First and foremost, God has a standard.  He has a way of living that He wants for us.  He has revealed, and continues to reveal, that way of living to prophets throughout the ages.  Through Moses, He instructed the children of Israel to obey a strict set of laws.  Jesus Christ instructed the Jews a different (and better) way of living that relied more on developing a good heart that dictates good actions.  I don’t doubt that that same Being inspired Buddha, Mohammad or Confucius to teach their respective peoples a better way of living.

Here’s the important part:  God does this so that His own children might be happy.  That’s right; God gives rules for you to be happy.  If He can persuade His children to lift their way of living to a higher level, even on just a single point, it brings Him joy because they are living up to a standard that is naturally better.  It isn’t so much that God will punish those who break commandments; the commandments are there to prevent actions that cause damage.  If I do action “A” then “B” will be a result.  If “B” is good, then God wishes us to do “A,” otherwise He must forbid it.

There are several problems people see with this standard.  First, they don’t see beneficial results from supposedly good actions, nor do they see bad results from bad actions.  Then they wonder why the standards are there in the first place.  Patience.  That’s why we believe in personal revelation.  We can ask our Heavenly Father if such a thing is for us.  After receiving an answer, we trust in that answer and believe that someday, somehow, that trust will be for our good.

Second, many people find themselves not living in harmony with their beliefs.  That is, everybody eventually finds themselves where their actions don’t line up with what they know they should be doing.  They then have a choice.  They could change their actions, or change their beliefs.  Either will relieve the situation and not doing either will always result in misery.  You would be the most wretched person if you constantly wish to be unchaste while acting in celibacy.  Or you could be miserable believing that you ought not to drink alcohol while sitting at the bar getting drunk.  The key is to alter the action that is keeping us from God instead giving up His standard.

Third, when we make a poor decision, we naturally are loathe to accept the consequences for that action.  We would like to get the benefit of something we didn’t do and avoid the penalty for something we did do.  It is true that Christ’s atonement allows us to repent and avoid the dire consequences of our actions, most especially being separated from God, but it is definitely easier to prevent making a mess of our lives than to work through the repentance process.  The time spent destroying spirituality could be spent building it up instead.  God’s standard helps us reap blessings with the time we have and not to spend it in trials and pain.

So in light of all this, it is imperative that each of us keep to the standard of God and stick to it.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there for us in our moments of weakness and to pick us up at our worst moments, if we are just willing to accept help.  It will be uncomfortable, there is no doubt there, but growth means growing pains.  The path of least resistance is quite comfortable, but doesn’t lead to the desired end.  We desire a better end, a more excellent way and one that brings a life of real joy and satisfaction.  That is why we do the things we do and try our best to live according to God’s standard.

The Book of Mormon is about a people who left Jerusalem and lost their connection to the prophets of the Bible that lived there.  In order to teach this separate people, God called prophets among them.  Through their history, each wrote down their own experiences, prophecies and sermons.  All the writings were condensed and compiled  into a single volume a thousand years later by a prophet named Mormon.  That volume, written on gold plates, was buried anciently and retrieved by Joseph Smith by commandment of God.  He translated the work though the power of God into English and worked to distribute the book to as many of God’s children as would receive it.

It is through the Book of Mormon that we can more clearly see that Jesus Christ has been known to all of His followers, no matter where or when.  The power of the Book of Mormon comes from its witness that Jesus is the savior and redeemer of the world.  That witness is given by every one of the prophets in the Book of Mormon.  One of those prophets, named Nephi, expressed his reason for writing of Christ.

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (2 Nephi 25:26).

Nephi’s brother, Jacob, expressed similar feelings.  ”For this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us” (Jacob 4:4).

With such a purpose of this book, it is important to understand clear what it is.  I’ve seen that some people refer to our scriptures as the Mormon Bible.  This term is confusing because it implies that the Book of Mormon replaces the Holy Bible, which it doesn’t.  We believe in and study the Holy Bible (in English, we usually read the King James version) along with the Book of Mormon.  The two are inseparably combined and go hand in hand.  With both of these resources available, a greater clarity of the scriptures can be understood by those willing to study it out.

For example, in the gospel of Matthew we read that Christ went to John the baptist to be baptized.  John realized that if there was anyone ever who never needed baptism for remission of sins, it was Jesus.  Yet Jesus was supposed to be baptized, saying, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).  What exactly does it mean “to fulfill all righteousness”?  A prophet from the Book of Mormon explains it for us: “And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?  Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments” (2 Nephi 31:6-7).  This is just a single example of many such topics.  We learn about Christ’s sacrifice and suffering, the priesthood, faith, the purpose of the law and many others in this book.

The Book of Mormon also teaches us that a testimony of Jesus Christ will protect us.  It demonstrates very vividly the promise that the Lord has made to His people as He said, “If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land, but inasmuch as ye do not these things, ye shall be swept off the face of the land.” (See 2 Nephi 1:9-11)  This seems to be the overarching theme that is shown by periods of prosperity followed by periods of war and famine, ending ultimately in the complete destruction of a people that had fully rejected Christ in their lives.

In short, every single prophet taught the people about Christ, His mission on earth, His atonement and our eternal indebtedness to Him.  They were taught to humble themselves before Him, to learn of Him, to pray to Him, to do His will, and above all, to be as He is.  We too can learn the lessons the people of the Book of Mormon were taught, with the added benefit of perspective.  Consequences of embracing or leaving behind the gospel of Christ are put in plain view in scripture.

Any way you look at it, the Book of Mormon is phenomenal.  In just over 500 pages, a history of a people, spanning about a thousand years, is presented.  It is complete with personal stories of its authors, societal issues of an ancient people and above all, prophecy after prophecy and principle after principle relating to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  If you have not yet read it, please do so at your first possible chance.

“Hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, . . . and they teach all men that they should do good.  And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day.” 2 Nephi 33:10-11

See also: Safety for the Soul by Jeffrey R. Holland

A. If you asked a Mormon about the rapture, you might not get a clear answer.  The word, “rapture” isn’t part of our vocabulary in this context, and you won’t hear a lesson about it on Sunday.  As far as my research goes, there isn’t a consensus among other Christians concerning what the rapture is either, but the basic idea is that righteous individuals will experience Heavenly glory at an event where they encounter Christ.  And yes, we believe that will happen.

Do we believe in the popular idea that all or even some of the righteous souls on this earth will all be taken away permanently, leaving the rest behind?  No, this earth is God’s creation and He will not abandon it.  In fact, quite the opposite will occur, and the earth will be burned at His coming (Nahum 1:3-5).  This is a crucial part in returning the earth to a state like the Garden of Eden which is described by John as a “new heaven, and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1) and is symbolic of our personal conversion (Noah’s flood = Baptism.  Renewal of the earth by fire = Baptism by fire and spirit. John 3:5).  The righteous will be spared during this period and will live on the newly cleansed earth during the Millennium of Christ’s reign.  The righteous that will be spared will be the honest and just people of the earth, not members of any specific church.  This includes all people who are honest, chaste, and live according to their own level of light.

Prior to this renewal, God will be pouring as much light, truth and spirit onto the earth for our benefit.  This is to help all to endure what may be termed the “tribulation,” another word not found in our vocabulary in this context.  This coincides with our belief concerning the increasing wickedness and suffering that will exist before Second Coming of Christ.  With God’s help, it is and will continue to be possible to be happy in spite of what is happening around us.  And also because of God’s help, it is our responsibility to search out those in need of a caring heart.

The subject of the Second Coming is extremely complex in its details and yet very simple by nature.  One could focus intently on every sign, every prophecy and every scripture and still miss the very point of the matter, that is, that Christ is returning and we must be ready to receive Him.  Study the scriptures and the words of the prophets for yourself to learn about His gospel.

The price to pay for these rewards is ourselves.  Our Heavenly Father asks us to be humble and penitent toward Him and to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.  When we give ourselves, our will and our lives, to Christ, He gives them right back to us in a purer condition and also with His blessings.  These might be spiritual blessings such as peace in one’s heart or also blessings of prosperity and success.  It is important to realize that He allows us to retain our freedom even when we give ourselves to Him.

This is diametrically opposed to the manner the world sees it and how the world operates.  Many things petition us for our time, energy and will that will enslave us and will never set us free willingly.  I have seen families destroyed by abuse of alcohol and individuals reduced to nothing because of all kinds of destructive habits.  There is no real freedom there.

The power to free us remains in Christ.  We must choose Him to become free spiritually.  “But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son.” (Alma 12:33)  That mercy will allow us to break the chains that hold us down and to destroy habits that enslave.

