No Coincidences

Tag: bible

Prodigal Son

The story of the Prodigal Son is well known. For those who have not read it before or haven’t read it recently it can be found in Luke 15:11-32.

The story of the Prodigal Son has always hit close to home for me. Obviously, it’s easy for me to relate to the younger son. You should read Luke chapter 15 above but a quick summary: there were two sons. They will be referred to as the elder/older son and the younger son as I write. The two sons were given their inheritances. The younger son left his home and went to a faraway city. There he squandered his inheritance on “riotous living.” When he hit the lowest of lows, the younger son returned home to beg his father to allow him to be a servant. The father, instead of showing anger, welcomed his son home, killed the fatted calf, put a robe on his son, gave him a ring, put shoes on his feet, and threw a huge party in celebration of his return.

The older son, upon hearing of his brother’s return and the subsequent party, was angry.

This story is often told in such a way that the primary lesson is about the Prodigal Son and his father’s reaction to his return. The story is called “the prodigal son” after all. That lesson being that no matter how we stray, how far gone are, and how many mistakes we make our Heavenly Father (the father in the story) will always welcome us back. In fact, Heavenly Father rejoices at our repentance:

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Luke 15:7

All Prodigal Sons like myself rejoice at this story.

I once heard a different perspective on this story, and I’d like to share it. There is a great lesson to be learned in the story of the Prodigal Son by looking at a secondary character: the older brother.

A great question to ask yourself before reading any of Christ’s parables is “who was He speaking to?” Another good question is “What was He trying to teach?” If you look at the parable from the perspective of the Prodigal Son, you can say Christ was teaching those who have sinned that they can always repent and return to the light of their Heavenly Father’s love.

Who was Christ speaking to when he gave this parable? He was speaking to those looking for the message of God. He was speaking to the listeners. These were the ones looking for the message of God. When giving this parable Christ was speaking to the saints.

Consider what can be learned from the older brother. The older brother never left. The older brother never sinned. The older brother respected and worked for his father. Many say, and I always thought, he was justified in his reaction. His exact words in verses 29 and 30:

“And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid (fatted calf), that I might make merry with my friends:

But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.”

This appears to be a natural reaction. He had always been there. He had always done right. Only for his corrupt brother to return and receive honor.

Why did the older son stay and work hard for his father? Why did he keep his commandments? Was he simply looking forward to the inheritance he was to receive?

Why do you serve God and keep his commandments? Are you looking forward to your mansion? Do you serve God so you can inherit His glory? Are you serving Him for YOUR benefit?

We should serve God because we love God. We should serve God because we love those around us. Our service to God shouldn’t be for the blessings and honors He can give us. Our hearts should serve for love and not for our inheritances.

Jesus didn’t tell this story only to get sinners to repent. He also told this story to get the saints to repent. The Prodigal Son went out to experience life and disregarded his father’s possessions. The older son on the other hand stuck around, but he was working to please his father. He looked at himself as moral and worthy. He was after his father’s possessions. That’s what he concerned himself with. The elder son was keeping score. He was trying to earn his father’s love and inheritance.

Sometimes we are like the Prodigal Son: sinning and needing to return home. Sometimes we are like the older brother: serving for the glory of the world.

Often we are like the older son in our envy and jealousy. When someone returns to the fold do we judge them for their past? Or, like the father in the parable and our Heavenly Father, do we rejoice at someone’s return?

Elder Holland in his talk, The Other Prodigal, said:

“I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us-insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our profession or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone, “robes…made…white in the blood of the Lamb.” May we encourage each other in our effort to win that prize is my earnest prayer.”

Let us not compare our blessings to the blessings of others, what we have to the possessions of others. Let us support and help each other to all return to our Heavenly Father. Jealousy is of Satan. We should never look down on somebody who made mistakes and is trying to return to God, because then we are the sinner. We can learn from every character in Christ’s great parable. Be like the Prodigal Son and repent, humble ourselves, and return home. Be like the elder son and don’t envy but welcome our wayward brothers and sisters back home with joy and love. And be like the father, loving all those around us, embracing the sinner and the saint alike. I believe this is God’s hope for us and what Christ was teaching us through this story.

