Making Conference Journals

How are YOU preparing for General Conference?

 

One way to prepare is to create a Conference Journal.

 

A conference journal is a journal where you will write down the special messages from the Lord that are just for you.  You will hear these at General Conference. They will come as personal messages, or impressions from the Spirit, or answers to your prayers. Write them down as they come so that you will be able to remember them, and  implement them.

 

 

 

Elder Richard G. Scott mentioned an experience he had in a church meeting he attended, while listening to a lesson, inspiration came to him...

 

"As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant of the Lord. The details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life."
 

"What I have described is not an isolated experience. It embodies several true principles regarding communication from the Lord to His children here on earth. I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you."

(To Acquire Spiritual Guidance)

 

We will not remember everything we hear this weekend at conference. When the May Ensign comes out we will be able to read and remember the talks that we heard.  We will remember however, how  we FELT when we hear a certain talk or a certain counsel. If we write down these impressions and specific counsel for us personally, we are getting out of conference what the Lord wants us to hear and understand for our lives.

You dedicate these words of personal revelation to a special Conference Journal.  My daughters who are 12 and older take a special journal with them whenever they go to Stake Conference, General Conference, or special meetings or broadcasts.  Keeping and writing in a journal during conference gives them a personal purpose to being there. They have an invested interest.  They are going there to learn something and to receive personal revelation for their lives.  The Conference Journal becomes a valuable keepsake for them.



My daughters spent a few hours on Sunday making Conference Journals.  I thought they turned out really cute and wanted to share them with you.  You have probably all made something like these before.  They are so easy to do. Just buy a cheap composition notebook and some scrap paper.

And with some creative juices  you can come up with something perfect for you.

 Here is the back...which is also cute

 

 

 

Have a great Conference experience!

 

 

Teaching the Atonement Using Comparisons

In preparing to teach my Sunday School class of energetic 13 year old boys, I asked them what they already knew about the Atonement.  I got a lot of blank stares.  They knew it had to do with this picture above, and faith, but in all reality, the whole topic was a little blurry to them.

I have been struggling with WHAT and WHERE to teach. So I decided this week to approach the teaching and learning through comparisons.

Comparisons is using a story or visual with symbolism to teach a principle.

"A man walking along a road fell into a pit so deep he could not climb out.

 No matter what he did, he  could not get out by himself. 

 "The man called for help and rejoiced when a kind passerby heard him and lowered a ladder down into the pit. This allowed him to climb out of the pit and regain him freedom."

"We are like the man in the pit. Sinning is like falling into the pit, and we can’t get out by ourselves. Just as the kind passerby heard the man's cry for help, Heavenly Father sent his Only Begotten Son to provide the means of escape. Jesus Christ’s atonement could be compared to lowering a ladder into the pit; it gives us the means to climb out.

But the Savior does more than lower the ladder, He comes down into the pit and makes it possible for us to use the ladder to escape. 

Just as the man in the pit had to climb up the ladder, we must repent of our sins and obey the gospel principles and ordinances to climb out of our pit and make the Atonement work in our lives. Thus, after all we can do, the Atonement makes it possible for us to become worthy to return to Heavenly Father’s presence." 

see Is faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ written in our hearts?

by Linda K. Burton



Do you know what I love about this particular comparison to the Atonement?
The principle that

 1) the Savior literally comes down into the pit where we are to help us out

AND

2) that He redeems us, making Him just what He says He is: our REDEEMER.
He doesn't just put us back where we were before we fell into the pit.

He puts us in a higher place. Making us better than we were.

 The illustrated story above of the pit and the Savior was  from the October 2012 conference issue.  It was perfect for this lesson so I decided to add it with this teaching section.

You can see how simple it is, while teaching a great principle.   You can use it in FHE, Primary, or any environment where you are teaching someone else about the Atonement.

Power in FAITH

I attended a Women's Conference about  POWER in FAITH and POWER in COURAGE.  

