These beliefs are often misunderstood or may seem weird to some people at first. So for those who still would like to know more, here is a more in-depth look at these five core doctrines that often draw people to the Mormon faith.

All Can Receive Personal Revelation

We believe that we are all children of God. Isn’t God always referred to in scripture as God the Father? He is the Father of Christ, but we also call Him Father because He created the Earth and each of our spirits. Just as each of us have an Earthly father, He is the Father of our spirits. He wants us to know Him, speak with Him in prayer, and He also communicates back, giving personal revelation and inspiration that is specific to each person.

There are several ways that we can receive personal revelation. It can come through quiet feelings in your heart, thoughts, dreams, the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) of the Holy Ghost, and occasionally and for very specific purposes, more dramatic ways such as visions or visitations.

Often, personal revelation comes as a result of someone actively seeking it: praying, fasting, and reading the scriptures in search of answers. Mormons believe in and seek for these moments of personal revelation to provide guidance and direction in our lives.

Mormons have an Unpaid Lay Ministry

As mentioned in the video, every position in local Mormon congregations is both unpaid and volunteer. Members give of their time and talents to teach lessons, prepare music, run Sunday school and primary classes, give temple service, go on missions, and to help any who need it, whether they are a member of our church or not.

So how does the Church support itself then? While it does make investments, the majority of its support comes from faithful members all around the world. Following the law of tithing set down in the Old and New Testaments, members voluntarily give ten percent of their increase to help build and maintain meeting houses and temples, print scriptures and hymnals, provide humanitarian aid, maintain four private universities, and generally cover needed operation costs.

Basically, Mormons strive, like all other Christians, to better this world through service and love for others, both in and outside of their faith.

God Speaks Through Living Prophets

We believe that in addition to prayers, God has always followed a pattern of speaking through prophets. This way, rather than God having to give instructions to every person, He can act instead through His appointed servants.

Anciently, prophets warned of danger, called people to repentance, taught the gospel of Christ, and wrote instructions that they received from God, which scripture still guides us today.

These are exactly the same things that modern prophets and apostles do, only instead of writing scripture, they testify and teach the doctrines of Christ every six months at a massive gathering known as General Conference. Their teachings are broadcast, transcribed, printed, translated, and made available around the world in 43 different languages (and portions of it made available in 93 languages).

So how do we know that their teachings are really from God? Christ said “by their fruits shall ye know them.” Do their words uplift and strengthen your faith in Christ? Do they live what they preach? After praying and asking the Lord, pondering, and listening to their words, we can receive personal witnesses of their calling, and have faith in them as living prophets today.

Mormons Believe in more than just Heaven and Hell

One of the beliefs that we hold most dear, is our belief in the afterlife. But rather than separating the afterlife into just two places—Heaven and Hell, we believe that there are many different levels of eternal reward, rather than a “pass/ fail” system. Christ, himself said that, “in my Father’s house are many mansions,” knowing that we will all reach different levels of righteousness in this life.

Ultimately, we believe in Grace. We believe in Christ, as our Savior, Redeemer, and Advocate with the Father. We believe that although the Lord does require our best efforts to follow the commandments, He knows that we can never do it on our own. That is why Christ died. That is why He suffered and made atonement for our sins, so that there can be grace, so that there can be mercy. Because without His mercy, we would all end up cast out from the light and presence of the Lord. We can’t do it on our own.

Thankfully, the Lord knows us. He knows us perfectly. He knows our weaknesses, sins, and mistakes, but He also knows our good works, our desires, and our heart. Every person on Earth is unique, so we believe that heaven is not “one size fits all” either.

Mormons believe in three basic levels of Heaven, called the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial “kingdoms.” The Celestial kingdom is a place for those who have been baptized, repented of their sins, done their best to keep the commandments, and have a testimony of Jesus Christ. These are those who will be able to dwell forever in the presence of Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son.

The Terrestrial and Telestial kingdoms, are lower kingdoms– still merciful and good places to live, but away from the full glory of the Father and Son, where the Lord has prepared a place for those who were either not valiant in their testimony of Jesus, rejected the gospel, or chose to live sinful lives and do not repent.

“Hell,” (called Outer Darkness) in the Mormon faith, is only reserved for those very, very few, who have had a sure knowledge of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and then chose to deny and reject Christ. Without the saving grace of His atonement, they cannot enter into Heaven. However, it will be because of their intentional choice and evil hearts, not a punishment inflicted on those who still have a shred of light within.

What about children who died without baptism, those who were never really taught the gospel of Christ, or those who made mistakes they never got the chance to repent of in this life? What about them?

We believe that before the final judgment, there is and will continue to be a massive missionary effort on the other side, teaching those who have passed on about Christ, and giving them the opportunity to believe in Him and accept His atonement.

That is why Mormons actively search out all the genealogical records available, and do proxy ordinances (such as baptism) for them in holy temples, which the person who has died then has the choice to either accept or reject. The apostle Paul referenced this practice, saying, “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?” (1 Cor 15:29)

In the end, perfect justice will still be required by a perfect God for the sins we have committed, but the Mormon view of the afterlife isn’t just Heaven and Hell. It is a place of “many mansions,” where there are many different levels and opportunities for missionary work, mercy and grace from a loving Heavenly Father.

Families Can Be Together Forever

Mormons believe that some of the greatest joys possible in this life are available through a family life centered in Jesus Christ. These precious relationships between husbands, wives, parents, children, and siblings teach us about selflessness, service, patience, and love… all characteristics of our perfect Father in Heaven.

The Lord himself is identified first and foremost in scripture as “the Father,” choosing a family title more frequently than a kingly one for himself, and identifying himself as a Father both to Christ and to us. The word “Father” appears almost 1,000 times in the King James Version of the Bible alone. Jesus’ primary title was often “the Son.” We are told in scripture that those who repent are children of God and joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) The Lord has also given us the divine institution of marriage- a scriptural commandment in fact—and Christ said of this important ordinance, “what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder,” (Matthew 19:6).

All of these things point to family being the very focal point of our lives, both here on Earth, and afterwards. Paul in speaking to the Ephesians said, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named.” (Ephesians 3:13-15)

Marriage has been given by God as one of the most supernal blessings of this world, and we believe that these marriages can then continue into the next one. Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:18, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,” giving his Chief Apostle the power to bind and “seal” things not just for this life but for eternity. Marriages performed without this power have the ability to unify a couple for the duration of their life on earth, but we believe that these precious relationships, forged by God, and nurtured over entire lifetimes, are not meant to be broken at death. Through the sealing ordinances performed in the temple, they are meant to last forever.

Mormons spend a lot of time and resources searching for the records of those who have passed on, and doing proxy ordinance for them in the temple (including sealing families together for eternity), which we earnestly hope they will accept on the other side of the veil. This way, all worthy families can be together after this life, even if they never had access to a temple during their lifetimes.

What about those that are worthy that never receive the blessing of marriage in this world, despite their righteous desires? God is love, and we believe that the Lord will not withhold any eternal blessing from one of His faithful children. Through the sealing power available in holy temples all will be made right.

We believe that family, which is the center of our lives here, does not end with death, that husbands do not separate from wives, or children from parents, but that all can be exalted and sealed together as one great family with God at the helm. And the relationships that are the very dearest to us, that give our lives so much meaning and joy, can be eternal, and continue, even into the heavenly realms.

If you have more questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please contact us.

Several men at the heart of the Oregon standoff are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and cited religious convictions as one of the reasons for their actions, shining a spotlight on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well its history, scripture and some of its beliefs. Ammon Bundy said God inspired his actions. Media outlets have cited early Mormon conflicts with the federal government as rationalization for the actions of the militia members who are Mormon. (It is unclear how many are Latter-day Saints.) The Church of Jesus Christ, however, denounced the actions of the Mormon militants, saying in its statement:

While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. This armed occupation can in no way be justified on a scriptural basis. We are privileged to live in a nation where conflicts with government or private groups can — and should — be settled using peaceful means, according to the laws of the land.

The militia members, however, may very well have a legitimate beef with the federal government. Food and Ag correspondent Tim Philpott of Mother Jones wrote:

… The armed and angry men behind the fiasco are pointing their rifles at a real problem. In short, the ranchers who supply the United States with beef operate under razor-thin, often negative profit margins. … It’s not hard to see why grazing rights are an issue. Ranchers’ struggle for profitability gives them strong incentive to expand their operations to increase overall volume and gain economies of scale. …

 

To scale up, ranchers need access to sufficient land. And in the West, land access often means obtaining grazing rights to public land through the Bureau of Land Management. Hence the bitter dispute playing out in Burns, Oregon: The ranchers accuse the federal government of ruining their businesses through overzealous environmental regulation of that public land.

Their methodology, however, is flawed. As one editorial by the Oregonian Editorial Board stated:

Bundy’s unlawful action badly politicizes a legitimate concern spanning the ideological spectrum that the government’s management of public lands is in need of review and possible overhaul.

However just the cause may be, the actions of the militants in the Oregon standoff are not. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said,

There is great strength in being highly focused on our goals. We have all seen the favorable fruits of that focus. Yet an intense focus on goals can cause a person to forget the importance of righteous means. …

This is perhaps the case here. Elder Oaks said,

There are some citizens whose patriotism is so intense and so all-consuming that it seems to override every other responsibility, including family and Church. I caution those patriots who are participating in or provisioning private armies and making private preparations for armed conflict. Their excessive zeal for one aspect of patriotism is causing them to risk spiritual downfall as they withdraw from the society of the Church and from the governance of those civil authorities to whom our twelfth article of faith makes all of us subject.

Mormon history offers a unique perspective on the situation with the government and the militia groups in Oregon—and the importance of maintaining righteousness in the pursuit of our causes.

Respect for Law and Others is Our Greatest Protection

The early days of The Church of Jesus Christ are often associated with mob violence and conflicts with government. Rather than offering an excuse to continue this behavior, the Mormon experience illustrates the terrible consequences of not respecting the law and our neighbors. Elder M. Russell Ballard said,

Our pioneer ancestors were driven from place to place by uninformed and intolerant neighbors. They experienced extraordinary hardship and persecution because they thought, acted, and believed differently from others. If our history teaches us nothing else, it should teach us to respect the rights of all people to peacefully coexist with one another.

Although the early Latter-day Saints endured much persecution and hardships, the prophets and apostles continued to preach love, respect and tolerance for others. They also preached obedience to the laws of the land. President Joseph F. Smith, who had witnessed the violence and persecution of the early Latter-day Saints, said of someone who had expressed contempt for the U.S. Constitution:

Latter-day Saints cannot tolerate such a spirit as this. It is anarchy. It means destruction. It is the spirit of mobocracy, and the Lord knows we have suffered enough from mobocracy, and we do not want any more of it. … We cannot afford to yield to that spirit or contribute to it in the least degree.

President Smith was speaking from sad experience. An essay by The Church of Jesus Christ states,

In 19th-century American society, community violence was common and often condoned. Much of the violence perpetrated by and against Latter-day Saints fell within the then-existing American tradition of extralegal vigilantism, in which citizens organized to take justice into their own hands when they believed government was either oppressive or lacking. Vigilantes generally targeted minority groups or those perceived to be criminal or socially marginal. …

 

The existence of community-based militias also contributed to this culture of vigilantism. Congress passed a law in 1792 requiring every able-bodied male between 18 and 45 years of age to belong to a community militia. Over time, the militias turned into the National Guard, but in early America, they were often unruly, perpetrating acts of violence against individuals or groups perceived to be opponents of the community.

