33r - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

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



Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson

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.

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TODAY'S THEME 

Just before He said that which is recorded above, the resurrected Jesus Christ had let His disciples know that His Church which had recently been organized among them, should be named after Him. He said that in response to having been told that the people had been disputing among themselves about what the name of the church should be. He, because of having become the gateway to eternal life, was the head of His church.

The words that are so positive and full of hope to us sinners is: He, our Savior who spoke those words, was He who in the Garden of Gethsemane paid the price for those of us who have repented and have been baptized and then endured to the end of our lives living righteously. He paid the price demanded by the Justice of God to the extent that in the agony of suffering, He sweat blood from every pore.

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."

How great should be our gratitude for His sacrifice. We should be very willing to live to the end of our lives in righteousness without having to pay the price for our sins. We can enjoy our lives in peace of mind because of His true promise to those of us who endure to the end of our lives. That peace of mind will help us as we seek to live as He wants us to live and to serve others as we would like to be served by them. Although His message mentioned dire consequences:

"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,"

This message is still one of "glad tidings" (Webster's definition of the word, Gospel) because the choice we are given is a very clear one. We are free to choose!

If anyone asks you to define what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, you would do well to quote (if you can remember it all) or refer them to III Nephi 27: 13-17. You might want to write or type those five verses and carry that quote with you in your purse or wallet so you can often remind yourself of these important truths.

The many people I have known throughout my life of seventy seven years (as of my birthday this Friday),who faithfully live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and are active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the truly most happy people you could ever meet. You would be happy to have them as neighbors. Its not that they don't have challenges and serious problems to contend with, it is that they have great faith and hope based on our Savior's sure promises.

Certainly similar statements recorded in the Bible and elsewhere in the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scriptures might equal it, but, in my humble opinion, nowhere else, even in the other scriptures could these truths of utmost importance be better stated than in those words of His.

(A Prayer:) We thank Thee dear Heavenly Father for what your Only Begotten Son did in The Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calgary for us. Thanks for Thou continuing to actively assist us through the holy scriptures, and through the Gift of the Holy Ghost and through membership in Thy Son's one and only authorized church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to help all of us who are members, or through their faith in Him, will become members soon after learning from Thy authorized missionaries and receiving testimonies from The Holy Ghost.

We are grateful that these blessings are extended also to include those of our beloved deceased relatives, known and unknown who have chosen to follow Thee, either during their lives here on earth or while living in the World of Spirits after having died, after believing the witness of thy spirit missionaries there. We love our husbands and wives and our children with which we have been blessed. Bless all of us that we can be together again, after this life, in Thy Celestial Kingdom.

We also thank thee for the many inventions in the field of medicine, and in rapid and safe transportation on land and on the sea and even through the air. Thanks also for the blessing of living in free countries brought about by Thy freedom seeking children here on earth, over the recent centuries of time. We are grateful for the works of many of Thy children here on Earth that have produced good and uplifting music, literature and beautiful and useful housing.

We know that inspiration for all of these great and good and useful things came from Thee and from Thy Son and from the Holy Ghost, the unified source of all truth.

With the help we receive through Thy Spirit we will endure through all the tribulations of life that may come our way, and then return to Thee, our Heavenly Father to experience Eternal Joy with Thee and all Thy righteous saints.

We pray these things in the sacred name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please read and listen to this scripture III Nephi 27: 1-33

I'm sure you took note of this prophecy of our Savior:

III Nephi 27: 32 But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads. (emphasis added)

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DISCLAIMER

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

____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33r. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

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

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

Neil Birch 

33q - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

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

III Nephi 6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, (the posterity of Father Lehi of our day, and through Lehi, of Joseph Who Was Sold Into Egypt) from the Gentiles (us), according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

12 Therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord. And now I, Mormon, make an end of my sayings, and proceed to write the things which have been commanded me. (clarification and emphasis added)

Jesus Christ Teacing the Nephites -by John Scott

We have already learned from what we have read in the Book of III Nephi, that Jesus Christ was able to have the Nephites experience with Him, things that His people in Palestine were not ready to experience with Him, and have faith which was beyond that of those in the land of His birth.

Now we read that only about a one hundredth part of what He taught them (The Nephites) was recorded by Mormon and that when he wanted to write more than what he was told to write, because they had been recorded by Nephi, one of the Savior's 12 Nephite disciples on the plates that had been passed on for generation after generation, and were available to him, the Lord told him, Mormon, that He, Jesus Christ, forbade it, saying: "I will try the faith of my people."

Who are His people whose faith was to be tried? Look in a mirror! It is those of us who have been baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or will eventually become members of His Latter-day Church, partly because of their testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

Now check out again these words of Mormon from TODAY'S THOUGHT:

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

Inasmuch as the Book of Mormon was first printed in 1830 and the Lord has not yet given us the rest of that which the Lord taught those Nephites during the days He spent with them, we must realize: We aren't paying sufficient attention to what Mormon wrote about our Savior's teachings to the Nephites during His visit with them regarding how we live our lives. Neither are we sufficiently following that kind of counsel given in the rest of the Book of Mormon.
It is taking time for His people to be ready. Please read these words of our Savior which He revealed to Joseph Smith way back in 1832,

Doctrine and Covenants 84: 51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

59 For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay.

60 Verily, verily, I say unto you who now hear my words, which are my voice, blessed are ye inasmuch as you receive these things;

61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you. (emphasis added)

Do I hear some of you who are not yet members of this church saying. Those LDS people had better shape up? Perhaps you, after you have been baptized and have become faithful members of the church, could help the rest of us shape up!

During the year 2007, our prophet then, Gordon B. Hinckley challenged the entire Church membership to read the Book of Mormon all the way through that year. By all reports, many did as he instructed. I am sure that the implication was there in the words of President Hinckley, who has since passed away, that we should improve in living our lives in accordance to the teachings found in that sacred book as well as just reading it.

Even the membership of our Murray Third Ward of the Murray Utah Stake, including the children who can read, where my wife, Melva and I are members, were urged by our Bishopric to read the Book of Mormon during 2008. After reading each one of the sub-books, we taped a green paper leaf with our names and the name of the sub-book written on it that we had just read, onto a picture of a tree, posted on our ward bulletin board, for all to see. It is still there and that tree has very many leafs on it.

Well, the things that were recorded on the plates of Nephi by the Prophet-disciple, Nephi, during our Savior's visit with them, haven't yet been revealed. Whose fault is that? Certainly not President Hinckley's, and certainly not President Thomas S. Monson's fault (who was called by the Lord to replace President Hinckley when he died), and other church leaders like our bishop, and surely many other bishops world-wide who continue to urge members to study the Book of Mormon and live by its teachings.

It is my fault and also the fault of you other members of this church and even perhaps, you who are not yet members of this church, who have begun to see the truthfulness of this very sacred book, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Please read the scripture below that you might read again the Thought For Today along with the rest of this very important scripture. (Once again I suggest that you scroll up after the scripture is on your screen and click on the word, Listen which is on the upper left hand side, so you may read and listen at the same time.)

III Nephi 26:1-21

Jesus With the Nephite Children -by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Where in the New Testament is recorded anything like this which is found in the scripture you have just read (with all due respect to that great scripture, The New Testament, which is so important to each of us):

III Nephi 26: 16 Behold, it came to pass on the morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them.

17 And it came to pass that the disciples whom Jesus had chosen began from that time forth to baptize and to teach as many as did come unto them; and as many as were baptized in the name of Jesus were filled with the Holy Ghost.

18 And many of them saw and heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful to be written.

19 And they taught, and did minister one to another; and they had all things common among them, every man dealing justly, one with another. (emphasis added)

I hope you noticed above that significant information about the high level of spiritual and temporal life these Nephites had begun to live (and continued to live for about 200 more years.)

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


____________



TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) -Post 33q. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

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

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

Neil Birch

33p - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

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

This is one of the great promises the Lord made to the Nephites while He was visiting in Ancient America. Perhaps it is not easily understood.

III Nephi 25: 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

You will be helped to gain the needed understanding later in this post.

Let me first have you read the scripture in which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ emphasizes something He always expects of His followers. You may want listen to this as it starts with verse 1.

III Nephi 24:1-18 (See Malachi 3:1-18)

Quoting the words of Malachi which were recorded in our Old Testament, and then later, at His command, on the Plates of Nephi, the Savior taught the Nephites the necessity of their obeying His law of Tithing. In our day, through His prophet, Joseph Smith, the Lord reiterated His unchanging law of Tithing.

D. and C. 64: 23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.

24 For after today cometh the burning—this is speaking after the manner of the Lord—for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.

In addition, the Lord's first Latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith, also received the following revelation from the Lord on that same subject.

D. and C. 19:4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

Here is the complete Chapter 25 of III Nephi from which our TODAY'S THOUGHT was taken. Please click on the following scriptural link. (When the scripture appears on your screen, please click on the word, Listen. This will assist you in concentrating on this message given to the Nephites by our Savior).

