Christian Soldier

My wife is the Primary President in our ward. Long before Covid-19, we watched a lot of these videos. Now, as we have church at home, we sing a lot of these songs together as a family.

This evening I watched this old General Conference talk by Elder Uchtdorf. In tough times like these, it’s important to focus on “what matters most.”

Several months ago, I watched an interesting 4-part series called “Insights from the perspective of a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” by Jodi Stoddard.

As Jodi clearly points-out, her opinions are her own and do not represent the church. Nevertheless, if you have time, I highly recommend them. In them, Jodi shares a lot of interesting thoughts and personal interpretations about the times we’re living in.

A few months ago, I read a great book: 100 Signs of the Times by David J. Ridges. Although the book does seem to stretch to get to 100, it does contain a lot informative/interesting information. I recommend it.

Right as riots were occurring across the nation, pulling down statues of the Founding Fathers, I was reading Chapter 3–which predicted that such things would happen. My timing in reading that chapter was impeccable.

In the past, I felt uneasy about all the bad things known to happen before the Second Coming. This book put a lot of things into context which helped me see that there is also a lot of good to look forward to as well.

In the Book of Mormon, the following occurred prior to the coming of Christ. Sound familiar?

• The laws were corrupted. 

• Pride. 

• Secret combinations. 

• Wars. 

• Mocking that which was sacred. 

• There were doubtings regarding Christ among the general population, denying prophecy, revelation, and the coming of Christ. 

• The Church converts began to dwindle. There were doubtings among the people of the Church, with dissenters and dissensions in the Church. 

• People were relying on their own strength and wisdom as a nation.  More people were choosing evil than good. 

• There were more non-Christians than Christians. 

• There was a conspiracy to take over the government and seeking for power. 

• Gadianton robbers and secret combinations got their people elected, filling judgment seats (political offices), usurping power and authority, and controlling the government.  The corrupt politicians sought to entice the people against good. 

• The people began to depend upon their own strength and wisdom.  People became rich and set their hearts upon riches. 

• People began condemning the righteous because of their righteousness.  They began letting the guilty and wicked go unpunished because of their money. 

• Theft is rampant and possessions become slippery.  There was lawlessness and lack of respect for law and order.
  
• Like in Noah’s time, the world was filled with violence.  There are contentions in the land. 

• There were class distinctions with great inequality. 

• There was willful rebelling against God. 

• Lawyers are angry with the righteous who testify and combine against them. 

• Cultural degeneration. 

• Few were converted, there was a decline in religion, and the people did not believe that Christ would come. 

All of this occurred “in the space of not many years” and the entire Book of Helaman took place in 52 years.  In fact, in only six years the more part of the people turned from righteousness.
– Thanks, Uncle Cory.

If you have questions about what members of the church believe, feel free to ask me. You can find my email in the “About me” section. I will do my best to answer your questions or point you to resources that can.

If I can’t answer you soon enough, please visit comeuntochrist.org or churchofjesuschrist.org.

Every week, as we’ve been doing “Come, Follow Me”, we’ve been watching the new Book of Mormon Videos. They’re really well-done.

If you haven’t read the Book of Mormon (or read it all the way through), these videos follow the book very closely. So, I highly recommend them.

The Book of Mormon is another witness of the divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It contains the words the resurrected Lord spoke to Christians living in Western Hemisphere just days after his death.

In case you didn’t know, Alexa and Google can now share the gospel with you via the FREE “Gospel Voice” app. If you have Alexa, simply say “Alexa, enable Gospel Voice.” Or, if you have Google, say “Hey, Google, talk to Gospel Voice.”

• Live general conference
• Scriptures by chapter
• General conference talks by speaker
• Come, Follow Me lesson audio by week
• Latter-day Saints Channel music radio stream
• Latter-day Saints Channel talk radio stream
• Latter-day Saints Channel Tabernacle Choir stream

If you’re learning the gospel, this is an excellent way to learn from the comfort of your home. Here was the official announcement.

There are no words more powerful than the Lord’s regarding racism and equality:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34-35

[T]hus saith the Lord: Ye shall ^anot esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another;

Mosiah 23:7

The scriptures very clear on what the Lord thinks:

[H]e (God) doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he ^ainviteth them ^ball to ^ccome unto him and partake of his goodness; and he ^ddenieth none that come unto him, black and white, ^ebond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the ^fheathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

2 Nephi 26:33

[T]he Lord esteemeth all ^aflesh in one;

1 Nephi 17:35

Law should be equally applied to everyone. Everyone should have the same rights.

[I]t was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds.

Alma 30:7

God has always commanded us (all of us) to love one another:

[W]hosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3:10-11

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

James 2:8-9

President Nelson recently shared the following:

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-shares-social-post-encouraging-understanding-and-civility

At the April 2020 General Conference, President Nelson announced a new symbol for the church:

Aptly, the symbol includes the name of the Church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—contained within a cornerstone. As taught since Biblical days, Jesus Christ is the “chief corner stone” of His Church (Ephesians 2:20).

“At the center of the symbol is a representation of Thorvaldsen’s marble statue, the ‘Christus,’” said President Nelson. “It portrays the resurrected, living Lord reaching out to embrace all who will come unto Him.

“Symbolically, Jesus Christ is standing under an arch. The arch reminds us of the resurrected Savior emerging from the tomb on the third day following His Crucifixion.”

The new symbol, he added, should feel familiar to all identifying the restored gospel with the living, resurrected Christ.

“The symbol will now be used as a visual identifier for official literature, news, and events of the Church. It will remind all that this is the Savior’s Church and that all we do, as members of His Church, centers on Jesus Christ and His gospel.”

Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-announces-new-church-symbol-during-april-general-conference?lang=eng

I think this is wonderful. A picture is worth a 1000s words. Everyone will come to recognize this as the symbol of the Restored Church of the living Christ.