Why Do I Need to be Batized With Proper Authority?

Baptism: Proper Authority

"But I've already been baptized. Are you saying my baptism wasn't good enough?" Kevin says.
"No, no that wasn't what I was trying to say!" I quickly say. "We are just offering you the chance to be baptized by someone holding the authority of God."  Have you ever had this conversation with a Mormon missionary before? Have you ever wondered why they are asking you if you want to be baptized AGAIN? Why are they saying that your previous baptism wasn't of God? Why would they think that? Well, let's take a little stroll through the foggy streets of London (I wish) and we'll talk about it, shall we?


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith in 1830. This was quite a bit of time after Christ walked the earth. When Christ was on the earth, he gave the priesthood authority to baptize to a select few.
"In 1829 Joseph Smith received the priesthood authority to organize Christ’s Church from Heavenly Messengers who had held this authority anciently including the prophet John the Baptist and apostles Peter, James, and John. In 1830 the same Church of Jesus Christ that existed centuries ago was organized and restored to the earth." (Mormon.org)

After the last apostle died, God's authority was taken from the earth. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a ^afamine of bread, nor a ^bthirst for water, but of hearing the ^cwords of the Lord." Amos 8:11

Through out time, we have seen the gospel be restored to the earth through different prophets. When the people are wicked, God takes his power off the earth so that it doesn't get misused. This is what we believe the previous scripture is speaking about. If God's power was taken off the earth, then it needed to be restored to the earth. When Joseph Smith restored Christ's church back to the earth, he was given the authority to baptize "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." This authority is so important to have. Not everyone is able to receive it because it is so precious. You must be worthy.

"We are baptized by someone who has God’s priesthood authority for the remission of sins. (Acts

2:38, Acts 22:16). We are also baptized to become members of the Church of Jesus Christ, and to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
Through the ordinance of baptism, we make a promise, called a covenant, with God. We promise to accept Christ, to become His followers, and to keep His commandments to the end of our lives. In return, our Heavenly Father promises to forgive our sins and let us return to live with Him, provided we keep our covenants."

A very smart man once explained the concept of "proper authority" to me in terms I can understand. In other words, he dumbed it down to a food story. That gets Sister V.'s attention. "So you're speeding down the road, going 30 miles over. All of the sudden you see lights behind you! But it isn't the flashing red, white, and blue lights; it's an ice cream truck! You pull over wondering what all of this is about. The ice cream man walks over to you and very kindly hands you a $200 ticket for speeding, then walks away. You sit there dumbstruck. He can't give you a ticket! He's an ice cream man! He doesn't have the authority to do something like that!"
Well see, my good friends, authority matters. God's authority ESPECIALLY matters. When He gave Joseph Smith the authority to baptize in His name, He made sure that they knew authority was given by God and not by going to church school or other things.

 "He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto ^aJohn’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of ^arepentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.When they heard this, they were ^abaptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with ^atongues, and prophesied." Acts 19: 2-6

 

After baptism by the proper authority, someone holding the priesthood of God will lay their hands upon you and give you the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is not complete without it as we learn in the scriptures. With this incredible gift, as long as you remain worthy you will always have the spirit with you. You will be able to discern right from wrong, and you will be told truths by the Holy Ghost. It is a wonderful gift that has helped me remain safe and worthy countless times. I'm so grateful that this gift was part of my baptism.

So you've come to know that the Book of Mormon is a true book of God; another testament of Jesus Christ. You want to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! The missionaries have set a baptism date for you. You've already been baptized! Your previous baptism was not of correct authority, but your heart was in the right place. That's why we want to give you a chance to be baptized by someone holding the power of God! Isn't that amazing? I can testify that my baptism was one of the most amazing steps toward God and eternal salvation. I'm so grateful that I was baptized by my dad who worthily held the priesthood of God and baptized me with proper authority.

Motherhood: A Career

A Fulfilling Career: Motherhood

I can picture myself right now crossing my arms and squirming angrily as I sit through yet another lesson about my role as a woman during church meetings. After church, I stomp into the house in a huff while my mom is humming a hymn and making lunch. "Did you have a hard day at church?" she asks. I then go on a rant about how women should be able to have careers and that I'm not going to "just" be a stay-at-home mom when I grow up.


Wow. If I could go back to those times and put myself in timeout, I would. I can't imagine how much it hurt my mother to be so against being "just" (big quotation marks) a homemaker. She quietly took my criticism of the whole thing and continued loving me. She probably knew that one day the Lord would smack some sense into me.

