First of all, thank you for finding the link to come here and view my blog. I can only write 500 hundred characters on my home page at YouTube and I don't want to monopolize those comment sections. I would rather have the space available for you and your comments.
I had scripture study today and while I was reading in Isaiah, I stumbled upon a study aide that allowed me to recognize this same chapter of Isaiah was also included in Nephi's record. I will quote the chapter of Isaiah and visit scriptures both in Isaiah and in the Book of Mormon as I see necessary to illuminate and add commentary to this particular chapter of scripture.
Isaiah was a great seer and amongst many of the Biblical prophets, he wrote not only of the Savior's first coming but that of the "Latter-Day Work" which would take place prior to Jesus Christ's triumphant return.
My aim is to present the information as best as possible, keeping the scriptures constantly before me and help provide cross-references for "ease of additional searching" that you undoubtedly may do!
Messiah shall be a light to the Gentiles and shall free the prisoners—Israel shall be gathered with power in the last days—Kings shall be their nursing fathers—Compare 1 Nephi 21.
Isaiah Chapter 49:
1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
5 ¶ And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a alight to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
8 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
10 They shall not hunger nor athirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
13 ¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
18 ¶ Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
20 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?
22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
24 ¶ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
26 And I will feed them that ppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
Nephi, the son of Lehi also wrote about and quoted entire passages of Isaiah. They had the prophesies of Isaiah but Nephi included certain chapters of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon... almost as though he knew! Well, according to the Book of Mormon, he saw the same signs and revelations that the Apostle John did see but he was forbidden to write them for John had already been commissioned of Jesus Christ to write them as "The Book of Revelations".
No doubt, Nephi saw our day and thought that these Latter-Day prophesies would be of great worth to the Children of Men, more especially those who belonged to the House of Israel through the covenant.
One of my favorite verses in Isaiah 49 is verse 16: For the "Lord" surely saw the savior and what he would be subject to and how the nails would be driven through his hands. Isaiah is "so poetic" in his writings that he lets Israel know that they are engraven upon the palms of his hands which is symbolic for the "sacrifice" that he would perform by being raised up on the Cross. Furthermore, Zechariah would also echo this when he sees what the Jews response when they view him return triumphant saying, "What are these woulds in thine hands? and Christ will reply, "These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends." and in this instant, the entire Jewish nation will recognize their messiah and know that it was he who came the first time.
Many prophecies of Isaiah and John the Revelator are still pending but the most powerful testament that God's work is being carried out in the world today is being done through the Latter-Day Saint church, as described by Isaiah.
22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
There are many who contest the meaning of this scripture. I testify to you that Isaiah truly meant these shoes to be filled by the Church of Jesus Christ in the latter days. Priesthood authority would be given unto the gentiles to once again, help reclaim Israel, God's ancient covenant people. If this mission was meant to have been accomplished by another sect or creed, it certainly isn't being done at the level in which the Mormons are doing it.
They have spread all across the globe declaring glad tidings and publishing peace. Like unto the early days of Christ's church which fell into Apostacy a few decades after Christ's 40 days spent with his Apostles. All biblical prophecies both old and new testament had to come to pass just the way that it did.
Daniel said that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands would fill the whole earth! (Daniel 2)
Malachi testified that a prophet would prepare the way of the Lord just prior to his second coming. No other earthy recording of this prophecy has been brought to the world's attention save the mission of the LDS Church claiming ownership of these prophecies' fulfillment. Malachi testifies of Joseph Smith's mission. (Malachi 3:1) (compare 3 Nephi 24)
It is this same Church of Jesus Christ which will redeem Israel to the fulfillment of Malachi's other prophecy, "and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness or in other words, the Priesthood Authority will be restored to Israel and they will be redeemed from the fall through the blood of the lamb. (Malachi 3:3)
Searching for these prophecies
23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
Many people, once they join the Church of Jesus Christ, have left the church and continue to leave. They feel "ashamed" to belong to the true church of God and this shame is taught by the precepts of men. It is like Lehi's dream of the tree of life which is later elaborated upon by Nephi. There are but save two churches on the earth today. The Church of God and the Church of the Devil. 1 Ne. 14: 10
It is also said that the members of this church of God would be few. Even at 13 million, it is a spec of sand compared to the billions of people living on earth.
