Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Post 44a: May the Spirit of Christmas Linger Among Us Through Continuing Service to Others.

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


The Wise Men Worship Jesus -by Albrecht Dúrer

 Mormon Messages: Wise Men Still Seek Him


As Christmas 2011 Has Come and Gone So Has the Birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ's First Latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith. He was born December 23, 1805.

American Prophet -by Del Parson


Joseph Smith Was Known as Truthful


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DISCLAIMER
This Blog 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 Spirit of Christmas Remains With Us Throughout the Year Through Service to Others. A Mormon Messages Video, "Wisemen Still Seek Him" is Shown in: -Post 44a. 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

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Post 43z: Each of the THE HOLY SCRIPTURES Are Gifts From God Which Lead Us Back To Him. In Each Case These Sacred Gifts Were Made Available at Great Personal Sacrifice by Believers Who Did God's Will in Providing Them.

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


The Empty Tomb -by Clark Kelley Price
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, An Example:
(From an Authorized King James Version of the New Testament) Luke 24:1 NOW upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
13 ¶ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.*
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (emphasis added)
*I must share with each of you good readers of this blog post a special line of reasoning of mine pursuant to my having read verse 27 above while typing this blog post entry. Please scroll back up right now and read that verse again and then return quickly back here. Thank you!

I thought of the boy Jesus as he must have often read scriptures from what was the Hebrew version of the Old Testament, (which I usually read in English and you, in whichever language you happen to use) which he must have begun reading at a fairly young age; scriptures which actually contained many prophecies about himself!

No doubt, his dear mother had, in his childhood, begun teaching  him the truth that the actual father of his earthly body was God, Our Eternal Father, and not Joseph, his step-father, yet various verses of scripture lead us to believe he loved and obeyed his step-father, Joseph.

Jesus surely must have early on in his young life begun realizing that the many prophecies of the Redeemer and Saviour of the World he found in the Scriptures he was reading (Remember Verse 27, in which the just Resurrected Jesus Christ in that scripture reviewed all of the scriptures with His two disciples who needed to be reminded of them by him), would eventually be applied to Him personally!

My sudden realization that Jesus had learned as a boy about the truth regarding who he really was and the responsibility that comes with that caused tears to begin trickling down my cheeks. No ordinary boy could ever have such realizations as he did about who he really was! What a sacred life Jesus lived as a boy, yet I'm sure he was a very typical boy in many ways!

I'm positive the prayers Jesus offered after that sacred realization had first come upon him were much more intense and eventually, much more interactive with his Heavenly Father, than the prayers other boys his age were offering. After all, his Heavenly Father, to whom his mother and very good step-father taught him to pray, was his real father in a miraculous yet very factual way!

I must now insert one of my most favorite paintings of our Savior. In it he as a Twelve Year Old is shown teaching Learned Ones in the House of the Lord! (The Temple in Jerusalem). Surely it was the sacred writing of the Scriptures which inspired this great artist to paint this masterpiece!

Christ in the Temple -by Heinrich Hofmann
Dear Readers,  please click on the link just below to read in verses 41 through 50 the Apostle Luke's account of the twelve year old Jesus' experience in the temple pictured above. You will have the entire chapter on the screen. Please scroll down to begin reading at verse 41.

Luke 2:41-50

 OTHER SCRIPTURES

The Bible and the Book of Mormon -by Greg K. Olsen
In the Latter-Days the Lord Has Provided Us With Additional Books of Scripture, the First of Which was: the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ:
Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 3:12 (The Words of Father Lehi):Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write (the Book of Mormon); and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; (the Bible) and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord. (clarification and emphasis added)
Mormon Messages: The Blessing of Scripture!


William Tyndale
As we just learned from the video, William Tyndale personally translated the Holy Bible into the English language so that ordinary men and women and their children of his day could increase their faith and overall spirituality by accessing its sacred words in their own language. One estimation (from Wikipedia) suggests the New Testament in the King James version is 83% Tyndale's and the Old Testament 76%. Despite the great  importance of his accomplishment Government and Church authorities condemned his actions and had him executed.

Also, The Book of Mormon Was translated and published through much Personal Sacrifice on the Part of Its Inspired Translator, Joseph Smith, Jr. The Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a drunken and unjustifiably angry mob who were incited by a Newspaper editor and other prominent persons who wanted that killing to take place.