Our speakers,  taught an important concept that  I needed, and that is that having faith doesn't mean we have faith in a specific OUTCOME necessarily, but our faith is in the the Lord REGARDLESS of the outcome. That is so vital because if that outcome doesn't come to play, if our faith is centered in Christ and not the outcome, we don't lose our testimonies over it. I really liked that thought.

A great scripture insight was taught: The parable of the bread and the stone in Matthew 7.   The principle is  that the Lord wants to give us everything--the best blessings and the best gifts, but that we also need to ask for it. The bread symbolized the BEST gift or the BEST blessing.   If we ask for what we want the most (bread)  He is not going to give us a stone. We need to trust in the Lord to know that HE WANTS to give us bread. He is not going to give us a stone if we ask for bread.

 

Find out what is the RIGHT  thing and pray for what you need and what you want.  She commented that the tragedy isn't in  not getting it, the tragedy is when we  stop praying for it, or when we stop wanting the righteous desires of our hearts.

I love this scripture illustrating this principle:

Hebrews 4:16 "Come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace and ASK in time of need"

It is not only OK to ask for what we really really want, but to trust that the Lord WANTS to bless us with it. But we have to ask. She called this intentionally praying.

We need to have intentional prayers.

Following of coarse this counsel given:

Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8: "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong."

Praying for the "RIGHT" things  is a great concept.  But how do we know what is right when we want something so badly?  For me when I am in a situation when I really need a blessing, or want something very badly, I have to go back and really evaluate:

What I have FELT from the spirit? What has the spirit tried to TELL me?  What PROMISES of the Lord have I felt?  What are the righteous DESIRES of my heart?  What feels right to pray about?

 Then go forward in intentional faith praying for what we should pray about.  When we pray for the right blessings, it can change our life..and we will realize that prayer when accompanied with faith has a true POWER. 

"The fervent prayer of a righteous woman availeth much"

It reminds me of a time in my life when my husband and I wanted something very badly. It felt right. And we recieved that promise from the Lord through the spirit, that it was going to happen, it was only a matter of time.  During this time we exercised great faith in prayer as we prayed for what seemed the "right thing" and waiting on the Lord for it to happen.

It wasn't immediate, and although it did happen just as the Lord promised us it would, it wasn't easy.  But  we learned how to pray for the "right thing" and instead of thinking I don't deserve this, or I am asking for "too much", we prayed knowing the Lord  heard us and knowing He wanted it for us as much as we wanted it for ourselves.

Although we wanted a specific outcome, our faith was in the Lord, that He knew the right timing and His will be done regardless of the outcome.  That is a very hard thing to exercise faith in, but it is really our only choice because the Lord is ultimately in charge.

He knows all and sees all and stands at the door ready to give if we will just let Him in.

And remember, He comes bearing bread, not stones.

What is The Book of Mormon?

A question from a friend not of my religion, "what is The Book of Mormon"?

 "I haven`t understood why the prophecies of LDS are considered by critics to be more fake than those of any other religion in the world and I like the part in the Book of Mormon that says that there can still be new prophecies as opposed to general view in many religions that the prophecies ended forever with their favorite prophet.

But if it is clear that the Book of Mormon has been assembled in different times according to current political views of the leaders and made to look like a whole, then it would be understandable why some people don`t take it seriously. Personally I find all central books of religions are influenced by the writer`s views and it is known that the Bible was assembled over a long period. It would just be honest to admit that parts of the book have been added or rewritten later and are thus fictional illustration to held beliefs."

I wrote a blog post a while ago called: The Bible and The Book of Mormon are Both Good Fruit  which clarifies our belief in both the Bible and The Book of Mormon. I would encourage you to read that post.

What is The Book of Mormon?

 On the front cover of The Book of Mormon is says: "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" 

 The Book of Mormon is literally another testament of Jesus Christ along with the Holy Bible, which we use the King James Version. The same version used by most Christian religions.

