America and the Everlasting Decree of God Concerning this Land

Sheri Dew:
My dear friends, here is the sobering reality: our constitution was written for a moral people.  It will not survive a people who collectively lose their virtue.
Sheri Dew, No One Can Take Your Place

The Everlasting Decree of God Concerning this Land

Ether 2:7-12
And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
8 And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should him, the true and only God, or they should be off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.
9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is

Filed under: Book of Mormon, Doctrine, Teachings, scriptures , america, commandments, continent, covenant, decree, earth, flag, land, moral, promise, promised land, united states, united states of america, usa, virtue

Personal Accountability

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

-Joseph Smith, Article of Faith 2

Believe it or not, I have been reading the Old Testament with my beautiful better half for the better half of 3 years now. No, we do not read chapters at a time, and no, we did not read Songs of Solomon. However, we have read straight through, and have reached Ezekiel chapter 32 (where we will read tonight…) I always thought that with exception of the pentateuch, Isaiah and Jeremiah, there was little of doctrinal worth found in the Old Testament (excluding the occasional reference to tithing or obedience, etc…). Then, right in the middle of Ezekiel, we found chapter 18.

One of the classic tenets of Orthodox Christianity claims that because of Adam’s transgression in Eden, we are all born in sin (original sin) and thus in need of baptism at birth. Thus, it was assumed, all infants should be baptized (by sprinkling, immersing an infant is not a good idea…). This idea was so pervasive at Joseph Smith’s time, that the Lord even clarified through the prophet Mormon, in the book of Moroni, that baptizing children was repulsive to the Lord. Interestingly enough, the idea that we are judged by our own decisions and not the choices of our ancestors (Adam) is clearly laid out for us in Ezekiel 18. Near the end of the Old Testament. Where nobody reads.

14 ¶ Now, lo, if [a sinner] beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not like,
15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

Filed under: Doctrine , Accountability, Adam, choice, Ezekiel, Old Testament, Sin, Transgression

The Second Coming: part 7

Three Comings

Jesus Christ’s second coming will be a world event, but there are at least two other appearances that He will make prior to making Himself known to the entire world. Though we do not know if there will be other appearances that He will make as part of His second coming, the prophets have declared clearly at least three:

1. Christ’s appearance to the Saints in Zion

2. His appearance to the Jews

3. His appearance to the whole world

Christ’s Appearance to the Saints in Zion

I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to

Filed under: Doctrine, Second Coming, Teachings , adam-ondi-ahman, Christ, jerusalem, Jesus, jesus christ, jews, lds, millenium, mormon, mount of olives, priesthood meeting, saints, Second Coming, temple, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, zion