In 1830 the church was brand new and something extremely difficult happened. An issue occurred which would forever shape church government. This issue would establish a pattern, God’s pattern, of order.
An extremely faithful member of the Church, in fact one of the 8 witnesses of the Book of Mormon, started to receive revelations on the gathering of Zion. This member was Hiram Page. He was faithful to the church and would never deny the Book of Mormon’s authenticity. It was not surprising that many church members believed the revelations Hiram Page received. Why wouldn’t they? He was a faithful member. He was one of the 8 witnesses, a blessed individual that saw and beheld the gold plates.
The issue was, if Hiram Page could receive revelation for the entire church, then who couldn’t receive revelation for the entire church? You’re seeing where this is going. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would go the way of all other sects of Christianity: chaos.
There must be order in God’s system. God could not have every person claiming revelation for His Church. It’s important to note, personal revelation is an important part of our mortal journey. Personal revelation is also critical in God’s church. Revelation cannot be received by an individual pertaining to the entire church or to guide those in a higher position of authority. Without this rule, there would be complete confusion, as there started to be when Hiram Page reported his revelations.
When this problem arose, Joseph Smith was in the most difficult of positions. How did he correct this issue without seeming authoritarian and dictatorial? He needed Hiram Page, Oliver Cowdery (who supported Hiram’s revelations), and all church members to understand the significance of this issue.
Joseph Smith met with the congregation and explained revelations received prior to Hiram’s revelations. Joseph Smith had documented the Lord’s commandments in Doctrine and Covenants sections 20 and 21. He now learned that many members of the new church didn’t understand these doctrines and principles of church government.
The history states that Joseph Smith joined with the people and explained the revelations in Doctrine and Covenants 20 and 21 in detail. He used simple language and explained what it actually meant. In what could have been a contentious and ugly situation, church members, Oliver Cowdery, and Hiram Page himself left understanding the error of their ways. This was a prophet of God explaining God’s order. All present accepted.
This is the way it should be.
I would like to compare this to something I learned when reading about how “retired” Pope Benedict XVI… retired. I didn’t understand how this could be and wanted to research to see what happened.
Instead of commenting on what I learned about Pope Benedict’s retirement, I want to comment on something else I came across. An article I read talked about how the current Pope Francis has considered relaxing priestly celibacy rules and how “retired” Pope Benedict came out publicly against this.
Does this not present a problem? What if the current Pope did make a decree and the “retired” Pope publicly voiced his disagreement with it? Would there be another branch of Catholicism? One following current Pope and one following retired Pope?
I can’t understand it. There can’t be confusion in God’s kingdom. While men are imperfect, God can’t have questions of authority in His church. Otherwise, there is complete chaos.
These stories of how two issues were handled strengthened my testimony of the importance of authority. I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s Church restored to the earth, and as such, it must have order. As I study Priesthood authority and how the church functions with millions of members across the entire globe, I’m blown away at how seamlessly it all works.
Joseph Smith foresaw General Authority Seventies when the church was a couple dozen members. Now as the Church grows and there are 12 quorums of the Seventy, anyone who doesn’t believe this church to be divinely guided must marvel at Joseph Smith’s foresight.
The truth is it wasn’t Joseph Smith’s foresight, it was God’s foresight. This church is divinely guided, divinely structured, and divinely governed. My testimony of this grows daily as I understand the structure of the church better and see how the Lord guides His Kingdom.
I was looking to attend a Christian University and when the counselor I was speaking to heard I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she got kind of upset. She seemed truly disappointed to break the news to me. “You can’t attend this university if you are not Christian.”
Yes!
I was so excited to respond to that.
“I’m sorry if there’s confusion, but I am very Christian. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I emphasized.
She didn’t seem convinced.
“I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He is the Savior of the world, He is my Savior. He died so I can live. He came to this earth to sacrifice His mortal life for me. Christ has always been and will always be my Savior.”
We went around in circles like this for a bit.
Finally, she said with exasperation, “Do you believe Jesus Christ visited the Americas?”
An emphatic, “Yes, I do.”
Her reply, “Oh you see, we don’t believe there is any evidence of this in the Bible. I’m sorry. You don’t believe in the same Christ we do.”
The same Christ?
Speaking of “evidence” in the Bible that Christ may have visited the Americas leads me to Ezekiel 37:16 which reads:
“Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions.”
These sticks are the Book of Mormon and the Bible. One from Judah and one from Joseph.