All can be free through Christ.  It truly is a glorious prospect, and not one that comes easy.  It takes a sincere desire to change one’s being, from thought to action, and, more importantly, the humility to understand the powerlessness one has in a current situation.  But where there is a lack of power and ability, Christ makes up the difference.  “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Nephi 1:15)  From binding chains to arms that embrace is a reality that does happen.  I know it does.  I have seen it, I have felt it and I can’t imagine a better way to show my appreciation for it than by sharing it.

Prior to the second coming, the world must be prepared thoroughly according to the Lord’s standards.  He has dictated that His gospel and all revelation must be restored to the earth through angels (Rev. 14:6, Acts 3:21) and preached to the entire world (Matthew 24:14).  The dispensation of the fullness of times (Eph. 1:10) opened with a heavenly visitation of the Father and the Son to a boy in 1820 (Read here for details).  That boy, Joseph Smith, was called to be a prophet to God’s children on earth so that we could catch a glimpse of the mind of God and be prepared for what is to happen (Amos 3:7).  Through Joseph Smith, the Lord restored His priesthood keys by sending His angels, including the prophet Elijah (Mal. 4:5-6; D&C 110:13-16)and built up His church again on the earth, which will never be destroyed (Dan. 2:44-45).

With an increase of goodness, knowledge, and light on the earth, Satan has increased his efforts in equal measure.  Christ warned His apostles,

“Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: … and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  …  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you …  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:4-13)

This grim prophecy refers to our time.  Evil in the world is bound to increase up until Christ comes.  But as He said, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  We needn’t fear what the world may do or whatever may happen, if we are faithful to the Lord, we will be spiritually safe.

There are many, many other signs given, particularly those written in the book of Revelation.  The moon shall be red as blood, the sun will be blackened, the stars will fall from heaven, the earth will reel like a drunkard, the waters will be poisoned, and gigantic hail will fall from the sky.  There will be death, fire, war, destruction and likely much more (lengthier lists of canonical, apocryphal, and anecdotal signs exist.  Lists and articles can be found here and here).  It will all lead up to what is described as the great and terrible day of the Lord; great for those who anticipated and prepared for it and terrible for the unprepared and unworthy.

The greatest events for the righteous will occur during that time.  The saints of God and the 12 tribes of Israel will be gathered together spiritually (Isaiah 52:8) and physically.  The Lord will then bring again Zion, the New Jerusalem, down from heaven (Rev. 21:2; Moses 7:62-63).  This New Jerusalem is distinct from the old one and both will exist as places where Christ’s people will live.

The forces of evil will also gather to fight against Jerusalem and Zion.   When the Jews in Jerusalem are overpowered, they will flee and find refuge at the Mount of Olives, upon which Christ will set foot and it will divide in two (Zech. 14:4).  When they see Him, they will ask Him, “What are these wounds in thine hands?” to which He will answer, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zech. 13:6)  They will come to know that Jesus is their long awaited Messiah and will be forgiven.  Christ will fight their battles and will soon publicly show Himself to the entire world in all His glory dressed in red robes (Isaiah 63:1).  Once the forces of evil have been defeated and Satan bound (Rev. 20:2), Christ will reign personally on the earth in some kind of divine government based in Jerusalem and Zion (Micah 4:2) for a thousand years.

As interesting as all this may be, it seems to have little application to the daily life of a Christian.  How it all connects to the individual, however, is in Christ’s statement, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matt. 24:44)  We do not know when the end will be nor do we know when our individual lives will end.  It is our responsibility to be ready for either eventuality so that He doesn’t find us unprepared to meet Him.  But don’t take my understanding of the sign of the times just as it is.  Study it our for yourself and pray to God for understanding.  Read scriptures in the Old and New Testaments and compare them for a broader view.  As you begin to see fulfillment of prophecy, let it add to your faith in Christ to better endure to up and coming trials.

By 1AD, most of the people described in the Book of Mormon did not believe in Jesus Christ nor His prophets.  One of those prophets named Samuel prophesied  boldly on the city walls of the signs of Christ’s birth and death (Helaman 14).  On the night that Christ was born into the world, an irrefutable sign was given.  A day, a night, and a day became one continuous day without darkness.  This was to the relief of the believers and utter astonishment to the rest.

It didn’t take long for people to forget about the sign and continue life normally.  More wars happened, particularly against the now very large society of robbers, and around 30AD, just as Christ was beginning His earthly ministry among the Jews, the entire Nephite government was overthrown and the people divided into tribal states.  Then, three years later, one the greatest events of the Book of Mormon began to occur.  At the time of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross of Calvary, Samuel’s prophecy of storms, earthquakes and destruction did indeed happen.  Cities were leveled, burned, buried, and sunk into the ocean.  Darkness covered the land for three whole days (3 Nephi 8).

