Mormon Church

Although Mormons do not, due to legal restraints, carry out missionary work in China, many Chinese people join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while traveling, working, or going to school in other countries. In addition, many foreigners work and live in China. It can be complicated for Chinese Nationals who become Mormon and for foreigners moving to China to figure out where to attend church and to understand the complex laws regulating religious life in China. To assist with this challenge, the Mormons (a nickname for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) have created a website to help them learn how and where to practice their faith in China. The Church has blocked the website within China out of respect for laws, so it must be accessed while still out of the country.

The scriptures contain the words of the prophets of old, many of whom wrote about our day.

The Mormons have a legal presence in China, but are not one of the five officially recognized religions. This means they must follow strict rules in order to exist. Mormons are not allowed to do any sort of missionary work in China except among their own family in certain approved situations. If a Chinese citizen is baptized outside the United States he can take his family to church with him and they can be baptized. No Chinese citizens can be baptized in China. Foreigners and citizens must meet separately. Church lesson materials have been translated into Chinese and can be used in the country during meetings, but online LDS materials may only be used outside the country.

It is important that Mormons in China not hand out religious literature or to develop religious blogs or websites, because all of those things can be seen as missionary work. They also have to be careful to attend the correct meetings—citizens in one congregation and foreigners in another. People from Taiwan or Hong Kong who live in China attend with citizens, while those who are just visiting or working in China attend with the foreigners.

To help Chinese citizens who are Mormon and the Mormons who go there on vacation or to work, the Mormons have assigned a Priesthood Administrative Leader who can help Mormons in China find the appropriate congregation and who can explain the rules to them. This person’s contact information is on the website and he can be contacted in advance of arrival in the country.

Mormon leaders also hope the website will stop rumors circulating among both Mormons and those who are not that the lowering of ages for missionaries (eighteen for men who have graduated from high school and nineteen for women) is related to China in some way. Some rumors have suggested there will be an increased effort to slip missionaries into China illegally. This is something the Mormons do not do. They believe one must obey the law and that when God commands us to take the gospel to all the world, He will also open the doors to make this possible.

The Mormons have already seen this happen in other countries. Many countries were initially closed to missionary work or church recognition but are now open. Bosnia officially recognized the Mormons in 2012. The German Democratic Republic began allowing missionaries into the country in 1988. Czechoslovakia began to recognize the Church in 1990. Mormons are patient and continue to use the power of prayer to open doors for them around the world. The new Chinese website will, in the meantime, help those Mormons already in China to enjoy the gospel in their homeland.

Learn more about the new Mormon website for Chinese Mormons.

BYU Students Share Letters & Reflections on Scripture

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.

Individual Love Taught by an Infinite Being

This week I have been studying, further, Jesus’ teachings to the Nephites and Lamanites while visiting them in the America’s (approximately 1 year after Christ’s death in Jerusalem). Having examined this body of scripture a little more, this section may be my favorite account of Jesus in the Book of Mormon. The section to which I am referring is found in 3 Nephi chapter 17. My intention is to share what I have learned about the nature of Christ and the one-on-one nature of His atonement.

At this point, Christ has just finished teaching about the lost sheep of Israel and how the gospel will be spread to the House of Israel by the Gentiles in the last days. This topic was merely the most recent in a long line of other topics such as the Doctrine of Christ, including the proper mode of baptism, the Beatitudes, the calling of the twelve apostles, and the fulfilling of the Law of Moses. These are some heavy topics. I have been to conferences where I have had to take in a lot of information in a short period of time, so I can relate. These people would most certainly be tired. In 3 Nephi 17:2, Christ displays a characteristic that we should all heed. He says to the multitude, “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.”

As teachers, missionaries, parents, and friends, we often spend more time concentrating on the “what” and the “how” of Christ’s teachings instead of focusing on the “why” or, better yet, the “who”. This simple interaction of Christ with the people demonstrates the Savior’s ability to empathize. We learn here that Christ is not only focused on delivering His message, but, more importantly, He is concerned for the individual who is receiving the message. He then instructs the people to return to their homes, ponder what he has taught, and return the next day prepared to receive and understand what further he has to say.  At this point, Christ gives us yet another lesson in compassion and Priesthood service. He, looking around at the multitude and sensing that they wished he would stay with them a little longer, said unto them “Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. Have ye any sick among you? Bring them hither…and I will heal them.”

