Category: 2026 Essay

Monthly Message, June 2023

This one is really a no-brainer. It is, of course, the visit of Jesus Christ to the Nephites in the land Bountiful during the year after his resurrection. His teachings there were similar to his messages to the people of Judea during his mortal ministry. But there are certain important changes in the record of those teachings as compared with the record of the same Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Bible. For example, the New Testament says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” the Book of Mormon account says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The Bible account seems to laud being poor in spirit, and there are many guesses as to what that meant. But the Book of Mormon account is clear as to what is meant by being poor in spirit. It means not to have the Holy Spirit with one. But if one who does not have the Holy Spirit with them will come unto Christ through the ordinance path of faith, repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that person will become rich in the Holy Spirit, which will make it possible for them to inherit the Celestial Kingdom, heaven.

And the Savior gave the Nephites important prophecies about the future of their own nation and the restoration of his Gospel and Church in the latter days.

Thus the most important event recorded in the Book of Mormon is Christ’s visit to the Nephites.

But what might be some of the other important events recorded in the Book of Mormon? Please make your own list. But do consider the importance of the following seven events.

1. Lehi’s departure into the wilderness. This event is important because it is the record of Lehi and his family being blessed because of Lehi’s bold willingness to testify of Christ to the people of Jerusalem at a time of their great wickedness. The miraculous journey they made under the Lord’s direction to inherit the special promised land which Lehi and his descendants would inherit is specially instructive to all who would receive a blessing at the Lord’s hand.
2. The story of Abinadi. This prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ is a powerful witness of the life and mission of the Savior. He tells of the relationship of the Ten Commandments to the Gospel and delineates the relationship of the Father to the Son. He sealed his testimony with his life blood in his martyrdom. He had at least one convert: Alma, who led a group of his converts back to the main body of the Nephites, then became the leader of the church in Zarahemla.
3. The conversion of Alma the Younger. Alma, the son of Alma, was a persecutor of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ, along with the sons of the King Mosiah, and did great damage to the church. His father and other faithful members fasted and prayed for him, and he was converted back to Christ. He succeeded his father as leader of the Church and did great good for the Nephite people over many years.
4. The Destructions at the Death of Christ. As foretold by Samuel the Lamanite, there was darkness, great storms, and great destruction in the promised land at the time of the Savior’s death in Jerusalem. This cataclysm destroyed the more wicked part of the people and ravaged the face of the land. Those persons who survived this period of no light and destruction were the more righteous of the Nephites. This cataclysm helped to prepare them to meet the Savior later that year.
5. Two Hundred Years of Zion. After the visit of the Savior to the Nephites, the apostles sent by the Savior converted all of the Nephites and Lamanites to the Gospel, but more importantly, got them to actually live the Gospel. Thus they were able to establish a Zion, a people who were of one heart, of one mine, who kept the commandments of Christ and had no poor among them. A Zion has been established on this earth since the Fall of Adam only a few precious times. This was a most noteworthy achievement. We today must establish a Zion before the Savior returns in his Second Coming.
6. The Destruction of the Nephites at the Battle of Cumorah. The Nephites had been warned since their arrival in the promised land that if they were not righteous, they would be scourged by the Lamanites. They finally became so wicked that they were more wicked than the Lamanites. Then, as promised and prophesied, they were utterly destroyed. Even so it will be in these latter days: The Gospel of Christ will be preached to every person on earth, and those who will not heed and repent will be destroyed, burned at the Second Coming of Christ.
7. The Vision of the Brother of Jared. The Brother of Jared was raised up as a prophet at the time of the tower of Babel and was given a special dispensation of the Gospel of Christ. One of the ways that Christ prepared him was to give him a vision of what would happen in the future of the peoples of the earth. This vision shows several things: That the future is foreknown to God, that full righteousness is a rare thing, and that God’s purposes are always fulfilled.

What do you think are the most noteworthy events recorded in the Book of Mormon?

Monthly Messages, May 2023

The most important gift? What a value judgment. But let us see if there are reasons it is so.

The most important gift of God to man mentioned in the Book of Mormon I believe to be the gift of charity. Another way to name that gift is to say it is the gift of a pure heart, for only a pure heart can love fully and purely, which is charity, which is the pure love that Christ has for all others. Quoting Moroni 7:43–48: “And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity. And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”

There is an important reason why charity, pure love, is the greatest gift of God to man:

Any human being can be saved from the penalty due for his having sinned only through his having faith in Jesus Christ. That penalty due includes suffering for those sins the same amount of suffering the person caused in others through that person’s sinning. And He must also make restitution for having wounded or deprived those whom he has sinned against.

