How Beautiful Are They To The Eyes Of Them Who There Came To The Knowledge Of Their Redeemer..."(Mosiah 18:30)

Thus closes the story of the people that Alma converted after being converted himself by the prophet Abinadi. For many Latter Day Saints, the focus of this chapter is the actual experience of the people when they were baptized and the covenant they made with God. However, the other day I was reading this chapter and I got to thinking about the above verse. I started to ponder on why the forest of Mormon and the waters of Mormon were so beautiful to the people. The verse tells us they came to know their Redeemer but what was involved in the experience of coming to know and developing that relationship? Is there a way for us to apply this process to our own lives that we may draw closer to Christ and like the people of this chapter, “come to know [our] Redeemer?”

Perhaps the best place to start is a brief summary of what occurred leading up to this chapter. Essentially, like many prophets of old, the Lord commanded Abinadi to go preach among a people that was ruled by an evil king named Noah. After one failed attempt he returns many years later and once he is discovered he is arrested and brought before the king. Abinadi preaches the truth, claiming that if the king and the priests do not repent they shall suffer the same death that they will cause him to suffer. He preaches of faith and repentance, declares that they do not teach the Law of Moses, and above all that “redemption cometh through Christ the Lord…” (Mosiah 16:15). After Abinadi does this he is executed by fire; prophesying as he dies that the day will come when King Noah’s life will also be consumed in fire, which does in fact occur.

Just like many missionaries Abinadi did not witness the fruit of his efforts. Yet there was one man among the priests, named Alma, who was moved by the spirit and fled from the presence of the king. While in hiding he came to know God, in a sense he experienced his own “Waters of Mormon Moment”. He then preached to the people in private, all that would hear. After some time he lead them to the Waters of Mormon where he baptized them, having received authority from God to do so. Here most Latter Days Saints focus on what we will refer to as the “requirements of baptism” but in this post we are going to look at five points that brought about these peoples’ “Waters of Mormon Moment” in which they came to know God.

I. Demonstrated a Desire to Follow God Regardless of Consequences

 Growing up I was always reminded that it is easy to stand for God in a crowd. It is when we must stand alone that our faith is tested and our testimonies refined. The people that gathered at the Waters of Mormon knew perfectly well that the soldiers of King Noah were hunting down anyone who claimed to believe in the words of the now deceased Abinadi. They knew that it was possible that they would be martyred just like him for what they were choosing to do. It is something to be admired and emulated. President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Thomas S. Monson has counseled Church members “an individual testimony is necessary to be strong enough to withstand all the forces pulling us in the wrong direction or all the voices encouraging us to take the wrong path." In order to be like the people of Mormon and have our own “Waters of Mormon Moment” we must develop our own testimonies strong enough to stand up for what we believe. As Alma teaches the people we must stand for God “at all times and in all things and in all places that ye may be in, even until death,” (Mosiah 18:9). I think the question to ask ourselves is “am I willing to stand for God not matter the cost to me?” Recall what Christ said: “whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:25). Seek ye first the things of the Eternities my dear readers that when Christ returns to claim His people we shall know Him for we will be like Him.

II. Experienced a “Spiritual Rebirth”

It was Jesus who stated “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” it is through this rebirth both of water of the Holy Ghost that we are transformed from natural man to saint. King Benjamin taught “For the natural man is an enemy to God…” (Mosiah 3:19) Yet the rebirth that I am speaking of is neither of these. It is a rebirth that comes with our everyday choices, the kind of rebirth that occurs each time we pray or choose to study our scriptures. It helps us put off the desire for the things of the world and enables us to focus on the eternal. We no longer yearn for the temporal, pride causing, and materialistic whims of the flesh. Christ said “if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23)

