other faiths. The Lord, indeed, loves all of His children. I have seen the miracle of Faith in Jesus Christ in the lives of others and in my own life.
It is Satan that stirs the hearts of the people to contend with one another over doctrines of faith. I believe many of these people are just trying to sincerely help others to see their view of the correct religion, their view of the correct way to worship. And in their genuine interest and love for others, Satan likes to add fire and turn that love into arguing, and bad feelings.
I will always strive to not allow Satan to do such things to me. I love all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of their choice of religion. I love them even if they choose not to believe in God. Although my heart breaks for them, for they are denying so many blessings of life. But only the Lord God can judge them.
Thank you again for your kindness in sharing that beautiful video. Have a great day! Sincerely, Valerie
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Dear Alan, After you watch this short video, you may still disagree with the words that are spoken. But it is my hope you will see that mormons, like those of other faiths, genuinely believe what our religion teaches. We believe in our hearts and in our minds of the teachings of the church. But again, we also believe every person should have the right to choose what to believe and what not to believe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEuvNbyBQow
Sincerely, Valerie
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To Valerie, From Alan;
I agree with Mr Holland God continues to speak to all those who humbly ask for His guidance and in the Person of the Holy Spirit He comes to our aid whether we be Catholic, Protestant or mormon. Salvation is not just restricted to the Catholic or mormon faith but to all those who humbly seek and live in imitation of the words and deeds of Jesus. You are truly living your faith and you celebrate the dignity and sanctity of all life. I mean that sincerely Valerie. How much safer our world would be if it was filled with more people who share your religious traditions.
Shortly after my re-conversion to the Catholic church, after being brought back to my faith by the recitation of the Rosary by my Protestant wife, I went to confession. When I exited from the confessional I saw the most beautiful woman looking up to the crucifix above the Altar. I went to kneel down and say my prayers and when I looked back she was gone. I know in my heart she was the Virgin Mary directing me back to her Son.
Oh God come and send your Holy Spirit unto us all. Including those who doubt and those who do not believe. Open up the gates of your unending ocean of mercy to each one of us and speak within our hearts.
God Bless you, Alan
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End of Part 2. Part 3 (and the final one) coming soon!
Dialogue between a Catholic and a Mormon From November 28, 2008 to December 29, 2008
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Netiquette & Correspondence, Sharing the Gospel
In November 2008, I received an email from someone who found my email address on a mormon website group page. Alan seemed to have had an unfavorable view of Mormons. But remembering the scriptures, “A soft answer turneth away wrath…” (Proverbs 15:1) I tried to be respectful of his views while explaining my religious views and defending my faith. Thankfully, over a rather short period of time, we came to a better understanding of one another. I am grateful to have a new friend. The following is PART I of our conversation. – Valerie J.Fulmer
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Why do mormons believe that you can be like God and have dominion over your own world? How do you reconcile this when in the first Commandment God says you will love thy God with all your being and you will not have false Gods before me???????? –Alan
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Hi Alan, That is a great question. First of all, you are absolutely right. We should have no other Gods before us. We believe that can refer to anything that puts God last, or at least not first. Like, some people worship the lust for money, or they idolize celebrities, or they covet power, and the list goes on. It is our goal to always put the Lord first, and to strive to follow His commandments. In our hearts and in our minds, we believe we are worshipping the true and living God.
One day, far into the future, if we are found worthy, we can be made joint-heirs with the Lord. He wants to bless us more than we can comprehend. He loves us so very much. This is a humbling thought, and many of us feel that if we die today, we would not be worthy of this. We make mistakes, we don’t always follow the commandments like we know we should, but we try. And we repent.
But the Lord will always be our Lord, the Father of us all. Jesus Christ will always be our Savior. We will worship them forever and ever. I would be happy to continue emailing you in the spirit of love and understanding. Let us agree up front that we may agree to disagree. Does that make sense?
Have a great day! Sincerely, Valerie Fulmer
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Hi Valerie, The redemptive action of God the Father in sending us the Word made flesh, His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, was necessitated by Adam and Eve’s loss of God’s grace. When Eve ate of the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she was tempted by Satan. She knew it was wrong as God had forbidden them to eat of this fruit. They could have anything else in the Garden of Eden. She was seduced by the prince of lies…” Go ahead you can eat of this fruit, if you do you can become like God. Eve listened to Lucifer and death entered into all mankind and heaven was closed to all future generations. This was the genesis of original sin. We were in need of a Savior. Then through God’s love He sent His only son to die for our sins and reconcile us back to the Father thus opening up the bridge to Heaven.
