by byustudent | Mar 26, 2013 | Mormon Reflections
To those who wish they could do more for God:
Confession time: One of my greatest weaknesses is the fact that I constantly feel unworthy. It’s something that has pressed my mind for as long as I can remember. As I read the account of Christ’s ministry in the Americas this time around, though, I felt I was learning a lot more than I ever have. I felt myself feeling down as I thought, “I’m glad I wasn’t there, because there is no way on earth that I could ever come face to face with Jesus Christ without either fleeing to the darkest corners of the earth with thoughts of inadequacy haunting me for the rest of my days or bursting into flames because of my unworthiness.” Then we learned about the Parable of the Grateful Cat. Now take note: This is not a biblical parable, nor is it even a scriptural one. Rather, it was given by a Latter-day Apostle named James E. Talmage. The gist of the story goes like this:
A man was talking a walk near a pond when he saw two boys with a basket. He then realized that the basket was full of kittens and that the boys intended to drown them. The mother cat was running on the bank, clearly in distress. Upon inquiry, the boys told the man that their family’s cat just had the kittens, but the family couldn’t afford them – hence the drowning. The man paid the boys and took the kittens under his arm, touting them back to his home. The mother cat followed him, occasionally emitting grateful yet mournful purrs. The man made a comfortable place for them to stay in his house. The mother cat, seeing her kittens were taken care of, left with much joy. The next day, the man was having a party with notable company. During the party, the mother cat returned. In her mouth was a fat, still slightly alive mouse. She walked up to the man and dropped it at the feet of the man, then turned around and left. (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 26, 2013 | Mormon Reflections
In my Book of Mormon class this week we read 3 Nephi 15-21. These chapters are the words that Christ spoke to the Nephites when he came to them and so when I read them before I thought I studied them well, but there is always something more you can get out of them.
What I learned this time comes from 3 Nephi 18:1 “And it came to pass that Jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring fourth some bread and wine unto him.” In class we talked about how Jesus gave them this commandant but didn’t tell them why, and it probably seemed like an odd thing to them. Why would Jesus need bread and wine and the answer is he doesn’t, but we do. Jesus often doesn’t tell us why we need to do something, just that we should and we must take the leap of faith and act on it anyway. They didn’t know why they needed to get bread, but they did anyway because they were commanded.
This also reminds us that commandments aren’t for Jesus, he doesn’t need anything from us, he doesn’t command us to do things because he needs us to, but because we need to. Commandments are for us – we need them, we need to follow them. (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 25, 2013 | Mormon Reflections
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church”), I have been inspired by many of the scriptures we study in the church.
There is a passage of scripture in the Book of Mormon, (a companion scripture to the Bible which testifies of Jesus Christ), that inspires me. It is about Helaman’s army- the “2000” young men that are often referred to as the “Stripling Warriors.” Helaman is a prophet of God written about in the Book of Mormon similar to biblical prophets.
The verses that inspired me are Alma 37:21-27. Verse 21 reads: “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.”
Two things from this passage and the passages that follow had a big impression upon me. First, the importance of mothers in our lives. The Mormon religion teaches the importance of strong, faithful women and mothers who teach about Jesus Christ. A leader in the Latter-day Saint Church (LDS or Mormon), Jeffrey R. Holland said of mothers:
Mothers, we acknowledge and esteem your faith in every footstep. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever. (more…)
by byustudent | Mar 23, 2013 | Mormon Reflections
In class the other day, we were reading in 3 Nephi 24, and it talked about the importance of tithing. But Brother Griffin brought up an interesting point. Does the Lord need our money? I mean, what can God, Master of the universe, Creator and owner of all, do with a tiny insignificant piece of green paper? He doesn’t need it. Wouldn’t it just be easier for God to show the prophet where a secret gold mine is? The point isn’t that God needs our money. The point is that we are sacrificing and being obedient to Him, in keeping his commandments. WE need tithing.
Wouldn’t the Lord’s angels be better missionaries? But WE need to be missionaries. We need that experience and spiritual growth. We need to hold callings so we can learn and have responsibility. Everything God commands us to do is for our benefit, not His. Brother Griffiin said a quote that I really liked…”My need to serve God is incalculably greater than His need for my service.” I felt that today when I went to the temple. Yes, as I did so, I was serving the Lord, and my fellow brothers and sisters on the other side of the veil….but I needed the temple today. I left with such a sweet spirit of peace and of love. I love how God loves us so much, that everything He does is for us. He gives us so many chances to learn and to grow, so we can inherit all that He hath someday. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father! (more…)
by Terrie Lynn Bittner | Mar 22, 2013 | About Mormons
FamilySearch.org, a free genealogy website sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is hosting Rootstech March 21-23, 2013. It is the third annual conference by the Mormons (the Church’s nickname).
More than 4000 people were expected to attend, and thousands more tuned in online for free streaming of portions of the conference. Attendees came from 49 states in the United States and fourteen countries. A touring version is being launched, to take the conference to more locations.
Family history has been rapidly growing in popularity, in part due to social media and the increase of online records. FamilySearch.org places a multitude of documents, including birth, death, marriage, and census records online at no cost. They are transcribed and indexed by volunteers. Two volunteers index each record independently and, if there are disagreements, an arbitrator makes the final decision. This provides greater accuracy in the transcriptions. The program is so popular that the entire 1940 census was indexed in months and was completed well ahead of schedule. (more…)
A man was talking a walk near a pond when he saw two boys with a basket. He then realized that the basket was full of kittens and that the boys intended to drown them. The mother cat was running on the bank, clearly in distress. Upon inquiry, the boys told the man that their family’s cat just had the kittens, but the family couldn’t afford them – hence the drowning. The man paid the boys and took the kittens under his arm, touting them back to his home. The mother cat followed him, occasionally emitting grateful yet mournful purrs. The man made a comfortable place for them to stay in his house. The mother cat, seeing her kittens were taken care of, left with much joy. The next day, the man was having a party with notable company. During the party, the mother cat returned. In her mouth was a fat, still slightly alive mouse. She walked up to the man and dropped it at the feet of the man, then turned around and left. (more…)