__________________________

Here is a link to Jeffery R. Holland’s talk, The Other Prodigal:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/04/the-other-prodigal?lang=eng

April 8, 2021
Books in 2020
This is a list of every book I read in 2020 and the order I ranked them in from favorite to least favorite. I get something out of every book I read. I learned long ago that if I allow myself to not finish one book, I won’t finish any. For those reasons, when I start a book, I’m committed to finishing it. I don’t care how dry or boring it may be.

It was extremely difficult to rank these books. For one, how do you rank nonfiction verse fiction? Take a fictional John Grisham crime novel like The Last Juror and compare it to a nonfiction biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith for example. How do you compare the two? To avoid overthinking it I simply went through my list of books read and from what I remembered, put each on the list. Every book’s placement on the list is from my initial remembering of how much I *enjoyed reading it.

*enjoyed for me is going to be vastly different from most people. Precious Truths Restored, which was a top five favorite book of the year for me, is there because I learned so much from it and have referred to it constantly throughout the year since I finished it. I doubt the average person would even get through it. I loved it.

I included a one sentence thought about each book. This proved difficult because I could say so much about every book. To get around the one sentence rule, I used many commas and run-on sentences. My list, my rules.

I enjoyed all these books because they each taught me something. That’s the great thing about books. Here’s my list:
1. The First 2000 Years by Cleon Skousen
  - When I told a church-going friend I finished this book he looked at me incredulously, I guess my taste in books is unique.
2. *A Case for the Book of Mormon by Tad R. Callister
  - This book will forever be my reference for a scholarly defense of the Book of Mormon.
3. *The Mourning Dove by Larry Barkdull
  - I made Beth read this, super short, super memorable, loved this book.
4. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
  - I gained so much from this book, almost every one of the nearly 800 pages was marked, made me a Tim Ferriss fan for life.
5. The Joseph Smith Translation Precious Truths Restored by W. Jeffrey Marsh
  - Helped me tremendously in understanding the dangers of the different translations of the Bible, appreciating the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, and understanding how we have the various Bibles we have today.
6. Bridging the Divide: The Continuing Conversation Between a Mormon and an Evangelical by Gregory C. V. Johnson and Robert L. Millet
  - Inspirational book of two people from different faiths finding joy in a discussion spanning many years that brings them both closer to God, reminded me of a relationship I have with a friend I enjoy discussing scripture with.
7. *Best Loved Stories of the LDS People Vol 3 compiled by Jay A. Parry, Linda Ririe Gundry, Jack M. Lyon
  - The reason this ranked so high among so many other church history-esc books is I felt like I enjoyed a majority of the short stories, I gave it to my sister to read and she also enjoyed it.
8. The Third Thousand Years by W. Cleon Skousen
  - This was the sequel to my favorite book of the year, it’s lower on the list because I feel like we generally know more about the third thousand years, so I felt like I got less out of it personally, still great though.
9. *Among the Shoshones by Elijah Nicholas Wilson
  - Given to my sister-in-law to read, amazingly simple read that repeatedly had me saying out loud, “What the heck?”
10. The Forerunners by Mark E. Petersen
  - This did a great job of explaining Joseph Smith’s role in the restoration and went into some detail about the pattern of forerunners being sent by God to start a great work on earth, John the Baptist and Joseph Smith being the most famous examples.
11. Return from Tomorrow by George G. Ritchie with Elizabeth Sherrill
  - One of the first ever Near-Death Experience books written, NDE books have a special place in my heart as it was an NDE book that helped me come back to church.
12. The Red Record by David McCutchen
  - This was fascinating, it took legends of an ancient civilization you’ve never heard of, used oral records to go back thousands of years depicting their first legends of crossing an icy bridge to come to what would be the northern part of North America.
13. And the Moon Shall Turn to Blood by Anthony E. Larson
  - This series of books blew my mind and led me to discussing it with people that didn’t have any interest discussing the topic, this fact instantly gets it higher on the list.
14. And the Earth Shall Reel to and Fro by Anthony E. Larson
  - Part two to the above book, grouped the trilogy together on my list, these books use catastrophism as a basis of belief about what happened in the history of the world and what will happen in the future.
15. And There Shall be a New Heaven and a New Earth by Anthony E. Larson
  - Part three of the trilogy, I enjoyed the first one the most and was slightly less interested as I got to the third book, but they were kind of like one book in three parts.
16. All I need to Know I learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
  - A collection of short stories that were all extremely entertaining, quick and easy read.
17. The Glory of the Sun by Sterling W. Sill
  - I love short anecdotes or stories which is why this is just below All I need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten because that’s one of the best books I’ve read that does that, this one did a good job as well on more spiritual and deep topics.
18. At Peace in the Light by Dannion Brinkley with Paul Perry
  - Another near-death experience book, I really want to read Dannion Brinkley’s first book Saved by the Light now.
19. 2012 The War for Souls by Whitley Strieber
  - Awesomely creative book, so good I read it twice, no really, it wasn’t until the end that I realized I’d read 90% of the book years ago and never finished.
20. How Money Works by Steve Siebold and Tom Mathews
  - A gift to me, I think this book advanced my knowledge of how money works ten fold, this should be required reading in high school.
21. The Last Juror by John Grisham
  - Some authors have mastered how to get their readers to keep flipping pages no matter what, John Grisham is one of those writers.
22. The Life Beyond by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet
  - This book uses modern revelation to answer questions about what happens when we die, I’m amazed the world doesn’t flock to a book that answers the most important question in this life.
23. Behold the Fig Tree by Roger K. Young
  - Any book that prepares me for what to expect leading up to the Millennium jumps up the list, see #13-15 for other examples.
24. The Shack by William P. Young
  - Book turned popular motion picture, I may have liked the movie even more.
25. Mama’s Boarding House by John D. Fitzgerald
  - A fictional account of an early settled western town, gun slinging stories have always fascinated me.
26. Silent Courage by George P. Lee
  - A really good book was tainted when I learned what became of George P. Lee, was interesting reading about the life in a culture completely unique from my own.
27. Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley
  - My only complaint about this book was the repetitiveness of points, though I still got a lot from it.
28. They Knew the Prophet compiled by Hyrum L Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus
  - First-hand accounts about the prophet Joseph Smith from those who knew him.
29. From Every Nation by Derin Head Rodriguez
  - Awesome book about the first foreign general authorities, amazing to see the distinct similarities a bunch of men from all over the world had that led to their growth in faith and devotion to Jesus Christ.
30. How to Read the Constitution and Why by Kim Wehle
  - Should be required reading in any school, important for American students to understand the constitution better, especially now.
31. Unlimited Access by Gary Aldrich
  - This book was interesting, an honest look from an FBI agent on the security of the white house while he was in charge of security at the white house.
32. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
  - A really neat look at life from someone who was experiencing his own mortality.
33. Paul’s Life and Letters by Sidney B. Sperry
  - Made me understand the sacrifice of the Apostle Paul in a deeper way.
34. The Boy who Became a Prophet by Mabel Harmer
  - Ranked on the lower end because I don’t remember a ton from it, though any book on Joseph Smith has proved rewarding.
35. In the Company of Prophets by D. Arthur Haycock
  - An interesting view on modern-day prophets from the perspective of someone who knew them as well as anyone.
36. Making Sense of Suffering by Peter Kreeft
  - Like #47 The Problem of Pain, except more at my reading level.
37. It was on Fire when I sat on it by Robert Fulghum
  - Didn’t like nearly as much as #16, but still enjoyed a lot.
38. *Translating the Anthon Transcript by Stan and Polly Johnson
  - Lowered due to the chance the information in the book wasn’t fully accurate/true, I very much enjoyed learning about this though, and gave to a friend to read.
39. Zion Seeking the City of Enoch by Larry Barkdull
  - Larry Barkdull also wrote one of my favorite books of the year (#3), this was an awesome, fictional account of someone trying to join Enoch in the beginning stages of starting his perfected society.
40. Frontiers of Being by Duncan B. Blewett
  - Extremely deep and dense, some parts difficult to get through, used some of what I read in this book when officiating my sister’s wedding, fun fact, looked it up online and there’s a “new” copy for sale for $1,008.00.
41. Valley of Sorrow by Alexander B. Morrison
  - Great book, taught me a lot, not a topic I know much about or am passionate about but definitely learned a lot and opened my mind to some different views on mental health.
42. Glimpses Beyond Death’s Door by Brent Top
  - I think I struggled with feeling like I was reading an analysis of a bunch of other books that I actually wanted to read, this was surprising given my love for the topic, see #7 and #18.
43. A witness and a Warning: Modern Day Prophet Testifies of the Book of Mormon by Ezra Taft Benson.
  - Since I already know the Book of Mormon is true this found me nodding my head in agreement throughout.
44. *LeGrand Richards: Beloved Apostle by Lucile Christenson Tate
  - Gave to my brother to read, it’s inspiring to read about the life of someone with such spectacular faith.
45. The Temple: Where Heaven Meets Earth by Truman G. Madsen
  - Classic book teaching the importance of the temple.
46. Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley
  - Classic GBH.
47. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
  - Was really excited for this book, quickly realized I wasn’t intellectually ready to read a philosophical book by C.S. Lewis.
48. Driven from Within by Michael Jordan
  - Interesting look at Michael Jordan looking simultaneously at his basketball career and how it fueled his creative side which created a billion dollar shoe industry.
49. Does the Bible Contradict Itself? by W. Arndt
  - A defense of the Bible, didn’t love reading cover to cover which the author kind of said not to do, but will possibly be a book I refer back to often in my life.
50. Statements on Communism and the Constitution of the United States by David O. McKay
  - Don’t remember a ton about this, I know it was short, I mostly remember thinking, “they used to be extremely afraid of communism.”
51. Hidden Treasures from the Scriptures: The Battle is not yours it is the Lord’ by Alisha Geary
  - Had an interesting theme about how to get through adversity, short book.
52. Are Your Standards Fences or Guardrails? By John Bytheway
  - While it’s sort of silly I even read this as I was approaching 30, and I ranked it low, I actually got a lot out of it, especially useful as I was becoming a parent and thinking about the standards I’d like Ivy to have.
53. Messages of the First Presidency Vol. 6 compiled by James R. Clark
  - I enjoyed it but it was dry, and the average person is not going to get through this book.
54. Emma’s Glory and Sacrifice by Gracia N. Jones
  - Great book but kind of felt like the attempt to tie it to Emma was a stretch throughout simply due to how few records we have left behind in her own words.
55. Islam by John A. Williams
  - Just really difficult to read without more of a foundation in the faith, felt like I constantly didn’t know enough to keep up with what was being discussed.
56. So Much of Life Ahead by Dean Hughes
  - This was an OK book, but it was part 6 in a series and I just decided to read it.
57. The Plain Truth about Christmas by Herbert W. Armstrong
  - Can’t believe I read this, best thing about it was how short it was, entertaining though I guess.
*Recommended or gave this book to someone to read.