The Angel Moroni Appears to Seventeen Year Old Joseph Smith -by Tom Lovell
Joseph Smith History 1:33 He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. (emphasis added)
The following revelation which became scripture, was received by the Prophet Joseph Smith from the Lord on March 20, 1839. 
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
I hope that each of you blog readers will agree with me when I say that I am sure the Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke those two sacred scriptural verses (just above in blue) to the Prophet Joseph Smith, would tell us that the scriptural message given just above applies also to the great and good man William Tyndale who was willing to have his life taken rather than to giving up his project of translating the Bible into the English Language (I am assuming that someone here on earth has vicariously performed the necessary ordinances for William Tyndale in an L.D.S. Temple along with his having accepted the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ when it was taught him in the World of Spirits after his assassination.)
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DISCLAIMER
This Blog 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: A Translation of the Holy Bible in the English Language (the language of the Common Man in England) was Provided, (According to Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In a Mormon Messages Video,) by an Englishman, William Tyndale Who Was Executed near Brussells, Belgium on October 6, 1536 for Having Made that Translation!  -Post 43z. 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

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Post 43y Our Loved Ones Taken From Us by Death Will Be Restored to Life Through the Resurrection. That Truth is Verified In This Post by Book of Mormon Prophets and a Present Day Prophet and by the Words of Our Resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ Which He Spoke to the Ancient Nephite Nation in A.D. 34!

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

The Eventual Resurrection of the Dead was a subject many Nephite Prophets focused upon. This list I provide you is a partial list, but includes many significant statements on this important subject of Resurrection which constitute sure evidence of the truthfulness of the promise of a resurrection of all mankind.

These scriptures are in addition to the ones quoted in my just previous blog post. The following are words of the Prophet, Moroni, son of the Prophet, Mormon (Between A.D. 400 and 421)

Book of Mormon: Mormon 9:13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.

The Resurrected Jesus Christ -by Simon Dewey
About 82 B.C.)
Alma 11: 40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.
41 Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.

The Great (yet very humble and spiritual) Nephite Prophet, Abinadi, Appears Before Wicked King Noah and His Court -by Arnold Friberg (remember this humble prophet, Abinadi allowed his life to be taken rather than give into the threats of the king and his priests.)
The following words of the prophet, Abinadi were copied by one of the wicked priests (Alma the Elder) of King Noah who had become converted through what was taught by Abinadi. (About 148 B.C.)
Mosiah 15: 18 And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people;
19 For were it not for the redemption which he hath made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all mankind must have perished.
20 But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead.
21 And there cometh a resurrection, even a first resurrection; yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who are, and who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ—for so shall he be called.
22 And now, the resurrection of all the prophets, and all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection.
23 They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death.
24 And these are those who have part in the first resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord.
25 And little children also have eternal life.
26 But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection.
27 Therefore ought ye not to tremble? For salvation cometh to none such; for the Lord hath redeemed none such; yea, neither can the Lord redeem such; for he cannot deny himself; for he cannot deny justice when it has its claim.
28 And now I say unto you that the time shall come that the salvation of the Lord shall be declared to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. (emphasis added)



Nephi and His Father Lehi Examine the Liahona While Others Look on -by Arnold Friberg
Between 600 and 592 B.C.
1 Nephi 10:11 And it came to pass after my (Nephi's) father (Lehi) had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles (Each of Us, Today.)
2 Nephi 2:8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. (clarification and emphasis added)
Explanation about Resurrections Which were to Occur and Which Did Occur Soon After Christ's Resurrection. (This Scripture was Recorded in About 6 B.C.)


Helaman 14:25 And many graves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many.
A.D. 34

3 Nephi 13:9 Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so?
10 And his disciples answered him and said: Yea, Lord, Samuel did prophesy according to thy words, and they were all fulfilled.
11 And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?
12 And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written.
13 And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded. 

President Thomas S. Monson
In a Video, just below, President Thomas S. Monson of the  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint Gives His Sure Prophetic Witness that there is Life after Death! -Post 43y

We Can Live With God Again


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Alex Caldiero, Poet and Scholar, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah (U.S.A.)

"I hear Joseph Smith's voice every time I read it (The Book of Mormon). He was a farmer. He was young. He was unlettered and he put this all together. So you have this rough hewn kind of text ..." Alex Caldiero, poet and scholar, Utah Valley University. (clarification added)
Viewers of this blog post, please answer this question: Can you see in the scriptures quoted above regarding the Resurrection, the writing of a "young, unlettered farmer?" Or can you see "this rough hewn kind of text" that this young uneducated farmer Joseph Smith was supposed to have just "put all of it together?"

In my blog posts 1 and 2, I refer to the words of a scholar taken from the PBS Video, "The Mormons," shown on Prime Time TV in late April and early May of 2007. 

