Have I Done any Good in the World Today?

10 Things Restored Through Joseph Smith

10. The True Understanding of Adam's Fall.

We are punished for our own sins, not Adam's Transgression. We inherit a fallen nature from our earthly parents, but we also inherit a divine nature through our Heavenly parents as God's spirit children. This means we do have a personal responsibility to choose the good. Even though we have a fallen nature, we need to put the natural man "off" (Mosiah 3:19, 1 Cor 2:14) through the atonement of Christ and do good works. We are capable of good works. (1 John 2:17) We are not born into this world totally depraved. It is only when we choose to sin that we become unclean.

9. The way to Christ is through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving of the Holy Ghost, and endurance to the end.

A simple prayer acknowledging that we are sinners and that we accept Jesus as our savior is only the start. We must repent of our sins, entering into a covenant relationship with Christ through baptism, then receive the Holy Ghost as our guide. Then, we must continue in this covenant relationship with Christ by keeping His commandments until the end of our mortal lives. We will not be perfect, but His grace will be sufficient if we are continually trying our best, and repenting when we fall short. This is the only process that can truly bring us to Jesus Christ. Then, it is through the merits alone of Christ that we are saved in His kingdom. In short, it is by grace that we are saved, but we are required to do what is in our power to access that grace. (2 Nephi 2:8, 10:24, 25:23)

8. The Holy Priesthood

In order for baptism to be efficacious, it must be performed by the correct authority. This authority is known as the Holy Priesthood. It was restored through the hands of angels to the prophet Joseph Smith and has been passed down to the present day to worthy males in the church. This priesthood is in use in the church today and no church can claim to be Christ's true church without it. It is the same priesthood that Peter, James, and John used to baptize. It is the same priesthood that was used in the time of Moses. It is the priesthood of God Himself. (Alma 13: 1, 16)

7. The keys of the Priesthood

The before mentioned priesthood is governed by keys. These are the keys which Jesus spoke about when He told Peter that He would give him the Keys of the Kingdom. (Matt. 16:19). You may be ordained to the priesthood, but you cannot use it without the consent of those who hold these keys. These keys have been handed down from Joseph Smith to the present day prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.

6. Knowledge of the full plan of salvation, including the pre-existence.

We lived before we were born. We are literally the spirit offspring of the Father. (Acts 18:28-29). Because of this each of us have inherited a divine birthright and nature. We have also inherited a fallen nature through Adam. These two opposing natures allow us to know the good from the evil. We are given the power to choose between them. If we choose the good, and choose to have faith in Christ, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, we will eventually become like our Father in Heaven, and through the merits of Christ become joint heirs with Christ. (Rom. 8:17)

5. Revelation.

God wants each of us to seek after Him. He has promised that if we do, we can know the truth of all things in a very personal way. He will reveal it to us. He has also established a pattern of revelation through those who hold the keys of the Priesthood. This is so that He can reveal things to the world as a whole and we can know we are not deceived. In the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, the prophets receive revelation from God today for the world, but we are also supposed to seek confirmation from the Holy Ghost, or personal revelation that what they are teaching is from God. This is how God is able to witness to us of His truths. Joseph Smith didn't just say "I talked with God so you have to listen to me" But he said "I talked with God and you can too!" (Matt 7:7, James 1:5, Moroni 10:3-5)

4. The Pearl of Great Price

The Pearl of Great Price is a book of scripture that contains doctrines and stories that have been lost to our current Bible, but restored through revelation to us today. In it we are given clarification on subjects such as the fall of Adam, the creation, the greater and lesser laws, and man's purpose on the earth, to name a few.

3. The Doctrine and Covenants

The Doctrine and Covenants is full of doctrine and information from the Lord on how His church and kingdom is to be organized and run in these last days. In it we find a record of specific revelations given to the prophets in our day. We find the oath and covenant of the priesthood, the description of the Kingdoms of Glory, the Word of Wisdom, and the New and Everlasting covenant of Marriage.

2. The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is the record of ancient prophets that lived in the Americas and testified of Him. It is another witness from the other side of world that Jesus is the Christ, the very savior of the world. It confirms the validity of the Bible and it clarifies doctrines found in both records. Joseph Smith said that it is the most correct book and that one could get closer to God by abiding by it's teachings than by any other book. It contains an account of when Jesus came and visited the people in the Americas shortly after His resurrection.

1. The knowledge of God's true nature.

When Joseph Smith went into that grove of trees to supplicate to God in prayer, he found out that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct beings united in purpose. He found out that God is literally the Father of us all and He loves us. He found out that we really are made in His image, He having a body like ours only a perfected one. God has a plan for us and He didn't just create us for pleasure, but He wants us to become one with Him and be heirs to all He has. He Loves us not just because He created us, but because we are His children.

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Atrophy

Take a look at any photograph from a few years ago of yourself and you will see quite a different person than the one who looks back at you in the mirror today. Since the fall of Adam and Eve our world and everything in it eventually decay's and dies.