The experience of the Latter-day Saints is a cautionary tale of vigilante justice—when small groups of armed men take the law into their own hands. Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ, and his brother Hyrum were killed by an armed mob. A group of Mormon men were slaughtered at a place called Haun’s Mill by another group of angry men. And in Utah, an entire wagon train of immigrants were massacred by a mob of Mormon settlers. Of this terrible tragedy in Mormon history, President Henry B. Eyring said,

The gospel of Jesus Christ that we espouse abhors the cold-blooded killing of men, women, and children. Indeed, it advocates peace and forgiveness. What was done here long ago by members of our Church represents a terrible and inexcusable departure from Christian teaching and conduct. We cannot change what happened, but we can remember and honor those who were killed here.

And we can remember the tragic consequences that can result when we seek to use violence to try to obtain what we think is right. Obedience to law is not only one of the tenets of our faith, it is a protection for us. President Smith said,

Let us do right, keep the laws of God, and the laws of man, honor our membership in the kingdom of God, our citizenship … in the nation of which we are a part, and then God will sustain and preserve us. …

 

If patriotism and loyalty are qualities manifested in times of peace, by just, temperate, benevolent, industrious and virtuous living; in times of trial, by patience, resistance only by lawful means to real or fancied wrongs, and by final submission to the laws of the land, though involving distress and sorrow; and in time of war, by willingness to fight the battle of the nation,—then, unquestionably, are the “Mormon” people patriotic and loyal.

From the beginning, Mormons believed in obeying the laws of the land. They were not always protected from persecution and mob violence, but they were blessed by the Lord. Elder Ballard said,

The early years in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were years of great testing. Leaders who survived these early days … were perhaps thereby enabled to survive the almost insurmountable trials of crossing the plains and establishing the Church in the Rocky Mountains. … We owe much to the pioneers and must never forget that the success of today is built upon the shoulders and courage of the humble giants of the past.

 

Speaking of our faithful pioneers, President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) said: “It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer in his [or her] own life.”

From the persecutions and hardships that the early Latter-day Saints suffered came an unfailing desire to follow the Savior, Jesus Christ, in all things—and to build up the peaceable kingdom of God on the earth.

The Importance of Voting in Elections

This is an election year, and if the Malheur Wildlife Refuge standoff highlighted one thing for me, it is the importance of voting. We need to study up on the issues and then vote for the candidate we feel is the best one for the job. This is an essential aspect of our civic duty. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said,

I have been alarmed at the steady decline of voter turnout in many parts of the United States, including Utah. Voting is a fundamental right and responsibility that must not be taken for granted. Political participation can be inconvenient. It requires sacrifices of time and resources, but it is essential to our democratic society. Without substantial voter turnout, the people abrogate the great fundamental of popular sovereignty.

John W. Welch, at the time a professor at BYU’s J. Rueben Clark Law School, said,

Rights and duties go hand in glove with each other, for with all rights come duties. I think this is because with all rights come powers and privileges, and with
powers and privileges come duties. …

 

But this is decidedly not the way people usually think about rights. The world usually thinks that, because I have a right, someone else has a duty, namely to protect or fulfill my right. While that is true enough, at the same time, if I claim a right, power, or privilege, I also acquire a duty as its necessary flip side.

 

I have no doubt that the 20th century will go down in history as the
century of rights: voting rights, workers’ rights, civil rights, human rights, privacy rights, disability rights, and many more. With these rights in place, I can only hope that the 21st century will someday go down in history as the century of duties: civic duties, human duties, fiduciary duties, religious duties, environmental duties, and duties to future generations. I yearn for the day when we will have a Bill of Duties to go with our Bill of Rights. … How many rights can the world support without all people assuming commensurate duties? The point is not to take rights away but to recognize the duties that are inherent in those very privileges.

It is our privilege to live in a country in which we have the freedom to vote in elections, run for a government office and participate in how our community runs. The early Latter-day Saints understood the importance of exercising their civic duty and voting. It was also part of the reason that they were driven from state to state, but they would not be deterred. They firmly believed in the Constitution and in the United States. Even after they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, they honored their country. President Boyd K. Packer said,

On July 24, 1849, the Saints had been in the valley two years to the day. They finally were free from years of mobbing and persecution. That called for a great celebration. … With almost nothing to work with, they determined that the celebration would be a grand expression of their feelings.

 

They built a bowery on Temple Square. They erected a flagpole 104 feet (32 m) tall. They made an enormous national flag 65 feet (20 m) in length and unfurled it at the top of this liberty pole.

 

It may seem puzzling, incredible almost beyond belief, that for the theme of this first celebration they chose patriotism and loyalty to that same government which had rejected and failed to assist them. What could they have been thinking of? If you can understand why, you will understand the power of the teachings of Christ.

Citizenship Requires Us to Stay Informed and Involved

Being a good citizen does not mean sitting idly by while the government does what it will. In the United States, being a good citizen means being involved and staying informed—within the bounds of the law. Elder L. Tom Perry said,

… All members of the Church should be committed to obeying and honoring the laws of the land in which they live. We should be exemplary in our obedience to the governments that govern us. The Church, to be of service to the nations of the world, must be a wholesome influence in the lives of individuals who embrace it, in temporal as well as spiritual affairs. …

 

As Church members, we live under the banner of many different flags. How important it is that we understand our place and our position in the lands in which we live! We should be familiar with the history, heritage, and laws of the lands that govern us. In those countries that allow us the right to participate in the affairs of government, we should use our free agency and be actively engaged in supporting and defending the principles of truth, right, and freedom.

This requires active participation on our part. Lawrence C. Walters, at the time a professor in the BYU Romney School of Public Management, said,

Active engagement in the functioning of government and in addressing community concerns is an inherent responsibility of our citizenship and demands our best efforts. …

 

This is a weighty thought—that we are each personally responsible for our society…. We are each accountable for the quality of governance in our communities and nations. But we are not asked to bear this responsibility alone. Our lives are interconnected with others’. Our capacities are enhanced and our possibilities expanded through cooperation and collaboration. Because of our shared responsibility and because we are so much more effective together than we are individually, as active citizens we must actively engage with others.

 

We must cultivate the ability to participate in collective reasoning…. Such reasoning involves joining with others to identify issues and concerns, giving and receiving information, and taking counsel together. In this process citizens actually listen to others with a desire to understand their views. They ask questions they don’t know the answers to. They respect others, and they respect the decision process.

Taking over a national wildlife refuge by force is not in the spirit of good citizenship. While there may be real issues and concerns regarding federal land policy and governance, these issues can’t be addressed when the federal government is trying to protect its citizens from armed intruders. Rather than creating a dialogue, it is inhibitive of it. Professor Walters said,

There is no question that serious deliberation with people we don’t agree with can be slow and frustrating—especially if we want the Lord’s help, because then we have to get rid of all those unkind thoughts so that the Spirit can be unrestrained. My experience suggests that we make much more progress when we put aside the idea that people who don’t agree with us are ignorant of the facts, stupid, or evil and focus instead on what we have in common. Whether in the kingdom or in our society, active citizens must strive to synthesize and reconcile conflicting views, values, and priorities. This is not easy to do, even in the Church. It requires that we place the well-being of all on an equal footing and that we always balance the common good against individual claims.

The federal land use issue isn’t an easy one. There are many competing interests for the use of it. We live in a small mountain community in Idaho—a state where about half of the land is under federal control. There are ranchers, skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, hikers, bikers, horseback riders and ATVers (just to name a few) all vying to use the same areas. It takes compromise, an open dialogue and a lot of work to address these issues. It also takes responsible citizens who are willing to obey the laws of the land—even if they don’t like them or agree with them. Working together for the good of all is what makes America great. Taking the law into our own hands undermines this effort. This is what Mormon history has taught us.

When the Lord declared that “power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable,” He revealed that this period of childhood and unaccountability was given to children so that “great things may be required at the hand of their fathers.” (See Doctrine & Covenants 29:47–48.)

 

“That great things may be required at the hand of their fathers”! What confidence the Lord has in fathers, and what a responsibility He has placed on fathers! Great things are required of fathers today.

And there are great fathers who are living up to their responsibilities. In middle school, I had a friend who was a pastor’s daughter. She took this very seriously and tried to always choose the right not only for herself, but to honor her father. I was always impressed that she thought so highly of her dad that she didn’t want to disappoint him. The faith of her father was very important to her. His unwavering faith in God helped to shape hers. This has always illustrated the great impact that the faith of a father has on his children. It also reminds me how the faith of my father has helped to shape my own beliefs.

An Example of the Believers

One of the things that I have always loved about my father is that he lives what he believes. In the New Testament, the ancient Apostle Paul counseled Timothy:

… Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

This scripture reminds me of my dad. Much of what I learned from my father was through his example. President James E. Faust said:

… Noble fatherhood gives us a glimpse of the divine attributes of our Father in Heaven. A father should be many things. He should magnify his priesthood and be an example of righteousness. In companionship with his wife, he should be the source of stability and strength for the whole family. He should be the protector and the provider and the champion of the members of his family. Much of his love for his children should flow from his example of love, concern, and fidelity for their mother. By his uncompromising example he should instill character into his children.

My dad set an uncompromising example for his children. He was the first to admit his mistakes and was open and honest in all that he did. He wasn’t perfect, but he tried his best to set a pattern of righteous living and generous service for his kids.

Love for Family

Growing up there were two things that I knew—my mom loved being a mother, and my dad loved being a father. In speaking of defending The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson said:

The next principle which calls for our defending voices is elevating the divine roles of mothers and fathers. We eagerly teach our children to aim high in this life. We want to make sure that our daughters know that they have the potential to achieve and be whatever they can imagine. We hope they will love learning, be educated, talented, and maybe even become the next Marie Curie….

 

Do we also teach our sons and daughters there is no greater honor, no more elevated title, and no more important role in this life than that of mother or father?

As a grown woman with a family of my own, I can say that my mom and dad taught us all of these things. They encouraged us to attend college and receive an education. They taught us to aim high but to remember that family must always come first. They showed this through their words and their deeds. When we were little, my dad would give us airplane rides and basically let us use him as a human jungle gym. As we grew older, he was at every concert, sporting event and award ceremony that we had. My parents had 8 children, and my dad made each one feel loved and special. We never felt like a burden but always felt like a blessing.

Elder Larry M. Gibson said:

Fathers, I am sure you have heard the saying “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words” (attributed to Francis of Assisi). Every day you are teaching your children what it means to be a father. You are laying a foundation for the next generation. Your sons will learn how to be husbands and fathers by observing the way you fulfill these roles.

One of the things that my dad taught was love and respect for each of my siblings. He would not tolerate his children disrespecting my mom or each other. He and my mother cultivated the pattern that President Benson presented on how to be a successful family. President Benson said:

Successful families have love and respect for each family member. Family members know they are loved and appreciated. Children feel they are loved by their parents. Thus, they are secure and self-assured.

 

Strong families cultivate an attribute of effective communication. They talk out their problems, make plans together, and cooperate toward common objectives. Family home evening and family councils are practiced and used as effective tools toward this end.

