42e The Welfare Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its Massive Effort In Helping Nations Recover From Natural Disasters is Convincing Evidence that it is the Church of the Lamb of God Spoken of by the Angel to the Prophet Nephi as Recorded in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ!

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

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TODAY'S THEME

1Nephi 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)

On Welfare Square in Salt Lake City, UT (U.S.A.) Food is Prepared for the Needy - Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Has a Very Active and Productive Program That Functions in Assisting the Needy.

Please click on the following link to learn more about this program. A video can be accessed within this link which you can view by clicking on its arrow. There will be a good number of other things you may want to learn about the LDS Church Welfare Program that you can select from the other links you will find within this article.

Welfare Square, a Place of Hope for the Needy!

As reported in a number of posts in this Blog for the past year or so, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is very ardently involved in assisting people throughout the world, both members of the LDS Church and those who may not be members, when natural disasters strike and often cause vast havoc and suffering among people of all races.

An example of that is reported in my Post 39q. You can click on this link I've just given you to review what the LDS Church did right after the the massive Earthquake damage in Haiti, to help people secure temporary housing.

This Church Continues to assist people in Haiti to recover from their mammoth earth quake disaster. You can view an article in The Deseret News of January 18, 2011 regarding this. Below this photo is the article.



Salt Lake Orthopedic surgeon Creig McArthur looks over injured church member Louise Danixlla in Prince Au Port, Haiti Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 - Photo, Deseret News

The Article: Haiti Remains a Focus for the LDS Church's Humanitarian Relief Efforts.

Following an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Peru in August 2007, The Church has enabled hundreds of LDS families left homeless by the quake to live in sturdy, seismic resistant homes. Some 349 homes have been completed with materials and guidance provided by the Church including the home of Maria Isabel Quispo, 5, who stands in the doorway.  - Photo: Jason Swensen

Now I invite you to review my post 40n which will allow you to assess the Series of Humanitarian Services provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from December 2009 to June 2010.


On February 1, 2011 in my post 42f which will be published early that morning, I will deal with possible questions you readers of this blog may have about how the LDS Church is able to keep up with the large amount of relief efforts in which it is in involved. It will deal with the importance of the support, both financial and personal effort of regular members of this church in these important projects.
 
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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.

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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:  The Welfare Program of the LDS Church, a monumental and successful effort. Post 42e.  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).

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"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.

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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

42d This Post Provides a Spiritual Bridge Between the Christmas We Just Experienced and the Easter Which We, in Just a Few More Months, Will Come to Experience.

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

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TODAY'S THEME

I now provide you with the opportunity of viewing (or reviewing as would be the case with some of you) one of my most viewed posts of the past (it was published almost two years ago). It bridges the gap between the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when they fully anticipated the coming of the Redeemer and Savior of the World, Jesus Christ and His actual days on earth. He actually was expected to be born by righteous believers throughout the history of the world, starting with Adam and Eve. He was born, as you know, in Bethlehem in what is called: The Meridian of Time.

Another phase of Jesus' sojourn here on earth is covered also: His visit made shortly after His resurrection, as a resurrected being which took place among some of His other saints, those who lived in what we know now as Central America whose ancestors were guided by God to the Western Hemisphere beginning in about 580 b.c.

This post features several paintings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph (who was sold into Egypt). Various paintings of events during the ministry of Jesus Christ in Palestine as the Christ and Son of the Eternal Father are featured also.

It also features a Latter-day insight into the Savior's post-mortal life provided by the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In this regard you will view paintings depicting the visits made by the Resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ among the Nephite People, Israelites.

The earlier post of mine mentioned above to which I will soon link you, is very fast moving because it is composed to a great extent of paintings of sacred events depicted in the Holy Scriptures (The Old Testament, The New Testament and The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Do not overlook the video found at the end of the New Testament segment of that earlier post of mine in which a living Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, bears a moving and sure witness of our Savior's atonement, crucifixion and resurrection.

I believe you are now prepared to view A letter to my Granddaughter JoJo).

Note: When you have finished viewing my March 2009 post (Letter to My Granddaughter, JoJo) you will have the special opportunity of viewing a video of the Tabernacle Choir as they perform the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Oratorio: Messiah.