The person cannot be forgiven of having sinned until the suffering caused by the sinning has been met by an equal amount of suffering and until the person(s) he has sinned against are fully recompensed for the damage done to them by those sins and he or she remains as if he or she had never been sinned against. A person who has sinned must do all he or she can to repair the damage done to others through his or her sinning, but no one except Christ can fully make those sinned against whole, as if they had never been sinned against. And they must suffer an equal amount to the suffering they have caused others through sinning unless they come unto Christ and keep covenant with him. Then the suffering of the Savior in the Atonement answers the law of justice by his suffering, and the Savior forgives the one who has come unto him in covenant keeping faith.

The great thing about the gift of charity, which is the pure love of Christ, is that the person who receives this gift no longer sins. This person who has charity has become like the Savior. The greatest thing we know about the Savior is that because he does his Father’s will in all things, he never sins. The work of Christ is to help us to become as he is and sin no longer, and also to help us make payment for sins we have committed. Only after those two things are accomplished can anyone be exalted. And for both we must come unto Jesus Christ and become his little child, “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19)

So, to gain this gift is to become everything, and not to attain it still to be nothing. Our Father and Savior do not want us to remain as nothing, but are trying to share with us the most important thing they have, charity, which is a pure heart.

And you wondered why faith in Christ is not the greatest gift? Charity is the fullness of faith. So faith is not a wrong answer. It is just that a little faith does not do the job. Only faith that serves God and neighbor with all one’s heart, might, mind and strength can be the greatest gift. And the name for that fullness of faith in Christ is charity, the pure love of Christ from Christ.

Monthly Messages, April 2023

The most important spiritual warning? What a value judgment. But there are reasons why it might be so. The spiritual warning is as follows:

“They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men. O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell.” (2 Nephi 28: 14–15.) “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of Nephi, hath proven their destruction except they should repent.” (Moroni 8:27) The great spiritual enemy of righteousness is pride.

Pride is valuing oneself and what one is thinking and doing above and beyond reality. It is a prime example of listening to Satan and sadly misjudging ourselves. Our Savior would have us come down in the depths of humility and be as a little child. Satan prompts us to lift ourselves up in our own eyes and think that we are more than we really are, especially when we put someone else down in the process. Satan wants us to think we are justified in whatever we want, especially when it involves taking advantage over someone else.

Pride has four great faults:

1. It does not acknowledge that the advantages one has (health, strength, intelligence, wealth) are all gifts from God. To acknowledge those gifts would be humility, the opposite of pride.
2. It keeps us from seeing ourselves as we truly are, in great need of being saved from ourselves.
3. It justifies us in trespassing against our neighbor, advancing ourselves at our neighbor’s expense.
4. It blocks us from receiving the Holy Spirit, that companionship which is essential to salvation.

1. Pride does not acknowledge that the advantages one has (health, strength, intelligence, wealth) are all gifts from God. To acknowledge those as gifts would be humility, the opposite of pride.

The “natural man,” a human being who has not been rescued from spiritual death through faith

in Jesus Christ, usually thinks of himself or herself as a product of nature. Blind chance has brought him or her into this world, has given all that the person has, and therefore there is no gratitude due to anyone for any advantages one may have

2. Pride keeps us from seeing ourselves as we truly are, in great need of being saved from ourselves.

Our only real enemy is the character weaknesses that allow us to break the commandments of God. One part or Christ’s mission is to direct the Holy Spirit to labor with each of us to give up our weaknesses and gain the strength to become like Jesus Christ. Then we also will only do the will of the Father. Then the world will be at peace, and we will have a heaven on earth. If we would each give up our pride in our sinning and become like little children, meek, submissive, obedient to the Savior, then the millennium would come without the need to cleanse the earth of all pride and arrogance.

3. Pride justifies us in trespassing against our neighbor, advancing ourselves at our neighbor’s expense.

The proud person thinks to himself “I deserve what I want” and proceeds to take what he wants by any means. This proud person knows not God, but does listen to the voice of Satan. Satan assures him what he does indeed deserve what he wants. And Satan always confirms him in his selfish desires, a most desirable companion to those who see themselves as the most important person on the scene.

