What’s on the Other Side?

What’s on the Other Side? Brent L. Top

1.       “The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals….Consistent with these truths, we believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation, either in this life or in the life to come.  (1^st Presidency Feb. 15, 1978)

2.       Emanuel Swedenborg, an 18^th century Swedish scientist and faithful, Bible-believing Christian claimed to have visited the spirit world on a frequent and prolonged basis.

3.       D&C 91- Many things contained therein that are true and many that are not true.

4.       We live to die. I’m not afraid to die, just nervous about what I may have to do on the way.

5.       Alma 40:11- As soon as we die we are taken home to that God who gives us life.

6.       Death is not final at all.  It is not death. It’s another kind of life.

7.       D&C 42:46- Those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them.

8.       The more we come to understand & appreciate the meaning of death, the more we will appreciate life & use this mortal probation to prepare for better worlds & greater light.

9.       D&C 77:2- Our bodies look like our spirits. Hand in glove. (BKPacker)

10.   The spirit body is perfect, not hampered by defects. (Colors, light, scenes by near death blind)

11.   D&C 131:7- The spirit is matter, but more pure. This makes travel much faster in space & time.

12.   D&C 8:2- Communication with mind and heart. Our learning & retention also enhanced.

13.   The spirit world is on earth in a different sphere.

14.   D&C 130:2 – Our spirits are natural plus! Music will be magnificent.

15.   Alma 40:12- The spirit world will be in perfect order. All will have something to do

16.   Is. 61; D&C 138:1, 11, 15, 16, 18-22, 28, 30, - Preaching, urgency last dispensation.

17.   Missionary work will meet with greater success in Spirit World that here.

18.   I observed the wicked in a certain district by themselves & impassable until the person changed.

19.   D&C 88:40-Intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light ceaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own.

20.   Alma 40:11- Called or returned home. (Like after mission)

21.   Page 40-42- Children who die have adult spirits in spirit world. In resurrection they will be raised by their parents.

22.   Page 44-45- Oscar McConkie- Love, pray and labor for you after I die. They see us & are aware.

23.   D&C 84:88- When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred and friends…In like manner, our family may have a mission given to them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, or reproof and instruction to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh. (Gospel Doctrine p 435-6)

24.   Perhaps in this life we are not given to fully understand how enduring the sealing cords of righteous parents are to their children. It may very well be that there are more helpful sources at work than we know. I believe there is a strong familial pull as the influence of beloved ancestors continues with us from the other side of the veil.” (JEFaust) D&C 21:6

25.   D&C 128:15, 18- Work for and from the dead

26.   Partial judgment at death Rev. 20:12; 2 Nephi 9:15 14; Alma 5:18; 11:43; Mosiah 4:30 Alma 12:14; D&C 1:3; page 49-50

27.   D&C 58:42; Remember No more

28.   Alma 34:34 Same Spirit then.. Repentance changes our very being

 29.   1 year =10

30.   Law of Reciprocity  --  Alma 41:35- Page 58

31.   Things that matter most – Love & light (changes made in life by near death participants)

32.   Living to Die (Egyptians)

33.   What we are hereafter depends on what we are after here. (Harold B. Lee)

34.   Gospel insights about dying teach us a great deal about living. D&C 38:30-If ye are prepared ye need not fear.

35.   Everything we do in the temple is focused on preparing for the next life and enriching our lives here and now.

36.   Matt. 10:39- Principle of indirection; Find life Lose it; focus on today-diminishes our tomorrow.

37.   Preparing for eternity enhances our today

There is no death but only change

Lesson 9: “Seek Ye for the Kingdom of God”

Lesson 9: “Seek Ye for the Kingdom of God”

1. When the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob encouraged his people to seek for the kingdom of God ( Jacob 2:18), he did so at a time when the sins of pride, love of riches, and immorality were serious problems. These sins are a threat to the unity and progress of God’s kingdom on earth. To seek for the kingdom of God is to make living the gospel a top priority in our lives.

2. “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods before Me,” ch. 14 in TPC: Spencer W. Kimball (2006), 145–53. “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” ch.  1 in TPC: Ezra Taft Benson (2014), 37–45.

