"A Deal with Heaven"

I wrote a Story for my readers. Obviously, it is fiction, but I think it brings up a good point about the way God interacts with His Children. Hopefully, you will enjoy!

A Man was looking to purchase a good sized lot of Land to raise his family on. He found that one of his Good friends, a pastor in the local small town church, had 200 acres up for sale.
Calling The Pastor, the Man asked for a Price. The Pastor responded that he hadn't really set decided on a price, and instead invited him to meet him at the property to discuss the price.
When they arrived, they drove the property for a short while until they came to the end of a dirt driveway where a  beautiful, properly sized house was built.
The Man quickly indicated that he really wanted the house and the property, and was willing to pay whatever the cost may be.
The Pastor pondered for a moment, and then took him inside the house and showed him to a very small, but again, well furnished room, near the center of the house. He then said, "The house and all the land is yours if you will make me a promise that, no matter who I send here to this house, you will let them stay in this room, feed them, clothe them and take care of them."
After pondering the offer for a short time, the man readily agreed. A contract was made and signed, and the man with his wife and two small children moved in. The pastor thanked them, and in a matter of weeks, he moved away from the town completely.
Over the course of several years, one person at a time would arrive at the door of the Man's home, asking if there was a place to stay, always saying, "The Pastor said you might have a room"
Just as he had agreed, The Man took them in, allowed them to stay in the small room, clothed them, feed them at his table, and helped them get on their own two feet.
However, the more this happened, the more these strangers arrived filthy, disfigured, and sometimes even quite rude. Sometimes, they even arrived in two's or three's. It became harder and harder for the Man to put up with them coming to His house. Eventually, 30 years after the purchase of the house, as the man's children were now mostly grown, he set out to find the pastor to put an end to the madness of the arriving strangers.
He located him a few states over, retired from preaching the Word of God, His last occupation at a local prison. When they were able to meet, the man asked the Pastor, "I don't understand, Why do you keep sending me all of these people? Don't you realize that I've been struggling this long time just to take care of them, but none of them are even grateful any more? Not a one has come back to thank me for helping them on their way, and so many of them have become rich, famous, and well off! Why have you done this to me when we have been friends for so long?!"
The Pastor, now old and much slower of speech finally responded, "Son, I did not ask you to make a deal with them, I asked you to make a deal with me. How are your Children doing?"
"Fine." He responded, disgruntled by the change in subject.
"How about the House? Still standing?"
"Perfectly. I've put a lot of work into making sure it is never in disrepair." Responded the man feeling untrusted.
"And what about the land I gave you?"
"It's all fine."
"And the fences?"
The man paused, suddenly very suspicious, "...Someone stole them so long ago... I had to replace them out of pocket! Was that you?!"
"Yes. But I didn't steal them. I had them moved to surround your whole property. You must re-read your contract. In it I have promised that for every person you take care of according to the deal, I would add a portion to the property that you own. My boy, you now own half of the State, and it is forever for you to do with as you please. Give it to your Children. Build cities, towns, skyscrapers. Do with it what you will. I have given you all that I have. There will be no more work. There will be no more strangers. Your work is done. Now you may rest and have joy."

God does not give us trials to inflict us with difficulties. He gives us opportunities to receive blessings by serving those around us and by overcoming difficulties. In the end, He promises to give us all that he has if only we will Do as he Asks.
What has He done for you recently? Did you thank Him for your last trial?

Elder Yeske, Why Are You On A Missions?

This post is in response to the only person who voted on my next topic during the past month. Whoever you are, Thank you for Voting. :) As always, I want to know what you want to know, but only by you the reader voting or commenting will I be able to answer your questions.

I myself have pondered this question on and off for the past 6 months (Good heavens ... it doesn't really seem like it's been that long, but it's true, that's how long I've been away from home here in Montana) I've come up with two simple, yet very appealing answers for myself. In this post, I will mention and discuss the first of which; "I'm serving a Mission because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ asked me to, and I want to do Their will."

No, this isn't me admitting to some grand vision of the Father and the Son like Joseph Smith experienced, (visit http://mormon.org/faq/the-first-vision for more information about Joseph Smith's Vision) but I am admitting two very bold statements:

Thomas S. Monson, Prophet.

