Is Easter Important?

      There were two missionaries praying.  One jumped up and said, "I have a vision from God."  He said God had revealed to him that the church should tear down the temples.  His friend responded, "You are my missionary companion, but you are NOT a Mormon."
      Two preachers were praying during that same week.  One jumped up and said, "I have a vision from God."  He said God revealed to him that they should take the story of Jesus' death on the cross out of their Bible.  His preacher friend responded, "You are a religious person but you are NOT a Christian."
      There can be fake Mormons, fake Christians and fake lemonade.  Real lemonade is made with real lemons.  Real Christianity has a cross.  As we read the Old Testament, the scriptures point to the cross, point to the cross and point to the cross.  The crucifixion is detailed 4 times in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The rest of the New Testament points back to the Cross.  In Corinthians 2:2, the Apostle Paul said, "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

Global Warming & Climate Change?

      Did Jesus preached about "Global Warming" and "Climate Change"?  Here is an example of Jesus preaching about global warming and a permanent climate change in Luke 16:22-24  "...the rich man also died, and was buried;  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."   In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said,  "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Apparently this warming and permanent climate change is going to affect a lot of people.   In Matthew 7:13&14, Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  You only have to murder one person to be a murderer.  You only have to steal one time to be a thief.  You only have to tell one lie to be a liar.  You only have to sin one time to be a sinner.  James 2:10 says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."  Have you ever coveted your neighbors property?  Exodus 20:17 says, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."   Matthew 5:28 says, "...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."  Matthew 5:22 says, "...whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment":.."whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."  Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;..."   Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Is there any hope for the repentant sinner who wants to avoid this inclusive "hell"?  John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   Romans 5:8 expresses God's love for sinners, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Romans 10:9&10 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  
      Please take the time to read for yourself Jesus' many messages on hell or global warming and permanent climate change.  Repent and turn to God that He may save your soul.

Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial???

      Today's teaching tells us that there is a terrestrial heaven and a telestial heaven for those who do not attain to the celestial heaven and reach exaltation.  However the Book of Mormon does not group people this way.  The book of Mormon only talks about those who repent and those who do not.  There is only a celestial heaven for those who hear the law and repent and a hell for those who do not repent.  Alma 34:35-36 says, "For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to he spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.  And this I know, because the Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also said that the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom, to go no more out; but their garments should be made white through the blood of the Lamb."  Many believe that we will have more opportunities after this life.  Alma 34:33 answers this question:  "...I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until he end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."  Alma 34:32 says the same thing:  "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."  .
      Many have an "I'm OK, you're OK" attitude about eternity.  2 Nephi 28:21 warns us about this:  "And others will he (the devil) pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."
      Some say that hell is just a mental state.  Others say that if we do not progress, become all we can be and return to God, then we will always be frustrated that we did not reach our highest - exaltation.  So we will be in torment, knowing we could have done better.  Some people who believe in hell, think it is a place where only a handful of souls will go.  2 Nephi 28:22-23 warns us about this:  "And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none; and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.  Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment." 
      Contrary to some modern teaching, the book of Mormon doesn't really have a gray area.  It is black and white.  Either you repent in this life time and are saved to the Celestial heaven or you do not repent and are headed for destruction.
    

Melchisedec Priesthood - Authority to Baptise

   Does my church have authority from God to baptize? Can a person be saved and filled with God’s Spirit at my church?

The answer is found in Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood served an important role in offering sacrifices for the sins of the people. But when Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross, that system was fulfilled. No longer was it necessary to offer animals for sin offerings. We all deserved to die for our own sins, but Jesus took our place on the cross and paid the price once and for all.

Hebrews 4:14 says, “We have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.”

Hebrews 5:6 tells us that Christ is “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

Hebrews 6:20 says, “Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

And Hebrews 7:17 repeats this truth: “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

In the Old Testament, when a high priest died, his son became the next high priest. The priesthood passed through many men because each one eventually died. But Christ is different. He rose from the tomb and lives forever to be our High Priest. Hebrews 7:21–24 explains:

“Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec: by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.”

To help us understand this, think of how we elect a United States Senator. We see their ads on TV and their signs around town. They promise to represent our state and work for our best interests. Once elected, the Senator leaves New Mexico and goes to Washington, D.C., to represent us in Congress.

In a far greater way, Christ, our great High Priest, represents us before God the Father in the heavenly tabernacle. Hebrews 9:24 says, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Hebrews 9:11–12 also declares, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

And Hebrews 8:1–2 affirms, “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Because Jesus is our eternal High Priest—alive forever and interceding for us—our authority as His church flows directly from Him.

Yes, my church has authority from God to baptize through Christ.

Jesus was crucified to fulfill the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood. He then became our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec and ever lives to intercede for us before the throne of God.

Praise God for His many blessings!

Deny...all ungodliness,..grace Moroni 10:32

     Moroni 10:32 is an if-then statement: "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."
     A friend of mine, Keith Walker, has compared this verse to the common example of vegetables and dessert!  "If you eat all your vegetables, then you get to have some dessert."  Many of us have heard this saying when we were young.  Now we all want to have God's sufficient grace but according to this verse, it is not for everyone.  His grace is only for those who have denied themselves of all ungodliness and loved God with all their might, mind and strength.  So who does this apply to?  Has any honest person really denied themselves of all ungodliness?  Has anyone purged themselves of all covetousness and evil thoughts?  Have you loved God with all your strength?  If you have prayed for 30 minutes, could you have prayed for 40 minutes?  If you have given to the poor, could you have given more?  If you have fasted for 3 days, could you have fasted longer?  Have you given all?  According to this verse, are you going to receive God's sufficient grace?  If you are honest, you are probably going to say no.  Will our own works ever be enough?  If we continue looking at our own good works, we are going to be disappointed.  Our only hope is to fix our eyes on Christ and depend on his complete work on the cross.  Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

3 Nephi 17:10 Jesus' feet

3 Nephi 17:10  Jesus' feet
"And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears." 
      Have you bowed down at the feet of Jesus and worshiped Him?  Many people bow down to their job, or their education, or their new car, or their house, or their possessions.  Some people bow down to a temple or a cathedral.  Some bow down to prophets or famous men of God.  Some even bow down to themselves and all their great works of goodness.  But have you bowed down at the feet of Jesus and worshiped Him?  Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;..."   Hebrews 2-9 tells us that Christ is our "high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec."  In John 14:6 Jesus said, "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."