42a The Saints of God in Our Day Live Throughout this Present Day World of Ours. They are Setting Examples of Righteousness For the Rest of Us!

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

Please note that beginning with post (41x on December 7, 2010) a new post is being published every Tuesday morning. This will allow me to better accommodate the relatively large number of those (as Google Analytics informs me) who view my posts on Saturdays and Sundays. I had been publishing a new post every five days for several years.

****

TODAY'S THEME

1 Nephi 14:1 AND it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks—

2 And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded.

TODAY'S THEME is a continuation of the theme of the previous two posts. Many of the converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ancestors came from different countries. In the case of my own father, Philip John Birch, they came from England, Ireland and even from one of the Arabic countries across the Mediterranean Sea from Spain. In the case of my mother Virginia Jensen (Gudmundsen) Birch they came from Denmark and Sweden. In the patriarchal blessings each of my parents received through patriarchs in their LDS Stakes, they are declared to be from the Tribe of Ephraim (one of the sons of Joseph who was sold into Egypt whose father was Jacob or Israel, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham (The Father of the Faithful). In my patriarchal blessing I too am declared to be of the lineage of Ephraim.

Therefore my parents and I and my posterity are of Israel and entitled to the blessings that come with that.

There are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have been declared to be of many of the other tribes of Israel. Some are direct descendants of Israel through the descendants of Nephi's father, Lehi and his descendants who were privileged to be visited and taught by our and their Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ as recorded in the book of 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon.

In the past two posts I have given examples of how converts to this Church are now found in many nations with specific examples from the nations of Japan and Russia. There are, of course as you could see from the map provided in the previous post showing LDS meeting houses through the entire earth, they are also in very many other nations as the angel told Nephi there would be through the vision given him, described in  of I Nephi Chapter 14.

14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (emphasis added)

I have chosen to tell a few things about my parents as a continuation of the evidence that righteous people from many nations make up the Church of the Lamb of God in our day, about which the Angel who provided the vision to Nephi which runs from 1 Nephi chapters 11 through 14 tells us about.

Some of you readers of this blog post are also among that number. Oh how I wish I had all of your life stories so that we could read of the great blessings that have come to you and your families because of your membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of you other readers may not yet be members of this church, but will some day be such. I would love to read your life histories as well.

I Nephi 14: 14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

These are my parents, Philip John Birch and Virginia Jensen Birch. My very first blog was about them and particularly about my father's conversion to the LDS Church. The following has been copied from that blog post and also from my Post 28.

Here is my excerpt: "From September 1929, basically, non-denominational Phil Birch (born in 1907) was steadily dating Virginia Jensen (born in 1904). Her parents and all of their family members were converted to the LDS Church in Denmark who then immigrated to Utah where her parents married.

"Virginia was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. After her mother died giving birth to a still-born baby, Virginia moved with her father and her three sisters to Sacramento, California where her father had been employed as a manager of a lumber yard.

"Phil was employed as an Southern Pacific Railroad crew dispatcher and Virginia as a telephone operator for that railroad. That is where they met.

"The following was written by Phil later in his life in his personal family history. 'They kept company, going steady. However, I (Phil) was unhappy because her Mormon Church activity meant so much to her.

'She gave me a Book of Mormon and told me the gold plate story about the Book of Mormon. I laughed and told her that it was a fairy tale and I didn't believe it.

"With tears in her eyes she asked me if I believed the story of Moses and the opening of the Red Sea and I answered, 'Yes.' I guess I learned that Bible story in the Christian Science Church. With tears in her eyes, she then said, 'why not modern miracles?"

"I read the Book of Mormon through, attended Sunday-School and other LDS Church meetings with Virginia, but was not converted. Also I KNEW that my mom would be unhappy if I did not try to join the Masonic Order at 21 years of age. Also I knew my mom, my sister, and my step-dad might not forgive me."

"At that time Art and Mom were not married, they were keeping company. On September 23, 1929, they were married in Reno and Virginia and Phil were married by Virginia's father, (Niels Janus Jensen, born in 1876 in Aarhus Denmark) the LDS Church's Sutter Branch President, in their home at 1821 Q Street, Sacramento, California."

"Virginia gave up temple marriage for me and I knew the only way I would ever be happy would for "Virgie" to be happy. I also knew she would be unhappy if her church life was curtailed. I voluntarily told her I would never hold her back in her church work and activities, also that if she could get by with a 10% tithing cut, I could also, but I did not know how."

"She quit her telephone operator job September 25, 1929 and we were married on payday, September 26, 1929. We, or she, paid our tithing out of both checks and I have done so ever since."

"Early in July of 1930, or perhaps the last of June 1930, I woke up in the very early dark morning and it seemed like a voice had said out loud, 'Phil, you know the Gospel is true. Why are you not baptized?' I got out of bed and tried in vain to find the person whose voice I had heard. Virginia was sound asleep so I went back to bed and as I was 2/3 asleep and 1/3 awake I heard the same words again. I got up and when Virginia woke up I told her I would be baptized but I did not tell her this story."

"At any rate, on July 5, 1930, I was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS Church and very soon I had the Aaronic Priesthood conferred on me and was ordained to the office of a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"I have forgotten to mention that in September, 1932, Phil and Virginia, went to Salt Lake City and were sealed in eternal marriage in the Salt Lake Temple. Our seven month old son, Neil, was sealed to us."

"I was baptized on July 5, 1930, and on account of the depression, was moved in 1933 by the railroad. For almost two years I was away from Church activity in Dunsmuir, California."

"With the event of the '3 pint 1 beer' I drank a big bottle once in awhile (contrary to what was expected of members of the LDS Church) with my old boyhood and railroad friend, Malbrook C. In 1934 when we arrived in Roseville to work there, that friend wrote me that he was coming to visit us. I went out and bought a big bottle of wine for him. This was to be social." (explanation added)

"However, something happened that changed me and our life."

"I was working midnight to 8:00 a.m. with days off in the middle of the week. I attended Sunday-School but Virgie always had to coax me to go there instead of going to bed."

'This Sunday morning, after quitting work, I said to Virginia, 'Let's go to Sunday School,' but she was staying home because Larry was sick. I surprised her and myself by asking her if I could take Neil to Sunday-School."

"It just so happened that it was the day the new LDS Sacramento Stake presidency had chosen to come to the Roseville Branch and organize it into a ward with Lorenzo R. as bishop."

"I do not remember what the speakers said, but I do know the Word of Wisdom (the LDS Church's revelation regarding the use of alcohol, tea, and coffee being not approved by the Lord, Jesus Christ) was not mentioned."

