Why we need a Savior

What would life be like without a Savior? 

Come and See

You may wonder why members of the Mormon faith get so excited about sharing their beliefs with others. After all, there are currently more than 88,000 members of the church who are serving as full-time missionaries all across the Globe. So what exactly is a missionary? "A missionary is a follower of Christ who testifies of Him as the Redeemer and proclaims the truths of His gospel." (Elder David A. Bednar).

My 19 year old daughter is one of those 88,000.  Of her own free will and choice, she made the decision to leave the comforts of home for 18 months to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She is serving her mission on the other side of the country and I have not seen my daughter in over 9 months now.  I miss her terribly, but at the same time I wouldn't want her anywhere else.  It has been a wonderful opportunity for her to spend this time devoted to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.  She has literally changed peoples' lives! She has brought meaning to their lives and helped them understand their worth as Children of God.  And in the process, she has changed her own life for good as well. Through her weekly emails I have seen the growth that has taken place in her life. She has learned life skills that she probably wouldn't have learned had she chosen to not go on a mission.  But more importantly, her own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and her relationship with Him has been strengthened beyond measure as she has shared it with others. That is absolutely priceless.

So why did she have such a strong desire to share the gospel with others? I was reading a message from Elder Bednar, one of the 12 Apostles in the church.  He asks and answers the question, "Why are Latter-day Saints so eager to tell me about what they believe and to invite me to learn about their church?"  He says...

"When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product.  As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest.  We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do.  We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true."

He continues, "Some of you may respond, 'But I already believe in Jesus and follow His teachings.' or 'I am not sure if God really exists.'  Our invitations to you are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience.  Bring all that you know is true, good, praiseworthy-and test our message.  Just as Jesus Beckoned two of His disciples to 'come and see' (John 1:39), so we urge you to come and see if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ enlarges and enriches that which you already believe to be true." (Elder Bednar-"Come and See")

I too invite you to "come and see".  This gospel has brought an immeasurable amount of peace and happiness into my life and the life of my family.  This peace and happiness is available to all who sincerely "come and see".  Jesus Christ stands at the door and knocks.  But it is we who have to open the door and let Him in.

Sharing is Natural

Sharing is natural. #ShareGoodness

Posted by LDS Youth on Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Do we have a Mother in Heaven?

Do we have a Mother in Heaven? The answer is absolutely YES!  This is what our Church teaches about our Mother in Heaven...

Mother in Heaven

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all human beings, male and female, are beloved spirit children of heavenly parents, a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. This understanding is rooted in scriptural and prophetic teachings about the nature of God, our relationship to Deity, and the godly potential of men and women.¹The doctrine of a Heavenly Mother is a cherished and distinctive belief among Latter-day Saints.²

While there is no record of a formal revelation to Joseph Smith on this doctrine, some early Latter-day Saint women recalled that he personally taught them about a Mother in Heaven.³ The earliest published references to the doctrine appeared shortly after Joseph Smith’s death in 1844, in documents written by his close associates.⁴The most notable expression of the idea is found in a poem by Eliza R. Snow, entitled “My Father in Heaven” and now known as the hymn “O My Father.” This text declares: “In the heav’ns are parents single? / No, the thought makes reason stare; / Truth is reason—truth eternal / Tells me I’ve a mother there.”⁵

Subsequent Church leaders have affirmed the existence of a Mother in Heaven. In 1909, the First Presidency taught that “all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.”⁶ Susa Young Gates, a prominent leader in the Church, wrote in 1920 that Joseph Smith’s visions and teachings revealed the truth that “the divine Mother, [is] side by side with the divine Father.”⁷ And in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” issued in 1995, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared, “Each [person] is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”⁸

Prophets have taught that our heavenly parents work together for the salvation of the human family. “We are part of a divine plan designed by Heavenly Parents who love us,” taught Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.⁹ President Harold B. Lee stated, “We forget that we have a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother who are even more concerned, probably, than our earthly father and mother, and that influences from beyond are constantly working to try to help us when we do all we can.”¹⁰

Latter-day Saints direct their worship to Heavenly Father, in the name of Christ, and do not pray to Heavenly Mother. In this, they follow the pattern set by Jesus Christ, who taught His disciples to “always pray unto the Father in my name.”¹¹ Latter-day Saints are taught to pray to Heavenly Father, but as President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “The fact that we do not pray to our Mother in Heaven in no way belittles or denigrates her.”¹² Indeed, as Elder Rudger Clawson wrote, “We honor woman when we acknowledge Godhood in her eternal Prototype.”¹³

As with many other truths of the gospel, our present knowledge about a Mother in Heaven is limited. Nevertheless, we have been given sufficient knowledge to appreciate the sacredness of this doctrine and to comprehend the divine pattern established for us as children of heavenly parents. Latter-day Saints believe that this pattern is reflected in Paul’s statement that “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.”¹⁴ Men and women cannot be exalted without each other. Just as we have a Father in Heaven, we have a Mother in Heaven. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them.

https://www.lds.org/topics/mother-in-heaven?lang=eng#print

What is the Book of Mormon?

“If people could really understand what the Book of Mormon is, they would cherish that book like their lives depended on it,”

“Prophets like Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses were men called by God to teach truth in the Holy Land,” the video explains. “But did God only speak to people in the Holy Land? At that same time, there were people in other parts of the world, and the Book of Mormon is proof that God called prophets to help them as well.”

What is the Book of Mormon? Watch this short video to find out!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865618837/What-is-the-Book-of-Mormon-Video-created-by-3-returned-missionaries-answers-the-question.html?clear_cache=1