A Letter to My Granddaughter, JoJo

A Video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus: You will enjoy this most beautiful musical rendition. You will find this musical treat a fitting ending to this tribute to our Savior Jesus Christ!

Our Lord Jesus Christ - Painting: Heinrich Hofmann

Video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performing: Hendel's Hallelujah Chorus.  
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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: Christmas and Easter- A Spiritual Bridge Between These Two All-Important Holidays. Post 42d. Note: You will also find this post listed in my blog Index under the Title: Easter and Christmas, etc.. -Post 42d. 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).

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"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

42c The Church of the Lamb of God, (Which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Mentioned by the Book of Mormon Prophet, Nephi, in Fulfillment of an Ancient Prophesy has Provided Very Significant Assistance to Nations Throughout the World in Our Day to Recover from Natural Disasters!

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

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TODAY'S THEME

In this post I am continuing to emphasize the fulfillment of the prophecy made by an angel of the Lord to Nephi, son of Lehi, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ sometime in 600 to 592 B.C.

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)

15 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth.

I included verse fifteen to make it clear that this prophecy was to be fulfilled in our day. None of us can say this isn't a day when there are "wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth."

Therefore we can expect that which the angel revealed would occur in the Latter-days (of the world's history), in our day, to actually occur because that which is spoken by the word of prophecy and revelation will always take place!

The LDS Church News article I've provided for you to view is an example of the Saints of God in our day being "armed with righteousness and with the power of God." This particular example doesn't have to do with war but with the damage from a very huge natural disaster that took place in the nation of Peru in South America being greatly reduced because of the welcome intervention by the "Church of the Lamb of God" (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) spoken of by the angel to Nephi.

Because of the copyright under which this article was published I have chosen to give you the opportunity of viewing it as it appeared in the LDS Church News on December 18, 2010:  Please click on the following link to access this very interesting article about this impactful event:

 http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/60265/Service-and-gratitude-fueled-recovery-in-quake-weary-Peru.html 

A brief summary comment by this blogger, Neil Birch:

I was deeply impressed how the outside help sent by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints only supplemented (although that help was significant) that which was done by members of the Church in Pisco, Peru. The strength of the local members of the church was so very significant in the success of their recovery from this disaster. Then too, I was impressed with how those church members were called upon by neighboring communities to teach them how to recover and to prepare for potential disasters which could come upon them.

I have to remind you of the words of the LDS mother who told about their child, (Consuelo - meaning: "comfort" in English), who was born after the disaster: "We gave her that name, she explained, "because of how the Lord has always comforted us." Those words really touched me, bringing tears to my eyes and caused me to cry. You readers were probably also touched by those words.

Nephi, you and the angel that instructed you really knew what would happen among the Saints of God in the Latter-days when you said: ". . . and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory." (1Nephi 14:14)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really is the Church of the Lamb of God Spoken of in the Book of Mormon, 1Nephi 14:14,
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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: The Church of  the Lamb of God mentioned in 1Nephi 14:14 is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -Post 42c. 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

42b Some Matters from Christmas Time I Didn't Want to Overlook.

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.

There is a special Thank You Note Issued to the presently (Self -Listed) Thirty-five Followers of this Blog. Please Scroll Down to the Sixth Paragraph From the End of This Post!

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TODAY'S THEME

A special witness of Christ from the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, for each of us just after Christmas Season 2010 has ended:

2Nephi 11:1 AND now, Jacob spake many more things to my people at that time; nevertheless only these things have I caused to be written, for the things which I have written sufficeth me.

And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he (Isaiah) verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.

3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.

4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

7 For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time. (clarification and emphasis added)

Joseph Smith: a witness of Christ

The Prophet was a servant endowed 'with much power'
By R. Scott Lloyd, Church News staff writer. Published: Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010

Because Joseph Smith, a witness of Christ was born very close to Christmas, December 23, 1805 I invite you to read about his being a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ whose birthday we just celebrated on December 25, 2010. I was given permission by the Church News to use this article in this blog post.

