Mormon Church

Brigham Young University (BYU) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

Here, in this column, students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the New Testament and gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of letters to someone they know.  In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to witness to all of us of the relevance, power, and beauty of the New Testament, and God’s plan of happiness for each of us.  We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures. Let us know how these may help you in your own life. Share them with a friend.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): Follow the Prophet

In Acts chapter 27, Paul is being taken to Rome by ship. This voyage was to take place in late October to early November so we can assume the weather was fairly cold. However, it must have been nice enough that the crew of this ship thought they could complete this journey without much trouble because they decided to sail anyway. Paul, who was a prophet, told the crew that “this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.” But these crewmen turned to their captain who told them to sail anyway. These men were more apt to listen to someone who they viewed as the smartest or who had the most experience rather than to listen to the prophet. In the end, this voyage was, as Paul had prophesied, very dangerous indeed and it was only when the crew was humbled enough to say that Paul had been right from the beginning that they were able to listen to his council and ultimately escape unharmed.

This is so applicable to our lives. How often do we think that we know better than the prophet? We would never admit that out loud, but we do become prideful or we think we are more learned about a certain subject and that the council of the Lord is contrary to the laws of nature or the laws of science. It is true that there are people in this world who have more earthly knowledge than the prophets due. There are people who study more or discover more things. But these men are called of God. And on top of that, they are all very well educated. But the important part is that they are called of God and they do have a very direct line of communication with Him through the Holy Spirit. What we need to do is humble ourselves and not let our pride get in the way. The prophet will always be right and we need to learn to rely on him rather than relying on ourselves or on people around us.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): Repentance and the Rock of Our Redeemer

Excerpt of a letter to a good friend that is a recent convert

My purpose for writing this to you is not to just joke around. There are some things that have really helped me lately that I thought may help you out a little. They are things that I found while I was reading the Book of Mormon recently. The first thing came as I read in the book of Helaman in chapter 5. This was one of my favorite chapters on my mission because it had a great impact on me during a rough patch. As I was reading it this time, and as we discussed it in my Book of Mormon class, I found some things that I had not realized before. One of the greatest things is a very powerful evidence of the Atonement, or the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this chapter, around eight thousand Lamanites are converted. As we analyzed how amazing this was, it was mentioned that the Lamanites were able to put 600 years of negative feelings behind them, and they were made whole. They had been holding on to hatred and other very powerful emotions passed down to them through the generations, and they were able to overcome it.

This idea is amazing to me because it is so easy for me to hold on to all of my negative emotions. It is really hard for me to let them go. I still sometimes experience different emotions from when I was in elementary school, which is kinda crazy I know. The Lamanites even experienced emotions that were much more powerful than mine, but they were able to overcome it with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. One amazing thing about this is the power it took to help these people overcome these problems only scratches the surface of what Christ can do for us. Put all of your negative emotions, pains, regrets, sorrows, anger, and sadness together and imagine how that would feel. Then imagine it all being taken away. That is incredible to me. I have been a member for all of my life and have experienced this power and to imagine that kind of healing power is hard for me to do, but I still know that it is real. If we would only do what God asks of us and we offer these negative things up to him, he would take them away. This is something I am going to do in these coming days, weeks, and months because I have been in a pretty low spot recently and I need relief. If you ever feel similar, I would encourage you to do whatever necessary to draw on the power of the Atonement. It is infinite.

Another thing that I learned that goes along with the idea of the power of Christ is talked about in verse 12, which is a very popular verse. It talks about building the foundation of our lives on Jesus Christ, and if we do, we will not fall. That foundation is compared to a rock. It also talks about the devil’s attempts to shake our foundations loose, and his tactics can be powerful, such as the storms they are compared to. However, if our foundation is built on Christ, it is a sure foundation and will not fall. Imagine wind constantly beating on a rock. The worst it can do is wear it down a little, which is actually beneficial because it smooths it out and makes it more appealing. We can withstand the temptations of the devil. The worst he can do if we are built on the rock of Christ is wear us down a little, which only refines us and makes us better. I find that really powerful because I often feel like the devil has a good hold on me but I know Christ will help me be free.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): Power In Example

Letter to a convert that is now studying at BYU-Idaho

Natalie,

I had the opportunity to read your article on the thisibelieve.com site. I still remember with fondness the opportunity I had to learn and grow with you as I fulfilled the blessing I had of being your missionary. Seeing you now with your wonderful life up in Idaho makes the whole two years more than worth it. I was able to teach you about the basic principles of Christ’s gospel but you have taken the initiative to allow Him to change you and help you grow.

Last week, I was reading in Helaman. I want to share a few scriptures with you that have special meaning to me and my outlook on those amazing two years. Helaman 5:6-7 reads:

6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them.