I would like to draw your attention to another example of a “Waters of Mormon Moment “in the scriptures; specifically, the conversion experience of King Lamoni’s father. Upon first meeting Ammon and his son Lamoni, the father of Lamoni declares “I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the kingdom” (Alma 20:23). However later on after Aaron (Ammon’s brother) teaches Lamoni’s father of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Lamoni’s father prays to the Lord “I will give away all my sins to know thee” (Alma 22:18). This change is a product of the “spiritual rebirth” of turning one’s heart to God and through that transformation of the heart and coming to know Him in a way that one has not previously. It is like walking out of a dark room into the bright light of day. Everything becomes more beautiful, more enriching, and further understood. My dear reader, choose the things of God, choose to follow Him, and one day you will look back and wonder how you ever lived any differently. Elder David A. Bednar has declared “Through faith in Christ, we can be spiritually prepared and cleansed from sin, immersed in and saturated with His gospel, and purified and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.” Such is the spiritual rebirth that each of us can experience, I invite each of you to partake of His redemption and live.

III. Personified Their Faith By Their Actions

I have done quite a few posts on the need for works not to secure our salvation but to validate it. Our actions coupled with our faith act as a testament before God that our heart is truly turned to him. So I will not argue the necessity but rather the blessings of righteous works. For the people at the Waters of Mormon they sealed their faith with a full immersion baptism, just as Christ was baptized in the New Testament. (See Matthew 3) Think of many of the parables Christ gave including the ten virgins, the good Samaritan, the sheep and the goats, and even the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in which he “seeing the multitudes… went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him” (Matt. 5:1). Christ readies Himself and then the people come unto Him. He didn’t idly sit at the base of the mountain and teach. He wanted only those willing to navigate the slope to hear His words; only those which were prepared to work for it. Coming unto Him implies that we must do something. We as children of God plead for Christ to come unto us, I cannot recall a time that He has not answered my desperate appeal. Is it not only fair that we return the favor?

In personifying their faith by their actions the people at the Waters of Mormon came to know God because they strove to DO what He wanted them to DO. Recall the verse in James 2:2 that says “faith without works is dead” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said “we are truly spirit children of God and therefore should act accordingly.” The word I would like to draw your attention to is the word act. It does not say “speak” or “think” or even “believe” it says act. To me that implies the need for more from us. As the hymn “More Holiness Give Me” pleads “more holiness give me; more strivings within; more faith, gratitude, and purity; more fit for the kingdom; more purpose in prayer; and more trust in the Lord” (Hymn #131). These things cannot be obtained without action, without evidence of our devotion to God found in all that we do, not just what we say in front of a congregation at Church or upon our knees before God. He asks us to pick up our crosses and follow after Him, do it.

IV. Took Steps Forward on the Path of Discipleship

Though this concept somewhat ties into the previous in many ways, it deserves a brief discussion of its own. The people that gathered at the Waters of Mormon and that were then baptized by Alma took numerous steps on the path of discipleship before reaching this climactic moment. They believed on his words, they listened with open hearts, they learned with a desire to know. Every little thing that we do that brings us closer to Christ propels us forward on the path of discipleship. Every day we make decisions that can cause us to move forward, backwards, and some decisions even result in a brief detour to enticing worldly pleasures. In another General Conference address President Dieter F. Uchtdorf assured us “the first step on the path of discipleship begins in the exact place where we stand! We do not have to prequalify to take that first step.” The step does not have to be huge either. It can simple be a conscious choice. A choice to pray every morning before you leave the house, a choice to read a little bit from the scriptures every night before bed, a choice to be kinder, more patient, or more humble.

 Many of the steps we take will not be acknowledged or noticed by others. I submit to you that the most monumental (at least for me) have been the steps I have taken that only God has known. Praying for the desire to serve others more selflessly, to love God more deeply, and to find greater joy in my journey are just as a few. The smallest righteous act can be the first step you will take on the road to your eternity with a loving Heavenly Father who waits. So what are you waiting for? The only person holding you back, is you.

V. Aligned Their Will With God’s

Perhaps one of the hardest things to do in my opinion is to understand the will of our Heavenly Father and then to faithfully trust in it. A well-known scripture reads: “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Yet it is difficult to do. Many people find it testing to trust in something when it causes them to take a few steps into the dark. Yet that is what the people at the Waters of Mormon did and in order to have a similar experience as them we must do the same. They did not know if their actions would cost them their lives. That at same point it would bring them into bondage to wicked people who roamed the land. Yet they faithfully trusted, knowing that what they were doing was right before God, heeding not to the worries of what man could do. Christ taught “fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” (Matt. 10:28).

