Stand or Fall

Beginning with Joseph Smith and continuing with each succession of Prophets leading the LDS Church, I can't help but parallel the situation with the story of the Pied Piper. According to the fable, the town of Hamelin, Germany was suffering from a rat infestation in the year 1284. The Pied Piper appeared, and after being promised payment to help solve the infestation, he played his musical pipe and lured the rats into the Weser River, where they drowned. The people reneged on their promise to pay, so the Pied Piper left town but vowed to return seeking revenge. He did return, and while the town inhabitants were in church, he played his pipe yet again, this time luring the children of the town. He led them into a cave (a dark place), never to be seen again.

Similarly, those who profess to be of the LDS faith must follow the Prophet wherever he leads, even if what he teaches contradicts the Bible or former prophets, because a living prophet is of more value than a dead prophet. Ezra Taft Benson, the 13th President (and therefore prophet) of the LDS Church wrote in his book 14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophets, "Beware of those who would pit the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence." (See Mr. Benson's third fundamental.) Thank goodness Jesus is alive, according to this doctrine! If not, even what our Savior said could become irrelevant. In contrast to this doctrine, it is absolutely humbling to look at the Bible and see how the prophets of old (Isaiah, Daniel, etc.) perfectly predicted many historical events, such as the fall of Tyre, or most importantly, the birth and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The old prophecies go hand-in-hand with the new prophecies in a marvelous string of successive fulfillment. There would be no way to pit one against the other, because they were all in agreement! What would Mr. Benson say about pitting the living prophets against one another? I would pit the prophesies our Living Christ against the LDS Prophets, past or present, alive or dead, any day, and know I stand on solid ground.

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14)

I've written about this already, but let me repeat it in this context. Lets re-examine the LDS belief in eternal marriage, which is a doctrine spoke of by their Prophets, past and present. Jesus also spoke on the matter, when approached by Sadducees, who asked a question very similar to one that many devout Mormons have probably pondered: If a woman's husband dies, and she re-marries, and the situation repeats itself several times, (or in the case of my LDS friends, she is sealed in the Temple to one man, he dies, and the situation repeats itself), whose wife will she be at the resurrection?

"Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven." (Mark 12:24-15)

That teaching kind of negates the practice of marriage by proxy also, don't you think? Nevertheless, Mormons continue to perform marriage ceremonies by proxy for the dead in their Temples because of the leading of their Prophets.

So Joseph Smith, the first Pied Piper of the LDS Church, led his followers wherever he so desired, and even had to change the nature of Christ, God, and ourselves, to agree with his belief system. Christ had the fullness of his nature as Immanuel, God with us, stripped from him, the unchangeable God became changeable (progressive) and was confined to having a body of flesh and bones rather than filling the heavens with glory and awesome power, and we, his creation, the dust of the earth, were exalted to Godhood, given an eternal nature (pre-existence), and are handed partial responsibility in our salvation through works and ordinances, as if we can take some credit. THIS GRIEVES GOD!!! By professing this doctrine as truth, you are not offending me, but are sinning against God Almighty. The God of Mormonism doesn't even have the power to prevent the Truth of his Word and his beloved Church from falling completely away from him in a total apostasy. I promise you that the everlasting God of the Bible, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the creator of heaven and of earth, is in full control of history. The Word teaches us that not even a sparrow dies apart from his will (Matthew 10:29) and that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church Christ established on earth (because we are Christ's church! It has nothing to do with an establishment or a building, we are a body of believers, his bride! See Matthew 16:18, being mindful that the name Peter means "rock"). These two promises combined make a complete apostasy impossible, because God is in control and loves his bride, the body of believers called the church.