1. I believe that there is a prophet on the earth today, Like unto Moses, Noah, or Abraham of old, who can and has informed us of the Will of Heavenly Father. One of the things that that prophet has told us (as well as many prophets through out all of time for that matter) is that God wants us to try to give every person a Chance to receive this restored Gospel. Bold? I think so. But then again, if God really directs this Church as I and millions of others believe, do you really think he would be meek about his own existence? I don't. I believe that He speaks, not spake, and I believe that He is Bold in doing so. And why shouldn't He be? He is God! He is the Father of our Souls! He is the creator of countless worlds! He has all Power. He has all authority. He loves us infinitely, and He intends to show us that Love in one way or another.

2. I feel that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have spoken to me through the Holy Ghost to tell me that what the prophet has spoken about the necessity of Missionary Work is true.

A very successful missionary, Dan Jones

As a young Boy, I always had a fondness for the missionaries and the work they did. Sure, it was a fairly tail fondness, because I never thought about the two years where you only get to "See" your parents through a video screen, the long nights worrying about friends, family, and acquaintances, and the brutally hot or cold (Montana...) hours of knocking on doors that are less likely to answer positively and enthusiastically than the Sky is likely to be lit on fire tomorrow, but a fondness I had, none the less.
As I grew older I began to think about my opportunity to serve. Would I take it? Should I go? Should I stay? Did I really even believe what missionaries teach? How could I find out?

Joseph Smith, See 3rd ¶.

 Well, as any member of the Church can tell you, the age old story of the question of "Where do I find truth" is answered by James in the New Testament. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." -James 1:5 Knowing this, and knowing that Joseph Smith took that challenge and supposedly got an answer, I decided to try it out myself. Unfortunately, It didn't come right away like I'd hoped... no, I didn't feel like I got any answer at all when I tried praying in my "Sacred Grove"...
A couple years later, when I was 15-ish and still pretty lost, We were challenged by out Bishopric (Appointed "Leaders" of a small group of members of the Church known as a ward) to read the Book of Mormon entirely in just one summer. Realizing that I'd yet to do that in my life, I took the Challenge. Throughout the summer, I would regularly grab my Book or Mormon and spend 5-30 minutes, depending on how much time I had, Reading; not praying like I should have been, but at least reading. As was always part of the plan, the last 5 days of Summer we went on a camping trip into the High Sierra Mountains. There, as a group of Young Men ages 14-19 or so, we enjoyed lots of activities such as hiking, fishing, rock climbing and, as you may have guessed it, reading the last few chapters of the Book of Mormon. However, there we did exactly what I should have been doing all along. Every time we read, we would pray to ask Heavenly Father is the Book of Mormon was True. Every time we would finish, I would walk away with more of a good feeling in my heart, until the last day when we finished the Book each on our own. From that day on, I have not had to wonder if the Book is true. I know it. I feel it with every fiber of my being. I cherish that experience, and now that I have put in much effort, when I pray for further Guidance, I can literally feel the Holy Ghost directing my thoughts to testimonies I have read in the Book of Mormon, or Testimonies and talks I have heard in Church. Indeed, When I asked heavenly Father if I should serve a Mission, He told me in a profound way that it was my Responsibility, as well as my Opportunity.

After all, He is "The Good Shepherd"

And so, when I get discouraged, home sick, tired, sore, drained, or oppressed, I can always refer back to the Lord's Council; both that which he has revealed through his Authorized servants, the Prophets, and that which he has given directly to my heart.

So, stay at home, play video games, watch movies, get fat, and waste time? Not a Chance. God has shown me a better way, and a better goal, and that is why I am here. May the Lord Bless each of us with our own guidance as to how we may serve him and rejoice in his love and council. This is my humble prayer, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Why Go to Church?

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we Believe that going to church does a few very important things for us. Just like anything that Heavenly Father has established on this earth, Church is a gift that was created for Man, not Man created for Church.

