Introduction
Discovering what truth is and applying it in our
lives are the most important things we can do
while on earth. Only by gaining a knowledge of
the truth are we able to build the kingdom of God
and prepare for eternal life.
Doctrinal Outline
A. Divine truth is absolute reality.
1. Truth is knowledge of things as they really are,
were, and are to come (see D&C 93:24; Jacob 4:13).
2. Truth is eternal (see Psalm 117:2; D&C 1:37–39;
88:66).
3. Divine truth is absolute (see Alma 7:20; Helaman
8:24; Moroni 8:18; D&C 3:2).
B. All divine truth is possessed by God and
imparted by Him to His children.
1. God is a god of truth (see Ether 3:12;
Deuteronomy 32:4; John 14:6; D&C 93:11, 26).
2. All things are known by God (see 2 Nephi 2:24;
9:20; Alma 26:35).
3. All light and truth proceed from God to His
children (see D&C 88:11–13; Proverbs 2:6).
4. God uses the Holy Ghost to impart truth (see
1 Nephi 10:19; D&C 50:19–22; 91:4).
C. Adherence to revealed truth brings great
blessings and, ultimately, salvation.
1. Truth is given by the Spirit “for the salvation of
our souls” (Jacob 4:13).
2. All blessings from God are predicated upon
obedience to eternal law and truth (see D&C
130:20–21).
3. The word of the Lord is truth and is of the
greatest value (see 1 Corinthians 2:9–16;
Colossians 3:2; 2 Nephi 9:28–29; D&C 84:45).
4. By following Christ we gain truth, which will
make us free (see John 8:31–32).
5. Those who gain more truth than others in this life
have an advantage in the world to come (see
D&C 130:18–19; Alma 37:44).
6. We cannot be saved in ignorance (see D&C 131:6;
John 17:3).
Supporting Statements
A. Divine truth is absolute reality.
■ “It is vital to know that there really is a God, that
there really is a Savior, Jesus Christ, that there really
is impending immortality for all men, that there
really will be a judgment with genuine personal
accountability, and that there really is purpose in life
and a divine plan of happiness for man.
“When we know such basic truths as these, then
we know what really matters, how to approach life
and how to view man in the universe. There is great
power in perspective. Therefore, the adverb ‘really,’
as used by Jacob [Jacob 4:13], is deeply significant”
(Neal A. Maxwell, Things As They Really Are, 4).
■ “We are willing to receive all truth, from
whatever source it may come; for truth will stand,
truth will endure. . . . Truth is at the foundation, at
the bottom and top of, and it entirely permeates
this great work of the Lord that was established
through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, the
prophet” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 1).
■ “This true way of life [the gospel] is not a
matter of opinion. There are absolute truths and
relative truths. . . . There are many ideas advanced
to the world that have been changed to meet the
needs of the truth as it has been discovered. There
are relative truths, and there are also absolute
truths which are the same yesterday, today, and
forever—never changing. These absolute truths
are not altered by the opinions of men. As science
has expanded our understanding of the physical
world, certain accepted ideas of science have had
to be abandoned in the interest of truth. Some of
these seeming truths were stoutly maintained for
centuries. The sincere searching of science often
rests only on the threshold of truth, whereas
revealed facts give us certain absolute truths as a
beginning point so we may come to understand
the nature of man and the purpose of his life. . . .
“We learn about these absolute truths by being
taught by the Spirit. These truths are ‘independent’
in their spiritual sphere and are to be discovered
spiritually, though they may be confirmed by
experience and intellect. (See D&C 93:30.) . . .
“God, our Heavenly Father—Elohim—lives.
That is an absolute truth. . . . All the people on the
earth might deny him and disbelieve, but he lives
in spite of them. . . . In short, opinion alone has no
power in the matter of an absolute truth. He still
lives. And Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the
Almighty, the Creator, the Master of the only true
way of life—the gospel of Jesus Christ. The
intellectual may rationalize him out of existence
and the unbeliever may scoff, but Christ still lives
and guides the destinies of his people. That is an
absolute truth; there is no gainsaying. . . .
“The Gods organized and gave life to man and
placed him on the earth. This is absolute. It cannot
be disproved. Amillion brilliant minds might
conjecture otherwise, but it is still true” (SpencerW.
Kimball, “Absolute Truth,” Ensign, Sept. 1978, 3–4).
