Mormon Bloggers

John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This verse reminds us of the Atonement and how grateful we are that Christ died for us so we could return to Him. However, I do not think we understand the true depth of this scripture. When we are enduring trials not brought about by sin, often the questions “Why me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” are at the forefront of our minds. Many cease to believe in God on the basis that if He really cared He wouldn’t let terrible things happen to innocent people. Such thoughts are the result of not understanding the plan of salvation, especially the Atonement. Elder Richard G. Scott said in an October 1995 General Conference: Now may I share some suggestions with you who face the second source of adversity, the testing that a wise Heavenly Father determines is... Read the rest of this entry »

Christ commanded us to be the salt of the earth (3 Nephi 12:13, Matthew 5:13). What is so special about salt? The Israelites had to use salt in their sacrifices to symbolize the Lord’s preserving them just as salt preserves food (Leviticus 2:13, Numbers 18:19). Christ fulfilled the law of Moses and did away with sacrifices, but He still used salt symbolically when He called us the salt of the earth. Salt is obtained by evaporation, the removal of moisture by sunlight. We become the salt of the earth by allowing Christ, the source of all light, to remove our sins. Salt is white, the color of purity. We too must be pure. Salt preserves food, drying out moisture that allows it to spoil. We can preserve souls by bringing them to Christ and showing them how to repent of all soul-spoiling sin. Salt draws out and intensifies the natural flavor of food. Likewise, we can draw out and intensify the natural goodness in others by being an example of good. Salt adds flavor to bland food.... Read the rest of this entry »

Bishop H. David Burton spoke at today’s CES Fireside about achieving happiness through the plan of salvation. He compared our journey through life to a road trip: The scriptures are our road map The Atonement is our insurance Temptations are the detours A temple recommend is a driver’s license Spiritual evaluations of ourselves are car checks before the trip Service is the sightseeing and joy of the journey Church guidelines are the rules and regulations of driving He closed with a kite analogy, reminding us that although it seems as if the wind (worldly ways) makes us fly higher and the kite string (Church guidelines) hinders our flight, it really is the string that allows us to soar and avoid crashing from the wind. Discussion: How else is life like traveling on a highway? photo from stock.xchng  Read More →

Washington D.C. Temple Thanks to my stat counter account, I have discovered that a popular search item is the temple garment. That is understandable since it is such a symbolic and sacred item in our Church and inspires much curiosity in the outside community. Therefore, I am going to address some frequently asked questions about temple garments. What are temple garments?Garments are white undershirts and underpants that many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wear. Who wears temple garments?Members of the Church who have attended the temple wear garments. In order to attend the temple, they must be at least 18 years old and have received a temple recommend (card), which is given after two interviews with local Church leaders to establish personal worthiness to enter the temple. Most men receive their garments at age 18 or 19, before going on their mission. Most women receive theirs whenever they get married or if they go on a mission at age 21 (though if... Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, yes, everyone’s favorite topic of guilt. And we have good reason to be guilty: visiting/home teaching results in more blessings than we realize, and when we do not do it we deny ourselves and others these blessings. Foremost, we learn more about the gospel from preparing the message and sharing our insights. We are supposed to discuss the message and edify one another. I think too often we do not give this part of the visit as much focus as needed. We provide or receive service by being or having a constant support system. We make friends! This is my favorite blessing of visiting/home teaching. It’s fun getting to know others and becoming close to some of them. Also, the relationships we create strengthen the ward as a whole. If everyone were friends, there would be less drama, gossip, hate, and offenses. We would be unified and feel loved and cared about. We learn to be selfless by serving and we increase our spirituality by praying for those we teach. We grow... Read the rest of this entry »