3. Alma 7:14–16, 19, - We need to consistently review the condition of our spiritual lives to assess weaknesses and avoid danger. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it is now constituted is the kingdom of God on earth. … In the eternal worlds, the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of God. … The gospel is designed to prepare men for an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of God” (Mormon Doctrine,  415–17.)

4. Alma 7:21–24- 

5. Jacob 2:12-14; Mosiah 4:13, 21-26

6. Jacob 2:20-21; Mosiah 2:20-25

7. Jacob 2:23-28; 3 Nephi 12:27-30

8. Matthew 6:33; Jacob 2:17–19

9. “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities” (TPC: Ezra Taft Benson[2014], 40).

 “Wherefore, seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (JST Matthew 6:38)

10. “‘Seek … first to build up the kingdom of God’ means to assign first priority to God and to His work. The work of God is to bring to pass the eternal life of His children and all that this entails. … Everything else is lower in priority. … As someone has said, if we do not choose the kingdom of God first, it will make little difference in the long run what we have chosen instead of it” (DHOaks, “Focus and Priorities,” Ensign, May 2001, 83–84).

11. “By choosing to be in [God’s] kingdom, we separate—not isolate—ourselves from the world. Our dress will be modest, our thoughts pure, our language clean. The movies and television we watch, the music we listen to, the books, magazines, and newspapers we read will be uplifting. We will choose friends who encourage our eternal goals, and we will treat others with kindness. We will shun the vices of immorality, gambling, tobacco, liquor, and illicit drugs. Our Sunday activities will reflect the commandment of God to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. We will follow the example of Jesus Christ in the way we treat others. We will live to be worthy to enter the house of the Lord” (RDHales, “The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 8).

12. Every mortal has at least a casual if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided it; few overcome it.

I also remember one interesting side effect of President Benson’s influential talk. For a while it almost became taboo among Church members to say that they were “proud” of their children or their country or that they took “pride” in their work. The very word pride seemed to become an outcast in our vocabulary. I believe there is a difference between being proud of certain things and being prideful. I am proud of many things.

So what is the difference between this kind of feeling and the pride that President Benson called “the universal sin”?  Pride is sinful, as President Benson so memorably taught, because it breeds hatred or hostility and places us in opposition to God and our fellowmen. At its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with “Look how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,” it always seems to end with “Therefore, I am better than you.”

Pride is the great sin of self-elevation. It is for so many a personal Rameumptom, a holy stand that justifies envy, greed, and vanity.  In a sense, pride is the original sin, for before the foundations of this earth, pride felled Lucifer, a son of the morning “who was in authority in the presence of God.”  If pride can corrupt one as capable and promising as this, should we not examine our own souls as well?

Pride is a deadly cancer. It is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses. In fact, it could be said that every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride.

This sin has many faces. It leads some to revel in their own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They count these blessings as evidence of being “chosen,” “superior,” or “more righteous” than others. This is the sin of “Thank God I am more special than you.” At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification.

For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer.

Perhaps there is no better laboratory to observe the sin of pride than the world of sports. I have always loved participating in and attending sporting events. But I confess there are times when the lack of civility in sports is embarrassing. How is it that normally kind and compassionate human beings can be so intolerant and filled with hatred toward an opposing team and its fans?

When I was called as a General Authority, I was blessed to be tutored by many of the senior Brethren in the Church. One day I had the opportunity to drive President James E. Faust to a stake conference. During the hours we spent in the car, President Faust took the time to teach me some important principles about my assignment. He explained also how gracious the members of the Church are, especially to General Authorities. He said, “They will treat you very kindly. They will say nice things about you.” He laughed a little and then said, “Dieter, be thankful for this. But don’t you ever inhale it.”

That is a good lesson for us all, brethren, in any calling or life situation. We can be grateful for our health, wealth, possessions, or positions, but when we begin to inhale it—when we become obsessed with our status; when we focus on our own importance, power, or reputation; when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press clippings—that’s when the trouble begins; that’s when pride begins to corrupt.

In this, as in all things, Jesus Christ is our perfect example. Whereas Lucifer tried to change the Father’s plan of salvation and obtain honor for himself, the Savior said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.”  Despite His magnificent abilities and accomplishments, the Savior was always meek and humble.

