Prophets: God's Chosen Messengers

My last "real" post was about Joseph Smith, a modern-day prophet.  I've also posted previously about the need for apostles and prophets, the foundation upon which the Church of Christ has always been built.  Today I wanted to briefly explain what a prophet is and why Mormons are so grateful for them that we even have a hymn entitled "We Thank Thee, O God for a Prophet"!

Unfortunately for us, we aren't in God's physical presence--much to Cheryl Crow's dismay, He is not just a "stranger on the bus", walking and talking with us.  Notwithstanding, He wants us to do the things that will bring us true and lasting happiness.  How does He therefore communicate those things to us?  He inspires men, starting with Adam all the way down to today, and gives them His word and His law.  In Amos 3:7, we learn that "surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets [His will, doctrines, etc.] unto his servants the prophets."  Pretty awesome, right?  Well you and I may think so, but repeatedly throughout time, people have rejected the words of the prophets.  I guess they just didn't like getting told off... Does God then say "Well great!  I sent you my prophets and you rejected them--good luck!  Have a nice life!" and leave us?  Of course not!  He wants as many of us back to Him as will choose.  So He sends another prophet when the people are ready.  (By the way, you can read all bout this process in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon!)  There is this pattern of dispensations (when prophets are preaching the gospel) and apostasies (when people reject the prophets and they're taken away for a time) all throughout the scriptures.  Thus, it is reasonable that God would call a prophet to "reveal his secrets" to us--He loves us just as much as any of His children, doesn't He?  And we certainly need divine help in these crazy times!  (See also Hugh B. Brown, "The Profile of a Prophet", Ensign, June 2006, 34–39)

We can have confidence in God's prophets because they hold His authority, the priesthood.  I've mentioned it before, but the priesthood is the power for prophets to definitively say "Thus saith the Lord".  It's the difference between getting pulled over by a county sheriff versus the ice cream man--one has the authority to write you a ticket and the other doesn't, no matter his good intentions (or his "Good Humor"). 



"Do you have any idea how fast you were goin'?"

I testify that God has always and will always lead us in the right direction through His servants, the prophets.  I testify that if we listen to the voices of the prophets, our lives will be blessed.  We will find our way back to Heavenly Father.  God has not left us alone--He really has called a prophet in these troubled times.  And for that I say "thank Thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days!"

Much Love,
Elder Spendlove

For more on prophets, check out this talk and the related ones, from the leadership of the Church!

God is Our Loving Heavenly Father

I have considered many things lately about my posting, and one of the things I want to do is talk about a different principle of the Gospel that we missionaries teach each Wednesday.  So basically until I notify you otherwise, you can expect a little tidbit of simple doctrine every Wednesday.  :)

Today I wanted to talk just a little about our Heavenly Father (God).  Like His name implies, He is literally our Father, not just some ephemeral mass somewhere in the cosmos.  We look like He does--we were created in His image after all-- and we have the potential to become like Him someday.  He really loves us a LOT--check out what Paul has to say about it:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38 & 39)

Pretty cool, right?  Like he says, the love of God is manifested in the fact that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our mistakes and fill in the holes that we or others leave in our lives (see also John 3:16)!  Amazing.  There are many ways that God shows His love for us which we will discuss in the coming weeks; I want to share one way that I feel His love.  I know God loves me because He always gives me a second (third, fourth, fifth...) chance!  Because He will never give up on me, He allows me to come to Him with my boo-boos and be healed through the power of His Son.  Pretty miraculous that somebody as imperfect and foolhardy as I could merit such love and mercy--but that's the thing about God.  He is a God of miracles. 

If you have felt God's love in your life recently, post a reply here so others can feel of His love too, then share the love by inviting your friends to check out my blog and add me on facebook!  We're trying to get a worldwide web of love started here! 

Much love,
Elder Spendlove

"To Fulfill All Righteousness"

I just created a photo album on facebook with all of the pictures of the people I have helped baptize while on my mission.  **Brief Explanatory Note:  As a missionary, my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by receiving the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end.  Helping people prepare for baptism, the first covenant or two-way-promise we make with Heavenly Father, is central to what I do as a representative of Jesus Christ.  We missionaries invite people to be baptized because it is what Jesus wants all of us to do (we'll talk about this in a minute). **  As I reviewed the photos (quite thankful for the miracle of digital cameras!), what struck me about each photo was the look of peace and happiness on the person's face.  I know that each of the wonderful people I helped prepare for baptism knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that what they were doing was right.  Baptism is such a beautiful, wonderful, life-changing thing;  I am grateful that it is central to what I am called to do.

Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).  Period.  Jesus Himself, sinless though He was, perfect in every aspect of obedience though He was, was baptized by John the Baptist "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15, see also 2 Nephi 31:4-7), or to accomplish every single commandment God had given Him.  It is pretty clear from the scriptures that baptism is important.  The Book of Mormon gives us further insight on our need to be baptized: "[Jesus' baptism] showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, [Jesus] having set the example before them.  And he said unto the children of men, Follow thou me.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we [are] willing to keep the commandments of the Father...[who] said: Repent ... and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son" (2 Nephi 31:9-11, empahsis added).  It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal.  If we intend to follow Jesus Christ, Nephi says, we must follow the commandments of the Father, i.e. be baptized!  I think I've made my point.

There are so many blessings that come from baptism.  We are promised a newness of life (Romans 6:3-5); we are promised to have the Holy Ghost's companionship (2 Nephi 31:13); eternal life and resurrection (Mosiah 18:9); we are received into Christ's church; the list could go on and on.  All my friends I mentioned above who got baptized are experiencing and enjoying those gifts right now.  I know that anyone who wants to can enjoy those blessings as well.  It takes a little doing, but I can testify that if you will prepare to be baptized by someone who holds the authority to do so (I will explain that further another time), you will enjoy all the blessings mentioned in the scriptures.  You will feel the love of God more abundantly in your life and you will be happier.

MUCH LOVE

Elder Spendlove

"The Words of Eternal Life"

I want to just talk briefly today about following Christ.  There is a big misconception out there that Mormons aren't Christians.  Well I want to make it publicly known that that is absolutely untrue.  As an authorized representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (see, it's His church!) I am called to stand as a witness of Him and His church before all people.  And as such, I want to testify that I know that Jesus is the Christ, that He came and suffered for each one of us individually.  He knows your weaknesses, your pains, your insecurities, your doubts, your fears, your heartaches--all of it!  He suffered and died for each and every one of us so we can be happy and so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father eternally as families after we die.

I love something that Peter said of old to the Savior.  Jesus, after declaring some things about His divinity to His followers who promptly turned and "walked no more with him", asked his apostles, "Will ye also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:66-69, emphasis added)  That's the key, my friends.  If I weren't a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't know where I would be or where to go.  But because He lives, because His truth and His gospel ("the good news") have been restored on the earth through Joseph Smith, a modern-day prophet, I know where I am going--to live eternally with my Father and my family.  I pray you will all find the truth of this message as you study it.  If you have any questions, please comment below or look me up on facebook.  I can get you in touch with some missionaries who, like me, know this message is true and want nothing more than your eternal life with Heavenly Father as well. 

MUCH LOVE,

Elder Spendlove

"Come and See"

So I've been studying the New Testament recently (since mid-September probably) because I want to gain a greater understanding of what is in there.  I started the book of John today, which is probably my favorite of the four gospels (I don't really know why--I just like it a lot!), and already, 3 chapters in, I've gained some really cool insights.  I wanted to share one thing today that really stuck out to me.  Before I begin though, I want to explain something about studying the scriptures.

We Mormons know that the best way to learn is to "learn by the Spirit"--you may have heard some of your Mormon friends talk about that before.  What that means is that the Holy Ghost (or "Holy Spirit" or "Spirit of God", etc.) teaches us the things Heavenly Father wants us to understand. Jesus said of this, "But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26, emphasis added).  We learn in the book of Galatians, chapter 5 verses 22&23, what feelings accompany us when the Holy Ghost is teaching us: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance..."  So basically, when you study the scriptures and feel those feelings, you can be sure that you are being taught by the Holy Ghost.  I know that Heavenly Father wants us to feel and seek after those feelings so we can know that what we are learning is true, even if it doesn't make sense to our brains all the way at first.  (*Side Note* If you meet with us missionaries, we will invite you to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon, which we know to be the word of God along with the Bible.  When you follow that course and ask in faith, sincerely wanting to act upon the answer you receive, you will feel the feelings of the Holy Ghost telling you it is true.)  SO, that having been said, let me tell you about a few of the things the Holy Ghost taught me this morning.

I really liked John 1:46, "And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see."  Philip was a follower of the Savior from the beginning.  When telling his friend Nathanael about Jesus who came out of Nazareth, which was thought poorly of by the surrounding communities of the day, Nathanael questioned whether anything good could even come from Nazareth!  Philip's reply is the reply we missionaries (and members of the LDS Church) give to all--Come and see!  Come and see the gospel of Jesus Christ in action; come and see what light the teachings of God's prophets, ancient and modern, can bring into your life and the life of your family; come and learn more of Jesus and follow His example by exercising faith and being baptized (for more on Jesus' teachings about baptism, check out John 3:3-8.  This invitation to be born again, to be renewed is a wonderful, loving invitation to "come and see" the blessings of the path Jesus laid before us!).  This is the invitation I personally give to all of you.  I loved the peace the Spirit brought to me as I read that.  I am thankful for the chance I have to follow Him and to share His teachings with everybody I meet.

I hope this has been helpful.  The best thing you can do is to pray about the messages we share.  We may not be eloquent, but we know the message is true--we know by the power of the Holy Ghost.  Come and see.  You can know too.

MUCH LOVE,
Elder Spendlove