Legalization of Marijuana

I have never felt so humiliated in my life over anything as that the State of Utah voted for the repeal of Prohibition.
- President Heber J. Grant, Conference, Oct. 1934

From this very stand he pleaded with us not to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. He didn't speak as Heber J. Grant, the man, he spoke as the President of the Church and the representative of our Heavenly Father. And yet in a state where we could have retained what we had, there were enough Latter-day Saints . . . who paid no attention to what the Lord wanted . . .and what is the result? Such delinquency as we have never known. . . .
- George Albert Smith, Conference, Oct 1943

One of the saddest days in all of Utah's history was when the people, including the Latter-day Saints (for it could not have been done without them), rejected the counsel and urging of the Lord's prophet, Heber J. Grant, and repealed Prohibition long years ago--yet many of those voters had sung numerous times, "We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet."
- The Teachings of Spencer. W. Kimball

I believe there is a clear relationship between the historical issue of repealing prohibition and the current issue surrounding marijuana legalization. If you cannot see a relationship then I am not sure you can be helped. Therefore, because these issues are so similar, I believe the prophets have spoken and we should be careful whose side we are on.

The LDS Church does not prohibit the use of alcohol as a disinfectant or to wash the body. I am sure the LDS Church has no problem with using Hemp for rope, or marinol for nausea as prescribed by a doctor. The problem with Cannabis, is when it is smoked, or ingested or taken in any other way for the purposes of getting "High"

There is nothing Satan wants more than to see Cannabis use for the purposes of getting "High" legalized in America. And he will use any means and any argument to achieve that goal. Whose side are you going to be on in this issue?

The LORD admonishes in His "Word of Wisdom" "All seedbearing herbs for theuseof man to be used with prudence and understanding." (D&C89). Yes, with prudence and understanding, This doesn mean that every plant or herb or weed is meant to be smoked.
if alkaloids in this plant help wtih appetite, then isolate those specific alkaloids, and leave out the psychogenic ones. Smoking jimsom weed or fox glove will kill you.

Many proponents of legalizing marijuana argue that there are so many unappreciated medical and health benefits to marijuana. They feel like keeping marijuana illegal is "throwing out the baby with the bathwater". Many physicians I know are open to alternative, natural treatments. However, most physicians haven't seen benefits for marijuana over other current remedies. There are several FDA approved alternatives for appetite. Furthermore, if a patient wants to try Cannabis, Marinol is FDA approved, and you don't have to smoke it. No one is throwing out any babies. But I think some people want to keep their dirty bath water.

If we want to end the war on drugs, then bring our soldier home and put them on our borders to stop the illegal import of drugs. and we need to root out the corruption in our government and stop electing Bohemian Grove, and Skull and Bones members as POTUS. These secret organizations have been in operation behind the scenes infiltrating our government and institutuons and subverting our freedoms. The POTUS has been a member of Bohemian Grove or a Bildiberg all the way back to Taft. So, it's no surprise when CIA and Special Forces get caught time and again shipping cocaine into the US, or the ATF gets caught shipping guns to Mexican drug cartels, or US Banks are caught laundering Mexican drug cartel money, or to know that Heroin production in Afganistan is up 400 percent pre-Taliban levels(the Taliban actually prohibited Poppy growing and Pedophilia "Bacha Bazi" in about 1999).

Mos 29: 25-26 "Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord. 26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people."

Many claim that legalizing marijuana is about liberty and freedom and agency. This group claims that our laws should never coerce others to do the right. This argument is totally misunderstanding the principle of agency. Agency is choosing freedom by following Gods law. All law is morality, and we should use our agency as a people to make laws that reflect and defend Gods laws. Only by doing this can we be free.

God has commanded us that we must carefullly regulate and manage our appetites and passions less these passions control us and lead to destructive behaviors. Animals act on instinct. If they feel to do something, they do it. Being Human is about being able to feel, yet think first, and choose not to just react on impulse. Psychoactive drugs are dangerous because they shut down our ability to think, as well as destroy our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to saving our Republic and the Constitution, only a return to our traditional Christian morals/values (a return to virtue) can succeed. God has established a covenant of peace with those who posess this land that inasmuch as we keep His commandments we will be blessed with peace and prosperity. But inasmuch as we do not keep His commandments we would be cursed, cut off from His presence. There is forming a great division in our country, a great division both morally and politically. A friend on the internet said "Our Lord tells us "He" will be the cause of the great Latter-day division (2nd Nephi 30:10). When it comes down to it, it will "only" be the moral issues that will matter. Moral issues will determine what side each of us is on with this great division our Lord has promised us. "

Agency is not just freedom to do whatever without consequence. It's freedom to choose Gods laws. Choosing evil is not excercizjng agency and it leads to captivity and death. Our laws to protect agency should dissuade people from falling into sin and captivity. Again, we should be free to choose, but that does not mean we are free to avoid the consequences of those choices.

"free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil" (2 Nephi 2:27).

If our laws reflect Gods laws then choosing the right should lead to more liberty, but choosing the wrong should lead to the consequence of restricted liberty. Our governments are getting things backwards by limiting and restricting that which God wants (prayer in school) and supporting and facilitating that which God does not want (substance abuse). As time passes, choosing the right is restricted while choosing the wrong is permitted. In another way, Wellfare programs fail to turn lives around and empower and reward good choices, but instead enable and ease the consequences of sin.

