Who Is Spencer Pratt?

My VIP for this week is Spencer Pratt, Republican candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, California. While left-wing media call Pratt “a one-time reality star villain with no experience,” BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler found that he has “much more” to him than they think. 

“What is Spencer Pratt’s experience?” Wheeler asks. “Well, most people say none. He just kind of has a good idea of what he might do. He has some connections. Or they might say a reality TV star, a villain on television.”

However, Wheeler explains that his experience is actually “a track record of being majorly successful based on his own ingenuity and hustling.”

“Spencer Pratt graduated from USC with a degree in political science, so politics is not totally foreign to this man. He, yes, he starred on a reality TV show, ‘The Hills,’ but he also created and executive produced another reality TV show called ‘The Princes of Malibu’ on Fox,” she explains.

As of this writing, Pratt holds second place behind current Mayor Karen Bass. If he continues in second place or moves ahead of Bass, his name will be on the ballot for the general election this fall.

What Is the Connection Between Founding of US and Restoration of Gospel?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the connection between the founding of the United States and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. The Restoration began when Heavenly Father and Joseph Smith appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in what is known as the First Vision. However, “the Lord had been preparing for His latter-day work of restoration many years in advance.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught that the “meticulous preparation and precise timing” of the Lord took place over several centuries as He created the exact conditions of freedom that were essential for the coming forth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“A Promised Land,” Ensign, June 1976, 25). 

Holy scripture records that “after the waters had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof.” (Ether 13:2).) Such a special place needed now to be kept apart from other regions, free from the indiscriminate traveler as well as the soldier of fortune. To guarantee such sanctity the very surface of the earth was rent. In response to God’s decree, the great continents separated and the ocean rushed in to surround them. The promised place was set apart. Without habitation it waited for the fulfillment of God’s special purposes.

With care and selectivity, the Lord began almost at once to repeople the promised land. The Jaredites came first, with stories of the great flood fresh in their memories and the Lord’s solemn declaration ringing in their ears: “Whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.” (Ether 2:8.)

Despite such counsel, however, the Jaredite civilization steadily degenerated into a violent society which forced a man to keep “the hilt of his sword in his right hand” (Ether 14:2)—until finally he “ate and slept, and prepared for death on the morrow.” (Ether 15:26.)

But even as the last light flickered on Jaredite civilization, a bold new sun rose to illuminate a thousand years of Nephite-Lamanite experience on the same soil. Despite periods of war and rebellion, these people nevertheless had great moments of power and purity, including the personal ministry of the resurrected Christ, who walked and talked and prayed with these New World inhabitants for three indescribable days. There in the meridian of time the land enjoyed three generations of peace and perfection, which it would not know again until the Master’s millennial reign.

But the lessons of history, if not learned well, are certain to be taught again, and a lone father with his son lived to see the self-destruction of these people of promise….

So, after a thousand years of preparation, the Spirit of God rested upon a young Italian sailing under the flag of Spain, and, as Nephi had seen in vision, “he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” (1Ne. 13:12.) This “Christian of almost maniacal devoutness” as Alistair Cooke calls him, this man with the zeal of Galileo, Don Quixote, and John the Baptist combined, was not to be denied. (Alistair Cooke, America, New York: Alfred Knopf, 1973, p. 30.) “Our Lord with provident hand unlocked my mind,” said Columbus, “sent me upon the seas, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my enterprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?” (Jacob Wasserman, Columbus, Don Quixote of the Seas, New Brunswick: Rutgers Univ. Press, 1959, p. 20.) Columbus stood on the captain’s deck, but the all-seeing eye of the Lord was on the compass, and the hopes of every dispensation filled the sails. The prophet Nephi had also seen in vision what followed: colonization, war, and the birth of a new nation.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.

“And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.

“And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle. And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.” (1 Ne. 13:16–19.)

Once again, after meticulous preparation and precise timing, the Lord had begun to build on his promised land a congregation that had compacted to pursue “the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” The cultural freedom of the Renaissance and religious freedom of the Reformation underscored the strong sense of personal freedom espoused in the Enlightenment to provide the ideal attitudes and environments for the beginning of this “first new nation.” …

Neither Washington nor Paine knew, however, the full import of their work or their time. Indeed it was a beginning, but it was a beginning of the end. The work of pilgrims and Puritans, patriots and politicians had been to prepare the way for prophets of the living God. With what Washington called “the singular interpositions of Providence” a political path had been prepared that would allow the “restitution of all things.” (Acts 3:21.) Less than a score of years after the Constitutional Convention had concluded its work and freedoms of conscience, speech, press, and worship had been guaranteed in a historic Bill of Rights, the Prophet Joseph Smith was born in clear, graceful Vermont, home of Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys. As Elder Paul H. Dunn recently declared to a Church-wide audience:

“[Joseph] grew up toward adolescence just like the new land. He fitted it. He was young, clean, unspoiled—a lad without a past, kneeling in a grove. This pristine land—this innocent young man—and thus the Lord reached out and kept his promise. He established his conditions over centuries; you see, God has time. His plan made it possible for the holy priesthood and the Church to be restored upon the earth—the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ—but only in America. …

“The purpose of America was to provide a setting wherein that was possible. All else takes its power from that one great, central purpose.” (Ensign, Nov. 1975, p. 54.)