III Nephi 25:1-6 (See Malachi 4:1-6)

Elijah the Prophet Appears to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery -by Gary E. Smith

Now you will read an account of the fulfillment of the promise made in the final two verses of that prophecy given through His prophet, Malachi, which the Savior related to His Nephite flock in Ancient America. The Lord's first Latter-day prophet, Joseph Smith, recorded this vision.

D. and C. 110:13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. (emphasis added)

This turning of hearts has already been taking place since soon after that recorded visit from Elijah. The power from Jesus Christ was given to His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in our day to seal by the power of the Spirit of the Lord, family members one to another for all eternity!

This sealing doesn't just automatically happen. Worthy family members who have been baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must attend to or have attended to, this business for their dead in one of the more than 130 temples that have already been built by this Church world-wide, with even more having been already scheduled to be built.

After the baptisms and other ordinances and sealings are done by these living members for themselves, they can then, vicariously, do these same ordinances for their ancestors whose records they have diligently and carefully researched (often with assistance from qualified others. Other qualified church members can also perform the temple work in place of us where needed.)

For your information here is evidence that the Apostle, Paul, serving with the other apostles who had been called of the Lord, in the near East after our Savior's resurrection, knew of the ordinance of baptism for the dead: Here is the remaining portion of the scriptural link you were given at the end of the previous post. In it the sixth Latter-day Prophet, Joseph F. Smith explains how our Savior, Jesus Christ, between His death by crucifixion and His resurrection, prepared the way that the unrighteous dead could be taught His Gospel by righteous spirits whom He assigned to that important work.

I Corinthians 15: 29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

You will also learn from this upcoming scripture that the Lord, Jesus Christ, has seen to it that temple work has been set up in our day so that the ordinance of baptism and other necessary ordinances for salvation can be done vicariously here on earth for those among the unrighteous spirits who listened to the message brought them by those appointed by the Lord in His visit between His crucifixion and His resurrection there.

Here is the information that was revealed to the Prophet, Joseph F. Smith in the remaining portion of the scripture we read and listened to in the last post. (Please take note that because the voice recording begins at verse one, you will not be able to listen to this scripture which begins at verse 25.) However, you may choose to begin at verse 1 this time also, and then read all the way through this entire scripture after having clicked on, Listen.

President Joseph F. Smith

D. and C. 138:25-60

I will end this post by showing you pictures of six of these 130 (so far, and many more are coming) very beautiful and very functional temples along with two typical temple baptismal fonts where baptisms can be performed vicariously for your and my beloved deceased ancestors, back as far as their records can be found.

Something you must realize; all of these blessings that can be brought to our deceased ancestors who weren't taught the Savior's Gospel during their lifetimes, can be done for them only by doing this work for them vicariously in Temples of the Lord, according to what the Lord Jesus Christ has instructed His Latter-day Prophets, beginning with the Prophet, Joseph Smith.

There is a great cost involved in providing sufficient temples for the vast amount of work that is yet to be done for our dead ancestors. Because of what you were taught earlier in this post, you can surely guess how the Lord wants these costs to be taken care of.

You are right! Through the tithing of His people! His law of Tithing works very well. By personal experience I can tell you that it is easy to be a full tithe-payer. Before retirement my salary was very average. Their mother and I, raised nine children. I know by experience, paying a full (10% gross income) tithing helps you put your priorities in the right place! Remember, it is our Savior's law, He who who suffered and died for us!

You and I and surely everyone should be very grateful for the birth of our Savior at Bethlehem and for His successful completion of His life's mission culminating in His atoning sacrifice so that our personal salvation and this great reuniting with loved ones, known, and not yet known, could take place! One more clarifying thought: I hope that all of of you can see clearly how that the Lord Jesus Christ continues to be very surely and actively involved, most often undetected by most of us, in blessing us that we might achieve His greatest blessings. Remember His, what I call, "sacred job description":

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

We are also taught another principle which is such a vital part of our Lord's great plan: This is in the words of His prophet Lehi,

II Nephi 10:23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.

These pictures, from top to bottom, are as follows: Mexico City, Mexico Temple, San Diego, California Temple, Hong Kong, China Temple, a baptismal font of an unidentified LDS Temple, Santiago, Chile Temple, Baptismal font of the Salt Lake City Temple, Washington D.C. Temple, and the Helsinki, Finland Temple. Something you may want to know: The twelve oxen holding up each of all our temple baptismal fonts, represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

















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




____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33p. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

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

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

Neil Birch

33o - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America. A Continuation!

