Mistakes of People Who Lose (or Never Had) Faith

There are two types of opponents of the Church of Jesus Christ.  There are some who are former members of the Church who have lost their faith, and there are others who never were members of the Church but who have been told bad things about it and consequently feel a need to combat an evil they perceive.  In either case, they tend to make the same types of mistakes when considering and discussing various aspects of the doctrine, practices, and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We should always remember the second great commandment and show love to everyone, including those who have bad things to say about our religion.  But we needn't make the same mistakes they are making.  After examining many complaints of people who either doubt or aggressively attack the Church of Jesus Christ, I find that each generally falls into one of five categories:

1. Sometimes, the information they present has an element of truth or historic basis, but ignores a lot of other truth and history in order to present a negative view of the Church or its leaders.  Again, sometimes this is done out of ignorance, and I think this happens quite often.  People talk about "doing research" without having done enough research themselves, because what is presented to them appears, at first glance, to be solid and adequate.  In the other cases, it seems clear that much of the history is being ignored because it doesn't support their position.  To be clear, serious historians do have to evaluate the reliability and consistency of various records, and we're not automatically obligated to accept any particular piece of information as fully authoritative and accurate, but there's a difference between questioning the validity of some information and completely disregarding a lot of information.  One example of incomplete information I've encountered was a person complaining about Joseph Smith being taken to court for "treasure digging" while employed by Josiah Stoal/Stowell.  I wasn't inclined to give great heed to the accuser, but I got curious about what the real situation was, so I looked up the court record, which is included in the Joseph Smith papers made available online by the Church; as it turns out, Josiah Stoal originally wanted Joseph to find treasure, but was dissuaded from the effort by Joseph.  The complaint came from a relative, but Josiah Stoal was always happy with Joseph Smith, whom he continued to employ for other work.  The court didn't find Joseph to be at fault.  So while I could have initially assumed something bad about Joseph Smith based on the negative report I heard, after examining information for myself I found nothing to worry about.  As I've listened to multiple faithful latter-day saint scholars it's clear that they are giving unbiased consideration to all available information and that it ends up strengthening their faith in Jesus Christ and His work in our time through His restored Church.

2. Sometimes, the information they present is simply false.  We can't trust everything that everyone claims.  Sometimes people unknowingly pass on bad information, and sometimes they're deliberately lying.  Sometimes they actually think it's okay to lie for what they consider is a righteous cause.  Ironically, I've heard people accuse members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of practicing something they call "lying for the Lord", which of course is absolutely contrary to what the Church really teaches, and it seems that it is exactly what they are doing in the moment.  I've also heard people claim to be former members of the Church, with the assumption that it lends more credence to their criticism of the Church, and while this is true in some cases, it appears to not be in others; it ends up looking like a complete fabrication after they evince little knowledge about the Church.  There are cases when there may have originally been some truth to a statement, but in the manner of the Telephone Game, after multiple biased retellings it is so distorted that no truth remains.  It doesn't hurt to fact-check people before devoting extensive consideration to their claims.

3. Sometimes, their information is outdated.  Opponents of the Church have been publishing their opposition since before the Church was actually founded.  Some information they present--such as Fawn Brodie's early biography of Joseph Smith or lists of supposed anachronisms in the Book of Mormon--just don't hold up when compared with additional information that has been discovered in the many years since they were written.  It is easy to assume that they're valid without taking into consideration the large amounts of newer information and analysis, but to do so is a mistake.  Scholars who are faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ do reshape their understandings based on their own and others' new scholarly work.  Granted, by definition, physical evidences alone are never an adequate foundation for faith, but it is pleasing to find multiple discoveries that actually do support the ideas we hold about the Restoration.