Setting up laws which protect the righteous in doing right, and restrict the wicked in doing wickedness is not coercion. The message of Freedom is in the Book of Mormon and the Book of Mormon says the Nephites established just laws that preserved the rights of religion and punished wrong behavior. However, the Book of Mormon is clear that there should be no laws against a persons belief.

Alma 1:17-18 "Nevertheless, they durst not lie, if it were known, for fear of the law, for liars were punished; therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief; and now the law could have no power on any man for his belief.18 And they durst not steal, for fear of the law, for such were punished; neither durst they rob, nor murder, for he that murdered was punished unto death."

Marijuana and other elicit drugs are or contain powerful mind-altering substances. If we do not decide as a free people to establish consequences for the abuse of these harmful substances, then are we really free? If we give people the illusion that they can use drugs without consequences, then they will be too easily enticed to experiment with drugs and many enslaved and destroyed. Lehi teaches his children that we are only free if we are both enticed by both sides. Our laws, therefore, should sufficently entice us away from harmful behavior.

2 Nephi 2:16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

Our laws restrict self harm and abuse. Our laws restrict suicide, and they entice us away from drug use. Maybe, we can agree that self-harm should not be criminalized as it is. However, companies who deal in marketing and selling instruments of self-harm to others should always remain illegal. Fear is a form of coercive force that should be used used to prevent the violation of the rights of others. Elicit drug abuse and addiction has grave costs to society in terms of unemployment, lost productivity, poverty, child neglect, child abuse, and crime. However, for those who choose to harm themselves, our laws should discourage this but not direct fear at the victim. This will only drive them to further hide their sins and not seek help and rehabilitation.

True Test of Prophets and Religion

August 20, 2011

John,

Thank you for the DVD. I also enjoyed our conversation and I appreciate your thoughtful study, prayer and concern. As you focus on “God's word” for guidance, I would caution you about what other “anti-Mormon” sources you rely upon for information. Many of these sources contain much misinformation and half-truths. I thoughtfully watched the DVD and made a few notes. The DVD warns about “cognitive dissonance” and seems to try to diagnose LDS as suffering from some kind of mental disorder. I believe that we should beware of false arguments like we should beware of false prophets.

BOOK OF MORMON TESTIFIES OF THE BIBLE

First, to answer your question, “is the Bible inerrant or not?” Yes, the Bible is inerrant. To support this belief, let's read what the Book of Mormon actually says about the Bible. This is the part the DVD producers failed to include.

In this first example, we see at the opening of the Book of Mormon, God reaffirms His pattern of revelation. God has a plan for the salvation of His Children and revels that plan to prophets who record His word in scripture. A prophet Lehi is commanded of God to preach repentance to the people at Jerusalem. God then warns Lehi that he must flee Jerusalem or be killed. Nephi has faith in his Father, and seeks a his own spiritual witness through prayer after reasoning things out. While on their way out of town, Lehi sends his sons back to retrieve the family Bible from a wealthy yet wicked relative so that they could carry the laws, commandments, and covenants of God with them to their new home. After retrieving what is called, the Brass Plates; Lehi prophesies that those words [Old Testament] would go forth to all nations and that they would not “be dimmed any more by time.”

1Nephi 5:18-19 That these plates of brass [Old Testament] should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed. Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.

The DVD uses the Great Isaiah Scroll, which dates to 100 BC, as a proof against the Book of Mormon. In actual fact, the Great Isaiah Scroll is a vindication and validation of the prophecy by Lehi. Whether you believe this prophecy in the Book of Mormon was made by Lehi 600 BC or by Joseph Smith in 1830 AD, the prophecy predicts that the Old Testament would go forth to all nations undimmed from 600 BC. Now we have the Great Isaiah scroll that supports the Book of Mormon claim that the Old Testament books that we possess today has not changed significantly since at least 100 BC.

Next we can read in the Book of Mormon what Lehi's son, Nephi, says about the Old Testament. Nephi does not say that there is anything “corrupt” about the Bible. On the contrary, Nephi clearly says that the Old Testament would come from the Jews to the Gentiles “in purity.” And again, Nephi rightly predicts that although the portion of the Old Testament we would have would be “pure”, some books and prophecies would be missing. Several notable examples of lost books include the Book of Jasher and the Book of Enoch.

1Nephi 13:23-25 And he said: Behold it [Old Testament] proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book [Old Testament] that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles. . . 25 Wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God.

Now, here is part of Nephi's prophesy that the DVD does discuss:

1Ne 13:29 —because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.

In context, when one considers the many lost books of the Bible, the pseudo-pigripha, the Apocrypha, the example of the “Comma Johanneum,” the hundreds of Bible translations, and the innumerable ways in which people interpret the Bible; it is not difficult to see how Nephi's prophecy accurately describes our lack of a “unity of faith” in the Last Day (Eph 4:11-13).