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

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In preparing you to learn from the teachings of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the Nephites in Ancient America in today's scriptural link which is III Nephi Chapter 23, I want you to learn from the prophet, Alma the Younger who had become a very inspired teacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ after his conversion. His conversion had been brought about by the rebuke of an angel which totally reversed his direction in life. If you read my Post 7 you would know about Alma's conversion experience.

Especially, if the important subjects of death and resurrection are ones about which you would like to learn more or thoroughly review, please read and contemplate this scripture which is:

TODAY'S THEME

Alma 40:9 Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know.

10 And when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall they know that God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man.

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

13 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

14 Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.

Please read and listen to the scripture listed below this paragraph: Among other interesting things you will learn about, will be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite regarding the resurrection of the righteous from among the deceased Nephite-Lamanite people after our Savior's own resurrection, the first of all resurrections!

III Nephi 23: 1-14

Jesus Christ Asks for Records -by Robert T. Barrett

You will have noticed in your reading of this scripture, that once again, Jesus knows of important things without having to learn about them from others. That knowledge comes from the Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy which emanates from Him, His Father and the Holy Ghost who are one in unity.

Isn't it amazing to see His great ability to know all. It causes me and hopefully each of you also, to have total trust in what He teaches us through His prophets and causes us to want to have the personal guidance that comes from receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost which can come only after baptism in His only authorized church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is the scripture that tells us what Samuel the Lamanite prophesied:

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

Here is what our Savior said about that prophecy and its fulfillment: (which you read in the scripture from III Nephi above)

III Nephi 23: 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.

Feeling that the following will give you further understanding of the important subject of this post, I will now give you the opportunity to read some verses of scripture that are neither in the Bible nor in the Book of Mormon. You will find these in the Doctrine and Covenants which contains the words of the Lord given through the Spirit of Prophecy and Revelation to Joseph Smith.

Several other Latter-day prophets who followed Joseph Smith wrote words which were accepted officially by the Church as the Word of God. This particular one was written by Joseph F. Smith who was the sixth prophet to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was Joseph Smith's nephew (through his brother Hyrum who died with Joseph in Carthage Jail.)

In this scripture link I have highlighted, beginning with verse 1, those verses which he wrote, telling what he learned in vision, (just a very short time before his own death in 1918) regarding our Savior, Jesus Christ's visit to the world of spirits just after His death by crucifixion and just before His resurrection.

Please pray about all of this which you will have read in this post. This will lead you to a more complete understanding of the purpose of life and death and of the resurrection of all men which has been made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be His Holy name forever and ever!

D. and C. 138:1-24

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


_____________


TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Visit To Ancient America - Post 33o. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

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

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

Neil Birch

33n - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America

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

Today's Theme is found in the INTRODUCTION to the Book of Mormon and is entitled: THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES.

BE IT KNOWN unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
OLIVER COWDERY, DAVID WHITMER, MARTIN HARRIS

Joseph Smith Has Received the Golden Plates from the Angel Moroni -by Kenneth Riley

In this painting the Angel, Moroni, has just delivered the Golden Plates, on which was recorded the Book of Mormon in Egyptian characters, to Joseph Smith.

William E. McLellin was a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He joined the church in 1831 and was excommunicated in 1838. His notebook was recently found by Brent F. Ashworth who wants to publish it.

The following comes from his once long-lost notebook. In a section titled, “The Testimony of Men.” he says the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, who said they saw an angel, “either told the truth or they willfully lied. How shall we tell which, how shall we know?”

Then McLellin recounts a story of meeting two of the witnesses, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, in July 1833 in Missouri. McLellin and the two were in danger of their lives from anti-Mormon mobs.

McLellin wrote:

“I said to them, 'Brethren, I never have seen an open vision in my life, but you men say you have, and therefore you positively know. Now, you know that our lives are in danger every hour, if the mob can only catch us. Tell me, in the fear of God is that Book of Mormon true?” Cowdery looked at me with solemnity depicted in his face and said: “Brother William, God sent his holy angel to declare the truth of the translation of it to us, and therefore we know. And though the mob kill us, yet we must die declaring its truth.' David said: 'Oliver has told you the solemn truth, for we could not be deceived. I most truly declare to you its truth!'

Said I: ''Boys, I believe you. I can see no object for you to tell me falsehood now, when our lives are endangered.'”