It is good that the historical celebration of the United States bicentennial allows us to focus on a land in which God has done so much of his work. It has not always looked the same geographically nor has it always been governed the same politically. But that all seems appropriate since the meaning of America, in its most theological sense, is something more than borders and boundaries, something above nativism and nationalism. It is an ideal, a thing of the spirit. Benjamin Franklin told his colleagues, “Our cause is the cause of all mankind,” and Patrick Henry spoke much more than he knew when he said America had “lighted a candle to all the world.” (Henry Steele Commager, “The Revolution as World Ideal,” Saturday Review, Dec. 13, 1975, pp. 13–18, 110.) …

A Frenchman, a contemporary of the colonial Founding Fathers, sketched the clearest meaning of America for those of other nations. Although the twenty-year-old Marquis de Lafayette had been ordered by Louis XVI of France to give up his expedition to aid the rebellious Americans, he defied the command and embarked for the New World. On board his ship The Victory Lafayette wrote back to his beautiful and concerned wife, Adrienne: “Out of love for me, become ‘a good American’. … The welfare of America is closely bound up with the welfare of all mankind.” (Maurice de la Fuye and Emile Baubeau, The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of LaFayette, New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1956, p. 30.) So it has been and so it yet will be. And so it is—but in ways which only those who embrace the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can fully understand or appreciate.

 

How Can I Hear the Voice of the Lord?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to the books of Ruth and 1 Samuel 1-7 in a lesson titled “My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

Sometimes we imagine that our lives should follow a clear path from beginning to end. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, after all. And yet life is often full of delays and detours that take us in unexpected directions.

Ruth and Hannah surely understood this. Ruth was not an Israelite, but she married one, and when her husband died, she had a choice to make. Would she return to her family and her old, familiar life, or would she embrace the Israelite faith and a new home with her mother-in-law? (see Ruth 1:4-18). Hannah’s plan for her life was to bear children, but she could not, and that left her “in bitterness of soul” (see 1 Samuel 1:1-10). 

As you read about Ruth and Hannah, consider the faith they must have had to travel their unexpected paths. Then think about your own journey. It’s different from Ruth’s and Hannah’s—and anyone else’s. But throughout the trials and surprises between here and your eternal destination, you can learn to say with Hannah, “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:1).

Like most scripture blocks, this one teaches several principles, including the following: (1) Jesus Christ can turn tragedy into triumph (Ruth); (2) I can trust that God will guide and help me regardless of my situation (Ruth; 1 Samuel 1); (3) To receive the Lord’s help, I need to trust Him and obey His commandments (1 Samuel 2; 4-7), and (4) I can hear and obey the voice of the Lord (1 Samuel 3).

This essay will discuss the last principle about hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord. We will first look at the scriptures that tell the story of Samuel hearing the voice of the Lord for the first time (1 Samuel 3:1-10).

1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

At times, you or I may feel like Samuel, who heard the voice of the Lord but did not recognize it. Like us, Samuel had to learn how to recognize the Lord’s voice. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught, “Does God really want to speak to you? Yes!” ("Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 93-96). 

If God wants to speak to us – and President Nelson said that He does, what do we need to do to hear His voice. Part of the answer is found in Doctrine and Covenants 8:1-3, a revelation given to Oliver Cowdery through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

1 Oliver Cowdery, verily, verily, I say unto you, that assuredly as the Lord liveth, who is your God and your Redeemer, even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that you shall receive a knowledge….

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

This scripture tells us that God speaks to our minds and our hearts through the power of the Holy Ghost. This means that He speaks to our thoughts and our feelings.

In another revelation given later to Oliver Cowdery through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord taught another vital component to know about hearing God’s voice (Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9).

7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; …

Another essential component needed to understand how revelation comes was taught by President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all….

Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, ‘Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth’ [1 Sam. 3:10]” (“Candle of the Lord,” 53). 