Joseph Smith, by request, wrote to John Wentworth of the Chicago Democrat a series of articles of faith detailing some of the core LDS beliefs. The 8^th article of faith declares that the LDS believe that “the Bible is the word of God as far as it is translated correctly”. Or it could also be said, “interpreted correctly.” This statement is in no way demeaning or degrading the Bible, but is a commentary on the reality of how perception and tradition shape what is considered the “generally accepted” or “scholarly accepted” interpretation of the Bible. There is nothing “corrupt” about the Bible. What has been corrupted is our understanding of it and our living it.

ALMA AND JERUSALEM

The DVD goes on to attack Alma's prophecy that Jesus Christ would be born “at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers” instead of specifying Bethlehem exactly.

Alma 7:10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

Despite the DVD's appeal to authority, I am not sure what the big deal here is. When people ask me where I am from, I say “Augusta, GA.” I usually do not specify Evans exactly unless they are familiar with the area. And this is in spite of the fact that the city of Martinez lies in between Evans and Augusta. The scholar's reaction to Alma's prophecy stems from an assumption that most people are familiar with the specific geography of Israel. However, this was not the case with the Nephites. Nephi tells us that he did not teach his children “after the manner of the things of the Jews.” Therefore, in reality, Alma saying that Jesus would be born “at [the land of] Jerusalem” is more of an internal consistency and not a false prophecy.

2 Nephi 25:5-6 Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews. But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them.

JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION

The DVD criticizes Joseph Smith for his attempt at translating the Bible. While Joseph Smith never, considered this project complete, what is called the “Joseph Smith Translation” is not a translation in the scholarly sense. Joseph Smith did not have access to ancient texts. Instead, LDS consider Joseph Smith's translation more of an inspired commentary, which does not replace or supplant the King James Version.

Why would Joseph Smith feel to change the wording of verses? As time passes, the meaning of the words can change even if their translation does not. Faith is a good example. Today, the word 'faith' has become almost synonymous with the word 'hope.' People often say they have “faith” that their loved one will be healed from a terminal medical condition. However, what they really mean is that they are trying to “maintain hope.” Therefore, in preserving the original meaning and intent of the New Testament writers, Joseph Smith felt it necessary to emphasize that salvation through the grace of Christ involves both faith (belief) and works (action or obedience). It is also important to point out that Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and the LDS Church recognize and testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

JOSEPH SMITH AND ZION

Doctrine and Covenants 84:4 records “Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation.” First, the word “shall” and not “will” means this is a command and not an immediate prediction. It is regrettably true that the Saints in that day were not faithful enough to obey this command. Consequently, the church in a sense is wandering in the dessert waiting a more faithful rising generation to realized the blessings of this prophecy. However, when one takes the time to read this command in context, Joseph Smith prophesies in D&C 58 that the wicked would criticize the Saints inability to fulfill God's commandments as unfulfilled prophecy.

D&C 58:31-33 Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled? I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing. Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled. But wo unto such, for their reward lurketh beneath, and not from above.

Second, “in this generation” was said in the same spirit as Matt 24:34. Here Christ foretold many signs which would mark both the destruction of the Temple as well as the Last Day. However, Christ said that all these signs would be fulfilled in “this generation.” The phrase, “In this generation” is found throughout the D&C; and in every case this phrase is used in a broader sense: D&C 6:8, 11:22, 10:33, 11:8, 84:31,

DISTRACTION

While it is important to not cast Logic out the window, these anti-Mormon propaganda “hit” pieces are carefully crafted tools of the devil to divert you from doing a productive and truthful investigation of the Book of Mormon. Instead of reading the Book of Mormon and focusing on what the Book of Mormon teaches, this DVD distracts you from the true message of the Book of Mormon that Jesus is the Christ.

COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

The Bible equates the sin of Idolatry with Adultery. Pornography and Infidelity like false religion have become a terrible plague that is destroying marriages and families. And it is this demoralization that has led to our complete ideological subversion away from Constitutional principles of self government and personal responsibility. Fixing this nation must begin with a return to traditional family and moral values.

Just like the days of Isaiah and Micah, people are attracted to false prophets and teachers because those teachers do not make the same moral demands, nor do they have the same high expectations that a covenant relationship with God requires. Most people have an inherent appetite for spirituality as well as intimacy. However, many will settle for a counterfeit version if the path appears easier. When it comes to a marriage relationship, the Internet is rarely ever sick or too tired, and never expects you to help wash the dishes. In the same way, many faiths let people go through the motions of religious observance without empowering them to keep the high standards of righteousness a true relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ requires. Paul details these standards in 1 Cor 5:11 (1 Cor 5:7-12).

The end of the DVD talks about freedom. But what the presenter means is freedom from God's high expectations and freedom from any moral requirements. Yes, Christ accepts us as we are (justification), but he doesn't leave us that way (sanctification). Remember the story of the rich young man? This parable reveals the covenant requirements for sanctification and exaltation. “If thou will be perfect [sanctification], sell all that thou hast, give to the poor, and come and follow me [consecration].”

For me, being LDS helps me and my family live the gospel of Jesus Christ better then any other religion. The LDS allows me to consecrate myself to God and empowers be to live up to the high covenant expectations and moral requirements that a relationship with our Heavenly Father requires. Lastly, the Bible promises that those who add or subtract from scripture will suffer the plagues detailed in the Book of Revelation. Thus far, living the LDS faith has saved me any my family from numerous spiritual and temporal plagues and pitfalls. Part of true religion is its ability to “care for the fatherless and widows” and to keep us “unspotted from the world”. This is another critical test of true religion.

