by Ben | May 14, 2013 | About Mormons
There’s a lot of junk in this world. Pornography, abuse, kidnappings, not to mention each person’s individual trials, including depression and other challenges. And that’s just close to home. Further away, there are wars, government upheavals, famines, outbreaks of various diseases, civil unrest, discrimination; the list could go on. For the most part, though, I am relatively happy.
But why? How can I be happy when I turn on the nightly news and hear about kidnapping victims in Ohio or a tragic building collapse in Bangledesh? Or when I call my family and hear about the cousin whose marriage has failed, just the latest in a long line of family tragedies? The answer is twofold: knowledge and action.
Knowledge of the Truth
The number one reason I am happy is because of what I know. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church, the things I believe give me the greatest opportunity for peace and happiness. Some pieces of knowledge that bring me the most peace and happiness are as follows (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 25, 2013 | About Mormons
G
od is truly our blacksmith. He takes us in His hands and puts us in the fire. This softens us and helps us to be molded, shaped and refined into something we could have never become on our own. This is just like with life. God gives us humbling experiences or trials and “turns the heat up” in order for us to be softened. We are brought to the depths of humility and, once we have turned to Him and put our life in His hands, He can mold, refine and shape us into all that He wants and needs us to be.
I know without a doubt that God lives. I know that He loves us and that these humbling experiences “shall be but a small moment and shall be for our good, and if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high” (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-8). I am preparing to serve a full-time mission in Lisbon, Portugal, and I know that this will be the hardest thing I have done in my life thus far. This will be one of my “refiner fires” that will help me to be shaped into all God needs and wants me to be as His daughter and an instrument in His hands. (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 22, 2013 | About Mormons
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. (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 22, 2013 | About Mormons
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.) (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 22, 2013 | About Mormons
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. (more…)