4. Sometimes, people make unwarranted assumptions and come to unwarranted conclusions based on unknowns.  There's a lot we don't know about doctrine and history.  Unknowns are the norm in any scientific endeavor; they're why science exists.  Unknowns are also normal in anthropological studies.  There is simply a lot about the past that we don't know.  Scholarly efforts in history and archaeology provide us glimpses and snippets that require some interpretation.  Beyond changing our minds about some ideas, there are others that we just can't formulate with high confidence.  Any scholar should be comfortable with some unknowns, and any disciple of Christ has the privilege of not only revelation but also comfort through the Holy Ghost.  In many cases, we learn things, years down the road, that answer questions we first had much earlier.  For many other questions, we just can't expect to learn the answers during our mortal lives, and that's okay.  We know that God will provide everything we need in order to fulfill our purpose here on Earth and to be prepared for eternity.  One example of this is the translation of the Book of Abraham; there's much we don't know about it--partially because Joseph Smith was murdered.  If he had lived longer, he would have had more opportunities to speak and to write, and we would doubtless have had more explanations about a number of topics.  When we don't have a particular answer, God will tell us, through the Holy Ghost, something along the lines of, "I know you don't have that answer.  I'm glad you want to learn and I know you'll be okay in the meanwhile.  Keep going with what I've already given you; you still have plenty to learn and do that is immediately available."  (Granted, the reassurance is unlikely to be anywhere near that wordy.)  In a related scenario, sometimes there is information available that supports positive ideas about the Church more than negative ideas, but we don't have access to all of it or don't have the analytical background needed to make sense of it all.  Other people succeed in figuring things out, and if we had access to them we would see that there are good answers available, but we don't have access to them (at least yet) and don't yet see that good answers do exist.  This puts us in essentially the same situation as when no answer will ever come before we die.  In all of these cases, faith and seeking revelation from God helps us stay on the right track, but people are subject to influences that undermine our faith and our decisions to seek revelation, and sometimes people allow themselves to be affected by those influences, thus missing out on the best ideas and the comfort that God gives when we have to be left, at least temporarily, with some unknowns.

5. Sometimes people just choose faithless conclusions.  Our evaluation of evidence is always impacted by our choices to exercise or abandon faith.  I love the movie 12 Angry Men (based on a play), in which there is a consensus that a young man accused of murder is obviously guilty based on the available evidence.  Over the course of the film/play, people experience beautiful moments of moral concern and mental reevaluation, and eventually they unanimously declare the young man to be Not Guilty.  The same evidence, when viewed differently, leads them to a different conclusion.  In matters of Church history, practice, and doctrine, sometimes people oversimplify the situation.  Sometimes biased language contributes to this problem.  A person might ask, for example, "Why does the Church hoard money?"  The word "hoard" is chosen instead of "save" only for the sake of putting a pejorative spin on the conversation.  Many people were surprised to learn that the Church had saved so much money from donations.  It is always easy for one person to accuse another of not doing enough good.  The actual financial situation of the Church of Jesus Christ is wonderful; it's great that we're not struggling like we have in the past, that we're keeping the Church running and building more temples, that we're able to do so much good to meet people's material needs on both a local level and also supporting thousands of global relief projects, and that we were able to do so without going broke during a pandemic that caused worldwide financial strain.  It's easy for people to merely accuse without thinking through all of that, but a faithful response allows us to be open to larger realization, and again, to hold to the goodness God provides while we're still thinking through things.

Last thoughts for now:
Everyone has different beliefs in some ways--even within a given religion and even within the Church of Jesus Christ--and it's okay to be unsure about some things.  We should tolerate some uncertainty.  What we should never doubt is what comes to us from God.  He is both wise and loving to the greatest degree, and he wants to give us truth.  We should never let uncertainty undermine our confidence in Him, His Son, and His Spirit.  We should keep learning and allow our beliefs to change at times, but considering all that God gives us, we should never allow our faith in God and in Jesus Christ to be undermined.  We should be aware of faith-damaging mistakes and avoid making them for ourselves.  We should show the greatest love to everyone, including people who do struggle with their faith, and we should help others to build their faith.

