42n The Second Post in a Series of 3 Posts Regarding the Indian Student Placement Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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

****

TODAY'S THEME





The Great Day of the Lord -by Harry Anderson

 

Doctrine and Covenants 49:24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. (emphasis added)

          

          

2 Nephi 10:18 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel.

19 Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed, and them who shall be numbered among thy seed, forever, for the land of their inheritance; for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God. (emphasis added)

Doctrine and Covenants 49: 25 Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.

Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah (U.S.A.) and the Wasatch Mountains

Now in the rest of this post you will have the special treat of reading the words of living Lamanites (American Indians) who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are shining examples of righteous modern-day Lamanites who are descendants of Lehi, Nephi and many other righteous Nephites and Lamanites whose words are recorded in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

These previous posts of mine will provide you insights into the lives of these modern day Lamanites who, as prophesied by the Lord, Jesus Christ above in the revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith as recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, Section 49. (See above), are figuratively BLOSSOMING AS THE ROSE!

The following seven accounts were originally recorded in books entitled: Blossoming I and Blossoming II edited and published by Dale and Marjean Shumway. Dale was a close colleague of mine during my years as an Indian Placement caseworker with LDS Family Services. I will share only a few of these accounts because of space limitations, but in most of these seven posts today I have provided you information which can help you obtain your own copies of these very well written books. The life stories in them were written by former Indian Placement Students of which, Helen Rose John, was the first official Indian placement student.

By the way I think it was very fitting of Helen John (Hall's) parents to give her the middle name of Rose! As you read in my post 37n that you accessed through my last weeks post. She was, figuratively speaking, the first of very many thousands of American Indian (Lamanite) students who were assisted to blossom as the rose through their involvement in the Indian Student Placement Program of the LDS Church over the years when that program was still needed!

A SUGGESTION: You will probably want to read only one or possibly two of these accounts during this reading. I suggest you come back later to read the others. The easiest way to access these is to just return to this post which will be the first available post in my English language blog until Tuesday, April 5, 2011.

Actually each of my blog posts are accessible through my Blog Index at any time. Instructions for the use of it are contained in the blue paragraph found five paragraphs from the end of each and every post of mine. You will need the first and last name of each person whose ISPP story you wish to access. i.e. (present day) Lamanites such as (the first and last name of the former ISPP student for who you are searching. You would click on the link to my Index which is found in that black portion of that basically blue Index mentioned above found in every one of my blog posts!



Dorinda and Ernie Crocker -White Mountain Apaches

 Dorinda and Ernie Crocker

 



Nora and Milt Watts

Milt and Nora Watts are also great examples of the Lamanites Blossoming as the Rose.






Ezekiel and Pauline Sanchez and family at the temple sealing of one of their children.

Ezekiel and Pauline Sanchez and their family have also blossomed as the Rose.



Bernice and Gary Bitsoie

 Bernice and Gary Bitsoie also Blossomed as the Rose!

I, Neil Birch almost became Flora's caseworker, but was transferred to San Jose, California to a new caseload there as she was placed in a foster home in Southern California. However while still in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California I was her two younger brothers' caseworker. I got to know her very well through my visits to their parents in Arizona during the summer months when they were each home during summer school vacations.

You will learn that Flora served a mission in Montana and was assigned to work near Crow Agency, Montana where I had served a number of years earlier as an LDS Indian Seminary Coordinator. Flora was very intelligent and spiritual.

Please click on the following link when you are ready to learn about the blossoming of Flora Dude Shorten.

I must briefly tell you about watching her younger brother, Ronnie (I believe that was his first name) when he was playing little league baseball in Burbank, California (located in the San Fernando Valley.)

The "Valley" as it is called in Southern California, and especially near Burbank where he lived, was home to many athletic Little League baseball players.  I went to one of his games when he was the pitcher. After winding up, he would let out a very loud and even startling Apache War whoop and many batters' nerves were jarred by that allowing him to strike them out or hit poorly!

Flora Dude Shorten





Alfred and Doris Clark

 
Alfred Clark


Doris Clark


Again, I urge each of you to check the information provided in several of the seven posts I have linked you to in this blog post, regarding the "Blossoming Books." I have just published a small fraction of the many former Indian Placement Program students featured in those books. In them you will be even more fully convinced that the the Book of Mormon prophets knew by the spirit of truth that their descendants would blossom as the rose

through each living in an LDS home for a number years and actually becoming emotionally, socially and spiritually, members of their foster families, while remaining loyal and loving children at their homes on the reservation in the summer months and of course, by writing letters home. Many Indian youth have served missions after their experience with the LDS Indian Student Placement Program. 