The lessons that I learn from this are that the Savior wants us to be mindful of the individual needs of those around us. He wants us to set aside our wants and desires to do His bidding and attend to the needs of others even when we may be tired ourselves. Now, I know Jesus, as a resurrected being, probably wasn’t tired, but I know I would be tired if I had been preaching to a group of people all day. I remember being a missionary and nearing extreme exhaustion towards the close of each day, having ridden my bike many miles, knocked on countless doors, taught several lessons, and shrugged off the many rejections along the way. Being a missionary is tough! Then, at the end of the day as you are about to head home, you are invited into nearly the last home on the street. In moments like this, we are required to do as the Savior did and give them our full attention. We must allow the spirit to flow through us to bless the life of the one who owns the couch upon which we sit, regardless of the exhaustion plaguing our bodies.

The Savior then healed each person one-by-one, thus reflecting the individuality of the scope of His atonement. Later, calling the little children to “come unto” Him and ministering unto them, we see the incredible, infinite love of a God in caring for those who are most dear to us. I can only imagine the joy I would experience for me to witness my son in the presence of the Savior. Oh how my heart aches for that day. Not only did the Savior take time to speak with the children, but he also blessed them and prayed unto the Father for them. And then, the most powerful emphasis of the love of the Savior is expressed with two simple words, “he wept”. Jesus, giving unto us the perfect example of empathy, He being a God himself, wept for joy.

I love the lessons the Savior teaches, but I love Him more for who He is. I wish to be like Him. I long to love as He loves. And it is in His name that I testify, He lives! It is my prayer that we strive this week to be a little better and do a little more to be like the Savior. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
.

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.

Jesus, My Brother, I Will Fall
Letter to her father

Dearest Father,
I had the best lesson today in my Book of Mormon class! Brother Griffin is my teacher and he is awesome. We spent all of our time talking about Chapter 11 in 3 Nephi which is basically all a Temple text, which means Christ taught at the temple when He showed himself to the people of Nephi.
So right before chapter 11, the sign was given that the voice of Christ was coming upon them so a great multitude of people were all gathered around the temple waiting. In verse 3 it says,
“And if came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.”
I thought it was really interesting that these people began to look around horizontally rather than looking up vertically to Heavenly Father. They didn’t recognize that the voice came from Heaven. Finally, the third time that the voice was heard, they opened “their ears to hear it;” but Brother Griffen pointed out that they didn’t just open their ears but rather their H*E*A*R*T. And then they looked “steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came” because they opened their hearts and were able to recognize what was happening because they were looking vertically.
Then the absolute best testimony of Jesus Christ that has ever been said came from our Heavenly Father. Verse 7, “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.” That’s all He needed to say is that Jesus truly is His Beloved Son and he sacrificed him for us. The second best testimony is the words Jesus says to the people of Nephi. Verse 11,
“And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”
I can’t even imagine the wonder and gratitude that would have been in my heart after hearing Jesus say these things. It said the entire multitude fell to the earth when they heard him. Brother Griffin pointed out that when the prophet comes into the room, out of respect we stand, but in Jesus’ case, our reaction is to fall because of the reverence and overwhelming spirit that comes into our hearts. After Jesus proclaims himself as the light of the world, he tells the multitude to “arise and come forth” and to “thrust” our hands into his side and if you remember, the spear wound Jesus has went straight through his heart so symbolically, he is telling us to thrust ourselves into his heart and  become as he is.
This chapter is amazing! Brother Griffin also said that once we go through the temple and are endowed, this chapter is so symbolic and includes the exact reasons why it’s so important we go to the temple. I can only imagine the amazing spirit and testimony that comes from the Celestial Room. The temple magnifies our infinite and intimate relationships with our loved ones and the Savior.
I LOVE THE TEMPLE! I can’t wait to be endowed for my mission here in just a few short months. I sure love you Dad and just thought you would enjoy this thought. Thank you for all you do and for the sacrifice you’ve made for me.
Love your Daughter Always and Forever,
Sadie Leigh

BYU Students Share Letters & Reflections on Scripture

Brigham Young University (BYU) 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.