Being pregnant has made me ponder the creation of life. It’s a little mind-boggling to think that another human being is growing inside my body, that somehow my body and the baby’s body know how to do this. I wonder which spirit from heaven I will give birth to and raise. My endless thinking about this baby has helped me discover much symbolism in the creation of life: Pregnancy involves the “magic numbers” of the gospel: 40 weeks (40 days/nights of the flood, 40 days of Jesus fasting in the desert, 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness), 3 trimesters (Christ’s resurrection on the third day, 3 members of the Godhead and thus 3 members in all auxiliary presidencies, Moroni’s 3 visits to Joseph Smith in one night, Peter’s 3 denials of Christ, etc.). As shared in a seminary video, new life requires blood, water, and a spirit. Also, new spiritual life requires blood (the Atonement), water (baptism), and a spirit (the Holy Ghost). Furthermore,... Read the rest of this entry »

It is no coincidence that light is symbolic of Christ, the light and life of the world (Mosiah 16:9). Every characteristic of light is also characteristic of the Son of God: All life requires light for survival and growth. Light dispels darkness. Light makes everything visible and clear (also used in the forms of lenses and mirrors) and is used to lead the way. Light provides warmth and happiness; its absence leads to cold and depression. The brightest light is white. The solar system revolves around a light source (and isn’t it interesting that sun and son are homophones in English?). Light signifies knowledge (light bulb ideas, the word enlightenment, D&C 93:36). Light comes from above. The scriptures reveal how light has been used to symbolize the Savior: Before the Savior was born, the Nephites experienced a day and a night and a day of full light (3 Nephi 1:15, 19). On His day of birth, a new star–the brightest and only constant star–appeared (3 Nephi 1:21,... Read the rest of this entry »

I am so excited for the new Gospel Principles manual! I have always felt strongly about focusing on the basic principles of the gospel. Elder Nelson expressed the same in the January Ensign: “All Church members will benefit by a return to the basics. A careful study of core doctrines . . . will help members strengthen their understanding of the fundamental teachings of the gospel.” As time goes by, we often forget the simple aspects of the gospel and tend to only study deeper doctrine. But our understanding of deeper doctrine will increase when we understand the foundational principles upon which the deeper doctrine is built. To bake a cake, every little ingredient is important in producing the delicious dessert. So it is with developing knowledge and a testimony: every little principle is important in producing a strong understanding of the gospel. Some members may fear there will be some redundancy. Elder Nelson said, “Of course there will! Isn’t it wonderful... Read the rest of this entry »

Thursday night I went to a Relief Society activity with a Chicken Soup for the Soul theme. After a talk on gratitude and a tasty chicken soup dinner, a sister spoke about trials she has had throughout life, such as infertility, divorce, a brain tumor, and a child with Down Syndrome. She titled her talk “My Life with a Lemon Tree and a Bowl of Sugar.” Although I have heard “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade” all my life and usually dismiss it, this sister made me see the metaphor in a new light. She talked about the tree of life from Lehi’s dream, which represents the plan of salvation, and how it is the source of sugar. When we use the plan of salvation (sugar) to get through our trials (the lemons), we have lemonade. She closed with, “After a while I stopped labeling things lemons and sugar, because things I thought were lemons ended up being sugar, and things I thought were sugar were also tart. I learned to put the lemons and sugar together... Read the rest of this entry »

Friday morning I was informed of the death of a friend as a result of a car accident. He left behind a wife of one year and a three-month-old baby girl. Once the shock wore off, the tears came—tears for the husband who left this earth so early in life, tears for the wife without her love beside her, tears for the baby who will never know her father. But I also had tears for me because of this wake-up call. How would I react if Justin were to die today? Would I be prepared if I were to die today? In all honesty, I fear death, and for the obvious reason: I am not spiritually prepared. Why have I procrastinated so much for so long? (I admit, I am also terrified of the means by which I will die—I fear agony and pain!) Death as a whole affects me as well. I am very sensitive to the news whether or not I know the person or people involved. I cry over the circumstances of their death, such as age and cause. I cry over their grieving family and friends. I cry over their lack of understanding... Read the rest of this entry »