Are Mormons Christians???

     I try not to put long posts on my blog, but this is an exception.  "The Living Christ" is the testimony of the modern prophet and Apostles on the earth today regarding their belief in the Savior. I wanted to post this to clear up any doubt as to whether members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (including myself) believe in Jesus Christ. It is a little longer, but I promise it will be well worth the read.  

      As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

The First Presidency

Gordon B. Hinckley
Thomas S. Monson
James E. Faust

January 1, 2000

The Quorum Of The Twelve

Boyd K. Packer
L. Tom Perry
David B. Haight
Neal A. Maxwell
Russell M. Nelson
Dallin H. Oaks
M. Russell Ballard
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Richard G. Scott
Robert D. Hales
Jefferey R. Holland
Henry B. Eyering

A Second Witness Clears Things Up

     Every six months we get to hear from the prophet, apostles and leaders of the church in General Conference. The most recent was at the beginning of this month and I really enjoyed it. The following excerpt came from a talk that I loved (Click here for full talk.). Shortly after hearing it we were talking to a man who couldn't understand why we would need The Book of Mormon. It showed me just how much we DO need a living prophet on the earth.

      "Why is the Book of Mormon so essential if we already have the Bible to teach us about Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian churches in the world today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible? It is because they interpret the Bible differently. If they interpreted it the same, they would be the same church. This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses. Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1).

The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church.

What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses.

Again and again the Book of Mormon acts as a confirming, clarifying, unifying witness of the doctrines taught in the Bible so that there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

   My guess is that you may now be more curious about The Book of Mormon. To learn more you can talk to me on Facebook (see my blog's homepage) or you can get a free copy for yourself by clicking here. When you get your copy take the time to read and pray about it. Ask God if it is true and you will come to know that it is a Book from God.

The More You Feed It, The More It Will Grow

     The other day we were walking around when we saw a guy that was carrying an albino burmese python, basically a big snake for those that aren't familiar with reptiles. I was way excited to see it seeing as my brothers and I had many pet snakes at home. Well I got talking to Elder Bond a bit about the snakes we had and how we took care of them, etc. One thing that came up was how much to feed them and how it related to their growth. With snakes, as with most anything living I would guess, the more you feed it, the more it will grow. If you were to feed a snake less than it really needed, hoping it could get by on that amount, its growth would come along very slowly, if at all. It would be foolish to believe that a snake, or anything else, would grow if you didn't give it the proper nurtrition that it required. Later it clicked in my head what this meant in relationship to all of us spiritually.

     Often times we try to make our faith grow while only feeding it when it is convenient, which in my experience, is hardly ever. This occasional nourishment will not do the job. If you truly want your faith to grow you must feed it more. You must "feast upon the word" (2 Nephi 32:3) and "pray always" (2 Nephi 32:8). If you do these things I can promise that you will see your faith grow. And just as with the snake, the more you feed it, the more it will grow!

Wanna Meet a Mormon??

     There are so many misconceptions out there about "the mormons." People will make claims sometimes that we have horns, we don't use TVs or we can only ride bikes, just to name a few. But those claims simply are not true! Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly called "Mormons", are everyday people who have families, jobs and they probably face a lot of the same problems that you do. That may not be what you have heard, but watch this video and you may find that you are very similar!

Wanna Meet More Mormons?? Click Here.

What's missing??

     It's so easy to get caught up in money and possessions nowadays, but there is never enough to satisfy that hunger. We always want more, more, more. We search for those possessions or promotions that will quench our deepest thirst, but it's never enough. So if money or possessions won't fill that desire then there must be another piece that's missing. What is it?? Jesus Christ!
     Christ taught the women at the well that, "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14) If you will 'drink of the water' that Christ has to offer, you will find your deepest desires fulfilled. You can find true happiness just like the people in this video. Hear their story! It's awesome!!

Wanna See What I Do??

     A lot of y'all know that I'm on a mission, but my guess is that you probably don't really know what I do out here in Montana and Wyoming. In this video you can get a little preview of what I do and why I do it. Then if you want to you can even meet the missionaries like me that live near you. Just click here. I can promise you that the message they share can and will change your life. Give them a try, there's nothing to lose.