It was the mission of the church to "find the elect" and help "build the kingdom of God on earth" Many are called to the work, but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen? "Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and caspire to the honors of men..." D&C 121:35
24 ¶ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
We learn that the "lawful" are considered as scattered Israel. Which was prophesied they should become a "hiss and a byword" and in many cases, they were imprisoned as well as found in foreign lands. The coming of the Lord the second time would mean that Israel first would begin to be gathered back into their own lands. Israel began returning to the Holy land in droves as a sign of the times which should also come forth in the latter-days and we know that the house of Judah and many others are returning to Israel at this time.
25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
26 And I will feed them that opress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
God has promised judgment against those responsible for deterring the work of God even with harsh and absolute judgment. It will have been better that they had never known of the name Jesus Christ, whom they professed to be fighting for. They are like unto "Saul of Tarsus" save there is no redemption prepared for them for they are bitter to the very end and fight against Zion until their bodies have no more breath in them. Even in their dying words, they will curse God for they never knew him, as they so profess such.
I hope you enjoy this short 10 minute video and use "Chapter 22" of 1 Nephi to assist you in the convincing of both the Jew and Gentile that the latter-day work is moving forward. Let them know that the Lord could use their help! Warm them with the pleasing word of God until their spirits are no longer cold and calloused. Nourish them until they come to the knowledge of our savior. Speak unto them with full purpose of heart and let them only feel of your love for them. God loves them and has a place for each of them if they so choose to listen with their hearts.
If they be "true followers of Jesus Christ" they will recognize his voice and take their rightful place in the house of Israel and be saved along with Abraham, and with Isaac and with Jacob;
I thank everyone who has visited this blog and wish them a pleasant day. It is my prayer that you get into the scriptures and pray to the Lord over them and he will truly bless you with the spirit of discernment and with the spirit of prophecy so that the words of both Isaiah and those of Nephi can be understood in your minds as the Lord would have you know them.
The latter-day work continues forth and does so with or without us. It is my prayer that it will go forth with us so that we, along with our many fellow brothers and sisters in Christ may too enjoy the blessings of the Celestial Kingdom with our father and dwell with him in the mansions of our Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Moroni Chapter 7
Foreword:
My aim is to completely discern the 7th Chapter of the Book of Moroni. It has been one of my favorite Books for decades. I could say the same thing about any of Moroni's writings both pars of the Book which is called "Mormon" towards the end of this record as well as in Moroni's book.
What I find fascinating is how Moroni carefully wrote down a few more things.
Mormon 8:35 "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing."
Remembering that Moroni "saw our day and he knows our doing" brings EVERY word which he records to a much higher level of importance.
THE BOOK OF MORONI - Moroni
CHAPTER 7
"An invitation to enter into the rest of the Lord— Pray with real intent— The Spirit of Christ enables men to know good from evil— Satan persuades men to deny Christ and do evil—The prophets manifest the coming of Christ— By faith miracles are wrought and angels minister— Men should hope for eternal life and cleave unto charity."
Between A.D. 400 and 421
We know this occurred between 400 and 421 A.D. while Moroni had time to wander in the wilderness. It was his charge to keep the record and hide it up unto the Lord. One can only wonder what sights he did see and what he was really able to do all those years. Space was limited on the plate to really record much.
Moroni valued that space so much that even the mere "phrases he chose to include on the remaining space of this record could be considered priceless!" He did this as well as all prophets in The Book of Mormon, like Nephi for example:
"And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God." 1 Nephi 6:3
1 And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon, which he spake concerning faith, hope, and charity; for after this manner did he speak unto the people, as he taught them in the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship. 2 And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time. 3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.
Now this is such a nice verse. I like it how most "Book of Mormon Prophets start out with something delightful. It is usually aimed at the faithful. Similarly to how Jacob began in the 3rd Chapter of Jacob. He started off giving the message of peace to the faithful, to let them know that the Lord was pleased with them, but then he had to deal with the "WICKED" for the remainder of his discourse...
4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men. 5 For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. 6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing. 7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. 9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such. 10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift. 11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a cservant of the devil. 12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
This is the trouble with most people when they pray. They think they're making a "noise on their knees!" That's not prayer. Most people pray as though its a routine. When some try to extract answers from the Lord while not having real intent, HOW WILLING IS THE LORD TO ANSWER SUCH A MAN OR WOMAN?