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 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: “Focusing on What Really Matters”

Paul’s epistle to the church members in Galatia is his effort to get them to see that the Law of Moses no longer holds any significance now that Christ has come. Anytime the  “law” is mentioned, it is referring to a framework of very literal, checkmark-oriented guidelines given to the Jews because of their transgressions while in the wilderness. This law was an outwardly-measured way to come closer to Christ. What the Jews did not understand, however, was that when Christ came, the higher law was established, and the Law of Moses was obsolete. The purpose for which it was introduced was fulfilled. This was SO HARD for the Jews to accept. In Galatia, there were Judaizers, or church members, who were of the opinion that one must become a member of Judaism first and live the Law of Moses, and then convert to Christianity when sufficiently ready.

In class we discussed situations that can occur today. It is easy for us to get into the same pitfall of looking beyond the mark.  Contending over such things as pinpointing the location of God or or the whereabouts of ancient civilizations mentioned in scripture are appendages to our salvation and can divert us from focusing on the Savior and applying the doctrine.

Sometimes in Mormon culture, a person will focus on the current organization of the Church or a particular leader in their area. Taking issue with a certain individual can lead to doubting the validity of the gospel, which is as pointless as declaring math to be wrong merely because a person solved a problem inaccurately using the methods. The Church is the vehicle by which the gospel is spread. The people within it are not perfect. This simple reality is often lost on people who choose to dwell on a particular component of the Church.

The issue that the Galatian members had with letting go of the Law of Moses is a lesson we can apply to current times as members of the Church. Treating membership like a checklist defeats the pure purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it is a habit that anyone can get caught up in. Reading these ancient stories is so useful in these modern times!

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

Mormon Beliefs

Free Bible

Family

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.

Mormon Church: “They began to set their hearts on riches…”

I’m Taieno Kaiser, a freshman at Brigham Young University. I’m in a religion class that helps me understand the context of my life. Here’s a thought I’d like to share. In the Book of Mormon, in the book of Helaman, chapter 6 verse 17 it says:

For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain.

My comment in my notebook as I read this verse was, “because the heart needs something to focus on.” However you define the “heart,” (i.e. as the organ in your body, the center of your emotion, the essence of your being, etc…) that part of human experience is undeniable. Even if you don’t think the origin of whatever that is happens resides in the left side of your thoracic cavity and pumps blood all day, it’s the idea. The point is, that part of someone either needs something to focus on, or needs something to dull that desire for something to care about.

In the case of the Nephites (a people of God) in the Book of Mormon, when all is going well, and there is no war to fight over land, freedom, and family, and no famine or natural disaster to live through and to get those who matter to you through, their hearts turned to riches. I think that people experience that particular turning all the time. But I think there are a myriad of other things that people’s hearts focus on, things for them to decide to care about. There are also things for the heart to turn from, to decide to not care about, to dull that. What I want to say is that the “heart” and what it decides to focus on can be beautiful. It can have such beautiful and good love for something that propagates and sends itself out into the world in an edifying way; or it can be turned inward, and be dark and destructive. There just isn’t any reason to not find something of worth to focus your heart on. It is not worth giving up what you want at a future date, or postponing your ability to achieve that desire, for what you want in a moment. Moments pass. Life goes on. And all of a sudden, years have passed, friendships have failed, lifetimes have changed, and you look back and wonder if what you spent all your time on was worth it. May we look back and not regret the focus of our time and our hearts.

 Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

BYU Students Share Reflections on Scripture  

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. 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.

Mormon Church: “Happiness is Found Only Through Christ”

Have you ever felt like it is so hard to measure up to the world’s standards? Whether it be intelligence, appearance, or possessions, you never seem to be able to be anywhere close to what the world tells us is “happiness.” Why though? Happiness cannot be truly achieved when trying it the world’s way, which is Satan’s way. Satan does not want us to be happy. He’s constantly trying to drag us down to be miserable like himself.

However, sometimes his tactics are a little more sly than we like to think. A good example of this can be found in Helaman 1.  (Helaman was a prophet in ancient America).  Before, Satan had been fully equipping his people with a variety of weapons or improving their armor, but in Helaman 1, he completely switches his tactics. He begins by creating secret combinations which are sneaky and subtly dedicated to the destruction within the heart of the Nephites. Next, he becomes more bold and brazen in his attacks from without led by the Lamanites. But how does this apply to our lives now?

We can look to the new expectations present in our media. Music, movies, video games, etc., have all become increasingly vulgar, promiscuous, and filthy. You can go to few PG movies without some sort of sexual or adult reference. Next, we can look to the family. Currently around the world, the family is being attacked as people are trying to legalize same-sex marriage. Marriage as defined by The Family: A Proclamation to the World, (a document released by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1995), clearly defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman. Although we love and care for those who have different gender-based inclinations, we do not support them acting upon those inclinations. Satan is being very bold, yet sly, in his tactics to deceive and take away our agency.