Hurt and Tired

I normally try to be positive and inspiring here, saving the wounds for something else.  But I have little else.  My wife listens to me consistently.  I don't have many other outlets.  I wouldn't want to write this elsewhere, because on one hand, when people did respond it would feel like fishing for sympathy, and I don't want to be an emotionally needy sort of person.  I don't want the kind of support-for-the-sake-of-showing-support that I see so much online and in other social contexts.  On the other, when people didn't respond it would be confirmation that they didn't care about things that are deeply personal for me.  But here, I don't expect an audience anyway, so I don't have to worry about people responding or not responding.

I am so tired in some ways.  I am tired of reaching out to people and having them not reach back.  It hurts when people have so many opportunities to demonstrate that they don't care for or about me.  Over, and over, and over again.  It's not that no one ever responds, but the amount of response is discouraging, to say the least.  I keep reaching out to people because I know it's a good thing to do.  People need people and the world is more socially messed up than ever.  But I also just want some people to care about me.  I want to know that there are people out there that I like and who like me in return, and who would voluntarily choose to spend time with me.  It's not as if I never experience this, but it's so little, especially compared to how much I try to reach out to others.

I try to do good things.  It feels like people assign different motives to me at times, and I hate to be misunderstood.  For example, I believe in music, I believe in teaching my children, and I believe that people should share our talents to benefit others, and this leads me to arrange for my family to sing in sacrament meetings.  With many other efforts I feel the same way.  Perhaps there's some arrogance in trying to do anything, but I'm generally keenly aware of my limitations as I attempt any endeavor.  I know that some people appreciate what I do, and yet I also feel that other people think I do it out of pride.  It feels like people support my efforts less because of those false perceived motivations.  And I am so tired from it.

I'm tired of making mistakes, also.  In so many efforts to fulfill obligations and to take on extra tasks simply because I believe they'll be good to do, I've messed up over and over again.  It's not to say that I've had no success, but amid those efforts--whether generally successful or not--I have made error after error.  It stings to realize it, and I somehow often remember those errors years later.

One of my dreams, after retiring from the Army, is to take several weeks worth of food and water and retreat to a cabin in the wilderness somewhere, away from all people and technology.  I would take books.  I would stay there at least until I forget what day it is.

And I feel like I may be tempted to largely withdraw from society in a more permanent sense.  I don't think I could ever really feel comfortable with that.  I know God wants me to serve people--despite my severe limitations--and to receive service from them.  It's pretty much that simple.  I have known it for a long time, and I've had the idea reinforced over and over again.  So I really don't think I could withdraw permanently.

But the idea is appealing.  And maybe by the time I retire from the Army and no longer have a corresponding social obligation I won't have it in me any more to be among people that I hope for real friendship and love from.  When we've been hurt repeatedly over a long time, we just aren't eager to be hurt again.

If anyone does read this, don't worry; I've lived through pain and depression a lot in the past, and I'm not inclined toward harming myself or others.  I'll survive.  I'll be fine.  My faith in my Heavenly Father and my Savior won't be weakened.  If there is anyone who has read other things that I've written here and feels that I've been dishonest before by not expressing this personal sorrow, I apologize, because dishonesty has never been my intention.  Just remember that, just like "in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see", a heart that is more vocal out of principle can also hold plenty of sorrow.

When I was younger, I remember finding that I liked to ask people what they value, and I asked that they answer in one or two words.  Not necessarily what they value the most, but something they value.  My answer was friendship.  Implicit in that was understanding.  For some time I thought that maybe I didn't need friendship so much any more, but as more years have passed, it's clear that I still want it.

Last thoughts for now:
I should be better at seeking solace from my Savior.  I trust Him implicitly, and I know He loves me.  I just still want to feel love from others, too.  Is that a fault?  I don't know.  Perhaps in five years I'll understand better just how worn out I have been, and maybe it won't be too much.

Thoughts that Stay With Me: "If I Had the Chance to Do It Again..."

(Note: I realized later that I actually did mention this before, on 03 July 2018.  It's actually pretty similar thoughts, including the same quoted scripture, but I'll leave this second post here.  It might be interesting to compare the two posts.)