The Mormon Church stands or falls on their Prophets and leaders, because without those men their authority on earth would be stripped of them. According to their own scriptures, speaking of the second highest governing office of their Church, "...Twelve hold the keys to open up the authority of my kingdom upon the four corners of the earth, and after that to send my word to every creature." (D&C 124:128) Also in Ezra Taft Benson's book 14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophets he relates a story of a man who confirmed his own belief in some of the deceased Prophets of the Church, but doubted the direction of the current Prophet. What followed was this gem, said by then-LDS President Marion G. Romney, "Now I tell you that a man in his position is on the way to apostasy. He is forfeiting his chances for eternal life. So is everyone who cannot follow the living Prophet of God." (See Mr. Benson's seventh fundamental.) I assure you that my faith, and true Christian faith, stands or falls on Christ alone, who has authority over all things, and, because of his nature as God, whose words will not pass away (see Matthew 24:25, Mark 13:31, & Luke 21:33). Jesus, rather than a man ("divinely" inspired or not), is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Ask yourself sincerely, who is the author of your faith? Do you believe the words of our Savior as he hung on the cross that God's work of redemption-- of overcoming the sin of the world and forever bridging the chasm between man & God-- "it is finished"? (The single word translated as "it is finished" is the Greek word telelastai, which has been found on papyri tax receipts, meaning "paid in full". This is significant! Dwell on that for a moment.) Have you accepted Christ's sacrifice as FULL payment for your sins, making you worthy to obtain everlasting life , or do you hold to the idea that, like the 3rd article in the LDS theological summary The Articles of Faith states, "we believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel"? (Note the structure of the preceding sentence: it is an "all mankind may be saved" sandwich, the bread being the "how"-- and there are 2 distinct hows-- 1. through the Atonement of Christ, and 2. by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. This contradicts the "paid in full" doctrine taught in the Bible, and undermines the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.) By whom does your salvation ultimately stand or fall?

Be assured that ignorance may be bliss, but if you are reading this, or more importantly reading the Bible, you will not be able to claim ignorance about the truth of who Christ is when standing before his judgement seat. God will not forgive you of your sin of putting a false & changeable god (or false Christ) before Him, unless you confess that sin and turn to the Truth during your lifetime on earth. I've touched on the urgency that I feel in reaching Mormons with the Truth, but this is why I feel the urgency: no man knows the hour of his own death or the hour of Christ's triumphant return, so since you (and we, and the people of earth) who sat in darkness have seen great light through Jesus, we need to do as he commands and "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)

"Father I come before you today humbled, and grieved by what mankind has done to you. I thank you for your unchanging nature, that you are the solid rock on which I stand, not shifting as the sands or as the nature of man, but firm and unshakable. I praise you for your word, that because it came from you, it is living and timeless. Lord Jesus I put my faith in you alone, recognizing that without you I would be a desperately lost sinner in need of a Savior. Continue to teach me and guide me in your ways, God; my spirit yearns for more of you. Lord let your light shine, let your Truth be spoken of until the whole world hears. Father use me to draw others to yourself, I want so desperately for others to know you. I love you, Jesus, and praise you for your greatness."

Living Word

I was reading an article this morning that can be found at the following link:

http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/godhead/Godhood_EOM.htm

The article, which is really a combination of 2 articles, one written by K. Codell Carter and one written by FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies), goes to painstaking lengths to explain and justify the LDS view that we can become gods. As the fifth President of the LDS Church, Lorenzo Snow wrote, "...As man now is, God once was: as God now is, man may be." The second article cites several early Christian theologians in justifying the belief. "The doctrine of the deification of man is not an exclusive teaching of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Rather, it can be found in early Christian history."

Colossians 2:8-9, which I quoted yesterday, took on a whole new meaning as I read this article (what a wonderful example of the living word!). Let me repeat it now.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

I was reminded that regardless of how revered these early Christians may have been, or what position they were given in the church of their time, we do not put our faith in the interpretation of man, but rather should be like those in Berea (found in Acts 17:10-12) who "received the word with all the readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." When you examine scripture, this doctrine of men becoming gods becomes less of a misunderstanding about us, and much more a misunderstanding of who God is. God is everlasting, omnipotent, unknowable, unique, our savior, not subject to the boundaries of time or space, but rather the creator of them. He says it best, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Is it difficult, even impossible for us, who are subject to the laws of physics and confined by space and time, to comprehend a God who cannot be contained by the heavens (see 1 Kings 8:27)? Absolutely! The reason it's difficult is because God did not intend for us to wrap our brains around who He is, but to worship Him for His greatness!