Joseph Smith, a Witness of Christ

The Painting of Our Savior, Jesus Christ Appearing to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple was not available in the article you have just read, but I now make it available to you:




Christ appearing to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple -by Walter Rane


Despite causing this post to run longer than I had anticipated, I feel I should include in my "Christmas Post" something else. I know Christmas 2010 is over yet I hope each of you still feel its spirit. I believe I do and this Deseret News article dated: Friday, December 24, 2010 really added to my true enjoyment of the Christmas we just enjoyed. I hope you feel the same as I do about it:


The Birth of Jesus - Painting: Carl Heinrich Bloch

Like Mary, let's proclaim 'yes' to all good things, By Diana Butler New York Times Syndicate

"Hail Mary, full of grace: The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women."

These words, second nature to Catholics, always seem foreign to me, Growing up Methodist, I rarely heard anything of the Virgin Mary, Except, of course, at Christmas.

As a child, I eagerly awaited unpacking the creche. Year after year, I reverently woke Mary from her attic slumber, unwrapping her from yellowed newspaper. Oddly comforting, she never changed. Her blue robes flowed around her, arms crossed gently on her breast, and eyes cast downward watching her baby son in wonder. She embodied motherly love.

However, as I grew up, my childhood affection for Mary waned. Her example of submissive motherhood offered little inspiration to a baby boomer career woman. As feminist theologian Mary Daly put it, "The myth of the Incarnation logically implied the usurpation of female power."

In recent years, however, Mary's story has impressed me anew.

Two thousand years ago, an angel visited a young girl anxiously awaiting her own marriage. "Fear not, Mary," the angel said, "for you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus."

Astounded, Mary asked, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

The angel replied, "God's spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."

Then the heavens waited. Would she agree?

Although we don't often consider the possibility, Mary could have said no. If I had been she, I would have. God's favor? Pregnant out of wedlock? What of Joseph? What about the wedding? What would my parents say? No, thank you.

God asked her to give up love, honor, happiness and reputation. To accomplish God's will, she would become a social outcast.

The heavens waited. History hung on the word of a teenage girl.

"Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

Yes! Yes! Yes! The word reverberated throughout the universe. Angels rejoiced. Because of one girl's yes, God's son would be born.

Mary responded not in fear but in love. "My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!" Not a submissive woman, she risked everything with and extraordinary yes.

Mary's yes -- giving birth to Jesus --transformed the world. What if she had said no?

No is a powerful word. Filled with deadening power, no kills love, creativity and possibilities. Mary's no would have denied the world Jesus.

Yes opens doors. Yes breathes life into impossible dreams. Yes hopes when hope is not seen. Yes embodies courage.

Visionaries hear and speak yes when common sense says no. Martin Luther King's yes to racial equality. Desmond Tutu's yes to a democratic South Africa, Yitzhak Rabin's yes to Mideast peace.

The great Theologian Karl Barth believed that "no" is sin. Human beings say no to God and no to one another. In spite of our no, Barth insisted that God said yes to us. Entering into human history, God overcame every no with the resounding yes of a baby born into the world.

When the baby grew to a man, he said yes, too. Saying yes to God, Jesus submitted to humiliation, paidn and death -- all for the love of his brothers and sisters.

If not for Mary's yes, God's yes would have been silenced. No wonder generations have blessed her.

This holiday season, I suggest we change "just say no" to just say yes." When we say yest to God, yes to love, and yes to each other, healing and reconciliation come.

The Christmas story proclaims God's yes: Love and peace are born into the world. Truly, good news of great joy for all people!

Diana Butler is an author, speaker and independent scholar on religious issures. This column originally was published by the Deseret News in 1999.

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A Special Thank You Note Goes out to each of the thirty-five persons who have listed themselves as followers of this blog! I truly appreciate each of your continuing support! After reading all of this paragraph, please click on this sentence which you are now reading to access this Blog's INDEX. When the picture of our Savior, Jesus Christ with the little boy standing next to him comes on your screen, please scroll down to the entry, Followers to read the Index Entry there. THANK YOU!

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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: Christmas Time (2010) Message  - Post 42b. 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