Does God Have A Body?

The other day my step dad and I were talking about a scripture in  Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 where it says:

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

Now to many religions this is false doctrine because they have been taught that the godhead is one person and they don't have bodies of flesh and blood. This is not true, Heavenly Father and Jesus have bodies and the Holy spirit doesn't as it says in the above scripture. The idea that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ don't have bodies and that they are one person was decided at the Council of Nicaea by 300 bishops. This is wrong because men cannot decide what God is like or any other doctrines of the gospel. God has to tell his people what he is like and the doctrines of the gospel or else it is not true. So now your probably saying, "What has God said about His having a body or not and if He is one person or just one of three individuals in the Godhead?" Well, the scripture above can be proof enough for many LDS, but for many others it means nothing so my step dad mentioned a place in the bible.

Near the end of Jesus' 40 day time on Earth after His resurrection He gathered His disciples and it says:

 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

So why when Jesus was gone would God send two angels to talk to his disciples? What I believe is that God would send those two angels to tell his apostles not only about the second coming, but also that since Jesus left with a body He will return "in like manner."

Throughout the scriptures it refers to God having a body such as:

Genesis 32:20
"...for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

Exodus 24:10
 10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

I would like to bear my testimony that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are separate beings and that God and Jesus have bodies of flesh and blood. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Anxiously Engaged

 

In D&C 58:27 it says

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;”

So it says to be anxiously engaged, but what does it mean to be anxiously engaged? To be anxiously engaged you have to excel beyond the norm. This can be applied to most aspects of your lives, but especially when it comes to the gospel. Don’t let life pass you by; be “anxiously engaged” in life and in the gospel.Push yourself to do better in your callings in church or in serving others or in whatever Christ-like attribute that you lack. For me I have school coming up and when school starts I do not have much time to study the scriptures. I may be studying for an important class however I need to be anxiously engaged and not only study my scriptures, but write down the spiritual impressions. The whole idea behind being anxiously engaged is choosing to do something extra. We must go the extra mile and push a little further. The way I like to see it is like this:

When you see Christ on Judgment day do you want a handshake or a hug?

President Thomas S. Monson said:

*"We well could pay heed to the Lord’s divine instructions when He declared, “Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.”    1    He added:

“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

“For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”    2

The sacred scriptures provide for you and me a model to follow when they declare, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”    3    And He “went about doing good, … for God was with him.”    4   

I have observed in studying the life of the Master that His lasting lessons and His marvelous miracles usually occurred when He was doing His Father’s work. On the way to Emmaus He appeared with a body of flesh and bones. He partook of food and testified of His divinity. All of this took place after He had exited the tomb.

At an earlier time, it was while He was on the road to Jericho that He restored sight to one who was blind.

The Savior was ever up and about—teaching, testifying, and saving others. Such is our individual duty as members of priesthood quorums today."

I would like to bear my testimony that I know that if you are anxiously engaged in a good cause your life will be blessed and when you see Christ on judgment day he will hug you instead of a handshake.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sources:

*https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/anxiously-engaged?lang=eng#watch=video

He's been there before

HE'S BEEN THERE BEFORE

By Elder Troy Whittle,

Texas, Houston

Mission

The alarm rings at 6:30; I stumble to my feet.

I grab my  companion's bedding and pull off his sheet.

A groan fills the room, is it  already time to arise?

It seems like just a second ago I was able to  shut my eyes.

The morning activities follow - study, prayer, and  such.

When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't  accomplished much.

"We have a super day planned," my comp says with a  grin.

I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone lets us  in.

"With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the  street

Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat.

It's 9:30 in the  evening, the day is almost through;

My companion and I are riding home, not  accomplishing what we thought to do.

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to  receive a lot.

Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "Air  Box."

We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete.

The only thing  to show for our work is a case of blistery feet.

It's past 10:30 PM, my  companion is fast asleep.

Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to  weep.

In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray;

I need to talk to  Father, but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh, Father," I begin, "What happened  to us today?

I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away.

My  hands, my aching hands - worn, hurt and beat;

If our area was any smaller,  we'd have knocked every street .."

"Why on missions are the days so much alike?

The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike.

Will  you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me.

I sweat so bad, it gets  in my eyes; It's very hard to see."

"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't  your protection enough?

People always laugh at me and call me stupid  stuff.

Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack;

I  want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back."