"I was impressed by the Spirit and with the sincerity of all who spoke. I went home and asked Virginia where my bottle of wine was and she told me. I guess I scared her because she thought I was going to drink it."

"Instead, I poured it down the sink, saying 'if those men can keep the commandments, so can I'. From then until now I have not taken or tasted or missed alcohol and from then on I had a desire to attend all church meetings and to keep the commandments."

"However, I was still working on Sundays because my railroad seniority would not allow me to have Sunday off. From that meeting until now I could and can say, 'I KNOW THE GOSPEL IS TRUE.' Before, it was a strong belief."

"With all my heart I know the restored Gospel is here with God's authority delegated to man to act in His name - the Priesthood."

Now here is Phil Birch's oldest son, Neil, back again to help you learn some things that may help you better understand the Lord's true religion better.

While I was in Finland serving my first mission there, my father was called by the Lord (through his properly called and set-apart authorities) to serve as bishop of the Roseville Ward. He had been a counselor in the bishopric for much of the time since they moved back to Roseville from Dunsmuir, California (which is near Mount Shasta in Northern California.)

It was a new and interesting experience being a son of our LDS ward's bishop. I enjoyed watching him do his bishop's job. I want to tell you about one particular circumstance where I learned something important about how the Lord guides his humble servants here on earth.

It was on a weekday evening and I was home from work. My father, who had just arrived home from his work, received a phone call from one of our ward youth leaders who told him, the ward bishop, that some of the youth of our ward were making strong complaints about how they were being treated by their youth leaders. This was at our weekly Mutual Improvement Association (M.I.A.) meeting that was taking place right then at our church building located about a quarter of a mile from our house.

Sometime after the initial call he received a second call from the same adult youth leader who told him that things had quieted down and that Dad's help wasn't needed.

I heard what my father had been saying over the phone. Then he was off of the phone and was telling me that he was told that things were OK now. Then all of a sudden he turned to me and said, "I need to get down to the church right now!"

As it turned out, just as he turned the corner near the church, (he walked fast) he saw some of the youth of the ward walking away from the Church and coming in his direction, heading toward the home of one of the youth who lived nearby, with determined looks on their faces.

My dad, a ward bishop who is entitled to the use of the power of Prophecy and Revelation that has been mentioned in recent blogs, arrived at just the right moment. He was able to get them to go over to the side of the road and tell him about their concerns.

It didn't take them long to talk things out and with the loving counsel of their inspired ward bishop, they were persuaded to go back into the church and talk things out with the adult youth leaders.

How can the Lord's work be done in His church if there is not the Gift of the Holy Ghost (which both the youth and their bishop possessed) to guide people through potentially serious problems.

Without the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is conferred upon all members of the LDS Church when they are baptized (at age eight for youth) how could the Lord guide His Church here on earth? As I re-read (in my father's family history above) his testimony about the Priesthood of God being so important to him, I can't help realizing that with over 13 million members and rapidly growing to over 14 million members in this Church today, that through the gift of Prophecy and Revelation (The Testimony of Jesus) and the gift of the Holy Ghost which is very closely related to that, the Lord guides His Church on a daily and even on a moment to moment basis.

Daniel Telling King Nebuchadnezzar the Interpretation of His Dream -Painting: Grant Romney Clawson

In my blog post, Part 23 we learned about the remarkable prophecy made in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, rolling down the mountain and growing in size until it struck the image that represents the kingdoms and empires of the world and then rolling on and growing until it fills the whole earth.

In that same blog post it was shown that the Lord Jesus Christ, with the help of an angel, prepared the way for the coming forth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through His young prophet, Joseph Smith.

In blog post 27 it was shown that the ancient prophet of God, Joseph, Who Was Sold Into Egypt, knew about the key role that Joseph Smith, Jr, would play in the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his descendants and to the rest of the House of Israel.

Why should the Lord have revealed that to Joseph Who Was Sold Into Egypt? Because it had to do with the spiritual welfare of his own posterity, his family! Family is an eternal value! Because of the atonement and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we and our families can go on together after death forever through the blessings that come from the ordinances of God's holy temples. In a blog down the road some I will discuss the blessings that come to families through temple ordinances.

Having been an active member of this Church throughout my life, I have often seen clear evidences of God leading His Church, even in the smallest details, such as demonstrated in the account above regarding the Roseville Ward bishop, Phil Birch, being led to help some of his ward's youth avoid making some big mistakes that could have perhaps led some of them to leave the protection and preparation for life and eternity the Lord's church provides them.

Oh, I have one other memory of what my father told me about that he often did when he served as a bishop. He told me that whenever he felt inadequate, and that was often, when counseling ward members who had personal or family problems, including even marriage problems (he had never been to college at all but he did graduate from high school), he would often call up in his mind various Book of Mormon prophets, such as Nephi, Alma the Younger, and perhaps Mormon and Moroni, and imagine them being with him there as friends and colleagues. He told me he really could feel their support. It helped him to counsel by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That is good evidence that the Book of Mormon was a very important source of strength to my father, Philip John Birch. I sure love him and my dear mother, Virginia Jensen Birch, who first introduced her future husband to the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Oh, one more thing about my father's counseling as a bishop. He was released, after four years of serving as bishop of the Roseville Ward because the S.P. Railroad transferred him to the Sacramento Depot. That transfer made my parents decide to sell their home in Roseville, California (U.S.A.) where they had raised their first two boys. Their third son, Bruce moved with them to North Sacramento.

There were some ward members including several married couples who had been waiting for Dad, as their bishop, to counsel them regarding marital and other serious difficulties. Ward members had come to recognize Bishop Birch as an effective counselor. Dad's replacement as bishop was a wonderful man. I got to know him later. If I understand correctly, ward members really came trust their new bishop also.
However, because of the strong pleas of several ward members who had been waiting to be counseled by Bishop Phil Birch, the stake leaders requested my Dad to continue counseling those specific ward members he had been counseling and several others who had been waiting for him to counsel them.

In that capacity it was necessary for Dad to work very closely with the new bishop who had just recently moved into the ward. He and Dad became close friends.

After that list of ward members had been taken care of, Dad no longer assisted the new bishop by counseling ward members. The people Dad had been counseling had even travelled about thirty miles round-trip for that counseling, but they evidently thought it worth their while.

It was not my father's idea to continue counseling ward members after his release. It was the decision of the stake presidency. At that time Roseville and North Sacramento were both still in the Sacramento stake.