I was raised in the most wonderful parental situation possible for me. My dad worked and my mom
stayed at home with us. But did I appreciate her? Not hardly enough. Mom cooked, cleaned, taxied, and cuddled. She phoned, shopped, weeded, and washed. She edited my English papers, helped with science projects, decorated the home, helped my brother learn Chinese, and sewed Halloween costumes. And even now, I'm 1600 miles away and she sends me letters, packages, and most importantly prayers. Now who said being a stay-at-home mom wasn't a career? Well despite my own mom working 9 bazillion hours at home, I had convinced myself I wanted a "real career",    whatever that was.


"Beware of the subtle ways Satan employs to take you from the plan of God and true happiness. One of Satan's most effective approaches is to demean the role of wife and mother in the home. This is an attack at the very heart of God's plan to foster love between husband and wife and to nurture children in an atmosphere of understanding, peace, appreciation, and support. Much of the violence that is rampant in the world today is the harvest of weakened homes. Government and social plans will not effectively correct that, nor can the best efforts of schools and churches fully compensate for the absence of the tender care of a compassionate mother and wife in the home." -Richard G. Scott

D. Todd Christofferson hit the nail on the head concerning this area during this last session of General Conference. He focused on motherhood and how the woman's influence is most greatly felt in the home. And if women want to change the world and impact it, the place you could leave the most lasting effect and impression is in your home.

"A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career. Some view homemaking with outright contempt, arguing it demeans women and that the relentless demands of raising children are a form of exploitation. They ridicule what they call “the mommy track” as a career. This is not fair or right. We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career—we all benefit from those achievements—but we still recognize there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here."

Mommies, mommas, moms, mums, mommasitas, and all other mother figures around; listen up. God has put you on this earth to raise the next generation of righteous, healthy, and kind leaders in the world and church. This is our most important and fulfilling job. So don't you ever feel degraded by the title "homemaker." That should be a compliment! It means that you spend 24/7 devoted to your family and that you are using everything you've learned, daily in your career of raising little ones. An overwhelming job, yes. But one with the most incredible and long lasting results. As long as you have the Lord with you, you will make miracles!

I love my mom so incredibly much. She's the one that gets me through every day, even when I'm away from her. I'm so grateful that she's given her whole life to us and that she was there every day when I got home from school, with open arms and a loving smile. Even when she got out the "black bag" and threw away stuff that I left out.... (thanks a lot mom) I loved her for caring about me and wanting to teach me. I know that she was able to do everything in our family because she put the Lord first. Thank you mom, for raising me with the gospel. I love you till the numbers stop.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2013/10/the-moral-force-of-women?lang=eng

Family History

What's YOUR Story?

 



I know every single one of you remembers claiming bragging rights to someone "famous" you are related to, at some point in your life. I remember my grandpa telling me one day "your relatives come from Sicily Italy! You have Mafia blood in you! I thought that was the coolest thing. I didn't exactly understand what the mafia was... but it sounded awesome when telling my friends!

"The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally." This is in the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" written by the apostles and prophets of the LDS church. Family isn't just a huge part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It IS the gospel of Jesus Christ. Family history is becoming "one of the most widespread hobbies in the world", especially in the Mormon church.

Have you ever wondered who and where you came from? We're in the year 2013! As much as we like to think the world started with us, there have been billions of people before us. They each had their own individual story and many paved miraculous roads for their future family. Have you ever been interested in finding out more about your own "kin" as Kentuckians call them?

I've never met people more devoted to family history than Donna and Danny. We went over to their house for dinner one day and I asked how their day had been. They explained they had been cemetery hopping, and taking pictures of grave stones for "find-a-grave." Did I know there was such a thing? No sir. But these two people devote their days to helping others do their family history work. They know all the cemeteries in Logan County and the surrounding ones like the back of their hand. They've brought so many blessings to their home by being able to do temple work for their family that has passed on, and learning new stories about their heritage! They've found living kin that they didn't know were relatives and formed lasting friendships. It really got me interested in doing some of my own family research. In comes the wonderful website the church created!

Familysearch.org    This website is incredible. Not only is it eye-catchingly colorful, but it's actually helpful! I was supposed to write my post for the week on Thursday because today is General Conference (it's been incredible, go watch it), but I got completely distracted by how cool this website was. I literally found ancestors all the way back to the 300's! I recognized names that my family had talked about and found some new places that I didn't know I was from! It was the so interesting, I couldn't stop. As I was doing this, I felt so close to these people. I wanted to sit down with each one of them and hear their story. I know that because of the gospel, I can actually do that someday. This website is free and so helpful, but if you find that you are having a hard time finding your ancestors, there's another very helpful resource the LDS church provides. Many LDS meeting houses around the world have "Family History Centers" within them. There, a member will work one-on-one with you to help find your family. This is also free and you can usually walk into the church building during the day and ask for assistance.