After the three days, Christ’s voice was heard by the survivors.  He was calling them to Him and lamenting their destruction.  Of all events told in this book, what happened next far outshines the rest.  Christ, Himself, descended from Heaven and proclaimed His divinity.  He had drunk the bitter cup and glorified the Father.  He taught the people, blessed them and healed them.  For several days, He did so.  I would encourage all to read even just a few of these passages from 3 Nephi 11 to 28.  Before He left, He chose twelve men to teach and guide the people in His absence.

Then, for two hundred years, there was peace.  After three hundred years, however, the people had digressed so far from Jesus Christ and his Gospel, that civilization had degenerated to a state of total war.  The final prophets of God among the people, Mormon and his son Moroni, were left to witness the decay of their once great civilization into war and disorder.  It was during this time that Mormon took all the historical records of his people and compiled them into a single history so that it could be available to us.

A final battle between Nephites and Lamanites took place.  During this battle nearly all of the Nephites were killed.  The only Nephite we know of surviving, other than those that joined the Lamanites, was Moroni.  For many years, Moroni carried the record his father had made and wandered.  During this time, Moroni completed his father’s work by summarizing the record of the Jaredite people whose records had been found early in Nephite history.  The Jaredites were brought to the same land as the Nephites by the Lord somewhere around 2500BC, when the language of the people was corrupted at the tower of Babel.  They crossed the ocean and lived for many centuries of alternating periods of righteousness and wickedness until finally they refused to repent and were destroyed as a society.

After finishing the story of the Jaredites, Moroni then buried the record, written on plates made of gold, on a small hill in upstate New York, now called the Hill Cumorah.  1500 years later, he appeared as an angel to the boy Joseph Smith and directed him to where the plates were buried.  They were found, translated, published and have been printed for the past 179 years as the Book of Mormon–Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Mormon continues to be a guide to everyone who reads it.  Just before Moroni buried the plates in the ground, he wrote a promise to anyone who would read the book.  He promised us that when we read and ponder on the things of the book, and ask God in the name of Christ, then we will know the truth of it by the power of the Holy Ghost.  This is an extraordinary promise and one that has been tested and tried by millions of people.  It is my invitation that you do the same.  Read a portion of the Book of Mormon and ask God to know for yourself.  I know of myself the truth of this book and know that you can know as well.

At the beginning of the book of Mosiah (circa 121 BC), the people of Nephi and Zarahemla had recently merged together to form a single society, ruled by the righteous Nephite kings, Mosiah, his son Benjamin and later by grandson Mosiah.  During the time of the first Mosiah, a group had left to return to the city that Nephi himself had founded.

For three generations they lived there and three kings ruled during that time.  Zeniff, the first of those kigns, made a treaty with the Lamanites in the land and gained use of the city of Nephi.  He and his people were righteous and grew and defended themselves against the eventual Lamanites offensive.

Zeniff’s son, Noah, ruled after his father but was self-indulgent and ruined the kingdom through corruption and immorality.  A prophet named Abinadi testified of Jesus Christ against Noah but was put to death (see picture above).  Abinadi’s influence caused Alma, one of Noah’s priests, to see the error of his ways and so he began to secretly teach the people about Christ.  Alma’s followers were true believers of Christ and were forced to flee when Noah sent his army to destroy them.  Noah was soon displaced when the Lamanites overran their city and he was killed by his own people.

His son, Limhi, ruled over the conquered people who were forced to pay tribute of half of all they had to the Lamanites.  After several unsuccessful battles, Limhi emptied the city and fled to Zarahemla.  Alma and his people also found their way back to Zarahemla.  Both groups were guided in their escape through the power of the Lord.

Now in one body in the land of Zarahemla, Alma received permission from king Mosiah (the second) to organize a church and became the chief priest.  Years later when Mosiah needed an heir to the throne, none of his sons were willing to be king because they left to become missionaries to the Lamanites.  Without an heir, Mosiah created a system of laws and elected judges to govern the people after he died.

