Reflections of a True Millennial

Another Testament of Jesus Christ "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." - Moroni 10:4-5 The Book of Mormon ends with this famous promise from Moroni, that if you pray with real intent about the truthfulness of these scriptures, the Holy Ghost will reveal it to you. Lots of people have stories of grand experiences where they pray and can feel strongly inside of them that this book is true by the spirit. These accounts can be powerful and strengthen our testimonies, but it is important to remember that the Holy Ghost speaks to us in many ways. In Moroni 7:13, Mormon instructs that "that which is of God inviteth and enticeth...

Following the Pattern of Faith "For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled— Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God," - Ether 12:3-4 Towards the end of the book of Ether, the Jaredite nation grows increasingly wicked. At this time, the prophet Ether had a mighty desire to preach the gospel unto these people. In the selected verses above, he outlines a special pattern for faith. Faith is believing in something you can't see, but know is true. It is an essential aspect of salvation. In this pattern of faith you must believe, then you must act, and finally you receive power. Initially, Ether exhorts his people to believe in God. Faith is a principle of belief, but we must show our willingness to believe before we can have f...

Solving problems with the Lord "Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men." - Ether 3:5 The book of Ether in The Book of Mormon covers an entirely separate people than the preceding books. This short account contains the record of the Jaredite people, who came to the promised land much earlier than the Nephites. Before they could travel to the Americas, they had some problems that the brother of Jared brought to the Lord for His consideration. In their barges they lacked light, air, and the ability to steer. The Lord helped solve these problems in different ways. Obviously, the most pressing problem was a lack of air. The Jaredites were provided a direct answer to this problem as the Lord instructed them to make holes that could be plugged and unplugged for air. Sometimes, God will just tell us what we need to know and do. Concerning steering, the Lord told the brother of Jar...