What are the devil’s motives in doing this? We can look at Helaman 2:8 to find his motives captured in the theme of the Gadianton robbers. It states, “…it was his object to murder, and also that it was the object of all those who belonged to his band to murder, and to rob, and to gain power….” Satan doesn’t care about anyone, but himself, because he is concerned only with gaining power. If we reflect back on our pre-mortal existence, two plans were presented to our Heavenly Father. Our brother, Jesus Christ, volunteered to come to Earth and atone for our sins, but He would give all of the glory to the Father. However, Lucifer countered that plan with his own deception. He would take away our agency and guarantee every soul would return to the Father, as long as the glory remained his own. This promise, supposedly made to save everyone, was one of the biggest lies ever told. We cannot be saved through Satan, but only through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ’s atonement. I know that our sins can be washed away through the atonement, and I am so grateful to have this gift in my life. I know we can be happy when we remember our Lord and Savior and rely on him on a daily basis. Satan’s plan is not the way to happiness, but it is through Christ that we can find true happiness.

I invite your questions or comments, or feel free to share this with a friend.

Additional Resources:

Mormons and Christ

I Believe: Expressions of Faith

Meet with Mormon missionaries

Hartman Rector, Jr. and his wife Connie were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February of 1952. Seventeen years later, he was called as a General Authority into the First Council of the Seventy for the Church. He has spent his life in devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and wrote a book compiling many conversion stories. Each story is unique and compelling. One story he recounts is Don Vincenzo Di Francesca:

Early one cold morning Vincenzo received a note about a sick friend. While he was on his way down Broadway toward the ailing friend’s home, a strong breeze from the open sea rustled the pages of a book, which had been thrown upon a barrel full of ashes ready for the city trash truck. The form and the binding of the pages gave him the idea that it was a discarded religious book, and curiosity pushed him to retrieve it. He plucked it from the ashes and beat it against the trunk of the trash barrel. He looked at the frontispiece and found it torn; the cover was completely missing. The fury of the wind turned the pages in his hand, and he saw names that he had never in his life seen before. In his haste to go on to his destination, he wrapped the soiled book in the newspaper he had just bought and continued toward his colleague’s house, where he visited with him and consoled and advised him.

After Vincenzo’s return home, as soon as he could get his coat off and warm himself, he opened the book and began to read. He came across some of the writings of Isaiah—a name he recognized—and was convinced that it was a fine religious book he had found. But he could not detect the name of it since the cover and some pages were missing, and other pages were too soiled to be legible. He went out to the drug store and bought 20 cents’ worth of denatured alcohol, and with this and a cotton-pad he washed the remainder of the pages. Then he read them.

“I felt as though I was receiving fresh revelation and much new light and knowledge,” he recalls. “I was also charmed to think of the source by which I had obtained the book. Many of the lectures in the book left in my memory a strong magnetic attraction, and I felt urged to re-read it several times, always satisfied that it fit very well with other scripture, as though it were a fifth Gospel of the Redeemer.

“The next day I locked my door and knelt with the book in my hands. First, I reviewed the 10th chapter of Moroni, and then I prayed to know if the book were of God. I also asked if I could mix the words of it with the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in my public preaching.

“While I was in that pose, awaiting a positive answer, I first felt my body become cold and my heart palpitate as if it would speak, and then I felt a gladness as if I had found something of extraordinary preciousness. It left in my memory sweet consolation and supreme joy that human language finds no words to describe.

“The book was easy to understand without effort. The more I read it and thought about it, the more I was impressed that I had received the assurance that God had answered my prayer and I knew that the book was of great benefit to me and to all who would heed its words.

“Within a few days my preaching was strung with the new words of the book, and the listeners became amazed and enthralled with the new power in these sermons, at the same time becoming indifferent to some of my fellow preachers. Thus while the esteem towards me grew, so did professional anger and envy and suspicion. One day I was interrupted in a meeting by the Vice Venerable, when he heard me talking of Mary the Virgin and substituting the vision of 1 Ne. 11:15-36. This arrogant authority encouraged my colleagues to sit in all my meetings and contradict any new doctrine! These contradictions and indignities made me rebel, and I became disobedient to the warnings for me to observe the strict methods of the sect.