"And  what about my family? They don't have much to say,

I'm sick of not hearing  from home, day after day after day.

Oh Father, why am I here, am I just  wasting time?

Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my  mind."

"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?

The way he  rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see.

Now you have it, I can't go on  I don't know what to do;

That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for  You.

"My prayer now finished I stand up, then jump right into bed.

I need  my rest for tomorrow; we have another long day ahead.

Sleep starts to  overtake me; I seem to drift away,

Then it seems a vision takes me to another  time and another day.

I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very  nice;

A man walks towards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ."

Tears of  joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet,

"Arise," He states, "Follow Me  to the shade - you and I need to speak.

"My attentions toward the Savior,  total and complete.

He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to  Me,

I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through;

In fact  it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you."

"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you.

At times I felt not quite sure what else I could  do.

I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be  sweet;

Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds."

"I  understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate;

I  remember when I sweat blood from every pore, oh the agony was great!

I see  you don't like your companion - you'd rather have someone else.

I once had a  companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth."

"It's hard to wear a  helmet and have people make fun of you.

I remember when they put thorns on my  head and called me King of the Jews.

So you feel burdened down by the weight  of your pack.

I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my  back."

"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day.

I  guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way.

It's hard  not to hear from home when your family's not there to see;

I lost my  communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken Me."

He  embraced me with His arms, His light filled me with His love,

With tears in  my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above.

I stood with awe and  wonder when a beep rang in my head,

I listened and heard the alarm, then  realized I was in my bed.

My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no  way!"

I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures  today!"

No matter what we go through, when we feel we can’t take  more;

Just stop and think about Jesus Christ. He has been there before.

Service with a smile (cliche; I know)

This last Saturday I had the opportunity to help an older family in my ward with some of the final steps in their move to a new house. The missionaries and I helped move all of the stuff contained in his sheds, so that he could decide what to keep and what to sell.

The work was a lot of fun for me. I was able to talk with the missionaries about my writing passion,  learn a little about the family, and I found some neat things while carrying the stuff up to the main house.

It was hard work, but we made it fun.  We were using a wagon and a wheel barrow to drag the boxes up the hill. The boxes were balanced precariously atop one another, so we had to use bungee cables for the wheel barrow and me for the wagon.

The reason we had such a great time was our attitude. Attitude is important when serving others. If you're there just because you have to be, you don't bring the right spirit to the task. Lightening others burdens should uplift us as much as it helps the person we serve.

I know of two examples from the scriptures that help illustrate the attitude we should have when we render service.  The first is the example of the Savior in washing the disciples feet.  In John 13 we learn that during the Last Supper, Christ, "began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded." (v. 5)  To Peter's initial protests, the Savior taught that that we ought to serve one another, following his example.  Christ added, " If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." (v. 17)  I believe that the happiness that comes with serving others should begin while we are rendering service.  It starts with the attitude we bring with us.    

When we go only to accrue service hours for  some personal tally, or because we are being forced to, we drive away the spirit. This extends to any act intended to show charity or compassion.  If we give money to a charitable foundation purely for the purposes of a tax exemption, it isn't charity. When we give our time only to have another thing to put on a college resume then it's not service. We must go into it with a willing heart.

Sometimes it's hard.  My experience occurred  on a pleasant day in late April. For me it's hard to keep a willing attitude when I'm trudging through two feet of snow.  I'm not saying that the right attitude will make it easy, but it can help you to understand why you are there, and it can help deepen your own personal happiness.

The second example from the scriptures comes from King Benjamin.  While explaining to his people why he gave a lifetime of service, he said the following, "I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17)  I think King Benjamin told his people these this to help them understand the attitude that we should bring to service.  We cannot learn how to fulfill the first great commandment of loving God until we master the second of learning to love our neighbor.

Attitude is important and as we go through our lives, regardless of our task.  Without it, we lose perspective, and with it the happiness and spirit that accompanies service.

Love. Neighbors, Friends, Everyone.

I apologize for the long delay between posts. It as been a sequence of busy weeks leading up to Easter between birthdays, speech and debate and MUN. I hope this post makes up for the wait. I feel that it is one of the more uplifting ones I have written.

Enjoy!

About a week ago, on a Friday night I had an interesting conversation with some of my friends from speech. We talked about our beliefs and our thoughts about life. During this conversation everyone was civil, nobody argued about who was right, everyone had a chance to speak about their beliefs.