Additional reading:
1. Plan of Salvation pamphlet (should be read by everyone once a year to be reminded of why we’re here).
2. Book of Mormon
3. Doctrine & Covenants (Through Section 99)
4. Old Testament (Finished Ezekiel)
5. Come Follow Me lesson each week
January 7, 2021
The Chance of Faith

One Sunday I was in my car with a friend, CJ Matthews. We were driving after church to go do something. I can’t remember what it was. Visit someone or give a blessing or something that like.

A few minutes into the drive I realized I was out of gas. I remembered I’d been out of gas since I left my home that morning to drive to church. It was 20 minutes to our location. It would be 20 minutes there, 20 minutes back to CJ’s car. Then the drive home. No way I could make it without getting gas.

Not me on a Sunday unless CJ is in the car.

I informed CJ of our dilemma. I let him know I wouldn’t be getting gas on a Sunday. God would get us there and get us back. If you could see the look on CJ’s face! It was great. His response, “Is God going to turn air into gasoline for you to return? Pull over and get gas. I’m not walking to a gas station.”

I eventually complied with his request, though begrudgingly. I had the faith that God would help us accomplish what we needed to accomplish without having to stop for gas.

This is a topic my wife and I playfully debate often. I try to say that I have no concern about my life or well-being. If I’m meant to die, I will die when God needs me back and not a second sooner. I joke often that the best way to die would be by lightning at the top of a mountain. That would clearly indicate an urgent need God had for me to return and start serving Him on the other side.

My wife is in the other school of thought. She agrees with CJ. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Don’t put yourself at risk. Don’t be stupid. Boring! I’m inclined to be stupid. Sometimes I consider it my way of showing God I have faith. I know, my wife has already told me I’m stupid.

Anyways.

I’ve made this a joking introduction but it’s something I truly struggle with.

Where does faith end and wise action start?