On the Introduction   page of The Book of Mormon it explains where this book came from and what it is about.

• The Book of Mormon is holy scripture written by prophets who lived on the American continent anciently from 600 B. C. to 421 A.D.  It was written by prophecy and revelation and contains the fullness of the gospel.
• The record was written on plates of gold and passed down from prophet to prophet, each writing God's dealings with their people during their specific life-time. They were commanded of God to write down these things for a future people [us]. Because it was inscribed on metal plates, it was not destroyed.  A prophet-historian named Mormon abridged all the records into what is called The Book of Mormon. Moroni, Mormon's son was the last prophet of The Book of Mormon.  He was commanded to hide up the plates, to preserve them for a future generation.  He put the plates with other special artifacts in a stone box and hid them in a hill covered with a large stone. There it stayed hidden, and preserved until the Lord wanted them to be found.
• Joseph Smith, commanded of God, was led to Hill Cumorah where the plates were hidden in the stone box in the hill..  He translated the plates. I wrote about it here.  You can also read Joseph Smith's own account of that experience here.
• The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.

One thing to keep in mind while reading The Book of Mormon: it is not necessarily in chronological order.  If you look on the very bottom of the page you are going to see dates.  This will tell you the general time period on that specific page.

For example in Omni we read about Mosiah, father of King Benjamin. The book of Omni occurred between 279 B. C. and 130 B. C. See photo below:

 In our natural minds we assume that this happened WAY before the events written later in the book about King Noah and Alma.  This actually occurred during the same time period.  You have events happening in one area, events happening in another area, but happening at the same time.  This makes it even more exciting to me. 

 See the photo below of Mosiah 17 when Abinidi was martyred. You will notice this happens during the same time period as the book of Omni, 37 pages earlier.

I wrote a Mosiah time line a few years ago for myself. You can view it here if you are interested.

What else about The Book of Mormon? 

 'The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come." [ Introduction page]

"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 by any other book.” -Joseph Smith

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah." [Introduction page]

It is TRUE.  It is of GOD.  You don't have to take anyone elses word for it. You can find out for yourself! 

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." [Moroni 10:4-5]



The Name of our Church

  The official name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "The Mormons" is actually a nickname given to us because of our belief in  The Book of Mormon,  Mormon was a prophet-historian and was the one who abridged all the ancient records into the book called The Book of Mormon. I'll talk more about that later.

                                                        

What makes us different than almost any other religion

is our belief in God.

Most people believe in some sort of a Supreme Being although they may call him by different names. We know that God lives and I am excited to share with you my feelings about Him.

"We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." [Article of Faith 1]

We believe in what is referred to as the Godhead. 

The Godhead consists of three separate beings who are all Gods: God-our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ-His Son, and the Holy Ghost. You have most likely heard of each and everyone of these.  Most Christain religions believe in God-Jesus-Christ-and the Holy Ghost as ONE person or one being without a form, who fill the immense of space. 

We believe as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that they are three separate beings,  but are one in purpose.  God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ both have perfected immortal bodies of flesh and bone that resemble our own bodies.  The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit. 

A great example of this from the scriptures is at the baptism of Jesus Christ:

When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, God the Father's voice was heard from heaven, and the Holy Ghost descended like a dove. In this example, all three members of the Godhead were present at one moment. They were not one God, but three separate Beings.

God is our Heavenly Father. 

We are His children. We believe we lived with Him before we came to this earth as spirits. He knew us then as His children. We knew Him as our Father. He presented a plan to us that would enable us to come to earth and grow, learn and be tested and eventually return back to His presence and become like Him. 

God had a great purpose and plan for each of our lives.  We also believe that family is central to the God's plan for us and we each have an eternal destiny as families.

He loves us. He cares about us and knows us by name. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through prayer. I know that He hears and answers prayers.


