The Best Blood of the Nineteenth Century

Turn back the clock to this day--June 27th--in 1844.  In the late afternoon of a muggy day in Carthage, Illinois, two brothers and two of their friends sat in a cell on the upper floor of the local jail.  They knew their time was short, but they found comfort and solace in the words they read from a Book for which they were about to give their lives.

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."

Minutes later, an armed mob stormed the jail and after a brief struggle, the two brothers lay dead--first the elder brother, and then the younger.  One of their friends who was there, John Taylor, later described the martyrdom of these two men, Joseph Smith Jr.--a modern prophet of God--and his brother Hyrum, in these words:

Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. ... He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated! ...henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon...cost the best blood of the nineteenth century...

I too want you to know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.  Anyone can come to know that for themselves.  All you have to do is read the Book of Mormon and ask God to help you see it's true.  I know God works through prophets today like He did anciently and that your life will be blessed if you listen to His modern prophets.

I pay tribute to Joseph Smith on this anniversary of his death.  The media may mock his life, but I celebrate it.  Have questions about him or what he did?  Just ask.

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

Want more? Watch this film about the life of the prophet Joseph Smith!

The Gospel Blesses MY Family

If you've been watching my facebook page, you'll see that I've linked a few family-oriented TV commercials produced by our Church.  I love watching these, especially the ones where the kids are pretending to be pirates or space explorers or something, because they remind me of my own childhood, filled with laughter, adventure, and plenty of swashbuckling action!

 My brothers and I would always run off into the woods near our house in south Texas, looking for and certainly finding adventure around every corner.  I'm sure my mom had a fit a couple times when we came home muddy or with our jeans torn or with some sort of fun-induced injury; to us it was more than just playtime, it was life or death!  We had a chance we had to become someone else--whether that be a pirate, a wizard, Indiana Jones, or just superhuman forms of ourselves (I always liked to have super strength...I guess it just seemed like the coolest power to have).  I don't think I will ever forget that feeling of playing with my brothers (I'm in the middle of three boys, then there's a gap of 6 years and then follows my sister and youngest brother--you can imagine what three little boys might get into on an endless summer day!) and feeling like the whole world was at our fingertips. 

Heavenly Father understands that perfectly.  He knows how much joy and happiness can be found in our familial relationships.  That's why He created a plan for us, His children, to live forever with Him and with our families.  Because God restored the priesthood, or the power to act in God's name, upon the earth through Joseph Smith, our families don't have to be "til death do us part".  Our marriages and families can be "bound on Earth and bound in Heaven" (see Matthew 16:19).  The principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ will bless your family if you follow them.  They teach us to love and serve one another, to focus on the Savior's love and to radiate and reflect that back to those whom we love most (see also Mosiah 4:12-15 in the Book of Mormon, pp. 155-156)

Here is an official statement by the Church on the importance of the family.  I hope that you all continue to show love to your families and seek to improve your relationship with them and with the Savior.  You might ask your Mormon friends why they love their families so much and why they are so important to them.  You will find that the gospel of Jesus Christ has helped them cope with many challenges that now face families everywhere.

I am thankful for my family not just because of those endless summer days and countless sword fights atop various overly-dangerous dry riverbeds and dams;  I am thankful because they taught me how to love God and Jesus, how to serve and obey the commandments of God, and to prepare for raising my family on the principles of Jesus Christ's teachings.  Those things are what I really won't forget!  :)



My family circa 2006 

Much Love,
Elder Spendlove

FAQ Fridays: Are Mormons Christians?

Have you ever wondered if your Mormon friends are Christians? Well, here's a really cool video by a Church leader describing how he came to know that Mormons are Christians.
Much Love,
Elder Spendlove