When I was serving I learned an important lesson that all followers of Christ must learn. My name tag did not have my name on it. It had two names but neither is my own. One is the name of my family and the other that of my Savior. My family had a great influence in raising me and to give anything but my best would have made me a very ungrateful son and brother. More importantly, my name tag said Jesus Christ. I was given a blessing, power, and obligation to be His representative at all times. When I gave of myself as He did, I grew. When I preached as He did, I was empowered. When I followed Him, I drew closer and closer to my Heavenly Father. I have such a long way to go before I will be ready to meet Him but everyday I strive to shorten that gap.

Being baptized, we must “always remember Him” and we must take upon us His name. I am so pleased to see how you do this. I pray you realize the power your example has. More importantly I hope you realize the power of our God. To me Natalie, your name will always mean so much to me.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day and please send my regards to your family.

-Brandon Morris

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  BYU students take nearly a semester of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Christs Church (“Mormons”): A Guide

Dear Friend Nataly,

I hope that things are getting better for you. I hope that your decision-making regarding your relationship is going well. Make sure that you do what it best for you. Again, don’t be afraid to pray for guidance. If we can humble ourselves and seek His guidance, He is willing to help us.

In the Book of Mormon, in the book of Helaman, starting with chapter 7, it describes a cycle that all humans go through at least once; it is the pride cycle. When we do what is right, we receive many blessings from above, after which we increase in richness. Now, I am not talking about just being wealthy, but a richness in spirit and a way of living. Sometimes then we start to forget the reasons for the blessings that we have received. We forget to give thanks to our Father for these blessings. We then start thinking that it was our own doing that has helped us thus far. This is pride. We start to forget our Lord and Savior, and then we fall into transgression– doing things we ought not to. During these times, we find ourselves unhappy.  Also at this point the blessings from above are ceasing. The one thing that we need to do to get out of this state is to humble ourselves and repent of what we have done. In other words, we must start becoming a better person and do what is right. This is what makes us happy. There is no doubt that in each individual’s life there will be hardships, but there is no need to face them alone. Christ is the key. All we need to do is turn to Him in faith, and He will direct us.

There is a story in the Bible that tested the faith of a lot of people. Poisonous snakes bit them all, and they were about to die. The prophet Moses raised up a brass serpent, and the only thing the people had to do to be cured was to look at it. Some did looked and they lived. However there were some who would not look, and they perished. It is that simple–to look and live. Such is also the way with Christ, if we want to live, we need to look to Him and do His will, and we will live.

Sincerely,
Jonathan

I welcome the questions or comments of anyone reading this post.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Brigham Young University (BYU) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

Here, in this column, students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the New Testament and gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of letters to someone they know.  In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to witness to all of us of the relevance, power, and beauty of the New Testament, and God’s plan of happiness for each of us.  We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures. Let us know how these may help you in your own life. Share them with a friend.

Mormon Church: For a Struggling Friend

Dear Friend,

In my New Testament class this week we read 2 Corinthians 1:6 which says, “And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” We then talked about a quote by Brigham Young (a modern-day prophet). He said, “Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation.” I think a lot of the time, we focus on how trials help us grow and how because we have grown and have become a better person, we are closer to reaching our goal of eternal life. We focus on the fact that all these things will “give [us] experience and be for [our] good”. This is so true, and it is so vital that we learn from our trials and use them as an opportunity to rely on the Savior and to strengthen our faith.

But at the same time, it is the trials themselves that provide a means for salvation. We literally cannot be saved without going through trials. So the next time you want to ask Heavenly Father why you are facing a particular trial, don’t even ask. You already know the answer, and it’s simple: You have to endure this trial in order to receive eternal life. It’s easier to say this then to do it, so think about it this way: Every time you go through a trial, you grow closer to the Savior. As you learn to rely on Him, your faith in Him will grow. As your faith in Him grows, so does your desire to follow Him. You have to be perfected in Him to be saved. And each time you increase your faith and your commitment to follow Him, you are getting closer to that perfection and that salvation. You have to go through trials, not just for the results of increased faith and strength, but for the end result of salvation. And they aren’t easy, but they’re not supposed to be. So rely on your Savior and know that through Him you will be able to accomplish anything and everything that comes your way.

If these reflections to a friend helped you who might be reading this post, I would welcome your questions or comments.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Mormon Church: Advice to Self on Pride

A letter to myself

So this letter is a letter that I wrote to myself. As strange as that may sound. I know that even though some people have told me somethings I haven’t accepted them yet. I am hoping that this letter will help me see light.

You see Christopher, I’m struggling right now. Life is pretty hard. And the hardest part about this life is you are not accepting your situation right now. You are living in denial. You are not believing what you are going through because of your pride. Christopher, Heavenly Father loves you despite your weaknesses. And He will continue to love you forever. He wants what is best for you and He can make your weaknesses into strengths. Christopher, if someone was going through what you were going through right now, you know inside yourself that you would love and accept them. That is why I love you so.