B. All divine truth is possessed by God and
imparted by Him to His children.
■ “The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as one God,
are the fountain of truth. From this fountain all the
ancient learned philosophers have received their
inspiration and wisdom—from it they have
received all their knowledge. If we find truth in
broken fragments through the ages, it may be set
down as an incontrovertible fact that it originated
at the fountain, and was given to philosophers,
inventors, patriots, reformers, and prophets by the
inspiration of God. It came from him through his
Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, in the first
place, and from no other source. It is eternal”
(Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 30).
■ “The philosophy of the heavens and the earth
of the worlds that are, that were, and that are yet
to come into existence, is all the Gospel that we
have embraced. Every true philosopher, so far as
he understands the principles of truth, has so
much of the Gospel, and so far he is a Latter-day
Saint, whether he knows it or not. Our Father, the
great God, is the author of the sciences, he is the
great mechanic, he is the systematizer of all things,
he plans and devises all things, and every particle
of knowledge which man has in his possession is
the gift of God” (Brigham Young, Discourses of
Brigham Young, 2–3).
■ “What is this knowledge, intelligence, and
light and truth that our Heavenly Father would
have us receive? Does it consist solely of the
truths God has revealed through his prophets?
What place does knowledge gleaned from secular
sources and with secular means have in the
scheme of eternal progression?
“In considering these questions, we must
recognize that secular knowledge alone can
never save a soul nor open the celestial kingdom
to anyone.
“The Apostles Peter and John, for example, had
little secular learning—being termed ignorant, in
fact. But Peter and John knew the vital things of life,
that God lives and that the crucified, resurrected
Lord is the Son of God. They knew the path to
eternal life. They learned that mortality is the time
to learn first of God and his gospel and to receive
the saving priesthood ordinances.
“Yet secular knowledge can be most helpful to
the children of our Father in Heaven who, having
placed first things first, have found and are living
those truths which lead one to eternal life. These
are they who have the balance and perspective to
seek all knowledge—revealed and secular—as a
tool and servant for the blessing of themselves and
others” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Seek Learning, Even
by Study and Also by Faith,” Ensign, Sept. 1983, 3).
C. Adherence to revealed truth brings great
blessings and, ultimately, salvation.
■ “Much of really living consists of acquiring
perspective about everlasting things so that we can
successfully manage the transitory factual things,
for tactical choices do crowd in upon us all hour
by hour. Knowing the facts about a bus schedule,
for instance, is helpful, but such facts are clearly
not the lasting or emancipating truths Jesus spoke
of as being necessary to experience real freedom,
for ‘the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:32.)”
(Maxwell, Things As They Really Are, 2).
■ “We consider that God has created man with a
mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which
may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and
diligence given to the light communicated from
heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man
approaches perfection, the clearer are his views,
and the greater his enjoyments, till he has
overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire
for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point
of faith where he is wrapped in the power and
glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with
Him. But we consider that this is a station to
which no man ever arrived in a moment” (Joseph
Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 51).
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Introduction
To know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
living God, is imperative for all who desire eternal
life (see John 17:3). This knowledge comes by the
power of the Holy Ghost. Joseph Smith taught,
“No man can know that Jesus is the Lord, but by
the Holy Ghost” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, 223).
Doctrinal Outline
A. Jesus Christ is literally the son of God the
Eternal Father.
1. Jesus Christ is the firstborn spirit son of God (see
D&C 93:21; Colossians 1:13–15; Hebrews 1:5–6).
2. Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God in the
flesh (see JST, John 1:1, 13–14; 1 Nephi 11:14–22;
Jacob 4:5, 11; Alma 5:48; D&C 20:21; 76:22–24).
B. Jesus Christ is a being of glory, might, and
majesty.
1. Jesus Christ has a resurrected body of flesh and
bones (see D&C 130:22; Luke 24:36–39; 3 Nephi
11:12–15).
2. Jesus Christ possesses all power in heaven and
on earth (see D&C 93:17; 100:1; Matthew 28:18;
1 Peter 3:21–22).
3. Jesus Christ possesses a fulness of the perfection,
attributes, and glory of the Father (see 3 Nephi
12:48; D&C 38:1–3; Colossians 1:19; 2:9–10; D&C
93:4, 12–17).