“Next I was denounced to the Committee of Censure who, with fatherly words, counseled me to burn the book of the devil that had brought so much trouble to the harmony of the brothers who loved me.

Francesca then left his church and set out to preach the teachings of this mysterious book and find the source by which it came.

“In May, 1930, I stumbled onto the source of my precious book. It happened while I was looking in my French dictionary for the significance of a pulley invented by a Frenchman. As I was thumbing through the M’s, my eyes fell upon the words “Mormon sect.” I quickly wrote to the president of the ‘University of Provo,’ which was mentioned in the article, and asked for information about the remainder of the book that talks of Nephi, Alma, Mosiah, Mormon, Isaiah, Lamanites, etc. He passed my letter to the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in another month I heard from President Heber J. Grant. He sent me a copy of the Book of Mormon in Italian and said that he had informed the president of European Missions in Liverpool, England, Elder John A. Widtsoe, to arrange baptism.

“On June 5, 1932, Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Council of the Twelve came to Naples intending to baptize me, but a revolution between Fascists and anti-Fascists on the Island of Sicily caused the police of Palermo to prevent me from going to Naples, and I had to wait for another chance, like Moses in anticipation of the promised land.

“I was called to arms during the Italian-Ethiopian war in 1934, and this further prevented anyone with authority from reaching me for baptism.

“On January 14, 1937, I started correspondence with Elder Richard R. Lyman, European Missions President, and later with the president of the British Mission. President Hugh B. Brown of that mission eventually came to Rome intending to baptize me, but his letter of invitation for me to go to Rome was delayed until the day in which he and his family left Rome for America because of the outbreak of World War II, when the missionaries in Europe returned to America. Thus I was deprived of baptism, and cut off from any news of the Church.

“I remained a faithful follower and fervent preacher of the gospel of this dispensation, being in possession of the standard works of the Church. I translated those works in my idiom and sent the important chapters to persons of my acquaintance.

“On February 13, 1949, I started again the correspondence with Elder John A. Widtsoe and I asked him to help me to be baptized soon. He answered that he had written asking President Samuel Bringhurst of the Swiss-Austrian Mission to come down to Sicily and baptize me.

“On January 18, 1951, I was baptized by President Bringhurst in the Thermal Waters of Termini Irnerese, Sicily, in the South of Italy.

“In 1954 I made a trip to the Swiss Temple for my own endowments, and this first step was quickly followed by other trips to do temple work for my ancestors.

“You can see that I have toiled hard to find the salvation in the kingdom of God which was spoken of in the remainder of the pages of the book without title page or cover. I pray earnestly that my story will be copied into the historical record of the Italian District [now Mission] so that future converts can learn clearly that man does not live by bread alone but lives also by the word of God. To all the saints in Zion I clasp hands across the ocean in true brotherhood.”

This story touches the very depths of my soul as it testifies of the power of the Book of Mormon. I have a very special testimony of the Book of Mormon. My testimony has hinged on the truth that I have of the reality of the Book of Mormon. I know that it is true and it reveals that the Lord’s Church has been restored upon the earth and that it is functioning after the Holy Order of God, His priesthood. I invite you to request a copy of the Book of Mormon from Mormon.org as I know you will find the answer to your questions in life.

This article was written by Mady Clawson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mady Clawson is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” single adult), with a zest for the gospel. She currently studies English, with an emphasis in Professional Writing and Communications at BYU-Idaho.

Additional Resources:

The Bible in Mormonism

Jesus Christ in Mormonism

Mormon Worship

Hartman Rector, Jr. and his wife Connie were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February of 1952. Seventeen years later, he was called as a General Authority into the First Council of the Seventy for the Church. He has spent his life in devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and wrote a book compiling many conversion stories. Each story is unique and compelling. One story he recounts is of Clifford J. Barborka, Jr.

Material wealth, social position, worldly pleasures-these things have always been a threat to righteousness. Clifford Barborka almost succumbed to them.

His wife, the talented singer Melva Niles, accepted the gospel first. His resistance to it caused much conflict between them, and this tension was not eased by his health impairments caused by his heavy smoking and drinking. How was God going to reach down and lift a life like this?

The Lord’s hand is indeed evident as the story unfolds. Today, many thousands of Church members and nonmembers alike from coast to coast have seen and enjoyed the programs presented by the talented Clifford and Melva as they, serve their full-time informal mission. In this way as well as during their formal stake mission, they have borne to multitudes the fervent gospel testimony they feel.

