Is it Dark in There?

Is it Dark in There?

Posted on 8:34 AM by Unknown | No comments

This week's post is from Alexis Wood:

“I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell” (2 Nephi 33:6)

One night while out for a walk, I found myself looking out at the top of the hill.  The moon and the stars shone beautifully above me, and the lights from the city glowed below.  I was suddenly very impressed by the strength of the light coming at me in so many different directions.  Even in the darkness of night, light was everywhere.

I am sometimes depressed thinking about the political and civil unrest flooding the earth, disasters and accidents with their accompanying destruction, the abundance of dishonesty and immorality, the diseases and infirmities and suffering of so many, the corruption, poverty, abuse, and oppression that have filled so many corners of the earth.  There are a lot of dark places, even and sometimes especially in our most private and personal spaces.

I was always a little afraid of the dark.  I was the kid that had to leap into bed from an irrational distance to avoid the scary monsters hiding underneath.  Darkness is disorienting, overwhelming, and distressing.  From my own limited experience, I feel that it has power to incite a great sense of loneliness and fear.  In contrast, light is illuminating, perhaps also overwhelming, but uplifting, reassuring, and powerful.  Light always penetrates through darkness, but darkness never penetrates through light; which means we are rarely ever in darkness.  Because even in the darkness of night, light is everywhere.

Jesus Christ is “the light of the world” (John 8:12).  What does that mean for us?  I compare His light to the light of the sun.  Sunlight doesn’t just help us see things.  Sunlight provides different types and degrees of radiation that produce energy. Light sustains life.  We cannot live without it.  The Savior is our light.  His light sustains our lives.  He has experienced the darkest abyss, the ultimate loneliness, the deepest suffering possible so that we don’t have to.  We can rely on His light to sustain us.

I know that Jesus is the Christ.  I know that He paid the ultimate price so that you and I could return to Him and our heavenly home.  He didn’t have to do that, but He did because He loves us; and like our Father He wants us back.  All things are possible through Christ the Lord and Master.  Because of Him we can be cleansed from sin and free from guilt.  Because of Him our bodies and minds can be healed from infirmities and afflictions.  Because of Him our families can be forever.  Because of Him all wrongs can be made right.  Because of Him we have power and strength beyond our own.  Because of Him death is not the end.  I know that because of Him I can be a better person, and because of Him I want to be.  I am so grateful for our perfect Lord and I am grateful for His perfect light.

Because of Him video

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How My Broken Arm Helped Me Believe In God

How My Broken Arm Helped Me Believe In God

Posted on 5:31 AM by Eric Thayne | No comments

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we try not to base our belief in God on historical proof, factual evidence, or other people's thoughts and opinions. Rather, it is an individual experience for each member to gain a testimony for themselves. Like it reads in Hebrews 11:1, faith is the "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Our faith and belief in God and many other things doesn't come from things which are "seen".

However, I believe things which are seen can be a source of light and help in understanding the things of God. In fact, I remember a seventh-grade classmate asking our science teacher if he believed in God. His response has been stuck in my head until this day: "Studying science has made me believe in God. I look at the earth, life, and everything within it, all working together in perfect harmony. This wasn't created on its own. There has to be a God. "

I had an experience recently that made me think about those words, "there has to be a God." Four months ago I was involved in an accident while Zorbing (look it up) and ended up in the hospital with a broken humerus in my right arm. After taking X-rays and MRIs, surgery was performed. I left the hospital the next day with a metal plate and ten screws in my arm, and the encouragement from the doctor that I would be fully recovered in six months.

Four months have passed and I've been through a lot of pain and intense physical therapy. I've learned a lot about the anatomy of the upper arm and shoulder, and all the bones, muscles, tendons, tissues, and nerves that work together in perfect harmony to allow me to use my arms. It's fascinating! Through all of the physical therapy and strength training I've made considerable progress and I've been able to use my arm more and more in everyday activities. I've been excited to see the progress I've made.
But my arm still isn't quite the same as it was.

I still have some nerve damage around my wrist that feels funny whenever I touch it, and sometimes stings and gets cold easily. I still have weird pops and clicks in my wrist, elbow, and shoulder, and the doctor says I'll definitely have tendonitis growing up. My right elbow still doesn't hyperextend as far as my left one. And I'm still missing some range of motion in the more extreme upper degrees. Some of these things will never totally resolve. The doctor's idea of a full recovery was that I would be able to do everyday things without a problem, not necessarily that my arm would return back to its original state.

But here's what has been on my mind: While I was in that operating room four months ago, heavily sedated, I had professionally trained surgeons with decades of combined experience sticking their fingers in my arm and, bit by bit, piecing it back together. These are men who went through years of school to learn about every bone and every muscle in the human body and how they work together with precise detail. They know every part of the human body and how it all works together better than anyone on earth. But even still, they weren't able to put me back together the way I was formed in my mother's womb.

Sure they did a great job! I'm amazed at the ability of these trained doctors to work on something so intricate as my arm and recover me from such a serious accident. And I'm grateful for those who study to be able to do that. It truly is a miracle. But think about it. Over the last 24 or so years, I've grown from a tiny microscopic egg into a fully functioning human being, with bones, muscles, nerves, tendons, and thousands of organs in my body that work together perfectly to allow me to perform everyday activities. But after breaking one of those pieces, not even some of the smartest humans on earth were able to put me back together with exactness the way my mother made me, or rather, the way God did.

There has to be a God. And I believe in Him not because of factual evidence or historical proof. I believe in Him not because I broke my arm and learned that He is the only one that could have created me the way He did. I believe in Him because I've felt His love and been guided by His Spirit. I know that He lives and loves every one of His children on the earth. He is all knowing and all powerful. And I know that it is only through Him, and through the Atonement of His son, Jesus Christ, that we can all truly be put back together again.

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The House of the Lord

The House of the Lord

Posted on 7:17 PM by Unknown | No comments

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from people is "What are your temples for?" I hope to give people at least a general idea of why we have temples and how they are different from a normal church building. Many other Christian religions call their meetinghouses "temples." We call ours "chapels" or "meetinghouses" because they are buildings where anyone can enter and participate in the services. For us, temples are more sacred buildings and we believe they are, quite literally, the House of the Lord. Because of this, there are more requirements before you can enter. One must be a church member in good standing to enter a temple. Seeing as we believe they are a House of the Lord, it makes sense that there are conditions for entering. Would you allow any person you meet to enter into your house? However, anyone is welcome to come walk around the beautiful grounds of any temple. Many of the larger temples also have visitor's centers where it has more information about the temple and its history.

Temples are very important for Mormons. They are place of hope, peace, and reflection. They are a beacon to the world of our faith and are a goal for all Mormons. It is the place we desire to go to further our relationship with God by making greater covenants (promises) with Him. Furthermore, the greatest blessing of a temple is its power to bind families together. We believe that marriage and family life is not "until death do you part," but that it can be eternal. Only in a temple can this take place. This is why it is so important to us and part of our daily lives. If you have any Mormon friends, you may have seen that most of them have a picture of a temple in their house. This serves as a reminder of the promises we have made in the temple and that we will be able to be with our families forever.

The temple is a marvelous and beautiful place. If you have one near by, it is worth the trip to at least see. Even if you can't go inside, you will be able to feel the peace of the temple grounds and enjoy their beauty. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write them below and we will do our best to answer. Also, check out this video for more on why Mormons build temples.

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