This was the beginning of my faith and testimony of Jesus Christ. And it came from the Book of Mormon.
When I first read these words I cried and I was overcome with gratitude for the love of the savior, his compassion. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and my mind. I knew he was indeed the savior of the world.
21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
22 And when he had done this he wept again;
It also gave me an incredible love for the Book of Mormon.
James E. Faust said that a purpose of the temple is to be a “sanctuary in which to receive the sanctifying and cleansing ordinances of the temple,” adding that “as the Saints come into the sacrosanct washing and anointing rooms and are washed, they will be spiritually cleansed.”
A common point of confusion is the claim that Latter-day Saints(Mormonism) believe Satan and Jesus Christ are ‘brothers’ in a way that diminishes the Savior.
Here’s the truth: Heavenly Father organized all our spirits from eternal intelligence. We are all His spirit children and therefore spirit brothers and sisters, including Jesus, the Firstborn, and Lucifer before his rebellion.
Satan chose to rebel and led away one-third of our spirit brothers and sisters. That choice was his alone. We are not guilty of the sins of others, and having a rebellious spirit sibling does not change who Jesus Christ is. He is our divine Savior, the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, and the only one through whom we can return to the Father.
I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.
Today I'm reminded of the words of the Christmas song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I realize it is not Christmas time, but our non-Saint brothers and sisters have reminded me of it.
"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”"
To claim God no longer reveals to prophets is the same as saying God is dead, or that he sleeps. Amos was pretty clear when he said, "Surely the Lord God will do NOTHING, save he revealeth His will unto His servants the prophets."
Our testimony to the world as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to echo the words of Longfellow, "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep." There is a living prophet on the earth. He is the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys. His name is Dallin H. Oaks.
Joseph Smith, Jr., was also a prophet of God called to open the last dispensation and to be the first prophet of the restore Church of Jesus Christ.
All one has to do to know this is true is to have Faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, study the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ and ask God the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus Christ if their teachings are true.
“And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.” D&C 78:18