The last idea that I wish to share is that receiving personal revelation – or hearing the voice of the Lord – is a personal thing. How the Lord communicates with me may be entirely different than how He speaks to you. He will speak to each of us in a language and way we can understand. Also, He may not always use the same type of communication. Forty to fifty years ago, the Lord spoke to me mostly by dreams. Now, I seldom receive such dreams. Also, He usually gives a general idea but not many details. In addition, we can ask God to teach us how He communicates with us as individuals.

Why Is Personal Connection Important in Families?

Families are stronger when each family member is “present” when they are physically together. How many times have you noticed a family sitting at a table in restaurant, not talking, visiting, and laughing together, but each person is looking at their individual cell phone? I have had this experience numerous times, and Aimee Winder Newton had the same experience. Newton is the director of the Utah Office of Families and a senior advisor to Utah Governor Spencer Cox. She is also the mother of four young adults and the grandmother of a two-year-old. 

In her article published in the Deseret News, Newton described her experience of watching “a family sitting together at a restaurant. Everyone at the table was looking down at a screen. No one was talking.” She recognized that such a situation is common in our busy, demanding world. Yet, “connection is exactly what children and teens need most right now.”

Across Utah, young people are reporting higher levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness and depression. Parents feel it too. Many families are doing their best to simply keep up with the demands of everyday life, wondering if they’re doing enough and searching for ways to help their children feel supported and secure.

The good news is that strong family relationships are not built through perfection. They are built in ordinary moments. This could be a conversation on the drive home from school. A child crawling onto the couch to talk at the end of a long day. A family dinner where phones are set aside long enough for everyone to laugh, vent or tell a story. Those moments may seem small, but over time, they become the foundation children stand on.

So do we underestimate the power of simply being present?

Children do not need perfect parents. They need parents and caregivers who notice them, listen to them and make space for connection amid the distractions of everyday life. In fact, research continues to show that positive family relationships help children become more resilient, less likely to struggle with anxiety and depression, and better equipped to make healthy decisions as they grow.

Even small, intentional moments can make a lasting difference. Do we fully appreciate the power of a family meal?

Utah youth who eat at least one meal a week with their family are:

·       45% less likely to feel depressed.

·       70% less likely to vape.

·       54% less likely to consider suicide.

Those statistics matter. The more meals you have as a family each week, the more protective factors your kids will have.

I bear witness to the value of families eating dinner together. I failed numerous ways as a mother, but my family ate dinner together every night with few exceptions. My adult children are close friends and arrange their own togetherness activities without any urging or input from me. This is one of the many great blessings that they bring into my life.

One of the simplest changes many families can make is creating more screen-free time together. Technology has become part of nearly every aspect of our lives, but it also competes for our attention in ways we don’t always realize. When meals, car rides or evenings at home are constantly interrupted by phones and devices, opportunities for conversation slowly disappear.

When I was parenting teens, the time when they would open up the most was when I was getting ready to fall asleep for the night. It was late at night when my teens would knock on our bedroom door and come sit at the foot of our bed just to chat. I would be so exhausted, but [I] knew this was precious time and engagement was critical. Connection rarely happens on a perfect schedule. Often, children open up in unexpected moments, and being available for those conversations matters. That’s why this message is so important.

June 8-14 is Family Connection Week. A time when families are encouraged to participate in activities focused on building connections. This could be preparing a meal and eating together, going on a hike, visiting an attraction, or playing a game together. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the Utah Office of Families have created a resource hub at strongfamilies.utah.gov that offers easy, practical ideas families can do. 

Young people who have strong, supportive relationships at home are more resilient when challenges arise. They experience lower rates of anxiety and depression, are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, and are better equipped to make healthy decisions. In short, children who feel connected at home are more likely to thrive.

At a time when so many young people are struggling with loneliness and disconnection, family connection may be one of the most important investments we can make. Not because families are perfect, but because strong relationships create safety, trust and support.

If anyone thinks that connection is good only for young people, this site has valuable information for you. 

Connection makes a difference, no matter your age!

Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from strong families. Positive, supportive, and warm social connections help us live longer, healthier lives. Family connections can help us manage stress, improve our mental and emotional well-being, and boost our self-confidence.

·       People who feel like they belong in their community are 2.6 times more likely to report good or excellent health than people who don’t. 

·       Knowing 6 or more of your neighbors reduces the likelihood of feeling lonely and is linked to lower depression, social anxiety, and financial concerns. 

One of my daughters called today and said that she has been reading/listening to a book about the effects of loneliness on people. Because she had the book on her mind, she decided to call me, and we visited for about forty-five minutes. It was an enjoyable experience for me because I often feel lonely, although I do not live by myself. I teased her, only partly in jest, that she should call her mother once each week to make sure that I am not lonely.