In the future I may add to the number of these Indian Student Placement Program posts. Please use the comment section below to make that request If that is what you would like. Each story is very unique.

I also suggest that you consider obtaining one or both of the Blossoming books from: Dale and Marjean Shumway.

They are available on Amazon.com titled: The Blossoming II: Dramatic stories in the Lives of Native Americans.

Also both Blossoming books are available by contacting Dale and/or Margene Shumway by email: dm06shumway@yahoo.com, by mail 486 W 40 N. Orem, UT 84057, or by telephone 801 235 0986. The retail cost is for book I $12.95 and for book II $14.95 plus postage.

In the next post (42o) I will present a professional study that examines very closely the outcomes of this LDS Indian Student Placement Program.

____________

I will not be able to publish a special post in which I assist you, no matter where you live in the world to experience our Annual General Conference which convenes this Saturday, April 2nd and Sunday, April 3rd. This is because I am involved in this present three post series. However please click on the link below to view my instructions for viewing LDS General Conference anywhere in the world that were provided by me in late September of last year. These instructions will provide the assistance you may need and prepare you in other ways for this upcoming special experience.

Whether you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not! I promise you that there will be a number of things you will hear spoken in this conference that meets some of your own very special needs. That's a promise! However, you ought to tune into every session to be able to hear that needed message! On both days there is a 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon session (Mountain Daylight Savings Time) and at the same times on Sunday . Once again, please click on the following and read through it to prepare yourself for this special occasion. Specific instructions are given by me through this link in one of my previous blog posts!

Preparing to view Live Broadcasts of General Conferences of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


On Saturday, April 2, 2011, in the opening session (10:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time) of General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will sing an arrangement of "I Know my Savior Loves me."

As you choose to view the live general conference sessions as instructed above you will hear the Tabernacle Choir sing: "I Know my Savior Loves me."

I now give you the opportunity of hearing a childrens' choir sing that same touching song:

The above recording was copied from MormonSoprano's Blog. Thank you Mormon Soprano. Your blog is a great source of beautiful recordings!
____________

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 T0o Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: (The) Indian Student Placement Program, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Second in a series of three special posts. -Post 42n. 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

42m, The First in a Series of Three Posts Regarding the LDS Church's Indian Student Placement Program. Post 1: The "Helen John Story"!

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

****

TODAY'S THEME



The Nephite Prophet Mormon, Who Previously Had Compiled the Book of Mormon. He is Seen in this Painting Not Long Before dieing in Battle! by Arnold Friberg



Book of Mormon, 2Nephi 30: 3 And now, I (Nephi, son of Lehi and an ancestor of Mormon) would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles (Most of us are gentiles.) For after the book (The Book of Mormon) of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed (The Lamanites/American Indians of our day).

4 And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we (Lehi and his family and all of their descendants) came out from Jerusalem, and that they (The Lamanites/American Indians) are descendants of the Jews.

5 And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them;  (The Lamanites/American Indians of our day), wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers (The Nephites and Lamanites of the Central American area from about 600 B.C. to 300 A.D.)

6 And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people. (clarification and emphasis added)

After having been employed by the LDS Church's Seminary and Institute program as a Gospel teacher of Indian Seminary students from among the Navajo, Crow and Northern Cheyenne American Indian Tribes (in Brigham City, Utah; Farmington, New Mexico; Hardin and at Crow Agency in Montana and in the nearby Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, located in Lame Deer, Montana (U.S.A.) from the Fall of 1962 to the Summer of 1967, I accepted a transfer in my employment from the Seminary programs of the Church to the Indian Student Placement Program of that same Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My first assignment in that program was in the San Fernando Valley in the Los Angeles, California area.

In the second post, (42n) in this series, I will also provide a true humorous account of an Indian Placement matter in which I happened to be involved!

After getting my growing family (my wife and I and our four still young children-our oldest was to start the first grade of school there) settled in our rented home in Canoga Park, California, my wife and I left our children in the care of another LDS family who lived near us, while we traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend the annual Indian Student Placement Program Caseworker's training seminar, the first one I was to attend.