This life is not meant to be easy because it was not easy for Him. If we are to be disciples of the Lamb of God who was scourged and bruised for the sins of the world we take a slight sip from the bitter cup that He had to drink for our sakes. As I have previously mentioned remember Christ promised “he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt. 10:39). One’s life has not been fully lived until that life is lost in a love for the Savior and for His fellow men. The will of God will not make us miserable. Though at times, when we must sacrifice, when we must walk away from what we deem is the “best” for us, it may seem that way. Yet God’s job is not to make His children agonize over lost opportunities. He loves us too much to do that. His goal is to “ bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Seek God’s will, whatever it might be, in prayer, in fasting, in study, and in faith. Life as you know it will end, for yours will become a life for God, there can be no greater cause then this. Reach for it, it is there, you just have to know where to look.

A Personal Experience and a Challenge

So as not to take away too much from He who is to be the center of this post I will keep many of the personal details as private as I can while still making my point. There was a time not long ago when I desperately wanted something. I prayed earnestly for this desire of my heart. It was a righteous desire as far as I could tell (yet who am I to know the ways of God?) Up to that point God had not dissuaded me from my efforts to obtain what I longed for. In fact, at times, it felt like He strengthened me and gave me patience to do what I needed to obtain it. Then, one night, with a few harsh words, all that I had hoped and prayed for was ripped from me. I walked in the dark for a time and I suffered the growing pains of my affliction. I begged God for understanding, for mercy, and above all, for relief. Yet it didn’t come in the way I thought it would. No angel came from heaven to tell me why or to assure me that the light would shine again. No angels from heaven anyway. Rather, God sent them in the form of friends. People were there to help me realize that beyond this deep rooted desire there was life. That I was not the product of an individual’s words or insults but clay in the hands of God, being molded and refined into something beautiful. Though at the time I did not realize it I now know that the darkness that I wandered in was for me, a Waters of Mormon moment. In the midst of that trial I came to know my Redeemer and how precious are those moments of tearful prayers and sob-wracked pleas. How beautiful are the lessons I learned and the understanding I gained. My challenge to you, my dear readers, is to come to recognize these “Waters of Mormon Moments” as they come. Recognize your trials as a furnace to fire you into a beautiful instrument for God’s use. I leave you now with the same words that Mormon left with his son ““Be faithful in Christ … [and] may [He] lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death … and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever” (Moroni 9:25-26) and as always, may God never cease to bless you until you read again.

(you can also view this post on scripturenews.com)

“For By Grace Are Ye Saved Through Faith” (Ephesians 2:8)

Perhaps one of the most controversial religious issues since the mode for baptism could be the question of whether one is saved by grace or by works. It has been the debate among many denominations for as long as anyone can remember. I have touched on this topic numerous times in posts past but only recently did I decide to dedicate en entire post to this particular issue. First, let me place a disclaimer. Anything and everything I post here is my own opinion and thoughts from the research that I do. I in no way reflect the beliefs of the Church as a whole. The only real way to get answers and understand our doctrines is to study it for yourself by reading the Book of Mormon and talking with missionaries. Now that I’ve made that clear what is my position, as a Latter Day Saint, on the concept of grace and works in regards to the salvation of man?

There are two words in Hebrew that mean grace. The first “khanan” which implies grace or favor granted with the expectation of something in return later. Essentially “I’ll do this for you now but later I expect something in return.” It is give and take. The second and the one that will fit nicely into this discussion is the word “Khesed” which means an eternal gift. Really something that is given without strings attached. However, “khesed” also implies a contractile relationship. Everyone knows that in the signing of a contract there must be giving and taking on both sides. “khesed”, the freely given grace with the underlying tone of a contract is the grace that Paul talks about in his letters to the Ephesians. Yes it is freely given, it is a gift, but it is also given under the pretenses that there is to be give and take on both ends.

Yet there is another evidence of the concept of grace meaning a contractile relationship. When reading the New Testament in Greek you come across the word “pistis” which means “faith” but it also means “a relationship through a contract” Once again the idea is presented that faith is an action word; a word of giving as well as receiving.