Now I suggest that each of you readers read (and listen) to this Book of Mormon passage of scripture:
III Nephi 22: 1-17 (See Isaiah 54: 1-17)

Our savior, Jesus Christ, in this beautiful, tender expression of love for this group of Nephites and their descendants who were to live in our day (We are the Gentiles of whom He speaks), using the words of His holy prophet Isaiah, who He quotes very often, our Savior reassures them in this chapter of His love for them and their descendants of our day. A special example of this is in verse 17.
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III Nephi 22:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall revile against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. (clarification added)

(Through the brass plates that Lehi's sons obtained in Jerusalem and which they brought with them to their promised land, they had access to the writings of Isaiah who lived before Lehi's day.)

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



____________
TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America - Post 33n. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

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

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

Neil Birch

33m - Jesus Christ's Ministry to the Nephites in Ancient America

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 Resurrected Jesus Christ Instructing the Three Nephites. -by Gary L. Kapp

III Nephi 21:1 AND verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion;

2 And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign—for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall be made known unto the Gentiles that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them;

3 Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them unto you;

4 For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel;

5 Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;

6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it (The Book of Mormon) should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel. (emphasis and clarification added)

The United States of America, was willed by Him to be set up as a nation of free people according to the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that he spoke to His Nephite flock as recorded in Chapter 21, verse 4 of III Nephi which is included in Today's Theme.
On the 20th of January, 2009, just a few days ago, my wife, Melva and I viewed on television the inaugural ceremonies for the 44th president of this nation, Barack H. Obama. The fact that he is the first president of the United States of America to be of African-American descent is further affirmation of this being a nation of free people!

I quote the following from the Deseret News of Jan. 22, 2009: An article entitled: LDS leaders feel deep emotion at inauguration provides us with these keen and helpful insights of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second counselor to the President of the LDS Church and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve. They were representing the church on the invitation received by church president, Thomas S. Monson.

The Deseret News article reports that they attended the inauguration and were seated well up the steps of the U.S. Capitol and joined the new U.S. President and other new national leaders the next morning at a National Prayer Service in the National Cathedral. At that second event they were "seated just a couple of yards away from Obama and his contingent."

President Uchtdorf said, "I left with a feeling that the people of America are going to unite behind this new president and his administration and that we need to pray for him."

Elder Ballard said, "We need to exercise our prayers and help him (President Obama) accomplish the great objectives that he has set."
... At Tuesday's inauguration, the Uchtdorfs found themselves seated next to a black couple. "When the oath (of office of the president of the U.S.) was taken, this lady next to her (Sister Uchtdorf) just embraced her and gave her a kiss with tears running down," President Uchtdorf then said that the emotions he sensed over the two days were not simply the result of the massive numbers witnessing the racially historic moment but rather a sense of graciousness displayed by a free democracy." (emphasis added)

I must add for those who may not know, President Uchtdorf lived as a child with his family in East Germany during very difficult years of World War II. His parents and he and his siblings were converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Here is today's scripture. I would like you to read through it carefully and thoughtfully I suggest you use the Listen function that will be provided you on the scripture page:

III Nephi 21: 1-29

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





____________

TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America (A Twenty Post Series) - Post 33m. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 you will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.

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

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

Neil Birch

33l - The Resurrected Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America

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

III Nephi 20: 2 And he commanded them that they should arise and stand up upon their feet. And they arose up and stood upon their feet.

3 And it came to pass that he brake bread again and blessed it, and gave to the disciples to eat.

4 And when they had eaten he commanded them that they should break bread, and give unto the multitude.

5 And when they had given unto the multitude he also gave them wine to drink, and commanded them that they should give unto the multitude.

6 Now, there had been no bread, neither wine, brought by the disciples, neither by the multitude;

The Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ -by Harry Anderson

Again, the Nephite's (and all mankind's) Savior was having them partake of His holy Sacrament which is in remembrance of His atoning sacrifice. If it were so important that His followers participate in that ordinance then, it stands to reason that He would want us to do the same in our day. I have discussed that in a previous post (33j). This time the Savior performed a miracle inasmuch as there was bread and wine available even though no one had brought either one. This reminds us of the miracle of the "Loaves and the Fishes" as recorded in the New Testament (Mark 8: 1-9).