4. Pride blocks us from receiving the Holy Spirit, that companionship which is essential to salvation.

The proud person cannot receive the ministrations of the Holy Spirit because he does not want to do so. He wants to see himself as more, not less, and the Holy Spirit always enjoins one to be humble, as a little child, and to sacrifice to bless others. But the proud person always wants to be more, not less, and to help someone else only if the deed will redound to his own glory.

Remember: The ultimate pride is to reject Jesus Christ and to pretend that we don’t need Him.

Monthly Messages, April 2023

Noting the encouragements to “do.” (Knowing without doing is a waste.)

Saturday Morning

• Elder Gary Stevenson: Make Easter more important in your family. Focus on the Book of Mormon account of the risen Lord.
• Sister Bonnie Cordon: Never give up an opportunity to testify of the Christ.
• Elder Quentin Cook: When you are challenged, keep going with faith in Christ.
• Elder Gerrit Gong: Minister to others, caring, in the pure love of Christ. Do more, not less.
• Elder Quentin Cook: Be diligent in gathering Israel.
• Elder Allen Haynie: Follow the living prophet.
• President Henry B. Eyring: Find personal peace through faith in Christ. If you love the Lord, keep His commandments.

Saturday Afternoon

• Elder Dale Renlund: Follow the covenant path to overcome the world.
• Elder Peter Meurs: Put your trust in the Savior.
• Elder Randall Bennett: Prepare carefully to receive your patriarchal blessing, then treasure it.
• Elder Craig Christensen: Repent to receive joy.
• Elder Evan Schmutz: Feast upon the doctrine of Christ and trust in him through prayer to endure suffering.
• Elder Benjamin De Hoyos: Trust in Christ’s healing power.
• Elder Dieter Uchtdorf: Christ will show you your weaknesses, then repent to bless your children.

Saturday Evening

• Elder Mark Bragg: Have faith in Christ to bring power into your life.
• Elder Milton Camargo: Always remember Him.
• Elder K Brett Nattress: Remember that He always loves us.
• Elder Juan Uceda: Minister to Christ’s children as He would.

Sunday Morning

• Elder D Todd Christofferson: Become one in Christ.
• Sister Camille Johnson: Believe in Christ, that He is risen.
• Elder Ulisses Soares: Accept the love and peace the Savior tries to give us.
• Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita; Receive a patriarchal blessing.
• Elder Neal Andersen: Trust in God.
• Elder Kevin Duncan: Be worthy to be admitted into His presence.
• President Russel M Nelson: Never throw anything in anger. Be an example of compassion with those we disagree with. Love your enemies and be a peacemaker. Seek after that which is virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy. Change the world by modifying it with dignity. In any contention, cast Satan out of your midst. Act as Christ would, and the Lord will magnify your efforts. Examine and mend your relationship with others.

Sunday Afternoon

• President Dallin H Oaks: Pay special attention to the words of Christ in the scriptures.
• President Russell M. Ballard: Don’t procrastinate the promptings you receive from the Holy Ghost.
• Elder Ronald Rasband: Have oil in your lamp.
• Elder Vern Stanfill: Do your best and don’t worry about perfection.
• Elder Mark Bassett: Do all you can do, then the Lord will do the rest.
• Elder Ahmad Corbett: Be healed by accepting the doctrine of Christ.
• Elder David Bednar: Abide in Christ by making Him the center of your life.
• President Russell M. Nelson: Study the Come Follow Me material. Come unto Christ so that He can heal you from sin, sadness, wounds. Learn more about the Savior’s atonement and love. Turn to Christ, follow Him, trust in Him. Worship in the temple. Find enduring happiness in Christ.

March 2023

The most important temporal warning? What a value judgment! But there are reasons why it might be so. The temporal warning is as follows:

“And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites. And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi. And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold they will be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of the saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet avenge them not. Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby you may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that you shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of the secret combinations which shall be among you; or wo be unto it because of the blood of those who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.” (Ether 8:20–25)

Through Moroni the Lord here plainly warns us that the opposition to the work of Christ is deadly, deliberate and well organized. This force is world-wide, operating in every nation, kindred, tongue and people. It seeks to enslave the majority of humans for the benefit of a few who enjoy power, prestige, and wealth. This force has no moral scruples. For it, the end justifies the means. Some of the reasons why it is the greatest temporal threat to mankind are as follows: 1. This threat is organized from the Spirit world, inspired and guided by Satan. 2. It will be a major player on the world scene until the Savior comes in his Second Coming. 3. Those who cooperate and participate in this programmed evil are the tares of the earth who will be burned at the Second Coming of Christ.

