Mormon Church

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 of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Book of Mormon Reflections: Trials

I am a freshman at BYU studying MDT (Music Dance and Theatre) and this is to my non-member boyfriend:

We learned a lot in my religion class at BYU this week. We were studying from the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. We talked about how when you have trials you can either better yourself from it, or become bitter. An example of this in the Book of Mormon, is Alma 62:41:

“But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.”

In this chapter it shows how the Nephites and Lamanites (two different groups of people that fight against each other in the Book of Mormon) chose different paths when it came to their trials. The Lamanites grew hard after their trials and the Nephites grew soft after their trials. The latter people became better people because they were positive in their trials. Something my teacher told us is if you look at better and bitter, the only difference is the letter “I.” When we only think of ourselves in our trials, we become bitter and cannot better ourselves. We should take the high road, be positive, and just be better people. I wanted to share this with you since this is a topic we discuss a lot; trying to not be negative when put in negative situations. Even though you are the one telling me to do this, I wanted you to hear this and read the scripture as it’s something you believe in. I wanted to show you how there are many truths in the Book of Mormon.

There was something else that we discussed that I think you might be able to learn about. My teacher discussed that sin and death are always final, when you are alone. However, when you’re with God, you can overcome these things since he died for our sins. I really like this since I think we as people fear sin and death. When we are with God, we don’t need to fear these things. I hope that these messages can help you understand what members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in.

Additional Resources:

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

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”): True Members

This semester at BYU I am taking a Book of Mormon class. Right now we are studying 3 Nephi. As we study it in detail, I just can’t help thinking that these chapters are the gem of the Book of Mormon. I love reading about Jesus Christ’s visit to the people in the Americas after His resurrection.

In chapter 27 verse 10 it says: “And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the father show forth his own works in it.”

I have often been confused about the difference between the words “church” and “gospel.” I always thought that they were the same things, but here we learn that they are two different things. In class we were asked to make metaphors for the two words. My favorite one was “the church is like a lantern and the gospel is the light.” This is so true! The church is just an organization to spread the gospel and a way to help people live and understand it.

When we think about it separately it is easy to see how some people can be living in the church but not be converted to the gospel. One of my favorite quotes reminds me of this, “going to church doesn’t make you anymore of a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car.” Although it is extremely important to go to church and to fulfill callings and be a part of bringing others to church, it is more important to actually live and understand the gospel. Participating in church is the first step, but being fully converted in the gospel should be the goal.

Sometimes I think members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints get so caught up in the motions that they forget why or what they are even doing. We are given the church to help us live the gospel, and it is important to remember the goal of the church: to bring souls to Christ.

If you ever feel like you are just going through motions it is time to reevaluate why you are doing what you are doing. This chapter was such a good reminder for me to really think about what it is I am doing.

Also in chapter 27 is one of my favorite verses: “Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Christ is waiting for us to ask Him for help and guidance. I know that I sometimes try to figure everything out for myself and stress about little things that I think I need to fix. In reality Christ has a plan for us and has all the answers to our questions and problems. He really is just waiting for us to come to Him and ask Him for help. This week I challenge you to try asking Heavenly Father to help you with your problems. I hope you have a wonderful week and maybe read the book of 3 Nephi!

Additional Resources:

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

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”): A Great Ship
Thought for my brother

It amazing the stories we hear about, growing up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the “Mormon Church”). Young children would be, and are, captivated by the story of how Paul shipwrecked when he was on his way to Rome in Acts 27. Not only is it a fascinating story full of adventure, it also has a great spiritual significance.

Ships are not an uncommon analogy in the church. It was Brigham Young (the second president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) who said that the church was like the good ship Zion. Once we board the ship, it is either staying on, or drowning while trying to get off.

When Jesus was on a ship in troubled waters, He was able to miraculously calm the troubled seas. For me, each of these analogies brings great comfort because in each case, there is a work to do. And yet, safety can be found on the ship; we need not look elsewhere.

Paul was there for the people on his ship when he not only warned them beforehand that a catastrophe would happen if they boarded the ship, but he also provided assistance to those who had not heeded his counsel.