Sacrament Service

"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path (been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost), I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:19-20)
Nephi knew all the way back in 545 BC that being baptized and "saved" was important, but it was not the end of our responsibilities on Earth. He knew that we must press forward and continually repent and renew our promises with The Lord that we will remember Him and do His will. One way that we do that is by going to Church every Sunday to take the sacrament. Each time we take the sacrament, if we have truly repented, it is like being baptized again. We can be made clean, and pure through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Congregational talks, Testimonies, and Sunday School.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." (2 Timothy 3:1)
Brothers and Sisters, perilous times have come. Coming to church on a weekly basis helps us to remind ourselves of what is really important in this world. I know that at least for myself, if I don't make it to church weekly, I find myself more easily aggravated, more annoyed, less with the spirit, and remembering Christ and Heavenly Father less during the week. Church and sabbath day worship was made for man, not the other way around. Going to church is for your benefit, not for the benefit of the church. As such, church is filled with inspirational talks, spirit filled lessons, Christ centered activities, heavenly inspired music, and family oriented classes. We go to church to be deified and blessed, to gain more knowledge about The Lord in An attempt to fulfill the words which Jesus spoke: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)

Go Forward in Faith

Finally, speaking of perilous times, we have been given a Charge in the midst of them:
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." (Matthew 5:14-15)
We need to help others who have not yet come to the knowledge of Christ to see through our example that Christ lives and directs our very actions. The best way we know how to do that is by going to church and basking In the presence of the spirit which always presides in the lord's house. Every time we go to church and we are further edified, we then take with us a light that we hope to be able to share with the world.

Do I Have To Be A Member Of Your Church To Come On Sunday?

No! We invite all to come and see what we believe, learn of our practices, partake in our learning, and leave feeling edified. We would want nothing more than for everyone to come and hear the things we teach so that all might know that we truly are Christians, and that we Love and Cherish the example of Christ's Life and Ministry. We are not secretive about what we do. Our doors are open! If you would like to worship with us, or even just come to observe what we do as part of an experiment, feel free to look up the closest Chapel to you by going to this link ( http://www.lds.org/maps/?lang=eng#ll=-3.160332,51.689452&z=1&m=google.road ) and typing in your home address. The program will tell you where the closest Church building is and what time they start their Worship service on Sunday (It usually starts between 9 AM and 3PM) The page will also give you some other information and tools (Such as a picture of the address you looked up to ensure that is what you were looking for, phone number for the Church Building, other Church services in foreign languages offered in your area and so on) Please feel free to explore the rest of the site while you are there.

Are Mormons "Saved?"

It is not my practice to teach about or usually even talk about other religions, because I know that now matter how much I feel I know about what they believe or teach, my knowledge is still limited, and invariably, I would end up spreading false rumors. Realizing that that is something that happened to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on a regular basis, and We would prefer that you asked us questions about what we believe instead, I will refrain from putting any specific denomination to the Doctrine of "Salvation". If you want to know what your church or other churches teach about this, ask one of their ministers.

On that note, it suffice me to say that, according to un-named denominations, the requirements for being saved are: 1. Realize that you are a sinner and that you will never be perfect. 2. Realize and confess that the only way you can be forgiven of those sins is because Jesus Christ atoned for them. 3. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ as a witness that you believe in him and his crucifixion.
If I am thus correct in saying so, and that is the definition of "Saved", then I am here to inform you that every single Mormon, or Member of our Church, has been saved.

What do the Mormons believe about being Saved?

We too believe in the three named steps above, but our conception continues on somewhat.
We are all sinners. We sin daily, and because of that, we would be found unclean and unable to enter into the presence of God. By ourselves, there is no way for us to repent of those sins. Knowing this, Heavenly Father sent His son, Jesus Christ to do two very important things for us (He did a lot more than two things while he was on this earth, but for now, I will focus on these two) First, he set the perfect example of how we should be living our lives. Second, He suffered in the garden of Gethsemane, and was crucified so that when we did not succeed at following that perfect example He set, we could repent and try harder. Just as Jesus said, He intends for us to be perfect; as perfect in deed as our human nature will permit, and perfected in him AFTER ALL we can do.

Therefore we follow the admonition of James: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James Chapter 1 Verse 5). As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are not trying to work our way into the Kingdom of God, but we are not trying to skate our way in either. The Lord had to suffer for every sin we ever committed. Why would we want to add to those pains by committing easily conquerable sins on top of the ones that we can't avoid?

With that, I leave you with this question to ponder. Repentance is to apologize for a sin. If I were to steal a candy bar from your store, then apologize, would you forgive me? What if I stole another one every day, always apologizing for stealing the previous one before I took the next one? How would that make you feel? Are my apologies helping either of us?
How often is this the relationship we are creating with the Father of our Souls?

