Eternal Family. Eternal Marriage. Marriage in the Afterlife. Marriage in Heaven.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that families are forever! I know that this is true.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/eternal-families?lang=eng
https://www.mormon.org/site/family
https://www.mormon.org/site/family/forever-families
https://www.mormon.org/site/online-or-in-home-bible-study-landing-page
The Family: A Proclamation to the World

How I learned about Jesus Christ

Dear Natasha,

 . . .

My faith in Jesus Christ has primarily been built through two things: prayer, and study of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

At age 14, I believed the testimony of my seminary teacher that Joseph Smith could not have written the Book of Mormon. (There are those who suggest, based on reliable historical evidence, that the bulk of the text was dictated in about 65 working days; there are also several who witnessed the translation process, including Joseph's wife, Emma.) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is producing a meticulously sourced four-volume history entitled Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days for our new generation. You can find the first volume online here. The history (among many other things) demonstrates, based on eyewitness testimony, the fact that Joseph sat and dictated, with neither manuscript nor reference book, the entire text of the Book of Mormon. (Incidentally, in a previous email, you mentioned the Book of Abraham. The Church, in conjunction with scholars and historians, has produced a number of essays on historical and doctrinal topics about which Church members and others may have questions, including questions about The Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham. You may be interested to study these essays by following the links above.)

My personal experience was more or less this: my parents, Church leaders, and other Church members taught me and I often heard others bear testimony of their personal religious experience and knowledge in Church meetings (I think my experience is consistent with Paul's statement that faith cometh by hearing--Romans 10:17).

By age 12, I knew I hadn't had the type of religious experience that I often heard others testify of over the pulpit--that of having searched the scriptures and having asked God if the Book of Mormon was true and if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the only true and living Church upon the face of the earth. In retrospect, I felt the Holy Spirit as I heard others testify of their experiences on these subjects, but I did not recognize those feelings as such. In the end, by age 16, life experience brought me to the point where I was personally and honestly ready to seek.

I started a habit of regular, sincere daily prayer to God. And, I felt moved upon to begin reading the Book of Mormon on a daily basis. Around this time, I took opportunities to visit contacts and teach with the full-time Latter-day Saint missionaries in my area.

I remember a day when, for whatever reason, I missed reading the Book of Mormon. And that was just it. I missed it! I still didn't have the testimony I had heard others talk about--a powerful experience that gave certain conviction--but when I didn't read that day, I felt something was missing. I told God that I would do my best to live the things I had been taught--the things that I believed, and asked only that he would help me to recognize an answer from Him when it came. I moved forward.

That answer did come. On the third of March, 1996, I attended a meeting. I sat at the back of the room. At the front of the room, someone was instructing on the subject of the atonement of Jesus Christ. A painting portraying His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane was on display. As I sat, I felt something. In my mind, I asked, "I wonder if this is what the Holy Ghost feels like." Then, immediately after I had that thought, the feeling became very powerful. It was as though my soul was filled with Heavenly fire. God began to write upon my heart. The answer to my question was unmistakably clear. I knew, and I knew that God knew. The next question I asked was, "Is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World?" The answer came to my soul, very clear and unmistakable. "Yes." "Is the Book of Mormon true?" "Yes." "Is Joseph Smith a true prophet?" "Yes." "Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints true?" "Yes." "Is Gordon B. Hinckley a true prophet?" "Yes." “Has the priesthood been restored?” “Yes.” All the questions I had about the fundamental points and claims of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were verified with thoughts in my mind and unmistakable impression on my soul. I knew. And, I knew that God knew that I knew. I became a witness. And, since that time, many, many, many witnesses have been borne to my soul. Pretty much on a daily basis. If I said that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not true, I would be lying to you, and I would be lying to God.

Apologetics has its place. In the Church, we respond to critics, and we respond to questions (in a day of instant internet publishing, we must! You know this). All questions have answers--not necessarily the answers we want, but the answers we need. I believe that God and our fellow believers can help us navigate all of our questions (follow this link for a great little essay about answering questions about the gospel and the Church).

Has this been helpful? To succinctly answer your question, I first believed the testimony of others about these things and then, at length, I could honestly say that I knew them.

What’s your new book about? I’d be happy to follow up with you this summer and help you connect with missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Most Correct Book on Earth

Precepts from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 1 Nephi

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than any other book,” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:461;)

So, there it is. The Prophet whom God chose to show the world His truth, Joseph Smith, is saying that if we live according to the principles in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we will get nearer to God than through any other book.

