When one gets to my age you often reflect on the past. Probably because there
is more time in the past than there is in the mortal future.
I often think, what could I have done differently? Because of the veil of forgetfulness, which is drawn, we do not know things or see things as they really are. We are here to learn by our experience.
The great and spacious building represents the pride of the world. Babylon is also a representation of worldliness and we are urged to separate ourselves from it.
When I was growing up I was always active in the church. I did not voluntarily read the scriptures like many young people do today. It was not stressed. We did hold family night, but not like it is outlined today. We knelt in family prayer in a circle. We went to church. We occasionally had gospel-centered discussions, usually when the missionaries came to eat dinner. We read the Book of Mormon sitting around the dinner table.
We lived in the world and did not realize how much of an impact it had on the lives of the people around us. The distinction between evil and good was not as crass as it is now. Thus many of the things were considered acceptable, which in retrospect, were things which I would not accept today.
Living in Lander where the church was not established allowed me to attain a spiritual growth that was best for me. Yet the great and spacious building and its influences were there. What I was missing was the iron rod. I now realize more than ever before how much spiritual strength and insight one can gain from consistent scripture study.
I went away to college and even though there were many members of the church around me and I was still active in the church, there was more of the influence of the world, which went unrecognized.
It was not until I went to Germany on my mission that I made an effort to grasp the iron rod. It seemed as though I wanted to know every thing about the church and the gospel. I read the scriptures with my companions. I read by myself. They call that personal gospel study now.
This did not suddenly get me along the straight and narrow path, but it kept me out of the river of filthy water.
Still there were the temptations, which are part of our mortal existence. That is why we are here.
The mocking of other people of my beliefs started on my mission. We went to a Lutheran bible study class to explain our beliefs. We read the articles of faith to them and the person who represented the other faith mocked the wording of third article of faith. The great and spacious building was alive and well in Hildesheim, but I heeded not.
There was a plethora of anti-Mormon literature in the German language. One of the books was "Mysten, Maurer, und Mormonen". Translated into English the title is Mystics, Masons, and Mormons. Then there was an article in a national magazine called "Westwart zogen die Mormonen". This article caused at least one of the members that I knew to seriously doubt the truthfulness of the church and the restored gospel. I read these attacks against the church. I wanted to be prepared to defend the church and the restored gospel of Christ. There were other books” Seher Grübler und Enthusiasten” and “Was Galuben Die Andern” that put the church in a bad light.
In Flensburg I read "The teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith" in German. It was a book that I didn't know about previously. I have since read it in English.
While I was in Goslar I found a stash of old Improvement Eras and discovered a series of articles by Hugh Nibley. They outlined the apostasy from the true church of Christ. I could not get enough. I decided that I would take a class from Nibley when I got home from my mission.
I had previously read the “Great Apostasy” by James Barker when I was a junior and senior in high school. Since there were not many priesthood bearers in Lander all the priesthood bearers met together and brother Farthing taught the lessons.
Although these readings helped me to gain a better understanding of the great and spacious building, it was reading the scriptures that kept me from being led off the straight and narrow track.
I have since read many articles and books by those opposed to the church and its teachings. If I had questions, I would go to the revealed word in the scriptures to find my answers. I had been given an extra measure of the spirit of discernment. I could tell if something was false without knowing why.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they partook of the fruit of a tree, which gave them the opportunity to know good from evil. They never were beguiled again and so we as their descendants are given that gift, if we choose to inquire of the Lord.
I often think, what could I have done differently? Because of the veil of forgetfulness, which is drawn, we do not know things or see things as they really are. We are here to learn by our experience.
The great and spacious building represents the pride of the world. Babylon is also a representation of worldliness and we are urged to separate ourselves from it.
When I was growing up I was always active in the church. I did not voluntarily read the scriptures like many young people do today. It was not stressed. We did hold family night, but not like it is outlined today. We knelt in family prayer in a circle. We went to church. We occasionally had gospel-centered discussions, usually when the missionaries came to eat dinner. We read the Book of Mormon sitting around the dinner table.
We lived in the world and did not realize how much of an impact it had on the lives of the people around us. The distinction between evil and good was not as crass as it is now. Thus many of the things were considered acceptable, which in retrospect, were things which I would not accept today.
Living in Lander where the church was not established allowed me to attain a spiritual growth that was best for me. Yet the great and spacious building and its influences were there. What I was missing was the iron rod. I now realize more than ever before how much spiritual strength and insight one can gain from consistent scripture study.
I went away to college and even though there were many members of the church around me and I was still active in the church, there was more of the influence of the world, which went unrecognized.
It was not until I went to Germany on my mission that I made an effort to grasp the iron rod. It seemed as though I wanted to know every thing about the church and the gospel. I read the scriptures with my companions. I read by myself. They call that personal gospel study now.
This did not suddenly get me along the straight and narrow path, but it kept me out of the river of filthy water.
Still there were the temptations, which are part of our mortal existence. That is why we are here.
The mocking of other people of my beliefs started on my mission. We went to a Lutheran bible study class to explain our beliefs. We read the articles of faith to them and the person who represented the other faith mocked the wording of third article of faith. The great and spacious building was alive and well in Hildesheim, but I heeded not.
There was a plethora of anti-Mormon literature in the German language. One of the books was "Mysten, Maurer, und Mormonen". Translated into English the title is Mystics, Masons, and Mormons. Then there was an article in a national magazine called "Westwart zogen die Mormonen". This article caused at least one of the members that I knew to seriously doubt the truthfulness of the church and the restored gospel. I read these attacks against the church. I wanted to be prepared to defend the church and the restored gospel of Christ. There were other books” Seher Grübler und Enthusiasten” and “Was Galuben Die Andern” that put the church in a bad light.
In Flensburg I read "The teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith" in German. It was a book that I didn't know about previously. I have since read it in English.
While I was in Goslar I found a stash of old Improvement Eras and discovered a series of articles by Hugh Nibley. They outlined the apostasy from the true church of Christ. I could not get enough. I decided that I would take a class from Nibley when I got home from my mission.
I had previously read the “Great Apostasy” by James Barker when I was a junior and senior in high school. Since there were not many priesthood bearers in Lander all the priesthood bearers met together and brother Farthing taught the lessons.
Although these readings helped me to gain a better understanding of the great and spacious building, it was reading the scriptures that kept me from being led off the straight and narrow track.
I have since read many articles and books by those opposed to the church and its teachings. If I had questions, I would go to the revealed word in the scriptures to find my answers. I had been given an extra measure of the spirit of discernment. I could tell if something was false without knowing why.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they partook of the fruit of a tree, which gave them the opportunity to know good from evil. They never were beguiled again and so we as their descendants are given that gift, if we choose to inquire of the Lord.
Now, my beloved grandchildren, you will probably come up
against the teachings of Babylon and the influence of the great a spacious
building in your life. I have written
these letters to you to help you know that the church and its teachings are
true. Pay no heed to the philosophies
of men and the detractors and those who mock from the great and spacious
building. Build your testimony on the
Iron Rod of the word of God and you will never be lead astray.
Use the gift of discernment. It is your right to cultivate it.
Love,
Grandpa
WOW, excellent...Very profound.
ReplyDelete