"Members and nonmember of the LDS church can and should research their family history! It brings so many blessings to your life and gives you a new sense of "family pride". First, family history builds bridges between the generations of our families. Bridges between generations are not built by accident. Each member of this Church has the personal responsibility to be an eternal architect of this bridge for his or her own family."  -Dennis B. Neuenschwander
 
 Not only have members of the LDS church have been counseled to make family history a priority in their lives, but nonmembers alike! It truly is a way to bring your family (living or deceased) closer together. It's fun too! Searching for each family member is an adventure and a new story to learn. I encourage you to get on this website today and play around with it! I know that you will enjoy it just as much as I have.

https://familysearch.org/

http://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Choirs of Angels

You've heard them in on the radio! You've heard them on TV! You heard them at Disneyland!... just kidding, but that would be cool! They're the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Referred to as "America's Choir", this choir has had quite an impact on not only the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but music lovers all over. I decided to do a post on the choir this week because I'm so excited to hear them on October 6-7 for General Conference.

"The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is one of the oldest, largest, and most recognizable choirs in the world. As an ambassador for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this unique musical organization transcends cultural and generational boundaries, uniting people worldwide through music." So what makes this choir so special? Well it consists of 360 Latter-Day Saints, volunteer singers between the ages of 25 and 60. Each member is set apart by priesthood authority to be a "member missionary". I think that is so cool! They all have incredible voices, and they're choosing to use them for missionary work. They've performed at 5 President inaugurations, and earned 2 platinum and 5 gold albums throughout the years.

The choir started as a small group of pioneers getting together, under the direction of President Brigham Young, as a way to lift the spirits of the early saints in 1847. The choir is most known for their radio/TV/live program they do every Sunday morning called "Music and the Spoken Word" broad casted from Temple Square in Salt Lake City. "The program—carried on over 2,000 radio and television stations and with over 4,000 episodes—is the world’s longest continuing network broadcast. In 2012 the Choir launched a YouTube channel, enabling more people in countries all over the world to experience the music of the Choir and Orchestra."

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is also known for their Orchestra that plays each of their songs. They are known as well for their organists. The "MoTab" sings to organ pieces much of the time. I had the opportunity to go with my daddy to the Christmas Program they did. After I got over the initial shock of Natalie Cole being their guest singer that year, I was able to feel the incredible spirit that comes from the live instruments and angel voices of the choir members joining together. Music is one of the fastest ways to bring the spirit into a room I tell you.

And guess what the best news you've heard all day is? You can hear them sing live on October 5 and 6 during the LDS General Conference, broad casted online and at every Mormon church house around the world. This is a semi-annual conference held in Salt Lake City. We will get the chance to not only hear from the wonderful choir but The Prophet and Apostles as well! A fest of music and spiritual goodness. You won't want to miss it!

Where to download/stream General Conference?
 http://www.lds.org/?lang=eng

Mormon Tabernacle Choir
http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/?lang=eng

"Come, Come, Ye Saints"
-My favorite hymn that they sing.
http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/videos/come-come-ye-saints-mormon-tabernacle-choir?lang=eng

What is a church service like?

What's Going On In There?!

 



Does anyone know what today is? Why, it is Hermione Granger's birthday! Or was recently, depending on what day you're reading this. So in honor of her, I am going to teach you what happens during a church service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! OK I'm not really sure what that has to do with Hermione... but I needed to add that in somehow.

So you've driven by the meeting houses, you've had missionaries knock on your door time and time again, you've had neighbors or co workers invite you to church, but you're nervous! You have no idea what happens during a service! You just know what you've heard through the grape vine. You've thought about you tubing it, but you knew better than to trust the Internet. Well let me tell you that there is nothing to be scared of. LDS (latter-day saint) church services are open to everyone and anyone that wants to come closer to their savior Jesus Christ. The regular Sunday church services at the meeting houses are distinguished from the temples though. The temples are places where covenants are made between worthy members of the church. Meeting houses are the churches that are dedicated houses of worship open to all members and non-members.