 

Fathers and mothers in strong families stay close to their children. They talk. Some fathers formally interview each child, others do so informally, and others take occasion to regularly spend time alone with each child.

 

Every family has problems and challenges. But successful families try to work together toward solutions instead of resorting to criticism and contention. They pray for each other, discuss, and give encouragement. Occasionally these families fast together in support of one of the family members.

 

Strong families support each other.

My father’s teaching of this was so powerful that we continue to this day helping each other whenever possible. We love and support one another across the miles that separate us. And we still love to visit with each other as often as we can.

The Power of Scripture Study

My father taught us by example the importance of scripture study. Every morning he would get us up at 5 a.m. to read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ as a family. And then he would read his scriptures for his personal study. He would rotate through all four scriptures in the Latter-day Saint canon—the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. As soon as he finished the books, he would start all over again. He didn’t read his scriptures out of obligation, but out of love for them. He loved all of the stories and would tell us about them. Elder Richard G. Scott said:

Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. …

 

Scriptures can communicate different meanings at different times in our life, according to our needs. A scripture that we may have read many times can take on nuances of meaning that are refreshing and insightful when we face a new challenge in life.

This was true for my dad. But he didn’t keep these insights to himself, he shared them with us. And as he shared his love of the scriptures with me, I too gained a love and respect for the scriptures that continues as I read them.

One of the lessons that my dad taught me through the scriptures was the power of prayer. In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Alma had a wayward son, Alma the Younger. Alma the son was visited by an angel, who told him:

Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith. (Mosiah 27:14)

My dad took comfort in the fact that the Lord heard the prayers of Alma the father—and my dad knew the Lord would hear his prayers in behalf of his children, too. This was just one of many lessons that my dad taught me through his love for and study of the scriptures.

Love of Learning

My father loved to learn—a love that he inherited from his father. My grandfather didn’t have the opportunity to attend college in his youth, so he read as many books on as many subjects as he could. My grandfather read for the love of reading and the love of learning, and so did my dad. And as my dad discovered new things, he would—and still does—excitedly tell us about them.

Through their example, my father and grandfather taught the importance of learning—which is an essential aspect of life here in mortality. Elder David A. Bednar said:

Learning to love learning is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ…. The overarching purpose of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness is to provide His spirit children with opportunities to learn. …

 

You and I are here on the earth to prepare for eternity, to learn how to learn, to learn things that are temporally important and eternally essential, and to assist others in learning wisdom and truth (see Doctrine & Covenants 97:1). Understanding who we are, where we came from, and why we are on the earth places upon each of us a great responsibility both to learn how to learn and to learn to love learning.

I’m grateful to my father and his father for showing me the importance of—and love for—learning.

Importance of Family History

My dad has always loved family history. For as long as I can remember, he would tell me stories about my ancestors. Where they lived, what they did, how they showed their faithfulness to God. He made names like John Borrowman and Austin Hammer come alive and become real heroes for me. Their courage in the face of adversity has inspired me in times of trouble. But they also help to give me an identity, a legacy of faith to pass on to my own children.

But learning about family history is not just about discovering the past. It’s also about binding the generations together. President James E. Faust explained:

Searching for our kindred dead isn’t just a hobby. It is a fundamental responsibility for all members of the Church. We believe that life continues after death and that all will be resurrected. We believe that families may continue in the next life if they have kept the special covenants made in one of the sacred temples under the authority of God. We believe that our deceased ancestors can also be eternally united with their families when we make covenants in their behalf in the temples. Our deceased forebears may accept these covenants, if they choose to do so, in the spirit world.

 

The great vicarious work for our kindred dead in our temples demonstrates both the justice and the fairness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained the terrible dilemma which would face God’s children without temple work for our dead. Said he: “One dies and is buried, having never heard the Gospel of reconciliation; to the other the message of salvation is sent, he hears and embraces it, and is made the heir of eternal life. Shall the one become the partaker of glory and the other be consigned to hopeless perdition? Is there no chance for his escape?” Fortunately our ancestors will have the opportunity to receive and accept the saving ordinances as we identify them and complete these sacred ordinances for them by proxy. We do for them what they cannot do for themselves. It is a very satisfying experience.

My dad didn’t stop with those who joined The Church of Jesus Christ. He has researched our family lines back centuries—through the Revolutionary War in America and beyond to the clans of Scotland and the Norse Vikings.  His love of family history helped create my own love of family history. President Faust said:

Some who are interested in family history try to enhance their own image by linking up with prominent people. In my own experience it has been quite different. I have been fascinated by learning of some of the unknown, ordinary people whose records tell of heroic lives.

I agree. Brigham Young University has a site called Relative Finder that links to the LDS Family Search site. Together, they tell you to which famous people you are related and how you are related to them. I am related—distantly—to some prominent names. But my favorite ancestor on Relative Finder is John Borrowman, who is my fourth great-grandfather. He may not be famous to the world, but he was famously popular with my dad—who made him famously popular with me.

Fathers Are Special

My dad taught me that fathers are special— because he is special to me. He taught me that there is nothing like the bond between a father and his daughter (or daughters). My dad had 6 girls, and each of us would swear that we are my dad’s favorite. President Benson said:

One great thing the Lord requires of each of us is to provide a home where a happy, positive influence for good exists. In future years the costliness of home furnishings or the number of bathrooms will not matter much, but what will matter significantly is whether our children felt love and acceptance in the home. It will greatly matter whether there was happiness and laughter, or bickering and contention.

 

I am convinced that before a child can be influenced for good by his or her parents, there must be a demonstration of respect and love.

 

President Joseph F. Smith said: “Fathers, if you wish your children to be taught in the principles of the gospel, … if you wish them to be obedient to and united with you, love them! and prove to them that you do love them by your every word or act to them.” (Liahona, The Elders’ Journal, 17 Oct. 1911, pp. 260–61.)

My father showed that he loved each one of his children through his words and his actions. By his example and through his teachings, I learned the faith of my ancestors, a love for learning and the scriptures, the importance of family. He was—and still is—an example of the believers for his children and grandchildren. He and my mother illustrate for me the truth of what Elder L. Tom Perry said:

The most powerful teaching a child will ever receive will come from concerned and righteous fathers and mothers.

The lessons are the most powerful because they last the longest. The truths I learned from the faith of my father continue as I teach my own children. I am grateful to my dad taking the time to pass on his legacy of faith.

Read Part 1 of this article.

Nowhere in the scriptures are we told that we should choose to doubt. In fact, we are repeatedly told that we should avoid doubt. Christ said to his disciples: “Neither be ye of doubtful mind.” (Luke 12:29. See also Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:23.) The Lord told Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (Doctrine & Covenants 6:36). And Moroni counsels all of us to “Doubt not, but be believing” (Mormon 9:27). More recently, President Thomas S. Monson said,

Do not yield to Satan’s enticements; rather, stand firm for truth. . . . Vice never leads to virtue. Hate never promotes love. Cowardice never gives courage. Doubt never inspires faith.

In other words, as between doubt and faith, we should choose faith. (See also Helaman 5:49 and Mormon 9:21 & 25.)

That is not to say that we should not be inquisitive or that it is wrong to ask questions, or wonder about things. In fact, we are admonished to ask, seek and knock (3 Nephi 14: 7 & 27:29; Matthew 7:7; Doctrine & Covenants 6:5). We are to worship God not only with our heart, but also with our minds (Mark 12:30; 2 Nephi 25:29; Moroni 10:32). We are told “with all thy getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). President Dieter F. Uchtforf has said:

Inquiry is the birthplace of testimony. Some might feel embarrassed or unworthy because they have searching questions regarding the gospel, but they needn’t feel that way. Asking questions isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a precursor of growth. …

 

Fear not; ask questions. Be curious, but doubt not! Always hold fast to faith and to the light you have already received. Because we see imperfectly in mortality, not everything is going to make sense right now. In fact, I should think that if everything did make sense to us, it would be evidence that it had all been made up by a mortal mind. Remember that God has said: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. …”

We are also told that some kinds of revelation come only after we have studied things out in our minds. (See Doctrine & Covenants 9:8.) Alma taught us to use both our intellectual as well as spiritual faculties to experiment upon the word (Alma 32:27). John taught us to test the spirits to see if they are of God (1 John 4:1). Similarly, Paul taught us to “Prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We are told to diligently teach and seek “out of the best books words of wisdom.” We are to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:118; Doctrine & Covenants 109:7 & 14.) So as we ask, seek and knock, we are to do so in a spirit of faith, not in a spirit of cynicism, bitterness or doubt (James 1:5-6).

Nourishing Your Testimony

Just as a little plant must be nourished to grow, so our testimony also must be nourished by faith.

Nevertheless, although we should try to avoid complacently accepting doubt, it is not a sin to be tempted by doubt. But thoughts and feelings of doubt do not need to be indulged. It has been said that a bird may land on your head, but you don’t need to let it build a nest there. So, like other temptations of the mind, thoughts of doubt about God and His Church may enter our heads, but there is no sin in that unless we choose to cultivate, embrace or act on those thoughts.

A helpful analogy in this regard is that of Alma’s garden in Alma 32:27-43. Alma teaches us to plant the seeds of faith in the garden of our hearts and nourish and cultivate the seeds to see if they will bear good fruit and prove themselves to be good seeds. We move from faith to knowledge as the seeds grow, enlarge our souls, enlighten our understanding and expand our minds (Alma 32:33-34).

However, bad seeds, seeds of doubt and apostasy, can also fall into our gardens. So, just as it is important to nourish the good seeds, we should avoid nourishing the bad seeds so they do not choke out the good seeds. If we cultivate seeds of faith, we will reap the fruits of faith: knowledge and eternal life. If we cultivate seeds of doubt, we will harvest the fruits of apostasy.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell similarly applied this analogy [Neal A. Maxwell, Meek and Lowly (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1987), 6.]:

Lack of intellectual humility is there among those who have deliberately cultivated their doubts in order, they think, to release themselves from their covenants. Some nurture their grievances assiduously. Were their grievances, instead, Alma’s seed of faith, they would have long ago nourished a mighty tree of testimony.

Much of the work organizations such as FairMormon do are to provide ways for people to identify the bad seeds and to give people the tools they need to pull the weeds from the gardens of their hearts.  Of course, it is not possible for FairMormon to destroy all the seeds of doubt. If it were, as Professor Terryl Givens points out, people would not be free to choose faith as they would have no options. Furthermore, while FairMormon can help give people the tools they need to remove the weeds from their gardens, a garden will still not bear fruit if no one has made an effort to plant good seeds and diligently nourish them. As Alma indicated, once the tree of testimony begins to grow, we must continue to exercise faith by nourishing the tree so that we may one day eat the fruit of the tree, which is everlasting life (Alma 32:36-43). Elder Neil L. Andersen discussed how we can strengthen our testimonies in the face of trials:

How do you remain “steadfast and immovable” during a trial of faith? You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.

When faced with a trial of faith-whatever you do, you don’t step away from the Church! Distancing yourself from the kingdom of God during a trial of faith is like leaving the safety of a secure storm cellar just as the tornado comes into view.

Elder Quentin L. Cook further taught us what to avoid:

Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices. Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants. Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes. Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed.

Avoiding the Seeds of Doubt

Also, in trying to avoid doubt, it can be helpful to avoid those who sow the seeds of doubt. Excessive exposure to people who are bitter, cynical and angry is corrosive and has a tendency to erode faith. Elder Maxwell observed that as we read in the Section 46 of the Doctrine and Covenants, “to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God… to others it is given to believe on their words…” The dark side of that coin, of course, is that doubts can be pooled, too, and anxieties shared with the wrong people so that this wilts such few tender sprouts of certitude as exist. The point is not that we should refuse to share our concerns, but that sincere doubters really seek for answers, while it is often the insincere doubter who wants to play “Can you top this?” in a frenzy of doubt for doubt’s sake. [Neal A. Maxwell, For the Power is In Them…(Mormon Musings) (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1970), 31.]

Of course, as we try to cast the seeds of doubt out of our lives, we should not be too quick to cast out the doubters. Some, through no fault of their own, experience doubt and ask questions more than others. Elder Maxwell described different types of doubters in the following way:

You are quite right to be lovingly concerned about doubters, who come in such various shapes and attitudinal shadings. Some doubters truly seek answers. These give the Brethren the benefit of the doubt, and, for them, doubt becomes a useful spiritual spur. There are others who doubt and hold back simply because they are so afraid of being “taken in.” There are still others who are embarrassed because of their inability to defend their faith; for these, doubt is a refuge. Yet other doubters are stubborn, because they feel God has not responded to them on their terms. There are even doubters who come to enjoy their roles and the associated attention and who set themselves up “as a golden calf for the worship” of people in the Church (Doctrine & Covenants 124:84). A variation of the latter is seen in those who are “professing and yet [are] not of God” (Doctrine & Covenants 46:27; see also Doctrine & Covenants 136:19). “He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion” (2 Nephi 26:29).

 

These latter individuals have their own agendum and have apparently long since concluded that, if they can’t be a leader, then they will be a critic.

 

Absent sufficient meekness in the doubter, I am not sure that much can be done. Experience can either soften or harden doubts, depending on the person’s supply of meekness. Clearly, however, our love should include all doubters, whatever their motivation, “for ye know not but what they will… come unto me with full purpose of heart” (3 Nephi 18:32). [Neal A. Maxwell, That Ye May Believe, Kindle edition, 2026.]

As we strive to spread the gospel and build faith in others, patience and love are necessary if we are to reach those who are struggling, but have not yet surrendered to and embraced doubt. As Elder Maxwell has written:

The ability to create a climate around us in which people, as in the case of the man who approached Jesus, feel free enough to say the equivalent of “Lord, help Thou my unbelief,” is a critical skill. If we can deal with doubt effectively in its nascent stages, we can assist people by a warmth and love which frees them to share the worries that they may have, and increase the probability of dissolving their doubt. But, if we over-react to dissent or to doubt, we are apt, rather than inculcating confidence in those we serve, to exhibit what, in the eyes of the rebel, may seem to be a flaw in our inner confidence in what we say.

 

We need to relax to be effective in the process of helping people who are building testimonies. Over-reacting and pressing the panic button when doubt first makes its appearance can render us ineffective. This is one of the reasons why parents are often in a temporarily poorer tactical position to deal effectively with a rebellious son or daughter— the anxiety is too real to relax. In these circumstances, bishops, teachers, and friends can be helpful— not because they are clinically detached, for their love and concern should be honestly communicated— but rather because third parties sometimes can listen a little longer without reacting, can prescribe with a clear-headed assessment, and most of all, can be a fresh voice which conveys care and concern, a voice which has risen above similar challenges. [Neal A. Maxwell, A More Excellent Way: Essays on Leadership for Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1967), 62.]

Doubt is necessary, in the cosmic scheme of things, if we are to experience an authentic test of our true desires, retain our moral agency, and have the kind of full experience we need that will help us to become more like Christ. However, as we better come to appreciate the necessity of doubt, we should be careful to speak of doubt in its proper place. Doubt is a condition to be overcome and not a virtue to be embraced.

An unavoidable part of life is that we routinely experience doubt, confusion and uncertainty. These feelings are always troubling, but they can be especially disconcerting when they relate to our feelings about God. During those times, I like to think about two different episodes in the scriptures.

The first event involved Christ and a great number of his followers. In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Christ gave what has become known as “The Bread of Life Sermon” in which he stated that He is the Bread of Life and that unless we eat of his flesh and drink his blood, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Most of those who were listening were so upset by the notion that we must eat the flesh and blood of Christ to go to Heaven that they stopped listening then and there and left the Savior.

Only his most loyal disciples, the Twelve, remained. Christ did not run after those who left to apologize for offending them, or to try and explain that it was merely a metaphor. He merely turned to the Twelve and asked, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:67.) It was Peter who replied. He did not say, “Of course we’re going to stay. We understand that you are only speaking metaphorically.” Instead, he said “to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6: 68). Peter and the Twelve may have experienced the same kinds of doubts, confusion and uncertainty that were felt by those who left, but the Twelve set those feelings aside and stood by the Savior. Rather than act upon whatever doubts they may have had, they acted upon their faith. And because of this decision to act with faith, and continue following the Savior, their faith was eventually transformed into knowledge.

The second story involves a great miracle and a man of imperfect faith. The anguished man had sought a blessing from the disciples of Christ for his son, who had been afflicted with convulsions since he was a child. When the disciples were unable to heal the son, the scribes, perhaps seeing an opportunity to embarrass the disciples of Christ, started arguing with the disciples. At this point, Christ entered the scene and asked what the argument was about. The man stepped forward and explained how he had brought his son to the disciples to be healed, but they had failed. Christ told the man that “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). Of course, the man had just witnessed how Christ’s disciples had fallen short and were now being challenged by critics of the Church. The conclusion the man might have drawn was that not even the disciples had sufficient faith. Under these circumstances, it would be understandable if the man gave up and surrendered to doubt. Instead, the man gathered all the faith he could, and said “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). In other words, he was not certain that Christ could heal his son. But he would set aside what uncertainty he had and ask for a miracle. In doing so, his faith turned to knowledge once Christ healed the son.

Counsel for Those Wrestle with Doubts

Clearly, we can be blessed and even witness miracles even though we experience confusion and doubt. Nevertheless, we may become discouraged when we find that our leaders are imperfect. We may become upset at some difficult doctrine or find some Church historical events impossible to fathom. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf acknowledged that leaders of the Church have made mistakes and that with respect to the history of the Church, “there have been some things said and done that could cause people to question.” His counsel was to be patient while we gather more information, consider looking at things from a different perspective, and to “first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” [See F. F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer (1924), 23.]

Yet, one does not need to spend much time on the Internet today to find people who speak of doubt as if it is something to be proud of. It seems that for some, a person is not truly thoughtful if that person does not regularly experience doubt about the Church and its leaders. For such people, doubt is a badge of honor and a symbol of intellectual maturity rather than a burden and trial to be overcome. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has observed,

“Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not!”

Of course, as people speak of “doubt,” it is sometimes difficult to know what they mean. The word “doubt” may be used when all that is meant is mere confusion, uncertainty or a reservation of judgment. Other times the word “doubt” may be used to describe bitterness, cynicism and distrust. One can temporarily “doubt” certain things in the first sense, and still generally see with an “eye of faith” (Alma 32:40). However, “doubt” of the second kind erodes and undermines faith. And even when doubt begins as mere questioning or uncertainty, if left unresolved, it can eventually devolve into cynicism and bitterness.

Approaching Doubts

Usually, when we speak of doubt in a religious context, it denotes a condition that is antithetical to faith. For example, when the scriptures or general authorities speak of doubt, it is almost always of the more negative variety.

So we are understandably concerned when a friend or family member admits to having “doubts.” And it can be especially confusing lately to hear so many speak of doubt as something useful or even desirable.

Whether doubts end up as a positive or negative thing for us depends to a large degree upon how we look at them and what we do about them. Elder John A. Widstoe examined the different approaches to doubt as follows:

The strong man is not afraid to say, “I do not know”; the weak man simpers and answers, “I doubt.” Doubt, unless transmuted into inquiry, has no value or worth in the world…. To take pride in being a doubter, without earnestly seeking to remove the doubt, is to reveal shallowness of thought and purpose. …

 

Doubt of the right kind— that is, honest questioning— leads to faith. Such doubt impels men to inquiry, which always opens the door to truth. The scientist in his laboratory, the explorer in distant parts, the prayerful man upon his knees— these and all inquirers like them find truth. They learn that some things are known, others are not. They cease to doubt….

 

On the other hand, the stagnant doubter, one content with himself, unwilling to make the effort, to pay the price of discovery, inevitably reaches unbelief and miry darkness. His doubts grow like poisonous mushrooms in the dim shadows of his mental and spiritual chambers. At last, blind like the mole in his burrow, he usually substitutes ridicule for reason, and indolence for labor….

 

Doubt which immediately leads to honest inquiry, and thereby removes itself, is wholesome. But that doubt which reeds and grows upon itself, and, with stubborn indolence, breeds more doubt, is evil. [John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991), 31-33.]

Elder Holland has added:

Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.

While it is possible, as Elder Holland suggests, to have questions, but still have faith, it is also becoming increasingly common for people to talk about doubt as being essential to faith in a way that might lead one to conclude that if one does not carefully preserve and cherish one’s doubts, one might just lose one’s faith. While it is true that experiencing and overcoming doubt can strengthen faith, God does not expect us to cling to our doubts. Ultimately, doubt is not the friend of faith, but rather its enemy. As we learn from the Lectures on Faith [Lectures on Faith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985, p. 46.]:

Where doubt is, there faith has no power.

The Choice Between Doubt and Faith

Mormon scholar Terryl Givens, professor of religion and literature at the University of Richmond, gave a fireside presentation titled “Letter to a Doubter.” This insightful piece has had a dramatic impact on the way in which many of us view doubt and doubters. Of course, as with many ideas that garner great enthusiasm, we can begin to carry an idea to an extreme that starts to undermine the very reason for communicating the original idea.

Obviously, Professor Givens did not intend to foster greater doubt. Rather, he hoped to help build faith. Yet, if we are not careful, we may mistakenly take his arguments as justification for not only defending, but encouraging doubt. Professor Givens says that we should be grateful for our doubts. However, this is only true in the same sense that we should be grateful for our temptations, suffering and afflictions. There must be an opposition in all things (2 Nephi 2:11). It is in resisting temptation, enduring suffering and overcoming affliction that we progress and grow. It is through the test of our adversities that we manifest our true desires. We should no more seek out and celebrate doubt than we should seek out and celebrate temptation, suffering, or affliction. As Professor Givens explains:

I know I am grateful for a propensity to doubt because it gives me the capacity to freely believe…. There must be grounds for doubt as well as belief in order to render the choice more truly a choice, and therefore more deliberate and laden with more personal vulnerability and investment. An overwhelming preponderance of evidence on either side would make our choice as meaningless as would a loaded gun pointed at our heads…. What we choose to embrace, to be responsive to, is the purest reflection of who we are and what we love. That is why faith, the choice to believe, is, in the final analysis, an action that is positively laden with moral significance.

So doubt is necessary for the way in which it helps to reveal our true desires. Doubt can also help us to grow, to gain experience, and to maintain our moral agency. But it is not a condition that we should seek after or complacently maintain. Just as we can choose to believe, we can also choose to doubt. Elder Neal A. Maxwell observed that for some, this is a serious temptation:

Why are a few members who somewhat resemble the ancient Athenians, so eager to hear some new doubt or criticism? (See Acts 17:21.) Just as some weak members slip across a state line to gamble, a few go out of their way to have their doubts titillated. Instead of nourishing their faith, they are gambling “offshore” with their fragile faith. To the question “Will ye also go away?” these few would reply, “Oh, no, we merely want a weekend pass in order to go to a casino for critics or a clubhouse for cloakholders.” Such easily diverted members are not disciples but fair-weather followers. Instead, true disciples are rightly described as steadfast and immovable, pressing forward with “a perfect brightness of hope.” (2 Nephi 31:20; see also Doctrine & Covenants 49:23.)

So, although we may experience feelings of doubt, and feel tempted to embrace doubt, we should vigorously resist that choice. Among our deepest desires should be one in which we long to move beyond doubt, through faith, and into the realm of knowledge.

Read Part 2 of this article.

Our Redeemer took upon Himself all the sins, pains, infirmities, and sicknesses of all who have ever lived and will ever live. No one has ever suffered in any degree what He did. He knows our mortal trials by firsthand experience. It is a bit like us trying to climb Mount Everest and only getting up the first few feet. But He has climbed all 29,000 feet to the top of the mountain. He suffered more than any other mortal could. (Italics added.)

Jesus Christ took upon Himself our heartaches, trials, tragedies and triumphs—and in doing so they became personal for Him. It is often through these experiences that the Savior becomes personal for us. When we begin to understand this, we begin to more fully understand the Savior Himself. And when we more fully understand the Savior, we gain a greater appreciation and a greater ability to apply these lessons in our own lives. Here are four truths that helped me more fully understand the love that the Savior has for me, personally.

Jesus Christ is Concerned with the One

The scriptures teach that Jesus Christ “numbereth His sheep, and they know Him” (1 Nephi 22:25). It must follow that the Savior knows each one of His sheep—how else could He know if one was lost? For me, this is hard to comprehend. It’s easy to believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us—as in all of Our Heavenly Father’s children— but do They really know and love me? After all, with the billions and billions of people who have ever lived, live now or will ever live, how can They have a personal knowledge of one individual? Elder M. Russell Ballard said:

Sadly, in today’s world, a person’s importance is often judged by the size of the audience before which he or she performs. That is how media and sports programs are rated, how corporate prominence is sometimes determined, and often how governmental rank is obtained. That may be why roles such as father, mother, and missionary seldom receive standing ovations. Fathers, mothers, and missionaries “play” before very small audiences. Yet, in the eyes of the Lord, there may be only one size of audience that is of lasting importance—and that is just one, each one, you and me, and each one of the children of God. The irony of the Atonement is that it is infinite and eternal, yet it is applied individually, one person at a time.

This statement brings into focus how profoundly individual the love of the Savior is for each one of us. The scriptures also teach us of the love that the Savior has for us. The New Testament records that “Jesus wept” after seeing the despair and sorrow of Mary and Martha upon the death of their beloved brother Lazarus. (See John 11:1-45.) Of this story, Sister Linda S. Reeves, at the time a counselor in the General Relief Society presidency, said:

Apostle James E. Talmage wrote, “The sight of the two women so overcome by grief … caused Jesus to sorrow [with them] so that He groaned in spirit and was deeply troubled.” This experience testifies of the compassion, empathy, and love that our Savior and our Heavenly Father feel for each of us every time we are weighed down by the anguish, sin, adversity, and pains of life.

 

… Our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know us and love us. They know when we are in pain or suffering in any way. They do not say, “It’s OK that you’re in pain right now because soon everything is going to be all right. You will be healed, or your husband will find a job, or your wandering child will come back.” They feel the depth of our suffering, and we can feel of Their love and compassion in our suffering.

One experience that has helped me feel the individual love of the Savior is in the partaking of the sacrament during our Latter-day Saint Sunday worship services. The Savior instituted the sacrament during His Last Supper in Jerusalem, when he blessed and passed the bread and wine to His Apostles. It is an individual renewal of the covenants made at baptism, one of which is that we will always remember the Savior. But in the last year and a half, this has become even more personal for me. Because now, I can’t have regular bread. So during the passing of the bread, one of the young men must make a special trip back to the table where the bread is blessed and bring me the tray with gluten-free bread. Every time this happens, it is a symbolic reminder to me that the Savior knows and loves me. And each time, I feel the special love that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father have for specifically for me.

Prayer is Our Individual Communion with God

When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He taught us how to pray. (See Matthew 6:9-13.) Why is this? Because prayer is our personal communication with God in the name of His Son. Elder Richard G. Scott said:

Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father. Actually, because He knows how desperately we need His guidance, He commands, “Thou shalt pray vocally as well as in thy heart; yea, before the world as well as in secret, in public as well as in private.”

 

It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our supplication can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer.

Through our individual prayers, we can commune with our Father in Heaven in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and come to know Them as They know each one of us. Often we are the ones who distance ourselves from Them—because sometimes it’s difficult to imagine Them always reaching out for us. But They are. Elder Scott said:

Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening. …

 

Should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near. Pray even when you have no desire to pray. Sometimes, like a child, you may misbehave and feel you cannot approach your Father with a problem. That is when you most need to pray. Never feel you are too unworthy to pray.

 

I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him.

We pray to the Father in the name of His Son because Jesus Christ is the intermediary between us and our Heavenly Father. Prayer bridges the spiritual gap between us and God. As we do so, we strengthen our relationship with both the Father and the Son.

Coming to Know and Love God Through Our Suffering

I often wonder at the purpose of trials in our lives. Sometimes the hurt and heartache just seem mean. But the Savior said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Not only are we all sinners, but we are also all sick, to one degree or another. Sin, pain, weakness, hurt, heartache, tragedy—all are part of the human experience. And all require the Great Physician, Jesus Christ Himself, to heal us.

In the New Testament, the Savior tells of a creditor who had two debtors. One owed 500 pence and the other 50. When they had nothing to pay, the creditor forgave them both. Then the Master asks the question, “Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?” (See Luke 7:41-42.) The same is true of us. The more we come to realize our dependence on our Savior, the more we will appreciate and love Him. Often, nothing brings this complete reliance into focus like our trials and challenges.

The late President Gordon B. Hinckley told a story many years ago about a little one-room schoolhouse in the Virginia mountains where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them. Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied for the position. He was warned about the unruly nature of the boys, but the young teacher accepted the risk. On the first day of school, the teacher asked the class to come up with ten rules and consequences for breaking the rules. They did so, and the penalty was 10 lashes across the back with no coat on. Not too many days later, someone stole the lunch of a big boy named Tom. The thief was located, and it was a scrawny little 10-year-old boy named Jim. As little Jim came to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. But the teacher said, “You helped to make the rules, and you must abide by them.”

So little Jim took his coat off, revealing no shirt and a bony, crippled body. As the teacher hesitated, Big Tom jumped up and offered take the beating instead. The teacher said, “Very well, there is a certain law that one can be a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?” All agreed, and Big Tom removed his coat. The teacher began hitting Big Tom with the rod, but the rod broke after the fifth strike. The class was sobbing. President Hinckley concluded:

Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. “Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!”

Then President Hinckley quoted Isaiah:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrow: . . . He [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5.)

Each one of us is, at one point or another, Little Jim. We need something that only the Savior can give. And He has willingly offered Himself as a sacrifice for us. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:

That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.

As we more fully appreciate what the Savior did for us, we become—in our limited capacity—more like Him. And in doing so, we love Him even more. Elder David A. Bednar said:

There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens.  And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power.

Service—Following in the Footsteps of the Savior

Jesus Christ taught that the two great commandments are to love God and each other. Elder Ballard said:

It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.

 

When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act. Our motivation and heartfelt desire are like unto that of the Savior.

In our journey to come to know God, we cannot forget to serve one another. That is how our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know us so well—because They have served us. And when we serve others, we are following in Their footsteps. Elder Ballard said:

I believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others.

 

If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them.

It’s one thing to have a personal knowledge that the Savior lives and loves us. But it’s another to know that He lives and loves me personally. When we understand these truths, we can more fully understand and appreciate that Jesus Christ is not a distant being but a close and personal Friend—and Savior.

These virtues aren’t just powerful in the movies—they are superpowers in the real world, too. The scriptures as well as modern prophets and Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide excellent examples of these virtues in action. But at the end of the day, do we really understand how powerful these virtues are in our own lives?

Kindness—Not Just for Cinderella

Cinderella is famous for her friendships with the mice in her house and other animals around her. She is kind to everyone, even when that kindness is not reciprocated. Cinderella’s mother, on her deathbed, told Cinderella that kindness is a power that few people truly understand. The late Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin agreed. He said:

Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes.

 

Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given, but they can linger with us over the years. … Kindness should permeate all of our words and actions at work, at school, at church, and especially in our homes.

Jesus Christ set the example of kindness for us. Elder Wirthlin said:

Jesus, our Savior, was the epitome of kindness and compassion. He healed the sick. He spent much of His time ministering to the one or many. He spoke compassionately to the Samaritan woman who was looked down upon by many. He instructed His disciples to allow the little children to come unto Him. He was kind to all who had sinned, condemning only the sin, not the sinner.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said:

The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service. There are myriad ways and circumstances in which we can serve and love others.

One way that we can show kindness is in the way we speak to others. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:

… In this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today.

Another way that we show kindness is in the way we treat others. Elder Wirthlin said:

Each one of us will travel a different road during this life. Each progresses at a different rate. Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all. Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another.

 

Never look down on those who are less perfect than you. Don’t be upset because someone can’t sew as well as you, can’t throw as well as you, can’t row or hoe as well as you.

 

We are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we are here with the same purpose: to learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The Courage of a Queen

The other piece of advice that Cinderella’s mother gave her as she lay dying was to have courage no matter what. Courage is another virtue that carries a lot of power. Elder Lynn G. Robbins said:

Courage is not just one of the cardinal virtues, but as C. S. Lewis observed: “Courage is … the form of every virtue at the testing point. … Pilate was merciful till it became risky.” King Herod was sorrowful at the request to behead John the Baptist but wanted to please “them which sat with him at meat” (Matthew 14:9). … Many of the New Testament chief rulers “believed on [the Lord]; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42–43). The scriptures are full of such examples.

The scriptures are also full of examples of those who showed great courage in the face of adversity, such as Queen Esther in the Old Testament. Esther was raised by her cousin Mordecai, who worked for the king, after her parents passed away. She pleased the king, and he made her his queen. (See Esther 2:17.) She never disclosed that she was Jewish, per Mordecai’s instructions. Not long afterward, Mordecai angered Haman, one of the leader’s in the king’s court, by refusing to kneel before him. In retaliation, Haman plotted to destroy not only Mordecai but all of the Jewish people.

Sister Mary Ellen Smoot, at the time the LDS General Relief Society President, said:

Realizing the grave danger which loomed over his people, Mordecai pled with Esther to seek help from the king: “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

 

Consider Esther’s dilemma: It was against the law to approach the king without being summoned. Such an act was punishable by death. If she were to remain quiet, she would likely enjoy a life of luxury and ease. She could live the life of a queen or risk her life to save her family and her people. She counted the cost and chose to heed the longings of her people and of her heart.

Esther asked Mordecai and the Jews to fast for three days, and she and her handmaids did the same. She declared:

… So will I go into unto the king, which is not according to law: and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16).

President Thomas S. Monson said:

Esther had gathered her courage and would stand firm and immovable for that which was right.

 

Physically, emotionally, and spiritually prepared, Esther stood in the inner court of the king’s house. When the king saw her, he held out his golden scepter, telling her that he would grant whatever request she had. She invited the king to a feast she had arranged, and during the feast she revealed that she was a Jew. She also exposed Haman’s underhanded plot to exterminate all of the Jews in the kingdom. Esther’s plea to save herself and her people was granted.

 

Esther, through fasting, faith, and courage, had saved a nation.

Esther could truly be described as a scriptural Cinderella (minus the wicked relatives). Raised as the daughter of someone who worked for the king, she found favor with the king and was chosen to be his queen. But her greatness came not in being elevated to the status of royalty but in being willing to sacrifice her status to help save a nation—her people—from destruction. President Monson said:

The call for courage comes constantly to each of us. Every day of our lives courage is needed—not just for the momentous events but more often as we make decisions or respond to circumstances around us. Said Scottish poet and novelist Robert Louis Stevenson: “Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.”

The Magic of Work

Cinderella’s stepmother put her to work in the house, saying that it would help keep her mind off of her sorrow. Ironically, Cinderella’s stepmother was absolutely right. I have to wonder how differently Cinderella’s stepfamily would have turned out had they heeded their own advice. Bishop H. David Burton said:

Today, many have forgotten the value of work. Some falsely believe that the highest goal in life is to achieve a condition in which one no longer needs to work. President David O. McKay (1873–1970) was fond of saying, “Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, that love of work is success.”

 

Work is not a matter of economic need alone; it is a spiritual necessity. … To work—honestly and productively—brings contentment and a sense of self-worth.

Work is not just doing things for ourselves but also reaching out to help others. This is another example that Jesus Christ set for us. Elder James B. Martino said:

Christ was the epitome of service. His life was filled with examples of helping and serving others, and His greatest gift of all was what He did for us. … When we serve others, we forget our own problems, and by working to relieve the pain or discomfort of others, we strengthen ourselves.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson said:

God has designed this mortal existence to require nearly constant exertion. I recall the Prophet Joseph Smith’s simple statement: “By continuous labor [we] were enabled to get a comfortable maintenance” (Joseph Smith—History 1:55). By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.

Cinderella benefitted from the magic of work while her stepmother and stepsisters languished in vanity, misery and spiritual poverty. She lost herself in the work of serving others, and thus in so doing rose above her circumstances.

Forgiveness is Freeing

Through the love of the Savior, Jesus Christ, we can find the strength to forgive those who have trespassed against us.

In the end, Cinderella frankly forgave her stepmother and stepsisters of their trespasses. She didn’t want to be burdened by the weight of animosity and bitterness that beset her stepfamily. They were ravaged by resentment, disappointment, grief and pride. Unable to see beyond their own circumstances, they sought to elevate themselves by destroying Cinderella. In the end, they did just the opposite. This is true in our own lives as well. If we seek to elevate ourselves by ruining another, we will only succeed in destroying ourselves.

President Boyd K. Packer told the story of a man who lost his wife after the birth of their first child due to the negligence of the traveling country doctor. The man was grief-stricken and angry at the doctor. President Packer continued:

A grieving, heartbroken young man went to see his spiritual leader. … The counsel from this wise servant was simply: “John, leave it alone. Nothing you do about it will bring her back. Anything you do will make it worse. John, leave it alone.”

 

My friend told me then that this had been his trial, his Gethsemane. How could he leave it alone? Right was right! A terrible wrong had been committed, and somebody must pay for it.

However, the man finally decided to get hold of himself and follow the counsel that he had been given. President Packer said:

Then [the man] told me, “I was an old man before I finally understood. It was not until I was an old man that I could finally see a poor country doctor—overworked, underpaid, run ragged from patient to patient, with little proper medicine, no hospital, few instruments. He struggled to save lives, and succeeded for the most part.

 

“He had come in a moment of crisis when two lives hung in the balance and had acted without delay.

 

“I was an old man,” he repeated, “before finally I understood. I would have ruined my life,” he said, “and the lives of others.”

 

… And that is my counsel to you. If you have festering sores, a grudge, some bitterness, disappointment, or jealousy, get hold of yourself. You may not be able to control things out there with others, but you can control things here, inside of you.

In life it is easy to see things from our own points of view, but we can’t always see the whole picture. However, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ can. It is for this reason that the Savior said, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (Doctrine & Covenants 64:10). Elder David E. Sorenson said:

This is not to say that forgiveness is easy. When someone has hurt us or those we care about, that pain can almost be overwhelming. It can feel as if … we have no choice but to seek vengeance. But Christ, the Prince of Peace, teaches us a better way. It can be very difficult to forgive someone the harm they’ve done us, but when we do, we open ourselves up to a better future. No longer does someone else’s wrongdoing control our course. When we forgive others, it frees us to choose how we will live our own lives. Forgiveness means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can focus on the future with God’s love in our hearts.

This is the beauty and miracle of forgiveness. And it is found only in and through the example and Atonement of Jesus Christ. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other.

Our Choices Define Who We Are

At the end of the day, our choices define who we are. Like Cinderella’s wicked stepfamily, we can choose to be miserable in our circumstances. Or we can choose to be happy, as did Cinderella. Into each life, some rain will come. But it’s how we choose to deal with the rain and mud that defines our character. Elder L. Tom Perry said:

Those of us who have been around a while … have recognized certain patterns in life’s test. There are cycles of good and bad times, ups and downs, periods of joy and sadness, and times of plenty as well as scarcity. When our lives turn in an unanticipated and undesirable direction, sometimes we experience stress and anxiety. One of the challenges of this mortal experience is to not allow the stresses and strains of life to get the better of us—to endure the varied seasons of life while remaining positive, even optimistic. Perhaps when difficulties and challenges strike, we should have these hopeful words of Robert Browning etched in our minds: “The best is yet to be” (“Rabbi Ben Ezra,” in Charles W. Eliot, ed., The Harvard Classics, 50 vols. [1909–10], 42:1103).

Each of us has a little bit of Cinderella in us—and some of her stepfamily, too. But ultimately, it’s up to each one of us to decide how our fairy tales will end. As President Monson said:

It has been said … that history turns on small hinges, and so do people’s lives. Our lives will depend upon the decisions which we make—for decisions determine destiny.

Eve was given the identity of “the mother of all living”—years, decades, perhaps centuries before she ever bore a child. It would appear that her motherhood preceded her maternity, just as surely as the perfection of the Garden preceded the struggles of mortality. I believe mother is one of those very carefully chosen words, one of those rich words—with meaning after meaning after meaning. … I believe with all my heart that it is first and foremost a statement about our nature, not a head count of our children.

Through her example, we learn many things about mothers—including our own. We learn about the truly divine nature of women and womanhood. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have heard the stories of Eve my whole life. But I have gained a greater appreciation for Mother Eve as I more fully realize the powerful example she set for her daughters is still applicable thousands of years later. Here are 5 truths about mothers (and women) that I learned from Eve.

Woman is God’s Crowning Creation

Adam and Eve were the first people on earth. Theirs was truly a love story crafted by God Himself. After God created the heavens and the earth and placed all manner of plants and animals upon it, He created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden. But God was not done. The scriptures teach:

And I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof;

 

And the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, made I a woman, and brought her unto the man.

 

And Adam said: This I know now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. (See Moses 3:21-25.)

The symbolism of the rib illustrates the importance of Eve—and all women—in the world. Elder Russell M. Nelson said:

From the rib of Adam, Eve was formed (see Genesis 2:22; Moses 3:22; Abraham 5:16). … I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership. The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side.

The late President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

Woman is God’s supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.

 

Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth.

Elder Richard G. Scott said:

… Women are the compassionate, self-sacrificing, loving power that binds together the human family.

Eve truly was God’s crowning creation. When we as women understand our own divine power, we can more fully use it as an unstoppable force for good in the world today.

Motherhood—Eve’s Divine Choice

Eve showed us that motherhood truly is a divine choice. In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. Of this time, Elder Scott said:

When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, all that they needed for daily sustenance was abundantly given to them. They had no difficulties, challenges, or pain. Because they had never experienced hard times, they did not know they could be happy. They had never felt turmoil, so they could not feel peace.

But something was missing. God gave Adam and Eve two conflicting commandments. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said:

To the first man and woman on earth, the Lord said, “Be fruitful, and multiply” (Moses 2:28; see also Genesis 1:28). This commandment was first in sequence and first in importance.

Of the second commandment, the late President James E. Faust explained:

In the Garden of Eden, she and Adam were instructed not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, they were also reminded, “Thou mayest choose for thyself.”

Elder Oaks said:

When Adam and Eve received the first commandment, they were in a transitional state, no longer in the spirit world but with physical bodies not yet subject to death and not yet capable of procreation. They could not fulfill the Father’s first commandment without transgressing the barrier between the bliss of the Garden of Eden and the terrible trials and wonderful opportunities of mortal life.

 

For reasons that have not been revealed, this transition, or “fall,” could not happen without a transgression—an exercise of moral agency amounting to a willful breaking of a law (see Moses 6:59).

Thus, Adam and Eve had a decision to make. President Faust explained:

The choice was really between a continuation of their comfortable existence in Eden, where they would never progress, or a momentous exit into mortality with its opposites: pain, trials, and physical death in contrast to joy, growth, and the potential for eternal life. In contemplating this choice, we are told, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, … and a tree to be desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.” And thus began their earthly probation and parenthood.

Eve is sometimes infamous in our day and age for her choice to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and for convincing Adam to do the same. But, President Faust said:

We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Eve. … Eve made an even greater statement of visionary wisdom after leaving the Garden of Eden: “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” If it hadn’t been for Eve, none of us would be here.

Eve had made the divine choice to become a mother. She may not have fully understood the consequences of her actions, but she knew that she wanted to be a mother. It is a choice for which we owe a great debt. President Thomas S. Monson said:

Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to take us by the hand and introduce us to birth—even to mortal life—deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.”

Motherhood is a Partnership

As President Monson’s quoted writer so eloquently declared, motherhood is truly a partnership with God. And motherhood is a partnership with fatherhood. They are inextricably intertwined. Elder Nelson said:

Marvelously, it takes a man and a woman to make a man or a woman. Without union of the sexes, neither can we exist, nor can we become perfect.

Mothers and fathers, women and men, have their own divine roles in this partnership. Elder M. Russell Ballard said:

God has revealed through his prophets that men are to receive the priesthood, become fathers, and with gentleness and pure, unfeigned love they are to lead and nurture their families in righteousness as the Savior leads the Church (see Ephesians 5:23). They have been given the primary responsibility for the temporal and physical needs of the family (see Doctrine & Covenants 83:2). Women have the power to bring children into the world and have been given the primary duty and opportunity as mothers to lead, nurture, and teach them in a loving, spiritual environment. In this divine partnership, husbands and wives support one another in their God-given capacities. By appointing different accountabilities to men and women, Heavenly Father provides the greatest opportunity for growth, service, and progress. He did not give different tasks to men and women simply to perpetuate the idea of a family; rather, He did so to ensure that the family can continue forever, the ultimate goal of our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan.