The principle is told in a story that I love and think about often. The story goes like this, I’ll tell my version.

A great flood comes, and a man gets on top of the roof of his house. A man comes by in a canoe. “Hop in!” he yells. The man on the roof calmly tells him no thanks. The water gets higher. A couple in a boat comes by. “Get in! The water is rising!” The man on the roof calmly denies the gesture and stays on his roof. The water gets higher. The man on the roof is close to being overtaken by the water. A helicopter comes by and throws a rope down. The man on the roof waves it away.

The man on the roof is finally overtaken by the water and drowns.

When in heaven he looks to God and asks, “I prayed the whole time I was on the roof. Why didn’t you help me?”

God replies, “I sent you a canoe, a boat, and a helicopter! What else did you want from me?”

I know what the scriptures tell us. I know God wants wise servants. I know he wants us to be prepared. I know He wants us to work problems out in our minds and learn to problem solve. I know we’re here to learn to make good choices.

But I also know we’re here to learn faith. We’re here to learn obedience. We’re here to learn to trust God.

I hope I live my life with a firm belief that God will guide me wherever He needs me as long as I do my part. I often joke about how God holds my hand and guides me to places, decisions, people. I often joke how God has been there with me every step of the way. He has blessed me in so many profound ways I can’t deny His loving guidance in every moment of my life.

I know that God still wants me to do my part.

So, I put my faith forward. God will get me there! Or does God put a gas station directly on my journey so I can get gas? How often is God up there, exasperated, “I put the gas station right along the way!” Or even better, “I put CJ and Beth around you to balance out your silly refusal to take care of yourself!”

I wonder how often I’m turning away the canoe, boat, and helicopter. I only hope I’m ultimately doing what God wants me to do. I think that’s the best any of us can do.

November 26, 2020
Faith and Signs

3 Nephi chapter 2 is a fascinating and important part of the Book of Mormon. It’s especially important to our day. There’s a chance our moment in history could be parallel to this time in the Book of Mormon record.

The start of chapter 2 tells us that despite many signs, wonders, and prophesied events coming about, the people continued to harden their hearts and scoff at the idea of a being like Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ever visiting them.

Verse 8 reads:

“Now the Nephites began to reckon their time from this period when the sign was given, or from the coming of Christ; therefore, nine years had passed away.”

There are two important points I want to make here.

First, many miraculous signs happened. This resulted in an extremely short-lived conversion.

3 Nephi 1:22 in part reads:

“the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord.”

A mere 3 years (3 years!) and we have 3 Nephi 2:1:

“the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds..”

We see here how an outward sign can have a bolstering effect on faith, but ultimately signs create temporary faith. The people didn’t do the necessary work to grow, strengthen, and develop their faith. Within 3 years those signs were a distant memory. Their day to day deeds and thoughts were what shaped them. Those who continued to pray, look for Christ, and study the words of the prophets looked forward to a miraculous day. Those who saw a sign and only momentarily changed their thinking or habits soon fell back into their disbelieving and hard-hearted ways.

Terrance Szink says, “the conversion was the result of an outward sign and required no work on the part of the people. They had seen the sign but, for the most part, they did not sustain their faith.”

Faith must be practiced daily. If not, it will die like a flower without water. We are entering a time just like this time in the Book of Mormon. We are entering a time when signs will become common. Miraculous events will happen around us. How many around us will harden their hearts and not see what is right in front of them?

There will come a time when Biblical prophesies will start to be more obvious. There are already signs around us that have been prophesied for centuries. These signs will become more obvious. This will only temporarily make people look to God, if it does at all. Soon people will scoff at believers. People will speak of science and coincidence. Many will say Christ is not coming because He doesn’t come in their expected timing. Christ will come exactly when He intends to.

The second point I want to make is more just an interesting thought.

How funny is it that a vast majority of the people in the Book of Mormon quickly forgot the signs they’d seen? Yet, as a whole, the people changed how they kept track of time. They started to speak of years in terms of the time since the sign appeared. How ironic is that? These people that didn’t believe the sign still acknowledged it was important enough that they changed how they tracked time.

It’s reminiscent of today. As a society we use the year 2020 as the time since Christ’s birth. Yet, how many people among us today don’t even believe in Jesus Christ? How many don’t believe He was the Son of God? He was important enough for us to mark our calendar by Him but not important enough to actually believe in Him.