That training was very important for me as I was entering an entirely new work assignment, although I had heard much about that work because it was also with the American Indian/Lamanite people I had been working with although in a different role.

There was an about two hour portion of that three day training seminar that I payed very particular attention to. During that session, the very first Indian Placement Program student, Helen Rose John and her Indian Placement foster parents, Golden and Thelma Buchanan told their very moving (and touching) story. 

I payed close attention to what they each said and saw how they lovingly interacted one with another as they told about the roles they each had in the beginnings of the Indian Student Placement Program. I vowed right then to some day write their story they were telling us. I was not a trained writer. I was just so touched and impressed that I just knew I had to write what I learned that day about their experience they had just shared with us!

Over the years of my employment with the LDS Church's Family Services Program (which included ISPP along with counseling, assisting adoptive parents and working with birth mothers who were contemplating placing their out-of-wedlock babies, for adoption) and as the first agency director of LDS Family Services in Kansas City, Missouri (U.S.A.), I kept recalling my vow of that first day of that training session to write about the Beginnings of the LDS Indian Student Placement Program.

I finally wrote it in about 1981 while living in Sandy, Utah and working with the Indian Student Placement portion of LDS Family Services in nearby Salt Lake City, Utah. It was presented on several occasions, at least one of which was an annual ISPP reunion held in the Wilkinson Center on the BYU campus, in Provo, UT. The story was published several years later in an LDS oriented magazine, Dialogue. The theme of that particular issue was "The Work of the LDS Church with American Indians."

Several years ago I made that story into my blog post 37n. I have even read articles recently about the Indian Student Placement Program in which the authors refer to my particular Dialogue Magazine article. Edward Kimball (who served as a professor of Law at BYU-Provo) a son of President Spencer W. Kimball.

Recently I have been perfecting that post because I thought you might enjoy reading it. It is longer than many of my other posts but it is much faster moving than some and I humbly feel that it is the best thing I have ever been privileged to write!

I invite you to click on the following link to begin viewing my post 37n. I have to admit that I shed tears in certain places in it just about every time I read it. This is a true historical account! Please read it all the way through in one sitting. It flows rapidly and smoothly!

The Helen John Story

In my next post, Post 42n you will be given the opportunity of reading some accounts written by former LDS Indian Student Placement students, featuring their personal and most often their wife or husband's experiences as students in that program. In the final post of this three post series, 42o, you will learn the findings of some professionals who jointly evaluated and published a study of results of the Indian Placement Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

____________
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 T0o Access), After You Have Read All of This Paragraph, Please Scroll Back Up And Click on the Following: The Helen John Story, the First Indian Student of the LDS Indian Student Placement Program. -Post 42m. 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

42l As Recorded in the Book of Mormon, an Angel Prophesied to the Prophet, Nephi, that in the Latter-Days (Our Days on Earth) the Members of the Church of the Lamb of God would be Armed with Righteousness and with the Power of God in Great Glory!

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

****

TODAY'S THEME



In the Arnold Friberg painting above, Nephi's Left Hand is on His Father, Lehi's red turban. All are looking at the Liahona which was unexpectedly left in front of Lehi's tent during the night. It is a device which was considered a gift from the Lord intended by Him to Instruct them in His ways and guide them across The Arabian Peninsula and then across oceans to their promised land which is known today as Central America! The Liahona, along with several other ancient devices, was shown by the Angel Moroni to the Three Witnesses and Joseph Smith at the time he appeared to them in our day!

I, Neil Birch inserted the above painting primarily to show a picture of Nephi, son of Lehi because a painting just showing Nephi by himself wasn't available. I like having the Liahona shown in the painting with Nephi because of its being an item which works through the power of the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, therefore it is the same type of message mentioned in the following scripture regarding the communication by the angel of the Lord, through that same spirit, to the Prophet, Nephi, son of Lehi.

Book of Mormon: 1Nephi, 14:9 And it came to pass that he, (an angel) said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.