What do Mormons believe about the Trinity?

Joseph Smith's 1st Vision

This time I'm going to do something a little different. My posts have normally been fairly long, filled with explanations, scriptural references, and proof. Here, I will tell you what we as Latter-Day Saints have come to know about Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Ghost and if you have questions please leave them as a comment, and I will answer to the best of my ability.

As I have said in an earlier post, We believe that God The Father is the literal Father of our souls (John chapter 20 vs. 17), with a prefect Body (Genesis chapter 1 vs. 26) We believe that Jesus Christ is Literally God's only Begotten Son. He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. He is the savior of all mankind, and the redeemer of us all. He literally suffered and died for us, and was actually and truly resurrected, or reunited with his body In a perfect form, three days after His death. Since then, He too has had a perfect body of flesh and Bone. He is our brother in spirit, and He loves us dearly. He is the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both have bodies, and can therefore only be in one place at a time, there needed to be a personage of spirit who could influence the Hearts of all men to do good. That is the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of Promise that Christ said would come to lead us after He returned to live with the father. The Holy Ghost does not have a Body. He speaks to our Hearts quietly and meekly, always testifying of truth and helps us to know what Heavenly Father and Christ desire for us. The Holy Ghost is also referred to as the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and the Spirit of Promise.

Who was present at Christ's Baptism?

We believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Ghost are three distinct and separate individuals, who are one in purpose, goals, mindset, plan, and doctrine (see St John chapter 17 verse 21 for an explanation of the usage of the word "one" to describe these individuals)

Finally, we believe that these individuals love us deeply, and that they have sacrificed much for us and want us to come to live with them once more. That's why, when we pray, we can sometimes feel the reassurance of their love, and we can receive answers to questions that pertain to our eternal salvation. Which leads me into my usual suggestion: don't take my word for it, ask them. Study the scriptures (including the Book of Mormon) and ask God sincerely if these things are true, and by the power and influence of the Holy Ghost, He will manifest the truth of it unto you (Moroni Chapter 10 verse 4)

Where Do We Go After We Die?

If only it were that easy, Huh?

The Bible teaches us that after this life, we either go to Heaven or Hell. (...thou shalt be brought down to hell - Isaiah 14:15. ...he was received up into heaven: Mark 16:19) The Bible also tells us that, because Christ was resurrected, all people shall be resurrected and reunited with their bodies, only in a perfect state (See John chapter 11 verse 25 and 26). However, the Bible also mentions some things that are not really explained, such as in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 where Paul speaks of knowing a man who was caught up into the third heaven, and of the man caught up into paradise, or when he speaks in chapter 15 about celestial, terrestrial, and telestial bodies. Luckily, Heavenly Father knew that all or the teachings of His Gospel could not be contained into one book perfectly; that's why we have the Book of Mormon to help us see the whole picture.

Immediately After Death

This is an illustration of the stages of Life from Beginning to End

(Note: These teachings come from the 40th chapter of the Book of Alma within the Book of Mormon as well as the 9th chapter of the second book of Nephi in the Book of Mormon, pages 307 - 309 and 72 - 77 accordingly. I strongly suggest reading those chapters so as to get your answers from the source of truth, instead of second hand)

Death is the literal separation of out spirits from our bodies. As soon as we die, Alma tells us that our spirits are taken to, essentially, one of two waiting areas: "And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise ... this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection." As members of the church, we call these two places spirit paradise (just as Paul described) and spirit prison, and together, they make up the Spirit World. Our spirits wait in the Spirit World until it is time for each of us to be resurrected. (I feel to mention that this Spirit World is where the Idea that there is one heaven and one hell comes from. Remember however, that Christ said, "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2))

Resurrection and Judgment

When it comes our time, we will be reunited with our bodies, and our bodies will be perfected so that we can live forever. At this time, we will "be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to [our] works" here I return to Paul. He knew very well that the spirit world was not our final destination. In chapter 15 of Corinthians, he informs us that there are three glories in the Kingdom of God: "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead" (verse 41 - 42). Those who have accepted Christ, repented, been baptized by His priesthood Authority, and lived all of His teachings to the best of their ability are made clean in His atonement and are allowed to enter into the Celestial Kingdom, or the Glory of the Sun, where Heavenly Father resides. There they will live in everlasting Joy for the rest of eternity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

As always, I would advise you to study the scriptures diligently and ask Heavenly Father in honest prayer if the things which I speak are true. He alone will never lie to you. My desire is that you will find this truth for yourself so that you may realize that this life is a time for us to prepare for the eternities. Please do not trade 100 years of simple pleasure for an eternity of complete joy. Come to Christ, for His arms are opened to you. Of Him I so testify, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Who is Joseph Smith?

