So General Conference was legit. All of you learned that German is the language spoken in the Celestial Kingdom and that Elder Holland wants us to pay attention to his incredible message before we go eat ice cream and get eaten by tomorrow a week before I did, but boy was that a legendary conference. The Conference Center seemed to be a very spiritual atmosphere all weekend, and we definitely felt it down under this weekend.
"You must have:
16. Tens and hundreds of thousands (over 1 million missionaries with millions of members) must bear record to the world for the next 185 years that they know the record to be true, because they put the promise to the test and found it to be true, the truth manifested to them by the power of the Holy Ghost.
17. Thousands of great men, intellectual giants and scholars must subscribe discipleship to the record and its movement even to the point of laying down their lives.
18. Your descriptions of the cultures in these civilizations of which you will write about is not known when you publish your manuscript.
19. There can be no logical flaw whatsoever in the entire book.
20. Yet, you must not make any absurd, impossible, or contradictory statements.
21. Even so, many of the facts, ideas, and statements given us as true in your record must be entirely inconsistent, even the direct opposite of the prevailing beliefs of the world. Very little is even claimed to be known about these civilizations and their 1,000 years of history.
22. You must invite the ablest scholars and experts to examine the text with care. You must strive diligently to see that your book gets into the hands of all those most eager to prove it a forgery and who are most competent to expose any flaw in it.
23. Thorough investigation, scientific evidence and archaeological discoveries for the next 185 years must verify your claims and prove even the minutest details of your history to be perfectly true.
24. After 185 years of extensive analysis, no claim or fact in the book is disproved, but all is vindicated. Other theories and ideas as to its origin, rise, and fall, leaving your claims as the only possible ones.
25. Internal and external prophecies must be confirmed and fulfilled in the next 185 years.
26. Three honest, credible witnesses must testify to the whole world that an angel from heaven appeared to them and showed them the ancient records from which you claim your record is translated.
27. You must call out of heaven the voice of the Redeemer to declare to the three witnesses that your record is true and that it is their responsibility to bear testimony, and that they do.
28. Eight other witnesses must testify to the world that they saw the ancient records in broad daylight and they handled them and felt the engraving thereon.
29. The first three and the second eight witnesses must bear their testimony, not for the profit or gain, but under great personal sacrifice, persecution, and even to their death.
30. You must find someone to finance your book with the understanding that he nor you will ever receive any monetary remuneration from it. You must sell the book at cost or less.
31. Finally, after suffering persecution and revilement for 20 years after you finish the book, you must willingly give your own life for your testimony that the record is from God.
What a remarkable test. What a challenge. And yet the Prophet Joseph fulfilled each item. His testimony is so powerful. It is why we share his testimony of the first vision. Know my friends that this book and this work are true. It bears witness of Christ the Messiah like no other book ever written. It teaches basic Doctrines that support the Fathers plan clearly."
One thing that I've learned thus far into my mission is that the time really is at hand. We are in the last dispensation, hence the General Authorities are bearing testimony of simple, basic Gospel principles. They testify of Christ, the love of not only Him, but also our Father in Heaven, the fact that God has called a Prophet and Twelve Apostles once again in these latter days to lead and guide His children here upon the earth.
How grateful I am to be a member of His Restored Church, blessed with the privilege and opportunity to gather His lost sheep and invite them to draw near to Christ and come back to the fold. Out of my many favorite talks from this weekend, I would like to focus on Elder Mervyn B. Arnold's talk about how we must not be late to the rescue. Each and every one of us can help rescue in our own way, whether it be with members or non-members. Elder Arnold taught that we are all called to help rescue, regardless of our circumstances, that we must never give up, and as we do assist in His great work, how great shall be our joy.
This weekend I had the marvelous opportunity to witness the baptism and confirmation of Sifa, the son of the part member family we are working with. At 8 years old, he stood at the pulpit to express his gratitude and young testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel. He and his three other siblings also sang "Love At Home" with the third verse in Tongan during the program. What an emotional moment that truly brought such great joy.
I would like to close with the second half of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon facts that President Checketts has shared with us:
16. Tens and hundreds of thousands (over 1 million missionaries with millions of members) must bear record to the world for the next 185 years that they know the record to be true, because they put the promise to the test and found it to be true, the truth manifested to them by the power of the Holy Ghost.
17. Thousands of great men, intellectual giants and scholars must subscribe discipleship to the record and its movement even to the point of laying down their lives.
18. Your descriptions of the cultures in these civilizations of which you will write about is not known when you publish your manuscript.
19. There can be no logical flaw whatsoever in the entire book.
20. Yet, you must not make any absurd, impossible, or contradictory statements.
21. Even so, many of the facts, ideas, and statements given us as true in your record must be entirely inconsistent, even the direct opposite of the prevailing beliefs of the world. Very little is even claimed to be known about these civilizations and their 1,000 years of history.
22. You must invite the ablest scholars and experts to examine the text with care. You must strive diligently to see that your book gets into the hands of all those most eager to prove it a forgery and who are most competent to expose any flaw in it.
23. Thorough investigation, scientific evidence and archaeological discoveries for the next 185 years must verify your claims and prove even the minutest details of your history to be perfectly true.
24. After 185 years of extensive analysis, no claim or fact in the book is disproved, but all is vindicated. Other theories and ideas as to its origin, rise, and fall, leaving your claims as the only possible ones.
25. Internal and external prophecies must be confirmed and fulfilled in the next 185 years.
26. Three honest, credible witnesses must testify to the whole world that an angel from heaven appeared to them and showed them the ancient records from which you claim your record is translated.
27. You must call out of heaven the voice of the Redeemer to declare to the three witnesses that your record is true and that it is their responsibility to bear testimony, and that they do.
28. Eight other witnesses must testify to the world that they saw the ancient records in broad daylight and they handled them and felt the engraving thereon.
29. The first three and the second eight witnesses must bear their testimony, not for the profit or gain, but under great personal sacrifice, persecution, and even to their death.
30. You must find someone to finance your book with the understanding that he nor you will ever receive any monetary remuneration from it. You must sell the book at cost or less.
31. Finally, after suffering persecution and revilement for 20 years after you finish the book, you must willingly give your own life for your testimony that the record is from God.
What a remarkable test. What a challenge. And yet the Prophet Joseph fulfilled each item. His testimony is so powerful. It is why we share his testimony of the first vision. Know my friends that this book and this work are true. It bears witness of Christ the Messiah like no other book ever written. It teaches basic Doctrines that support the Fathers plan clearly."
In Moroni 10:3-5, we find an invitation and a promised blessing, given to us by not only Moroni, but also by our Heavenly Father himself. In Conference, we were invited to exercise faith in this promise as if we were reading the Book again "for the first time". I know that as we do, we will witness that same peace and joy we felt from the first time, only this time an even greater feeling with occur. And it can only get better.
Love you heaps,
Elder Muh
Ponderize
- 1 John 5:7
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
There is so much power in this simple verse. In but a few words, we learn that the Godhead is real, that God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are ever present in our lives, and that they, although three distinct beings, will always work in unity, with one purpose.
Sifa's Baptism!!
Elder Muh and a Kangaroo
The Giraffe Exhibit is Practically on the Harbor. Such a Cool View!!
We Made Enchiladas this Week!!
A huge shoutout to our Moms for teaching us enough to cook this meal!
We Got a Huge Mail Delivery Today!
Thanks to all those who wrote me. I'll try to write back soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment