Mormon Bloggers

Pre-mortal Life with God Our existence did not begin with our birth, nor will it end with our death. Before we were born on this earth, we lived with God (Jeremiah 1:5; Abraham 3:22-25). God is called our “heavenly Father” because He is literally the “Father of [our] Spirits” (Hebrews 12:9; Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16). As his spirit children, we are truly “children of God” (Romans 8:16). During the pre-existence, we “receive[d] [our] first lessons in the world of spirits” and prepared for life on this earth (D&C 138:56). In a primordial council in heaven, God prepared and presented a plan whereby we would leave his presence and come to earth to receive a physical body and be tried and tested (Abraham 3:25). If we were faithful during mortality, we would return to heavenly Father’s presence and receive the gift of eternal life (John 17:3). Unfortunately, not all of God’s children accepted His plan. In fact, one-third of the hosts of heaven including Lucifer (or... Read the rest of this entry »

“Good morning, brethren.  Our lesson today is about sin.  Since all of you know all there is to know about sin, I’ve chosen a different topic.  Instead, we’re going to talk about repentance, since none of you knows anything about that.” As you might expect, nervous laughter circulated among the brethren of our high priest group.  The lesson was indeed Chapter 19, Repentance, but what came next was a surprise. “Since the scriptures clearly teach that we are conceived in sin and there’s nothing we can do about that, what do we do with this thing we call sin in our lives?” You should know I am routinely amazed at what passes for doctrine in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  There were some mild stammers and stutters in the room, no one wanting to be the first to speak.  It could have been nothing more than a device to get our attention.  Quickly and invariably the eyes started turning to me for... Read the rest of this entry »

So, it is time to write about it again. I actually read my previous Faith posts — some of which may be difficult to discern, because they don’t come right out and say, “this is about Faith!” Well, now, this one does declare that. This is part of my philosophical education, I guess. I need [...]  Read More →

Just so you know; here’s the disclaimer up front:  I am a heterosexual monogamous male living in the last days who is not without sin.  When I found my eternal companion, Patsy Hewlett, our union began simply as one male and one female who were deeply in love with each other from the moment we went on our first date.  Neither of us was perfect yet, but she’s always been pretty darn close to perfection as far as I’ve been able to discern.   From those two imperfect beings have come many – thirteen children and thirty-five grandchildren.  We have been added upon in ways we never imagined when we first met. . . And, I’m a Mormon. I suppose there are others types of “love” in these last days because I’ve been told there is an acronym to describe everything else under the broad heading of “love,” and it has been in widespread use since the 1990s:  LGBT is an initialism... Read the rest of this entry »

As corny and somewhat doctrinally incorrect the play Saturday’s Warrior is, the main song is truly inspiring: Who are these children coming down, coming down,Like gentle rain through darkened skies,With glory trailing from their feet as they goAnd endless promise in their eyes?Who are these young ones growing tall, growing strong,Like silver trees against the storm,Who will not bend with the wind or the change,But stand to fight the world alone?These are the few, the warriors saved for Saturday,To come the last day of the world.These are they on Saturday.These are the strong, the warriors rising in their mightTo win the battle raging in the hearts of men on Saturday.Strangers from a realm of light who have forgotten allThe memory of their former life, the purpose of their call.And so they must learn why they’re here and who they really are.They must learn why they’re here and who they are!These are the few, the warriors saved for Saturday,To come the last day of the world.These... Read the rest of this entry »

Why do we serve? ­Everything in this life, within the gospel, the church, and all the creations of the earth are provided for one reason. And that reason is to have infinite happiness by becoming increasingly like our Heavenly Father. We see this in the scriptures: 2 Ne. 2:25, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy,” That’s the infinite happiness part. Moses 1:39, “For behold this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” What does that mean, eternal life of man? John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Eternal life is more than just living forever; it is the kind of life God has and He wants us to have it. He wants us to become like Him, to think as He thinks, to act as He does, to know what He knows, and be able to do many things He can do. We find that eternal life is to live like Heavenly Father. We are to become like... 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 →

Warm weather, beautiful birdsongs, fragrant flowers–spring is here! Spring is a happy season, full of life and beauty and hope. It is no wonder that so many significant events have happened during spring. Passover and Easter: Both of these holidays–one Jewish, the other Christian–celebrate Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection, the most important parts of the plan of salvation. Also, it was on Passover that Christ instituted the sacrament before His death. [For more information on the relation of these two holidays, read this talk by then Elder Howard W. Hunter.] Joseph Smith’s First Vision: Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son amid Their wondrous creations in the spring of 1820, during the country’s Second Great Awakening (a religious revival). The Restoration of the Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized and established on April 6, 1830. The timing also coincides with Easter, and for symbolic reasons: Christ’s... Read the rest of this entry »

Often after being around people who have been righteous and valiant their entire lives, I feel like scum and I wonder how in the world Heavenly Father loves me just as much as He loves them. My justice-oriented mind doesn’t understand the mercy of the Atonement and the unconditional love of the Savior. It’s unbelievable that someone who has sinned so greatly can repent and receive eternal life. I know such thoughts are from Satan (see the post “Love Thyself” and this Ensign article), but I still allow myself to believe them. Then I try to remember this New Testament parable: Matthew 20:1-16. What matters is not when I began to work in the vineyard, but that I am there working. Whether I have been like Nephi or like Alma the Younger, I will still receive the same celestial reward. That knowledge gives me comfort and the courage to strive for exaltation. Sharing Time: What scripture story or passage inspires you to aim for a heavenly goal?  Read More →

How does a family deal with the tragic and sudden loss of two little girls (accidentally poisoned by pesticide)? Today the Toone family will bury these two little girls (ages 4 and 15 months). Watch the following video, or read this statement from the girls’ father, to see the strength Mormons receive from our knowledge of life after death, and of the plan of God for eternal family relationships. See also the power of forgiving hearts as the family explains that they hold no anger toward the exterminator who likely caused their deaths. “…we rejoice in our conviction that our family is bound by eternal ties that cannot be severed by death…. Our great hope is that reflection on the lives of Rebecca and Rachel will spur all of us – those close to us and those unknown – to consider more fully the eternal plan that a loving God has for each of His children. Many have questioned, ‘How can they bear it? How can they go on?’ We testify that the atoning... 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 »