There is only one God in three Devine persons, God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit; One God but 3 Divine Persons. It is one of the mysteries that the finite human mind can not fully comprehend. Human logic is deficient when we attempt to comprehend God’s immutable, omnipotence. If we attempt to define the Trinity in a plurality of Gods we get into polytheistic theology. If we believe, as the mormons do, that we can become like God, then we are no better than Adam and Eve and we would be perpetuating the great lie. –Alan
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Hi Alan, We believe that one of Satan’s tactics is to intertwine truth and lies together; he is the most devious of all creatures. He will tell 10 things, 9 truths interwoven with 1 lie. Or he’ll tell 10 things, 9 lies and 1 truth, and so on. This is one way how he manipulates God’s children. Satan said to Eve, “If you partake, you will become as the Gods, knowing good and evil, thus your eyes will be open.” This does not mean Eve wanted to be a God, this means she wanted to be LIKE the Gods, knowing Good and Evil. There is a difference here.
So Adam and Eve partook of the fruit and they were then aware of their nakedness, they became aware of good and evil, just as Satan said. (there is that little bit of truth mixed in with lies) But Satan also forgot to mention the other parts…that now they would die, and would be cast out of the garden. And because of Adam’s transgression, death would enter into the world. But this was all part of God’s Plan. This was why a Savior was needed.
Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate personages, but all with ONE heart, ONE mind and the same goals and purposes. What we say about the One, we are referring to all 3. How we feel about one, we feel about all 3. The scriptures say that we, mankind, are to be as one. Not literally, but as one, like God the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost are ONE. The scriptures also say, referring to man and wife, they are to become one flesh. This does not mean they will be the same person, but they, the man and wife, are to have ONE heart and ONE mind. They are to be unified. The scriptures say that we are to be unified, with one heart and one mind, in purpose and goals of righteousness.
Is it not a righteous desire to strive to be worthy of God’s blessings? Our Father in Heaven wants his children to have glory added upon their heads. He is a God of Love. You are right to say we have finite minds and cannot grasp all the wonder and mysterious of the Lord. If we strive to sincerely repent of our sins, making the Atonement of our Savior and part of our lives, and if we daily strive to make good choices, we may one day be worthy for all the Lord has in store for us, which is more wonderful than we can comprehend. We are not seeking power for power’s sake; we are seeking to live with our Heavenly Father again! We are striving to please our Lord; we are trying to follow His Commandments. We are hoping, praying and humbly seeking to fulfill our goals and be worthy to go to the Celestial Kingdom.
Humbly, your sister in Christ, Sincerely, Valerie Fulmer
(This dialogue continues….Part II to come soon)
Return to Virtue: Repentance
Young LDS women across the globe are calling for a return to virtue. They understand they will not be perfect every day, as they strive to emulate the Savior, Jesus Christ, but they also have the reassurance of being able to repent of their sins. Read more
Come, Come Ye Saints
The hymn “Come, Come, Ye Saints” is possibly more closely identified with the Mormons than any other. It was written in the morning of April 15, 1846, which was the day its composer, William Clayton, learned his wife had given birth to a son.
The time was after Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called Mormons, had been murdered. Brigham Young had assumed leadership of the church. Unfortunately, the murder had not led to safer conditions for the Mormons, and they were forced to travel west to escape persecution and death.
William Clayton was among those who traveled west. He had become a Mormon in the early 1880s in England, a convert from the Church of England. He was only 24 years old when he joined, but was well-educated and skilled at numbers, writing, and record keeping. He quickly become a trusted leader in the little group of Mormons there.
At the age of twenty-four, he and his wife immigrated to the United States and went to Nauvoo, Illinois, a city founded by the Mormons. He served as Joseph Smith’s secretary, sometimes transcribing revelations from the prophet. When Joseph died, there were disagreements over who should run the church. Clayton wisely supported Brigham Young and was soon serving President Young in much the same way he had served Joseph Smith. His reputation as one who was intelligent and trustworthy led to his assignment to lead a group of pioneers. His wife, pregnant, stayed behind in Nauvoo during this first trip.
William Clayton was a talented musician who played the violin. During the preparations for the move, Brigham Young assigned Clayton to purchase instruments and form a brass band. A gifted leader, Young understood morale would be a challenge during a long and dangerous trek, and music would help to keep up spirits.
The journey to Utah was slow and discouraging and the Mormon pioneers made little progress each day as they slogged through the rain and mud. By the time they reached Iowa, many were discouraged.
Clayton spent the trip worrying about his wife and their unborn child, and because communication was so difficult, he did not know for quite some time the baby had come. The child was born healthy, although the mother was very ill with ague and mumps. That evening, the company sang and played music until midnight. Early in that morning, Clayton celebrated by writing the hymn he would be best known for. He named it All is Well and set it to an English tune. It became immediately popular and soon, if anyone began to sing it, everyone was expected to join in. It provided comfort and hope to those making the dangerous journey.