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. (clarification and emphasis added)

Just a quick question I've just inserted for each one of you who might be viewing this post about 24 hours after I first published it:

If, as some mistakenly propose, Joseph Smith or someone else in the year 1829 had actually put together the Book of Mormon deceptively, how would Joseph or anyone else at that time in this world's history, ever have had the sense or even courage about them to make up or invent such an item as the Liahona? I could see somebody in our day of computers and I-pads, etc. doing that, but not in the time when Joseph Smith was actually translating the sacred and inspired words off of the golden plates provided him by the Angel Moroni!  Enough said! Lets return to the words I published Tuesday morning at about this time: (Please read the instructions found in the two paragraphs below the following map link before clicking on it!)

Adjustable World Map Showing Locations of Various Key Programs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presently, throughout the world.

The above map, which you will notice, can be adjusted to show various key elements (facilities) of the work being provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the entire earth in 2011 A.D.. Adjustments can be made simply with a mere click of your mouse.

Please view each Facility by itself, therefore you must click off of a Facility before clicking on a different one. I have inserted this map at this point in this post to illustrate what was related to us through the words of the Prophet Nephi, in verse 14 above, regarding the church of the Lamb of God being scattered upon all the face of the earth.

You will notice that not all facilities have been made available throughout the world at this point in time, but availability of key facilities (such as chapels in which church meetings are held) continues to increase! Numbers of Temples have increased significantly along with some other facilities.

It was also prophesied by the angel to Nephi that the numbers of members of the Church of the Lamb of God in our day would be (relatively) small. There are 14 million members of the LDS Church with the total population of this earth being about: 6.91 billion, therefore while His true church is spread all over the earth, just as the angel prophesied, The Church of the Lamb's numbers are relatively small (as I've just shown you), as also was prophesied. However, I must remind you that this church began in 1830 with just six members. This growth rate has increased this church's population from that small number to fourteen million in just 181 years and is continuing to increase quite rapidly. This is a sure sign that the Lord is guiding this church as it continues to fill the role the Lord gave it. Remember what the angel of the Lord said:

"there are two churches only,"

 One is the church of the lamb of God and the others are combined together make up the Devil's church. Please note:  It was an angel of the Lord who said that by the sacred power of the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation, not a modern day Mormon.

Now I want you to notice the the very last part of that verse from the Book of Mormon I quoted at the beginning, which was prophesied by the angel of the Lord:

"and they were armed with righteousness and the power of God in great glory." (emphasis is mine)

Now, I would like each of you readers to read the following article excerpted from the Deseret News of Salt Lake City, Utah (U.S.A.), dated March 6, 2011). It is by Jerry Earl Johnston. In this and in following articles you will view in this post you will come to recognize that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strongly puts righteous living as being much more important than financial gain and worldly glory!

The Crucial Importance of Righteous Living.

I would like you to read another article about the BYU Honor Code and athletics which at first is similar to the one you have just read, however it adds significant information and insights so I urge you view this article also.

After reading this article linked by Doug Robinson of the Deseret News please consider clicking on the link found in the box (on the first page and also on the second page, labeled: From the Archive) please click on the fourth item in that box located on the left side labeled:  Danny Ainge expressed views on BYU Honor Code -March 3, 2011.

(Please note that Danny Ainge was a champion basketball athlete at BYU (Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah (U.S.A.) and is currently President of the Boston Celtics Professional Basketball team and presently serves as a Mormon bishop. I hope you will not skip over this one!

After you click on the DeseretNews link which is three short paragraphs below, please click on the last of the four selections listed in the box on the left side of that article which has Danny Ainge's name in it, look for the link: Boston Sports Radio Program. and click on it!

(A tip: stay on the page where you see pictures of a white coach and a black athlete on the screen because the double verticle bar you'll need to click on when you desire to exit that interview is on the lower left hand corner of that screen! If you don't click on that bar when you are finished listening you will have difficulty returning to my post. There will be more for you that is specially interesting later on in my post!

Please note that after you have clicked on that Radio Program link you will first hear an advertisement or two and then the Radio interviewer asks Danny Ainge several quick questions about his Celtics' basketball team. Then they will discuss the BYU honor code violation which held back BYU's basketball team from advancing as they had expected it would. You will find that interview very interesting and impressive!

It is a Surprise that BYU Drew a Line at All!

Whenever you have heard all you want from the somewhat long but very interesting and insightful interview with Danny Ainge you should click out, and return to the previous link/s. After finishing this post I felt very positively about all that Danny Ainge had to say about the BYU Honor Code. Besides his having been a very successful BYU Basketball team player, his being presently an LDS bishop of the LDS ward he and his family live in gives him some very special insights into the subject.