It is important to recognize three aspects of this threat to the peoples of this earth. It is a conspiracy because many of its players and supporters meet in secret to plan their moves (“conspiracy” means to breathe together). 1. One of its main ploys is to ridicule conspiracy theories. 2. This movement is actually a religion, with all the trappings of a religion. It is currently the dominant religion on earth. 3. This movement seeks control over all of culture and civilization.

1. One of its main ploys is to ridicule conspiracy theories.

The Theosophical Society of America offers this comment on a book about conspiracy theories: “Conspiracy Theories, then, are far from harmless. Such wrongheaded thinking can be pernicious, and ultimately downright destructive. Cassam runs down a list: antivaxxers; anticredentialism in general; “the death of expertise”; Brexit; anti-Semitism on both the left and the right. Therefore Conspiracy theories promote symbols and beliefs that have consequences unforeseen by moderates. Furthermore, they “diminish the credibility of legitimate criticisms” and are also a “distraction from big-picture social issues.” Review of Conspiracy Theories by Quassim Cassam, Cambridge, U.K.: Polity Press, 2019.

In other words, public, just believe what you are told.

2. This movement is actually a religion, with all the trappings of a religion.

This religion has its temples (universities), priestly vestments (cap and gown), ordinances (graduation ceremonies), a theology (there is no God, all things are natural, there is no right and wrong). This religion is behind getting rid of public displays of the Ten Commandments. It is behind the LGBT+ movement. It encourages “living together” instead of marriage. It promotes abortion and euthanasia. This movement is the great and abominable church mentioned in the scriptures. This threat is organized from the Spirit world, inspired and guided by Satan. It will be a major player on the world scene until the Savior comes in his Second Coming. Those who cooperate and participate in this programmed evil are the tares of the earth who will be burned at the Second Coming of Christ.

3. This movement seeks control over all of culture and civilization.

The humanist movement is the dominant force and ideology in the world today. It is the philosophy behind communism and socialism. It has quietly taken control of our education systems, threatens scientific objectivism, controls our media, and is behind the “woke” movement. Politics in the United States mostly concerns how much socialism we shall allow, with socialism gradually increasing and taking over our politics. Socialism, the governing of the masses by those “most intelligent” human beings, is the antithesis of what the true disciples of Christ seek, which is Zion, a people so pure in heart that they all do only the will of Christ. They spend their time blessing others in his name and through his power. Zion is a people who do not take their instructions from any human being unless those instructions are confirmed by the Holy Spirit, which is the will of Christ. The will of Christ is that they become fully honest, true, chaste and benevolent, having all things in common out of a pure heart.

These latter days are a show-down between the cause of Christ (Zion) and humanism. Humanism seeks to govern all mankind by a socialist world-order. Moroni would have us be fully aware of this confrontation and to make sure we promote the cause of Christ and do not give power to the cause of Satan.

Monthly Messages, January 2023

The most important verse? That is a strong value judgment. But there are some reasons why it might be so. The verse is 2 Nephi 26:24:

“He (God) doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.”

“Benefit” means doing good, blessing and ministering to others. God does this because of his heart-felt love for each human. The totality of all human beings is “the world” in the scriptures. Christ has suffered for the sins and pains of each and every human being in order to be able to bless each one with forgiveness of sins, resurrection, and glory. He hopes to bless each human will all, with exaltation in eternity. But he respects each person and will put upon each only that which each has shown he or she wants to receive and does follow the covenant path to become able to receive. Not everyone can stand to receive all that God tries to give them.

The reasons why this verse is the most important verse come under three headings:

1. This verse gives us a most important feature of our knowledge about our God.
2. This verse solves the problem of evil in the world.
3. This verse sheds great light on the commandments God has given us.

1. This verse gives us a most important feature of our knowledge about our God.

Usual discussions of the nature of God sometimes focus on how much he knows, what he can do, and where he is.

Our God is said to be omniscient, that he knows everything that can be known, past, present and future. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob exclaims: “Oh how great the goodness of our God. For he knoweth all things and there is not anything save he knows it.” (2 Nephi 9:20). This means God is never puzzled or in the dark about anything. He knows and understands all things. Therefore he knows how to bless each of his children.