“This morning Ellen Kimball came to me and wishes me much joy. She said Diantha has a son. I told her I was afraid it was not so, but she said Brother Pond had received a letter. I went over to Pond’s and he read that she had a fine fat boy on the 30th ult., but she was very sick with ague and mumps. Truly I feel to rejoice at this intelligence but feel sorry to hear of her sickness. . . . In the evening . . . [several] persons retired to my tent to have a social christening. . . . We named him William Adriel Benoni Clayton. . . . This morning I composed a new song-’All is well.’ I feel to thank my heavenly father for my boy and pray that he will spare and preserve his life and that of his mother and so order it so that we may soon meet again” (William Clayton’s Journal [1921], 19). Quoted on The Pioneer Story
The song, as Clayton hoped, brought hope to the weary pioneers and reminded them God was with them and in the end, no matter what happened on the journey, they were in God’s hands and all was well. Today, the song continues to inspire and uplift members of the Church.
Boyd K. Packer said, “There are many examples, both ancient and modern, that attest to the influence of righteous music. Discouragement disappeared and minds were filled with peace as the words to “Come, Come, Ye Saints” gave the pioneers courage to face their trials. This same song has been an inspiration to many over the years. At one time I was talking to a pilot who had just returned from a hazardous flight. We spoke of courage and of fear, and I asked how he had held himself together in the face of what he had endured. He said, “I have a favorite hymn, and when it was desperate, when there was little hope that we would return, I would keep it on my mind, and it was as though the engines of the aircraft would sing back to me.”
Come, come, ye Saints,
No toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you
This journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
From this he clung to faith, the one essential ingredient to courage.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Message: Worthy Music, Worthy Thoughts,” NewEra, Apr 2008, 6-11)
This song is also included in the hymnbooks of the Seventh Day Adventists and the United Church of Christ, with variations to replace the references to heading west.
A Conversation of Truth . . . Being Black in the Mormon Church
Filed under: Home and Family, Self-Worth, Supporting the Priesthood
I had the wonderful opportunity of sitting down with a fantastic woman who has enlightened me in a number of ways. I decided I wanted to share with our LDSBlogs.com readers this daughter of God as well. So, please let me introduce you to Jewel Adams: wife, mother and author.
Candace: Jewel, you have made it very well known to one and all that you did not grow up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that your circumstances were a little less than ideal. I happen to know you are a fantastic woman and someone I feel privileged to call my friend. But will you please share a little bit about your beginnings and what brought you to the Church in the first place?
Jewel: Well, I was born and raised in Asheville, NC. I lived in an abusive home and watched my mother be abused on a daily basis. I was a pretty messed up kid emotionally and because of this, I made some pretty poor choices. True, I had a painful childhood, but in the end, the choices I soon began to make were mine.
I made the dumb decision of getting married when I was 16 to a guy I didn’t love. I did it to escape the prison I called home because I was tired of taking care of an alcoholic mother. In truth, I just traded one prison for another. Two years later, Isaiah, the guy I married, went swimming and drowned. At 18 I was a widow and because of his life insurance, I had more money than I knew what to do with.
Having been raised poor, suddenly having that much money was not a good thing. That money helped to fuel a newly developing drug and alcohol addiction. It helped to numb all the pain that I couldn’t seem to forget.
Then I married another man I didn’t love (we only had drugs and alcohol in common). It was also at this time that I met my first set of missionaries. Of course a couple of minutes into the discussion they knew I was too wasted for them to get anywhere with me.
Two years later after family and friends had bled me dry and I was again living in a housing project but now was a mother of two babies, I was humbled enough for the Lord to send another set of missionaries and this time I listened, and I immediately knew what they were telling me was true. Despite an ongoing battle with substance abuse I was baptized. Because drugs and alcohol were the only thing we had in common, my marriage ended. I finally became clean and sober, married my amazing husband in the St. George Temple, moved to Utah permanently, and never looked back.
But thinking back on it, I think I was a Mormon as a child and just didn’t know it, I mean while all my friends idolized the Jackson 5, The Sylvers, and Marvin Gaye, I idolized The Osmonds. I had a poster of Donny on my wall and his face was on my notebook. Of course everyone thought I was out of my mind, but I didn’t care.
Candace: You are one of the least “woe is me” people I have ever had the blessing of meeting. With the recent Church celebration of the Lord’s revelation to President Spencer W. Kimball in 1978 that all “worthy male members of the Church may now hold the priesthood,” there has been much excitement and rumor abounding amongst the members of the Church. You’ve told me about your family, friends and co-workers’ opinions when you joined the Mormon Church. Will you please share those experiences and your responses to them?
