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Celebrating Easter
When I was a child, Christmas was a huge celebration. From decorating the house to picking out the perfect tree to shopping for just the right gifts, Christmas was something we looked forward to every year. I love all the traditions and when I got married and established my own family, I carried on with the big celebration. I included a 24 Days of Christmas book we read each night with scriptures and songs and stories, looked for community members we could be “Secret Santas” for, baked cookies and treats, made sure we chopped down the perfect tree up in the mountains, and tried to turn my house into a…
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Doctrines and Principles for Our Lives
There is so much to learn in section 19 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Doctrines and principles contained in this section are of great importance to our salvation. It was specifically for Martin Harris but we can apply much of it to ourselves. An important message contained in this revelation is that God is in the details of our lives. He knows us and He loves us. Jesus is All We Need Doctrine and Covenants 19:1, reads, “I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; yea, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world.” Jesus is the beginning and the end. We start with Him and we end…
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A Living Prophet
Something that distinguishes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from other churches is our belief in a latter-day, living prophet who teaches us what God wants us to know. A living prophet is one for our own day. He teaches, preaches, and leads the Church. Divine Calling to Lead The Church The latter-day Church was established on April 6, 1830 in Peter Whitmer’s home. A total of six people joined that day. Joseph Smith was the first elder, or leader of the Church. He received a revelation that day, which is recorded in section 21 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It says, “4 Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt…
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Christ Suffered for Us So We Don’t Have To
While in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ suffered for each one of us. He describes this suffering in the following scripture passage and then adds a condition so that we do not have to experience the same kind of suffering. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19 it reads, “15 Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. 16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; 17 But if they would not…
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Perfectionism vs Being Perfected in Christ
We read in the scriptures about being perfect. Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 3 Nephi 12:48 “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” We’ve come to define “perfect” as being flawless, without mistakes, or without any blemishes. Because of this definition we have fallen into traps when we think about perfection and can misunderstand this doctrine. Have you ever thought, “I’m not righteous enough?” Or, “I will never be able to keep all the commandments perfectly?” Or, “I keep making mistakes and failing so I shouldn’t attend the temple?” “I’ll never be as…