At this point I would like you to read the scripture which helps us learn something significant that is going on among the Nephites who are being visited by Their (and our) Redeemer, Jesus Christ: III Nephi 20:1-46


You have just learned from reading Chapter 20 that the remnant of Jacob (these Nephite's descendants, shall come to the knowledge of the Lord their God and shall inherit (in the latter-days) the Americas—Jesus is the prophet like unto Moses, and the Nephites are children of the prophets—Others of the Lord’s people shall be gathered to Jerusalem. [A.D. 34]

I have been feeling for sometime now that I would like to remind you why I named my blog, "Have You Really Read The Book of Mormon?" Let me remind you that back in posts, numbers 1 and 2 I mentioned that in a PBS video production in May of 2007 entitled, The Mormons, a man who was introduced as a scholar, told us (to the effect) that everytime he reads something in the Book of Mormon he sees the personality of that young farm boy, Joseph Smith, coming through the words that are written in it.



Joseph Smith -by Alvin Gittins

 Those of you who have read even several of these posts of mine and have read the Book of Mormon scriptures I've provided for you, such as the one you have just read and listened to, don't you have to question whether that "scholar" has ever really read the Book of Mormon?

I placed quote marks around the word scholar, showing that I'm questioning the complete scholarship of an individual who would imply that the young, not very well educated, Joseph Smith could have ever made-up this complex book which matches events like the feeding of the multitude as recorded in Luke and the providing of the sacramental bread and wine among the Nephites about which you have just read. These events had similarities but the exact circumstances were quite different.

Another recent circumstance I've drawn your attention to, is how our Savior Jesus Christ praised these Nephites He was visiting in Ancient America, for their great faith, telling them their faith exceeded that of the Jewish people He taught during His lifetime ministry.

Perhaps some might guess that it was just "guess-work" on the part of young Joseph Smith as he "made up the words of the Book of Mormon." But then when you read my reasoning why these tried and true Nephites had become stronger in faith than the Savior's followers in Palestine, because they had been preceeded by ancestors who believed in Christ's future coming to their descendants and had passed on that great and true prophecy to them, these Nephites, their posterity, through a period of many centuries.

Then there were the many various evidences that Dr. Dan Peterson of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute at Brigham Young University mentions in his video I have included in Posts 4 and 8. I have shown you similar evidences in many of my posts. For instance in post 17 I listed non-biblical names that are used in the Book of Mormon. Here is about one-eighth of that list:

Abinadi, Abinadom, Abish, Ablom, Agosh, Ahah, Ahaz, Aiath, Akish, Amaleki, Amalikiah, Amaron, Amgid, Aminadab, Aminadi, Amlici, Ammaron, Ammon, Ammonihah, Ammoron, Amna, Amnigaddah, Amnah, Amnihu, Amnor, Amoron, Amulek, Amulon, Anahoth, Antiomno, Antion, Antionah, Antionum, Antiparah, Antipus, Antum, Arpad, Carchemish, Cezoram, Chemish, Cohor, Com, Comnor, Corianton, Coriantor,

(When I first put this list on my computer screen when writing post 17, the device at the top of the screen which I use to make the choice of alphabets of other languages to use than English, such as Finnish and Spanish, in my case; all of a sudden, by itself, the device added the word, Hebrew. As you have may learned, Google's language detector is very intuitive and perceives quickly various languages.)

Then in Post 18, I told about an LDS scholar and lawyer, John Welch, as a young LDS missionary in Germany, having discovered that a language device called Chiasmus besides being used in the Holy Bible, is also used extensively in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Besides that, the Chiasmus concept was not known about in America during Joseph Smith's days and most likely not known very well, if at all, even in Germany then. In those days upstate New Yorkers (especially a Western New York State farm boy like Joseph Smith and his family and friends), didn't know much about scholarly matters in far off (at that time before advanced communications systems had come about), Germany.

If you didn't read those posts of mine as you got to each of the links I gave you while you were reading this post, please feel free to go back to them and read them when you have the time. I have mentioned other evidences too, but at the Neal Maxwell Institute at BYU in Provo, Utah, they have a list of other evidences that is very extensive.

In the next post I will have you read chapter 21 of III Nephi in the Book of Mormon. I suggest you read it (and listen to it) now to prepare yourself. It is an important chapter. 

III Nephi 21: 1-29

I'll be with you again in about three or four days.

____________





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






___________




TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX, To Either Read the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or An Item Which Refers To Any Other Blog Post You May Desire To Access), After Reading All of This Paragraph Please Click on the Following: (The Resurrected) Jesus Christ's Ministry in Ancient America -Post 33j. When You See the Picture of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting Next To a Little Boy, 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 will find very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this blog post.


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


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


Neil Birch