Pride is a switch that turns off priesthood power.  Humility is a switch that turns it on.

How do we become more humble? It is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity. 

Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves.

Humility directs our attention and love toward others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite. Pride draws its energy and strength from the deep wells of selfishness. The moment we stop obsessing with ourselves and lose ourselves in service, our pride diminishes and begins to die.  (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,”  Oct. 2010) Abridged by GLP.

Race and the Priesthood

Race and the Priesthood

1. In theology and practice, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the universal human family. Latter-day Saint scripture and teachings affirm that God loves all of His children and makes salvation available to all. God created the many diverse races and ethnicities and esteems them all equally. As the Book of Mormon puts it, “all are alike unto God.”

2. The structure and organization of the Church encourage racial integration. Latter-day Saints attend Church services according to the geographical boundaries of their local ward, or congregation. By definition, this means that the racial, economic, and demographic composition of Mormon congregations generally mirrors that of the wider local community. The Church’s lay ministry also tends to facilitate integration: a black bishop may preside over a mostly white congregation; a Hispanic woman may be paired with an Asian woman to visit the homes of a racially diverse membership. Church members of different races and ethnicities regularly minister in one another’s homes and serve alongside one another as teachers, as youth leaders, and in myriad other assignments in their local congregations. Such practices make The Church a thoroughly integrated faith.

3. Despite this modern reality, for much of its history—from the mid-1800s until 1978—the Church did not ordain men of black African descent to its priesthood or allow black men or women to participate in temple endowment or sealing ordinances.

4. The Church was established in 1830, during an era of great racial division in the United States. At the time, many people of African descent lived in slavery, and racial distinctions and prejudice were not just common but customary among white Americans. Those realities, though unfamiliar and disturbing today, influenced all aspects of people’s lives, including their religion. Many Christian churches of that era, for instance, were segregated along racial lines. Toward the end of his life, Church founder Joseph Smith openly opposed slavery. There has never been a Churchwide policy of segregated congregations.

5. During the first two decades of the Church’s existence, a few black men were ordained to the priesthood. One of these men, Elijah Abel, also participated in temple ceremonies in Kirtland, Ohio, and was later baptized as proxy for deceased relatives in Nauvoo, Illinois. There is no reliable evidence that any black men were denied the priesthood during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. In a private Church council three years after Joseph Smith’s death, Brigham Young praised Q. Walker Lewis, a black man who had been ordained to the priesthood, saying, “We have one of the best Elders, an African.”

6. In 1852, President Brigham Young publicly announced that men of black African descent could no longer be ordained to the priesthood, though thereafter blacks continued to join the Church through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Following the death of Brigham Young, subsequent Church presidents restricted blacks from receiving the temple endowment or being married in the temple. Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church.

7. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored amidst a highly contentious racial culture in which whites were afforded great privilege. In 1790, the U.S. Congress limited citizenship to “free white person[s].” Over the next half century, issues of race divided the country—while slave labor was legal in the more agrarian South, it was eventually banned in the more urbanized North. Even so, racial discrimination was widespread in the North as well as the South, and many states implemented laws banning interracial marriage.  In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that blacks possessed “no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” A generation after the Civil War (1861–65) led to the end of slavery in the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional, a decision that legalized a host of public color barriers until the Court reversed itself in 1954. Not until 1967 did the Court strike down laws forbidding interracial marriage.

8. In 1850, the U.S. Congress created Utah Territory, and the U.S. president appointed Brigham Young to the position of territorial governor. Southerners who had converted to the Church and migrated to Utah with their slaves raised the question of slavery’s legal status in the territory. In two speeches delivered before the Utah territorial legislature in January and February 1852, Brigham Young announced a policy restricting men of black African descent from priesthood ordination. At the same time, President Young said that at some future day, black Church members would “have [all] the privilege and more” enjoyed by other members.

9. The justifications for this restriction echoed the widespread ideas about racial inferiority that had been used to argue for the legalization of black “servitude” in the Territory of Utah.  According to one view, which had been promulgated in the United States from at least the 1730s, blacks descended from the same lineage as the biblical Cain, who slew his brother Abel.  Those who accepted this view believed that God’s “curse” on Cain was the mark of a dark skin. Although slavery was not a significant factor in Utah’s economy and was soon abolished, the restriction on priesthood ordinations remained.