4. Jesus Christ is the light and the life of the
world (see D&C 88:5–13; 93:2, 9; John 1:4; 8:12;
3 Nephi 9:18).
C. As the Son of God, Jesus fills many roles
essential to our salvation.
1. Jesus created the worlds under the direction of
God the Eternal Father (see 3 Nephi 9:15; Hebrews
1:1–3; Helaman 14:12; Moses 1:33; Ephesians 3:9;
D&C 93:10).
2. Jesus Christ is Jehovah, the God of the Old
Testament (see Isaiah 12:2; 1 Nephi 19:10; D&C
110:1–4; JST, Exodus 6:1–3; Abraham 2:7–8).
3. The Savior came to earth and set a perfect
example for us to follow (see 1 Peter 2:21;
2 Nephi 31:7, 9–10; 3 Nephi 18:16; 27:21, 27).
4. Only through Jesus Christ can we be saved (see
Acts 4:12; Mosiah 3:17; 5:8).
5. Through the Atonement, the Savior provided
redemption from physical and spiritual death (see
Alma 11:40–43; 34:8–10; 2 Nephi 9:6–13, 26; D&C
18:11–12; 19:16; Helaman 14:15–18; 1 Corinthians
15:19–23).
6. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and us
and is our advocate with the Father (see 1 Timothy
2:5; D&C 45:3–5; JST, 1 John 2:1; Moroni 7:28).
7. The Son of God is our true and righteous judge
(see Psalm 9:7–8; 2 Timothy 4:8; John 5:22, 27, 30;
Acts 10:40–42).
8. The Father’s will is carried out to perfection by
the Son (see John 4:34; 5:30; 5:19; Matthew 26:39,
42; 3 Nephi 11:11).
9. Although Jesus is the Son of God, He is sometimes
called the Father (see Mosiah 15:1–8, 11; Isaiah 9:6;
Mosiah 5:7; Helaman 14:12; Ether 3:14).
10.Jesus Christ is the rock upon which we must
build our foundation in order to overcome the
temptations of Satan (see Helaman 5:12; Psalm
18:2; 1 Nephi 15:15).
Supporting Statements
A. Jesus Christ is literally the son of God the
Eternal Father.
■ “Among the spirit children of Elohim, the firstborn
was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, to whom
all others are juniors” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel
Doctrine, 70).
■ “That Child to be born of Mary was begotten
of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of
natural law but in accordance with a higher
manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that
association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship,
and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to
be called the ‘Son of the Highest.’” (James E.
Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 81).
■ “We believe absolutely that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God, begotten of God, the first-born in the
spirit and the only begotten in the flesh; that He is
the Son of God just as much as you and I are the
sons of our fathers” (Heber J. Grant, “Analysis of
the Articles of Faith,” Millennial Star, 5 Jan. 1922, 2).
■ “There cannot be any doubt in the heart of a
Latter-day Saint regarding Jesus Christ’s being
the Son of the living God, because God Himself
introduced Him to Joseph Smith. . . .
“Any individual who does not acknowledge
Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer of
the world, has no business to be associated with
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”
(Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, 23–24).
B. Jesus Christ is a being of glory, might, and
majesty.
■ “Jesus Christ is the heir of this Kingdom—the
Only Begotten of the Father according to the flesh
in Conference Report, Oct. 1984, 82; or Ensign,
Nov. 1984, 66–67).
■ “God himself was once as we are now, and is
an exalted man. . . . If the veil were rent today, . . .
if you were to see him today, you would see him
like a man in form—like yourselves in all the
person, image, and very form as a man. . . .
“. . . It is the first principle of the Gospel to
know for a certainty the Character of God, and to
know that we may converse with him as one man
converses with another, and that he was once a
man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of
us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ
himself did; and I will show it from the Bible”
(Smith, Teachings, 345–46).
■ “God made man in his own image and
certainly he made woman in the image of his
wife-partner” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings
of Spencer W. Kimball, 25).
C. God is perfect in His person, character, and
attributes.
■ “What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I
saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into
existence. My Father worked out his kingdom
with fear and trembling, and I must do the same;
and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to
my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon
kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will
then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his
place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that
Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits
what God did before; and God is thus glorified
and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all
his children” (Smith, Teachings, 347–48).
D. God is the Supreme Being in the universe.
■ “By definition, God (generally meaning the
Father) is the one supreme and absolute Being; the
ultimate source of the universe; the all-powerful,
all-knowing, all-good Creator, Ruler, and Preserver
of all things” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon
Doctrine, 317).