After hearing the Danny Ainge interview regarding the BYU Honor Code, I recommend  that you view an informative video about the "star player" (Jimmer Fredette) of the present BYU basketball team who lives by the BYU honor code and highly values and lives by the standards of his church. His attitude, in our present day world, is highly unusual for a talented and successful college athlete and is very admirable!  After clicking on the link just below, please be patient for just a few seconds while the lady announcer briefly tells of several other features before getting to the one on Jimmer Fredette.

You will want to exit that link at the end of the brief video interview with the KSL Radio/TV Sports News Reporter, Greg Wrubell which immediately follows the one about Jimmer Fredette.

Jimmer Mania

We have been reviewing the righteousness of the Church of the Lamb of God (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) spoken of by the Angel of God who revealed many things to the ancient Book of Mormon Prophet, Nephi, that were meant to benefit each of us. 

It is a great and unique righteousness that causes the LDS Church owned and governed Brigham Young University to put upholding their students' Honor Code above the huge amounts of money earned by having a winning Basketball Team.

Please also remember what Danny Ainge said about the BYU basketball player who was suspended by an honor code violation: The University, its faculty members and that player's former team mates continue to show their love and concern for him which could help to lead him in due time to finish his education at BYU and even possibly be restored to the BYU Basketball team when he has fully satisfied the honor code requirements made of him.

Also,That unique righteousness is shown in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints having brought about and continued for many decades the magnificent (non-profit) Mormon Tabernacle Choir featured every Sunday Morning on Television and Radio from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. It can be experienced by TV throughout the United States of America on many television stations in that nation. Also, the choir and orchestra members are not paid for their practices and performances. It is their church calling.

My and my wife Melva's present LDS Church calling is spending about five hours each week at a new and very large hospital located not very far from our home, in visiting and cheering up members of the LDS church who are patients there. That time is spread over each Sunday morning and in our case on each Wednesday evening of each week.

Sunday mornings after attending a one half hour Sacrament meeting together with our leaders and the fifty one other older couples, along with ambulatory patients and hospital staff members who are available to attend, each pair of couples go to an assigned floor of the hospital.

Each pair of two married couples work together on Sunday mornings with the two men, both bearing the Melchizedek Priesthood, administering and providing the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to those LDS patients who say they desire that, who are patients on the particular floor to which they happen to be assigned on that particular Sunday morning. Assigned areas usually vary each Sunday as does the matching of couples.

This is a very enjoyable calling and My wife and I are glad we can do this service without being paid for it. The smiles of the patients and their kind words are well worth the effort!

Please click on the following link to review through a Video what the Mormon Tabernacle choir, made up of many faithful and righteous Latter-day Saints, along with the Orchestra on Temple Square, is planning to do regarding an upcoming Tour this summer (2011) You will find this very exciting:

Summer of 2011 Annual Tour of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

I promise each of you readers of this post that you will continue to be amazed at the humble righteousness of (most) Latter-day Saints. Perhaps you will remember some of them who live near  you or perhaps work with you. Consider getting to know them better. They will welcome your increased friendship!

____________

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 Latter-Day Saints Are to be Armed with Righteousness -Post 42l. 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

42k Joseph Smith, the First Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Was Called of God to Be His Instrument in Bringing About the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His True Church! Part Five

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

****

TODAY'S THEME



3Nephi 11: 6 And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:

7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

The Resurrected Jesus Christ Appears to the Nephites of Central America in A.D. 34

8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

The Resurrected Jesus Christ speaks to the Nephites: -by John Scott



 12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him. (emphasis added)

Now you can enjoy the experience of listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing of things which are mentioned in the Book of Mormon verses you just read. Please listen intently to the words the choir sings! I'm sure you will agree with me that this choir sings with great feeling along with their musical abilities!




Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

New Testament: John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Who were the other sheep Jesus was referring to as He taught His twelve apostles in Palestine? Some might suggest they were the Gentiles who Peter, later on, was instructed through revelation to teach and baptize. However, from the Book of 3Nephi of the Book of Mormon, we learn what the Resurrected Jesus Christ taught the Nephites in (A.D. 34) who were descended from Israel, regarding His "other sheep." You can read His explanation which is found just after the following painting of Him (Jesus) standing with His Nephite apostles:



The Resurrected Jesus Teaching Nephite Apostles in Central America (A.D. 34)

3Nephi 15:11 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen:

12 Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph.

