Teachings of Jesus Christ Archive
Written by Ashley Bell, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as a “Mormon”). Ashley and her husband are expecting parents, for the first time, and are very excited for the life that is ahead.
Finding Happiness Is a Constant Journey, Not a Destination or Graduation
Thanks be to my parents who both found happiness even though they came from backgrounds that did not cultivate the feeling, for various reasons. My dad came from a Greek family who wanted him to have a Greek wife. My mom came from a Mormon family that ideally would have had her marry someone with a similar belief system (even though they weren’t active Mormons at the time). Despite their parents opposition they were married because they felt right about it. For their financial income they ran and owned a local bar. They didn’t feel happy there so they gave up their good income and moved to where they thought they might find happiness-... Read the rest of this entry »
Melissa DeMoux is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman) and resides in West Vally City, Utah.
Many people in the world question the existence of a God, due to their experiences with terrible acts and events which they cannot understand a loving creator permitting to happen. Such evil, however, is a necessary part of our mortality, and with a little study we can come to better understand it. While turning to the Bible is helpful, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called the Mormon Church) has other books of scripture, the Book of Mormon, which contains revelations that make the purpose of the existence of evil more clear.
For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so . . . righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound... Read the rest of this entry »
The scriptures make frequent reference to being born of God, being born of the Spirit, even being baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost. Just what is that rebirth, and how is it brought about?
Sacrifice and the Birth of the Spirit
In the Book of Mormon King Benjamin taught that the nature of mortal man was alien to God’s nature. He also defined, in the same verse, the desired status of a saint: “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him.” (Mosiah 3:19.) A true saint is willing to be completely submissive to God.
Joseph Smith gives a similar definition:
Let us here observe, that a religion that does not re quire the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of... Read the rest of this entry »
There is debate in Christianity as to the value of works. Some Christians believe we are saved by our belief in Christ, and that His grace is sufficient to save us — works are unnecessary. Both Catholicism and Mormonism (the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believe in both faith and works, essentially that we are judged for our works, but saved by God’s grace.
What do the scriptures say?
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works (Revelation 20:12, 13).
Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they followafter. Likewise... Read the rest of this entry »
Experiencing Living Waters: Jesus Christ Quenches Our Spiritual Thirst
While working as a seminary teacher–a religious youth instructor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to by the media as the “Mormon Church”)– I heard the analogy that in our fallen state, each of us is like a person stranded in a burning desert, dying of thirst. At the point of complete exhaustion and dehydration, we suddenly notice a pitcher of cold water sitting on top of a sand dune. If we choose to crawl to the water and drink it, we can be saved. In this example, what actually saves us? Is it our own efforts to crawl to the water, or is it the water itself? While our efforts to crawl to the water are necessary and essential, they alone cannot save us. only the water possesses the elements sufficient to sustain life. We can crawl to the ends of the earth, but without the life-saving elements contained in the water,... Read the rest of this entry »
Elizabeth Hill has four children is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church”) residing in Montana.
Have you ever wondered why there are never any small children helping on cooking shows like Rachel Ray and Emeril? Sources tell me the shows would have to be taped from a padded room because you would have to be clinically insane to attempt measuring, stirring and any -ing with the little guys.
Anytime you introduce highly powdery elements like flour, sticky ones like honey and slick ones like oil–exciting things are in store. So, why in the world do I allow, even welcome my three girls and one son to assist me in baking/cooking?
It has been a process…
I have been through phases where during dinner preparation I wanted to install those applause signs (maybe Rachel or Emeril could have one I could borrow!) but I would change the lettering to... Read the rest of this entry »
We are not left alone on this earth. Jesus Christ was sent to this earth to give us the strength to overcome challenges, problems, and sin. To overcome sin. He asks us to look to Him with faith that He knows what is best for us. There is a pathway that the Lord Jesus Christ has provided for us so that we might be able to find peace in this life and eternal life in the next life. He has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord prospers all those who follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. In The Book of Mormon, a record of the teachings of Jesus Christ that God gave to the ancient inhabitants of the American continent, it says:
And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending... Read the rest of this entry »
Tinsel, garland, gifts under the tree, smells and scents that connote a beautiful time of year–these all are reminiscent of Christmas, a time for the joyous celebration of Christ’s birth.
The first real gift of Christmas is the Baby Himself, Jesus Christ. He is ours to receive, to know, to love, to worship as Savior of the World, the Only Begotten in the flesh, the Son of God. The second real Christmas gift, intimately connected with Himself, is the key to the knowledge of Him which has been restored to the earth through the re-establishment of His own Church on the earth–The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church”). These are two gifts in one: the Savior, and His Church in our day! These are the real gifts of Christmas!
Christmas Message: Jesus Christ Established His Church & Restored It In Our Day
From the creation of the world, the prophets... Read the rest of this entry »
by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), student at BYU-Idaho studying communications, and freelance writer.
The Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, was given to us by God in order to guide us and strengthen us here in this earth life. The Holy Spirit is an actual person, but he doesn’t have a physical body, He has a spirit. The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father are three separate beings that are all a part of the Godhead. They all have the same purpose, which is to help bring us back into the presence of God so that we might have eternal life.
There are two parts to understanding the Holy Spirit. There is the power of the Holy Spirit, and there is the gift of the Holy Spirit, or gift of the Holy Ghost. Before someone is baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, they can feel the power and influence of the Holy Spirit testify to their hearts of things that are true.... Read the rest of this entry »
Believe in Jesus Christ
To believe in Jesus Christ is to trust Him, rely on Him, depend on Him and His grace. The Savior’s grace is His enabling power that flows to us unmerited, and it comes by virtue of the Savior’s solitary, singular, magnificent atonement.
What is His atonement? How does He give His grace? Let’s talk about that for a minute, not comprehensively for that’s impossible in this or any space, but sufficiently to understand the simplicity and profundity of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, death, Resurrection for us.
Jesus died to pay the price of our sins, weaknesses, poor judgments, and to suffer for our pains, sicknesses, injustices, and confusions. He has already finished that atoning sacrifice! He agonized in Gethsemane and on the cross for your sins and mine, to pay the debt that justice asks to erase the full penalty of sin. Through that payment, requiring His life, He met justice fairly and satisfied... Read the rest of this entry »