I give credit to the special Gift of the Spirit that LDS bishops are blessed with that brought about that special success during that interlude in his life of church service. I have to give some credit to Dad's practice of calling upon the help of specific Book of Mormon prophets mentally to feel the support he needed from the Lord.
______________

DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________


TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX: To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or To Search The Index For Any Other Blog Post You Desire To Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: Birch, Philip and Virginia, Neil Birch and His Brothers', Larry and Bruce, Parents. - Post 42a. When The Picture of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy Comes Onto Your Screen, Please Scroll Down In The Index To Your Target Item Or Use the Alphabetical Scrolling Device (When It Has Been Installed).
______________

"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
_____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested in it. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

41z - 1 Nephi 14: 14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (Part II).

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

Please note that beginning with post (41x on December 7, 2010) a new post is being published every Tuesday morning. This will allow me to better accommodate the relatively large number of those (as Google Analytics informs me) who view my posts on Saturdays and Sundays. I had been publishing a new post every five days for several years.

****

TODAY'S THEME:

I repeat TODAY'S THEME which I quoted in the introduction of this post in order that you can more intently focus on its words and better understand its prophetic meaning: Nephi, son of Lehi wrote this between 600 and 592 B.C. An angel of God caused this vision to to be seen by the prophet Nephi. It is a repeat of TODAY'S THEME of the previous post!

1 Nephi 14: 14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (emphasis added)

I recently discovered in the newly renovated lds.org, a map system which can you show you the world-wide status of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has great ability to show more detail than ever before. After you click on the link several paragraphs below, with that which comes onto the screen you will experience more than perhaps ever before, the world-wide-ness of this church. As Nephi was told by the angel, the Church of the Lamb will "be scattered upon all the face of the earth." He was also told their numbers would be few.

The population of the world was estimated to have surpassed six billion in 1999 while the membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just reached fourteen million this year: 2010. fourteen million is a large number to most of us, however compared to the world's total population given above that makes the numbers of members of this church (relatively) few as the angel informed Nephi would be the case.

Note: after clicking on the World Map below, you will need to experiment in using the data which will be made available to you. Note: after the map is on the screen I suggest you click on the image of the world that is within a vertical bar along with other images, and select: "Bing Shaded." In my opinion that choice appears to work best. It is set right now to show you the location of LDS Church meeting houses world wide.

World Map Showing Location of Various LDS Facilities World Wide.

In the post I published a week ago the post - World War II beginning of the LDS Church in Japan was emphasized. In this post an example of how the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ has affected a Russian woman and her husband and sons is focused upon.

The following life vignette came from the book, RUSSIA AND THE RESTORED GOSPEL by GARY BROWNING  Published by Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. (1997)


Author, Gary Browning of  BYU, a Former Mission President in Russia

Galina Goncharova (an account of her life and conversion:  (pages 79-84)

The circumstances of my birth were remarkable. On the day of my birth, my mother sent my older brother to the hospital for an ambulance because contractions were beginning. No one was at home, there were thundershowers outside, and my brother had been gone for a long time. My mother began to feel terrible. She started to cry and began praying, when suddenly the door opened and in walked my grandmother--my father's mother. She lived very far away, and she would rarely come for a visit. She helped Mother with the delivery, I was born, and everything necessary was done. The ambulance came and they took me and my mother away to the hospital only after I had been swaddled and my life and my mother's were no longer in danger. When  I was younger, I used to wonder how it was that I survived such an experience, and now I know that God works through other people....

My father had a common education and worked in a factory. He had grown up in a large peasant family. . . . My mother was a simple working woman. She had two years of schooling in a parochial school. Her father was a Russian Orthodox priest, but after the Revolution, they put him in jail and no one heard from him afterwards. As a result, my mother was always afraid of speaking about religion in the home. My parents were very good people, despite our poverty and unhappiness. Somewhat later, my father became an alcoholic, and as a result we suffered a great deal, both as a family and as individuals. But as I now know, God is merciful to all of his children. . . .

My relationship to faith [as a young woman] was, first, fear and uncertainty. Second, school and even all society taught that there is no God and that people are highly developed apes, and there is no God and so on. But I often asked myself the same questions over and over. I don't know why, but I always wondered where I and others came from, why there is sorrow and happiness, why there are good people and bad people. My mother often said that God sees everything and that he knows each one of us. She would say such things very quietly, always worrying that someone might hear her. In school we were all, of course, Pioneers and Komsomol members. At all the parent-teacher meetings, our teachers would reprimand and criticize any parents who told their children about God. Thus, I found that my life had two sides to it--one at home and the other at school. But despite all this, my soul yearned for something.

I found myself wanting to leave home because things there were not always good. And thus, I met my future husband and got married. He is a very kind and good person, but after a little while following our sons' birth, I began to notice that my husband was starting to drink a lot more than before. And our family started to become more and more like the one I was in as a child. At first, I did all that I could to insure that our lives might be happy. I hadn't known, however, that alcoholism could be a terrifying and burdensome sickness for the whole family--spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Our family life had turned into a nightmare. Our two sons grew to adolescence, and our family relationships seemed to be getting only worse. My sons began to drink and smoke, and it seemed as though my sorrow would be endless. My teenage boys would spend all their free time out on the streets with others who would also smoke and drink. I continuously blamed my husband for all our problems and demanded that he do something about his drinking problem. It was all in vain.

In those years of despair I turned to both the hospital and the police for help. I even started going to church. I stood for two hours in a cathedral. I understood nothing and left the church in the same disconcerted state that I was in before, only to return to my nightmarish home. All I could think about was, "Why is God punishing me like this? What for?" I felt worse and worse. At the end of 1988 I found out about Alcoholics Anonymous, a program for alcoholics and their families. This wonderful program helped me to understand and accept God as a friend, and thus I began to grow spiritually.

A year later, I met an American [Dohn Thornton] who was working in Moscow and had started coming to AA meetings for the friends and relatives of alcoholics. After about a year, this friend began telling about God and about his church. He felt as though I needed to find out more about God, so he brought me a Book of Mormon in September of 1989 and urged me to read it....I now know that God brought me to the AA program and that he sent this good person to me. I now know that God loves every single one of his children and he doesn't cause them suffering.

I began reading the Book of Mormon and I started receiving answers to my questions: "Where have I come from?," "Why am I here on earth?" and "Where am I going after I die?" As I read the Book of Mormon, I was filled with warmth and light. My fear of God began to be replaced with gratitude and love. In December of 1989, my friend Dohn invited me to my first LDS Church meeting. The meeting took place in his apartment. There were only about eight or ten people in attendance: one girl from Moscow, me, a woman from the Baltic states, and several Americans.