Your brother in Christ,

What About 2012?

My wife's uncle is Dr. Alan Christiansen who is a professor specializing in Mayan Art History at BYU. He is the translator of the current scholarly and academically accepted version of the Mayan Popol Vuh. Dr. Christiansen served an LDS mission in Guatemala and speaks fluent modern Mayan. He translates for LDS General Conference and can read ancient Mayan hieroglyphics like he was reading a newspaper. He has also been featured in several National Geographic articles and documentaries. According to Dr. Christiansen, there is nothing in the Popol Vuh or the Mayan Long Count Calendar to suggest the ancient Maya foresaw anything or were predicting anything in Winter Solstice 2012.

If you read my previous post which quotes a General Conference talk by President Ivins in 1931. At that time our occult/globalist/zeitgeist/anti-Zionist friends were telling us the same thing. At that time, they were telling us that the hieroglyphics in the Great Pyramid in Egypt were predicting the Great Depression. This Egyptian prediction claim was a hoax. Yet, the Great Depression did happen, but it wasn't because the ancient Egyptians knew about it.

Ben Bernanke spoke at Milton Friedman's (Nobel Laureate in Economics) 90th birthday and told him in essence 'Milt and Anna, for years you have been saying the FED caused the Great Depression because we contracted the money supply (as opposed to Protectionist policy via the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act). "You're right, we did it. We're very sorry. But thanks to you, we won't do it again."

Unfortunately, they did do it again when the FED stopped releasing M3 data in 2006 and then oversaw the constriction of the money supply via the implementation of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank/Bank of International Settlement Basel II Accords in 2007. I case you are tempted to think our money masters didn't know better, the Basel I Accords of 1988 bankrupted Japan.

Well, it seems that our New Age/Age of Aquarius friends are playing the same game they played preceding the Great Depression. Our Alchemist/Zeitgeist/Mystery Babylon/Invisible College/Illuminati/Order of Malta/Shriner/Scottish Rite/Rosicrucian/Orangemen/Venetian Black Nobility/Hermetic/Ordo Templi Orientis/Skull and Bones friends are telling us some crazy stuff is going to happen leading up to 2012. I am not going to go into all of it, but whatever tribulation happens, just be sure it is not because the Egyptians or Mayans foretold it.

That said, the Book of Mormon does tell us that the movement of the planets does testify that there is a God. So, the issue of the "Progression of the Equinoxes" and the Earth aligning with and crossing the galactic plane cannot be discounted. I am not saying nothing will happen on 2012. What I am saying is stuff is happening now, and will happen but I am of the opinion that like 1931, the 7 trumpets of the tribulation where calamities by man upon their fellow man made to simulate end of the world events. Then, following the 7 trumpets of the tribulation, come the 7 vials of wrath that represent real acts of God and God's vengeance upon the wicked.

Alma 30:44 all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and it's motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

I am sure all LDS are aware the President Gordon B. Hinkley warned us 8 years ago to get our houses in order just as President Ivins did in 1931. President Hinkley referred to the vision of the Phoaroah interpreted by Joseph who saw the 7 years of plenty followed by the 7 years of famine. President Hinkley told us back then that "portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed." He then talked about getting out of debt and spoke of the reactionary nature of world financial markets.

What exactly are the globalist/new world order/anti-Zionist/anti-American/elites planning and what exactly is going to happen? I am not sure. I am sure it won't be any sort of economic recovery any time soon. Therefore, according to the prophets and Apostles we need to 1. Get out of debt 2. Beware of Anger 3. Act and don't be acted upon (globalist plans, like chess, rely on predictable reactions by their opponents. They are also playing Good Cop/Bad Cop so beware what seems to be the Good Cops) 4. Secure a year supply of food 5. Put together a 72-hour kit for evacuation. 6. Follow the Prophet. 7. Let the Holy Spirit guide.

The instruction from President Ivins in 1931 LDS General Conference applies today:
"Just be calm and turn to the Lord. It is not the result of any occurrence of the immediate past. We have been gradually drifting toward it for years and years, and personally I have known that it would come, and I bore witness of it from this stand to the people a year ago. I applied it to my own affairs. I pleaded with the people to put their houses in order and get out of debt, for I knew this was coming, because God himself through his Only Begotten Son had declared it.

There is nothing that men can do, nothing that we can do that will avert the fulfilment of those sayings, and it is not the design of our Father in heaven at all either. It is simply the result of our own lack of wisdom, of our own disposition to he selfish, of the accumulation of the wealth of the country in the hands of a few men which prevents its equal distribution among the masses.

Now, my brethren and sisters, if the Church has anything to say to you it will come from them direct and not from the writings of other men. It will come to you in a manner that you will understand it. It will not be speculative. It will come to you philosophically, truthfully and governed by common sense."

LDS General Conference

This weekend LDS members enjoyed the 179th Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every six months the leaders of the LDS church including the president and prophet of the LDS Church, the quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the quorums of the Seventy instruct the members. Several of the talks I really enjoyed include:

Elder David A. Bednar spoke of the importance of the Temple. While members of the church covenant in baptism and the sacrament that we are "willing to take upon" ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, it is the temple were we in actuality take upon ourselves fully the name of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar spoke of the spiritual protection from sin promised to those who "stand in holy places" and who have taken upon them and feel the "fire of the covenant." Elder Bednar challenged all Saints to regularly go to the temple and keep our temple covenants.

D&C 109:22-26 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them; And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days. We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity; That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself; That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house;

Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke about several doctrinal "stumbling blocks" or misunderstandings that others have about the LDS church and our doctrine and about the true doctrine of Christ from the Bible and from modern scripture. Many Christians have been falsely taught that there is to be no more revelation or prophets after Jesus Christ. However, the reality of Joseph Smith's First Vision demonstrates that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Elder Cook suggests that it can be as difficult to accept miracles today as it is to accept the miracles of Christ such as the virgin birth, the atonement and the resurrection. In our modern technological age, we are still expected to live by faith. It is the message of the LDS church that the Lord's church continues to be led today by living prophets and apostles.

Elder Cook also spoke about the LDS doctrine on the salvation of man. Many Christians have been taught that only a small number of men will be saved by Christ and go to heaven while everyone else will be damned to hell with Satan forever. LDS doctrine understands that only some who willfully and knowingly rebel against God will not be saved. While there will be different rewards in heaven; the vast majority of mankind will be saved from Hell through Christ who will save all children who die before the age of accountability and those who hear the gospel in the spirit world, who had died without a knowledge of Christ and accept it with all their hearts will also be saved.

ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
IN MEMORIAM

O, yet we trust that somehow good
Will be the final goal of ill,
To pangs of nature, sins of will,
Defects of doubt, and taints of blood;

That nothing walks with aimless feet;
That not one life shall be destroy'd,
Or cast as rubbish to the void,
When God hath made the pile complete;

I also was very moved at the talk by our prophet President Thomas S. Monson. President Monson talked about the calamities, trials, tribulation, and adversity of our time. He said it is easy to become cynical, doubt, and fearful if we focus only on the negative and not the blessings in our lives.

2 Tim. 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

If we make the gospel of Jesus Christ, it will not remove the troubles from us, but it will help us focus on our blessings and prevail over all our trials. President Monson recounts the story of a German Woman living in East Prussia after World War II who was forced to take her 5 children 1000 miles to West Germany on foot in winter. She had already lost her husband in the war. During the journey, she buried all 5 children in the frozen earth, one by one, along the way digging shallow graves with only a spoon. After burying her last infant child with only her bare fingers, she was overcome with grief and contemplating suicide, the voice of God came to her pleading with her to kneel and pray for strength. She did so and was strengthened in the hour of her Job-like extremity. She was comforted knowing that through the Resurrection of Christ she would see her children and have the joy of raising them to adulthood. Despite all of her trial and adversity she was one of the happiest, optimistic and faithful saints. President Monson charged us to "fear not, be of good cheer; our future is a bright as our faith."

Prophets and Hebrews 1:1-2

Continuing Revelation

LDS believe in continuing revelation, prophets and scripture. However, Christ did foretell that His church would not be left one doctrinal stone upon another and that the spiritual sun, moon, and stars would cease to give their light in that generation.

Mark 13:1-2, 24-25,30 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. . . But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, . . . Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

This prophecy was fulfilled with the Great Apostasy and the Dark Ages that followed the martyrdom of the Apostles and Saints. And this is what necessitated a restoration of prophets in the Last Days as foretold by Daniel the prophet it Dan 2 and why John saw another angel with the everlasting gospel to deliver to all nations in the Last Days (not another gospel but yes another angel).

Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Rev. 14: 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

However, many Evangelicals in reaction to Catholicism and Papal authority claim there is to be no more priesthood and Christ speaking His word through any other mediator. All revelation comes to the believer from Christ Himself through His Word by the Holy Ghost and not any other man or claimed religious authority according to Heb 1:1.

Heb 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

However, does the Bible back this doctrinal claim? No. Of course, believers through the Holy Ghost can receive direct revelation, but Heb 1:1 was never meant to do away completely with continued prophets, priesthood, revelation, and scripture? Accordingly, I will list what I think are several examples of how the Bible runs contrary to the popular Evangelical belief and supports the LDS doctrine that prophets, priesthood, revelation, and scripture were meant to continue after a foretold apostasy and restoration.

1. Matt 28:6-7 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Here we witness the fact of Christ's resurrection revealed by an angel to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary by angels. And then these women are charged to reveal this news to the Apostles. Why didn't Christ just reveal the news personally? Why go from angels, to women, to the Apostles? Maybe the rules don't start until after the ascension.

2. Acts 1: 9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

This revelation at the ascension of Christ was given by one of two angels present at the Ascension of Christ and not Christ Himself. If only Christ has the authority to give revelation, by what authority do these angel's speak and reveal information of Christ's Second Coming? And, the more that 500 present, not everyone present were of the 12 Apostles. Again, here is another example of others speaking for Christ.