Jewel: Growing up we didn’t go to church on a regular basis, but my mother did tell us about God and taught us to pray. When she finally escape her brutal marriage and we moved from Charlotte back to our home town of Asheville, my brother and I started attending church with my grandparents. They were staunch Baptists and their church rocked out every Sunday morning and evening. My grandparents wanted us to be baptized, but for some reason I refused.
Later when I joined the Mormon church I got a lot of flack from family and so-called friends. They gave me a hard time for joining what they considered a racist church. I told them the Church wasn’t racist. Then my manager at work asked me why the blacks had to wait so long to hold the priesthood. The answer quickly came to me. I said that neither the blacks or whites were ready for such a change before then and that a change of that magnitude would have torn the Church apart. It’s something I’ve never even questioned. There is a time for everything and God knows when that time is. He is perfect and He doesn’t make mistakes.
Candace: As an author, you have recently released a book which is a thinly veiled, yet wonderful, parable of premortality and mortality. As many know, Mormons believe we did not begin with birth, nor do we end with death. Would you please share your opinion and knowledge of how our Heavenly Father looks upon all of His children regardless of race, color or creed?
Jewel: First, I have to say that there is another author named Jewel Adams and her writing is kind of on the naughty side. That’s why I’m now going by J.Adams.
One of the things my mother taught us was not to ever see color, even though she was raised in an age of extreme racism. I’m sure that was a trait she brought with her to this life. I think Heavenly Father is color blind as well. I know each race has certain trials that may come because of their race, but like all other trials, I think what’s most important is how we deal with those trials, and how we let them affect us.
Candace: Would you please share with us what it is like being a black Mormon?
Jewel: When I first moved to Utah people actually went out of their way to show me they weren’t racist to the point that I would think, “Whoa, back up a little. I know you’re okay with me.” But truthfully, I love living in Utah among so many saints. I’ve never had a problem with cultural differences and no one has ever had a problem with mine. I’ve never had a problem with racism in the Church, and as far as I know, neither have my children. I have made so many friends in the Church, people who support me and love me unconditionally. My patriarchal blessing says that my “ability to make friends is a precious talent to be cultivated.” How grateful I am for that.
Candace: To those who would say The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a racist church, how would you respond?
Jewel: I would say nothing could be further from the truth. Our church is filled with diversity and all are welcome, no matter your race, creed or color. We are all God’s children and we are all the same in His eyes. I’d also invite them to come and play church ball or attend a ward pot luck. Good food always brings everyone together.
Candace: What advice do you have other blacks investigating the Church?
Jewel: Put all thoughts of race and things of the past aside and open your heart so the Lord can do His work in it. And if you do have concerns, pray about them, but remember, it’s all about the gospel and nothing else.
Candace: I am a firm believer in celebrating that which is good and what we all have in common. Can you tell me why we should forget the hurts of the past and concentrate on the present and future?
Jewel: Concentrating on the hurts of the past can do nothing but bring us down. I’m a firm believer in showing gratitude for all things and living in the here and now. When I pray, I try to always remember to thank God for both the joys and the sorrows, including the sorrows of the past. I don’t know if my ancestors came from Africa, Fiji, or Jamaica, but I’m sure they were most likely slaves and were likely treated badly. But how grateful I am for what they went through. It is because of them that I am here in this free land, living this amazing life. Their time has passed, but my time is now, and I will not use this time thinking bitter thoughts. They would not want that.
Candace: What advice do you have for those seeking to find Jesus Christ and His Gospel?
Jewel: Just pray with an open heart, then listen with an open mind and ears, and He will come. And definitely welcome those missionaries.
Candace: Would you please leave your testimony with us?
Jewel: Looking back on my life and the person I was, I almost feel like I’m looking at someone else’s life, like I’ve lived two lives. How grateful I am to the Lord for rescuing me when He did. By rights I should be dead, but God had other plans, and if someone would have told me when I was 18 that I would one day be a Mormon, married and living in Utah, a mother of 8 children, and writing books, I would have offered that person a drink because they would have needed it more than me. But, as I said, God had bigger plans for me than I had for myself.
With all my heart and soul I know this gospel is true and I will be eternally grateful to the Lord for never giving up on me. I’m grateful for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. Because of it, I was able to leave the old life behind and accept the one I have now, the one He prepared for me from the beginning. And though I know I’ll never be perfect in this life, God has given me the gift of knowing that everyday is a day of grace as long as He is in it.
And there ends the interview with Jewel Adams. Much has been said of late of why African Americans join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jewel has always been frank and straightforward in responding to people who ask this question. Once again, this morning she addressed this issue on an email list we both belong to. I asked her if she’d be willing to be interviewed for LDSBlogs.com and she was very gracious in saying yes. I hope you enjoyed this woman who has lived through so much to come out into the light of Jesus Christ. She is a friend who I would stand with at all times.