Beware False Teachers!

How can I recognize false teachers?

2 Peter 2 says:

• damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
• the way of truth shall be evil spoken of
• many shall follow their pernicious ways
• through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you
• whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not
• their damnation slumbereth not
• them that walk after the flesh in the lust ofuncleanness, and despise government
• speak evil of the things that they understand not
• cannot cease from sin
• beguiling unstable souls
• an heart they have exercised with covetous practices
• cursed children
• have forsaken the right way
• are gone astray
• loved the wages of unrighteousness
• they speak great swelling words of vanity
• they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness
• having eyes full of adultery
• they promise them liberty
• they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage

It is so dangerous to turn to the pollution of the world to find answers because we will never be happy there, and we need the Light of Christ to guide us back to righteousness. We need to be wary of half truths and false teachers. They can destroy us if we let them.

1 John 5:3

I had a personal experience with this this week. I had to take care of a small, and very antisocial dog over the weekend. It was penned up, but had plenty of water, food, grass, shade, space, and human interaction. He had everything it needed right there in front of him. I tried to show affection, but he didn't want any. Well, he got out by chewing through the wood off the fence set up to keep him in. He didn't understand that he needed to stay close so no one would run him over, or so no one would have a dog that would try to eat him. He ran all around the town, and we, his pet sitters, tried to catch him for hours. We called, coaxed, and offered treats, food, and love. He refused. If we had given up, he would have died or starved. We as humans are just like that dog. The Lord tries to give us things to make us happy, but we just want to run out into the street and get run over. It looks like fun! It's exillerating! If we continue to chew our way slowly through the commandments, we will get hurt. Luckily, the Lord is always there to coax us back to where we can be safe and happy. (By the way, we caught the dog, and it is doing just fine.)

How Would You Respond?

“Dear LDS Friend,
Some of my friends are saying that Mormons are not Christian because you believe that you need to do righteous works along with having faith to be accepted by God. My other friends claim that with the grace of Christ, works are not necessary. They say that if I join the Mormons I would be denying Christ’s grace. How should I respond to them?
-Your friend”

James 2 says: Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Faith grows with works. It is plain to see that in the Bible that is accepted by other religions as well that we must do works. Christ taught many things, and among them that we are saved by His grace. Yes, by his grace we are allowed the atonement, and through that atonement we have the option to repent of our sins. If we live in sin, we will not be saved. That is also taught by Christ. We must come unto Him and accept His atonement by repenting, and using it the way He asks.

Faith is so important. I know that if i can excersize my faith, then I will gain more, and those that participate or are affected by my faith grow in faith too. Faith is one of those things that is so rare because it doesn't run out when you use it, it actually grows. Thats why we actually have to use it! If we use our faith to accomplish a task, then we get rewarded with more faith, and then when we use our new and bigger faith to accomplish a bigger task, we are rewarded again and so the cycle goes on. Those who are affected, and the witnesses of faith grow too, and then they can use their faith to strengthen others. This goes on and on, but only if we ACT on our faith. Faith really does grow from works, and without works, it really is dead.

Works Of Righteousness

• How should we treat strangers and those “in bonds”?

Remember them, and have empathy for their situation. Walk a mile in their shoes.

• How is marriage looked upon?

Holy and righteous, but stay away from sin and adultery.

• What warnings are given about covetousness?

Don't covet: be content with what you have!

• What is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”?

Jesus Christ.

• How are we sanctified?

By the blood of Christ.

• How do we respond to those who rule over us?

Obey them and submit yourself to them.

• Who did Paul ask the people to pray for?

Those that watch over you.

Entering Into The Lord's Rest

What does it mean to enter into the Lord's rest?
The Lord's rest seems to be such a peaceful place to be. I think it means staying in the good graces of God. It is so helpful to us as members of the church to have the Holy Ghost with us to whisper what we need to do to be happy. If we provoke God like the ungratefulness of the Egyptian slaves after 40 years in the wilderness, then we will not be worthy to enter into the Lord's rest. If we refuse to obey, or deliberately disobey the commandments, then we will hold err with Heavenly Father, and will not be able to enter into His rest.

Scriptural Solutions to Life's Challenges

Here are some challenges we all face in life and how to overcome them:
Arguing over petty things:
Phillippians 2:1-8
Be likeminded with Christ. Don't argue, and be the servant if the need arises, many problems can be solved by letting go of pride and selfishness and giving of yourself to others. Be humble, be like Christ. Don't complain, and don't murmur.


Finding your own testimony, not relying on others:
Phillippians 2:12-15
Work out our own salvation. That means finding out for ourselves what is right. Let God work in you, and pray earnestly in faith to know the truth. You will know. If you ask, you WILL get an answer. Ask in faith, and gain a testimony for yourself.


Teach an investigator who will be cut off from family if he joins the church:
Phillippians 3:7-16 & 4:13
Losing some very important earthly things is a considerable loss, but it is worth it for the gospel. Christ will reward good works a hundred times over, and He will be on our dise the whole way. Press forward towards Christ in faith, and you will not regret it! You can do anything with the help of Christ.


Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.