3. The Gospel of Mark
John Mark the Evangelist was believed to be a companion of Peter, Paul and Barnabas. But John Mark wasn't one of the original 12 Apostles. By what authority does he have to record the word of God. Why wouldn't Jesus only have His word recorded by His Apostles who were the special eye-witnesses of His life and teachings? Mark could have served as a scribe for Peter, but it seems Peter knew how to write just fine from his own epistles. And Mark never gives credit to Peter or Paul as being the source of his information.

4. The Gospel of Luke and Acts
Again, Luke the Evangelist is credited for writing two books in the New Testament. Luke was a disciple of Paul and it is believed that he was one of the Seventy. Maybe Luke was Paul's scribe? But why would Paul need a scribe when he seemed to be such a prolific writer himself. And why wouldn't Luke give Paul the credit. Again, Luke seems to violate the revelation and scripture only through Christ and His 12 Apostles rule. It seems to me that Luke would need to have some authority to write God's word.

Acts proves also to be problematic to the no revelation theory. Not only was Acts written by Luke, but Acts isn't even about Christ, Acts is all about the travels and ministry, and teachings of the Apostles themselves. It seems to me if Heb 1:1 is saying that Christ's word is all-sufficient, then why would Luke bother to discuss the travels and business of the Apostles.

5. Epistles of the Apostles
A good portion of the New Testament is filled with a collection of letters from the Paul and other Apostles to various Christian Churches and other "pastoral epistles" written to ordained Bishops like Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. And It seems to me that if the Apostles had believed in this Evangelical interpretation of Heb 1:1, the New Testament would contain letters from the Apostles which only stated: "your situation reminds me of the words that Christ that he gave us while alive" and not Paul's opinion on what qualities would make a good Bishop or Deacon.

6. The Revelation
The Book of Revelation does start out by saying it is given by Jesus Christ. But in Chapter 1 verse 1, John points out that the revelation was "sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." So, again, we have important scriptural information being transmitted by Christ but through an angelic intermediary and not Christ directly. At one point John falls down and worships the angelic minister and is corrected:

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

7: The Two Witnesses
Rev 11: 3,7-8 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. . . And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city

It is clearly revealed to John that in the streets of Jerusalem in the Last Days there will be two witnesses who will be prophets who will have power to call down fire from heaven and cause plagues, drought and famine.

Rev 11: 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Now, some Biblical scholars speculate that these new prophets won't be new but they will be Elijah and Moses or John Himself who some believe to have been taken from the Earth or still living on the Earth without having tasted death.

But the interesting point here that I think excludes Elijah, Moses, or John is that eventually they do die. So, I am not sure how someone like Elijah who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire is going to end up dead during the battle of Armageddon and then resurrected the 3rd day after their bodies are paraded around the streets. But either way, whether these are new prophets or old prophets, their part in the plan seems to violate the rule that Christ is our only mediator rule that is interpreted to exclude continuing prophets, priesthood, revelation and scripture.

Continual Revelation from Heaven

LDS believe that revelation and prophets are necessary at all times in the Kingdom of God. However, many Christians interpret Heb 1:2 to mean that further revelation and prophets after Christ are unnecessary. Why would you need anything more after hearing it from Christ Himself?

Heb. 1: 2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

However, if revelation from heaven was to end and be unnecessary after Christ then why did the Apostles comment on topics not specifically covered by Christ? And, if as some say "Apostles only served in a witnessing capacity" then why is anything they say which is not verbatim what Christ said or did considered scripture? It seems to me that if some claim that revelation after Christ is unnecessary then why would the Apostles only write Matt, Mark, Luke and John type witnesses. Why would Acts be written and the other epistles which are not specifically Christs words or actions during his ministry? It seems if Christs word was all-sufficient as given by Matt, Mark, Luke, and John then why would God continue to reveal. Yes you say that he had to choose Paul as his 12th Apostle because Matthias wasn't good enough but then why would God give Revelations after the fact and not give it during before he ascended.

This doctrinal claim seems neat and tidy on the surface except that the God and the Bible doesn't ever specifically say continuing Prophets and revelation are unnecessary. In fact the Bible says the opposite and demonstrates continuing revelation and the calling of apostles like Barnabas, and James the brother of Jesus.

If what some say is correct that Christ's own words were all-sufficient then I would expect the apostles to have said only "I am reminded of the words of the Savior, who said...". And "the acts of the Savior on this occasion were instructive". But that's not what we get. We get the Apostles telling us of their own trials, ministry, travels, labors and the continuing revelation to meet their immediate situation.

Here are some examples of post-ascension revelation or post-atonement, post-rip-in-the-veil revelation not given by Christ Himself:

1. the angels telling the 500 witnesses at the ascension of Christ that Christ would return in like manner that they saw him go. Christ didn't say it but had an angel say it on his behalf and it was written. What about Christ being the only mediator. Who was this angel interloper?

2. That reminds me of the angel at the tomb revealing to Mary and Martha that Christ was risen. They weren't Apostles. Why would Christ send 2 angels to reveal it before He appeared himself?

3.That Paul was to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. Christ comes back personally to call Paul but then sends him to see the other Apostles.

4. That the Gospel should now be preached to the Gentiles in a dream to Peter.

5. "The Revelation" by John the Revelator

6. All the details about the Apostles ministry and healing people and preaching, and ordaining bishops, deacons, and elders in the church. Are these details scripture? Are they unnecessary?