A typical Sunday service lasts 3 hours. "3 hours??!" you say, shocked. I promise you that it speeds by! It's broken up into 3 different parts and every hour is filled with the spirit. Bring a snack if you get hungry, or let me know and I'll bring one for you. You can locate your local building for the meeting time for your specific area. Are you ready to hear a secret? Well listen close because this is really cool. Actually it's not really a secret at all, but it's still cool! No matter what meeting house you go to, whether it be in London or in Tokyo, the service will be the same. The Prophet is over every LDS church in the world. They are each run by the same lesson manuals, are all 3 hours long, and all are EXACTLY the same the same! Cool beans, huh?

So usually the first hour of church is "Sacrament Meeting". This is a one hour service where the Lord's supper/communion/sacrament is taken. Hymns will be sung, and announcements will be made. Then there will be speakers that have been asked, previously, from the congregation to give a talk/sermon on a certain topic. The interesting thing about the Mormon church is that none of the clergy are paid. All the members have volunteer callings or jobs to help the church function. So each week you get to hear from a different member speak! That way everyone gets a chance to prepare a talk, if they'd like, and the spirit can guide whoever is speaking without the loom of money.

After Sacrament, there is Sunday School hour. The adults break off from the kids and separate into their associated classes. There's a link down below so you can take a look at the different classes on your own time. These classes are a time for asking questions whereas Sacrament Meeting is very reverent and quiet. It is a time to listen to the spirit and the speaker respectfully.

The third and final hour is where the women and the men go to different classes and learn about their respective roles in the gospel. There is Young Women (ages 12-17),  Relief Society (18+), Priesthood meetings (age oriented classes for men 12+), and primary for the kids (3-11).
There also may be a nursery provided for the little kids (18 months-3 years).

No collection baskets are passed around during any of these hours. Members are asked to tithe 10% of their income to the church. This is given privately to the men called to preside over each individual building. The money goes to build new church houses, temples, help missionaries, welfare, and much more. None of the money is paid to any individual in the church. 



So now that you know the low down of a LDS church service, there's only one thing left to do! Get in your car on Sunday, and drive to one! Or walk, or run, or swim if required. Visitors are ALWAYS welcome! I can testify that Sundays are my favorite times of the week. I can't get through each week without having that Sunday service. The spirit never leaves, and I come home feeling so peaceful and happy. This isn't just a church, it's a way of life. You can feel the faithfulness of the saints, striving to become better and ready themselves to meet God, when you enter the building. You can be a part of that too! We'd love to have you. Typically, members will come in Sunday dress, but just come in the nicest you can. Look up your local meetinghouse address today!

Meetinghouse Locator
http://www.lds.org/maps/?lang=eng#ll=0,0&z=2&m=google.road

Church Classes
http://mormon.org/faq#faq/topic/church/question/church-welcome-visitors

Polygamy Revealed

Polygamy Revealed

 

"Um... I don't think my wife would want me to join your church." the man said nervously.
"How come?" we asked, not knowing why he was acting so strange.
"Well, y'all have more than one wife!"
"No! No! It's just a common misconception. We don't practice polygamy. In fact it's against the law!" we quickly explained. He got a disappointed look on his face.
"Oh you don't? Well than I don't know if I want to join your church now..."

Polygamy. If I got through one day without hearing that word, I would celebrate with a dinner of something other than cereal! If you look up "polygamy" on lds.org, the first paragraph that pops up is this "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. At certain times and for His specific purposes, God, through His prophets, has directed the practice of plural marriage (sometimes called polygamy), which means one man having more than one living wife at the same time. In obedience to direction from God, Latter-day Saints followed this practice for about 50 years during the 1800s but officially ceased the practice of such marriages after the Manifesto was issued by President Woodruff in 1890. Since that time, plural marriage has not been approved by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and any member adopting this practice is subject to losing his or her membership in the Church."

So let's everyone say together. Ready? "POLYGAMY IS NOT PRACTICED IN THE MORMON CHURCH ANYMORE". Good job! Say it one more time. Ok, awesome. I can understand someone who is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints looking in on the history of the church (that they did indeed practice polygamy at a time) and being weary about it. So let's talk about it shall we?

There are accounts of polygamy being practiced in the Bible. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Wilford Woodruff was given the revelation that the practice of polygamy was to stop. Some members of the church continued to practice it despite what the Lord commanded. Some still practice today, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not claim those sects.
Solomon, David, etc. all had multiple wives at one point or another. The Lord says that polygamy is a sin, unless he commands it to a certain people. In 1842, when it was revealed to Joseph Smith that the Lord was commanding it to be practiced for a certain time, it wasn't received well by some Saints. Many were confused and didn't want to practice it, but did with full faith that the Lord had a reason. It was closely watched by the church and only some families were permitted to practice. The church leaders only had the men practice it that would be able to provide for each child and wife individually. In 1890 (about 50 years later) the violence against the church because of the practice of polygamy got very out of hand. President

President Gordon B. Hinckley stated the following about polygamy in the Church's October 1998 general conference: “I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.
"If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church. An article of our faith is binding upon us. It states, 'We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law' (Articles of Faith 1:12).”

