Larry's Blog

I love this book. As I write this (4/11/2010), I have not finished it yet. I am almost finished, and am dreading the day when I lose a friend who speaks peace to my soul.

I think peace will come into the world when we start educating ourselves about each other. It is hard to judge someone when you find out what makes them they way they are. Religion is very personal, and nothing gets us into trouble more than by telling someone that we are more worthy than they are. Or God loves me more because I am doing it right and therefore God accepts me and not you as much.

Yet God seems to put us into those positions. Why? Why? Perhaps it is to finally force us to really sit down with other people and listen to them and love them no matter how different they are from us.

This book is doing that. I am sitting here crying a bit because of the amazingly preciousness of this book. The last few days I spent with some Muslim girls and ladies in their schools. They are trying so hard to love other people even though maybe the other people are not so easy to love. They are trying to stay modest in this world where modesty is so out of vogue. May God bless them and keep them pure. May the two angels on their shoulders not tire and keep them on the right path. (They believe they go through the day with an angel on each shoulder.)

I don’t know if this book is fiction or true life. In my mind this really happened because it is coming from someone’s mind. It is about Stephanie who goes to Syria on a fellowship to research how Islam believes in Jesus. I decided to read it for that reason, yet I am learning how Catholics — at least the Stephanie version — believe in Christ.

Stephanie wants to marry the man she has fallen in love with. The only problem is that he is a Novice Monk, and apparently Novice Monks don’t marry folks. He is seriously thinking about it though. He would have to change careers, become part of the real world, get a job, raise a family, and cut the lawn. Well, maybe he has to cut the lawn anyway.

(Personal Note: I believe there is sometimes confusion about what the Bible is talking about as far as marrying. Jesus called some people (disciples) on temporary missions to spread the Gospel. While they were on missions, they were not supposed to worry about working, or where their food and clothing were to come from. They could worry about working and raising a family when their mission was over. We still need missionaries. Missionaries today are called for two years to teach the restored Gospel, and to do humanitarian work. )

Muslim’s view of Jesus

The author talked about the Muslim’s view of Jesus. They believe that Jesus was not the Son of God, but was only a prophet. They believe that he did not die for our sins and was resurrected.

I don’t understand this. I believe that Mohammed, Peace be upon him, was a prophet. And I don’t believe he would have said anything differently about Jesus than what all the other prophets of God have said, including Jesus himself. And that was that Jesus would come and pay for our sins if we repented. All the sacrificial ceremonies point to the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. Do the Muslims believe that they candidates for the atonement? That is one reason why I wanted to read this book, but the author didn’t answer that question. The Muslims believe in Mary, the mother of Jesus, and that she was a very good person. I wish I had this book in front of me so that I can relate exactly what she said on the subject.

My Belief

The bottom line is what I know to be true, and is what all the prophets have taught since the world began, which is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus was a spirit son of God before he was born, just like we were spirit children of God before we were born. When he was born his spirit was clothed in a body, just like our spirit was. When he was born his spirit was clothed in a body, just like our spirit was. His mother was the Virgin Mary, and his father was God. He looked like his parents. His father has a body of Flesh and bones, just like Jesus does. Jesus taught that. “If you see me you see the father.” Jesus grew, was baptized, and organized his Church. He called twelve Apostles, he upgraded the law of Moses from an eye for an eye to turn the other cheek. He was later crucified for our sins, and then was resurrected. When he was resurrected his spirit and body were reunited as an eternal soul. If you were to see Jesus today he would look like a man, a glorified man, who is a member of the Godhead. Through Jesus’ atonement we are washed clean and able to return back to our Heavenly Father.

Isaiah – Searching for Truth

Here is a video by the author.

I have been downloading Books from the Bible. I mean, from the library. I’ve been downloading Bible books from the library. They are recorded by the American Bible Society and are very easy to listen to. I listened to Jeremiah, and The Book of Daniel. Daniel was full of visions of the future, so I decided to read Revelations from the New Testament, which talks about the future, though you have to discern it, since it is all a parable.

I Felt Sorry for Jeremiah

Here was a guy, just trying to mind his business and lead a normal life with friends, when God calls him to be a prophet.

Jeremiah

And not just any prophet — a prophet who has to always preach doom and destruction. Back then the messenger was usually shot (OK, fed to the lions — whatever), so having a job as a prophet was usually a short career.

It is good to know that even prophets have their limitations. They are people like you and I. Jeremiah told God that he was tired of always having to tell Jerusalem to repent or the Babylonians would get them. He lamented the day he was born. He wished he had died in his mother’s womb. Stuff like that.

It is amazing that the Jews did not get it. Time and time again Jeremiah’s predictions came true. And the people would even ask him what they should do. But they never followed his advice and they ended up getting in trouble.

Lehi

It is interesting to note here that there were other prophets also that were warning the people. One was Lehi. Before the Babylonians took over, God told Lehi in a dream to take his family and leave Jerusalem. Here is that story.
Read more…

The Prophet Mormon Abridging the History of His People

The word Mormon came from the name of an ancient prophet who was entrusted with the writings of the ancient Native Americans. These writings taught that some of these Native Americans were descended from a group of Israelites from the tribe of Manasseh. They also taught that Jesus visited these people shortly after his resurrection as He promised he would in the Bible.

An interesting prophesy that the Savior made to these ancient Native Americans, and to all the scattered tribes of the House of Jacob:

Native Americans at the Nauvoo Temple Site

Several years ago my Father and Step Mother were volunteers at a historical city called Nauvoo, Ill. As visitors came they showed them the site where the Nauvoo Temple once stood. The temple was built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormons. It was in the temple that sacred ordinances were performed. Baptisms for the dead were one of these ordinances, where people were baptised in proxy for their deceased ancestors. The leader of the Mormon church, Joseph Smith, taught that God had restored the original church organization.

Too Much

Nauvoo Temple Burning

Well, this was too much, too different for the local residents, who forced the Mormons out of the state and burned down their Nauvoo Temple. This happened about November 1848.

My Dad’s Story

A few years ago, my dad told this story. He said that some Native American visitors were touched by the story of the temple, and they went to the site and performed some kind of dance (or something, I can not recall). Dad said it was very special, and there was a very good feeling.

Since then, the temple has been rebuilt. My ancestors were there to build it the first time. Some day my wife and I hope to go back there and do baptisms for more of our ancestors.

The Nauvoo Temple Today