This morning, I asked myself what precepts the Book of Mormon teaches. As I considered, a few points came to me about the first book of the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi.

1. God can speak to us. There are numerous examples of God speaking to mortals in the first book of the Book of Mormon. The stage is set by a man (Lehi) hearing prophets--men who are delivering prophetic warnings to the people of Jerusalem. Lehi is so affected by their preaching that he seeks seclusion and begins speaking to God in behalf of his people. The result is a vision. He sees many things. Because of the things he sees, he declares, "Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!" (1 Nephi 1:14) 

2. What we believe and what we share with them can affect them--positively--forever. Lehi shares his visions--the things he learns from God--with his family. One of his sons--Nephi--believes his father. Inspired by his father's experiences, he seeks God and begins to have visions and revelations of his own. (1 Nephi 2:16; could a believing parent hope for anything greater for his or her child?!)

3. You might catch some flak for what you believe and how you live your religion. Because of what he sees and knows, Lehi is compelled, if not commanded by God to warn the people of his city. The citizenry, however, does not take it well. God tells Lehi to leave Jerusalem. His life is in danger.

Lehi's son Nephi also suffers some abuse because of his beliefs. Two of Lehi's older sons are unbelieving. They react with complaining and anger to their father and their brother's faith. They would rather be left alone to simply live life in Jerusalem.

For more, dive into The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Or, click here to order a free copy.

"Continually running into the fountain of all righteousness"

"And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness! 10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!"

I like the idea of "running" into righteousness. It seems to imply speed or urgency, and consistency.

http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/2.9,10?lang=eng

Obedience

"And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him."  Obedience means that we actually do what God has asked us to do!
http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/2.3?lang=eng

1 Nephi 1:20

"But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1.20?lang=eng

Book of Mormon Daily: Coming to know the Creator; 1 Nephi 2:12-17

"And [Laman and Lemuel] did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them," (1 Nephi 2:12, Book of Mormon).

Judging from the evidence in the text, we learn a few things about Lehi:

1. Because of the words of the prophets of his time Lehi cried to God for his people (see 1 Nephi 1:4-5). 
2. The result of Lehi's pleading to God was his reception of a vision, where, the record indicates, "he saw and heard much," (1 Nephi 1:6). 
3. Lehi learned how to communicate with God. He learned and felt compelled to share important truths that God taught him!
4. Lehi often taught these truths to his children.
5. Lehi possessed the spirit of prophecy.

Laman and Lemuel's younger brother, Nephi, observed that the reason his older brothers complained was because, "they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them,"  (1 Nephi 2:12, Book of Mormon). So, the question, why didn't they know the dealings of the God who had created them? In the text, it is clear that Nephi does know the dealings of the Creator. And, the text also gives us clues about how Nephi came to know the Creator:

1. As far as I can tell, the two major differences between Nephi and Laman and Lemuel are that Nephi desired to know God's mysteries, and, motivated by this desire, he "did cry unto the Lord," in sincere, heartfelt prayer, while Laman and Lemuel did not. Could it really be that simple? In 1 Nephi 2:16, Nephi states, 
1. "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father;
2. Because Nephi had a deep desire to know God's mysteries, and because Nephi expressed this sincere desire in faith through prayer, God visited him and softened his heart! The text indicates that this softening is the reason that Nephi believed the words of his father. 

How do we come to know the "dealings of that God who created [us]"? What did Lehi and Nephi do?

1. Lehi acted on the words of the prophets of is day. The text says, "there came many prophets prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed. Wherefore . . ." (1 Nephi 1:4-5, emphasis added). To me, this word, "wherefore," indicates that because of the words of the prophets, Lehi did what he did in verse 5 (that is, "he . . . prayed unto the Lord, yea even with all his heart, in behalf of his people"). Because of what the prophets did and said, Lehi acted.
2. Lehi was motivated by the testimony of prophets. As he acted on the prophets' words, he himself had his own miraculous visionary experience. He saw a pillar of fire (incidentally very consistent with other visions and manifestations of God; when the Israelites were freed from Bondage in Egypt, God went before them in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night; Joseph Smith begins his 1838 description of his vision of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ with the words, "I saw a pillar of light. . ." (Joseph Smith history 1:17, emphasis added); in the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, Jehovah went before the Jaredites in a cloud in a similar manner as he did the Israelites who were being freed from Egypt).