Jesus Christ

by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), Eric is a student at BYU-Idaho studying communications. Have you ever had just a strong desire to know something? You may be confused with how to do a certain math problem, or it might be something bigger such as understanding how to find more meaning in your life. This is the same way a young 14 year old boy felt. As a young teenager, a boy by the name of Joseph Smith wondered about religion and salvation. He wanted to know and understand the things that God wanted him to do in order to return back to Him. In around 1820, Joseph Smith started to get involved with some of the religious excitement that was going on at the time where he was living in Palmyra, New York. Using his own words from Joseph Smith History it says, During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often... 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 »

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. Read the rest of this entry »  Read More →

The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ “embraces, sustains, supports, and gives life to all other gospel doctrines.  It is the foundation upon which all truth rests and all things grow out of it and come because of it.”1 “The wondrous and glorious Atonement was the central act in all of human history.”2 Because of these statements, all things also point to Christ and His atonement.  Those who lived before Christ looked forward to Him and His infinite and eternal sacrifice.  Those who live after Christ look back to this greatest of all events and “remember what was done.”3 There were many different ways in which the blood sacrifices before Christ were types and shadows of the great and last sacrifice.  Note a few of the details: First, like Christ, the [sacrificial] animal was chosen and anointed by the laying on of hands. (The Hebrew title Messiah and the Greek title Christ both mean “the Anointed One.”) Second, the animal was to have... Read the rest of this entry »

For someone who has just decided to learn about God and come to some decisions, it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start. There are so many books, articles, and churches to choose from. Where should the search begin? The best place to begin is always with God’s own words. For most people, this will mean turning first to the Bible. The Old Testament of the Bible tells us the story of the creation of the world and the beginnings of God’s church. He teaches us what He wants us to know about truth through his prophets, who received revelation directly from God and then shared that information with the world. In the New Testament, we learn of God’s great gift to us: His only begotten Son. The New Testament tells us of the birth of Jesus Christ and His ministry. During His ministry, we have God’s word directly from His Son. After Jesus was crucified, the records continued for a time with the teachings of His chosen apostles. People... Read the rest of this entry »

Gordon B. Hinckley, a former Mormon prophet, talked about the importance of cornerstones in the Mormon religion. He outlined four cornerstones, critical parts of the faith. To help listeners understand why cornerstones matter in the Mormon religion, he discussed a tradition associated with Mormon temples: “In each new temple we have had a cornerstone ceremony in harmony with a tradition that goes back to ancient times. Before the general use of concrete, the foundation walls of the building were laid with large stones. A trench would be dug, and stones would be placed as footings. Starting at a point of beginning, the foundation wall would be run in one direction to a cornerstone; then the corner would be turned and the wall run to the next corner, where another stone was placed, from which the wall would be run to the next corner, and from there to the point of beginning. In many instances, including the construction of early temples in the Church,... Read the rest of this entry »

Mormons frequently define charity as the pure love of Christ, quoting the Book of Mormon prophet Mormon. They teach that when they serve others, they are also serving God, and they turn to the example of the Savior in deciding how to serve others. During His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ was asked which commandment was the greatest or most important. He answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) For the Savior, love and charity were identical. All of His acts of charity were done not from a sense of duty, but from a deep feeling of love for all He encountered. He didn’t limit His service to His friends, although He served His friends as well. He didn’t limit it to those... Read the rest of this entry »

Mormons describe four important steps to becoming a member of God’s kingdom, and they refer to these as the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. They form the foundation of a Mormon‘s relationship with God and Jesus Christ, and set the basis for his membership in the church. These principles are outlined in a document called, ” The Articles of Faith.” The Articles of Faith are thirteen core beliefs of the church. The first one states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” This is important for understanding the four principles, and is followed by statements on personal responsibility for actions and on the Atonement of Christ. The first principles are listed as the fourth Article of Faith. It states: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by... Read the rest of this entry »

Karen Part III “The Crust of Irony” Well, you’ve probably noticed in your trials, as I have in mine, that there is always some irony, but not nearly as much as in the ironies the Savior endured. Enduring mine enabled me to see and appreciate the grueling ironies of the Savior, and to come to know Him better. The Spirit tutors and chisels and presses even or especially around the “crust of irony,” as Elder Maxwell aptly calls it. Such was the case here. Mom confronted pancreatic difficulties all her life, but was never diagnosed with cancer until nine days prior to her passing. Apparently, pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult to diagnose, and more than 60 percent aren’t actually even identified until death or some other necessary surgery that reveals it. Mom’s official diagnosis prior to the final one was “benign cystic disease.” Like most others whose loved one has an illness, I began immersing myself in articles about... Read the rest of this entry »