Actor who plays Joseph Smith

Well, the Simple answer to that Question is that Joseph Smith was a Servant of The Lord Jesus Christ. Namely, he was God's chosen Prophet for this day in the Time (About 1830 - 1844 AD) that he lived. Therefore, like Moses, Abraham, or Noah, Joseph Smith was, at his time, the divinely chosen leader of Heavenly Father's Children, given the task to instruct God's Children as to the will of God in our Day, that we might have the opportunity to continually progress and one day live with Him again.

Establishing some Background

Sound presumptuous? Maybe; But let me take you to some scriptures.
Genesis Chapter 7 Verse 7 reads: "And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood"
A prophet of about 600 years of age, with only 7 followers.

Even without a computer, He's still pretty awesome.

Exodus Chapter 14 Verse 12 reads: "Is not this the Word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness
A Prophet sent to deliver God's Children from bondage, and God's Children would that he had never come.

Lamentations Chapter 1 Verse 1 reads: "How Doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!"
...And so a nation who was given a prophet to guide them out of the conquering hands of the Babylonians lies in heaps of ash because they would not listen to the Prophet of their day.

And Finally, St. Matthew Chapter 26 Verse 66-68 Reads: "What Think ye? They answered and said, His is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the pals of their hands, Saying, prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?"
For though the Son of God himself would appear to lead the Children of God, still Jesus Christ is rejected with the least and greatest of the prophets.

You see? It is as Jesus Taught, "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house" Mark 6:4. Prophets of old have been rejected because, much like today, the Children of God for some reason believed that God eventually stops loving us enough to send us guidance.  But I am here to testify that God the Father has not stopped loving us. He is the same Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, for that is what he taught of himself. Therefore, now, as in times of old, God has sent a prophet to the Earth to make known His Will.

What did Joseph Smith Do?

Lots of Things, but since we don't have forever, and you don't want to read a novel, here are just a couple.
Under the Direction of Heavenly Father, and after Receiving from explicit permission to act in His name (called the Priesthood) Joseph Smith preached the Word of God to the children of men, translated the Book of Mormon from Ancient records inscribed on golden plates and buried in the ground, Re-established or restored the Church of Jesus Christ in the same way and with the same organization as it had been organized by Jesus Christ Himself while He was on the Earth, lead the members of that Church out of harms way to a place where they could safely worship God, and Prophesied and received revelation for our day so that we could know for a surety how to live that way God intends for us to Live. Joseph lived a good life endeavoring to continually live the way he was being taught by God. Like Moses, Noah, or even Christ, Joseph came to this world in a time where the 100% pure word of God did not Exist, so he was tasked with rebuilding bridge from us here on Earth to Our Heavenly Father.

Why do we need a prophet? Isn't The Bible Enough?

Can you ask the bible what a computer is? Can you ask the Bible What the proper way to use the internet is? If you asked Moses whether or not we should smoke cigars, what would he say? 
The problem is, though God does not change, we do. We are constantly learning, creating, changing, and moving about. We need living Scriptures. Noah's revelation to build an Ark did not instruct Moses as to how to rescue the Israelites from Egypt, and Moses' revelation did not tell Jeremiah to preach repentance to Jerusalem lest they be destroyed. They were living scripture in their day, and now, out of love, Heavenly Father has sent Living scriptures to ensure that we know the way back to Him. We still have the agency to choose, but at least Heavenly Father has done His part.

How Can I know This is True?

My suggestion is to read the bible. First see if you can pull out some of the things that Christ did while on the Earth pertaining to organizing a Church. Then, compare that to the way The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is organized. Above all, pray to the one person you know who can't lie. Ask Him if this is His work. When you get your answer, remember, our doors are always open. We Love You. I love You. God the Father and Jesus Christ Love you. Seek for their word, and you shall find.
May the Lord Bless us in our search for Him. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.