13 And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you.

14 And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem.

15 Neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land.

16 This much did the Father command me, that I should tell unto them:

17 That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

18 And now, because of stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them.

19 But, verily, I say unto you that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity; therefore it is because of their iniquity that they know not of you.

20 And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them.

21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

22 And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching.

23 And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost.

24 But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me. (emphasis added)

Now, inasmuch as this is the last post in this relatively short series about Joseph Smith's key role in the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in the founding of Jesus' Church in our day, allow yourselves  to be assisted to more fully appreciate how the evidence which has been presented thus far in this post could help you know that all which is recorded in the Book of Mormon is true and inspired guidance for each of us in our day.

Specifically you have just been given very convincing evidence regarding that which Jesus taught His disciples in Palestine during His mortal ministry that the other sheep, includes the Nephites of Ancient Central America who would be gathered after His resurrection.

The Book of Mormon, according to much clear and sure evidence, and by the witness of His spirit to those who humbly and earnestly seek such witness, was dictated word for word by inspiration from God, through Joseph Smith to his scribe! All of those involved with him in any way, even in some cases, just as observers of the translation process of the Book of Mormon, report very emphatically that Joseph Smith never used any books or writings of any kind, including the Bible, as references during that sacred translation.

David Whitmer Interviews (by Daniel Peterson):

I end this final post on the role of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Lord's true church by suggesting you read the following speech given by one of the present day Twelve Apostles of the Lord, Jesus Christ, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Elder M. Russell Ballard:

Please note: I give credit to my having read for the third time during the past approximate six months, Richard Lyman Bushman's book: Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling (Vintage Books A Division of Random House, Inc. New York.) for my having gained a more insightful and a more complete view of Joseph Smith's role in the translating and publishing of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

That more insightful and more complete view I've been helped to develop has also assisted me regarding the founding of the Savior's only authorized church of our day and into the future, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith and all those who worked faithfully and with great sacrifice side by side with him during his lifetime of much sacrifice and many difficulties,

Joseph in Liberty Jail -by Liz Swindle

along with those many others who have continued to lead the Church since then and to this day and into the future. 

From what I've learned from inspired church leaders, qualified and faithful LDS scholars such as Richard L. Bushman, along with the often quiet but sure whisperings of the Holy Spirit, has assisted me to more fully comprehend the key role of Jesus' Church and Kingdom on the earth  in more fully preparing all who are willing to become acceptable to the Lord Jesus Christ by the time of the His Second Coming.



The Second Coming -by Harry Anderson

My third reading of Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling occurred just during the time I've been producing this five part blog post series on Joseph Smith. Richard Bushman is not responsible for any errors I may have made! His book however helped me to better understand, love and appreciate Joseph Smith and the great and very important work he did in the matter of each of our possible ultimate and eternal  benefit, which was accomplished during dear Joseph's relatively short life span. God bless our memories of what Joseph Smith accomplished under the direct influence of the Father and the Son!

Thank you Brother Joseph!
DISCLAIMER

I must add: If there had not been a Joseph Smith there would be no Mormon Tabernacle Choir with its inspiring performances!

____________



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: Joseph Smith's Role in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His True Church, Part V -Post 42k. 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 

42j Joseph Smith, the First Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Was Called of God to Be His Instrument in Bringing About the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His True Church! Part Four

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

****

TODAY'S THEME



King Benjamin Preaches To the Nephites -By Gary Kapp

After the next full five paragraphs you will see a chiastic diagram of a key part of the speech delivered by King Benjamin of the Nephite Nation in ancient Central America (in about 124 b.c.) He was addressing all of his people from a tower he had arranged to be erected on the wall of their temple in order that as many as possible could hear his message. They had traveled from near and far.

The occasion was his announcement of his turning over the kingdom to his son, Mosiah. There were so many who had gathered to hear him that he assigned persons to record the speech so that it could be circulated among those that were too far from the tower to hear his voice. That speech was eventually recorded in the Book of Mosiah, one of the sub-books in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Chiasmus is a form of speech that is not used very commonly in our day and not at all in the United States of America nor in many other modern nations. However, many scholars here and abroad know of its existence. Chiasms, however, are found in the Bible. Also there are nations throughout the world in our day who perhaps still use some form of chiastic writing, possibly mostly in their classic literature.