God told Adam and Eve:

Gen. 2: 17

1. 17 But of the ^atree of the ^bknowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the ^cday that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely ^ddie.

The Book of Mormon gives us more information about what actually happened when our noble first parents decided to make this choice:

Alma 12:23-25

23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have ^apartaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: ^bIf thou eat thou shalt surely die.

24 And we see that ^adeath comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto ^bman in which he might repent; therefore this life became a ^cprobationary state; a time to ^dprepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no ^aresurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of ^bredemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.

We can see from these verses that even though it was decreed that Adam and Eve would die, God had mercy on them and gave them a little time before this happened so that they could repent and get prepared to meet their God.

That is the life we are living right now. Each of us comes into this world full of life and possibilities. We grow and learn through childhood and reach our prime physical state when we reach adulthood. However, from there we begin to see, in a very real way, the effects of the fall of Adam.

Our bodies begin to atrophy. Atrophy is the word used to describe the long decline of our bodies. They begin the long and in some case short decline that leads us back into the dust. Everyday this should serve as a reminder of the mercy and grace that our God has given us.

He has granted us this time to have faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

He has granted us this time to learn to keep His commandments.

He has granted this short time for us to learn what we could not learn in any other state. Each hair lost, each back ache, each pound we put on should remind us that time is indeed short.

Having said that, it should also remind us that because of Jesus Christ, all will be restored to us someday in the resurrection. We are promised that not a hair of our heads will be lost. (Alma 40:23)

If we take advantage of this time to the fullest, we will gain perfect immortal bodies that will never atrophy. Each family member, or loved one who has died will be reunited with us. All of this will happen because of the tender mercies of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Time is ticking. Don't delay. Now is the time to prepare to meet God.

Alma 34: 33, 35

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many ^awitnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not ^bprocrastinate the day of your ^crepentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the ^dnight of ^edarkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

I invite you to come unto Christ and be baptized a member of His church. To have your sins cleansed, and to be a partaker of the unspeakable things He has in store for those who love Him.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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The Gifts of The Spirit

In the New Testament, we follow our Savior Jesus Christ and read of His miraculous power to heal. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the devils are cast out, and even the dead are raised.

Later Jesus gives this remarkable power to his apostles. They go on to perform the same miracles that Jesus performed.

Some might ask, does this power really exist on the earth today?

Latter-Day Saints would answer YES.

When the Lord restored His church on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, He also restored the keys and power the priesthood. In addition to this, He restored the gift of the Holy Ghost. One of the blessings of the Gift of the Holy Ghost is the ability to receive what is called "The Gifts of the Spirit."

In the Book of Mormon it says:

Moroni 10: 8-19

8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.
9 For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;
10 And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
11 And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
12 And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;
13 And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;
14 And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;
15 And again, to another, all kinds of tongues;
16 And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues.
17 And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.
18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.
19 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.

Also we have this as a revelation given to the Prophet Smith:

11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.
15 And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.
16 And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal.
17 And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.
18 To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.
19 And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed;
20 And to others it is given to have faith to heal.
21 And again, to some is given the working of miracles;
22 And to others it is given to prophesy;
23 And to others the discerning of spirits.
24 And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;
25 And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.
26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.
27 And unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts lest there shall be any among you professing and yet be not of God.
28 And it shall come to pass that he that asketh in Spirit shall receive in Spirit;
29 That unto some it may be given to have all those gifts, that there may be a head, in order that every member may be profited thereby.
30 He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.
31 And again, I say unto you, all things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the Spirit;

You may of course be familiar with the similar verses in the New Testament. The difference is that in each of these versions there are specific insights that we don't find in the New Testament account. We learn that there is an order to these gifts and that not everyone has access to all of the gifts at the same time, except for the Bishop, that there may be a head.

Having said that, we also learn that every person who is baptized a member of Christ's church is given at least one gift of the Spirit, and can seek after the other gifts.

These gifts are to be used in wisdom and order. They are also used with quiet dignity. It's important to understand that these gifts are not what converts a person to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather they are a blessing given to the person who already believes that confirms their faith.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I can honestly say that I have personally seen many of these gifts in action within the church.

These gifts are richly used by the church today, including prophecy, revelation, healing, tongues, and so forth.

I have seen these gifts manifested in both the home I grew up in, and in my own home. I have seen people healed of sickness, I have seen thoughts discerned, and prophecy fulfilled.

Each of these gifts has a purpose. The end goal of these gifts is simply to bring people to Christ and to make them holy and sanctified.

The only thing that inhibits the use of these gifts in unbelief. I testify that these gifts are working in the church today, I also testify that it is a sign of the true church of Jesus Christ when you find these gifts in it.

Would you like access to the gifts of the Spirit? I invite you to come and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ by one who holds the proper authority to do so.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

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