In President Young’s analogy, the protection comes from not straying from what we already know to be true: the Gospel. And with the ship on Galilee, they had the greatest protection of all—the Lord of all, the Creator of the ship and stormy sea, Jesus Christ. With prophets, revelation, personal testimony, and most importantly the Savior, I know that I can weather any storm that comes my way if I heed their words.

Additional Resources:

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

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.

Thomas S. Monson, Mormon prophet

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): What Matters Most

The scriptures and modern-day prophets are constantly helping us refocus on what really matters and teaching us how to get through the troubling times in our lives. The story in Acts 27, of Paul being taken to Rome by way of ship teaches many valuable lessons.

The first important message is that we always should listen to the prophets words and grow accustomed to obeying them, even though they sometimes do not make immediate sense. On three separate occasions, Paul prophesied concerning their voyage and the tribulations they would face.

After his first revelation, the men voted on it and because there was no apparent danger they could sense, they decided to begin the voyage, but were later caught in a horrific storm. Once they had been in the storm for a number of days, Paul once again prophesied, this time many listened, including the Roman centurion. Just as they initially questioned Paul, many people question the prophet’s revelation because we can not see the dangers he does.

Another lesson from Paul’s journey is that when we have storms in our lives we need to get rid of everything in our lives that may be weighing us down and focus on what is most important. Elder Uchtdorf, a living apostle of Jesus Christ, also has recently talked about this by saying when a pilot passes through turbulence, the immediate response is to speed up, but what they should do is slow down.

Additional Resources:

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

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.

Thomas S. Monson, Mormon prophet

Christ’s Church (“Mormons”): Following God
Email to Author’s Family

This week, as we studied the end of Acts, we talked about the importance of following the prophet. We are extremely blessed to have a latter-day prophet—Thomas S. Monson—to lead The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the “Mormon Church”) and to receive revelation on our behalf. Even in the days of the Bible, there were prophets who were called of God and served the same fundamental purpose as our modern-day prophets. And similar to today’s world, there were always people who didn’t want to listen to the prophet and suffered the consequences for their disobedience.

In Acts 27-28, Paul is being taken as a prisoner on a voyage to Rome. Their journey had been smooth so far, but in 27:10 Paul advised them to halt their voyage because it would be dangerous. However, the centurion (who was in charge) listened to the master and owner of the ship instead of Paul and they continued on. In verse 13, the wind “blew softly,” but in verse 14, there “arose a tempestuous wind.” Within a short period of time, the weather completely flipped on them. They were tossed about the sea and eventually were shipwrecked on an island, the ship destroyed.

You would expect Paul to have an “I-told-you-so” kind of attitude after this, but instead, he briefly rebukes them and then exhorts them to “be of good cheer.” He stands as a steadfast comfort and a source of hope to the entire crew.

At one point, a group of soldiers tried to escape in smaller lifeboats, but Paul warned the centurion that if they left, the entire ship would be endangered. Instead of listening to the sailors again, the centurion immediately obeyed Paul’s admonition and cut the ropes that held the boats, letting them fall away into the sea empty. When they reached the island, although the ship was severely damaged, not one of them had died and they were warmly welcomed by the island natives.

There is a lot we can take from this story. Sometimes our prophet advises us to do things that don’t quite make sense to us. When everything in our own life is going great, you aren’t looking for help and it’s harder to heed the advice of the prophet. But the bottom line is, the prophet is always right. He is God’s mouthpiece, and instructs us to do that which will benefit us and help build the kingdom of God; he will never lead us astray. We should all strive to be like the centurion—we may have made past mistakes and had a hard time following the prophet’s counsel, but we have the choice to make a change and obey even when we may not agree or understand. We are all on our own perilous voyages, but we will always find safety when we listen to and follow the prophet.

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”): Will a Man Rob Himself of Blessings from God?

Oftentimes people will stray away from the gospel and over time turn their backs on the Lord. Yet the people can always return and come back.

Jesus Christ mentions this and poses the question, “Wherein shall (ye) return?” He then continues on to say that the way to return and come unto him is through tithing. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse… and prove me now herewith…if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (3 Nephi 24:10, see also Malachi 3).