Eve taught us that her role was complementary to her husband. She was not in competition with him. Sister Linda K. Burton explained:

… The phrase help meet means “a helper suited to, worthy of, or corresponding to him.” For example, our two hands are similar to each other but not exactly the same. In fact, they are exact opposites, but they complement each other and are suited to each other. Working together, they are stronger.

 

In a chapter about families, the Church handbook contains this statement: “The nature of male and female spirits is such that they complete each other.” Please note that it does not say “compete with each other” but “complete each other”! We are here to help, lift, and rejoice with each other as we try to become our very best selves. Sister Barbara B. Smith wisely taught, “There is so much more of happiness to be had when we can rejoice in another’s successes and not just in our own.” When we seek to “complete” rather than “compete,” it is so much easier to cheer each other on!

Adam and Eve illustrated the power that comes from partnering with each other and God. Sister Sheri L. Dew explained:

The Lord’s pattern for couples … was established by our first parents. Together Adam and Eve labored, mourned, were obedient, had children…. Repeatedly the scriptures about Adam and Eve refer to the pronoun they.

 

… Their unique roles were interconnected. They counseled with one another, lifted burdens neither could have lifted alone, and then faced the wilderness, with all of its uncertainty, together.

God did not intend for us to walk alone in this journey through life. He intended us to walk side by side, husband and wife, to navigate the storms together. For those who, for one reason or another, walk alone with no spouse, God has not left us alone. We can always turn to Him, as His beloved daughters, to carry us through the challenging times.

Motherhood is a Divine Responsibility

Motherhood is a God-given responsibility for all women. But what exactly does this mean? Sister Dew said:

Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us.

Sister Holland said:

Some women give birth and raise children but never “mother” them. Others, whom I love with all my heart, “mother” all their lives but have never given birth. And all of us are Eve’s daughters, whether we are married or single, maternal or barren. We are created in the image of the Gods to become gods and goddesses. And we can provide something of that divine pattern, that maternal prototype, for each other and for those who come after us. Whatever our circumstance, we can reach out, touch, hold, lift, and nurture—but we cannot do it in isolation. We need a community of sisters stilling the soul and binding the wounds of fragmentation.

 

I know that God loves us individually and collectively as women, and that he has a mission for every one of us.

The truth about mothers, then, is that every woman has the capacity to be a mother. Sister Dew said:

… All around us are those who need to be loved and led.

 

Eve set the pattern. In addition to bearing children, she mothered all of mankind when she made the most courageous decision any woman has ever made and with Adam opened the way for us to progress. She set an example of womanhood for men to respect and women to follow, modeling the characteristics with which we as women have been endowed: heroic faith, a keen sensitivity to the Spirit, an abhorrence of evil, and complete selflessness. Like the Savior, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,” Eve, for the joy of helping initiate the human family, endured the Fall. She loved us enough to help lead us.

 

As daughters of our Heavenly Father, and as daughters of Eve, we are all mothers and we have always been mothers. And we each have the responsibility to love and help lead the rising generation.

Eve truly did set the example of mothering for all women to follow. My mother set this example for me. Not only did she mother and raise her own 8 children, she also brought in other children who, from time to time, needed help. Now that her children are grown, she continues to love, nurture and mother as a teacher’s aide in a special needs classroom. One of my sisters has not yet had the opportunity to marry, but she mothers friends, neighbors and all other fellow travelers on the road of life who need her help. Another friend has had no children of her own, but lovingly cares for those of all ages who are in need of her talents as a speech pathologist. Another friend and her husband have yet been unable to have children of their own, but are now foster parents (and adopted a teenager).

My mom and mother-in-law both live thousands of miles away, but I have surrogate sisters, mothers and grandmothers who still love, nurture and care for me and my family both in times of need and in times of joy. All of these women are powerful examples of mothers, daughters of Eve who have followed in her footsteps. As we celebrate mothers—our own as well as those around us—let us remember the words of Sister Dew:

Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us.

LDS General Conference is held in the 21,000-seat Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.

The concept of continuing revelation—that God speaks to living prophets and Apostles in our day—is a fundamental doctrine in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the semi-annual general conferences, which take place the first weekend of the months of April and October. During these meetings, the living prophets and Apostles address the worldwide body of The Church of Jesus Christ. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:

A general conference of this Church is a remarkable occasion indeed—it is an institutional declaration that the heavens are open, that divine guidance is as real today as it was for the ancient house of Israel, that God our Heavenly Father loves us and speaks His will through a living prophet.

Elder Robert D. Hales said:

Conferences have always been part of the true Church of Jesus Christ. Adam gathered his posterity and prophesied of things to come. Moses gathered the children of Israel and taught them the commandments he had received. The Savior taught multitudes gathered both in the Holy Land and on the American continent. Peter gathered believers in Jerusalem. The first general conference in these latter days was convened just two months after the Church was organized, and conferences have continued to this very day.

 

These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit. We are not assigned specific topics. Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord. Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give.

For Latter-day Saints, these worldwide gatherings are unifying, edifying, uplifting and instructional. They are a significant part of the modern Church of Jesus Christ.

Conferences Create Unity

General Conference is available to watch on the Mormon Channel on YouTube and other media platforms.

The Church of Jesus Christ is a global organization with more than 15 million members. General conference is broadcast in more than 90 languages in over 200 countries across the world. Twice a year, Mormons gather as one. It is a heritage that began in the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ. Mormon historian Kenneth W. Godfrey explained:

The first general conference was held in Fayette, New York on 9 June 1830, two months after the Church’s organization. Only seven elders were present; the entire Church had fewer than a dozen priesthood holders. Joseph Smith read the articles and covenants (Doctrine & Covenants 20) which were received by the unanimous voice of the whole congregation. Oliver Cowdery ordained Samuel Smith an elder; then Joseph Smith, Sr., and Hyrum Smith were ordained priests. Thus began the general conference heritage of the Church.

 

Those early conferences were more like church business meetings. Men were proposed for and sustained in the priesthood. Members of the Church made suggestions and presented resolutions from the floor. Church members were tried, disfellowshipped, excommunicated, chastised, praised, and reinstated.

 

At first, conferences were convened at the First Presidency’s request at different times of the year and in different places. The 6 April 1833 general conference was held at the ferry on the Big Blue River in Jackson County, Missouri. It was not until Church headquarters moved to Illinois that the pattern was set of holding conferences in each April and October.

Conference took on new meaning after the Latter-day Saints came to the Salt Lake Valley. Godfrey wrote:

After the Saints’ arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, general conference became a time of reunion and spiritual growth. Mission calls often came from the pulpit with no prior warning. … Others were sent to colonize the more than 350 places settled under Brigham Young’s direction…. Such calls added to the excitement of attending a general conference. During those first few years in the Salt Lake valley, fall conference was often held in August or September so that the newly called missionaries could leave before winter storms closed the mountain passes.

But it wasn’t just a time to conduct Church business. The late President Howard W. Hunter said:

Many years have passed since settlers came in covered wagons into this valley in the tops of the Rockies. Conference was an important occasion in their day, and it continues to be a significant occasion in ours as people of faith and devotion come together to renew and strengthen that faith.

It is this spirit of unity, strengthening and faith that continue today. LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson said:

We can’t all be together under one roof, but we now have the ability to partake of the proceedings of this conference through the wonders of television, radio, cable, satellite transmission, and the Internet—even on mobile devices. We come together as one, speaking many languages, living in many lands, but all of one faith and one doctrine and one purpose.

A Time to Sustain the Prophet & Apostles

During the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference, Latter-day Saints have the opportunity to raise their right hands to sustain— or not sustain— the prophet and Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ. Known as the law of common consent, it is not a democratic vote but rather an opportunity to accept or reject those whom the Lord has called to lead His Church.

General Conference is also a time for Mormons to publicly show their love and support for the Lord’s prophet on the earth today—President Thomas S. Monson—and His Apostles. Living prophets are a hallmark of the Lord’s Church. Elder Russell M. Nelson taught:

A prophet has stood at the head of God’s Church in all dispensations, from Adam to the present day. Prophets testify of Jesus Christ—of His divinity and of His earthly mission and ministry. We honor the Prophet Joseph Smith as the prophet of this last dispensation. And we honor each man who has succeeded him as President of the Church.

In the Saturday afternoon session, each member of The Church of Jesus Christ has the privilege of raising his or her right hand to sustain—or not sustain—those whom Christ has chosen to lead His Church. It is an individual act, but it is also a unifying show of love and support. Elder Nelson explained:

All leaders in the Lord’s Church are called by proper authority. No prophet or any other leader in this Church, for that matter, has ever called himself or herself. No prophet has ever been elected. The Lord made that clear when He said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you.” You and I do not “vote” on Church leaders at any level. We do, though, have the privilege of sustaining them. …

 

Our sustaining of prophets is a personal commitment that we will do our utmost to uphold their prophetic priorities. Our sustaining is an oath-like indication that we recognize their calling as a prophet to be legitimate and binding upon us.

Wherever they are across the globe, Latter-day Saints have the opportunity to sustain the prophet in this meeting. The late Elder David B. Haight said:

In my mind’s eye, I thought of the gatherings of our own family, which is scattered across America—in Georgia; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Pennsylvania; Texas; California; and here in Salt Lake City. Of those little families in whatever the setting might be, there in their home or in the chapel, I thought I could see some of those little ones being taught to raise their hands and to be in harmony, perhaps their parents teaching them what we were doing. When we raised our hands, we not only just did it in motion because it looks like everybody’s doing it, but because we accept and we’re bearing witness about the knowledge we have and the testimony we have that [then] President Hinckley is our prophet and our leader. We not only raise our hands in saying we sustain but that we follow his direction, that we listen, that we counsel, that we pray about it, that we’re mindful of what comes from the lips of the prophet.

A Time of Instruction

General conference is a time of instruction, when the Lord’s servants speak. President Monson said:

We meet each six months to strengthen one another, to extend encouragement, to provide comfort, to build faith. We are here to learn. Some of you may be seeking answers to questions and challenges you are experiencing in your life. Some are struggling with disappointments or losses. Each can be enlightened and uplifted and comforted as the Spirit of the Lord is felt. …

The messages of General Conference are at once broad and personal—and run the gamut of topics. Elder Holland said:

Most of our congregation … is made up of members of the Church. However, with marvelous new methods of communication, ever larger proportions of the audience for our conferences are not members of the Church—yet. So we must speak to those who know us very well and those who know us not at all. Within the Church alone we must speak to the children, the youth and young adults, the middle-aged, and the elderly. We must speak to families and parents and children at home even as we speak to those who are not married, without children, and perhaps very far from home. In the course of a general conference, we always stress the eternal verities of faith, hope, charity, and Christ crucified even as we speak forthrightly on very specific moral issues of the day. We are commanded in the scriptures to “say nothing but repentance unto this generation,” while at the same time we are to preach “good tidings [to] the meek … [and] bind up the brokenhearted.” Whatever form they take, these conference messages “proclaim liberty to the captives” and declare “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” In the wide variety of sermons given is the assumption that there will be something for everyone. In this regard, I guess President Harold B. Lee put it best years ago when he said that the gospel is “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the [comfortable].”