I tend to easily put things from the past behind me, and I feel like they gather dust on the back shelves of my mind rather quickly.  It seems that other people tend to remember more from their past than I do, whereas I, for better or worse, tend to not think about most of my past.  But from time to time, someone says something, surely without expecting me to find it particularly remarkable, that sticks with me for years and years.

One of these happened around the time my sister got married.  My wife and I were in Utah, and she was able to attend my sister's bridal shower, which was being held at my uncle Dale's house.  I had nothing better to do, so I tagged along to the house but remained apart from the shower activities.  While there, Dale's wife Diane took some time to talk with me.

We must have spoken for a while, and it was probably mostly just getting caught up with each other's recent life events, but I really don't remember anything she said that evening except for one sentence.  I had commented about her children, and made some general remark about how eight children is a lot.  She then responded with the sentence I will never forget.  As well as I can remember, this is what she said:

"If I had the chance to do it again, I'd have them closer together so that I could have more."

Wow.  That was my reaction: wow.  That wasn't what I expected.  I wasn't at all opposed to having children; quite the contrary, really.  I planned on it.  But that expression from her was so different from what I expect from most people.  Even a family with eight children is fairly rare, but to want more?

I once spoke with an old friend who met me and my wife for lunch.  During our conversation then, he told us that he and his wife didn't plan to have children.  It really hurt to hear him say so.  By that time, we'd already had at least one child ourselves, so we knew how joyous it could be.  Additionally, this friend had served as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ and knew, at least on some level, that God wants us to raise children.  In the years that have followed, this friend and his wife have had at least one child, and I was glad to hear it.  But I've heard from quite a few others who have expressed similar thoughts about not planning to have children.

From Psalm 127:3-5, "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them".

My wife and I had many discussions over the years about when to have more children.  We didn't always agree, and sometimes had to wait.  We now have six children and have determined that we will have no more.  I accept that everyone has to be done with that period of their life at some point--eventually the mother's "biological clock" runs out even if she wants to keep going--and we reached it after our sixth child was born.  Would I have wanted more, with less space between them?  Yes; I understand now pretty well what my aunt meant.  Am I happy with my children?  So very much.  When responding to others asking how many children I have, I commonly tell them the number and then very honestly add, "And I like each one of them!"  I would encourage everyone who is able to raise children to do so (having married traditionally so that the children could be raised by both a mother and father).

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful that my Aunt Diane expressed that thought to me all those years ago.  The world needs encouragement to follow God's will, especially related to such a vital commandment as "multiply, and replenish the earth."  The blessings and joy of parenting are boundless, and God's children, waiting to come to the Earth, need good homes where they will be loved and taught by dedicated parents.  I'm grateful beyond words to be able to raise my children.

The Great Things I Hope For

When singing special musical numbers during sacrament meetings, I am always wary; I want to make sure the focus of the meeting is on Christ and His Gospel, and not on people's musical ability.  That being said, my family apparently received many, many compliments last Sunday after six of us sang "Sleep, Little Jesus" together.

I had a couple of coughing children to take home, so I was able to dodge the acclaim.  And I don't know how much we succeeded in inviting the Holy Ghost more than showing off singing ability; that's hard to tell.  But apparently we sang very well.  People told my wife more than once that day that they love it when our family sings.

What makes that kind of singing possible?  Sure, my wife and I are musically competent, though very far from being as skilled as a professional.  We're not wealthy enough for personal vocal instruction for the kids, though we have been able to get some piano lessons for them.  We definitely did some practicing throughout the week, but the kids have enough musical ability already that we can put together a decent song as a group.  What has brought that about?

If our family being able to sing together is a "great thing", then I think what makes it possible is one of those "small and simple things" (Alma 37:6).  Specifically, we sing together (almost) every night as part of our Family Time tradition I wrote about previously.  Each night we sing a hymn or a children's song--just one song, usually.  Over the years, that little bit of continual practice must have had an effect.  My wife considers us to finally be in the "reward" period, where we get to really enjoy singing together with the children, after years of small efforts.