I was most amazed by how everyone at the meeting spoke about God. They spoke of him as a friend and savior, and said that he lives and helps each of us. And that meant he helps me. Two hours went by, and it seemed to me as though I had had a brief and yet marvelous dream. There was a unique, warm and friendly spirit in the room. Now I know it was the Holy Ghost who had been with us. Everyone there was so warm and kind to me that my heart was filled with wonderful feelings which I had never before experienced. It seemed almost as if I had grown wings and was able to fly home.

When I walked into my home, I began telling my family about the meeting, and my husband and children immediately noticed that something had happened to me. From that moment I started going to these meetings every Sunday at ten o'clock. . . .

It was then that my friend said he felt I was ready to be baptized, but that first I would need to have an interview with the group leader--Daniel Souders. I was very worried that he wouldn't allow me to be baptized or that maybe I wouldn't know something I needed to know before being baptized. Dohn put my mind at ease, and the day of my baptism was set for the ninth of June, 1990. . . .

[On the day of my baptism] it was a cold morning and the sky was filled with storm clouds. My elder son, Sasha, cheered me up and came with me to the baptism. More people came to the baptism than I could have ever imagined. When we got to the river we took some time picking out just the right spot. As soon as we found the place and got everything, set up, the sky cleared and the warm, bright sunlight shone down on us. God was showing his joy at my baptism into the true Church. Everything was wonderful. The water was cold, but I couldn't really feel the cold--God's love kept me warm inside. I wore my long white wedding dress for the baptism. God made me so beautiful and so happy. All of my friends stood close by and were also very happy about my baptism.

After being completely immersed in water, I stepped out of the river a thoroughly new person. My body felt free and my thoughts were joyful, and enlightened. The fear and despair of my life left me completely. In its place was hope for a new and happy life on earth, and eternal life with my Father in Heaven. I knew then, as I know now, that there is still much to learn: kindness, honesty, and diligence. I also know I must be a worthy example for my sons and others I might chance to meet along my path. I am no longer alone. God is helping me, and I have an elder brother, Jesus Christ, who loves me and who shed his blood for me. I am very grateful to my Heavenly Father for the plan of salvation.

With time, my elder son and my husband started coming to our church meetings, and then the missionaries arrived. They were sent by our Heavenly Father. They have done a wonderful job helping my sons and my husband to better understand God and his Church. They are Elder [Heath] Thompson, Elder [Adam] West, Sister [Adzislawa] Chudyba, Sister [Stefanie] Condie and many others. My elder son was baptized in February of 1991, and my husband was baptized in May of 1991. My younger son was baptized in July of 1992, and my older sister was baptized in August of that same year. My mother-in-law and my husband's nephew also became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the Lord's great blessing that we now gather together not only for important holiday's three or four times a year as we once did, but also for Sunday scripture reading. We help each other, and in doing so, we have become happier and more loving. . .

About twenty of my friends have been baptized into our Church and I am so happy to see how their lives are also changing, and to see how the Lord blesses all of his children.

After my baptism and confirmation, I served as Sunday School teacher. I started teaching on the Sunday after my baptism, June 17, 1990. I was very worried, but a priesthood blessing gave me strength and inspiration. I learned much by teaching others. After about a year, I began teaching the investigator class. This has strengthened my testimony and has helped me to be more patient and humble. In the beginning of 1992, I was called to serve as the Relief Society president in the North Branch, and later in the Timiriazevskii Branch. The Lord then blessed me with anew calling in the Timiriazevskii Branch: I am now the Primary president. I am so happy in my new calling and I really love my young sisters and brothers.

My testimony grows with the baptism of every new member. I know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he also suffered for the restoration of the Church. The Book of Mormon is true and contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that there is a living prophet who guides The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in our day. I express my gratitude to all those brothers and sisters in America and other countries who have prayed for Russia, that the Church of Jesus Christ might finally come to us."

The Goncharov family:mother: :Klavdiia Bocharova: daughter-in-law, Galina: Galina's husband: Aleksandr.



The Helsinki Finland Temple - The temple in which the Goncharova Family from Russia most likely will be sealed when they are sealed as an eternal family. (They may have been sealed there already)! This temple has been serving that portion of Russia in which that family lives. Sister Birch and I, as a missionary couple, lived two miles from this temple when it was still under construction and toured it before it was completed and dedicated. We were in "attendance" at its dedication in an auditorium of the LDS Conference Center located in Salt Lake City, Utah (U.S.A.) (by closed circuit television) when it was dedicated about three years ago. (Please Note: this temple is much larger than it appears in this photo as much of it is located on the lower part of the hill upon which the front portion is located.

____________



To Arlin Nusbaum,

Arlin Nusbaum

In the Comment Section of a recent post of mine, you informed me and my blog readers that what you have been telling us has caused me or will soon cause me consternation.

That is not the case and will not be in the future as I am humbly, yet perfectly confident that my knowledge of the truthfulness of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it has been and will continue to be, is as sure and firm as eternity. Because the following Book of Mormon scriptural quote is true and we know you assert strongly that the Book of Mormon is true, any criticisms you may make of LDS Church doctrine or practices becomes totally invalid!

The Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation,  played a major role in writing the record which was translated by inspiration to form the Book of Mormon.

I Nephi 14:10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

11 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

13 And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.

14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (emphasis added)

You have said, Arlin, that the prophet Joseph Smith was not authorized by God to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then what other church is there upon the earth that could be termed: the Church of the Lamb of God in our day, whose numbers are (relatively) few compared to the total population of the world and yet is spread over the entire earth and is armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory and possesses the Book of Mormon and holds to it and uses that book constantly to bless all of  humanity.

There is sure evidence in this post (41z) and in the previous one (41y), that the Church of the Lamb of God spoken of by the angel to Nephi, son of Lehi, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most importantly, the kind of lives which new converts to the Church begin to live is evidence of the Book of Mormon verse (verse 14 above) being fulfilled. This dear family shows us by what has come of their lives since becoming Latter-day Saints that they are "armed with righteousness." What a positive difference their membership in the LDS Church made in their lives!

I hope you, Arlin, and each other reader of this blog post will feel the great spirit of the Russian LDS woman quoted in the first portion of this post. Her spiritual attitude and her accomplishments are typical of millions of LDS members throughout the world!

If you are strongly suggesting that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the Church of the Lamb of God, then the prophecy made by an angel and given through Nephi's writings in the Book of Mormon (quoted above) will never actually be fulfilled because all of the scriptural signs clearly indicate that the Lord's Second Coming is, before very long, upon us. There isn't enough time for such a church to come about and then become fully prepared as the Book of Mormon promises it will be in the limited time remaining before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!

3 Nephi 24: 2 But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. (emphasis added)

Anyone who knows the scriptures knows that the last days are here; the Second Coming is soon to be upon us! There is only one church that meets the description of the Church of the Lamb of God and it has been growing rapidly, of that fact, much evidence is abundantly available. I have provided such evidence of this in my perhaps, not so significant many posts, but more particularly in the just previous post and in this one, that as the angel caused Nephi to see:

1 Nephi 14:14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (emphasis added)

Arlin, it appears that you do not believe that scripture refers to the LDS Church. I have provided ample evidence that what was prophesied in that verse is happening constantly throughout the earth now in increasing effectiveness and frequency. The Church has been growing since before it officially became a church in 1830 because of the involvement of those who believed in the Book of Mormon and helped to bring it about, even before the Church was formed.

The Church of the Lamb of God (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has been growing and developing for 180 years. No other church would have the necessary time needed in developing like this one in the short time remaining before the Second Coming of the Lord in fulfillment of 1 Nephi 14! Remember that in past posts it was shown how much this church has developed in its capacity to aid nations who have experienced great disasters that have come upon them. It has taken a very significant role in those matters throughout the world! That surely is something that would be expected from the church of the Lamb of God about which the angel informed Nephi!

The angel made it clear that the Church of the Lamb of God would be God's only authorized church near the end of time as we know it.

If the Prophet Joseph Smith had gone on his own as you say, in establishing a church and that his only calling was to translate and publish the Book of Mormon then you will have to admit that the angel told a falsehood about the church of the Lamb being the only church accepted by God. Of course, he didn't!

What other church in the world today can match the Book of Mormon description of the "Church of the Lamb of God, than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

If Joseph Smith, who we both agree, accomplished the translation of the Book of Mormon as God desired, then went on his own establishing a church and doing the things you say are wrong, why didn't the angel who showed the vision to Nephi inform Nephi that a supposed prophet, after doing one thing right (translating the Book of Mormon) did wrong in establishing a church! The ultimate sources of the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation (Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ) would never miss revealing such a relevelant fact (if it really were such as you insist it was with Joseph Smith)!

Your criticisms of Church practices like baptizing eight year olds who haven't sinned, when our Savior, Jesus Christ who never sinned sought John to baptize him, are basically frivolous criticisms! Eight year olds can sin, but perhaps in some cases like with the innocent Jesus Christ, eight year olds may be innocent. I have raised nine children! Before the age of eight children are innocent and do not sin and are not baptized! (But eight year olds are not considered to be innocent children). The Lord informed His Church leaders of that through the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation just as the Angel showed Nephi what the only true church would accomplish!

I know from your website that there was a time in your life when you were a dedicated and successful missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As I read about your success I even had thoughts that I wished I could have been more your age and served as your junior companion to share in your special success in blessing many people with baptism!

You should have remained with the Church the angel told Nephi about in 1 Nephi 14.

With a broken heart and a contrite Spirit like the Savior told the Nephites to have ( 3 Nephi 9:20), you can still re-qualify yourself to be rebaptized and become a full member of the Church! I have to remind myself quite often that the Savior's admonition in that scripture applies to me!

Your new friend, (I hope you accept me as a friend!) I wish you the best!

Neil Birch

Mormon Messages Video:

I shared this same video in my two just previous posts, 41x and 41y. I feel that it portrays the theme of this post so very well that I think viewing it again will reinforce Today's Theme also. By viewing the video I have for you now, you will find yourselves really feeling the Spirit of Christmas on a world-wide basis, (the basis which Nephi prophesied (In I Nephi 14: 12) would be the case with the Church of the Lamb of God). (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

(Christmas is only three days away from the date this post is to be published. Perhaps Christmas may have already come and gone when some of you viewers have accessed it for the first time.)   This video is entitled:

"A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift"

(Note from Neil: I shed tears all the way through that video you just viewed which is not very common for me when watching a video.) Please note: I would like you to view that video one more time. This video is only 5 minutes and 41 seconds long!
Note, this time viewing it: please watch the screen in the beginning scenes of the video for the word, Christmas in various languages. By the way, my mission language, Finnish is represented by the word,  joulu which you will see on the screen right under the Star of Christmas not long after the video has begun. I think you will agree that video was worth seeing again!

____________

DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

__________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The) Gospel of Jesus Christ is being taught to the people of Russia. - Post 41z. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To Your Target Item (Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device when It Has Been Installed.)
_____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

41y In the Inspired words of Nephi, Son of Lehi, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory." Book of Mormon:1 Nephi 14:14

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

Please note that beginning with post (41x on December 7, 2010) a new post is being published every Tuesday morning. This will allow me to better accommodate the relatively large number of those (as Google Analytics informs me) who view my posts on Saturdays and Sundays. I had been publishing a new post every five days for several years.

****

TODAY'S THEME:

I repeat TODAY'S THEME which I quoted in the introduction of this post in order that you can more intently focus on its words and better understand is prophetic meaning: Nephi, son Lehi wrote this between 600 and 592 B.C. An angel of God caused this vision to to be seen by the prophet Nephi.

1 Nephi 14: 14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (emphasis added)

As one reads the entire chapter it is obvious that the angel was allowing Nephi to see in vision that which would be happening in our days (the latter-days) of the earth's history.

At first the total membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was very small, beginning with six members on the day of its legal organization in1830. It reached a membership of one million in 1947, not long after World War II had ended. In the year (2010), the year in which this post is being written, total church membership has just reached fourteen million. 

The map shown below shows us where temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are located thus far throughout the world. Many more will be coming. As the angel informed Nephi, son of Lehi, the church of the Lamb of God will be spread throughout the world in our days although their total numbers would be, relatively speaking, few.

At one point in his comments at the end of a previous post of mine, "BOMC", (Arlin Nusbaum) incorrectly  indicated that the turnover in membership of the LDS Church was large. It takes a very faithful membership for a temple to be built to which the Latter-day Saints have access for their own temple ordinances and those of their dead. There are presently 134 fully functioning temples world-wide with 23 under construction or announced. Without an actively involved and faithful membership these temples would have never been built!  Actually, members of this church are willing to sacrifice much and travel long distances to have the opportunity of participating in temple ordinances! There is much opportunity for service of all kinds for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Church of the Lamb of God in Nephi's sacred words)!