God is an all-wise, and all-powerful being. He is merciful, kind, and just. I have personally felt His mercy and His love. I know He is real and that He lives.  We can have faith in Him.  One of my favorite scriptures from The Book of Mormon is:

Mosiah 4:9: "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

Jesus Christ is our Savior

We believe in Jesus Christ as the beloved Son of God.  We believe He came down to earth was born of Mary, lived a perfect life without any sin, and showed us the way in all things as written in the Bible.  Central to the plan of our Heavenly Father is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Atonement included His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as His suffering and death on the cross.  Through the Atonement we can be freed from the burden of our sins and develop faith and strength to face our trials.

The Holy Ghost

 Unlike God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son who have tangible bodies of flesh and bone, the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. He is also a member of the Godhead andhis  role is to testify of Jesus Christ, and to testify truth.  He communicates with us through feelings that come into our hearts and mind. We can recognize and feel when something is true and right by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Two Book of Mormon missionaries, Ammon and Aaron, taught people who did not have a Christian background about God and how to pray. You can read their experience in  Alma 18:24-40 and Alma 22:4-23

Other quick references to what we believe:

• The Family: A Proclamation to the World
• Articles of Faith
• The Living Christ
• The Proclamation of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Best Marriage Advice Ever

Before I was married, my wise mother sat me down and gave me the best advice

I have ever received about marriage:

4 Ways to Have a Happy Husband

Happy Husband #1: Keep the Cave Clean

We wives really underestimate how important this is to our husbands. They may not say it, but oh, how they love a home that has order. When they come home from work and the house is a place of chaos both physically and spiritually...they feel that stress and it adds an extra burden to their shoulders.

This does not mean that our homes have to be perfect, or that we have to do all the work ourselves. Keeping the house clean is kind of family project. For the most part, this is something we can all strive to make run smoothly, and to not give up after a few bad experiences.

I realize that some women are offended at this suggestion, and I don't mean to offend anyone. But, you must know, a husband is a happy husband who comes home to order not chaos.

I worked at our local temple for about a year in the housekeeping department. Basically we cleaned the temple before it got dirty. A little different concept than our homes. There were nights when we were super busy and could only get done the bare minimum of cleaning. That happens at home too...a lot. On those busy days at the temple, if we got nothing else done, we would empty garbages, do bathrooms, and vacuum. That covered it for that night.

I have implemented that into my home as well, although I have added a few others.

• Beds made
  
• Dishes done
  
• Laundry
  
• garbages
  
• vacuuming
  
• bathrooms
  
• de-clutter


That may sound like a lot still, but they are the basics.

First off, have you ever gone into a home that smells badly? This is embarrassing for both the homeowner and the visitor. You want to eliminate those sources that can cause odor in your homes. Many times, we get very used to the smells in our home, and don't realize  our home may stink!

 Dirty dishes, dirty laundry, un-flushed toilets, and dirty garbages can make a home smell. So if you don't have time for anything else, take care of the smelly things first!

Next, there are just a few tricks that make a house look cleaner than it may be. A made bed does wonders to make a bedroom look cleaner. I always tell my kids to make their beds FIRST when they are cleaning. This makes them feel like great progress is being made because their room looks clean with just the bed made.  A vacuumed floor also is another trick, that makes the room look 5 times cleaner just because it is vacuumed.

 At  the end of the night if we can just go through and de-clutter a little, it helps keep the house looking and feeling cleaner. Plus you will wake up in the morning and not feel like you are already behind. Going to bed with at least a semi-organized house is the best!

A clean house radiates a spirit all on it's own. Have you ever noticed how your children love to play in a clean area? Cleanliness really is next to Godliness and you can feel that when you take the time to keep your house in order.

Striving to have a basically clean home, and a sense of order in your home will do wonders for your marriage, the spirit in you home, and peace in yours and your husband's hearts.

Happy Husband #2: Love Him

When it comes to loving our husbands the most important point to remember is that they need to be loved. 