■ “God is the only supreme governor and
independent being in whom all fullness and
perfection dwell; who is omnipotent, omnipresent,
and omniscient; without beginning of days or end
of life; and that in him every good gift and every
good principle dwell; and that he is the Father of
lights; in him the principle of faith dwells
independently, and he is the object in whom the
faith of all other rational and accountable beings
center for life and salvation” (Joseph Smith, comp.,
Lectures on Faith, 10).
■ “Our relationship with the Father is supreme,
paramount, and preeminent over all others. He is
the God we worship. It is his gospel that saves
and exalts. He ordained and established the plan
of salvation. He is the one who was once as we
are now. The life he lives is eternal life, and if we
are to gain this greatest of all the gifts of God, it
will be because we become like him” (Bruce R.
McConkie, “Our Relationship with the Lord,” in
Brigham Young University 1981–82 Fireside and
Devotional Speeches, 101).
E. The Father presides over the Godhead.
■ “Three glorified, exalted, and perfected
personages comprise the Godhead or supreme
presidency of the universe. . . . They are: God the
Father; God the Son; God the Holy Ghost. . . .
“Though each God in the Godhead is a
personage, separate and distinct from each of
the others, yet they are ‘one God’ . . . , meaning
that they are united as one in the attributes of
perfection. For instance, each has the fulness
of truth, knowledge, charity, power, justice,
judgment, mercy, and faith. Accordingly they all
think, act, speak, and are alike in all things; and
yet they are three separate and distinct entities.
Each occupies space and is and can be in but
one place at one time, but each has power and
influence that is everywhere present” (McConkie,
Mormon Doctrine, 319).
■ “Everlasting covenant was made between three
personages before the organization of this earth,
and relates to their dispensation of things to men on
the earth; these personages, according to Abraham’s
record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the
second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the
witness or Testator” (Smith, Teachings, 190).
■ “There is a oneness in the Godhead as well
as a distinctness of personality. This oneness is
emphasized in the sayings and writings of
prophets and apostles in order to guard against
the erroneous idea that these three may be distinct
and independent deities and rivals for our
worship” (Joseph F. Smith, “Answers to
Questions,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1901, 228).
To know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
living God, is imperative for all who desire eternal
life (see John 17:3). This knowledge comes by the
power of the Holy Ghost. Joseph Smith taught,
“No man can know that Jesus is the Lord, but by
the Holy Ghost” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, 223).
Doctrinal Outline
A. Jesus Christ is literally the son of God the
Eternal Father.
1. Jesus Christ is the firstborn spirit son of God (see
D&C 93:21; Colossians 1:13–15; Hebrews 1:5–6).
2. Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God in the
flesh (see JST, John 1:1, 13–14; 1 Nephi 11:14–22;
Jacob 4:5, 11; Alma 5:48; D&C 20:21; 76:22–24).
B. Jesus Christ is a being of glory, might, and
majesty.
1. Jesus Christ has a resurrected body of flesh and
bones (see D&C 130:22; Luke 24:36–39; 3 Nephi
11:12–15).
2. Jesus Christ possesses all power in heaven and
on earth (see D&C 93:17; 100:1; Matthew 28:18;
1 Peter 3:21–22).
3. Jesus Christ possesses a fulness of the perfection,
attributes, and glory of the Father (see 3 Nephi
12:48; D&C 38:1–3; Colossians 1:19; 2:9–10; D&C
93:4, 12–17).
4. Jesus Christ is the light and the life of the
world (see D&C 88:5–13; 93:2, 9; John 1:4; 8:12;
3 Nephi 9:18).
C. As the Son of God, Jesus fills many roles
essential to our salvation.
1. Jesus created the worlds under the direction of
God the Eternal Father (see 3 Nephi 9:15; Hebrews
1:1–3; Helaman 14:12; Moses 1:33; Ephesians 3:9;
D&C 93:10).
2. Jesus Christ is Jehovah, the God of the Old
Testament (see Isaiah 12:2; 1 Nephi 19:10; D&C
110:1–4; JST, Exodus 6:1–3; Abraham 2:7–8).
