And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Luke 11:9
In my original search to seek, knock, and have truth opened to me, a lot of praying, pondering, and study of sacred things was undertaken. Eventually, through this process involving much faith and prayer, a testimony was gained that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and his Church has been once again restored on the earth. What is a testimony? Below is a quote and a story that try to explain.
“A testimony is a most precious possession because it is not acquired by logic or reason alone, it cannot be purchased with earthly possessions, and it cannot be given as a present or inherited from our ancestors.
Our previous prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley said, ‘Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Pumpkin Story
A lady had recently been Baptized. One of her co-workers asked her about what it was like being a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn't know how to answer, but when she looked over she saw a jack-o-lantern on the desk and answered: it's like being a pumpkin”.
The worker asked her to explain that one. “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes out all the yucky stuff from the inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc...
Then he carves you a new smiling face and he puts His light inside of you to shine for all to see”.
I'll never look at a pumpkin the same way again!
We cannot depend on the testimonies of other people.
We need to know for ourselves.
Our previous prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley said, ‘Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Pumpkin Story
A lady had recently been Baptized. One of her co-workers asked her about what it was like being a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn't know how to answer, but when she looked over she saw a jack-o-lantern on the desk and answered: it's like being a pumpkin”.
The worker asked her to explain that one. “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes out all the yucky stuff from the inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc...
Then he carves you a new smiling face and he puts His light inside of you to shine for all to see”.
I'll never look at a pumpkin the same way again!
The following are some questions I had when growing up in another religion before I was baptized by proper priesthood authority, confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost (again, given by a man who was ordained to God's priesthood by another priesthood person who was given the power to do this ordinance):
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*How can God be three persons in one? (Surely he wouldn't pray to himself!)
*Where do we come from, why are we on this earth, and where do we go after we die?
*Why does the bible mention baptism for the dead and what is the reason for it?
*What is the one faith and one baptism mentioned in the Bible?
*What makes the LDS Church any different than all the other churches in the world?
*What makes the LDS Church any different than all the other churches in the world?
*What does a person have to do to be able to live with God someday?
*Why did God stop sending prophets to the earth to guide us? (Don't we need word from heaven as much as in the old days?)
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As far as my initial argument that the scriptures cannot be added to, the Book of Revelation was written before some of the other books in the New Testament and was placed as the last book in the Bible when the various individual books were gathered. Deuteronomy 4:2 warns of adding words or taking them away. Certainly the scriptures as we know them wouldn't be here if the prophets had stopped writing because of that verse! Those words were written so no one would add more to those particular books when they were written, since the Bible had not even been compiled yet! Many scriptures in the Bible helped me discover some of the answers to the questions I had and the rest I received from the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants (and through much prayer and study). When the Church declares we have the "fullness of the gospel", it means the precious truths that were lost in translation over the centuries have been now been restored with the Book of Mormon coming forth and the modern day revelation given to us through prophets once again who have been called of God as in days of old.
The Book of Mormon compliments the Bible in its teachings, and plainly opens up more
understanding of the basic gospel principles.
Some scripture references that helped me see the light of truth:
Baptism for the dead: 1 Corinthians 15:29; 5:25-29 (the dead are given a chance to hear the gospel); 1 Peter 3:19-20; 1 Peter 4:6;
There is one baptism: Ephesians 4:5 (one Lord, one faith, one baptism)
Method of baptism: John 3:3-5 (born); Matt. 3:16 (Jesus came out of the water); Mark 1:5 (in river Jordan); Mark 1:10 (Jesus coming up out of the water); John 3:23 (because there was much water there); Acts 8:38 (went down into the water); Romans 6:4 (buried); Col 2:12 (buried and raised up); Mosiah 18:14 (buried in the water); 3 Nephi 11:22-26 (shall immerse them in the water); 3 Nephi 19:11-13 (went down into the water and came up out of the water).
Authority to baptize: Matt; 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:15-16; John 1:25-33; Acts 8:5-25 (John the Baptist had the Aaronic Priesthood and he recognized the difference in authority of the priesthood held. Jesus had the Melchizedek priesthood.