Alma’s son, Alma (a.k.a. Alma-the-Younger), who was the chief priest of the Church after his father, was selected to be the first chief judge over all the land.  In that position, he watched the dealings of the people.  He executed a militant false prophet (Alma 1), defended his people against insurrectionists as well as Lamanites and then stepped down from his political office to teach the people as the chief priest (religious office) where he still guided the religious aspect of the people.  As priest, he selected teachers, silenced anti-Christs (literally, Alma 30)and set right the affairs of the Church for many years.

During this time, the missionary sons of Mosiah had been teaching the Lamanite people about Jesus Christ.  Due to some very miraculous events, thousands had come to have faith in Him, burying their weapons of war in order to have peace (Alma 24:15-19).  Their conversion invoked the anger of others who did not believe.  To avoid prolonged conflict, the Lamanites who believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ left their homes and settled in a land that the Nephites gave them.

Throughout the entire story, various rebellious groups became unsatisfied with Nephite religion and way of life and so went to the Lamanites to cause them to form an army to fight the Nephites.  This happened several times, particularly with the case of a man named Amalickiah, who caused a twelve year long war (Alma 46 through Alma 62) between Lamanites and Nephites.  The Nephite people grew over the years, spreading out and covering more land.  A secret society of robbers and assassins was formed in their midst which was never completely extinguished for almost a hundred years.  The Nephites grew wicked and righteous in cycles and Lamanites were converted to believe in Jesus Christ at various times.

It is important to understand that all throughout the Book of Mormon, there were prophets of God among the people.  Those prophets always testified of Christ.  They saw His coming and told the people about the signs of His birth.  The righteous believers of Christ understood His purpose in their own lives and the Atonement.  Thus, by revelation from God, the people had access to a correct view of what was to happen and what their role in life was.  Today, there is a prophet on the earth and that same opportunity to access the same spirit that guided the Nephites anciently.

“And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”  –Alma

This synopsis is continued in part 3.

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—”built upon the foundation of . . . apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

THE FIRST PRESIDENCY		THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE

This can be a sensitive issue and there have been those that break laws in the name of religion or those that are oppressed under unjust laws.  To the first, the Lord says, “Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land” (D&C 58:21); and to the latter, we are encouraged/commanded to take part in the governing process where we can.  In church, I have been reminded to take part in the national election as a citizen, not as a member of my church.  Taking part in national and local elections means more than merely voting, it means studying the issues, discussing them and making a decision based on my conscience and what I believe will yield the best possible outcome for the community and society.  It is the responsibility of the people to see that they are represented in government.  If they are not, then proper and righteous means must be used to remedy the situation.

I love the country where I live.  I respect the freedom that it ensures to me and others.  I lived in Brazil for two years and I found that the people there also loved their country in a similar way, and I respect that.  Each person should be thankful for their blessings and love their homeland.  We are aware that no government is perfect and that political squabbles can often be a grim shadow over our expectations, but our love translates into a desire to improve our nation, so that our children and grandchildren can experience that same love for their country.

See also: Our Divine Constitution by Ezra Taft Benson; D&C 134

Before this Life

See: Where do babies come from?

Before the foundations of this world were laid, God presented a plan to us, which we gladly accepted.  This plan was to allow us to come to earth, gain bodies, experiences, learn, grow and prove (to ourselves) whether or not we would use our agency wisely and submit our will to our Father once we were down here.   The integral part of that plan was the Atonement, a perfect sacrifice that would afford us the opportunity to overcome our weakness.  Jesus Christ was chosen by the Father to fill this capacity and willingly submitted to His Father’s will.  God testified of His part in our happiness when He said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)  He is deeply involved and concerned with our personal salvation.

Our First Parents

See: The Fall of Adam and Eve

As the planning came to an end, the first step was to create a world where we could live.  This was done by Christ under the direction of the Father as told in the account given in the book of Genesis.  Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were placed in the garden of Eden where everything was provided for them.

While Adam and Eve lived in Eden, they lived in a state of innocence.  That is, they had no knowledge of good or evil, of joy or pain, of sickness or health.  They were limited in their capacity and opportunity to grow and experience life.  That is why God gave them the choice to stay in the garden of Eden or partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  They chose to partake of the fruit and as a result, they were cast out of the garden.  This was a known part of our Heavenly Father’s plan, however, and was provided for in the Atonement.  This separation from God caused two kinds of death to enter the world: physical death and spiritual death.  Physical death came in the form of aging and death.  Spiritual death is a separation from God caused by our decisions to disobey His will for us.