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
I put quotes around “evidence” because evidence is a funny thing. Anyone can read those two scriptures and explain them away. The real evidence is in the Book of Mormon. Read it.
How can someone who has never read the Book of Mormon with its constant references to Jesus Christ, its beautiful and simple doctrine of Jesus Christ, and its eloquent teachings of Jesus Christ, tell me I’m not Christian? By their fruits you shall know them.
Do other Christians think Christ wouldn’t visit all His children across the globe? Do other Christians think Christ didn’t have time to show love to His other sheep? Do other Christians think Christ only loved the Jews in Israel?
Maybe we don’t believe in the same Christ.
But I do know that we believe in the same Christ. I know other Christians are confused about the nature of Jesus Christ and I know the Book of Mormon can shed light on His true nature and teach “Christianity” so much about our Savior whom they profess. He is everyone’s Savior. That is why I was so anxious to tell her about the Book of Mormon and explain to her that the Bible DOES testify of the Book of Mormon and show evidence that Christ visited the Americas.
I know she didn’t hear all of what I was trying to say that day. I know she was clouded by biases and preconceived notions. That’s ok. I know she’ll get a chance to learn about Jesus Christ’s love for all His children and His visit to the Americas. Someday.
Read the Book of Mormon for yourself. Let me know if it’s not the purest, most beautiful, most amazing description of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today.
I had a dream last night. In it I was going down a stream. I had the feeling of leaving civilization for the wilderness. I came to a cliff. I climbed to the top and on the precipice there was a small and shabby tent erected. I went inside and there was an old prophet. I spoke with him.
A new prophet came. The new prophet was well dressed and well-kept, not like the old prophet living in a tiny tent on the edge of a cliff. The new prophet was respected, and I knew he came from a comfortable home. He was well regarded by society and lived comfortably in the world. He was told he had to take the place of the old prophet and live there in the wilderness, in a tent.
When I woke up from this dream, I had a feeling it was important, but I couldn’t figure out why.
What was this dream telling me?
I write down all my dreams. But this one felt important.
Was Russell M. Nelson the new prophet? Was he of the world? Was he flawed? What was the dream telling me?
As I meditated in the morning, I continued to ponder this question. On my drive into the office, I prayed to know if there was something I was supposed to glean from this dream. I asked specifically that if there was something important that I was supposed to learn to please allow my reading for the day to guide my mind to understanding.
I’m in Mosiah chapter 3 and Doctrine and Covenants section 133 respectively in my daily scripture study. A few hours later I was reading verse 71, exactly where I’d left off the day prior, of section 133, which reads:
“Behold, and lo, there are none to deliver you; for ye obeyed not my voice when I called to you out of the heavens; ye believed not my servants, and when they were sent unto you ye received them not.”
Alongside D&C I’m reading a commentary. The commentary for verse 71 said:
Why Are the Prophets Rejected?
President Spencer W. Kimball commented:
“Various excuses have been used over the centuries to dismiss these divine messengers. There has been denial because the prophet came from an obscure place. ‘Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ (John 1:46.) Jesus was also met with the question, ‘Is not this the carpenter’s son?’ (Matt. 13:55.) By one means or another, the swiftest method of rejection of the holy prophets has been to find a pretext, however false or absurd, to dismiss the man so that his message could also be dismissed. Prophets who were not glib, but slow of speech, were esteemed as naught.…
“We wonder how often hearers first rejected the prophets because they despised them, and finally despised the prophets even more because they had rejected them. Even so, why else is the record of rejection so complete? The cares of the world are so many and so entangling, even very good people are diverted from following the truth because they care too much for the things of the world.…
“Sometimes people let their hearts get so set upon things and the honors of this world that they cannot learn the lessons they most need to learn. Simple truths are often rejected in favor of the much less-demanding philosophies of men, and this is another cause for the rejection of the prophets.
“But while there are various excuses for rejection, there’s a certain cause for this sad record. It must not be passed over: the cares of the world, the honors of the world, and looking beyond the mark are all determined by a persuasive few who presume to speak for all.…
“The holy prophets have not only refused to follow erroneous human trends, but have pointed out these errors. No wonder the response to the prophets has not always been one of indifference. So often the prophets have been rejected because they first rejected the wrong ways of their own society.
