Post 47i: Once Again I Feature an LDS General Conference Talk in One of my Blog Posts. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chose Not to Insert Notes at the End of His Talk Which is Most Often Done in General Authority Conference Talks. Therefore, in This Blog Post, I have Chosen to Quote That Which I Thought Would be Most Helpful to You in Focusing on His Very Important Message, along With the Assistance of His Actual Scriptural Quotes and the Various Clarifying Illustrations Which I have Added! I Must Mention that this Identical Talk of Elder Ballard's was Featured in My Post 46c. However I Have Chosen to Base This Present Post on that Identical Conference Talk of His Because Since Having Published that Earlier Post, I've Learned Better How to Present Those Blog Posts Covering Conference Talks in Which the Speaker Chooses Not to Insert Notes at the End of His Talk! I am sure You Will be Edified by Your Having Experienced That Which You will Now Experience! All of the Credit Goes to Elder Ballard Along with the Lord's Inspiration Given him, in Delivering this very Edifying Talk.

The Following Blog Description Explains Why My Blog is named: "Four Books of Scripture Testify of Jesus Christ!

Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

WELCOME, NEW  AND PREVIOUS VIEWERS OF THIS BLOG: In this and in every additional post of this blog you will be led on a carefully and prayerfully planned exciting and inspiring journey as you prepare by means of a guided study of the four sacred books of scripture I am shown holding above; which will assist you in becoming more righteously happy now and more fully prepared for eventual After-Mortality Eternal Endeavors on your part, along with your loved ones and countless other mortals who are seeking to qualify as our Heavenly Father's worthy children. 

Those enabling Books of Scripture were brought about through the love of the Heavenly Father of our immortal spirits which now inhabit our mortal bodies; and were a key part of the Restoration of the Gospel, and of establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through the Prophet Joseph Smith early in the Nineteenth Century. Leading out in all of this, was of course, Our Heavenly Father's Only Begotten Son who is our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ (who initially was our eldest spirit brother and is the only one of us our Heavenly Father will have ever sired into mortality). 

Jesus accomplished His Infinite Atonement, the Ultimate Mortal Sacrifice, along with His infallibly witnessed Resurrection. He is our Redeemer and Savior and has opened the way for each of us to learn with certainty through those four books of scripture, and through the inspired teachings of His prophets, seers and revelators of our day and those authorized by them; that some time after our mortal deaths, because of His atonement and resurrection, and depending on the level of individual righteousness we each attain to, through His grace, we can eventually experience Eternal Life in our own resurrected bodies, which in the case of those who fully heeded all of His scriptural guidance and the guidance of His authorized living servants, there will be full possession of Godly capabilities! J. Neil Birch

To Access This Blog's Index, Please Scroll Down To the Fifth Paragraph From the End of This Post! For Those of You Who May Be In a Hurry to Access it, Here it is now: Neil Birch's Blog Index.

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TODAY'S THEME:

A Summary of Elder Ballard's Background:

http://www.lds.org/church/leader/m-russell-ballard


After Your Having Been Informed of Elder Ballard's Background, I invite you now to use the following link to listen to the talk he gave at April Conference of 2013. Afterwards I will extend my assistance in helping you to better focus on some of the matters he discussed in his talk through the printed word, by my using means which most likely are not easily available to you who will have listened to or have actually read his very inspiring talk.

Elder M. Russell Ballard's Conference Talk: April 2013: This is My Work and Glory."

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/this-is-my-work-and-glory?lang=eng


"... a few weeks ago, on a cold, dark winter's night, my wife, Barbara, and I looked in awe up at the sky. The millions of stars seemed exceptionally bright and beautiful. I then turned to the Pearl of Great price and read again with wonder what the Lord God said to Moses:

Christ's Image -By Heinrich Hofmann

The Lord Created All Things.  Photo: Brand x Superstock

Moses 1:33  And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.

Christ Ordaining the Twelve Apostles -by Harry Anderson

". . . .Brothers and Sisters, the power by which the heavens and earth were and are created is the priesthood. Those of us who are members of the Church know that the source of this priesthood power is God Almighty and His Son, Jesus Christ. Not only is the priesthood the power by which the heavens and the earth were created, but is is also the power the Savior used in His mortal ministry to perform miracles, to bless and heal the sick, to bring the dead to life, and, as our Father's Only Begotten Son, to endure the unbearable pain of Gethsemane and Calvary - thus fulfilling the laws of justice with mercy and providing an infinite Atonement and over-coming physical death through the Resurrection.. ."

Lord, Save Me -by Gary Kapp

Christ Healing the 

Sick at Bethesda -by Carl Heinrich Bloch.

Christ Raising (From Death)The Daughter of Jairus - by Greg K. Olsen

Christ in Gethsemane -by Harry Anderson

The Crucifixion -by Harry Anderson

..."The power of the priesthood is a sacred and essential gift of God. It is different from priesthood authority, which is the authorization to act in God's name. The authorization or ordination is given by the "laying of of hands." The power of the priesthood comes only when those who exercise it are worthy and acting in accordance with God's will. As President Spencer W. Kimball declared, " The Lord has given to all of us as holders of the priesthood certain of his authority, but we can only tap the powers of heaven on the basis of our personal righteousness ((Boys Need Heroes Close By," Ensign, May 1976, 45)" ...

Here is President Spencer W. Kimball's April 1976 Conference Talk as it was recorded in the May 1976 Ensign (to which Elder Ballard referred to above. It is not available in a recording. However, I, Neil  Birch, am sure you will enjoy reading it!) 

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=bb2ffd758096b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

(We now go back to Elder Ballard's talk:) . . ."During the glorious days of the Restoration and the reestablishment of the Church of Jesus Christ in the world today, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John; Moses; Elias, and Elijah came to the earth and restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith all of the keys and authority of the priesthood for the work of God in these latter days." 

John Baptizing Jesus. -by Harry Anderson.

. . ."It is by these keys, this authority, and this power that the Church of Jesus Christ is organized today, with Christ at the head directing His living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and assisted by duly called and ordained Apostles.. .

...It is crucial for us to understand that Heavenly Father has provided a way for all of His sons and His daughters to have access to the blessings of and be strengthened by the power of the priesthood. Central to God's plan for His spirit children in His own declaration: 

Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

..."In the revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Section 81 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord explains that the power of the priesthood is to be used to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (verse 5).

 D.C. 81:4. And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord. 

. . .Jesus said: John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

John  4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

 John 8:12 ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

. . . "Now I began with the wonder and awe in the creations of God through the power of the priesthood. I stand here wondering, as I suppose most of you also do, if God's power to instruct and bless us can ever be fully comprehended. It is so great, so majestic, so powerful.

Joseph Smith said, "The Priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with God from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days or end of years" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 104.).

. . . "I testify that the work of Jesus Christ is accomplished through the priesthood. It is the power by which our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son created this earth and set in motion the great plan of happiness for our sakes. May we be wise and seek to strengthen our own lives, the lives of our families, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the power of the priesthood of God is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

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

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TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Post Title Shown at the End of this following paragraph:  When You See Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, Please, Scroll Down To our Target: This is My Work and My Glory . This blog post presents an April Conference Talk of Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on that most crucial subject. - Post 47i.

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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.

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Neil Birch