For me it was a great missionary moment. I was able to talk about the church to people who knew a little about my beliefs, and clear up some misconceptions about the church. I also learned a lot about my friends.

The thing that was most important to me about that conversation was the respect and love we gave to each other.

It takes courage to listen to someone else's beliefs without a whit of criticism. It takes a respect for the other person to  willing to listen with an open mind about whatever they believe. I'm glad we were able to speak openly as a group.

I want to talk about having love for others. 

Love is not agreeing with everything another person says, nor is it just a bond between family members.  Love is accepting others whether or not you agree with them.

When we love another person, we respect their ideas and their ideals. Our respect comes without judgment, though we may not always agree with what they believe or say.

In Matthew 22: 37-39 we read "Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Christ taught us to love one another, and what better way to show it than to give respect. In that hotel room where we all had varying beliefs about the world and religion and man.  I was impressed by the respect in that room, and am glad to be able to be able to call those there my friends.

Show everyone you know that you love them by respecting their idea's and beliefs. I have found few better ways to show love than by proving it in this way.

The greatest conversation of your life

I would like to tell you about three friends of mine. When I see friend 1, instantly we start talking back and forth. As a consequence we are extremely close. When I see friend 2, instantly he starts talking, but I don't know him that well so I don't speak up much. However he keeps trying to get to know me. When I see friend 3 we say hello and talk when necessary. It's really awkward cause he will try to start a conversation, but I usually am not paying attention, so I won't respond

When studying your scriptures and praying you have a "conversation" with your Heavenly Father. Studying your scriptures is like Him talking to you giving you advice. You praying is you responding to him. I would like you to think how often do I pray or study my scriptures? Are you like friend 3 and I  talking awkwardly and only when necessary? Or are you getting his side of the conversation and not responding as much as you should like friend 2? Or are you and Him going back and forth constantly studying and praying like friend 1? Take a moment to think about which one you are.

If you are like friend 3, I encourage you to begin to have your conversation with the Lord.  Study your scriptures and pray each morning and evening at the least. I guarantee that by doing this your relationship with your Heavenly Father will increase significantly.

If you are like friend 2 you are half way there, do not stop short. If you are ignoring either of the two parts of the conversation with your Heavenly Father I encourage you to begin to do that task and continue the task you were doing previously. There is no other way to have a conversation with the Lord without both studying and praying. They are essential and go hand in hand. As you do this your relationship with your Heavenly Father will grow.

If you are like friend 1 you are doing tremendously and I encourage you to continue your great work. As you continue to confide in the Lord you will find you growing closer to him.

I would like to bear my testimony that if you pray and study your scriptures you will be blessed. I know that the Lord always has an outstretched hand to us and if we reach out we will once again be with him. 

In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Defending the Faith

I was sitting on a bus the other day silently studying my scriptures. It was very difficult to focus between the sound of the motor, heater, people laughing, arguing, or talking. Since I was trying to focus on reading I didn’t really hear anything. i sort of set up a wall between myself and the world However four words breached through my defences. My friend whom is a proclaimed atheist yelled at my friend who is in my teachers quorum “Jeez I hate Mormons!” Shocked I looked up. My LDS friend had been bothering her so I let it go. However its not just my atheist friend. Consistently throughout my day I hear the word Mormon used derogatorily towards other LDS and myself. In instances such as “ooh you’re Mormon” or “Why are you Mormon?” I would like to show to all thoses people who call LDS people “Mormon” this excerpt from Ask the Missionaries!.They can help you! by Elder Russell M. Nelson.

"Some of you may wonder about the name Mormon. It is a nickname for us. It is not our real name, though we are widely known as Mormons. The term is derived from a book of sacred scripture known as the Book of Mormon.

The true name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the reestablished original Church of Jesus Christ. When He walked upon the earth, He organized His Church. He called Apostles, Seventies, and other leaders to whom He gave priesthood authority to act in His name. After Christ and His Apostles passed away, men changed the ordinances and doctrine. The original Church and the priesthood were lost. After the Dark Ages, and under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ brought back His Church. Now it lives again, restored and functioning under His divine direction."

Often as LDS we have to defend our faith. In The Cost- and blessings-of discipleship by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland it says…

"With admiration and encouragement for everyone who will need to remain steadfast in these latter days, I say to all and especially the youth of the Church that if you haven’t already, you will one day find yourself called upon to defend your faith or perhaps even endure some personal abuse simply because you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such moments will require both courage and courtesy on your part.