But that daily singing is the least important part of our Family Time tradition.  While I believe music is important, the more important counsel we're trying to follow is the daily family scripture study and prayer.  If daily singing slowly builds our musical ability so that now we can rejoice in the "great thing" of family musical numbers, what great things will come from our small and simple daily scripture study and prayer?

I'm not sure what those great things will be, but I do believe Alma's words that, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass".  As I said last time, I think that this simple nightly tradition is the most important thing I do, and I believe that it really will bless my children.

Last thoughts for now:
Daily scripture study and prayer are "small and simple things"; we have promises from the Creator of the Universe that they will bring about great things.  Perhaps the great thing they will bring is a solid faith in Christ that will guide my children throughout their lives.  Maybe it will be the traditions that they carry on with their own families.  Maybe it will include greater ability to meaningfully ponder God's word and to converse with others about it.  Maybe it will be all of that and more.

The Most Important Thing I Do

 A while back, I was sitting in on a class held for United States Military Academy cadets by the Church Educational System's Institute of Religion.  I don't remember what the lesson was that evening, but at some point I was thinking about my family's nightly Family Time tradition.  I wrote a post about this back in October 2013, and we still do largely the same thing almost every night.  Essentially, we sing together, we study scripture together, and we pray together.  Recently, we've also often been reviewing personal goals, and of course, we have an extended Home Evening with a lesson, which we now have on Sundays, following a suggestion from Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the October 2018 general conference.  It may seem a simple thing for me, my wife, and my children to take a few minutes for reverence and devotion to God, but as I sat in the Institute class, somehow the thought came to me that Family Time is the most important thing I do.

I hadn't really considered it like that before.  Of course, I know it has been important to me, or I wouldn't have kept up such a tradition for so long.  But when I think about the real, lasting impact of everything I do in life, I don't think anything else will be more important than this simple tradition.  Through it, we're able to learn together and grow spiritually; we're able to provide our children with the knowledge they need to navigate through the trials and confusion of life.  Through it, we find greater unity as a family.  Through it, we remind ourselves daily of how to live as disciples of Christ.

I do other good things in life, whether in Church service, at work, other activities with my family, or just by taking advantage of opportunities when they arise at random, but I don't think the real, lasting impact approaches what I achieve through daily singing, scripture study, and prayer with my family.

It was fascinating to consider.  In the days that have followed, I haven't changed my mind.

Last thoughts for now:
Someday my family will start shrinking as my adult children move out and begin their own lives.  Eventually, we presumably won't have any children remaining at home.  Family Time will be a bit different then as we don't have any children to teach.  In one sense, I think I will have a feeling of, "Mission Accomplished" when that day comes.  I expect that my wife and I will carry on the tradition, but simply focus more on what interests the two of us.  I hope that our children will have similar traditions with their future spouses and children, and I expect that my wife and I will want to join our children's family traditions when possible.  For now, I happily carry on the event each night.  I love it.  And I truly believe that it's the most important thing I do.

Seeking Revelation Leads Us to Unity With God

 A passage I love sharing with others is John 17:20-22.  In John 17, the Savior prayed to the Father (in what we sometimes term the "intercessory prayer), and in verses 20-22 He said this: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one".  It is our Savior's great desire that we, His followers, be one with Him and the Father as they are united.  One of the most important aspects of such unity is submission of our will to that of the Father, modeled by our Redeemer in the Garden of Gethsemane as He said, "not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)

Perhaps it seems to be not immediately related at first, but in recent years, President Nelson has put a lot of emphasis on seeking personal revelation.  In the April 2018 general conference, in what I would consider the most profound statement to have been made in the last decade (at least), he said, "in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.  My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."  (from the talk Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives)  In the general conference that was broadcast less than a month ago, he spoke of the importance of full-time missions work for young people (and the responsibility young men have to serve), and encouraged them to pray about it.  "Pray to know if the Lord would have you serve a mission, and the Holy Ghost will respond to your heart and mind."