Who Makes the Rules?

The liberty principle for this week concerns who makes the laws and who enforces the laws of the United States. This is a constitutional principle as well as one that affects freedom. All Americans should know this, but some do not – including those in Congress.

According to an article at The Daily Signal, Joseph Buff reported on a hearing in the Senate where senators interviewed Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

A Senate Appropriations subcommittee interviewed department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. During the hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and DHS of violating court orders. He charged, “Every day, this agency is breaking the law at scale and wasting billions of taxpayer dollars. The DHS does not implement the law any longer; it makes up the law.”

Murphy argued that the committee should not choose to fund agencies that allegedly break the law. “We swear an oath when we arrive here to ensure that their money is not used to fund unconstitutional or illegal behavior, the senator said. “Every single day, this agency is violating the Constitution and the law. This cannot continue.

Mullin was sworn into his office less than ninety days ago. He told the senators that he had an opening statement, but he used his time to fire back at Murphy’s attacks. He began by telling Murphy, “We’re doing the job that Congress gave us the authority to do. If you don’t like the laws, you can change them.”

“I do have an opening statement here, but wow. Senator Murphy, the outlandish claim you made there is just flat wrong,” Mullin said.

“What’s unconstitutional that we’re doing? We swore to uphold the Constitution just like you swore to uphold the Constitution,” the secretary added. “We’re simply enforcing the law. Period. Full stop.”

Mullin also accused Murphy of recklessly spreading dangerous rhetoric about DHS and ICE. “When you throw out reckless terms and you start referring to our agents as being dangerous, unconstitutional, and lawless, that’s why our agents’ death threats are up by 8,000%.”

“I know that’s not what you want, but your political theater, that’s what it causes. When you start looking at assaults on our officers, they’re up by 1,300%, Mullin said.

The secretary argued that the federal government needs to prioritize immigration enforcement and continue to fund ICE and U.S. customs and Border Protection.

“If you don’t want customs and Border Patrol, and their job is to control our borders and the customs entry points, then be honest with the American people and say “we want open borders,” but don’t sit there and accuse us of a bunch of stuff that you know isn’t true,” Mullin told Murphy.

 

 

 

Articles of Faith: Is Joseph Smith a True Prophet of God?

As I continue my series on the Articles of Faith, I feel that I must share information about Joseph Smith. As Joseph Smith was the writer of the Articles of Faith, it is good to know something about the author.

As a disclaimer, I must clearly state that I am an ardent supporter of Joseph Smith. I know that he was and still is a prophet of God because the Holy Ghost bore a strong witness to me.

In his book titled Articles of Faith, Elder James E. Talmage listed three classes of evidence to show the authenticity of Joseph Smith’s mission.

1. Fulfilment of Prophecy, wrought through the lifework of Joseph Smith, is abundantly attested. John the Revelator, from his prophetic vision of the latter-day dispensation, understood and predicted that the Gospel would be again sent from the heavens, and be restored to the earth through the direct ministration of an angel in the latter-days: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”  A partial fulfilment of this prediction appears in the coming of the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith, …, whereby the restoration of the Gospel was announced, and the speedy realization of other ancient prophecies was promised; and a record, described in part as containing “the fulness of the everlasting Gospel” as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants of the western continent was committed to his care for translation and publication amongst all nations, kindred, and tongues. A further fulfilment was realized in the personal visitations of resurrected beings, who had ministered as bearers of the Holy Priesthood during their time of mortality, this Priesthood comprising divine authority and appointment to preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances thereof….

2. Joseph Smith’s Authority was conferred upon him by direct ministrations of heavenly beings, each of whom had once exercised the same power upon the earth. We have already seen how the angel Moroni, formerly a mortal prophet among the Nephites, transmitted to Joseph the appointment to bring forth the record which he, Moroni, had buried in the earth over fourteen hundred years before. We learn further, that on the 15^th of May, 1829, the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood was conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery under the hands of John the Baptist, who came in his immortalized state with that particular order of Priesthood, which comprises the keys of the ministration of angels, the doctrine of repentance and of baptism for the remission of sins…. In delivering his message John the Baptist stated that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, apostles of the Lord, in whose hands reposed the keys of the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood, which in time would also be given. This promise was fulfilled a month or so later, when the apostles named visited in person Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, ordaining them to the apostleship, which comprises all the offices of the higher order of Priesthood and which carries authority to minister in all the established ordinances of the Gospel….

[After the Church of Jesus Christ was organized, other ancient prophets visited Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to give other authority: Moses (gathering of Israel), Elijah (work for the living and the dead, sealing families together), and Elias (dispensation of Abraham, blessing succeeding generations.]