Now, Christopher, there are going to be two parts to this letter, one telling you what you are doing well and what you can improve upon. First : what you are doing well. Christopher you are turning to the Lord through this trial and you are depending on Him as He inspires you with His spirit. Christopher, you are a wonderful spirit child of God and you love Him and He loves you. Christopher, you have been with me my whole life and as such you are responsible for your actions which means that you enjoy the goods as well as endure the bads. Christopher, you are relying on your parents and your friends for help through this and that is remarkable. God loves you for that and so do I. You are talented Christopher, and you look for many opportunities to serve and bless other people’s lives. For example, you are traveling down to Salem, Utah and giving service to handicapped kids. I love you for that. Christopher, you are even writing this letter to yourself and then are going to post it to an online workspace where others can read it, but the only thing you are thinking about is how this is going to help others. I love you for that.

Now for the second part: what you can do better. So Christopher, you have a long way to go in this life, now is not the time to give up. You can do it. I believe in you. Christopher, you want so much to do what it right, but you are not carrying it forth with faith as you know in your heart you can. You know that you can do better. And when I say better, I do not mean to expect yourself to be perfect, but I mean to go forth with faith-filled-action and do what you know what is right. Christopher, the biggest thing you are dealing with in your life is you are not accepting your own love for yourself. This is creating many problems in your personal life as you well know. You know that loving yourself is not a bad thing. You know people who are close to you who do it without being conceited but do it as the Savior does. And yes, Christopher, you are not going to be like the Savior unless you love yourself. And you know what it takes to do this. You know the steps necessary and if you tell yourself that you are too scared to do it, you are wrong. You are lying to yourself. You can do it. I believe in you Christopher. It only takes small steps of faith and when you mess up, Christ has already paid for what you’ve done wrong. It is your duty to worry about the present, not the past or the future. Christ and God will take care of both of those spectrums. Also, Christopher, you have a wonderful personality that you are holding in and not sharing with others when you could be blessing their lives. Go forth with love, Christopher, and do your best and accept the rest.

Your eternal friend,

Christopher

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): Prayer

A Letter to my Brother

Colby,

This last week in Book of Mormon class we learned about a very important principle which amplifies the discussion that we had not too long ago at home. I felt that it was very good doctrine and that we could both benefit from it and have a more enhanced discussion next time we meet up. In the fourth verse of the tenth chapter of the book of Helaman, the Lord speaks to Nephi and says “… And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.”

A wonderful discussion ensued in class and I was deeply touched by what was said and what I felt. We are to seek out the Lord’s will and to then follow it. We need not nor should we even try to change the will of the Lord. The Lord knows what we need better than what we know ourselves, and all of our efforts here on earth should be targeted towards trying to find out what the Lord’s will for us is and then tirelessly trying to follow His will.
My instructor, Brother Griffin, went on to reference the Bible Dictionary definition of prayer and said how prayer is the means by which the will of the child conforms to the will of the Father. Thus, we should pray to know what the will of the Father is. The next part of the discussion was related directly to what we talked about last time we were together. In dating and relationships, we should not ask the Lord to change the mind and personality of the girl about whom we are interested, but rather we should ask the Lord to change us personally that we might become a more worthy candidate for the girl. We need always to turn inward and ask ourselves what we can do to change ourselves for the better. This principle can be applied to church callings, marriage, school, work and all other facets of life. We need to seek to better ourselves instead of asking the Lord to change others for our own good.

Brother, I can testify that as we seek to have the “Is it I?” attitude that the apostles once proposed when Jesus informed that one would betray him will help us progress to become more like Him. I have already begun to say my prayers in a way that would help me to change myself and find out the will of the Lord for me and have seen many blessings thus far.

God Speed,
Ty

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

If any reading this post have questions or comments, I would welcome them.

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): The Pride Cycle

I have noticed more and more in my life that as human beings we like cycles. The months in the year, days in the week, and even the foods that we eat tend to go in cycles over and over again. Some of these cycles bring order to our lives and help us become better people, while some cycles, like addiction and pride, are very damaging. It is also very interesting to me that even the good things in life, if not used correctly, can be damaging to us and our souls.

In the Book of Mormon we are able to see the pride cycle over and over again and see the effect it has on the people. It typically starts with the people being blessed by the Lord and becoming very profitable. Initially the people are very thankful for the blessings that the Lord has given them, but over time they start to forget where the blessings are coming from. They start to think that they are the reason for their success and over time their pride starts to get the best of them. As a result of their pride they start to sin and fall away from the Lord and his blessings.  Ultimately they are faced with destruction and everything that they once had is taken away from them. The people are left with nothing but the sorrow they feel as a result of everything that was taken from them. This sorrow can go one of two ways. Either they can be humbled or they can choose to be offended and have an increase in their pride. As a result the cycle continues over and over again resulting in a downward spiral which takes them to their ultimate destruction.