3. The Savior came to earth and set a perfect
example for us to follow (see 1 Peter 2:21;
2 Nephi 31:7, 9–10; 3 Nephi 18:16; 27:21, 27).
4. Only through Jesus Christ can we be saved (see
Acts 4:12; Mosiah 3:17; 5:8).
5. Through the Atonement, the Savior provided
redemption from physical and spiritual death (see
Alma 11:40–43; 34:8–10; 2 Nephi 9:6–13, 26; D&C
18:11–12; 19:16; Helaman 14:15–18; 1 Corinthians
15:19–23).
6. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and us
and is our advocate with the Father (see 1 Timothy
2:5; D&C 45:3–5; JST, 1 John 2:1; Moroni 7:28).
7. The Son of God is our true and righteous judge
(see Psalm 9:7–8; 2 Timothy 4:8; John 5:22, 27, 30;
Acts 10:40–42).
8. The Father’s will is carried out to perfection by
the Son (see John 4:34; 5:30; 5:19; Matthew 26:39,
42; 3 Nephi 11:11).
9. Although Jesus is the Son of God, He is sometimes
called the Father (see Mosiah 15:1–8, 11; Isaiah 9:6;
Mosiah 5:7; Helaman 14:12; Ether 3:14).
10.Jesus Christ is the rock upon which we must
build our foundation in order to overcome the
temptations of Satan (see Helaman 5:12; Psalm
18:2; 1 Nephi 15:15).
Supporting Statements
A. Jesus Christ is literally the son of God the
Eternal Father.
■ “Among the spirit children of Elohim, the firstborn
was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, to whom
all others are juniors” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel
Doctrine, 70).
■ “That Child to be born of Mary was begotten
of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of
natural law but in accordance with a higher
manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that
association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship,
and pure though mortal maternity, was of right to
be called the ‘Son of the Highest.’” (James E.
Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 81).
■ “We believe absolutely that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God, begotten of God, the first-born in the
spirit and the only begotten in the flesh; that He is
the Son of God just as much as you and I are the
sons of our fathers” (Heber J. Grant, “Analysis of
the Articles of Faith,” Millennial Star, 5 Jan. 1922, 2).
■ “There cannot be any doubt in the heart of a
Latter-day Saint regarding Jesus Christ’s being
the Son of the living God, because God Himself
introduced Him to Joseph Smith. . . .
“Any individual who does not acknowledge
Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer of
the world, has no business to be associated with
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”
(Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, 23–24).
B. Jesus Christ is a being of glory, might, and
majesty.
■ “Jesus Christ is the heir of this Kingdom—the
Only Begotten of the Father according to the flesh
in Conference Report, Oct. 1984, 82; or Ensign,
Nov. 1984, 66–67).
■ “God himself was once as we are now, and is
an exalted man. . . . If the veil were rent today, . . .
if you were to see him today, you would see him
like a man in form—like yourselves in all the
person, image, and very form as a man. . . .
“. . . It is the first principle of the Gospel to
know for a certainty the Character of God, and to
know that we may converse with him as one man
converses with another, and that he was once a
man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of
us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ
himself did; and I will show it from the Bible”
(Smith, Teachings, 345–46).
■ “God made man in his own image and
certainly he made woman in the image of his
wife-partner” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings
of Spencer W. Kimball, 25).
C. God is perfect in His person, character, and
attributes.
■ “What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I
saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into
existence. My Father worked out his kingdom
with fear and trembling, and I must do the same;
and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to
my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon
kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will
then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his
place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that
Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits
what God did before; and God is thus glorified
and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all
his children” (Smith, Teachings, 347–48).
D. God is the Supreme Being in the universe.
■ “By definition, God (generally meaning the
Father) is the one supreme and absolute Being; the
ultimate source of the universe; the all-powerful,
all-knowing, all-good Creator, Ruler, and Preserver
of all things” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon
Doctrine, 317).
■ “God is the only supreme governor and
independent being in whom all fullness and
perfection dwell; who is omnipotent, omnipresent,
and omniscient; without beginning of days or end
of life; and that in him every good gift and every
good principle dwell; and that he is the Father of
lights; in him the principle of faith dwells
independently, and he is the object in whom the
faith of all other rational and accountable beings
center for life and salvation” (Joseph Smith, comp.,
Lectures on Faith, 10).