There is no better way to describe the following quotes from the first Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, Jr., than "philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men":

"I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit, and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. If this is in accordance with the New Testament, lo and behold! we have three Gods anyhow, and they are plural: and who can contradict it?" (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:474)

"Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God! I say that is a strange God anyhow--three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. "Father, I pray not for the world, but I pray for them which thou hast given me " "Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are." All are to be crammed into one God, according to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God--he would be a giant or a monster." (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:476:76)

Joseph Smith deeply misunderstands the scripture in the last quotation, thinking that by Jesus praying for the unity of his believers, he would be saying that we would one day be all squashed together in physical unity as God. Part of the wonder of the Trinity, or Tri-unity of God is that it demonstrates His omnipresence, that He can be all places at once and have a seeming lack of physical unity but an abundance of unity in His nature as God (see Psalms 139:6-10, Matthew 28:20, and Jeremiah 23:24 for verses describing the omnipresence of each member of the Trinity). Jeremiah prophesied this about men who call themselves prophets, but who pervert the words of the Lord:

"Behold, I [am] against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I [am] against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD... And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God."

(Jeremiah 23:31-32, 36)

Galatians 1:6-9 also talks about men who pervert the gospel of Christ. Paul wrote this passage, and recognizes that no man, himself included, is immune from teaching false doctrine because of our sinful nature. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." The scenario that is always brought to mind when I read that passage is that of Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates from the angel Meroni, on which was the "restored gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "Another Testament of Jesus Christ," the Book of Mormon (see Joseph Smith--History 1:59-61). Doctrine that attempts to bring God down to our level of comprehension is God-limiting, and is deceitful. Do not allow yourself to be led astray by vain philosophy after the principles of this world! God is not subject to the principles of this world (time, space, gravity, sustenance, etc.), so to limit your understanding of who He is based on what you know of yourself is ludicrous!

"Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (John 8:32 & 47-- Read the whole passage of John 8, I don't want to write it all out, but Jesus is trying to tell the Jews who he is-- that if they really knew God they would recognize him (Jesus), and that he (Jesus) is not of this world. In verse 58, Jesus uses the words "I am" to describe himself, just like we saw God do (above), and says he existed before Abraham, demonstrating that he, because of his nature as a member of the Trinity, is not subject to the boundaries of time; he is eternal! How cool!)

"Thank you Lord for your word that sustains me. I praise you for your greatness, and through faith I am able to worship that which I cannot comprehend. Lord show me your ways. Let me grow in you, direct my path wherever you would have me go. I am yours, Lord, and I thank you for keeping me, that no one can pluck me from your hand. Father, it is through desperation that I seek you, recognizing that I cannot strive to know you of my own accord, but that you choose to reveal yourself to me. Let me be an example of one who is sanctified, set apart for your works, that others may know you as well, especially those who you have called me to. I love you and seek you, that I may become less so you may become greater in me. Amen."

My Eternal Companion

It doesn't take much listening in LDS circles before you hear the phrase "eternal companion," but what exactly does that entail? Let me elaborate.

It is no secret that mormons believe they can become exalted to godhood after living worthy lives and fulfilling several ordinances of the Church, namely baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, priesthood ordination, temple Endowment, and celestial marriage. Celestial marriage means that good, "temple-bound" mormons are "sealed" to their spouse for all time & eternity, and after being exalted to godhood, will eternally procreate, adding to the heavenly family their own spirit children. These ordinances are so crucial to the LDS view of eternity that special ceremonies are conducted inside their temples where the ordinances are performed vicariously through a living person on behalf of a deceased person that had no opportunity to receive those ordinances during their mortal lives. I have major problems with this doctrine, not the least being that it is clear in the Bible what happens when we, as humans, try to be exalted to godhood. Take for example Adam & Eve being removed from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:5, the Tower of Babel being destroyed in Genesis 11:1-9, and Satan's most critical sin that got him cast out of heaven as described in Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-19. God is also repeatedly clear in the Bible that he alone is God (and no, this doesn't break from my firm belief that Jesus is God in the flesh, because Jesus is just one aspect of the Trinity, all three parts being one and the same God, just manifested differently). You can read Isaiah 43:10-11 and Isaiah 45:5. Additionally, the Bible states that even demons believe that there is only one God, and they tremble (James 2:19)!

While that is obviously an important issue, it is a topic I would like to save for a later date. The belief I would like to rest on for now is the idea that marriage is eternal, and a necessary step to spending eternity in the presence of the Most High God.

Paul spends a lot of time writing about marriage in 1 Corinthians 7. He states in verse 7 that he wishes all men were as he was-- unmarried. He repeatedly says that it's better for a widow or a virgin to remain unmarried, but why? Because our time on earth is short, and we should not care as much for the things of this world (like pleasing a spouse), but rather we should care about pleasing the Lord (verses 32-35). Furthermore, he states the non-permanence of the marriage bond upon entering into eternity in verse 39:

"The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord."

Then there's the kicker-- Paul, despite being unmarried, recognizes that he is not missing out on anything that God has for him:

"I think also that I have the Spirit of God." (verse 40)

Given Paul's aversion to entering into a marriage relationship, would mormons also believe that Paul, who was beheaded for his faith, got less in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Furthermore, Jesus says this in Luke 20:34-36:

"...The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection."

My second issue with the teaching of eternal marriage is that it completely ignores that we, Christ's Church, have already been promised to Christ as his bride. This relationship is described in Revelation 21:9, Ephesians 5:31-32, and also beautifully in 2 Corinthians 11:2 (and how unique that just after saying we are promised to Christ, verse 3 talks about how Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning and Paul is afraid our minds may also be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ!) to list a few. On that note, mormons believe that Jesus was exalted to godhood after his resurrection, but how was he able to attain that status without the ordinance of marriage? It is certainly not Biblical to believe that he was married, so who is his "eternal companion"?

I am reminded of the following admonition in Colossians 2:8-9:

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

If you choose to open your heart to the Word of the Lord, and let it speak to you void of human philosophy, you will start to see a wonderful picture of who Jesus is and what God has done for his Church. I pray that God will draw you to himself as you learn more about Him, and that someday the Truth will set you free. I love you friends!

Sufficient Grace

I was on the "seeker-friendly" website that the LDS church publishes earlier this morning, www.mormon.org. I do that from time to time because I feel like God reminds me about himself-- like as I'm reading a little "ping" goes off in my spirit & a verse flies to the front of my consciousness that doesn't seem to jive with the doctrine I'm reading. Never has that happened to me more vividly than today. This is what popped into the little window when I clicked on the word "grace":

"It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men & women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts."

SMACK!

Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

In a book I was reading recently called "Crazy Love" by an author named Francis Chan, it was vividly pointed out that the literal translation of the phrase "filthy rags" is menstrual garments (think used tampons). Now keeping this in mind, I'd like to tell you a story.

Her life was cut short, only in her mid-thirties the Lord called her home. She had lived a good life, one that would make her mother proud, one that was primarily characterized by her sweet and gentle approach and love of people. Now she was confronted with a table that had two chairs, one on each side, but facing each other. It reminded her of the tables she saw on the crime dramas she used to watch, the ones where suspects and witnesses would be questioned. The single light hanging above it added to this familiar ambiance. A man appeared and sat at one end, motioning for her to sit opposite him. As she sat, he broke the silence with a question.

"So what do you have that might get you out of this mess?"

She raised her arms quizzically and glanced around at the floor beside her chair. There it was-- she recognized it because it was one of her most prized possessions, something she clung to in times of self-doubt. Beside her sat a big bag full of gold coins, but these coins had pictures on them of the many good deeds she had done throughout her relatively short life. She reminisced as she picked one up, this one had a picture of her painting a house that was re-built after a hurricane. She tenderly set it on the table in front of her. Instantly it was transformed into something ugly, a repulsive rag. In her embarrassment, she hurriedly brushed it onto the floor. More careful to select something really treasured, she sifted through the bag. Her face lit up as she pulled out one of her most valuable coins. This coin had a picture of her child on it. She knew that raising him was left to someone else now, but she had taught him the most important life lessons the best she could. Cautiously, she set the coin down. Again it became different, and again she brushed it onto the floor. Over and over she frantically set her coins on the table, trying to show this man that she did a whole lot of good things, but they all ended up in a pile on the floor. Disheartened, she stood up next to her pile of rags and began crying, apologizing for not having anything better to give.

The man stood up from his chair, and approached her with his hands outstretched. The wounds were familiar, the blood still fresh.

"My child," he said, "have you forgotten? It is by grace you are saved through faith, and not by works so that no man can boast. It is my gift!" (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Melting, she sobbed. She did remember, but had become distracted by the pride she felt watching her coin collection grow. Now it was so clear, nothing she brought to the table was good enough, only the faith she displayed by clinging to her Savior could wash away her sin. She had been saved by grace.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I agree that God's grace gives us the strength to do the things he calls us to do (see also 2 Corinthians 9:8), but when it comes to our SALVATION, there is no "best efforts." HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT! If pride, or anything else, has been keeping you from receiving God's grace fully, it's time to repent and ask Him to give you more of what He has for you. Grace is God's plan of salvation.