For example, a sister missionary recently wrote to me: “My companion and I saw a man sitting on a bench in the town square eating his lunch. As we drew near, he looked up and saw our missionary name tags. With a terrible look in his eye, he jumped up and raised his hand to hit me. I ducked just in time, only to have him spit his food all over me and start swearing the most horrible things at us. We walked away saying nothing. I tried to wipe the food off of my face, only to feel a clump of mashed potato hit me in the back of the head. Sometimes it is hard being a missionary because right then I wanted to go back, grab that little man, and say, ‘EXCUSE ME!’ But I didn’t.”...

And therein lies a message for every young man and young woman in this Church. You may wonder if it is worth it to take a courageous moral stand in high school or to go on a mission only to have your most cherished beliefs reviled or to strive against much in society that sometimes ridicules a life of religious devotion. Yes, it is worth it, because the alternative is to have our “houses” left unto us “desolate”—desolate individuals, desolate families, desolate neighborhoods, and desolate nations."

I know that defending our faith can be difficult however we cannot simply sit by watching our faith be slandered. However these situations often lead to missionary opportunities and conversion. I would like to bear my testimony that this church is true and that it should be defended

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Sources:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-cost-and-blessings-of-discipleship?lang=eng#watch=video

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/ask-the-missionaries-they-can-help-you?lang=eng&query=name+mormon

Swearing, Quite the Issue

A week ago our speech and debate meet ran 3 hours long. This meant that we would get home a little bit before one in the morning, and threw everyone into a foul mood.

As we walked through the darkness towards our bus I heard the complaints from fellow students, and I had a few of my own.  Many dropped the f-bomb a couple of times during their rants.

I could see where they were coming from. The speech coach in charge of the whole thing had added a wildcard event that messed with the whole event timing. None of the judges knew where their rooms were located, and as a result were running about 30 minutes late. In all honesty it was a massive kerfuffle.

I was disappointed. These are the most eloquent people in my school, some with a vocab greater than the GDP of a small country (Not hard with the recession going on around the world, but bare with me). It was sad that people needed to resort to swearing to show their frustration and displeasure.

Swearing is the crass way through a conversation, and also the easy one. Most English teachers force you to stop using overused words like nice or pretty because there is richer vocabulary to use.

I feel the same way about swearing.

While you can easily swear to get your point across, you can just as readily say that you are frustrated by  saying "That's not something I want to do again" or "That was infuriating".

You could change out the swear word with something different like "Storm it", "Bother", "not good."

You could even substitute profanity with something non sequitur like "flaming cabbage."

My point is that there are many different ways that change your vocabulary, forego swearing and maybe even lighten the mood. I believe that when we choose words that articulate our feelings without swearing, not only do we come across as more polished, but we also open the door to uplift those around us.  Brightening the mood, rather than "cursing" the darkness.

The Savior taught that it wasn't the things that go into us, that defile us, or define our character, but, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man..." (Matthew 15:18).  The words I speak are a reflection of me.

After a long and windy talk about my breakfast I tell you the purpose of my part of the blog

A while back I was at a speech and debate meet in Cheyenne, and I had some neat experiences. The first one happened the second morning of the meet, my friend and I went to breakfast at the Village Inn. While we were waiting for our food he and I had a really interesting conversation.

We talked about two big things, autism and community which was a great chance to get to know him.

My senior friend works with children with learning disabilities and other challenges in our school. One of the big groups he works with are those with moderate to severe autism. When he is with them he is one of the most patient people in the world. I honestly admire him for that.

When he goes off to college he plans on studying autism and plans on attempting to find a better method to teaching autistic students. then we started talking about community.

We began by talking about how many autistic kids don't have that sense of community that many of us humans as social creatures have, in particular about how about a family in my ward brings their autistic son to our church. We both believed that that was a great thing for them to do. He told me how unless an autistic kid like their son is immersed in a community like that they have a hard time understanding those connections.

That moved us to a conversation about community in general.

We talked about how family is one of the first communities we have. I am extremely thankful that my family is the way it is, very supportive, loving, and doing whatever it takes for my siblings and I to be raised right. soon after that we talked about communities that reach farther out to more people.

Friends, school and church. Those were some of the big communities we talked about. My senior friend is definitely what would qualify as an extrovert. He gets so much energy from talking to people and usually has a viewpoint that I haven't thought of yet.

He has many friends in every grade in our school and more than a few all around the country. His feelings on friendship as a community were slightly different from my own. He is the type of guy who can go months without talking to someone then pickup the conversation from where it last ended. I see my community of friendship as a wide circle of acquaintances with a tight circle of friends.

We then spoke about how in schools we have a community of teachers and staff who watch out for us. After that we talked about how religions are tight knit groups.

He told me that one of the reasons I was tolerable as a freshmen was that because I was following my beliefs but I wasn't pushing them on anyone else.

I kinda believe that that is the point of our blog, to show what our daily lives are like with a small lesson about our church. That's how I plan on writing my portion of the blog, by taking events from m life and talking about my beliefs on the subject. Like how my conversation with my friend went.

We Have Friends Everywhere

Sorry, my post last Sunday didn't publish like I thought it did, so to make up for that here's two.

This Saturday I was at a speech and debate tournament in a little town near my hometown.  Since all I do is extemporaneous, and I didn't break into the semis, I had nothing to do.

There was a basketball game in the gym next to their cafeteria where all our events were sprawled. So, I decided to go over and listen to their pep band. I came in on a song that I couldn't quite recognize, and stood over the railing right above their trombone section.

They finished their song and I complemented the bone player right below me on how well they had played. He said thanks and asked if I played. I told him that I played the base clarinet. He and several others in his section invited me to hang out with him, and we talked for a good portion of the first half of the pep band. They even offered to try and get me a bass clarinet or a Bb clarinet so I could play with them. Their band director and I decided it was a bad Idea since I am on the tail end of a fight with bronchitis, and I didn't have my own reed.

I found out that a good friend of mine, Marissa, who plays in our band, was playing her saxophone for them. Her boyfriend lives in the small town, and had invited her to play with them. I was able to talk to her, and meet a number of her friends in the band, and her boyfriend who I had up until then only heard about. They were all very neat people and I'm glad I was able to meet them

I had a lot of fun that I didn't know I was going to have and met so many new friends. I learned two things from the experience.

1. I have friends everywhere, I just don't know them yet.

2. Always keep a reed in your suit coat pocket.

I had a blast watching a basketball game with people I had only known for a few minutes, and just listening to them play music. They are a tight knit band that was willing to let an outsider in. Of course it probably helps that all of them were very nice.

In my church we have thirteen articles of faith. The end of the thirteenth states "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praise worthy, we seek after these things." These members of a small band in the state of Wyoming fit into all these categories.

I am glad that I was able to meet these band members. They are all very fun people, all very bright, and all very willing to accept others into their close group. There are always, wherever you are, friends to meet and stand beside.

I knew it, and I knew that God knew it

 

 

 

I would like to talk about the keystone of our religion, The Book of Mormon. However I would like to focus on the translator of that book, Joseph Smith Jr. I can’t think of anyone better to explain it than Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in his talk Safety for the soul:

 

May I refer to a modern “last days” testimony? When Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum started for Carthage to face what they knew would be an imminent martyrdom, Hyrum read these words to comfort the heart of his brother:

“Thou hast been faithful; wherefore … thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.

“And now I, Moroni, bid farewell … until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ.”       

A few short verses from the 12th chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Before closing the book, Hyrum turned down the corner of the page from which he had read, marking it as part of the everlasting testimony for which these two brothers were about to die. I hold in my hand that book, the very copy from which Hyrum read, the same corner of the page turned down, still visible. Later, when actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph the Prophet turned to the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.     Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these two testator.

As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor.    9   

Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.”    10

Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered, lost several children, mocked, jailed, and eventually martyred. Why would he go through all of this? I think its like he said in Joseph Smith History 1:25:

So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not edeny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

I can think of no logical reason why a man would go through so many trials for a BOOK. The only reason that makes sense is that he really did see God the Father and his only begotten son Jesus Christ.

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that he saw God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. He would not go through that much pain if it were not true. I will not deny my testimony of The Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. I do not want to get to the judgement seat and be denied my eternal salvation. I believe Joseph Smith. I am eternally grateful for what he did. Like Jeffrey R. Holland “[I] give [my name] unto the world, to witness unto the world that which [I] have seen.” And like them, “[I] lie not, God bearing witness of it.”

 Sources:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng#watch=video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHY-Y9yraR8
http://classic.scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/25d