But what of works?

For the sake of being on the same page we shall define works for this post as something that you do; an action and something that God cannot do for you. Based off of this concept is it safe to say that merely having faith in Jesus Christ is a work? It is something that we must choose to do; God cannot do it for us.

Critics of the need for works in being saved will say that it is through faith alone that ye are saved. Yet the only time the Bible mentions “faith alone” is in James 2:24 which says “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

So what does it mean to have faith?

Is faith nothing more than believing and trusting? Searching the scriptures, we see faith also involves assent to God's truth (1 Thessalonians 2:13), obedience to Him (Romans 1:5, 16:26), and it must be working in love (Galatians 5:6).  From these scriptures I think it is safe to assume that having faith is a thing of action. In fact Paul teaches that faith in Christ is a lifelong process; not a one-time experience. In his letter to the Philippians he says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). I do not think this means that we are completely on our own, that salvation depends solely on what we do. Rather, I interpret this verse to refer to the idea that even after we have accepted Christ and developed a faith in Him we must work to strengthen that faith in Him that has redeemed us from a lost and fallen state.

So our faith is constantly growing. It is subject to change. Recall the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23). If one looks at the seeds as faith then it is evident that, in some instances, the seeds are sown but do not take root, are choked by tears, or baked in the sun. Faith is something that must be cultivated and nourished and that, my dear readers, takes action. It takes work.

Christ himself emphasized the need for works in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). He separates the sheep and the goats according to what they have done. He tells his faithful “For I was in hungered and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in. Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto me” (25:35-36). Such things require action.   We cannot merely accept Christ and then do nothing. We must live for Him as surely as He died for us.

Many critics of the Church will accuse Latter Day Saints of believing that we can earn our salvation. We do not believe that. As mentioned in a previous post we believe that all are saved through the resurrection. Thus God is a merciful God for everybody will take on immortally. Yet many use the scripture in 2 Nephi 25:23 which states “it is by grace we are saved after all we can do.” Yet what is “all we can do” A wonderful example is found in Alma 24:11 which says “It was all that we could do to repent.” Latter Day Saints believe that you must have faith in Jesus Christ, and then you must repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ with the proper authority, receive the Holy Ghost and continue in righteousness all the rest of your days.

We believe that it is through Christ that you are saved. For without the atonement and the shedding of His blood we could not return to the presence of God. Yet why do Latter Day Saints believe you need works? It was explained briefly in a post on baptism but another great reason in the concept of two deaths. First is a physical death; the separation of the body and the spirit; second, the separation of our spirits from the presence of God which is known as a spiritual death. Physical death is overcome through the resurrection of Christ for as surely as He was resurrected so will we be resurrected to dwell in perfection and immortality forever. 2 Nephi 9 says “And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from the first death into life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy of Israel; and then cometh the judgment and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God” (2 Nephi 9:15). Here is where our works come in. We will be judged according to how we have lived out lives and from there will reside in one of the three degrees that has also been previously mentioned; this assignment to a degree of glory will either separate us from the Father or allow us to dwell in His presence for all eternity.

We stand by what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” Through Christ we can live lives of righteousness, faith and joy. Through Him we can repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Because of our faithfulness to our Redeemer we can prove our love and our gratitude for the gift of His grace by serving others, developing our talents, accepting callings, and growing into men and women of God. It is through faith that we are saved but it is by works that our salvation is justified before God. Now my dear reader, my question to you is this:

How has faith, in conjunction with works brought you closer to your Father in Heaven and your Savior?

God bless you my dear readers, until you read again.

"Except A Man Be Born of Water and of the Spirit He Cannot Enter into the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5)

There is much debate over what the above passage means. Lately I have heard the popular explanation that Christ is referring to our physical birth as the “baptism of water” and we are baptized by fire when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. No disrespect to those individuals. I wholeheartedly vouch for people practicing and worshiping God however they see fit but allow me the opportunity to shed some light on the LDS view of this section and our opinion on baptism in general.

As always, I like to start at the very beginning. In this case I would like to draw your attention to the meaning of the word “baptism” in the original Greek. The word “baptism” comes from the Greek verb “baptidzo” which means “to immerse.” The process of baptism consists of immersion, submersion and emergence. In the world of the Latter Day Saint baptism symbolizes birth, burial and resurrection of the body which gives added meaning to Christ’s words when he says “except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”(John 3:3). Yet there are many interpretations of this scripture (as previously mentioned) based on the claim that baptism is not needed for salvation. Let me teach you a concept that I intend to expound upon later, I am going to give you your first taste (for the LDS among you consider this a great review), of the Plan of Salvation.

In the Pearl of Great Price (a book that Latter Day Saints also revere as scripture) the Lord says to Moses “For behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). As Latter Day Saints we do not believe anyone is going to hell, unless you deny the Christ after the heavens have been opened to you. However, that is another post and will not be discussed in depth at this time. We believe in the resurrection of all mankind. God is no respecter of persons. He loves all of His children. In Jeremiah 1:5 He says “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” Just as a child is created to look like its parents we too are created to look like our Father in Heaven (see Genesis 1:26-27). God does not love in the way we humans comprehend the word. In 1 John 4:8-10 John explains that love “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herin is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” I personally interpret this verse to point to God’s eternal love for each of us as His children, whether we have accepted His son or not, we are His for He is our Father and He created us. 

Latter Day Saints believe that we will all be resurrected; no matter what we have done. This goes back to the idea of an all-encompassing atonement. This concept is spelled out beautifully in Alma 42:23 when the prophet Alma is talking to his son about justice and mercy. He teaches “But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice” (Alma 43:23). So mercy comes in the fact that all men will be resurrected but justice comes through the judgment of all men based on whether they have accepted Christ and other contributing factors that I feel impressed not to bring up at this time.

If you will recall when Paul writes his letter to the Corinthians he write of “Celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial” (1 Corinthians 15:40) essentially, Latter Day Saints believe that these “bodies” are, to put it simply, heavens of sorts. “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from another star in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:41). When the time comes we will stand before God and be judged according to the way we have lived our lives. Thus the demands of justice can be met.

To summarize you have the highest degree, which is the Celestial Kingdom or Degree. God the Father rules over this Kingdom, here those who have been baptized with the proper authority and have had all other appropriate ordinances performed will dwell with God. The next degree is the Terrestrial Kingdom, where Christ where rule and those who were good, accepted Christ, etc… will go here. Finally in the Telestial Kingdom, where the Holy Spirit reigns, those who may not have lived the way they should will dwell for eternity (I do intend to do a post outlining the Plan of Salvation at  some point but for now email me with your questions and I will do my best to answer them). 

So back to baptism; Latter Day Saints believe it is essential to get to the Celestial Kingdom. That view is based on scriptural teachings such as Matthew 28:19 which commands “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” If baptism were not necessary why would Christ command His disciples to go out and do it?

Latter Day Saints believe like other denominations that you first must have faith in Christ and then be baptized. We believe without the atonement even if you were baptized it would be null and void because there would be no cleansing blood of the Savior to provide a way for us to repent. However, after you have that faith and repented of your sins, we believe the next step is baptism. It is a symbolist act that represents the cleansing that accepting Christ does for your sins and your spirit. In the Book of Mormon the prophet Nephi writes of the importance of baptism “And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son. And also, the voice of the Son came unto me saying: He that is baptized in my, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost; wherefore follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do” (2 Nephi 31:11-12).

Baptism by immersion is necessary to receive “all that the Father hath.” It is not necessary to be saved in the sense that many Christians view the word but it is necessary if we wish to receive the highest reward that God longs to give us. I can testify, as a witness for Him, that he is a God mercy, a God of justice and a God of love. His plan, even the Plan of Salvation, is perfect. No one will be left feeling cheated or unhappy for the atonement of Christ satisfied the law of justice and allows mercy to have its affect. I testify that each and every one of us will cry out as Nephi did “Oh how great [is] the goodness of our God” (2 Nephi 9:10). God bless you my dear readers, until you read again.