■ “Our relationship with the Father is supreme,
paramount, and preeminent over all others. He is
the God we worship. It is his gospel that saves
and exalts. He ordained and established the plan
of salvation. He is the one who was once as we
are now. The life he lives is eternal life, and if we
are to gain this greatest of all the gifts of God, it
will be because we become like him” (Bruce R.
McConkie, “Our Relationship with the Lord,” in
Brigham Young University 1981–82 Fireside and
Devotional Speeches, 101).
E. The Father presides over the Godhead.
■ “Three glorified, exalted, and perfected
personages comprise the Godhead or supreme
presidency of the universe. . . . They are: God the
Father; God the Son; God the Holy Ghost. . . .
“Though each God in the Godhead is a
personage, separate and distinct from each of
the others, yet they are ‘one God’ . . . , meaning
that they are united as one in the attributes of
perfection. For instance, each has the fulness
of truth, knowledge, charity, power, justice,
judgment, mercy, and faith. Accordingly they all
think, act, speak, and are alike in all things; and
yet they are three separate and distinct entities.
Each occupies space and is and can be in but
one place at one time, but each has power and
influence that is everywhere present” (McConkie,
Mormon Doctrine, 319).
■ “Everlasting covenant was made between three
personages before the organization of this earth,
and relates to their dispensation of things to men on
the earth; these personages, according to Abraham’s
record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the
second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the
witness or Testator” (Smith, Teachings, 190).
■ “There is a oneness in the Godhead as well
as a distinctness of personality. This oneness is
emphasized in the sayings and writings of
prophets and apostles in order to guard against
the erroneous idea that these three may be distinct
and independent deities and rivals for our
worship” (Joseph F. Smith, “Answers to
Questions,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1901, 228).
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
A Voice of Courage
Joseph F. Smith Was Surrounded by People of Physical and Moral Courage
On 13 November 1838, Mary Fielding Smith gave birth to her first son, Joseph Fielding Smith, in Far West, Missouri. (Note: this is not the Joseph Fielding Smith who was tenth President of the Church, but his father, the sixth President.) Joseph was too young to fully realize what his mother and the other Saints were suffering at the hands of the Missouri mobs who were bent on exterminating the Mormons; but when he was six years old and living in Nauvoo, he came to understand the reality of the struggle and persecution: his father, Hyrum, and Uncle Joseph were killed by an angry mob in Carthage Jail. In his early years he had been a witness many times to the courage of these great men. His mother, Mary Fielding Smith, was another great example of courage and strength of character. It is not surprising that young Joseph showed these characteristics at an early age. He was not quite eight years old when he drove a yoke of oxen pulling their wagon from Montrose, Iowa, to Winter Quarters, Nebraska.
On 13 November 1838, Mary Fielding Smith gave birth to her first son, Joseph Fielding Smith, in Far West, Missouri. (Note: this is not the Joseph Fielding Smith who was tenth President of the Church, but his father, the sixth President.) Joseph was too young to fully realize what his mother and the other Saints were suffering at the hands of the Missouri mobs who were bent on exterminating the Mormons; but when he was six years old and living in Nauvoo, he came to understand the reality of the struggle and persecution: his father, Hyrum, and Uncle Joseph were killed by an angry mob in Carthage Jail. In his early years he had been a witness many times to the courage of these great men. His mother, Mary Fielding Smith, was another great example of courage and strength of character. It is not surprising that young Joseph showed these characteristics at an early age. He was not quite eight years old when he drove a yoke of oxen pulling their wagon from Montrose, Iowa, to Winter Quarters, Nebraska.
Friends and Peers Can Be a Positive Influence
The influence of friends or peers need not be negative. Read the following anecdote:
“In a cemetery a little white stone marked the grave of a small girl. On the stone was chiseled these words: ‘A child of whom her playmates said, “It was easier to be good when she was with us” ’ ” (File Favorites, comp. Albert Zobell, Jr. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1968], p. 62).
Elder Hales gave a simple and meaningful definition of a friend: “What is the definition of a friend? Friends are people who make it easier to live the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Robert D. Hales, “This Is the Way; and There Is None Other Way,” in Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 1981–82, p. 67).
Read Elder Marvin J. Ashton’s definition of a friend: “A friend in the true sense is not a person who passively nods approval of our conduct or ignores improper behavior. A friend is a person who cares” (Marvin J. Ashton, “It’s No Fun Being Poor,” Ensign, Sept. 1982, p. 73).