7. If Christ's word was all-sufficient with Christ, then why would Paul bother to tell Titus what qualifications would make a good bishop or deacon. Is the epistle of Titus scripture? Is the Epistle of Titus "God breathed?" Was Paul carried up into heaven to learn these detail? Did Paul forget that he had heard Christ specifically give a list of qualifications for Bishop and Deacon while Christ lived?

If everything in scripture is "God breathed," then everything that accounts words and acts and revelations post-ascension is God giving revelation beyond what Christ said or did during His mortal ministry. So, if Christ meant for Apostles, prophets, and revelation to continue in the church then it makes sense that the Bible contains acts and prophecies after Christ and having to do with the establishment, and management of Gods kingdom on Earth. And the Bible does just that.

Catholics--- there has been an unbroken line of authority and inspiration
Protestants--- there is no need for more authority or revelation after Christ
LDS---- apostles and revelation continued after Christ until the apostasy and then continued again after a restoration.

John 14: 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Matt. 16: 17-18 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. . . . and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Institutions, Freedom and Joseph Smith

A few historians speak of Joseph Smith's great charisma as the key to his success. Others claim Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, suffered from megalomania. Although not an official psychiatric diagnosis according to DSM-IV (psychiatric Bible), megalomania is defined as "the obsession with, either in the form of irrational perceived need for or preoccupation with in one's own estimation having and/or obtaining, grandiosity and extravagance (especially in the form of great fame and popularity, material wealth, social influence or political power. While Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet of God which could be considered a "delusion of grandeur," and while Joseph did hold great influence among those who shared his belief, I think that any claim of megalomania is unfounded. In fact, the life and teachings of Joseph Smith teach the very opposite principle.

Joseph Smith was an organizer and delegator. While he established himself as a prophet and spiritual leader over a church with hundreds of thousands of members, a military and political leader at Nauvoo, Illinois; Joseph Smith created institutions and organizations and delegated authority to them as much as possible. On the spiritual side, Joseph organized the Church of Jesus Christ after the manner in which he believed it was organized in the New Testament with a Quorum of 12 Apostles, Quorums of Seventy, and Quorums of Elders (Presbyters) and Deacons. He also called local Bishops and authorized them to shepherd and lead congregations in a number of communities starting at Kirtland, Ohio and stretching to Independence and Far West, Missouri and then to Nauvoo, Illinois. Megalomaniacs have a high degree of paranoia associated with their psychosis and have difficulty trusting others with power. This doesn't seem to fit the picture of Joseph Smith.

In addition to organizing spiritual organizations to govern the church, Joseph Smith organized community and political organizations and institutions. The most famous organization is the women's Relief Society which is the largest women's organization today in the world. Also Joseph organized the city of Nauvoo with schools, newspaper, press, Masonic Lodge, and many other institutions. Megalomaniacs seek control and seek for their followers to be completely depenedent upon them.

The significance and result of this high degree of organizational behavior is that after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith in 1844, all of the major doctrines, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and all church governing structures were in place. As a result, the LDS church has continued on without significant changes since. A sign of Joseph Smith's inspiration is the fact that the major doctrines, practices, and government of the church were all instituted and made interdependent, yet self-sustaining in 14 short years. Today, a doctoral thesis is rewarded for someone who contributes one piece of new knowledge to their field. Joseph Smith not only created a church but a culture and the outline for a perfect society.

The significance of the importance of institutions applies to our situation today. Our constitution is based on the principle of self-government and limited central government. We see this today in many areas. Medicine has its own accrediting and professional organizations. Attorneys the same. Even Amateur Radio has the AARL (American Amateur Radio League) separate from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Why all these independent institutions? Because we in American believe in being self-governed. And so we have established these institutions to develop rules and policies of self-government so the federal government doesn't have to. The great institutions of this country uphold and secure the individual freedoms and liberties of the people. And they do a much more efficient and more effective job in regulating behavior, promoting cooperation, and facilitating the delivery of quality goods and services for the people than the federal government can.

Why do I bring this up? Because whenever there is troubled economy, and whenever institutions fail, or individuals over institutions abuse their power and harm the public, it is a temptation of the people to loose their faith in our great institutions, give up our individual freedom, and place our trust, faith and hope onto a charismatic leader or into a more powerful federal government. This is a theme in the Book of Mormon Book of Ether and the Jaredite story according to Hugh Nibley (There Were Jaredites). Also, we see in Alma the stuggle of Captain Moroni against those they called "king-men" who wanted to do away with their elected government in favor of a king who promised government appointments and power to his supporters. I am sure those who wanted to be king also made great promises to the people as well.

With this in mind, I am disturbed by something that was said by Barack Obama's Investment Banker, Chief-of-Staff, Rahm Emmanuel; who was quoted as saying we need to take advantage of this crisis situation and do things we couldn't ordinarily do. He is quoted as saying:

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that, it's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before. This is an opportunity, what used to be long-term problems, be in the health care area, energy area, education area, fiscal area, tax area, regulatory reform area, things that we had postponed for too long that were long-term are now immediate and must be dealt with. And this crisis provides the opportunity for us, as I would say, the opportunity to do things that you could not do before."