Priesthood authority: Melchizedek- Gen. 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7; Heb. 5:1-10 (Jesus Christ was a [high]priest forever after the order of Melchizedek; Numbers 25:13; Rev. 20:6; Jacob 1:18
The Gift of the Holy Ghost given by proper authority: Acts 19 (tells how Paul found followers of Jesus who had been baptized in the name of John and they hadn't even heard of the Holy Ghost, so Paul had to baptize them correctly and then was able to give them the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Christ’s Church built on a foundation of apostles and prophets: Eph. 2:19-21; Eph. 4:11-16
Prophets: Amos 3:7; Acts 10:34-43; Jacob 4:4, 6; Mosiah 8:13-18
Falling away for the gospel teachings and lost priesthood authority—Apostasy/Restoration: Acts 3:19-21; Mark 12:1-9; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-2; Amos 8:11-12
Prophesies of Book of Mormon coming forth in latter days: John 10:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Gen. 11:9; Gen 49:22-26; Psalms 85:11; Isaiah 29:4; Isaiah 45:8; Ezekiel 17:22-23; Ezekiel 37:15-20; 2 Tim 3:16; Rev. 14:6; Rev. 29:8; Rev. 33:10, 1 Nephi 13:40; 1 Nephi 15:13-14; 2 Nephi 12; 2 Nephi 25:18 2 Nephi 26:14-18; 2 Nephi 27: 27:29; 2 Nephi 29:1-14; Enos 1:16; 3 Nephi 15:21; Mormon 5:12; Mormon 8:16; Ether 5:4; Moroni: 10:3-5; Moses 7:6.
I ran across this on the Internet and liked the idea that He is knocking on our hearts. He cannot pry our hearts open. We must open them to Him.
Baptism for the dead: 1 Corinthians 15:29; 5:25-29 (the dead are given a chance to hear the gospel); 1 Peter 3:19-20; 1 Peter 4:6;
There is one baptism: Ephesians 4:5 (one Lord, one faith, one baptism)
Method of baptism: John 3:3-5 (born); Matt. 3:16 (Jesus came out of the water); Mark 1:5 (in river Jordan); Mark 1:10 (Jesus coming up out of the water); John 3:23 (because there was much water there); Acts 8:38 (went down into the water); Romans 6:4 (buried); Col 2:12 (buried and raised up); Mosiah 18:14 (buried in the water); 3 Nephi 11:22-26 (shall immerse them in the water); 3 Nephi 19:11-13 (went down into the water and came up out of the water).
Authority to baptize: Matt; 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:15-16; John 1:25-33; Acts 8:5-25 (John the Baptist had the Aaronic Priesthood and he recognized the difference in authority of the priesthood held. Jesus had the Melchizedek priesthood.
Priesthood authority: Melchizedek- Gen. 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7; Heb. 5:1-10 (Jesus Christ was a [high]priest forever after the order of Melchizedek; Numbers 25:13; Rev. 20:6; Jacob 1:18
The Gift of the Holy Ghost given by proper authority: Acts 19 (tells how Paul found followers of Jesus who had been baptized in the name of John and they hadn't even heard of the Holy Ghost, so Paul had to baptize them correctly and then was able to give them the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Christ’s Church built on a foundation of apostles and prophets: Eph. 2:19-21; Eph. 4:11-16
Prophets: Amos 3:7; Acts 10:34-43; Jacob 4:4, 6; Mosiah 8:13-18
Falling away for the gospel teachings and lost priesthood authority—Apostasy/Restoration: Acts 3:19-21; Mark 12:1-9; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-2; Amos 8:11-12
Prophesies of Book of Mormon coming forth in latter days: John 10:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Gen. 11:9; Gen 49:22-26; Psalms 85:11; Isaiah 29:4; Isaiah 45:8; Ezekiel 17:22-23; Ezekiel 37:15-20; 2 Tim 3:16; Rev. 14:6; Rev. 29:8; Rev. 33:10, 1 Nephi 13:40; 1 Nephi 15:13-14; 2 Nephi 12; 2 Nephi 25:18 2 Nephi 26:14-18; 2 Nephi 27: 27:29; 2 Nephi 29:1-14; Enos 1:16; 3 Nephi 15:21; Mormon 5:12; Mormon 8:16; Ether 5:4; Moroni: 10:3-5; Moses 7:6.
I ran across this on the Internet and liked the idea that He is knocking on our hearts. He cannot pry our hearts open. We must open them to Him.
petermill@picturemaker.freeserve.co.uk
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