For their talents and services, this couple formerly received an annual income in six figures. But as the reader clearly sees, their real success and happiness came when they were “hired” by the Lord.

In His own words, Barborka recounts his conversion:

When Melva Niles and I first met in 1947, she was starring in “Song of Norway” and had accompanied the show on its national tour. As we progressed towards marriage she made great strides in her career. Fortunately, Melva has always been first a wife and second a career woman, especially after our two sons were born. This attitude is rare among talented women.

In the meantime I became Midwest Sales Manager for John Blair & Company, which was the leader in its field and the first radio-television station representative firm to pass the $100 million gross figure. In 1958 I became vice president of that company, Director of Midwest Operations, and a member of the board of directors. Soon I would become the fifth largest stockholder of the company.

I mention these and other matters here, not for purposes of self-aggrandizement, but rather to set forth the background of our lives as they were when the gospel found us. Educated in mid-western private schools, and very much a part of the world both personally and professionally, I had never even heard of the name, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” and I knew of the Mormons only as a group headed by Brigham Young in a historical exodus to the west. My father’s background was Catholic, my mother’s family was Methodist, but we had long since fallen away from any formal religion.

One sunny day in July of 1956, my phone rang while I was in the midst of a most important meeting; Melva had called to tell me that she had been talking to two young men who told her about another young man who said he had seen God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ! This was so incredible to me that I told her to “get them out of our apartment and do so at once, and they are not to come back.” This was the beginning of our personal Armageddon.

To Melva, this was the moment of truth for which her soul must have been thirsting, because she received an immediate testimony that these young missionaries were telling the truth. Subsequently she met regularly with them. Even I settled for two meetings at later dates. At one of these meetings, I tried to point out errors in the missionaries’ teachings and presented an opposite viewpoint. Then I invited a personal friend, an Episcopalian priest, to have dinner with us and the young missionaries so that Melva might compare the learned with the unlearned, be brought back to the facts of life, and thus stop asking me to get involved. How well I remember that night! Intellectually, the priest dominated the young missionaries; however, I told Melva afterwards that I believed the two young men more than I did my long-time friend, the priest—but that, with all our other commitments and responsibilities, we could not get involved in a church.

Melva and her older son ended up joining the Church, but Clifford would not. He could not let go of the worldly vices that kept him from spirituality. He also was very sick, due to smoking three and a half packs of cigarettes a day. He thought he had “graver things to think about.” He continues:

Melva made a tragically prophetic statement shortly after she was baptized (I did not attend her baptism). She said that if I continued to stay away from the Church and did not take it seriously, we would lose everything. I did stay away and I did procrastinate with my inner feelings, and her prophecy was true in so many ways.

Then in 1963 we had a particularly serious argument about religion, and the next morning I found a letter from my wife which caused me to realize the desperate and lonely situation that confronted Melva. She had gone as far as she could go without her husband. The letter truly touched me, and at this time I realized something serious had to be done. It was at this point that I began to accompany my family to Sunday School regularly and to study the scriptures and the writings of Church leaders. We invited the missionaries to dinner often, but still I was not really opening my heart to their message.

In studying the scriptures I discovered new and profound meanings. Especially was I amazed at how the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants supplement and add veracity to the Bible. Then in class on Sunday I began to feel a radiant spirit among some of the members, and my curiosity began to grow. Now gospel discussions were more common in my life, and soon it was apparent to me that the Book of Mormon was at least unique and exceptionally interesting.

After coming out of the waters of baptism, I had that exhilarating feeling that comes when the spirit has subjugated the physical man. It was so strong that I knew I had been “hired” by the Lord for his purposes and that I was truly different from what I had been the day before. Since I did not want to be “fired” from the Lord’s employ, and since the priesthood was more important to me than any job I had ever had, I knew that the Lord and I would overcome my Word of Wisdom problem, so instead of pills I turned to prayer. Whereas I had been accustomed to having a fresh cigarette in my hand every fifteen minutes, it now became a matter of a prayer on my lips almost every fifteen minutes. I will not detail the conquering of this habit—this minor requirement of gospel living—except to say that it was not easy. But I knew it was necessary, and ever since the day I was baptized, I have been able to testify to the truth of the Word of Wisdom, for I am still in better health than ever before, and the liver and lung impairments, while not cured, are surely arrested.