10. Even after 1852, at least two black Mormons continued to hold the priesthood. When one of these men, Elijah Abel, petitioned to receive his temple endowment in 1879, his request was denied. Jane Manning James, a faithful black member who crossed the plains and lived in Salt Lake City until her death in 1908, similarly asked to enter the temple; she was allowed to perform baptisms for the dead for her ancestors but was not allowed to participate in other ordinances.  The curse of Cain was often put forward as justification for the priesthood and temple restrictions. Around the turn of the century, another explanation gained currency: blacks were said to have been less than fully valiant in the premortal battle against Lucifer and, as a consequence, were restricted from priesthood and temple blessings.

11. By the late 1940s and 1950s, racial integration was becoming more common in American life. Church President David O. McKay emphasized that the restriction extended only to men of black African descent. The Church had always allowed Pacific Islanders to hold the priesthood, and President McKay clarified that black Fijians and Australian Aborigines could also be ordained to the priesthood and instituted missionary work among them. In South Africa, President McKay reversed a prior policy that required prospective priesthood holders to trace their lineage out of Africa.

12. Nevertheless, given the long history of withholding the priesthood from men of black African descent, Church leaders believed that a revelation from God was needed to alter the policy, and they made ongoing efforts to understand what should be done. After praying for guidance, President McKay did not feel impressed to lift the ban.

13. As the Church grew worldwide, its overarching mission to “go ye therefore, and teach all nations” seemed increasingly incompatible with the priesthood and temple restrictions..” While there were no limits on whom the Lord invited to “partake of his goodness” through baptism, the priesthood and temple restrictions created significant barriers, a point made increasingly evident as the Church spread in international locations with diverse and mixed racial heritages.

14. Brazil in particular presented many challenges. Brazil prided itself on its open, integrated, and mixed racial heritage. In 1975, the Church announced that a temple would be built in São Paulo, Brazil. As the temple construction proceeded, Church authorities encountered faithful black and mixed-ancestry Mormons who had contributed financially and in other ways to the building of the São Paulo temple, a sanctuary they realized they would not be allowed to enter once it was completed. Their sacrifices, as well as the conversions of thousands of Nigerians and Ghanaians in the 1960s and early 1970s, moved Church leaders.

15. Church leaders pondered promises made by prophets such as Brigham Young that black members would one day receive priesthood and temple blessings. In June 1978, after “spending many hours in the Upper Room of the [Salt Lake] Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance,” Church President Spencer W. Kimball, his counselors \ and members of the 12 Apostles received a revelation. “He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come,” the 1st Presidency announced on June 8. They stated that they were “aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us” that “all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood.” The revelation rescinded the restriction on priesthood ordination. It also extended the blessings of the temple to all worthy Latter-day Saints, men and women. The statement regarding the revelation was canonized in the D&C as Official Declaration 2.

16. This “revelation on the priesthood,” as it is commonly known in the Church, was a landmark revelation and a historic event. Those who were present at the time described it in reverent terms. Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the 12, said: “There was a hallowed and sanctified atmosphere in the room. For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his Brethren. … Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the same thing. … Not one of us who was present on that occasion was ever quite the same after that. Nor has the Church been quite the same.”

17. Reaction worldwide was overwhelmingly positive among Church members of all races. Many LDS wept for joy at the news. Some reported feeling a collective weight lifted from their shoulders. The Church began priesthood ordinations for men of African descent immediately, and black men and women entered temples throughout the world. Soon after the revelation, Elder Bruce R. McConkie, an apostle, spoke of new “light and knowledge” that had erased previously “limited understanding.”

18. Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.

19. Since that day in 1978, the Church has looked to the future, as membership among Africans, African Americans and others of African descent has continued to grow rapidly. The number of Church members of African descent is now in the hundreds of thousands.

20. The Church proclaims that redemption through Jesus Christ is available to the entire human family on the conditions God has prescribed. It affirms that God is “no respecter of persons” and emphatically declares that anyone who is righteous—regardless of race—is favored of Him. The teachings of the Church in relation to God’s children are epitomized by a verse in the 2nd Nephi: “[The Lord] denieth none that cometh unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

21. (ABMorrison, Oct. 1987)  Moro. 10:32 - Indeed, that is the very purpose of The Church—to invite, encourage, and assist all of God’s children, both living and dead, to come to Christ and “lay hold upon every good gift”  Moro. 10:30 that “ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel”  3 Ne. 30:2

22. That is why we do missionary work.  Acts 1:8- That phrase, “unto the uttermost part of the earth,” was very much in my mind a few weeks ago as I was privileged to accompany Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the 12 to a great, green land I dearly love—the continent of Africa. Under authority of the holy Apostleship, Elder Ashton dedicated 3 African countries—Liberia, Ivory Coast & Zaire—to the work of the Lord and the preaching of the  gospel. Those countries join others in so-called “Black Africa,” where the great work of bringing souls to Christ has already commenced.

23. Our black African brothers & sisters truly “receive the word with joy. The vast majority are very poor; famine and pestilence dog their steps and visit their homes regularly. Opportunities for education & employment are extremely limited. But through it all they are a happy people, generous & loving, anxious to learn & eager to obey the commandments of Christ. There is a great understanding of the importance of families. If 1 works, a dozen eat.

24.  Brother Flake was born into slavery in North Carolina in 1828. He was baptized into the Church in 1844 but remained a slave, taking the name of his master, James Flake. It was Green Flake who was driving the wagon in which President Brigham Young was riding when he first gazed at the Salt Lake Valley. “This is the right place; drive on.” A note written by Brother Flake responding to an invitation to him to attend a 50-year jubilee honoring the 1847 pioneers. He wrote (spelling preserved from original): “Dear friend: I reseved you most kind and wellcom leter and ticket and was glad to rseved it and I will bee down to the Julile. Yours truly, Friend Green Flake.”

25. Darius Gray’s conversion-He had returned home from working on the West Coast, and his mother informed him of a new family in the neighborhood, “white, but they seem awful nice.” She said they had “a whole slew of kids.” The next day, Brother Gray was walking with a friend and passed by the home of the new family. A group of children ran up to them and said, “Hi! You’re Aidan [Brother Gray’s middle name]. We’re the Felixes. We’re Mormons, you know.” Later the father, John Felix Sr., and the mother, Barbara Felix, shared a copy of the Book of Mormon with Brother Gray. He read it reluctantly at first, but he soon had questions about it. That led to his meeting with missionaries. He accepted their message. On the day of his pre-baptism interview, he had a question arising from his Book of Mormon reading. He wondered about the implications of his own dark skin.

“Well, Brother Gray, the primary implication is that you won’t be able to hold the priesthood,” one of the missionaries replied. “He went on to give me more detail, but I did not hear a word after that,” Brother Gray recounted, “I thought, ‘How foolish of me to have put my trust in this new faith." That evening, covered with a blanket in bed in his unheated bedroom in December, he opened his window and prayed. He received no answer. He repeated the prayer. “And this time, I received personal revelation,” he said. “I did not see God the Father, Jesus Christ, angels, but I heard, ‘This is the restored gospel, and you are to join.’

“There was no mention of the priesthood restriction, whether it was just or unjust, whether it was of God or of man, simply, ‘This is the restored gospel, and you are to join.’

“Based on that, the next day, December 26, 1964, I entered into the waters of baptism. … I have known with a firmness from that date that this is the restored gospel. I can’t say I believe; I have to say, ‘I know.’”

Lesson 8: Salvation Comes through Jesus Christ

Lesson 8: Salvation Comes through Jesus Christ

1. Our efforts to follow Jesus Christ and keep His commandments are necessary but insufficient to qualify us for salvation. Our salvation is made possible only through the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ. The doctrine of Christ helps us understand that through His grace, we can learn the gospel, receive ordinances, and press forward on the path that leads to eternal life.

2. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Gift of Grace, May 2015; L. Tom Perry, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ,” May 2008.

3. "Relational Grace-The Reciprocal and Binding Covenant of Christ", Brent J. Schmidt

4.  “Many people wonder, ‘Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going?’ Our Eternal Father did not send us to earth on an aimless, meaningless journey. He provided for us a plan to follow. He is the author of that plan. It is designed for man’s progress and ultimate salvation and exaltation” (Perry).

5. Does this matter? Or are we talking about two different subjects? I don’t think so. Might I suggest that any discussion on the “Plan of Salvation” should be re-visited as “Jesus and the Plan of Salvation.”

With this thought in mind, I went back to the iconic diagram and began studying. I dug into my scriptures and found a reference that showed how Christ was involved in each step of the Plan. (I thought about including the references for you, but then that would cheat you out of a lovely personal/family scripture study experience.)

• Jesus Christ stepped forward in the Pre-Mortal life and offered himself to be the Savior.

• Jesus Christ created the world

• Jesus Christ came to this world – just like us – to gain a body and be tested.

• Jesus Christ died.

• Jesus Christ visited the Spirit World, where he opened the gate between Paradise and Prison.

• Jesus Christ was resurrected

• Jesus Christ will be our final judge. …sure there are more, lots more, but that short list is enough to get you started.

6. 2 Nephi 2:6–9,: We can be saved only through the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ.

 “Salvation in its true and full meaning is synonymous with exaltation or eternal life and consists in gaining an inheritance in the highest of the three heavens within the celestial kingdom. With few exceptions this is the salvation of which the scriptures speak” [BRM, Mormon Doctrine, 670).

7. The merits of Jesus Christ are His righteous acts, particularly His Atonement. Mercy refers to the compassion and forbearance He extends toward us despite our sins. Grace refers to the help He extends to us in the form of mercy, love, kindness, and the enabling power that allows us to receive eternal life and exaltation after we have expended our own best efforts.

8.  “We cannot earn our way into heaven; the demands of justice stand as a barrier, which we are powerless to overcome on our own. “But all is not lost. “The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope. “Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the plan of mercy appeases the demands of justice [Alma 42:15]” (Uchtdorf).

9. "I found that throughout classical, Hellenistic, early Christian, and late-antique Greek texts, the word charis was used in several senses, including giving compliments about a person's gracefulness and beauty, but when used in the sense of giving favor or in any context of a relationship between people or groups of people, the word always has a connotation that the person giving favor expected something in return; favors, service, gratitude, honor, obedience, and more…Ancient charis gifts were synonymous with reciprocity in the form of making and keeping covenants." (Schmidt p. 15)

10. (Romans 3:23]. Although we may stop sinning, we cannot erase the harm or the guilt of our past actions. This is why the Atonement and grace are necessary.

11.  2 Nephi 25:23. • “‘After all we can do’ includes extending our best effort. It includes living his commandments. After all we can do’ includes loving our fellow men and praying for those who regard us as their adversary. It means clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and giving ‘succor [to] those that stand in need of [our] succor’ (Mosiah 4:16; 18:9)—remembering that what we do unto one of the least of God’s children, we do unto him. “‘After all we can do’ means leading chaste, clean, pure lives, being scrupulously honest in all our dealings and treating others the way we would want to be treated” … “By grace, the Savior accomplished his atoning sacrifice so that all mankind will attain immortality. “By his grace, and by our faith in his atonement and repentance of our sins, we receive the strength to do the works necessary that we otherwise could not do by our own power. “By his grace we receive an endowment of blessing and spiritual strength that may eventually lead us to eternal life if we endure to the end. “By his grace we become more like his divine personality” (ETBenson, “Redemption through Christ after All We Can Do,” 4–5).

12. 2 Nephi 31:2, 10–21; 3 Nephi 11:31–40; 3 Nephi 27:13–22 The doctrine of Christ consists of what Jesus Christ has done and continues to do to draw us to the Father. It also consists of what we must do to access the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  As we live according to the doctrine of Christ, we can access the blessings of the Atonement and receive eternal life.

13.  “Individuals and families begin to follow Christ as they exercise faith in Him and repent of their sins. They receive a remission of sins through baptism and by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost from one who has authority from God to perform these ordinances. They then endure to the end, or, in other words, they continue throughout their lives in exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, and renewing the covenants they have made. These are not just steps that they experience once in their lives; rather, when repeated throughout life these principles become an increasingly rewarding pattern of living. In fact, it is the only way of living that will bring peace of conscience and enable Heavenly Father’s children to return to live in His presence” (Preach My Gospel [2004], 6). 