He also referred to it as a "decision", because it always is, but encouraged us to pray to know God's will about it.

I remember being encouraged to pray to God about the same thing, and I remember my response.  I don't remember who I was speaking with or what else occurred in that conversation, but the general question was along the lines of "are you going to serve a full-time mission?"  The other person said I should pray about it.  In response, I basically said, "Well, I already know what the answer will be."  I don't think I had as much familiarity with seeking answers to pray at that younger age, but I did recognize that God would give me an answer to my prayer, and in that case I knew what it would be.  But knowing God's will isn't all that we need; the choice remained for me then, and still remains for me now, whether I will choose to do His will.  It is definitely a crucial decision to demonstrate our faith and submissiveness to God through such choices.

As Jesus Christ said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)  And as King Benjamin taught, "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a 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)

Even in merely considering the act of discovering God's will through prayer, I begin making a decision about whether I will follow my own desires or submit to that higher will.  Seeking revelation from God tends to provide us not merely with general knowledge, but especially a knowledge of what we should do.  As we seek and open ourselves to His answers, we find opportunity to follow His will, and thus we make steps toward greater unity with Him and with our Savior, who enables us to repent and become more than we already are.  Earnestly seeking revelation is thus a major part of exaltation.

Last thoughts for now:
I intend for personal revelation to constantly be a part of my life.  There will be times when it will be easier or more difficult in some way for me to do things I know God desires of me, but I know that I can seek God's will through prayer in the name of Christ, and that in doing so I can reform my own will.  I hope to do so often.

The Mistake of Denying Others the Name of Christ

It's a disappointingly popular pastime among a subset of Christianity to take an actively accusatory stance toward the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  So many times I have heard, "Mormons aren't Christian."  They essentially always neglect to use the correct name of the Church, because it starts to sound absurd to say that members of the Church of Jesus Christ aren't Christian.  While it's possibly useful to go point by point and provide explanations to potentially alleviate people's concerns (e.g., reliance exclusively on the Bible can't be a defining aspect of Christianity because the followers of Christ in His time were definitely Christian but the New Testament hadn't even been written yet and the Bible wouldn't exist as a collected volume until several hundred years later), it's also unlikely to be effective because people are already taking a stance of opposing the Church; even the most basic truths are not convincing to someone who doesn't want to hear them.

When I converse with people who are confrontational or antagonistic, I try to change the tone of the conversation.  I try to ask about their beliefs--independent of mine or of the teachings of the Church they have objected to--so that they can start participating in mutual understanding.  I try to have hope of establishing a conversation free from contention.  It still always depends on the other person, too, but sometimes the tone does improve and very good things come of it.

Recently, another thought occurred to me.  Antagonists often cite Christianity while condemning us in a very un-Christian sort of way.  Here's what I expressed to one such person:

"As to whether or not we should judge others, I think there will be a lot of surprise and embarrassment when, standing before Jesus Christ at the day of judgment, some people will hear Him say, 'You treated some of my disciples very poorly.  You tried to deny my name to them.'  Perhaps they might sheepishly respond, 'Well, we thought they weren't good enough.'  He might, in turn, say, 'I was pretty clear that you weren't supposed to judge others.'  Christ's own words ought to give some people great pause.  Yes, as we read in Matthew 7:21-23, there will be those who thought they had done great things in His name only to find out later that He tells them He doesn't know them, and that they must 'depart' from Him.  But consider this: how horrible will it be for those who have judged others to be unworthy of Christ's name, given His words just earlier in that same chapter?  'Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.'  How horrible it would be for our Redeemer to say to a person, 'You would have denied my name to others, and now I must deny it to you.'  How horrible it will be when He does have to tell people who professed His name to depart.  I really feel like that's something that should make people reconsider their words about other people's beliefs.