This post is dedicated to my sweet dad and my dear friend Katy (the ultimate perfectionist). I pray daily that someday you might embrace grace.

Plain & Precious

So many things to discuss, so little time. Instead of dancing around amongst topics that are important but peripheral, I'm going to skip to the central issue, the one on which eternity hangs in the balance.

In the Book of Mormon (abbreviated from here on out as BoM), 1 Nephi 13:28 says this in reference to the Bible:

"Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God."

Do I believe that the LDS Church has many additional practices and teachings that are not in the Bible? Absolutely. Do I believe that those teachings were originally part of Biblical scripture? I don't. But, all differences aside, let's focus on what the Bible and the BoM have in common so that LDS members who might be reading this can rest easy knowing that what I'm saying is not necessarily new to LDS scripture, it's just either ignored or justified away. Here it is, the central diversion of the LDS Church from Biblical Christianity:

Jesus is God in the flesh!

This is a plain and precious Truth that, even if you believe the BoM, hasn't been removed from the Bible! Christ and his followers state this Truth in different ways time & time again because it is important. It is central to salvation. Stick with me here-- if placing our faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to receive the gift of salvation, then isn't it critical that we understand who Jesus is? If I am presented with a challenge to distinguish between a hollywood star and a look-alike, and the outcome of my decision is life-or-death, wouldn't I hope that I was well-acquainted with that person? Who Jesus is matters for your eternity. It would be worth your time to study this topic, and I would be happy to give you scriptural references if you email me.

Unless I'm mis-interpreting something from the BoM due to its un-plainness, the book of Mosiah, chapter 15 verse 1 says that God is the one who will come to earth and save his people.

"I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people."

Even if you are of the belief that there is greater revelation in the BoM, you would have to accept that Jesus is God based on that verse. Additionally, lets discuss some Old Testament verses that are copied word-for-word in the BoM that confirm the deity of our Savior.

• Isaiah 7:14 (2 Nephi 17:14)- "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Let me remind you that Immanuel means "God with us")
• Isaiah 9:6 (2 Nephi 19:6)- "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

If Jesus was not God in the flesh, wouldn't it be blasphemous to call him Mighty God? How can Jesus and our Heavenly Father both be an Everlasting Father unless there is oneness?

Here's the point of all this. To be plain: the reason Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to save us from our sin is because of his deity! To place your faith in a Jesus who is not God in fleshly form is futile.

This is only one verse of countless verses in the Bible that describe the relationship between God & Jesus, but just let it speak to your heart for a moment.

Hebrews 1:1-4: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."

Because Jesus is God's unique Son, he has inherited a name more excellent than the angels (reflect back on the names Isaiah prophesied Jesus would be called). Jesus is the express image of God, and has the power to purge our sins from us. The Jews understood Jesus' claim of divinity, which they considered heresy. That is why they wanted him to be crucified, so this understanding of who Jesus claimed to be is not a teaching concocted by later "abominable" churches. Let me leave you with this concept; what greater love is there than this, that God would put himself through the human condition to teach us how to live like He would, and because of His sinless nature, become a spotless sacrifice in order that we could spend an eternity with Him. Wow, what a Wonderful God.

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

~1 John 4: 7-10

Passion

Spiritual Restlessness, pure love-driven urgency. That is how I would describe my passion for what God has placed on my heart. The way Mother Theresa felt for the starving and the needy, that is the strength of the pull I feel to reach out to my LDS brothers & sisters. (Now don't get me wrong, I'm humble enough to recognize that I'm no Mother Theresa, but the same God lives in me that lived in her, and His passion for the lost is the same regardless of the individual's socio-economic condition!) I love them because Christ died for them and suffered the cross so that they might have hope-- the same hope & promises that I received on the day I surrendered my life to Him. God has a heart for the lost; that TRUTH is undeniable. For as long as I can remember, God has revealed his heart to me for Mormons, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they are my mission field. I pray that their hearts would be receptive to Biblical Truth, and that their lives would be changed because of it.