It takes courage to be a friend, especially when others are going in the wrong direction. Sometimes youth, even at church, are unkind to each other, especially those not in their immediate group. Some become hurt when they are excluded because they do not belong to the Church. We all need to be true friends—kind to all—particularly to any who feel they don’t belong, to those who are thoughtlessly excluded, and to those who are not members of the Church.
“In a cemetery a little white stone marked the grave of a small girl. On the stone was chiseled these words: ‘A child of whom her playmates said, “It was easier to be good when she was with us” ’ ” (File Favorites, comp. Albert Zobell, Jr. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1968], p. 62).
Elder Hales gave a simple and meaningful definition of a friend: “What is the definition of a friend? Friends are people who make it easier to live the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Robert D. Hales, “This Is the Way; and There Is None Other Way,” in Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 1981–82, p. 67).
Read Elder Marvin J. Ashton’s definition of a friend: “A friend in the true sense is not a person who passively nods approval of our conduct or ignores improper behavior. A friend is a person who cares” (Marvin J. Ashton, “It’s No Fun Being Poor,” Ensign, Sept. 1982, p. 73).
It takes courage to be a friend, especially when others are going in the wrong direction. Sometimes youth, even at church, are unkind to each other, especially those not in their immediate group. Some become hurt when they are excluded because they do not belong to the Church. We all need to be true friends—kind to all—particularly to any who feel they don’t belong, to those who are thoughtlessly excluded, and to those who are not members of the Church.
Friends and Peers Can Be a Negative Influence
Elder Robert D. Hales, while speaking at Brigham Young University, gave two illustrations that show how the wrong kind of friends or peers can influence us:
“There’s a marvelous lesson to be taught by those who live in the islands. When they catch crabs, they place them in a small, flat basket. If you place one crab in the basket, it crawls right out. If you place two crabs in the basket, every time one crab starts to crawl out, it is pulled back in by the other crab. …
“I would hope that we could understand another lesson I learned … from my uncle. It was about coyotes and sheep. It’s very clever. Mother and father coyote send those little coyote pups out to play and frolic. And the little lambs who are secure in the fold look over there and say, ‘Boy, doesn’t that look like a lot of fun?’ And they leave to go play with the coyote pups. Then the adult coyotes come down and kill them” (“This Is the Way; and There Is None Other Way,” in Brigham Young University 1981–82 Fireside and Devotional Speeches [1982], p. 67).
“There’s a marvelous lesson to be taught by those who live in the islands. When they catch crabs, they place them in a small, flat basket. If you place one crab in the basket, it crawls right out. If you place two crabs in the basket, every time one crab starts to crawl out, it is pulled back in by the other crab. …
“I would hope that we could understand another lesson I learned … from my uncle. It was about coyotes and sheep. It’s very clever. Mother and father coyote send those little coyote pups out to play and frolic. And the little lambs who are secure in the fold look over there and say, ‘Boy, doesn’t that look like a lot of fun?’ And they leave to go play with the coyote pups. Then the adult coyotes come down and kill them” (“This Is the Way; and There Is None Other Way,” in Brigham Young University 1981–82 Fireside and Devotional Speeches [1982], p. 67).
Behavior Influence
Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, said: (read the following, explaining as necessary)
“Our amusements should be characterized by their wholesome social environments. We should have proper regard to the character of those with whom we associate in places of amusement; and we should be governed by a high sense of responsibility to our parents, to our friends and to the Church. We should know that the pleasures which we enjoy are such as have upon them the stamp of divine approval. They should be endorsed by our parents and by our religious associates, and by those true principles which should always regulate our [association] with one another in Church membership. Amusements which, in themselves, and in commendable social surroundings, may be proper and wholesome, should be avoided unless associates are unquestionable and the places are reputable and are conducted under proper restraints” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 320).
“Our amusements should be characterized by their wholesome social environments. We should have proper regard to the character of those with whom we associate in places of amusement; and we should be governed by a high sense of responsibility to our parents, to our friends and to the Church. We should know that the pleasures which we enjoy are such as have upon them the stamp of divine approval. They should be endorsed by our parents and by our religious associates, and by those true principles which should always regulate our [association] with one another in Church membership. Amusements which, in themselves, and in commendable social surroundings, may be proper and wholesome, should be avoided unless associates are unquestionable and the places are reputable and are conducted under proper restraints” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 320).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)