I know that polygamy is a scary issue, but the real question is whether or not the Book of Mormon is true. If this book is true, then Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God and any revelation that he gave, was also of God, including polygamy at that time. I know with my whole heart that this book is true. It's changed my life for the better more than I could have ever imagined and I would be lying to God if I denied it. I love it with every fiber of my being and I'm so grateful to be a member today. I know that anyone can change their life for the better today by picking up that Book of Mormon and starting your journey. You will never regret it.

http://mormon.org/faq/plural-marriage

http://www.lds.org/manual/truth-restored/chapter-13-years-of-endurance?lang=eng&query=polygamy

LDS Youth Programs

A Teen in a Troubling World

They take your car, they take your money, they blast Taylor Swift when the baby's alseep.... and they are at the most influential time in their lives. Teenagers. I know because I am one.

"Stand Ye in Holy Places and Be Not Moved" is the 2013 theme youth theme for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Each year they focus on a something that has been inspired by the Prophet and apostles. Each year it's life changing. Have you ever wondered what to do with your teenager? Have you struggled to find something that will change their (and your) life for the better? Do you want what's best for your child and for them to know and love their God? Well congratulations because you have found the sister that is going to tell you how to find ALL THESE THINGS! Yay! I have to admit, I only know the answer because my mom told me... Thanks mom, you're the best!

A day in the life of a Latter Day Saint young woman. Let's call her Lucy. Throughout the world (yah us Utah kids were spoiled) LDS youth are waking up and heading off to Seminary at 6 am. There she gathers with kids with her same standards and they study the scriptures for an hour every morning during the school week. Off to school she head, after this spiritual uplift, trying to keep that special message in their hearts. Modestly dressed Lucy is offered a morning coffee by her friend. "No thanks", she says, as she remembers her belief of staying away from coffee, alcohol, tea, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
That night (it's Monday), Lucy's family gathers together and has "family home evening". A once-a-week night where LDS families gather in their homes and have a spiritual lesson and spend time together. She also reads a bit of the scriptures with her family, and offers the prayer before bedtime. That night she reads her assignment for seminary the next morning. They're studying the Book of Mormon this year. Last year was the New Testament.
On Tuesday night she meets all the young men and women at the church building and they have a night of spiritual activities and fun with their leaders.
Sunday morning she gets ready for church with her family. They attend sacrament meeting together, then she heads off to an hour of Sunday school. She ends the day with her Young Women's class where she learns how to prepare to some day be a mother. Leaders help Lucy strengthen her testimony in Jesus Christ and help her to learn good morals and values. Lucy also sets aside time during her week to work on "Personal Progress", the Young Women activities designed to help them learn to be obedient, faithful, and loving daughters of God.

The young men also do similarly scheduled activities, where they are taught to be righteous sons, and future fathers. The goal for all the youth activities in the church is to prepare the youth to be worthy to go to the temple some day. "May I offer my vision of you and your future. You enter a world caught in a steep slippery slide of diminishing moral values. Against that backdrop, your character and integrity will let you stand out and shine like a lighthouse. You, your families, and your homes will become beacons of hope in a darkened world. Your faith and optimism will make you leaders in your communities, in your countries, and in the kingdom of God on earth." -Russel M. Nelson 

I know that being a teenager in these days is a struggle. And I can't even imagine trying to raise one of us. All I know is that sometimes the only thing that kept me from making a wrong decision was a simple line from a Young Women lesson that kept going through my head, or picturing my Savior's face as my leaders had taught me, or knowing I was working towards going to the temple. I'm so grateful that my parents knew what kinds of struggles I would go through and they introduced me to these youth programs. I'm so grateful for the Prophets being inspired to come up with an entirely alternate LIFE that LDS kids live. A life full of happiness, obedience,service, family, friends with good values, and God.

All youth programs in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are open to everyone! Whether you be a member, or you're just trying to get your kids involved with a good group of people, locate your local church building (lds.org) and go check it out! You will come to love the Lord more than you ever have, strengthen your family, and see your children become followers of Christ as you go through the programs and activities with them. And guess what? Everything is FREE! So go right now and contact your local church, or visit lds.org/youth to learn more.

https://www.lds.org/youth?lang=eng