However, if the people choose to be humble, they will start to see the ways that they had done wrong and eventually repent. As they continue to repent, the Lord will bless the people, and they will be able to draw closer to him. Eventually they forget the Lord again and the cycle continues to go forward.
The really great part about this cycle is that we are able to choose which parts we want to go through. If we are able to recognize the blessings that the Lord has given us, it can humble us too rather than having to lose everything. The more humble we are the better we are able to repent and continue to receive blessings from our Heavenly Father. It is my prayer that we will choose to be humble instead of being compelled to be humble.

If these reflections helped you or if you have any questions, I would be happy to hear from you.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.”  As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): “Avoiding Contention”

And ye know also that they have buried their weapons of war, and they fear to take them up lest by any means they should sin; yea, ye can see that they fear to sin—for behold they will suffer themselves that they be trodden down and slain by their enemies, and will not lift their swords against them, and this because of their faith in Christ. (Helaman 15:9)

I love this scripture in the book of Helaman (a prophet in ancient America). This particular verse applied to a situation I experienced this week that I would like to share with everyone. I have learned so much in just a week’s time because of this.

There is a boy in our ward – let’s call him Daniel. Daniel isn’t like most people. He’s loud and sometimes says things without tact. He talks a lot and tends to dominate any conversation he’s in. A lot of people say he is a “know-it-all” and that he tends to put other people down. These things aren’t really his fault though. It’s obvious that he has some disorder that makes him so socially unaware.

At the beginning of the year, I was called as a Sunday School teacher, and Daniel was called to be my partner. Because of the time I spent with him while preparing lessons, I got to know a side of him that others in our ward might not have had the opportunity to recognize. I realized that there was more to Daniel than the annoying individual I thought he was. He is a genius and basically great at everything he does. He knows more about history and science and math than you could ever think was possible! Most of all, he was always concerned about me. I know that if I am ever in a tough situation, he would do whatever necessary to help me out. At the beginning of the year, I came to understand something incredibly important: everyone has value in the eyes of the Lord. Sometimes, it might be hard to pinpoint just what an individual might have to offer to the world, but everyone has worth. I came to share the love that our Heavenly Father has for Daniel.

So you can imagine my despair when I heard that some of the boys in my ward planned to pull a prank on him on Valentine’s Day. Not only did I feel despair, but intense anger and frustration. I felt that I had been transported back to junior high again, and I couldn’t understand why these boys, my friends, could do such a thing to someone so helpless. My first reaction was to confront them. I wanted to yell at them and make them understand that what they were planning was utterly wrong. I wanted to embarrass them – to give them a taste of their own medicine. For a couple hours all that I could think of were ways to get back at them.

But then it occurred to me that if I did confront them and humiliate them, would I not be doing the same thing that they were planning to do to Daniel? By going through with my plans of revenge and “justice”, I would have merely switched out one victim of cruelty for another. The feelings and emotions that I was experiencing were not from Heavenly Father but from Satan. I realized that, just as I came to the understanding of Daniel’s worth, these boys in my ward also have incredible worth, and it isn’t up to me to tear them down and judge them. This experience was so eye-opening, and I’m grateful that the Spirit was still able to get through my anger and help me to “bury my weapons of war” before I really hurt someone.

If these reflections helped you, or if you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

Brigham Young University (BYU) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.

Here, in this column, students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the New Testament and gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of letters to someone they know.  In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to witness to all of us of the relevance, power, and beauty of the New Testament, and God’s plan of happiness for each of us.  We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures. Let us know how these may help you in your own life. Share them with a friend.

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): Mars Hill

The most interesting part to me of our study in week four was the way that Paul, on Mars Hill tried to use the “unknown God” of the Greeks to teach them about the true God. I find it interesting because I used similar methods during my mission to try to find common ground with the people I taught. I also find it interesting that for some people that strategy worked, while with others, like the Greeks, it did not work very well. Paul used this opportunity to teach many important points of doctrine. The main focal point being that God does not dwell in idols, but that He has His own body. Additionally he taught that God created the heavens and the earth and that we are His offspring. He even quoted the Greek poets and expounded those parts they got correct by stating “also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” In his explanation he extended what the poets taught to apply those things to the circumstances of the Greeks at that point in history. Paul said “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” By teaching the Greeks in terms that were familiar to them Paul hoped to establish a greater connection with them and bring them to the gospel. Unfortunately in this instance it did not work very well, but by finding commonalities with those of other faiths rather than debating them we have a greater opportunity to discuss without fighting.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries