Spirit of Christ

The older one becomes, the more one grows to understand what is truly important to himself or herself. When I was younger, the biggest thing about Christmas was the presents that I received. I had the joy of being able to spend Christmas this year with some of my siblings and their families, and it was glorious. I didn't receive much by way of presents, but the presents I did receive were more than enough, because just spending time with them was the important thing. 


Where do I spend my time and energy? Do I focus my life on the things that are truly important to me? If someone asked me what is most important in my life, I would readily tell them that my God and my family are the most important to me. But is that where I focus the majority of my time? Right now, it's not possible for me to spend the majority of my time with God and family, because work and school simply take a lot of time. So that is something I need to work out, to make the most of the time that I do have available for God and family.


I'm grateful for the perfect example of my Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. He understood what was most important, and placed His efforts appropriately (see Luke 10:38-42). I believe that He rejoices when He sees us focus on that which is important to Him - those things of eternal significance. 

What Am I Thankful For?

I love Thanksgiving. The holiday itself is wonderful for the time it allows for loved ones, the food and the break from school. But most importantly for the reminder that we have so much to be grateful for. I love how King Benjamin puts it in the Book of Mormon:

I say unto you ... that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has gratned that ye should live in peace one with another--
I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

Mosiah 2:20-21

King Benjamin goes on to explain that all God asks of us is to keep His commandments, and when we do so He immediately blesses us, so that we are in debt to Him again. His point is that we have no room to boast of ourselves, but only to be full of gratitude for all He has done and continues to do for us.

There's so much I'm thankful for. On the top of the list is the knowledge I've been given of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I've come to know my Father in Heaven and the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son far better than I otherwise could, if I did not have the words of the prophets He has sent both in ancient and modern times. I'm also grateful for my family, and knowing that I can live with them throughout eternity. That understanding has helped us to work harder on our family relationships now, because we know it is an eternal investment. There are many more items on my list, but I'll keep it at that for now.

The Holy Scriptures: A Catalyst for Revelation

I love studying the scriptures. I love to do so because they are the direct word of God, and learning His word is a wonderful experience. Another reason I love studying the scriptures is because doing so gives Father in Heaven an opportunity to speak directly to me. Or rather, doing so puts me in the correct frame of mind so that I may receive the revelation He wants to give me.

Earlier this week I was asking Him for help with a particular matter, and He answered with the simple thought, "Alma 32," which is found in the Book of Mormon. Now, I've read this chapter perhaps hundreds of times. It contains a beautiful allegory on faith, comparing it to a seed which must be planted and nourished in order to grow. I decided that even though I was very familiar with the discourse, I should read it again and see if I could pull anything new out of it.

Father in Heaven taught me a great deal as I read the chapter this time. I didn't learn any new principles or doctrines - they were all just as I had understood them before. But I had never before applied them to the question I then had at this particular time, and it turns out that they were extremely applicable. I was filled with gratitude for the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it applies to every aspect of life. But I was even more grateful for my Father's love for me and being willing to teach and comfort me. He wants so badly for us to learn of Him so that we can become the type of people that can return to live with Him again. The scriptures, His word, provide such an opportunity for us to learn His ways and His doctrine, but perhaps more importantly they provide the opportunity for us to feel His love as He gives us very personal and direct revelation.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

There's a bit more that needs more that needs to be added to the last post. God calls and gives authority to prophets and apostles in our day, just as He did in ancient times. With those prophets, He has always given ways for us to test their validity. In Matthew 7, the Savior teaches us how we can discern between true and false prophets. He tells us that "Ye shall know them by their fruits," or by the works that they bring forth.

The fruit of the prophet Joseph Smith is the Book of Mormon. He was directed, by an angel of God, to where an ancient record was buried. The record contained the writings of ancient prophets that lived here in the Americas. By the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the record into English, and it is known as the Book of Mormon.

I cherish the Book of Mormon. One of my favorite passages is 2 Nephi 25:26, where the prophet Nephi shares his love for Christ. "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, and we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." I love the Book of Mormon because of my Savior's love that is manifest to me as I study His words therein.

Now, saying the Book of Mormon is God's word does not mean that the Bible is not. We love and study from the Bible regularly. The Bible contains God's word given through His ancient prophets in the Middle East, and the Book of Mormon contains His word given through His ancient prophets in the Americas. God loves all of His children, and therefore gives His word to all who will listen, both anciently and today. We should rejoice at the opportunity to receive more of His word (see 2 Nephi 29:6-14).

We Mormons tend to put so much emphasis on the Book of Mormon because it is the fruit of Joseph Smith. We can study it and ask God if it truly is His word, just as we can do with the Bible. But if the Book of Mormon is true, then that means that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. If Joseph Smith is a prophet, then the church he founded, under Christ's direction, is the true Church of Jesus Christ, restored in its fullness. That is why we emphasize the Book of Mormon so much - it contains the same gospel truths the Bible contains, but its implications run far deeper.

I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that it was brought forth by God's power. Through it, and all that comes with it (as mentioned above), I have developed a relationship with my Father in Heaven that I could not have otherwise attained. He wants all of His children to have that, and He has provided the way. That way is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who gives His word through His prophets, both ancient and modern.