What Mr. Emmanuel is saying here is not in and of itself bad or wrong. But we must be careful what changes we make as a country. As an American people, certain CEO's and politicians have let us down and betrayed us. As a consequence, we see have seen in recent months the failure, and dissolution of great banking, investment, and insurance institutions. In seeing this, we need to resist the tendency to loose faith in our great institutions of our country. And, instead of centralizing more power in the federal government, we need to seek ways to strengthen the surviving organizations. Organizations and institutions which serve our nation and community by providing jobs, benifits, goods and services, as well as contributing to the preservation of our culture, liberty, and freedom.

Not Infallible, Just More Dependable

A friend asked me if every Christian believer has rights to the Holy Ghost, why priesthood leaders like apostles and prophets are necessary; and if prophets are infallible, how are believers expected to follow them?

Priesthood is the authority to have spiritual responsibility and stewardship over others. There is a hierarchy of priesthood authority from prophets to bishops, fathers and mothers to the individual. The Holy Ghost is the power by which the Priesthood operates. Without the Holy Ghost and the principles of righteousness, the D&C says "Amen to the priesthood and authority of that man" (D&C 121: 37).

Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Those chosen by God to be priesthood leaders, according to the Bible, were to have demonstrated that they were filled with the Holy Ghost as a prerequisite for being a priesthood leader. While every believer has access to the Holy Ghost, not every believer has received the Holy Ghost to the same degree. Our individual degree of acceptance of the Holy Ghost is based on our continued righteous choices or sin. So, in this way, prophets and apostles are known to have better received the Holy Ghost than the rest of us. But that doesn't make them infallible, just more dependable.

In this way, while all believers have rights to the continual prescence of the Holy Ghost, because the work of sactification is not complete, we may give way to temptation or the appetites of the flesh and loose or momentarily reject the guidance of the Holy Ghost through sin. Prophets and other leaders serve as a backup, helping us to repent and turn to Christ again at times when we may not be listening very well to the Spirit. Otherwise we could be completely cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Because prophets and apostles have the authority to act in the name of God, they can help us know God's will for us. By the Holy Ghost, believers are inspired and empowered to repentance, good works, and ordinances as part of the process of sanctification. The prophets and apostles by virtue of their authority and the power of the Holy Ghost within them can let us know what to expect. Believers are then invited to verify and confirm their words by obedience and prayer.

Joseph Smith, the Prophet

In the physical sciences, a PhD is earned by learning everything there is on a particular topic and then making a small contribution to that field of study. It's a very algebraic system. You define all the variables in the equation and then solve for the unknown X. All the major scientific and technological discoveries in the 20th and 21st centuries have largely been based on this system of individual contributions, built upon prior knowledge. Religion has followed this same secular pattern. Many churches have been founded based solely on on one particular point of doctrine. In contrast, Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, defined all the church's major doctrines, which has remained virtually unchanged to the current day. Below I thought it would be fun to list just some of the major theological contributions of Joseph Smith according to an article by Stephen L. Richards. The breadth and extent of Joseph's contributions is evidence to his divine calling, authority, and inspiration.

1. First Vision Brought Certainty of the Godhead: God is our literal spiritual Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ is the literal physical Son of God. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are embodied, perfect, glorified, but separate beings.

2. Character of the Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost is a separate being from God the Father and Jesus Christ. He is a member of the God Head but is also a separate personage of spirit in the form of a man, yet one in purpose with God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ.

3. New Concept of the Priesthood: Joseph Smith resolved the age old dichotomy concerning the catholic doctrine on succession and the protestant doctrine on the "priesthood of all believers." All worthy male members of the church are given the priesthood and can trace their priesthood lineage back to Joseph Smith who received that priesthood under the hands of the resurrected John the Baptist and the Apostles Peter, James and transfigured John.

The Prophet defined the roles and differences between the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods. He also defined and restored the roles of the many priesthood offices and quorums in the the church such as the 12 Apostles, the Seventy, Bishops, Evangelists, Teachers, Priests, Deacons, and Elders.

4. State of Man: Joseph taught the pre-earth existence, free agency, and eternal progression of man.

5. New Concept of Human Body: The body is the tabernacle of the spirit, and consequently should be kept pure and clean. The Word of Wisdom admonishes against the consumption and use of alcoholic, tobacco, and stimulant products.

6. Family of God Exaltation of Man: Joseph Smith taught a literal and universal physical resurrection and general salvation from Hell for all. However, there are differing degrees of glory in heaven. Goodness and obedience will merit a preferential place and condition in heaven, available to all who will prepare to receive Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God

7. Temples and Work for the Dead: Joseph Smith was the first Christians to integrate Christ-centered, temple worship and re-institute vicarious work for the dead. Temple ordinances performed by proxy for the dead allow those who lived without opportunity to receive the technically necessary performances, to accept the work done by the living on their behalf.

8. Sealing of Husband and Wife: Marriage and family relationships are eternal covenants that can remain enforce in the next life. He made the father a king and a priest and the mother a queen and a priestess in the temple of the home. Joseph established the family as the fundamental organizational unit in heaven.

9. New Church Organization and Practice: Joseph Smith defined and restored the church's quorums, divisions, agencies, authorities, officers; including the church's missionary system, the women's Relief Society, and local lay ministry.