You will know what to do by the power of the Holy Ghost. Christ will strengthen you, and you can do all the things you need to. Read the scriptures. Use them in your life. It will be a great comfort to you and a guide to what is right.

Colossians 3

How do we become new in Christ?
What should we "put on" and seek after?
Seek Godly things.
Set your affection on things above, not worldly things.
Put on:  bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forebearance, forgiveness, thankfulness, and above all, charity.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you.
Honor your spouse.
Obey parents, and love children.
Do all these things willingly for the Lord, and you will be rewarded.
What should we "put off" and discontinue in our lives?
Put off: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,anger, wrath, malice,blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. lying, idolatry, and covetousness.

Baptism

Baptism is such an important thing in the gospel. Without it, we cannot receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and we cannot receive Celestial Glory. It is one of the most essential ordinances we can perform. To be baptized, sin must be forsaken and repented of. Bad habits must be broken, and the spirit must be willing. In baptism, we are symbolizing coming unto Christ and becoming like Him, aligning our ways and desires with His. In Christ's life, He was baptized by immersion, and He was also crucified and buried, to rise in glory three days later. Our baptism by immersion symbolizes that ressurection, and sprinkling of baptism water does not follow that important symbolism.

We serve the Lord and promise to be like Him when we are baptized. We know that we are th Lord's servants because of the Holy Ghost and how He testifies to us the truth of the Gospel. Without baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, we can't truly come to be exalted beings. It is so important to understand the truth of these things and help others who have passed on with these ordinances so they too can receive exaltation.

Forgiveness

In 2 Cor. 2, "Grief" is used as a word describing a deed done to another. The grief should be forgiven if it is done unto you.

"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the  person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Matthew 6:14-15 says: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We all are in need of forgiveness, and if we forgive others what they have done against us, then we can be forgiven as well. If we follow the golden rule on this one, we will be greatly rewarded.

D&C 64:9-10 Says: Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

If we don't forgive our peers, friends, neighbors, loved ones, and our enemies, we will be condemned. We will not be forgiven of our trespasses, and we will be accused of a greater sin than that which we chose not to forgive. 

We should forgive others. It is really hard, but we should try with all of our might that we may be forgiven of our sins at the last day.

Overcoming Sin and Trial Through Christ

Christ can be our "Rock" and help us stay grounded. We can interpret "Rock" as a fortress, a protection, an object to look back to that won't falter or move. We can use it as a landmark, a goal to look towards. That is what Christ can do for us in life.


All of the sins and trials in this world can be overcome through Christ, and in 1 Cor. 10:13, we are reassured that we won't be given anything we can't overcome, we only need to accept the love and help of Christ in our lives to make it happen. We can then be truly happy, and grow in ways we never thought we could.


Alma 13:28-29 says:

 28But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

 29Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.  

This is such a comfort to me in these hard days. I am very fortunate in my life to have fewer trials than 99% of the world has to suffer, but I know that when I feel down, I can turn to my savior, and He will help me. Always, and every time.

Missionary Work, and Acting in a Godly Manner

How can missionaries today teach and act in a godly manner? I know that just by keeping the standards of the church and the mission standards can help increase the spirit so much for missionaries. Even as church members we are missionaries every day, and if all of us keep the standards and set a good example for our peers, we can have much better missionary experiences in our lives. I know one thing I personally could do to increase my faith and missionary work is to continue to dress modestly. To respect my body and to show others around me that I have respect for myself makes teaching the gospel to others a much more smooth and wonderful experience.

Paul and the Spirit Acts 16

Paul was directed not to go to certain towns by the spirit. He was directed towards Macedonia. There were several significant events that happened in Macedonia that wouldn't have happened if Paul hadn't listened. Paul was also blesses during this mission to have comfort, and to not be afraid.

I think a way I could have the spirit direct my missionary work is by sharing with more of the people I care about. It's hard to share with friends sometimes because of possible judgement. The gospel is so great, though, that it should overpower personal desire and selfishness. I could use a little less fear when faced with missionary opportunities.

Paul was always willing to make moments into teaching moments and bring the gospel to people.
I can learn to be less prideful and to accept whatever the Lord asks of me.
A true conversion is in the heart, not just on the outside.
We need to truly ask, apply, and understand in order to be converted.
I can overcome fear and pride, and share the gospel with those around me with joy!

New Testament 2 Week 1 (Acts 10)

• When Peter clearly understood the meaning of the vision, what did he declare?

He saw a vision of unclean animals. God wanted him to kill and eat, and he didn't want to because they were unclean. God said He had made them clean and if God did so, then it was fine to eat. Peter later found that the centurion (who would have been deemed "unclean") was one of God's children and so was clean, and could receive the message.

• What does it mean that God is “no respecter of persons”?

If we as people come unto Christ and obey the commandments and prophets, then we are all accepted into the kingdom. No matter who we are. God doesn't play favorites, and we all have an equal chance to get into the Celestial Kingdom.

• How did the Holy Ghost assist the Jewish Saints in understanding that the blessings of the gospel were to be available to all people at that time?

The gift of the Holy Ghost was given to all, the Jews and the Gentiles, and they all understood that God loves all of us individually, not only the Jews.