I think it is important to recognize the power that comes when we pay tithing because Christ specifically tells the people it is the way to return to him. What is tithing? Aside from tithing being 10% of all your increase that you give to the church, more importantly it is a way that God’s people can show their love and gratitude to Him.

Tithing money is something that has value to us on earth but what does it really mean to a God with the universe in His hand? It is not the money that God wants from us but our willingness to follow His commandments. Our tithing is a way to give back a portion of everything He has blessed us with, and to show we recognize His all-powerful hand in our lives.

Then, like the scriptures tell us, the windows of heaven will be opened and He will pour out more blessings upon us. We give back a portion but we will never leave with less than we started with, it will always be more. I have a testimony that this is true because I have seen the blessings of paying tithing in my life and know that when we are willing to give back to our Father in Heaven, even if it is only a small portion, He will bless us and help us in our lives.

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”): To Teach and to Learn

Christ spent some time among the Nephites, in the Americas, after his resurrection, teaching and healing the people. One evening, after a long day of teaching, Christ spoke these words:

I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again (3 Nephi 17:2-3).

There are two principles I would like to pull from these verses. The first is found in verse two, when Christ “perceives [the people] are weak” and stops his lesson for the day. Christ was in tune with his audience, and understood when they needed a break. This is a great example for us, in any teaching we may do. We must understand that first and foremost, we are teaching people. People are weak, and people are flawed. We may not understand things right away, and we get tired. As a teacher, we must be conscious of those we are trying to teach, or we may find our lessons ineffective. For this kind of teaching, patience is necessary.

I want to quickly make clear that I do not specifically mean religious teaching. Any kind of effective teaching requires patience and attention to the learner. Imagine trying to teach children to be responsible by outlining every single thing they must do in one blow, and leaving them to it. Would the children change their behavior? No. They would probably shut down and tune your voice out entirely.

Which brings me to my next principle, this time on the part of the learner: learning takes time. For example, it takes years for a person to learn and develop how to be responsible. For this principle I would like to focus specifically on spiritual things, however.

Christ instructed the people to go home, ponder, pray, and prepare for Spiritual guidance. This is a blueprint for how we can gain our own personal knowledge and instruction on spiritual things. To go home is to remove oneself from the crowds and distractions of the world. Pondering involves highlighting a specific area of interest, and then using the powers of intelligence we have been given to try to come to our own conclusions. Or in other words, we must put forth some of our own effort. Then, through prayer, we involve our Heavenly Father as we converse with him. After prayer we cannot just shut down though, and expect to be hit in the face with answers and knowledge. We must prepare our minds for the Spirit to edify and enlighten us (as we cannot be taught directly from Jesus Christ like the Nephites).

All of this learning takes time, and is a constant process. We cannot expect to become enlightened immediately, nor can we assume we know everything after one experience with this process. For me, I know I am still learning how the process even fully works. In a world where instant gratification is becoming easier and easier, a slow process such as Christ outlines can be frustrating; but I guess that means we should start it as soon as possible.

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”): The Law Is Fulfilled
A Blog Post of the Author’s

In Biblical times, the people of Israel were given the Law of Moses, a specific code of commandments and ordinances to be followed. This Law was given to the people by a prophet to guide them and help them be better prepared to follow Jesus Christ when He came. It was never intended to be the law forever, but was a preparatory motion for the people of Israel. When Christ came to the Earth and completed the Atonement through His suffering, Crucifixion, and Resurrection, He overcame death of the body and set forth a new law.

In the Book of Mormon, Jesus tells the people:

Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfill the law; therefore it hath and end (3 Nephi 15:5).

He then introduced the doctrine of Christ, the higher law, saying:

I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life (3 Nephi 15:9).

This doctrine shows the way to return to Christ by having faith, repenting of our sins, being baptized for a remission or cleansing of these sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us always, and enduring through life’s inevitable struggles faithfully by following the commandments of God.

I know that this gospel which Jesus Christ set forth is true, and although much of it was lost or confused as history went on after His death, the fullness of the gospel has been restored to the Earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. I testify that we can all look to Christ and follow His gospel as we learn to have faith, be obedient, and open our hearts to the truth that He has brought to the Earth through His servants, the prophets.