I am willing to suggest that if a man or woman PRAY at all, that it be through works of faith. Just as God knows our hearts and our actions in life's daily course, so he also knows if our prayers are meaningful or not. One should pray with real purpose of heart even if he is not seeking answers from God. Otherwise, what does it profit a man? Nothing, just as Moroni suggests.
8 For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.
What comes to my mind is if a man prays because he has to. I've heard it called, "The Post To" method. "I do it cuz I'm post to!" If a household is required to pray and the only answer his or her father or mother is able to give them which is, "You pray because you're supposed to" it neither helps the children nor the parent to start habitual prayers that don't mean anything.
It may sound like this:
"Heavenly Father.
Please bless the food. We thank you for our blessings. Thank you for my Mom and Dad. Thank you for everything. n'thnamahjesuzchrist, Amen!"
Firstly, its not reverent... secondly, its not teaching a man or woman how to sincerely pray. The necessary humility is not found and boys or girls are growing up without coming closer to our father in heaven because they aren't taught the sacredness of prayer.
13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
This scripture is the "Axis" on what the whole chapter revolves around. Moroni goes from teaching a man how to pray and then it goes into God's answers and how to discern them. I'm sure if someone prays and asks God if its okay to fornicate or do whatever they could imagine to ask him doesn't ALWAYS need an answer but in the case of "what is the truth about the gospel of Christ or what is not, one must sometimes ask God in fervent prayer. Here Moroni gave us the formula:
Invites us to do good = good
Invites us to do bad = bad
Its really VERY VERY simple and so are most things in the Gospel. (Alma 37: 6)
Again, verse 13: But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.
Oddly enough, when I was a teenager, this scripture became more true than than people ever thought it would when Michael Jackson came out with his hit song, "Bad"
People went around singing, "You know I'm bad, I'm bad... ya know it! Ya know!" and people began to go around thinking it was okay to be, "A bad ass!" and it didn't take long for the Gospel of Christ to be that thing that was boring or uncool. Like seminary, mutual activities, and so forth. But people still do this today. Latter-day Saints are a peculiar people compared to the world. We don't drink or smoke or do MANY things which are deemed 'Bad' so we are the ones that others are told to avoid while lewd behavior and wild parties began to entice many into that great and spacious building, which Lehi had seen. (Nephi Ch. 8)
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. 16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. 17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. 18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
This is the part in verses 15-18 where Moroni knows that his words along with all the words spoken from the Book Of Mormon prophets may come back to haunt the world and even members of the church who do not read from them and adhere to their words as counsel. For those who "wrongfully judge their words as a thing of naught will also be judged. Nephi as well as Moroni BOTH warned the world that if they did not accept their words, they should stand face to face with us and declare that they are the "Words of Christ" and in no uncertain terms, those who did not do well with them or even reject them, it isn't gonna be a very good day for them, to say the least. 2 Nephi Ch. 33
According to Nephi, if people don't accept his words, then they won't be seeing him ever again. Nephi and the faithful will be in one place while the non-believers of Christ will be in another. He says good bye for ever, so certain that god will not be happy with their unwillingness to accept this great gift prepared for them.
Nephi actually says, "And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day." 2 Nephi 33:14
There will be a lot of people who will not see Nephi anymore and they think that is a good thing! There are plenty of enemies to righteousness that don't think that the Book of Mormon is anything of "God's making" They, unfortunately, will all have to stand face to face with God at the judgment bar and pointlessly make their case about why they never read the Book of Mormon. Some will fight it until the bitter end and not only will call the LDS religion a liar but will also curse God in that day for not making it better known unto them somehow.
19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the alight of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ. 20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing? 21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
I like how Moroni stays true to form. He also said that "Charity never faileth and he or she who possesses charity, it will be well with them. Charity is one of those "Good Things" that one should lay a hold of and if it be possible, we should lay up in store as much of that kind of thing as we can, the continually reading of good books and listening of good music couldn't be far behind.
22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing. 23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come. 24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
Moroni must have known that one day, he would return to this earth as an Angel. He is hoping that mankind will accept this return visit just as we accepted "The Angel Gabriel" who had come to prepare the way of the Lord, visiting Mary and also visiting the humble followers of the Law. Moroni must have known full well that he TOO would declare as it were with a trumpet unto all nations of the Earth.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ. 26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you. 27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
He fears that mankind will not accept miracles or anything like them, including the ministering of Angels because of their lack of faith for it is by faith and obedience of the law that ALL blessings are predicated.
D&C 130: 20-21
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens. 29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. 30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
All too many people believe in a God without power. That somehow he no longer has the ability to send down miracles. Thus their faith is dead along with him. Some just say that God's work is done, but MAN will never tell God to work or not to work. He just DOES his work because it is his purpose. To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of Man. (Moses 1:39)
31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. 32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.
"The Residue of Men" means this, simply: That which remains after a part is taken, separated, removed, or designated; remnant; remainder or in other words, "those who remain or who are yet to come to this earth.
33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
34 And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.
This is how Moroni explains that someone just as seemingly insignificant as yourself or me could possibly do the work which he truly believes we can do. If we have faith in him, we'll be able to do our task and help build the Kingdom of God, for instance, but it is not limited to just that. He desires that we become better: line upon line, precept upon precept so that we may be saved an in turn, we can spread the gospel to those around us. We now have the power to do so!
35 And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased? 36 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? 37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have cease woe be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
He returns to his original thought he had been setting up to give his conclusion. We must know that Angels do not cease to visit man neither do they cease to do the work of the Lord. We must be like unto these angels also and be the miracles which are wrought among the children of men for we have power from on high to do so.
38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.
Faith is the key. There are far too many who read the scriptures and blindly quote them either to their own satisfaction or attempt to quote scriptures to refute the true church of God and do so without faith. It is said of them, "Forasmuch as this people adraw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men" Isaiah 29:13
39 But behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better things of you, for I judge that ye have faith in Christ because of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church.
I just love this verse!
40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? 41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. 42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope. 43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. 44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
The conditions that must exist for a man to have "Charity! Like a cookbook recipe, the ingredients for Charity are outlined"
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
All the knowledge of the world won't save a man. Not even if he's well versed. A man must truly live as he lived, meaning the savior, for things to go well for him or her at the last day.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
It is my prayer too that you be found with Charity, which is the pure love of Christ and we shall see then who Christ will recognize at the last day. Jesus Christ is my support, my friend, and my hero! He is my King and my master and I know that he is divine, son of our loving Father in Heaven, and he has come back to the earth before his second coming to help prepare a world where Charity may exist. God has given us this great gift, the Book of Mormon and we ought not to take it lightly!
For the Mormon and the Christian, for the Jew and also the Gentile, Even unto the Muslim and also unto the Hindu, and also unto the Buddhist as well as the Heathen.
I'm going to close this discourse with one of the last few words Moroni wrote in the entire book. It is my prayer that you will find these words as, "of God" and feel inclined to follow Jesus Christ and also be perfect in him, wherein Moroni writes,
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." Moroni 10:32
I write these things in the name of Jesus Christ, my master, Amen.
My aim is to completely discern the 7th Chapter of the Book of Moroni. It has been one of my favorite Books for decades. I could say the same thing about any of Moroni's writings both pars of the Book which is called "Mormon" towards the end of this record as well as in Moroni's book.
What I find fascinating is how Moroni carefully wrote down a few more things.
Mormon 8:35 "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing."
Remembering that Moroni "saw our day and he knows our doing" brings EVERY word which he records to a much higher level of importance.
THE BOOK OF MORONI - Moroni
CHAPTER 7
"An invitation to enter into the rest of the Lord— Pray with real intent— The Spirit of Christ enables men to know good from evil— Satan persuades men to deny Christ and do evil—The prophets manifest the coming of Christ— By faith miracles are wrought and angels minister— Men should hope for eternal life and cleave unto charity."
Between A.D. 400 and 421
We know this occurred between 400 and 421 A.D. while Moroni had time to wander in the wilderness. It was his charge to keep the record and hide it up unto the Lord. One can only wonder what sights he did see and what he was really able to do all those years. Space was limited on the plate to really record much.
Moroni valued that space so much that even the mere "phrases he chose to include on the remaining space of this record could be considered priceless!" He did this as well as all prophets in The Book of Mormon, like Nephi for example:
"And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God." 1 Nephi 6:3
1 And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon, which he spake concerning faith, hope, and charity; for after this manner did he speak unto the people, as he taught them in the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship. 2 And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me, that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time. 3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.