But each person who watches can be personally instructed by the power of the Holy Ghost. Elder Hales said:

In conferences we can receive the word of the Lord meant just for us. One member testified: “As I listened to your address, I was astounded. … Your talk was personal revelation directly from the Lord to my family. I have never experienced such a strong manifestation of the Spirit in my life as those minutes when the Holy Ghost spoke directly to me.”

 

Another said, “I have never before felt so profoundly that a talk was being given to me.”

 

This is possible because the Holy Ghost carries the word of the Lord unto our hearts in terms we can understand.

And, for Mormons, this is one of the greatest blessings of conference—personal guidance and direction.

A Call to Action

Implicit in the messages of conference is a call to action. Elder Hales said:

The greatest blessings of general conference come to us after the conference is over. Remember the pattern recorded frequently in scripture: we gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them.

President Hunter said:

Conference time is a season of spiritual revival when knowledge and testimony are increased and solidified that God lives and blesses those who are faithful. … Conference is the time when our leaders give us inspired direction in the conduct of our lives—a time when souls are stirred and resolutions are made to be better husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, more obedient sons and daughters, better friends and neighbors.

And these messages are available for further study in myriad formats—including online and in the Church magazines following the broadcast. Elder L. Tom Perry said:

Technology has blessed us with many new innovations to spread the message of the gospel through satellite systems, our own network Web site, television, radio, as well as the written text in our magazines and newspaper. All of these add to our delivery systems, which greatly increase our ability to receive the messages that are delivered.

 

But the bricks and mortar and the continued expansion of technology will only bring the messages to us. One challenge remains the same from the time of King Benjamin [in the Book of Mormon] … to today—that is, the challenge of each individual and family, through personal and collective study, to internalize the messages of the gospel of our Lord and Savior. Salvation is not in facilities or technology, but in the word. Only in the power of the word will it impact our lives and help us to live closer to our Father in Heaven.

The messages of modern prophets, Apostles and other Church leaders are given through inspiration of the Lord. Elder Hales said:

We may not know all the reasons why the prophets and conference speakers address us with certain topics in conference, but the Lord does. [The late] President Harold B. Lee taught: “The only safety we have as members of this church is to … give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet. There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your [personal] views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (Doctrine & Covenants 21:6).”

 

How did President Lee know what we would be facing in our day? He knew because he was a prophet, seer, and revelator. And if we listen and obey the prophets now, including those who will speak in this very conference, we will be strengthened and protected.

What is General Conference?

General conference is a series of two-hour sessions for the general membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The spring meeting is called annual and the fall meeting semiannual. They are held Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. mountain time in the 21,000-seat Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Included in the sessions is the general women’s meeting and the priesthood meeting. The general women’s meeting, for girls and women ages 8 and older, is the opening conference meeting and is held on Saturday evening the weekend before General Conference. The priesthood meeting, held Saturday evening between the general Saturday and Sunday sessions, is for young men and men ages 12 and older who have been ordained to the priesthood.

Latter-day Saints travel from all over the world to attend the conference sessions. Free tickets are distributed for each session, but standby lines are also available for those without tickets. Overflow facilities—including the old Tabernacle, the former location for general conference—are located nearby on Temple Square.

Click here to find out how to access the messages of General Conference.

What I discovered when I did go hunting was a tangle of beliefs that are scattered all over the spectrum. Christians have such varying beliefs that I was astonished by the diversity of belief I found. I learned that much of their belief is based on their definition of God and their interpretation of the Bible. Even among Protestants belief in Christ and what He did varies widely.

I have included here quotes from a couple of Christian sources. One states there is no way Christ could have resurrected Himself, and the other claims uncategorically that Jesus raised himself from the dead. I have also included a list of resurrection verses from the scriptures and several references from Church leaders who have differing methods of discussing the subject.

Christianity Divided

The Good News – A Magazine of Understanding is published by the United Church of God. The first paragraph is only one of several reference paragraphs where they list verses that claim that someone other than Jesus resurrected him. The second paragraph explains the verses in John that “implies” that Jesus would bring himself back to life.

No dead person can resurrect Himself. Death is the complete absence of life and consciousness. Only someone alive and gifted with supernatural powers could have performed such a wondrous deed. The New Testament plainly reveals in many passages that it was God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.

For example, the apostle Peter stated in his first sermon on the Day of Pentecost: “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts:2:32). Not long after, Peter repeated this vital testimony. He told the audience that they had “killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses” (Acts:3:15). …

Yet Jesus did say, “Destroy this temple [referring to His body being slain], and in three days I will raise it up [implying His resurrection]” (John:2:19; see verse 21). Jesus did not mean by this that He would come back to life on His own, contradicting the other verses in this regard. Rather, He was referring to the fact that once God the Father made Him alive again in His tomb, He would stand up from where He lay dead—raising Himself from His lying position to then ascend from the grave.

The following two paragraphs come from an article from Come Reason Ministries. This is an apologetics article. They clearly believe that Jesus raised himself from the dead. They also include the belief that the other members of the Trinity (Godhead) had a hand it the process.

There are a couple of key verses where Jesus explicitly claims that He has the power over His own life. In John chapter 2, Jesus drives out the merchants and the moneychangers from the Temple and the Jewish religious leaders were incensed. They demanded to know what proof Jesus could offer to justify His judgment of spiritual propriety. Jesus responded “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John then clarifies Jesus’ statement and writes, “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” Jesus reiterated His power over His own life and death in John 10:17 – 18 when He says, “My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

It is clear that Jesus claimed to have the power to resurrect Himself. The Bible also claims that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead, (see Acts 5:30, Galatians 1:1 among others) and that God’s Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11, 1 Peter, 3:18). So we have all three persons of the Trinity involved in Jesus’ resurrection. Given the crucial aspect of the Resurrection to God’s plan, that is no surprise.

Relevant Verses

Before I list comments on Christ’s resurrection from modern apostles and get into a commentary about the issue, I think it would be good to read a few verses that talk about Christ’s resurrection. Notice that some have already been referenced, and there seem to be some contradictions as to who should get credit for the resurrection of Christ.

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.

Here we are told that Jesus used the power of the Spirit to resurrect Himself. In the verse below we are told that it was Jesus who broke the bands of death.

Mosiah 15:23:

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.

2 Timothy 1:10:

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

The verse in 2 Timothy is a little vague as to who actually did the resurrecting. All it says is that Christ “brought life.” This doesn’t help us solve anything. In the next verse from the book of Romans, all we know is that “the glory of the Father” raised Christ. It doesn’t say who actually performed the resurrection.

Romans 6:4:

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Revelation 1:18:

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

From our understanding of priesthood keys through modern revelation, we know that he who has the keys controls all the rights of administration to the ordinances and powers of that thing. If Christ has the keys of death and hell then he has control over life and is the ultimate judge, because only the one who holds those keys can consign someone to hell. This verse is a pretty reasonable indication that Jesus could have resurrected himself.

Luke 24:46:

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

This verse makes it sound like Christ was in control of both his death and his own resurrection.

Words of the Prophets

In his Conference talk from April, 1982, entitled The Resurrection of Jesus, Elder Marion G. Romney states very clearly that Jesus “brought forth his own glorious resurrected body.” Yet in the next reference from the book Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie, he left the reference vague, saying that it was done “by the power of God.”

When we speak of Jesus being resurrected, we mean that his premortal spirit, which animated his mortal body from his birth in the manger until he died on the cross, reentered that body; and the two, his spirit body and his physical body, inseparably welded together, arose from the tomb an immortal soul.

Our belief is, and we so testify, that Jesus not only conquered death for himself and brought forth his own glorious resurrected body, but that in so doing he also brought about a universal resurrection. This was the end and purpose of the mission for which he was set apart and ordained in the great council in heaven, when he was chosen to be our Savior and Redeemer (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie, p 639).

Christ was the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:23), and because of his resurrection, “by the power of God,” all men shall come forth from the grave (Mormon 9:13).

Doctrines of Salvation, Vol 1, p 31 by Joseph Fielding Smith states very clearly that Jesus resurrected Himself. Actually, it doesn’t, but it does say that He had the power to do it by Himself. What it does appear to state is that Jesus was commanded of his Father to resurrect Himself. This ability to raise Himself from the dead is the ultimate proof that Jesus was divine.

Christ Had Power over Death. This being true, what then did Paul mean by saying to Timothy, according to the King James Bible, that the Son of God “only hath immortality”? Simply this: That of all who have dwelt upon this earth, the Son of God stands out alone as the only one who possessed life in himself and power over death inherently. Christ was never subject unto death, even on the cross, but death was ever subject unto him. “As the Father hath life in himself,” the Savior said, “so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” Again, he said: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 5:26; John 10:17 – 18).

In the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell (from the same talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson referenced below) the victory over death belongs to Christ.

“Christ’s victory over death ended the human predicament. Now there are only personal predicaments, and from these too we may be rescued by following the teachings of him who rescued us from general extinction.”

In the April, 2014 General Conference Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave a talk entitled, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is also pretty clear that Jesus had the power within himself to raise himself from the dead.

Christ’s Resurrection shows that His existence is independent and everlasting. “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” Jesus said:

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

The Savior is not dependent on food or water or oxygen or any other substance or power or person for life. Both as Jehovah and Messiah, He is the great I Am, the self-existing God. He simply is and ever will be.

… Consider for a moment the significance of the Resurrection in resolving once and for all the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth and the great philosophical contests and questions of life. If Jesus was in fact literally resurrected, it necessarily follows that He is a divine being. No mere mortal has the power in himself to come to life again after dying. Because He was resurrected, Jesus cannot have been only a carpenter, a teacher, a rabbi, or a prophet. Because He was resurrected, Jesus had to have been a God, even the Only Begotten Son of the Father.

The Importance of Unity of the Godhead

If you have spent any time in the scriptures you have probably read passages where Jesus speaks as though He is the Father. You have also read passages where the Holy Spirit has spoken as though He were either Christ or the Father. My point is the degree of unity in the Godhead. They speak and act for each other.

I have shown you verses that claim the Spirit raised Jesus, verses that say the Father raised Jesus, and verses that say Jesus raised Himself. As part of the Godhead, does it really matter who did it? I don’t think so. Most of the modern prophets rely on the reference that Jesus had the power over life and death within Himself.

Whether Jesus was raised by the Father, used the power of the Spirit to raise Himself, or had sufficient power to raise Himself without any assistance, it doesn’t change my view of the divinity of Jesus. He was dead, yet lives again. Because of Him all of us will live again. Life has meaning of an eternal nature because of His resurrection. I think that is all that truly matters.

What about you? What were you taught about the resurrection of Jesus? Can you allow that though we don’t have all the answers as to exactly how the resurrection took place that what really matters is that He lives? As you think about what the risen Lord means to you, does it really matter who had a hand in it? Jesus died, yet He lives again. This is the glorious message of the gospel. This is the good news of our salvation and redemption.

The Lord has never given us details about important spiritual events and processes. In this life we are required to walk by faith. How Jesus was resurrected is one of those details He hasn’t shared with us. But we live by faith that because of his resurrection we will live again as well. This means we will have the opportunity for eternal progress and growth, and eternal families. His atonement and resurrection were the most profound events in our existence.