Why is Jesus Called the Son of Man?
This question is especially strange when one realizes that there are others in the Scriptures (particularly the Old Testament) who are called “son[s] of man” (Jeremiah 49:18, Ezekiel 4:16, Psalms 8:4). Elder James E. Talmage, a Biblical scholar, sheds light on the answer much more eloquently than I can in his much-recommended book, Jesus the Christ. He says, “In applying the designation to Himself, the Lord invariably uses the definite article. ‘The Son of Man’ was and is, specifically and exclusively, Jesus Christ. While as a matter of solemn certainty He was the only male human being from Adam down who was not the son of a mortal man, He used the title in a way to conclusively demonstrate that it was peculiarly and solely His own. It is plainly evident that the expression is fraught with a meaning beyond that conveyed by the words in common usage. The distinguishing appellation has been construed by many to indicate our Lord’s humble station as a mortal, and to connote... Read the rest of this entry »
Cameron’s Storm: God Is Guiding Us
Cameron’s Storm: One Year Later by Scott Livingston It was a cold February morning when my wife (Kristina) and new born baby (Cameron Van) set out through Logan canyon on the 40 mile drive from our home in Bear Lake to the hospital to get Cameron’s Bilirubin level tested. We arrived in Logan safely and on time and checked with the receptionist. They called us in, and with a small poke on Cameron’s heel the nurse sent us on our way and said they would call us at home with the results. This had become a daily routine since Cameron’s birth a week earlier. He had high levels since birth and the doctor wanted to monitor it until he was confident that Cameron’s body would take control. After a couple of errands in Logan, milk, eggs, prescriptions, etc, we began our trek through Logan canyon. The road was covered in snow and ice as usual but we had become quite used to it as we had been driving it every day for the last week. Kristina and I had great concerns about... Read the rest of this entry »
Mormon Prophets
Mormon beliefs include a strong belief in prophecy. They teach that just as God spoke to his prophets in the Old Testament, to help them learn and teach truth, and to help His people respond to what was happening in their world, God once again speaks to His children. The Old Testament prophets prepared the world for the first coming of the Savior; the modern day prophets prepare it for the second coming. Prophets speak for God. God provided prophets to the world from the very beginning, when He spoke to Adam. Every now and then, the prophets would be withdrawn due to the wickedness of the people and their unwillingness to listen to the counsel of the prophets. However, in due time, God always restored a prophet to the earth. After the death of Jesus Christ, and the death of His apostles, there were no further prophets. This led to the Great Apostasy, in which many conflicts over doctrine arose and the people floundered as they tried to find truth. God had always promised a restoration of... Read the rest of this entry »
Hand of the Lord
The Bible often refers to the hand of the Lord. This is generally used metaphorically to represent God’s interactions with man. The interactions are sometimes described as being punishing due to sins, and other times, are comforting or rewarding, in response to valiant behavior. Listen to the words of Mormon: ‘Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power?’” (Morm. 5:23). Hands are one of the symbolically expressive parts of the body. In Hebrew, yad, the most common word for “hand,” is also used metaphorically to mean power, strength, might (see William Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies [1978], 205). Thus, hands signify power and strength.” (W. Craig Zwick, “The Lord Thy God Will Hold Thy Hand,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 34–36). The scripture quoted here is from the Book of Mormon, which also uses the phrase often. The Bible shows this is applied to individuals as well: “And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me,”... Read the rest of this entry »
Mormon Beliefs: What is the Fulness of the Gospel?
Mormons (a nickname for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) often use the term “fulness of the gospel.” Mormons refer to modern times as the dispensation of the fulness of times, referring to the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in full. Mormon beliefs teach that Adam and Eve, the first people to live on the earth, were given the full gospel. They shared it with their children. However, people often found it difficult to live the full gospel, and so, periodically, the fulness of the gospel was replaced with preparatory laws, such as the Law of Moses, to help people progress to a point where they could live the full gospel. In addition, truths were sometimes lost. There have almost always been those who wanted God to change truth to something more pleasing to them, and periodically, those false beliefs became widespread among the people. During these times, God often took away the prophets, which also removed access to God’s word. This... Read the rest of this entry »
Why is Jesus Christ Called the Light of the World?
Jesus went to the temple during the feast of the Tabernacles. The temple was lit by four very large candelabra and their light could be seen for a great distance. Here, he rescued the woman about to be stoned for adultery and then proclaimed to those who watched the event, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Darkness, in a spiritual sense, frequently refers to sin or to confusion about truth. Just as in life, the darkness can hide evil or distort what is real, in the spiritual world, it can distort truth and make it difficult to see or understand truth. However, God created both day and night, and He does not expect us to live our lives in darkness. He wants us to live out our lives in the light, and that light comes from the Savior. Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill prophecy and to fulfill a promise He made to us before we were born; He promised to come and redeem us from our sins. Prior to this,... Read the rest of this entry »
What do Mormons Believe About the Fall of Adam?
Mormon beliefs treat the fall of Adam differently than do most religions, and their teachings about Eve are greater still, an affirmation that God values the wisdom and spiritual contributions of women. The Fall of Adam refers to the time Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. God told them they could eat from any tree in the garden except one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, he reminded them they had agency and could decide for themselves, but they must remember they would die if they ate from it. Eventually, they chose to eat from that tree and were cast out of the garden into the mortal world. Death became possible and their bodies became mortal. They had to begin to work for the things they needed. This has been referred to as the fall of Adam.Many people see this event as a great tragedy that caused all of us who came afterwards to face hardship and trials. However, Mormons understand that Adam and Eve acted in great wisdom when making their choice. While in the... Read the rest of this entry »
What are the Mormon Beliefs About Heaven?
Jesus taught, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2.) Heaven, in the most correct sense, is the place Jesus and God live, and it is where we may also go if we are worthy to enter into His presence. However, Mormons do not believe there are only two places a person can be sent after death. People live their lives with varying degrees of commitment to God and so there are several homes, or mansions, depending on the choices each person makes in life. It is important to first understand that through grace and the atonement of Christ, all people who live on earth can be resurrected and live forever, without any action on their own part. Grace does not come with a price for those who made the choice to be born. Through grace, each person may be forgiven for his sins if he repents. Mormons are among the few religions that teach that grace is ours without works, not even the work of accepting Jesus Christ... Read the rest of this entry »
What Did Jesus Teach About Grace?
Jesus Christ did not actually use the word grace in His earthly ministry. Only two verses reference this word in the four gospels, and these were both spoken by others. Luke tells us the grace of God was on Jesus as a child. John taught: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17, King James Version of the Bible). Therefore, our understanding of the word grace comes from others. Let’s look at a few uses of the word grace in the Bible. Although these were spoken after the Savior’s death, they were spoken by His apostles. The first New Testament reference that gives real information about grace is found in Acts, chapter 15. Paul was listening to church members arguing over the issue of circumcision for gentiles. In the past, the gospel had not been taught to the gentiles, and so this was a fairly recent issue. Paul, deciding he’d heard enough or perhaps was tired of the debate, stood up and reminded them they had been instructed to teach the... Read the rest of this entry »
Jesus Christ and the Resurrection
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, teaches that after the death of the Savior and His apostles, priesthood authority to administer God’s church was withdrawn from the earth. 3276People disagreed over what the scriptures meant and over what Jesus had taught, and as a result, thousands of Christian churches teaching conflicting doctrine began to appear across the earth. Although Christianity continued to be taught and its core doctrine, that of the Savior’s divinity, spread, each church had its own version of Christianity. Many of the doctrines were critical to salvation, and so, as the last days before the second coming of Christ approached, it was important that the truth be completely restored. It was in preparation for this eternally significant moment that a fourteen-year-old boy named Joseph Smith found himself becoming very interested in religion. The area in which he lived was in the midst of a religious fervor. There were... Read the rest of this entry »