The Kona-Hawaii Temple







Map Showing Location of LDS Temples Throughout the World - Google Assisted

  

Manila Phillipeans Temple



I now show a painting and a scripture I have shared with you post readers on a number of occasions:

Daniel Interprets King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream -Painting: Grant Romney Clawson

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (emphasis added)

As I have indicated in a fairly recent post of mine, the kingdom to be set up by the Great God spoken of in Daniel's prophecy will evolve out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That process has already begun!

I, Neil Birch, author of this blog, will demonstrate for you in this and in at least one following post, examples of how the vision given by of the angel to Nephi, Son of Lehi concerning the Church of the Lamb of God caused him to see that in our day it would be "scattered upon all the face of the earth."

Let us begin by gaining insights into how at the immediate end of World War II, the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ was successfully and at first, was very informally taught in a nation, Japan, with which the United States of America had been fighting and had defeated. If you will carefully check the temple map above, I believe you will count three temples being located in Japan. I believe that at least one additional temple has already been announced for that great nation!

SOLDIER'S JAPAN MEMORIES INCLUDE SHARING LDS BELIEFS (Article in the Deseret News (Published in Salt Lake City on December 7, 2010 "Pearl Harbor Day") By Sara Israelsen-Hartley.



The lives of, from left, Boyd K. Packer, Norman Nixon, Tatsui Sato, C. Elliott Richards and Chiyo Sato, with the Satos' son Yasuo in front, were brought together in Japan at the end of World War II. The Satos were among the good Japanese people U.S. soldiers met. -Photo: Courtesy of C. Elliott Richards

SALT LAKE CITY -- They wore dog tags, and instead of white shirts and ties, they were recognizable by Army fatigues and dusty boots. As occupation troops in Japan after World War II, soldiers were tasked with evaluating the damage, beginning the rebuilding process and organizing the transport of soldiers going back home.

Yet for LDS Army servicemen like C. Elliott Richards and now President Boyd K. Packer, their military experience became more like LDS missions as they dedicated themselves to teaching and testifying to former enemies about the love of Jesus Christ.  

"If there is true love and understanding of our Heavenly Father's plan, then it doesn't matter what color people's skin is," said Richards, who since his Army days has served as an LDS mission president of the Philippines Cebu Mission, an LDS temple president of the Jordan River Utah Temple with his wife Margaret as matron, and still meets weekly around Salt Lake City for lunch with fellow LDS soldiers who served in Tokyo. "The souls of (Japanese) people are just as rich and inviting and needing as anyone else's."

During the war, Richards, a second lieutenant, trained troops in Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia, and was sent to Japan only after the war's end, for which he was grateful. Upon arriving at the 11th Replacement Depot, around 17 miles north of Narumi, (now called Midori-ku Nagoya-shi) the Salt-Lake-City boy found a group of LDS servicemen, including Ray Hanks, Mel Arnold and Reed Davis.

The men excitedly told him of an English-speaking Japanese man they'd met in a silk shop, then later in a tea shop.

When the three politely refused a warm drink of tea on the cold night stating they were Mormons, the Japanese man was intrigued, and invited them to his home to teach him more about their religion.

Richards immediately joined the LDS soldiers in their frequent gospel discussions with the Japanese man, Tatsui Sato, and his wife, Chiyo, and their 6-year-old son Yasuo. A 3-year-old daughter, Atsuko, had died during the war.

"And thus began for me, one of the most memorable experiences of my life," Richards said, quoting from his personal history. "I shall never forget my first night in their humble home, sitting on the floor with my feet under a quilt, absorbing heat from the single charcoal pot in the center of the room. It was cold and snowy outside, but inside we were all burning with the Spirit of the Lord."

The Satos learned quickly and even began holding Sunday School in their home with neighborhood children. Along with lessons, the U.S. soldiers often brought army rations for the Satos and their starving neighbors.

Richards remembers leaving the depot in March 1946 with a sad heart, knowing there was no one nearby to continue teaching the Satos. Ye he, and the other soldiers, continued to write letters, sharing their testimonies and encouraging them to keep praying and reading the Book of Mormon.

A few months later, Richards was in Tokyo at a Sunday meeting, when he became riveted by one of the speakers. After the meeting he introduced himself to Lt. Boyd K. Packer, who was also serving in Japan, and the two began studying the scriptures together. A few days after, Richards said he showed Lt. Packer the letters from Tatsui Sato.

"I always thank the lord for my privilege of being informed of the true gospel," Sato wrote. "Being selected, out of, truly scores of hundred thousand people as a believer or a seeker of the true Gospel, I am always looking for a chance to do some good work that would be nice before the Lord. I make it a rule to read the "Joseph Smith Own Story' as it is my favorite story and I read it repeatedly and also I am reading the Articles of Faith which you left to me as your memorial book."

Lt. Packer was so impressed that he and Richards began praying the Satos could be baptized.

Thanks to prayers and coordination with LDS Chaplain Richard Nelson, the Satos were baptized on July 7, 1946, in a preserved swimming pool at the destroyed Kansai University, Richards baptized Sato and Lt. Packer baptized Sato's wife, Chiyo.

"he was one of the most impressive men I've ever known, "President Packer said recently of Sato. "He was a slow speaker and very wise."

At the time of the baptism, Lt. Packer remembers noting that Sato's language skills would make him a valuable asset to the church in Japan. That insight proved to be true as Sato later re-translated the standard works, (which of course includes the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ) and other church materials, served as a mission translator and translator for visiting General Authorities and translated the temple ceremonies. (emphasis and clarification added)

Not only did Sato greatly influence the growth of the LDS Church in Japan, which included the reopening of Japan for missionaries in 1948, he forever changed the way the LDS soldiers viewed the Japanese people.

In a letter from the book, "The Other Side of the Rising Sun," by Komae Mori, Army soldier and lead teacher of the Sato family, Ray Hanks, wrote of his feelings.

"Such men like Mr. Sato has shown me that the average Japanese is a peace-loving individual who loves life as we do, and wants to live it the best he knows how," Hanks wrote in December 1945. He passed away in 1981. "As for me, I have no enmity toward them. Their warlords are the guilty ones and not the masses."

As a young boy, President Packer said he grew up knowing many Japanese people who lived near Brigham City, and thus came to the way with no animosity or hatred, despite the negative comments and images swirling around him.

"People are people," President Packer told the Deseret News. "They speak different languages, are different races, but people are people. We're all God's children."

And because of that understanding, leaving the Satos at the end of his service was a poignant moment, as President Packer describes in one of his biographies written by Lucile Tate.

"We had learned to love them, and they us, officers of a conquering army," he said. We were taught a remarkable lesson among the Japanese people. After all our training and instructions to demean them, to subdue them, we found that they were a good people and as individuals they were worthy of the gospel They were seeking light, and even in their terrible circumstances they had many virtues that we might emulate."

When Richards arrived home, he often talked about his experiences with others.

"I was so filled ... with new growth, new understanding ... and love for the Japanese people that I knew, that you bet I shared it," he said.

In fact Richards and his family stayed in touch with the Satos, and after Chiyo passed away and Tatsui moved to Utah, he lived in the Richards' basement for six months before he remarried and bought a home.

Tatsui was just as busy in Utah as he had been in Japan; remarrying Tomiko Hiranishi, teaching for a time at BYU, serving as a sealer in the Salt Lake Temple, in the branch presidency of the Sai Ichi Branch in Japan and as a temple missionary  in the Tokyo Japan Temple. He was also heavily involved in genealogy.

Sato passed away June 15, 1996, but Richards still thinks of him often, and how he believes Sato was prepared to help the church make such monumental strides in Japan.

As he praises Sato, Richards is quick to deflect any praise as a teacher or missionary, stating that he was just in the right place at the right time. "I'm just grateful the Lord blessed me with the opportunity," he said.

Military missionaries: Mormon soldiers spread the gospel in post-war Japan

Published: Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 11:47 p.m. MST By Sara Israelsen-Hartley, Deseret News

____________


I shared this same video in my just previous post, 41x. I feel that it portrays the theme of this post so very well that I think viewing it again will reinforce Today's Theme also. By viewing the video I have for you now, you will find yourselves really feeling the Spirit of Christmas on a world-wide basis, (the basis which Nephi prophesied (In I Nephi 14: 12) would be the case with the Church of the Lamb of God). (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

(Christmas is only 11 days away) This video is entitled: "A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift" (Note from Neil: I shed tears all the way through this video which is not very common for me when watching a video.) Please note: After the video has ended please click on the left pointing white arrow in the blue circle, which will take you back to my blog post. This video is only 5 minutes and 41 seconds long! Note: please watch the screen in the beginning scenes of the video for the word, Christmas in various languages. My mission language, Finnish is represented by the word,  joulu which you will see on the screen right under the Star of Christmas.

A Light Unto All, A Christmas Gift

____________

DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The) Gospel of Jesus Christ was taught to the Japanese soon after World War II by American soldiers. - Post 41y. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To Your Target Item (Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device when It Has Been Installed.)

_____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

____________


I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish:  Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch

41x The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ Is a Companion Scripture To The Bible. (A Relatively Small Part of My Post 36b Was Used in this Post.)

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post!  

Please note that beginning with this post (41x) I will publish a new post every Tuesday morning. This will allow me to better accommodate the relatively large number of those (as Google Analytics informs me) who view my posts on Saturdays and Sundays. I have been publishing a new post every five days for some time now. Please also note, at the regular end of this post 41w, I have added a (final) response comment to the Comment submitted by BOMC (Arlin Nusbaum) found in the Comments at the end of my Post 41v.

****

TODAY'S THEME:

559-545 B.C.2 Nephi: 29: 6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. (Emphasis Added)



The Bible and the Book of Mormon -Painting: -Greg K. Olsen

The Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon

As TODAY'S THEME states there are those in our day who, upon being told of the Book of Mormon, cry out: "We have Got a Bible and We Need No More Bible."

Those highlighted words are from a prophecy made by the Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, son of Lehi. They are quoted from something that the Prophet, Nephi prophetically wrote in 2 Nephi 29:3-10 (sometime between 559 and 545 B.C.) He wrote about the attitude of many in our day and age, regarding scriptures other than the Holy Bible.

Again, those highlighted words refer to a commonly held religious bias held by many in our day in the world's history. How did Nephi know this truth? He knew it because he possessed the spirit of prophecy and revelation that allowed him to speak the words of Jesus Christ that had been revealed to him. Jesus knows all there is to know about past, present and future thoughts and actions of all mankind. That is scriptural (Latter-day scripture): Doctrine and Covenants 88:

41 He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.

_____________

My (Neil Birch's) Comment on Exchanges of COMMENTS at the end of recent blog posts of mine:

As far as I am concerned the Blog Comments exchanged between Arlin Nusbaum, a self-proclaimed "Book of Mormon Christian", and me, Neil Birch, will not continue. Some, and perhaps many of his perspectives of the Book of Mormon and its teachings are ill-construed in my opinion! He is obviously unwilling to accept many of the truths that are taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Neither does he correctly interpret key parts of the Book of Mormon. (i.e. 1 Nephi 14)

However, I will copy in here the last exchange made between Arlin and me. I do this primarily because part of what I said in my response to his most recent End of Post Comments does not read the way I intended it to for some unknown reason. It actually appeared that a change had been made in it that wasn't of my doing!

Here is Arlin Nusbaum's comment in his most recent Blog Comment followed by my fully accurate and somewhat expanded reply:

Arlin said:

"Neil, you may contact me via my web sites if you want. Feel free to post responses on your blog.

I understand it's near impossible for you to see old verses in a new light and I don't wish to be the cause of consternation in your final days.

If the day comes that you respect the Book of Mormon, without prejudice, and need to reconcile your Mormon heritage with the Book of Mormon, by all means, stop by.

Arlin (December 2, 2010 6:26 PM

In case you readers of my blog posts are wondering about why Arlin N. said above:

"I understand it's near impossible for you to see old verses in a new light and I don't wish to be the cause of consternation in your final days." (emphasis is mine)

Here is my response to the above statement made by Arlin:

Even though I'll turn 79 in February 2011, I could live another twenty years. I'm healthy enough to possibly do that because of 9 hours of strenuous exercise each week at a gym spread out over six days. I am never sick (I can't remember when sickness (counting colds and headaches) got me down last or came close to doing so, and that was a number of years ago. I'm five feet nine inches tall and weigh 165 pounds. 

About eighteen years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. With the help of a book my doctor suggested, I was only on diabetic medicine just two weeks. By always choosing foods that are higher in protein than in carbohydrates and exercising as described above, two years ago my primary physician informed me that my name was no longer on his list of diabetic patients! I won't let myself slip backwards! There is still much to be done in life!

I've just let you other blog readers know about my health because I didn't want you to think from reading Arlin Nusbaum's statement that he had some inside information that I wouldn't be living much longer and therefore not be able to continue this blog!

I'm afraid Arlin's surety in supposing he and those who believe like him, interpret the Book of Mormon correctly while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not, caused him to write to me that he doesn't ("want to be the cause of consternation in your final days.")

It has been easy for me (Neil Birch) to see the falseness of Arlin Nusbaum's Book of Mormon Christian doctrine, at least that which he has shared with us. I've read enough of it! I hope I've been able to help you other readers of my blog see that too. If you have any issues about that please feel free to e-mail me (My e-mail address can be found near the end of this post.)

Along with essential physical exercising and taking care of our home and yard, I keep busy in a very special church assignment (along with my wife) at a local hospital visiting LDS patients there Sunday mornings and one evening each week, and keeping on top of my blogging and in being in contact with our many children and grandchildren, and eating wisely, that I may possibly live another twenty years! I also am one of the regular teachers in our LDS ward's High Priest Group!

Anyway, Arlin, thank you for desiring to save me from "consternation" in my final days (perhaps many more years.) I guess you are a caring soul! (Neil Birch, December 7, 2010)

____________

The Comment I, Neil Birch made at the end of my Post 41w on Dec. 3, 2010 4:45 PM needed corrections and additional brief explanations which I have provided in this next portion of Post 41x which will be published, Dec. 7, 2010) I believe this correctly written response by me makes several matters more clear!

("BOMC") Arlin,

In my blogging and in my comments to you I seek only to portray Book of Mormon verses in their true (glorious) light.

I earnestly seek the light given by Jesus Christ to his true followers to clearly understand each verse of scripture, be it from the Bible, Book of Mormon or any other book of scripture, just as He would have us do.

Without that divine guidance, individuals are prone to interpret scriptures according to their own prejudices, for instance: the following quote is from the comment you, Arlin, made at the end of my Post 41v.

"I will bring to light my gospel (Book of Mormon) ... yea, the only doctrine which is in me." D. and C. 10:62 (Arlin added the three words in parenthesis.)

Your definition of "my gospel" therefore is: the Book of Mormon. It is indeed, one of the most important books in which the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is taught and is testified of, over and over again in great clarity. However, the Book of Mormon itself is not His Gospel!



The Savior of Mankind, Jesus Christ -Painting: Heinrich Hofmann



In 3 Nephi, Chapter 27, the Resurrected Savior of Mankind, Jesus Christ, taught clearly just what His Gospel is. One thing for sure his Gospel is not a book, according to him! The following is what the Savior taught in verses 13 through 22 (of Chapter 27 of 3 Nephi): 

13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;

22 Therefore, if ye do these things blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Arlin Nusbaum also made an identical error in another part of the Comments he has made.

"Whoso shall declare more or less than this (Book of Mormon) and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil." (3 Nephi 11:40) (Arlin Nusbaums' mistaken interpretation is parenthesized)

Again, the Resurrected Savior was not speaking of the Book of Mormon in the 3 Nephi 27: 13-22 passages which I quoted above, He was speaking of the doctrine of His eternal Gospel.

By the way, over the years, that passage (3 Nephi 27: 13-22) has become my most favorite of all scriptures! It really gets to the heart of what we each must understand about what we  must strive with all our "hearts, mights and minds and souls", to achieve individually and collectively! Strictly following His counsel found in 3 Nephi 27: 13- 22 will assist us to be prepared when we individually meet Him on that Great Day of Judgement, which is surely coming!

Arlin, your portraying the Book of Mormon itself as Jesus Christ's Gospel is where you have really gone off way wrong in criticizing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members when they, like I have done, stand up for and live by, the revelations given to Jesus Christ's modern day prophets which guide His (Jesus Christ's) church in all of the important (crucial) details (for example, as you mentioned, in baptizing children only after they have turned eight years of age.)

Again, regarding the LDS Church setting a rule that age eight is when children reach the age of accountability, and that they should not be baptized until that age. Shouldn't Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus, know when their children here on earth actually become accountable? They are our creators! They reveal these matters to their representatives here on earth, the Prophets and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Jesus Christ, as a Spirit Being, under His Heavenly Father's guidance created the Earth and everything in it and on it. I believe knowledgeable scientists would agree about the age of eight being the time when children reach the "age of accountability!" However, I don't know of any of them who have tried scientifically to determine what "accountability" is.

The Book of Mormon does indeed contain many glorious and essential comments regarding the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the doctrine associated with it, which is very extensive,but that marvelous book itself is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ,

as you (Arlin Nusbaum)  would have us believe. 

I also stand firmly behind the true interpretation I have made very clear in recent posts that the many passages from the Book of Mormon which refer to the Lord's Latter-day Church (without mentioning the Church by the name it actually goes by now; only by the name used by the inspired Nephi: the Church of the Lamb of God)

In those many inspired verses (of I Nephi, Chapter 14 and in other places in I Nephi and II Nephi, Nephi, son of Lehi, prophesies accurately regarding the Lord's work being accomplished in our day, through the instrumentality of the ("The Church of the Lamb of God!"), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As I have said in other posts recently, there is only one church in this time of the history of the world that is accomplishing that which according to Nephi's prophecies would actually come to pass in the "Latter-days. There is no other church which is spread throughout the earth and believes in and uses the Book of Mormon. Although the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now has fourteen million members world-wide, compared to the huge total population of the world its numbers are relatively few as the Prophet Nephi pointed out.

Again, I have listed world-wide accomplishments of the LDS Church (using its often used short name) in assisting people all over the world in helping people recover from natural disasters in the first part of my post: 39p. (please click on this link:) 39p to read about those world-wide accomplishments. Those are the kind of things one would expect Nephi to know that the Church of the Lamb of God was to accomplish in our time on earth, the Latter-days.

Neil Birch

P.S. Arlin, please don't leave this post yet, I invite you to scroll down and view the special LDS Christmas video I've provided! This is my Christmas gift to all of my blog viewers including you!

____________


Mormon Messages Video:

By viewing the video I have for you now, you will find yourselves really feeling the Spirit of Christmas on a world-wide basis, (the basis which Nephi prophesied (In I Nephi 14: 12) would be the case with the Church of the Lamb of God). (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

 (Christmas is only 18 days away) This video is entitled: "A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift" (Note from Neil: I shed tears all the way through this video which is not very common for me when watching a video.)  This video is only 5 minutes and 41 seconds long!

A Light Unto All, A Christmas Gift


____________

DISCLAIMER
This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church.

____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The) Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ - Post 41x. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To Your Target Item (Or Use The Alphabetic Scrolling Device when It Has Been Installed.)

_____________


"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?" Legal /Statement. Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.

____________

I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

If you have any questions about what you have read or viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine, or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is: jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back to you just as soon as possible.

I invite you to let your friends and relatives know about this blog if you think they would be interested. Please be advised that I also have an additional blog. It is in Spanish: Its content is translated from the English in this blog.

Neil Birch