Clifford and his wife spent a lifetime “hired” by the Lord and fulfilling His purposes. They served in hundreds of wards, branches, and stakes across the globe. They accumulated over 120,000 miles in missionary service and have received more then they’d ever ask for. The story of the Barboka family is an example of what the gospel can bring to a family. They no longer cared of money or materials, but of God and His employ. The reward is far greater. The same can be for you, and I invite you to seek the missionaries and come to know of the truth.

Excerpt taken from No More Strangers, vol. 1, Hartman and Connie Rector.

This article was written by Mady Clawson, a meber of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mady Clawson is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (ʺMormonʺ single adult), with a zest for the gospel. She currently studies English, with an emphasis in Professional Writing and Communications at BYU-Idaho.

Additional Resources:

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism

Mormon Scriptures

The Meaning of Life

Mormon Missionaries

As technology continues to advance, making more and more tools and applications available for personal, as well as business use, the technology department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to keep pace, always introducing new and innovative ways to help members gain a better knowledge and understanding of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, which in turn better equips them to share the message of the restored gospel with non-member family members, friends, and associates. The advances in technology also provides easier access to accurate, dependable, and reliable information about what the Church teaches and believes, for those who may be curious and want to do research on their own.

New Enhancements to Church Websites

Members and non-members who visit the Church websites LDS.org, Mormon.org, Newsroom, and the Mormon Channel, will notice the addition of a new tab called “Church Websites.” Fernando Camillo at LDS Tech explained that the new tab opens to showcase “some of the major church websites in one single place. The link briefly explains the purpose of each website and has quick links from each page for faster navigation” (Emily W. Jensen, for the Deseret News; “Brand new LDS Church tech tools“; 24 April 2012.)

The LDS Maps website has just been upgraded to LDS Maps 3.0 and includes a plethora of new features for easier use. LDS Tech writers Keri Marler and Tom Johnson explain that the  following new features have been added: [1]

• Single line search
• Household verifications
• “Maps 101″ overlay help
• “What’s Nearby” feature
• Improved print options
• Numerous map display options

To discover the other new features that have been added, go to LDS Maps 3.0.

New Software Updates

Latter-day Saints who have leadership positions in the Church will be pleased to know that the Member and Leader Services (MLS) software has been updated to version 3.4.3. Among other things, this new version includes: (1) updates to various Seminary and Institute reports, (2) Ward/Branch and Stake/District Organization Application forms, (3) the Bishopric Action and Interview List, (4) Home/Visiting Teaching Reporting, and (5) Membership Audit. [1] Follow this link to learn more about what has been added to the new MLS Version 3.4.3.

Technology Geared Towards the Youth

The youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are precious sons and daughters of Heavenly Father that need to be nourished by the good Word of God. There are many resources available to help teach, train, and encourage the youth of the Church. One of those resources is the new “Bedtime Stories from The Friend“, a new podcast found at iTunes consisting of audio recordings of stories from The Friend magazine.

A New Website for Those Who “Just Want to Serve”

A new website has been developed called JustServe. So far the site is only geared towards service opportunities in the Silicon Valley, California, area, but will eventually expand to other areas.

JustServe was designed as an initiative from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to bring together people who need help with those who are willing to give service. “By partnering with churches, civic organizations, non-profits and government agencies, JustServe links a person to service opportunities in his community so he can make a difference wherever he is and however he wants to do it.” [1] The organizations that are utilized are responsible for ensuring the quantity, as well as the quality of the service opportunities provided.

Once the specific needs are known, they are disseminated on JustServe or through Facebook and the individuals providing the service can go and get the job done. A person can search for current projects and quickly set up his profile to then sign up as a volunteer. The site makes it easy for anyone who is willing to just go and serve.

Technology can be a wonderful instrument when placed in the right hands and used for the right purposes. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is actively engaged in making information about the Church more accessible, as well as providing the necessary tools and resources for Church members to magnify their callings, strengthen their families, and teach and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Additional Resources:

LDS Tech

Just “GO” and “SERVE“

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion.

This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of LDS Christianity. The theological and semantic reasons for this can be complex, but for the 1,019 self-identified Mormons who participated in the Pew survey, their theological position is clear: Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, and they consider themselves to be Christian.

“Certainly in Latter-day Saint theology is this idea that if you understand who you are, you understand that there’s a purpose in life, you understand your connection to God, that certainly has an impact on how you live your life and what you do, but also how you feel about your life and what you are doing,” said Michael Purdy of the LDS Church Public Affairs office. (more…)