A young LDS missionary, John W. Welch who had attended Brigham Young University before serving an LDS Church mission in the South German Mission, learned about chiasmus by attending a lecture on that subject on what is now called, "preparation day," by LDS missionaries, sometime in the Fall of 1967, along with his missionary companion. The lecture was given by a Catholic minister in Regensburg, Germany where they were serving at the time.

They bought a book afterwards in which evidence was provided showing that chiasms are found in the Bible and were a part of Hebrew speech. Elder Welch began reading  that book with great interest after they had returned to their missionary apartment and continued reading it over a period of time until he had read all of it.

Lying in bed one night after having finished reading the aforementioned book, and while thinking about what he had just learned, a voice spoke into his mind referring to chiasmus:

"If it is evidence of Hebrew style in the Bible, it must be evidence of Hebrew style in the Book of Mormon."

He immediately got out of bed and picked up his German Book of Mormon and began searching for chiasms. After a very diligent search almost into the morning hours he found actual chiasms in the Book of Mormon.

Below I show you a diagram Elder John Welch subsequently made of one of those Book of Mormon chiasms which he found. Each chiasm follows a certain pattern which consists of repeated parallelisms which assist readers and/or listeners to better remember what they have just read or heard:

Mosiah 2: 9-27

           
(a)  Purpose of assembly                v. 9                                  

                 
    (b)  What is man?                           vv. 10 - 11

              
       (c)  Laws of Benjamin's kingdom        vv. 12 - 13
                        
           (d)  Service to
                 "one another"                                vv. 14 -17                              
                             
               (e) Climax - Thank your Heavenly king
                              
           (d') Service                                          v. 21
                 "one with another"

      (c') Laws of God's Kingdom              v. 22


   (b') What is man?                      vv. 23 -26 
           "no more than dust"
        
(a') Purpose of the assembly        v. 27

Next, I give you the actual words of that scripture from the Book of Mormon: Mosiah: 2: 9-27 referred to in the chiastic outline above,  I suggest that you choose one of the letters of the alphabet used in the first half of the chiastic outline in red above, read that verse and then reflect upon it's meaning and then scroll down to the same letter that has an apostrophe ( ' ) added. You will notice the parallelism between the two paragraphs, the one without the apostrophe and the one with an apostrophe. That will help you better remember and understand the meaning of that phrase!

You could then repeat the same process for each of the other letters of the alphabet used for each point made. (In the actual process of reading or listening to a chiasm you wouldn't skip from a given point down to its parallel point, instead, when you reach the parallel point it just reinforces and emphasizes and perhaps, even clarifies the point first made!)

(a)Purpose of Assembly) 9 And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.

(b)What is Man) 10 I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man.

11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.

(c)Laws of Benjamin's Kingdom) 12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;

13 Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery; nor even have I suffered that ye should commit any manner of wickedness, and have taught you that ye should keep the commandments of the Lord, in all things which he hath commanded you—

(d)Service, One Another) 14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.

15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.

16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

(e)Climax) 18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

(d')Service, "one with another") 21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

(c')Laws of God's Kingdom) 22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

(b')What is man?) 23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.

26 And I, even I, whom ye call your king, am no better than ye yourselves are; for I am also of the dust. And ye behold that I am old, and am about to yield up this mortal frame to its mother earth.

(a')Purpose of the assembly 27 Therefore, as I said unto you that I had served you, walking with a clear conscience before God, even so I at this time have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might be found blameless, and that your blood should not come upon me, when I shall stand to be judged of God of the things whereof he hath commanded me concerning you.

You will notice in the diagram in red, parallelisms between the phrase marked by a given letter such as (a) and then a corresponding phrase in the second half of the chiasm where the (a) is given an apostrophe, such as (a'). That pattern is repeated with each letter and its corresponding phrase from the top half down to the bottom half of the chiasm.

These contrasting parallelisms assisted the ancients of a good number of cultures, while using their own language, to help them more easily comprehend the points being made, thus making it all easier to remember.