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.

“Mormon Church”: Letter to a Missionary Friend

Hey Buddy!!

I figured it’s time that you got a letter from me. I’ve been seeing your pics on Facebook and you look so happy and cute! It looks like you’re having an amazing time on your mission and I’m so proud of you.

In my Book of Mormon class we’ve been reading in 3 Nephi 11-14, and I am learning TONS about the sermon at the temple that I have never noticed before. I love how Jesus Christ lays out a simple, yet powerful program in 3 Nephi 12 for how we can change our weaknesses into strengths: start by being poor in spirit (realizing that you are not as strong in an area as you would like to be, then mourn (it’s okay/good to feel bad that you’re not quite where you’d like to be in a certain area), then be meek (“Thy will be done”).

Continue to hunger and thirst after righteousness, be merciful (allow others to have weaknesses/gaps too), be pure in heart with your motives, become a peacemaker, be willing to be persecuted for Christ’s sake, and let your light shine!

Phew, that’s a lot to do, and it’s not even the complete list! But you get the idea; we can come to Christ with any weakness, any gap or concern and with His help we can overcome it. (Make weak things become strong!)

I have also enjoyed 3 Nephi 13 where Jesus talks about what we should treasure. I have learned from experience that sometimes my actions don’t always accurately reflect what I truly treasure, and I want to work on that. I’ve been doing a 10-week project where I type spiritual experiences I’ve had that have helped grow my testimony. It’s been a wonderful experience to think back and see just how much the Holy Ghost has been leading me closer to Christ. I’m beginning to treasure those experiences.

More than a few of those experiences include you, Bud! I wrote down when we prayed together at girl’s camp, when we would go to Beehive presidency meetings together, and one of my favorites is when your car stopped right in front of the car shop and we walked to the temple and did baptisms for the dead. I can’t believe that really happened! We were definitely blessed with safety.

Well, Friend, I hope that the mission is treating you well and that you are having the time of your life bringing others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so proud of you. Keep up the marvelous work; I know that God will sustain you.

God Bless, Jenica (other Buddy!)

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”): For Our Benefit
Conversation with My Wife

This week was a very uplifting week full of understanding. The biggest takeaway was when my wife was very discouraged with life, and feeling a lack of the spirit to accomplish tasks that Heavenly Father had for her. There has been a lot of opposition lately in our lives with things we know Heavenly Father wants us to do which makes it even harder to handle it with all of the stress we already have with work and school. So I shared with my wife a scripture dealing with the story of Samuel the Lamanite.

In Helaman 13:2-4, in the Book of Mormon, it reads:

And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land. But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart. And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.

I then shared with her the story we had thought about in class that Professor Griffin shared. I shared with her how we imagined how Samuel must have felt. He had just been kicked out of the city and was starting his way back home when the voice of the Lord came to him. He must have been thinking, “No way am I going back; they already kicked me out once, they won’t want to hear of me again.” He could have received this prompting and ignored it. It would have definitely been easier, but he kept on going because the Lord had commanded him.

So he gets to the gates and the guards won’t even let him in, which I then shared how sometimes I receive a prompting but because of others’ opposition I can take that as a sign that I don’t need to keep going, and how sometimes we will look for reasons to get out of doing something hard. But Samuel kept going, and he found a way. After thinking through it he decided to climb the wall and use the opposition as his tool to accomplish the task Heavenly Father had given him.

I finally shared how Heavenly Father always prepares a way for us, but we need to keep on pushing until the commandment is fulfilled. My wife and I have desires we need to accomplish and it will only happen after we act on our faith. So instead of having stumbling blocks in our way destroy our faith, we needed to instead use those stumbling blocks to build up our faith. Once we both came to an understanding of these principles, we then had our foundation of faith in Christ to build upon to strengthen our relationship with each other and with our Father in Heaven.

Satan twists that which is good into that which is evil. With the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can turn trials that we sometimes perceive to be evil in our lives into that which is good, which will ultimately allow the trials we endure to work for our benefit.