Now this is such a nice verse. I like it how most "Book of Mormon Prophets start out with something delightful. It is usually aimed at the faithful. Similarly to how Jacob began in the 3rd Chapter of Jacob. He started off giving the message of peace to the faithful, to let them know that the Lord was pleased with them, but then he had to deal with the "WICKED" for the remainder of his discourse...
4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men. 5 For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. 6 For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing. 7 For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. 9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such. 10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift. 11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a cservant of the devil. 12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
This is the trouble with most people when they pray. They think they're making a "noise on their knees!" That's not prayer. Most people pray as though its a routine. When some try to extract answers from the Lord while not having real intent, HOW WILLING IS THE LORD TO ANSWER SUCH A MAN OR WOMAN?
I am willing to suggest that if a man or woman PRAY at all, that it be through works of faith. Just as God knows our hearts and our actions in life's daily course, so he also knows if our prayers are meaningful or not. One should pray with real purpose of heart even if he is not seeking answers from God. Otherwise, what does it profit a man? Nothing, just as Moroni suggests.
8 For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.
What comes to my mind is if a man prays because he has to. I've heard it called, "The Post To" method. "I do it cuz I'm post to!" If a household is required to pray and the only answer his or her father or mother is able to give them which is, "You pray because you're supposed to" it neither helps the children nor the parent to start habitual prayers that don't mean anything.
It may sound like this:
"Heavenly Father.
Please bless the food. We thank you for our blessings. Thank you for my Mom and Dad. Thank you for everything. n'thnamahjesuzchrist, Amen!"
Firstly, its not reverent... secondly, its not teaching a man or woman how to sincerely pray. The necessary humility is not found and boys or girls are growing up without coming closer to our father in heaven because they aren't taught the sacredness of prayer.
13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
This scripture is the "Axis" on what the whole chapter revolves around. Moroni goes from teaching a man how to pray and then it goes into God's answers and how to discern them. I'm sure if someone prays and asks God if its okay to fornicate or do whatever they could imagine to ask him doesn't ALWAYS need an answer but in the case of "what is the truth about the gospel of Christ or what is not, one must sometimes ask God in fervent prayer. Here Moroni gave us the formula:
Invites us to do good = good
Invites us to do bad = bad
Its really VERY VERY simple and so are most things in the Gospel. (Alma 37: 6)
Again, verse 13: But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.
Oddly enough, when I was a teenager, this scripture became more true than than people ever thought it would when Michael Jackson came out with his hit song, "Bad"
People went around singing, "You know I'm bad, I'm bad... ya know it! Ya know!" and people began to go around thinking it was okay to be, "A bad ass!" and it didn't take long for the Gospel of Christ to be that thing that was boring or uncool. Like seminary, mutual activities, and so forth. But people still do this today. Latter-day Saints are a peculiar people compared to the world. We don't drink or smoke or do MANY things which are deemed 'Bad' so we are the ones that others are told to avoid while lewd behavior and wild parties began to entice many into that great and spacious building, which Lehi had seen. (Nephi Ch. 8)
15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. 16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. 17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. 18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.
This is the part in verses 15-18 where Moroni knows that his words along with all the words spoken from the Book Of Mormon prophets may come back to haunt the world and even members of the church who do not read from them and adhere to their words as counsel. For those who "wrongfully judge their words as a thing of naught will also be judged. Nephi as well as Moroni BOTH warned the world that if they did not accept their words, they should stand face to face with us and declare that they are the "Words of Christ" and in no uncertain terms, those who did not do well with them or even reject them, it isn't gonna be a very good day for them, to say the least. 2 Nephi Ch. 33
According to Nephi, if people don't accept his words, then they won't be seeing him ever again. Nephi and the faithful will be in one place while the non-believers of Christ will be in another. He says good bye for ever, so certain that god will not be happy with their unwillingness to accept this great gift prepared for them.
Nephi actually says, "And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day." 2 Nephi 33:14
There will be a lot of people who will not see Nephi anymore and they think that is a good thing! There are plenty of enemies to righteousness that don't think that the Book of Mormon is anything of "God's making" They, unfortunately, will all have to stand face to face with God at the judgment bar and pointlessly make their case about why they never read the Book of Mormon. Some will fight it until the bitter end and not only will call the LDS religion a liar but will also curse God in that day for not making it better known unto them somehow.
19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the alight of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ. 20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing? 21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
I like how Moroni stays true to form. He also said that "Charity never faileth and he or she who possesses charity, it will be well with them. Charity is one of those "Good Things" that one should lay a hold of and if it be possible, we should lay up in store as much of that kind of thing as we can, the continually reading of good books and listening of good music couldn't be far behind.
22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing. 23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come. 24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
Moroni must have known that one day, he would return to this earth as an Angel. He is hoping that mankind will accept this return visit just as we accepted "The Angel Gabriel" who had come to prepare the way of the Lord, visiting Mary and also visiting the humble followers of the Law. Moroni must have known full well that he TOO would declare as it were with a trumpet unto all nations of the Earth.
25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ. 26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you. 27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
He fears that mankind will not accept miracles or anything like them, including the ministering of Angels because of their lack of faith for it is by faith and obedience of the law that ALL blessings are predicated.
D&C 130: 20-21
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens. 29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. 30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
All too many people believe in a God without power. That somehow he no longer has the ability to send down miracles. Thus their faith is dead along with him. Some just say that God's work is done, but MAN will never tell God to work or not to work. He just DOES his work because it is his purpose. To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of Man. (Moses 1:39)
31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. 32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.
"The Residue of Men" means this, simply: That which remains after a part is taken, separated, removed, or designated; remnant; remainder or in other words, "those who remain or who are yet to come to this earth.
33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
34 And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.
This is how Moroni explains that someone just as seemingly insignificant as yourself or me could possibly do the work which he truly believes we can do. If we have faith in him, we'll be able to do our task and help build the Kingdom of God, for instance, but it is not limited to just that. He desires that we become better: line upon line, precept upon precept so that we may be saved an in turn, we can spread the gospel to those around us. We now have the power to do so!
35 And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased? 36 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? 37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have cease woe be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.
He returns to his original thought he had been setting up to give his conclusion. We must know that Angels do not cease to visit man neither do they cease to do the work of the Lord. We must be like unto these angels also and be the miracles which are wrought among the children of men for we have power from on high to do so.
38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.
Faith is the key. There are far too many who read the scriptures and blindly quote them either to their own satisfaction or attempt to quote scriptures to refute the true church of God and do so without faith. It is said of them, "Forasmuch as this people adraw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men" Isaiah 29:13
39 But behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better things of you, for I judge that ye have faith in Christ because of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church.
I just love this verse!
40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? 41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. 42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope. 43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. 44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
The conditions that must exist for a man to have "Charity! Like a cookbook recipe, the ingredients for Charity are outlined"
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
All the knowledge of the world won't save a man. Not even if he's well versed. A man must truly live as he lived, meaning the savior, for things to go well for him or her at the last day.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
It is my prayer too that you be found with Charity, which is the pure love of Christ and we shall see then who Christ will recognize at the last day. Jesus Christ is my support, my friend, and my hero! He is my King and my master and I know that he is divine, son of our loving Father in Heaven, and he has come back to the earth before his second coming to help prepare a world where Charity may exist. God has given us this great gift, the Book of Mormon and we ought not to take it lightly!
For the Mormon and the Christian, for the Jew and also the Gentile, Even unto the Muslim and also unto the Hindu, and also unto the Buddhist as well as the Heathen.
I'm going to close this discourse with one of the last few words Moroni wrote in the entire book. It is my prayer that you will find these words as, "of God" and feel inclined to follow Jesus Christ and also be perfect in him, wherein Moroni writes,
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." Moroni 10:32
I write these things in the name of Jesus Christ, my master, Amen.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Comparing the Narnia books with my love for the Word of God
C.S. Lewis wrote a wonderful series I'm sure you're pleased with just as I am. The Narnia series. Books 1 through 6 beginning with: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe all the way till "The Last Battle"
When C.S. Lewis wrote a 7th book, and named it "The Magicians Nephew" should everyone have gotten angry with C.S. Lewis for writing another book? Saying, "We have the entire series! We don't need any more Narnia!"If you were a lover of C.S. Lewis and his books, how would you feel?
If the whole world ganged up on C.S. Lewis calling him names, ridiculing his recent work calling it "Garbage" and "Not even related to the series" and saying, Books 1-6 was sufficient and said all manner of negative things towards this last book and banning it from school libraries.
Well you'd just probably think that was absolute nonsense what those other people were saying, if you were a admirer of C.S. Lewis. We didn't need the 7th book???
It at least was good for clarification and gave us more background on "how" the Witch of Narnia became such and so forth.
Actually I loved the Book! IT became my favorite of the series and I ended up reading it more often than the rest of the series. And I love how the series is an allegory of Jesus Christ and because of this, I too can make a comparison.
The Christian world has been greatly disturbed with the idea of receiving more of his word. So it is with my love for the Bible and also for "the Book of Mormon."
Likewise, I have enjoyed hearing his word out of the first few books. The Old Testament was wonderful! We learn that God has been part of the human family since the very beginning!
God has been part of this story since the foundation of the world. He was with Adam and Noah.He made a covenant with Abraham.
They believed in the Lord of Hosts.
The old testament called him Jehovah.
The word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
On earth he went by the name, Jesus Christ.
And like the outlandish comment hypathetically made about the Narnia series, those who truly love the Words of Christ would also love this book, The Book of Mormon!
The purpose of the book of Mormon is to convince the Jew and Gentile that Jesus Is the Christ. Don't the Jews need convincing? What boat did they miss the first time?
What have we done lately to help bring the Jewish folks to the knowledge of the the TRUE son of God?
What thanks do we have for even having the Bible?
Maybe you're thankful to God for having these covenants made known unto you but have you given much thought to the Jewish faith for anything other than, "THEY ARE WHOM HAD THE SAVIOR KILLED?" They regard Jesus Christ as nothing more than a prophet. Does anyone else need convincing? Gentile? Muslim?
I testify that the Book of Mormon is a true work of God. It contains the words of Christ and his gospel. It is an absolute delight to read this book. A feast even!
It truly is written from a righteous branch of the House of Israel. This people, descendants of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, leave us cluse that not only was their book a marvelous work and a wonder among men but there is MORE to come!
I leave these things on my blog for all who come in contact with it and do so in the name of Jesus Christ, my redeemer, Amen!
When C.S. Lewis wrote a 7th book, and named it "The Magicians Nephew" should everyone have gotten angry with C.S. Lewis for writing another book? Saying, "We have the entire series! We don't need any more Narnia!"If you were a lover of C.S. Lewis and his books, how would you feel?
If the whole world ganged up on C.S. Lewis calling him names, ridiculing his recent work calling it "Garbage" and "Not even related to the series" and saying, Books 1-6 was sufficient and said all manner of negative things towards this last book and banning it from school libraries.
Well you'd just probably think that was absolute nonsense what those other people were saying, if you were a admirer of C.S. Lewis. We didn't need the 7th book???
It at least was good for clarification and gave us more background on "how" the Witch of Narnia became such and so forth.
Actually I loved the Book! IT became my favorite of the series and I ended up reading it more often than the rest of the series. And I love how the series is an allegory of Jesus Christ and because of this, I too can make a comparison.
The Christian world has been greatly disturbed with the idea of receiving more of his word. So it is with my love for the Bible and also for "the Book of Mormon."
Likewise, I have enjoyed hearing his word out of the first few books. The Old Testament was wonderful! We learn that God has been part of the human family since the very beginning!
God has been part of this story since the foundation of the world. He was with Adam and Noah.He made a covenant with Abraham.
They believed in the Lord of Hosts.
The old testament called him Jehovah.
The word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
On earth he went by the name, Jesus Christ.
And like the outlandish comment hypathetically made about the Narnia series, those who truly love the Words of Christ would also love this book, The Book of Mormon!
The purpose of the book of Mormon is to convince the Jew and Gentile that Jesus Is the Christ. Don't the Jews need convincing? What boat did they miss the first time?
What have we done lately to help bring the Jewish folks to the knowledge of the the TRUE son of God?
What thanks do we have for even having the Bible?
Maybe you're thankful to God for having these covenants made known unto you but have you given much thought to the Jewish faith for anything other than, "THEY ARE WHOM HAD THE SAVIOR KILLED?" They regard Jesus Christ as nothing more than a prophet. Does anyone else need convincing? Gentile? Muslim?
I testify that the Book of Mormon is a true work of God. It contains the words of Christ and his gospel. It is an absolute delight to read this book. A feast even!
It truly is written from a righteous branch of the House of Israel. This people, descendants of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, leave us cluse that not only was their book a marvelous work and a wonder among men but there is MORE to come!
I leave these things on my blog for all who come in contact with it and do so in the name of Jesus Christ, my redeemer, Amen!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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