Usual discussions also emphasize the power of God, that he has allpower. This means that he can do anything that can be done. The Savior said: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18). Thus he is never frustrated by inability to bless each human being.

Our God is also present everywhere in the universe. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalms 139:7–10) This is to say that wherever any of his children are the in universe, God finds and blesses them.

And our God is also good, which is to say that he blesses or helps each of his children to enjoy as much blessing as each can stand to receive. And this is where our special verse from the Book of Mormon quoted above applies. It is well understood by mankind that God blesses his children. What is not as well-known is what this verse explains: God only blesses his children. Some persons are wont to attribute curses to God, and the scriptures actually use that word. But this verse in the Book of Mormon tells us that any so-called curse from God is actually a blessing and will result in some great benefit and opportunity for the recipient. Thus, God only blesses. Everything he does is to advance the happiness, power, and well-being of his children. But again, he will not put upon any child of his any blessing in eternity which the person cannot profit from. Thus some are damned to spare them blessings which would cause them to regress. And this damnation itself is a blessing.

2. This verse solves the problem of evil in the world.

Anything is evil if it is not as good as it could or should be. Every human sin is an evil, something which need not and should not be. For every human sin shortens the blessings and welfare of the sinner’s fellow-beings. God’s commandments are given so that we will have guidance and power not to do evil, but to bless only, even as God does. God holds each human being accountable for all evil each has done, and our Savior counts any evil we do to any person as if we had done it unto him. If we repent of doing evil, our Savior forgives us. But if we will not and do not repent, he must hold us accountable on the day of judgment.

But there is a lot of evil in this world that is not the doing of any human being. There are diseases, natural disasters such as storms and volcanic activity, opposition from wild animals, heat and cold that devastate, etc. The point of this special scripture from the Book of Mormon is that all so-called evil in this world is the hand of God delivering something to his human children which will eventuate blessing which they will eventually recognize and be grateful for. For God’s hand is in all things. Nothing happens in this universe except by his permission. He lets what we call evil treatment by humans and by natural disasters in nature function as avenues for blessings greater than the evils humans suffer. Thus each human should be grateful for any suffering he or she undergoes, understanding that if he or she will turn to God as a little child and humbly submits to the so-called evils that come upon them, that paves the way for greater blessings from God. “For the natural man (a man without Christ in this mortal world) is an enemy (does not love) to God, and has been since the fall of Adam (because of the influence and temptations of Satan) and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit (accepts Jesus Christ as his father and guide), and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint (having the companionship of the Holy Spirit) through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love (for Christ and for all of God’s creation), willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him (to bless him), even as a child doth submit to his father (for that person who comes unto Christ counts Christ as his father). (Mosiah 3:19)

This discussion of evil makes no sense to those who do not believe in the immortality of the human soul: no pre-mortal and no post-mortal human existence. For only in the post-mortal life do all the evils of mortality become known as blessings.

Thus everything God brings to pass happens because God is using it to bless his children, to help each enjoy all the blessings and powers of God himself if they can stand to receive such magnificence.

3. This verse sheds great light on the commandments God has given to us, his mortal children.

Salvation in Christ is to change our personal character from the way we were as a natural man in this mortality into the character and nature of Christ himself. This is done by the individual exercising faith in Christ unto repentance from everything we are and do that is not like him, to “come unto the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) This explains why our Savior commands us to: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven, for he maketh his sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust … Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” (Mathew 5: 44–48) This is what Christ himself does, and he bids us to follow his example.

This verse in the Book of Mormon is the most important verse because it clarifies for us the most important characteristic of our God: that his heart is filled only with unmixed, pure love for all of his children and for all creation. Knowing the most important thing about God our Father is the most important thing any human could know. And gaining and using that pure love from him in order to purely minister to others is the most important thing any human will ever do.