I believe many will have to answer for this hypocrisy one day. The signs of Christ are obvious. The impact He had on the world are so profound, and yet many still deny. One day we will all have to stand before God and either accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, or reject Him. I hope on that day our hearts are not hardened and we don’t deny the grace and love that will be right before us.

November 20, 2020
The Rock Christ would Build His Church Upon
In a book called The Forerunners by Mark E. Petersen, I was introduced to an interpretation of a scripture that I’d read and heard quoted a thousand times. The truth of the interpretation was so clear I couldn’t believe I’d lived so long with such a clear misunderstanding of the meaning of that important scripture.

The verse is Matthew 16:18 which reads:

¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Let’s give some context to this important passage.

Jesus was with His apostles and He asked a simple question: Who do the people say I am? (verse 13)

They responded with some of the rumors out there – Some thought Jesus was the returned John the Baptist, some thought Elias, others thought Jeremias or another of the prophets. (verse 14)

Jesus asked, who do you say I am? (verse 15)

Peter, Jesus’s first apostle responded, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (verse 16)

Christ responds, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona (Peter): for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

Which leads us to our important verse and the part I always misunderstood.

Christ says to Peter, “thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”

One more quick review to make the point clear:
1. Christ says who am I?
2. Peter answers – you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
3. Christ responds – blessed are you, for flesh and blood (man) has not revealed this but my Father who is in heaven has revealed this to you.
4. Christ, in responding to Peter stating properly that He is the Christ, says “thou art Peter.”
5. Then, adding to what Jesus said about the truth being revealed to Peter by God, Jesus says, “and upon this rock I will build my church.”
Christ wasn’t saying the church would be built on Peter. Christ’s Church couldn’t be built on anyone’s shoulders but His own. Additionally, Christ is adding that the testimony of Him could only be received by man from Heavenly Father, more specifically the Holy Spirit. The rock of Christ’s Church would be Christ Himself, and the testimony of Christ only comes by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Not by flesh or blood, but by Heavenly Father and personal revelation. Thus, the rock of Christ’s Church would be personal revelation that Jesus is the Christ.

I was always so confused by this scripture. Why would the rock, the sure foundation of Christ’s Church be on anyone but Christ? How could Peter be the foundation? He is not. There is only one foundation. There is only one name by which we can receive salvation, there is only one person who can save us. That is Jesus Christ. The Son of the living God. Our Savior and King.

This scripture, when properly read, emphasizes the importance of coming to a personal testimony that Jesus is the Christ. We’re reminded that the testimony of Christ does not come from man. It comes from personal revelation. It is unfortunate that personal revelation has been removed from much of modern Christianity. Modern Christian churches say the heavens are closed and God speaks to us no longer. He only speaks to us through His ancient word. But what of today? How do we come to a testimony of Jesus Christ but through revelation from heaven and the Holy Spirit?

If God no longer speaks to man then man can no longer receive testimony of Jesus Christ. But men receive testimony of Jesus Christ daily. Every day millions worship Jesus Christ. Every day thousands come to the realization that only through Christ can they be saved.

Revelation is alive. The Holy Spirit talks to us daily. He reveals the testimony of Christ to the hearts of man. God speaks to us; through scripture, through prophets, and most importantly through the Holy Ghost.

A quote from William Barclay of the Church of Scotland:

“The rock is the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. To Peter that great truth had been divinely revealed. It was God Himself who had opened Peter’s eyes to that great discovery. The fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is indeed the foundation stone of the Church’s faith and belief. On that great truth the Church is founded for ever and ever. This explanation holds that the divinely revealed truth that Jesus is the Son of God is the only foundation on which the Church is founded.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.

It was restored to point men to Christ. His name is in the name of His Church.

Jesus Christ still is actively interested and engaged in the affairs of man. Under the direction of His Father, our Father, He sent an angel named Moroni to reveal an ancient record to his modern-day prophet. He, through the Holy Spirit, directed and guided Joseph Smith through the translation of a record that would make clear His doctrine and the saving ordinances of His gospel. Not to replace the Bible, but to add a second testimony to it.

The testimony of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and my testimony is this: Jesus Christ lives. He directs His church. He loves all and wants us all to return to Him.

This is the foundation of His Church.
October 15, 2020