3. Joseph Smith was a true Prophet –In the days of ancient Israel an effective method of testing the claims of a professed prophet was prescribed. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follows not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Conversely, if the words of the prophet are verified by fulfilment there is at least proof presumptive of his divine calling….

4. The Doctrines Taught by Joseph Smith, and by the Church today, are true and scriptural. To sustain this statement, we must examine the principal teachings of the Church in separate order. [Following this statement, Talmage launched into his writings on the Articles of Faith.] (Articles of Faith, 1913, 16-17, 22, 23, 28)

Talmage is not the only Apostle to author a book about the Articles of Faith. In his book titled A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, Elder Bruce R. McConkie discussed how the Articles of Faith are the fruits of Joseph Smith.

As it is with belief in Christ; as it is with accepting him as the Son of God, whose atoning sacrifice makes salvation possible; as it is with believing all that the prophets and apostles have taught in days gone by – so it is with accepting Joseph Smith as the prophet of the latter days. All spiritual things must be accepted by faith. But in the process of gaining faith, those who are wise will taste the fruits of those who profess prophetic insight. Those who partake of the fruits of true prophets will find them sweet, full of flavor, delicious to the taste, and desirable to the soul, while those who seek nourishment from the fruits of false prophets will remain unrefreshed spiritually. The fruit they eat will be bitter to the taste; it will be as wormwood in their bellies, and from it they will gain none of the sustenance needed for the long journey back to the presence of the Lord.

The prophetic fruits of Joseph Smith are many and varied. All are as delicious as manna and as overflowing with goodness as the fruits of Eden. Volumes have been and will yet be written about them. They have not grown in secret nor been harvested in the night. In this work, however, it will be our purpose, in large measure, to feast upon but one of his prophetic fruits – the doctrines he taught relative to the basic beliefs of true Christians as these are summarized in the Articles of Faith.

In his now famous Wentworth Letter, written in March 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith gave an account “of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-day Saints,” of which he had “the honor, under God, of being the founder.” (HC 4:535.) As the climax of this inspired historical account, he uttered these prophetic words: “No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” He then listed the thirteen Articles of Faith in almost the verbatim language they now contain. (HC 4:540-41.)

“These Articles of Faith were not produced by the labored efforts and harmonized contentions of scholastics, but were struck off by one inspired mind at a single effort to make a declaration of that which is most assuredly believed by the Church…. The combined directness, perspicuity, simplicity and comprehensiveness of this statement of the principles of our religion may be relied upon as robust evidence of a divine inspiration resting upon the Prophet, Joseph Smith.” (HC 4:535n.) The Articles of Faith are part of an eternal fulness of everlasting truth that was then and is now in process of being revealed by the Lord to his people. They did not, when first given, mention all of the basic doctrines then known, and since then added light and knowledge have been revealed relative to many things, as the Articles of Faith themselves said would be the case. (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 14-16)

If you are sincere in your desire to know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God, I will give you the procedure that I followed. First, I studied every single book in my house about Joseph Smith (lots of them). Then the Holy Ghost gave this prompting, “If you want to know if Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, study the Book of Mormon.” I embarked on a study of the suggested book, sincerely and prayerfully studying it.

I suggest that you start by reading Moroni 10:4-5 in the last chapter of the book. As you study, ask God if what you are reading is true. If you are honest and sincere in your studies, you will receive an answer from God. I know because I received an answer when I met the requirements of study, humility, sincerity, and prayer.

 

How Many Names Does June Have?

June is the first month of summer. It is also a favorite month for weddings. In 1999, President Bill Clinton declared that June would officially be known as “LGBTQ+ Pride Month”. In 2009, President Barack Obama expanded the celebration, even lighting the White House in rainbow colors. Other cities celebrate with parades and rainbow decorations.

The Trump administration announced that June will be known as “Title IX Month.” This title refers to the “1972 civil rights law banning discrimination in publicly funded schools on the basis of biological sex,” according to Brigham Tomco, staff writer at the Deseret News. 

While Democrat states celebrate Pride Month, Republican states have other names for the month of June. For example, Arkansas and Utah declared June to be “Fidelity Month” to urge “Americans to rededicate themselves to principles of God, marriage, family, country and community.”  Tennessee, Alabama, and Indiana, declared June to be “Nuclear Family Month” to “underscore the role of traditional families.” Oklahoma declared it to be “Life Month” to commit to “support unborn humans from conception.”

The contest over the month of June reflects decades long culture war questions, exacerbated by partisan polarization and a sense that red and blue states increasingly represent different values ahead of America’s 250^th anniversary.