Monthly Message, December 2022

Why I worship Jesus Christ at Christmas and all year:

• I first began to feel about the Christ when I was baptized at age 8.
• I felt I should read the Book of Mormon and began to do so.
• I could not understand it, but I had a strong feeling that it was a true record
• And that Jesus Christ was my Savior.
• My next step up in testimony was when I became a Deacon.
• I had a Quorum Advisor who taught us about Christ
• With tears in his eyes, and I felt what he was saying was true.
• In my teenage years I began to experience problems, and found I could take
• them to the Lord in fervent prayer. I was comforted and blessed.
• As a junior in college, I met a wonderful girl, rejected her because she was too beautiful.
• But a friend talked me into going with her anyway, and I did.
• I married her in the Holy Temple, and we began a family in Christ.
• We were blessed with thirteen special children, and as we raised them
• In Christ, our faith grew.
• We fasted and prayed about many things, which brought us together as we both
• Received answers in the Holy Spirit which, when enacted, bore precious fruit.
• We grew old together, serving difficult missions and callings, but always
• Buoyed by the Holy Spirit and a multitude of blessings and many answers to prayer.
• We served in the temple together, we did home teaching together
• And we struggled together to raise our children in Christ.
• Now she has gone to the great beyond to serve loved ones in the Lord.
• I continue to struggle in mortality, anxiously awaiting reunion with her
• In Christ and in the Spirit world.
• For I know and believe in that great God I worship, Jesus Christ and His Father.
• For they are gods of righteousness. Whatever they do, they do to bless.
• They are One God in that righteousness, and invite all of their earthly children
• To join them in that eternal work of righteousness, blessing others to all eternity.
• Will you join me in worshiping them?

Chauncey Cazier Riddle

Monthly Message, November 2022

We humans do not know much of ourselves. The things we really know are the familiar things we repeatedly observe. Most of what we believe at any given moment we do not observe, such as our belief in Europe or the Far East. But we have built a fabric of beliefs about many things we do not now sense perceive, and we live our lives in this web of present knowledge firmly located in a web of present beliefs.

So we have at least two kinds of ideas: Things we presently perceive (our knowledge) and the web of beliefs which gives meaning and reality to the imaginations in which we hold all of our present perceptions. The Greeks called these two kinds of ideas physics (the things we sensorily perceive) and metaphysics (the unseen reality beyond the seen reality). It turns out that most of our important ideas about the reality of the universe are metaphysics, not physics. And metaphysics is the realm of faith, the things we believe but cannot prove, that give understanding to the things we can see and prove.

Every normal human being has a metaphysics which he or she believes but cannot prove. Some people have a better metaphysics than others, and this enables them to better predict the future and better explain what is going on in the realm of the things that can be seen. Since no one can prove that their metaphysics is correct, we may conclude that every human being lives by faith in something, and that something is their metaphysics. Faith is trusting in something you cannot prove.

Not all faiths are equal. Some are much better for helping the believer to get what they want than are others. Politics is largely the activity of trying to affect the faith of other persons in order to gain power for the politician. Much so called general education in colleges is the attempt to enlarge and control the faith of others to affect their politics. Every charismatic political leader is adept at manipulating the faith of other people.

But to the main point of this discussion: Faith of all kinds and for all persons is built by sequences of choices. Each normal human being lives by faith in a metaphysical structure he or she has built and maintained by daily choices. And I assert that each of these choices is controlled mostly by the heart and not the mind of the individual. In other words, people believe and act as they want to, and they adjust their metaphysics to justify what they want and want to do.

What is the evidence that the heart and not the mind controls persons’ metaphysics? Just watch as smokers deny that smoking is harmful. Many know the rational evidence that smoking is harmful, but because they want to smoke, they disregard that evidence and smoke anyway. Many know that deficit spending by the government is bad for the country, but they support it anyway because they want the short-term benefit that it brings. Many know that stealing is wrong, but do it anyway because they want to, etc.

Now the real point of all this is that faith in Jesus Christ is not for everyone because many just do not want to be like Christ. So they do not build a metaphysics which allows Christ to redeem them.

They would rather be like the non-believers and relish their favorite sins than to repent and become a blessing to all around them as Christ is. Some don’t mind being partly like Christ, but they trust in themselves to fashion a life that brings them all the satisfactions they desire rather than the pattern of the true Christian.

So the conclusion is that many people have all the evidence they need to fashion a solid testimony that Jesus is the Christ, but have no testimony of his divinity and power simply because they do not want to live the way he commends. They build testimonies or webs of understanding to self-justify their rejection of the moral standards Christ enjoins upon his faithful followers.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a moral test to all who hear or know it. Hearing about Christ from books or the testimonies of other humans is a partial test, but the full test comes only when the Holy Spirit bears witness to the individual that Christ is the only pattern of character which can be blessed with a fullness of knowledge and power unto all eternity, which is the only full salvation from this fallen world.