“These excuses for rejection of the prophets are poor excuses. The trouble with using obscurity as a test of validity is that God has so often chosen to bring forth his work out of obscurity. He has even said it would be so. (See D&C 1:30.) Christianity did not go from Rome to Galilee; it was the other way around. In our day the routing is from Palmyra to Paris, not the reverse. Just because something is in our midst does not mean that we have been in the midst of it. We can daily drive by a museum or an art gallery but know nothing of what is inside.
“The trouble with rejection because of personal familiarity with the prophets is that the prophets are always somebody’s son or somebody’s neighbor. They are chosen from among the people, not transported from another planet, dramatic as that would be!…
“Of course, rejection of the holy prophets comes because the hearts of people are hardened, as people are shaped by their society. Yet even when the hardening is swift, it can also be subtle. Who, for instance, a scant twenty years ago would have foreseen the massive use of abortion in society today? Like all the diseased doctrines of the devil, the practice is pleasing unto the carnal mind.
“Prophets have a way of jarring the carnal mind. Too often the holy prophets are wrongly perceived as harsh and as anxious to make a record in order to say, ‘I told you so.’ Those prophets I have known are the most loving of men. It is because of their love and integrity that they cannot modify the Lord’s message merely to make people feel comfortable. They are too kind to be so cruel. I am so grateful that prophets do not crave popularity.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1978, pp. 115–16; or Ensign, May 1978, pp. 76–77.)
It wasn’t until the very end of that statement from Spencer W. Kimball that it hit me, and I remembered – I asked for guidance in what I read today to help with my dream. I dreamed of prophets, now I was reading a long commentary from a prophet about why prophets are rejected.
I thought back on my dream. I had correctly believed that Russell M. Nelson was the “new prophet.” What I incorrectly interpreted was that Russell M. Nelson was “of the world” or wrong in some way. My dream gave me a feeling that he was flawed. That he was attached to the comfortable home and respectful world he lived in.
After reading that comment from Spencer W. Kimball, I realized there was no flaw in Russell M. Nelson.
The attacks on prophets are starting to escalate in our current society. See the recent backlash against Jeffrey R. Holland as an example.
The eternal and correct view of prophets on gender, marriage, and the importance of the family is under attack. Prophets will not deny truth. They will continue to speak truth even as they are rejected by the world.
Nobody embodies a “loving man” more than Jeffrey R. Holland. If you’ve ever watched one of his tear-filled and tear-jerking General Conference addresses, you know that the man emanates love for us, for followers of Jesus Christ and for all of God’s children.
“Those prophets I have known are the most loving of men. It is because of their love and integrity that they cannot modify the Lord’s message merely to make people feel comfortable.”
No statement has ever fit Jeffrey R. Holland more accurately.
I started making connections between my dream and what it was trying to tell me, so I went back and re-read where I was at in Mosiah 3:18, 19 (the verses I read before D&C that day). It reads:
18 “For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
19 “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
“And the infant perisheth not that dieth in infancy.”
“but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children.”
“For the natural man is an enemy to God.”
“And becometh as a child.”
“even as a child doth submit to his father.”
“Who, for instance, a scant twenty years ago would have foreseen the massive use of abortion in society today? Like all the diseased doctrines of the devil, the practice is pleasing unto the carnal mind. Prophets have a way of jarring the carnal mind.”
I think my dream was reminding me what I already know to be true. We are in the time where our society has fully rejected the prophets. The attack on them is going to increase. Russell M. Nelson has been a respected heart surgeon, kind, gentle, grandfatherly figure. I believe we are quickly approaching the time that he will be cast into the wilderness and hated by a world that has always hated prophets. I believe this is what my dream was telling me.
Those of us with faith in Jesus Christ and His anointed servants must keep firm in our faith in Him, and in His servants. Don’t be shaken by the attacks on His chosen servants. If you do, your faith in Him (Jesus Christ) can be shaken next. Trust in whom He has chosen. Follow them as you follow Him. The Lord’s prophets will not lead us astray. Russell M. Nelson is the Lord’s anointed and he is our prophet. As the world turns on Jesus Christ’s prophet, we must support and protect him from a world that will hate what he and our Lord stand for.
For more on this topic, I read this blog post that elaborates on the dangers of choosing what we do and do not want to believe from prophets. Click the image below to read the post:
One of my all-time favorite movies is The Grinch starring Jim Carrey from the year 2000. Most members of my family can quote almost every word. My dad is on the record saying he has seen it at least 300 times.
It’s a phenomenal movie.
Recently Beth was out shopping and she mentioned how crazy it was out there. This led my mind, naturally, down the path of thinking how cunning Satan is.
If you haven’t seen The Grinch film, or need a refresher on the classic Dr. Seuss tale, here’s a quick summary –
Cindy Lou Who
Whoville loves Christmas. The Whos go all out – decorations, presents, celebrations. Our loveable character Cindy Lou Who wonders, “what is Christmas all about?” In the great words of Cindy Lou Who, “doesn’t this seem…superfluous?” I couldn’t have said it better myself Cindy Lou.
Our antagonist in the classic tale is the Grinch who HATES Christmas. “Ardvarkian, Abacadnezer Who, I, HATE YOU!” (I had to look that one up, can’t ever remember good ‘ol Ardvarkian’s name). If you haven’t seen the film, I just lost you, let me get back on track. We learn, ultimately, that it isn’t Christmas that the Grinch hates. It’s really the hypocritical, showy nature of it. He hates what Christmas has become.
Which leads me to my spiritual thought – shouldn’t we all, or at least any believers in Christ, hate what Christmas has become?
I write this as a hypocrite.
I’m not a big fan of gifts. That said, I’m not out there in the Christmas season doing what actually matters either. Volunteering at a food bank, helping a neighbor, serving, donating, volunteering, loving, doing the things Christ did while He was here. That’s what Christmas is about. How quickly we all get wrapped up in gifts, and parties, and gatherings, and decorations, and traditions, at the expense of what it’s all really about.
Love.
Family.
Service.
Charity.
Giving.
That’s what it’s about.
So, please, next time you’re bustling about buying gifts and stressing about Christmas; let’s all, please, take a moment. Let’s stop. Let’s remember what it’s all really about.
I was meditating and thanking God for all He has given me in this life. It was the day after Thanksgiving. I had just watched Ivy with so much love around her, as detailed in Love has Afforded Me Much. Ivy was surrounded by aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, second cousins, great uncles, great aunts and the list goes on. She was receiving so much love.
That visual again brought me to realizing and remembering that was me 30 years ago. I was the one having love poured out on me. It brought me to a repeated thought: what did I do to deserve this?
What did I do to deserve the family I was born into? Now, how lucky I am to be one half of the uniting of two families – the Quackenbushes and the Cannons. How blessed will Ivy be from a life of love from those two extended families she’s been born into?
How blessed have I been from being born into the Leaches and the Quackenbushes? An un-quantifiable amount of blessed.
Where does that blessing come from? Where does it stem from? What was the catalyst of this blessed, love-filled life I’ve been given? The catalyst, the starting point, is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Three of my four grandparents converted to the church. My fourth grandparent came from a faithful family back to the days of Joseph Smith. I am forever grateful for my grandparents and the generations of love and family they’ve created.
A similar story can be said from Beth’s side of the family, the Cannons and Vauterlauses.
The thought that occurred to me while meditating, to add to how Love has Afforded me Much, was this: I started to pray to God to please bless all those who didn’t have all the love Ivy had on Thanksgiving Day. All those who don’t have great family dynamics, who feel lonely, who feel lost, who feel afraid; I asked God to let them feel His love. I asked Him to spare no angels in pouring out blessings on those who don’t feel loved in this world.
Then it occurred to me. Love has Afforded me Much. God has given me a surplus of love. A love I can’t quantify. It’s my responsibility to share that excess of love I’ve been blessed with, with God’s children, my brothers and sisters across the globe. I pray that I can share the love that’s been given to me with those around me.
I believe the greatest thing I can do to share that love, the greatest thing any one of us can do that have been given (Luke 12:48) so (D&C 82:3) much (Boyd K. Packer), is to share the source of that love. The source of that love is Jesus Christ, His Gospel, His Church. It is our responsibility to share with others what has blessed us so.
Love is important. Supporting someone, listening to someone, loving someone, these are all noble. But what of generational love? What of the love that permeates through families – of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren? That’s what my grandparents created. That love started with missionaries sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with three of my grandparents, and with the gospel being shared to one of my Great Great Grandparents by Joseph Smith.
I am grateful for this Church. I am grateful for the blessing it has been to me and my family. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me this greatest of all blessings. I feel a noble responsibility, a beautiful weight to share it with others. My wish is that the world can accept Jesus Christ and experience the love he has to share.
I love Jesus Christ, and I am forever grateful to Him.
No Coincidences 