Plural Marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Plural Marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

1. Latter-day Saints believe that the marriage of one man and one woman is the Lord’s standing law of marriage. In biblical times, the Lord commanded some to practice plural marriage—the marriage of one man and more than one woman.  By revelation, the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to institute the practice of plural marriage among Church members in the early 1840s. For more than half a century, plural marriage was practiced by some Latter-day Saints under the direction of the Church President.

2. Latter-day Saints do not understand all of God’s purposes in instituting, through His prophets, the practice of plural marriage. The Book of Mormon identifies one reason for God to command it: to increase the number of children born in the gospel covenant in order to “raise up seed unto [the Lord].”

3. Plural marriage did result in the birth of large numbers of children within faithful Latter-day Saint homes & shaped 19th-century Mormon society in many ways: marriage became available to virtually all who desired it; per-capita inequality of wealth was diminished as economically disadvantaged women married into more financially stable households; & ethnic intermarriages were increased, which helped to unite a diverse immigrant population. Plural marriage also helped create and strengthen a sense of cohesion & group identification among Latter-day Saints. Church members came to see themselves as a “peculiar people,” covenant-bound to carry out the commands of God despite outside opposition.

4. The revelation on plural marriage, recorded in D&C 132, emerged partly from Joseph Smith’s study of the Old Testament in 1831. Latter-day Saints understood that they were living in the latter days, in what the revelations called the “dispensation of the fulness of times.”  Ancient principles—such as prophets, priesthood, and temples—would be restored to the earth. Plural marriage, practiced by ancient patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, was one of those ancient principles.

5. The same revelation that taught of plural marriage was embedded within a revelation about eternal marriage—the teaching that marriage could last beyond death. Monogamous and plural marriages performed by priesthood power could seal loved ones to each other for eternity, on condition of righteousness.

6. The revelation on marriage stated general principles; it did not explain how to implement plural marriage in all its particulars. In Nauvoo, Joseph Smith married additional wives and authorized other Latter-day Saints to practice plural marriage. The practice was introduced carefully and incrementally, and participants vowed to keep their participation confidential, anticipating a time when husbands and wives could acknowledge one another publicly.

7.  Between 1852 and 1890, Latter-day Saints openly practiced plural marriage. Most plural families lived in Utah. Women and men who lived within plural marriage attested to challenges and difficulties but also to the love and joy they found within their families. They believed it was a commandment of God at that time and that obedience would bring great blessings to them and their posterity. Church leaders taught that participants in plural marriages should seek to develop a generous spirit of unselfishness and the pure love of Christ for everyone involved.

8. Although some leaders had large polygamous families, two-thirds of polygamist men had only two wives at a time. Church leaders recognized that plural marriages could be particularly difficult for women. Divorce was therefore available to women who were unhappy in their marriages; remarriage was also readily available. Women sometimes married at young ages in the first decade of Utah settlement, which was typical of women living in frontier areas at the time.

9. At its peak in 1857, perhaps one half of all Utah Latter-day Saints experienced plural marriage as a husband, wife, or child. The percentage of those involved in plural marriage steadily declined over the next three decades.

10. During the years that plural marriage was publicly taught, not all Latter-day Saints were expected to live the principle, though all were expected to accept it as a revelation from God. Indeed, this system of marriage could not have been universal due to the ratio of men to women. Women were free to choose their spouses, whether to enter into a polygamous or a monogamous union, or whether to marry at all. Some men entered plural marriage because they were asked to do so by Church leaders, while others initiated the process themselves; all were required to obtain the approval of Church leaders before entering a plural marriage.

11.  Beginning in 1862, the U.S. government passed laws against the practice of plural marriage. After the U.S. Supreme Court found the anti-polygamy laws to be constitutional in 1879, federal officials began prosecuting polygamous husbands and wives during the 1880s. Believing these laws to be unjust, Latter-day Saints engaged in civil disobedience by continuing to practice plural marriage and by attempting to avoid arrest by moving to the homes of friends or family or by hiding under assumed names. When convicted, they paid fines and submitted to jail time.