Our Lives

See: Our Life on Earth

To this day we must live in a world where spiritual and physical death as well as sorrow and pain exist.  That does not mean we must continually be mourning.  Our purpose here in life is actually to have joy.  The prophet Lehi of the Book of Mormon stated, “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:25)  In other words, the fall was a necessary part of the plan so that we might exist.

While in this life, we ought to be happy and we ought to be preparing to join God in His Heaven after this life.  (Alma 34:32)  The two go hand in hand.  When we choose to prepare to meet God (that is, we choose to shun the evil and pursue the good), we will be happy because it is in God’s nature to be happy and everything that is good comes from God.  Every decision we have to make has consequences.  We are allowed in this life to choose but we cannot choose the consequences that our decisions incur.  God has given us commandments to guide our decisions so that we might more fully enjoy life without being encumbered with additional pains.  When we keep the commandments in our hearts and seek to obey them, God has promised a fuller and more abundant life.

The Everlasting Atonement of Jesus Christ

See: What Do Mormons Believe about the Atonement?

Even after everything we could possibly do, there is no way to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence by ourselves.  Remember the effects of the fall: spiritual and physical death.  Every one of us has sinned, there is no way around it and even one sin would be enough to prevent one from living in the presence of God.  In addition, every one of us will die.  Our Heavenly Father knew of these things and, in His infinite mercy,  planned for them, giving us a chance to change our lives and return to His presence.

By the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that great sacrifice that Christ gave Himself up for us, we can be cleansed from our sins and we will be resurrected to a perfect and glorious body.  Christ has provided the way in which we can be perfected in Him, and only on the condition that we follow Him.  We follow Him by following His example and by doing what He wants us to do, not what we want to do.  We follow Him by believing in Him and loving Him.  That is all that He asks us to do and in return, He promises to take away our sins and help us bear our burdens in life.  What a glorious opportunity!

Beyond this World

See: Life after death – part 1

When death occurs, which it invariably does, the spirit is separated from the body and returns home to God who gave him life (Alma 40:11).  That cognizant spirit will then be received in a state of happiness or a state of misery depending on how their life was lived.  It is unknown exactly how this state is, what it’s like or even where it is but we do know that those that were righteous in this life will have rest and continue to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thus, even those who never had the chance before to learn about Jesus Christ will be able to accept Him.  They will remain there to wait until the day of resurrection.

Judgment Day

See: Who gets to be Saved?

The Egyptian belief of the afterlife involves one's heart being weighed against justice before being brought to the gods' presence. Should the heart be deemed unworthy, it would be devoured.

Eventually, every soul that has ever lived on this earth, be it an hour or a century, will be reunited with his or her own body.  Everyone will be restored to the nature and attributes of the person in this life.  The difference will be that everyone’s body will be perfect and immortal and that we will have a perfect knowledge of all our actions in this life, be they for good or for evil (2 Nephi 9:13-15).  In such a state, we will all be brought to the presence of God to be judged by the Son (John 5:22) who has selected certain men, such as His apostles, to aid Him (Matt. 19:28).  Our decisions in this life will be seen then by all and we will be exposed at that moment.  Undoubtedly, those that squandered their lives and wasted their chances will feel utterly naked, with nothing to shield them.  Others who followed Christ more fully will be able to stand joyfully before God and behold His face without shame, having been cleansed through Christ.

Our Eternal Inheritance

See: Life after death part 2

The Judgment will be to divide the sons of men from the sons of God.  Those that never accepted Christ, neither in this life nor in the spirit world, will receive Telestial glory, which is compared to the stars.  Those who accept Christ, but were not valiant in their belief will receive Terrestrial glory, which is compared to the moon.  The others who accept Christ fully and held onto that belief firmly throughout their lives will receive a Celestial glory, which is compared to the sun and is the presence of God.  These comparisons to the sun, moon and stars illustrate the differences between these kingdoms.  The moon can outshine any star but the sun outshines them all.  Even the smallest amount of this glory is more than we can imagine here on Earth and even the most vile of sinners can receive a portion of this unimaginable happiness.

In summary, the Plan of Salvation is a plan of happiness and progress to build us up and strengthen us through Jesus Christ.  We fall individually and have fallen collectively due to Adam but we can rise again to a higher plane.  We may not know what exactly the future will hold, but we do know that a loving Heavenly Father has created a plan for us to return to His presence.  He has provided the path and the means for us but it falls to us to accept them so that we can return to His presence.