Last thoughts for now:
My faith and my knowledge of God aren't deterred or undone by any critical words from others, but I hope that they're always grounded in Christlike love so that I might be able to serve people who would otherwise call themselves my enemies.  Perhaps I will be able to express my concern about the fate of those who judge in a loving way to those who are being overtly judgmental.  Perhaps it will help.

A Short Series on the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ

 In a recent dialogue I had online, a woman asked about who Jesus Christ was to me and why He is important to me.  I shared a number of scriptural passages I've identified and then also wrote from my own heart.  In these three posts, I have mostly just copied what I provided to that woman.  I would hope that, for anyone who ever reads them, there will be no question about the center of my faith and my daily worship.

Why Jesus Christ is Important to Me

Why is Jesus Christ important to me?  A lot of that is stated in the scriptures I quoted, but I'll do more to phrase it in my own words:

Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I am His disciple through covenant.  I have sinned (like everyone) and of myself I am not worthy to return to my Father in Heaven, but through the power and grace of Jesus Christ I can be perfected in Him and receive all of the blessings that God the Father desires to give His children.  I owe Him everything.  He knows and loves me.  He loves me enough that He suffered for my sins and even died for me.  But He also lived for me and showed the way that I should live, not only to have peace in this life but also afterward, throughout eternity.  Of course I am not the only one He loves; He loves everyone I know and everyone I don't.  He has commanded me to love everyone, after loving God, and I take that commandment very seriously.  I'm grateful that my "loved ones" among my family and friends have salvation available to them also, and that the mercy of Christ is available to the entire world whom I am commanded to love.  Jesus Christ understands my pain in life.  I really don't expect many people on this Earth to have great understanding of the trials I've known, and I don't expect any mortal person to fully understand, but He does.  He knows the depth of my suffering, even when it has been foolishly self-inflicted, and He indeed knows much more suffering than I've ever known.  But He has lived through the lowest of the lows and in His greatest difficulties He still gave His will to the Father.  That is an example of no small importance to me.  In any moment of weakness or trial, I always know that I can submit to my Father's will as He did, and I know that They both want me to do so in order that I might be one with them and know their joy.  I don't expect to achieve that unity during my mortal life; I expect that full obedience to Christ's commandment to "be perfect" is only possible through Him and won't happen while I'm still subject to mortal weakness.  But I still strive to be like Him.  I invoke His name daily in prayer to my Heavenly Father, both individually and with my family.  I teach my family about Him.  While there are many ephemeral things in the world that I enjoy, I continually keep God's eternal Plan of Happiness in my mind, knowing that Jesus Christ is central to every part of that Plan, and no mortal pleasure could ever compare to what He provides me.  I know that at the day of my final judgment I will stand before Him and the Father, and that in His majesty I will have nothing to offer Him, and I will know my own unworthiness keenly, but I have faith that His Atonement not only gives me strength now but will be sufficient for me at that time.

Last thoughts for now:
I should add that I see the marvelous work of God being carried out in the modern Church of Jesus Christ.  It is an immense blessing to have this Church that exists to bring people closer to Him.

Testimonies of Christ from Scripture: The Bible

One of my favorite passages from the Bible (I'll tend to focus on the New Testament) is Luke 7:6-9 (also related in Matthew 8:5-10).  "Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.  And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.  And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.  Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.  For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."  I like the respect that the centurion shows toward Jesus, but also the recognition of the Savior's authority over even the physical world around us.

Here are some some passages about Jesus Christ that I've marked in my own Bible during my personal studies:

Matthew 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Revelation 19:16 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Matthew 20:27-28 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Revelation 3:20-21 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

1 John 2:3 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Philippians 2:5-6 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God"

Isaiah 49:15-16 "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Isaiah 53:3-5 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

1 Peter 4:12-13 "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

Revelation 7:17 "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

Those are all passages that have been particularly meaningful to me in the past.

Last thoughts for now:
I love that scripture tells us how Jesus Christ's teachings and Atonement help us personally.