This may seem a strange way to assist readers to recall important things (such as the teachings of a caring king (Mosiah) who believes in Christ). However, if we didn't have access to recording  devices or weren't easily able to jot (to make a brief note of) down notes easily, we would often find it difficult to remember such important things as told by a loving and caring leader like King Benjamin to the people of his kingdom. Of course he was having his speech recorded by hand and circulated among a vast throng, but chiasmus was a fixed part of their speaking pattern and surely had been for many centuries and so it naturally was a part of his important speech.

According to John W. Welch of the BYU School of law in (Provo, Utah - U.S.A.) (who was the missionary you were told about above) chiasmus was used both anciently and in today's world especially where people do not have recording devices to help them.

John W. Welch goes into much detail about "chiasmus." I'm sure reading this will clarify this subject to a degree that I am not able to reach:

That article is somewhat long (as is this post) but is very informative.

I'm sure that after reading it you will have learned that the Book of Mormon contains Hebraisms. The Book of Mormon wasn't written by Joseph Smith because he knew nothing of Hebrew.  Not being very educated he wasn't even an expert on the English language let alone Hebrew. His translating of that sacred book was by inspiration from (his and our) Heavenly Father.

____________

I now invite you to read the following article I obtained from the Thursday, February 24, 2011 Mormon Times article found in that section of the Deseret News published in Salt Lake City, Utah, to which my wife and I subscribe.

Many of the Prophet Joseph's Revelations Were Shared Experiences

I ask each of you a very important question: How could a young and not very well educated Joseph Smith know about Chiasmus? That word isn't even found in many dictionaries today, at least not in those I use. Actually, Joseph Smith didn't know what chiasmus is or even that it was used frequently in the Book of Mormon which he had translated by the power of God! that was true for even the better educated people he came across during his lifetime.

On another matter, while researching for items regarding what I've been writing in this blog post, I came across a number of highly inaccurate and blatantly false articles through Google Search about the origins of the Book of Mormon. I've read many of them before but it bothers me to see falsehoods such as I read just today.  One such is the Spalding theory of how certain people during Joseph Smith's life concocted a false account of the Book of Mormon as its having come from an unpublished manuscript written by a Solomon Spalding.

That has been proven very clearly to be a wrong supposition by many qualified persons whose research is impeccable. The Lord's enemy, Satan, loves to help certain kinds of people drag out falsehoods to try to shake the faith of those who believe in the Lord's work and particularly in His Book of Mormon.

The truth about Chiasmus being a part of the Book of Mormon totally eliminates Spalding's or anyone else's writings as a source of the Book of Mormon, not only by the copius evidence found by researchers who have carefully studied the Spalding manuscript matter, but also because Chiasmus is hardly known even today and is a Hebrew form found both in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon as clearly shown in this post. Chiasms are not found in the Spalding manuscript! There are no Hebraisms in it!

In this post as you must have already clearly realized, I've given you very good evidences that the Book of Mormon is exactly what Joseph Smith, its inspired translator and others closely associated with him during its translation, said it is: a record written in a Hebraic - Egyptian language that Joseph was able to translate only through the power of the Spirit of the Lord. He was given a special gift for doing that.

The Lord first sent the angel Moroni to prepare Joseph Smith for his life-time work for Him, (the Lord), which began with the translation of the Book of Mormon.  I repeat this painting which you have no doubt seen a number of times in my posts.


Joseph Smith Translating the Book of Mormon -By Del Parson

This is a painting of a real happening! (Actually Joseph Smith did not have the plates of gold right in front of him as he translated as shown in this painting.) This was a very significant and true happening which brought about the marvelous Book of Mormon (which contains Hebraisms as you learned above in this post) and that a good number of responsible people testified of its truthfulness such as the three witnesses and the eight witnesses.

The surest way for each of you to know of this book's truthfulness is to follow the counsel of Moroni found at the end of that book. He was still a mortal when he wrote this. Thousands upon thousands have followed this counsel and know of a surety that it is a true book.

Moroni 10: 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.

I invite you to experience the following video in which a young non-Mormon man followed Moroni's counsel given just above and very clearly and surely received an answer to his prayer.  It is a very touching and faith promoting account which is well told. You will enjoy hearing this young man's account. Please click on the following:

I end this post very appropriately with an article written by Richard Lloyd Anderson of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship at BYU in Provo, Utah (U.S.A.) regarding one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This witness was the only one of the three that never regained his church membership. He is David Whitmer.

___________

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: Joseph Smith's Role in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His True Church, Part IV -Post 42j. 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