12. One of the anti-polygamy laws permitted the U.S. government to seize Church property. Federal officers soon threatened to take Latter-day Saint temples. The work of salvation for both the living and the dead was now in jeopardy.

13. In September 1890, Church President Wilford Woodruff felt inspired to issue the Manifesto. “Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages,” President Woodruff explained, “I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise.”

14. The full implications of the document were not apparent at first. The Lord’s way is to speak “line upon line; here a little, there a little.”  Like the beginning of plural marriage in the Church, the end of the practice was gradual and incremental, a process filled with difficulties and uncertainties.

15. The Manifesto declared President Woodruff’s intention to submit to the laws of the United States, and new plural marriages within that jurisdiction largely came to an end. But a small number of plural marriages continued to be performed in Mexico and Canada, under the sanction of some Church leaders. As a rule, these marriages were not promoted by Church leaders and were difficult to get approved. Either one or both of the spouses who entered into these unions typically had to agree to remain in Canada or Mexico. On an exceptional basis, a smaller number of plural marriages were performed within the United States between the years 1890 and 1904.

16. The Church’s role in these marriages became a subject of intense public debate after Reed Smoot, an Apostle, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1903. At the April 1904 general conference, Church President Joseph F. Smith issued a forceful statement, known as the Second Manifesto, making new plural marriages punishable by excommunication. 

17. Since President Smith’s day, Church Presidents have repeatedly emphasized that the Church and its members are no longer authorized to enter into plural marriage and have underscored the sincerity of their words by urging local leaders to bring noncompliant members before Church disciplinary councils.

18. Conclusion - Plural marriage was among the most challenging aspects of the Restoration. For many who practiced it, plural marriage was a trial of faith. It violated both cultural and legal norms, leading to persecution and revilement. Despite these hardships, plural marriage benefited the Church in innumerable ways. Through the lineage of these 19th-century Saints have come many Latter-day Saints who have been faithful to their gospel covenants as righteous mothers and fathers; loyal disciples of Jesus Christ; devoted Church members, leaders, and missionaries; and good citizens and prominent public officials. Modern Latter-day Saints honor and respect these faithful pioneers who gave so much for their faith, families, and community.

Current Day Apostles

Name of Apostle	Date of Birth	Date of call	Kids	Education
1. Thomas S. Monson	Aug. 21, 1927	Oct. 4, 1963	3	UofU and MBA-BYU
2. Russell M. Nelson	Sept. 9, 1924	April 7, 1984	10	BA & MD-UofU-PhD UofMinnesota
3. Dallin H. Oaks	Aug. 12, 1932	May 1984	6	BYU & UofChicago Law School
4. M. Russell Ballard	Oct. 8, 1928	Oct. 6, 1985	7	Attended UofU
5. Robert D. Hales	Aug. 24, 1932	Apr. 2, 1994	2	UofU & MBA-Harvard
6. Jeffrey R. Holland	Dec. 3, 1940	June 23, 1994	3	BA-BYU & MA & PHD Yale
7. Henry B. Eyring	May 31, 1933	April 6, 1995	6	UofU and PHD-Harvard
6. Dieter F. Uchtdorf	Nov. 6, 1940	Oct. 2, 2004	2	Engineering Degree
9. David A. Bednar	June 15, 1952	Oct. 7, 2004	3	BA & MA-BYU; PHD Purdue
10. Quentin L. Cook	Sept. 8, 1940	Oct. 6, 2007	3	BA-USU & JD-Stanford
11.D. Todd Christofferson	Jan. 24, 1945	Apr. 5, 2008	5	BYU & JD Duke
12. Neil L. Anderson	Aug. 9, 1951	Apr. 4, 2009	4	BYU & MBA-Harvard
13. Ronald A. Rasband	Feb. 6, 1951	Oct. 3, 2015	5	Attended UofU
14. Gary E. Stevenson	Aug. 6, 1955	Oct. 3, 2015	4	USU
15. Dale G. Renlund	Nov. 13, 1952	Oct. 3, 2015	1	BA & MD-UofU