I have referred back to those words frequently, in my posts. In fact, I derived the title of this blog,
"Have You Really Read the Book of Mormon?"
from the thoughts that first came to mind after listening to Alex Caldiero's words (quoted above) in the PBS video.

This morning I decided to go back to that video and get his exact words for you to read. I carefully copied them and they are recorded just below the photo of Professor Caldiero above.

If you have been reading my blog posts right along or have otherwise seriously and prayerfully studied the Book of Mormon, it will be easy for you to ascertain that Alex Caldiero has not really read the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Instead, you will realize it must be his very uninformed viewpoint that caused him to say that the words of the book of Mormon are the rough hewn kind of text an uneducated farm boy had put all together.

There was much in that PBS video with which I strongly disagree. I find that many other "Mormons" agree with me on that. There is the allegation by one of the experts shown in it, that the report of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was just a conspiracy brought about by Jesus' twelve apostles and is the "scandal of Christianity." In my view that charge is scandalous!

There were some very good parts in "The Mormons" the PBS Program back in 2007, but too much of it was quite incorrect and biased. Professor Caldiero's saying that the Book of Mormon was "beautiful in all of its imperfections" is far "off-base." Any diligent and honest student of the Book of Mormon, like many of you may be, would be able to say: "It, along with the Holy Bible, contains the inspired words of God through His holy prophets." A case in point are the inspired words of the prophets Moroni, Alma, Abinadi, and several other prophets including our Resurrected Savior Jesus Christ's own words which are quoted in This Post.

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DISCLAIMER
This Blog 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 Future Resurrection in which Each of Us Will be Restored to Our Bodies Which We Will Lose Through Death is Testified of in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ by Prophets of God! Book of Mormon Prophets Also Testify that there Already Has Been a Previous Resurrection! President Thomas S. Monson Testifies in a Video at the End of This Post That We Will Live After Death!-Post 43y. 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 my Spanish Blog: Its content is translated from the English in this blog:

Neil Birch

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Post 43x: When Fully Prepared to Meet Your Maker You Will Possess an Eternal Perspective Which Will Carry You Peacefully Through Troublesome Times!

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


And He Healed Them All Every One -By Gary Kapp
In this painting the Resurrected Jesus Christ is shown healing those among the Nephites of Ancient Central America in  A.D. 34 who had physical afflictions.

He urged each of the Nephites (and all of the rest of us who were to eventually read the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, when it was to be brought forth by His power in the Latter-days) to live in accordance with His Gospel that we may each stand guiltless when we are lifted up by His Father to be judged by Himself, Jesus Christ, when He ultimately stands to judge the World.

Book of Mormon, III Nephi 27:13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—
15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.
16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. 
17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.
18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.
19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. (emphasis added)
With that Eternal Perspective (two words used by Elder Russell M. Nelson in the video you will soon experience)  firmly implanted in our hearts and minds we can each live faithfully in accordance with those magnificent words of our Savior Jesus Christ as our guides in peacefully facing all of the challenges of life (among which is the challenge of death), which almost constantly seem to present themselves to us. 

I will now give you the opportunity of viewing the Mormon Messages Video in which a modern day Apostle 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 Russell M. Nelson, tells us he was calmly confident in facing his  own imminent death but some of the other passengers in their small airliner were having great difficulty facing their own deaths as they were spiraling down toward the earth because one of the aircraft's engines was burning.

Pay close attention to the calm and confident sound of his voice as he tells us:
"I was ready to meet my maker!"
In the video Elder Nelson also mentions several other difficulties, besides the fear of dying that people are experiencing in their lives, such as the loss of loved ones through death which was something he experienced in the loss of a wife and a daughter.

Elder Nelson would surely tell us that becoming fully prepared to face our  Maker, Jesus Christ by faithfully following the scriptural guidance given above in blue will help each of us find great peace in this world of afflictions.

I Neil Birch, Author of this blog post want to make it clear that the message I have given above differs in its emphasis from the message Elder Russell M. Nelson delivers in the Mormon Messages video which you will now view. I am confident he would agree with the message I have delivered, but my emphasis is on additional important matters other than those very important matters which were the focus of Elder Nelson in this very well-done video. The producers of this video are obviously very skilled at what they do.

"Mens' Hearts Shall Fail Them," a Video Involving Elder Russell M. Nelson

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DISCLAIMER
This Blog 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: An Eternal Perspective of Life is Necessary to Remain at Peace Within One's self in these Turbulent Times of the Last Days of this World's History. At the end of this post you can view a Mormon Message Video, Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them featuring Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve. -Post 43x. 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 my Spanish Blog: Its content is translated from the English in this blog:

Neil Birch