Love them when you wake up, love them when they come home, be grateful when they call you, be grateful for all the ways they take care of you, notice all the hard work they do for you and the family, let them know how wonderful they are, and love them frequently.

We don't read minds well, and so you have to tell them who awesome they are, and be specific. You know what you love about your spouse and the many small thoughtful things they do for you all day--tell them! Then sit back and watch them glow with pride and want to do anything and everything for you.  It will happen.  Make them feel like they are worth a million bucks-because they are!

When they come home after work, let coming home be pleasant for them. When they walk in the door, don't shove the kids at them and tell them"I have had it,.... now it is your turn!" I am sure they are more than willing to help out and take any burdens off of your shoulders, but it is all in the approach. Greet them with a hug, a kiss, and a smile. We have a tradition in our marriage, that when my husband comes home we get 5 minutes interrupted in our room with the door shut to talk about the day. Our kids know this is part of the routine when my husband comes home, and they expect it to happen.

Don't keep score.  "I got up the last three nights..." etc. Care for you husband. Be nice to him. He'll return the favor. It will make your marriage sweet if you don't keep score.

Nurture your husbands. They can do our job and can do everything for themselves. That is not the point. It brings love into your relationship when you nurture your husbands. Another word might be-serve. This doesn't take away from you, it makes you more whole. It is a loving thing to do...take care of them. Make them feel wanted, needed, and nurtured.

Happy Husband # 3 Feed Him

Our husbands like food, and want to eat good tasting food on a regular basis.  All of  our husbands are different in what they like to eat..but they all want to eat.  So feed them!

Happy Husband #4 Stay Attractive

I have seen this happen: Women get married and stop dressing nicely, stop doing their hair, stop wearing make-up (if they wore it when they dated) and let themselves go. They pretty much stop doing all the things they did to attract their husbands to them to start with.

A husband wants to show you off, and wants to feel good about himself. This has a lot to do with our appearance. He wants YOU to look good. I know it may not seem fair, but it is true.

  Men are visual, and staying attractive effects how they feel about us [and how they feel about themselves.]   Some of it, we can't help. Hormones, diseases, genetics can do cruel things to our bodies. A caring loving husband will love us in spite of our imperfections and vice versa. But it is still good advice to make every effort to stay attractive to our husbands.

Smile. Be positive. Don't be high maintenance. Strive to better yourselves. Be someone interesting to talk to.  Make his happiness your top priority. And just watch, he'll do the same.

These time-less truths may sound old-fashioned , but if you follow them, you will have a happy husband who will look to you as his greatest strength, and the love of his life.







Moving Forward With Faith

Mark 16

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the ^afirst day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the ^brising of the sun.

 

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

 

• I imagine these women on their walk to toward the tomb, with the spices in their hands and arms, preparing themselves for the task ahead, anointing the body of Christ. 

• Maybe they started talking amongst themselves about the stone they knew was there, guarding the tomb. How were they going to move the stone out of the way?

• I am impressed by their faith as they moved forward with faith towards their goal not knowing really how it was all going to work out.
 
• They didn't turn let their fears, or lack of knowledge in what was ahead of them, or their obvious inability to move such a large stone stop them from moving forward with faith.
 
• They trusted. They believed. They had faith.

When they reached the tomb, they realized the stone had already been moved out of the way.

 

4 ^aAnd when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

 

• They were blessed for their faith, as they became the first women to see the Savior after His resurrection.

 

Moving forward with faith blessed their lives,

and it can bless ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeking Jesus

lds.org

For many years before Christ’s birth man anxiously awaited the  prophecies that He would come. Then came that night of nights when the angel of the Lord came upon shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock, and the pronouncement, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

The shepherd were personally invited to search for Jesus. Did they wait or procrastinate their search for Jesus? The record affirms that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem. … And they came with haste” (Luke 2:15–16).

Wise men also seeking Jesus journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. …

lds.org

“And when … they saw the young child with Mary his mother, [they] fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:2, 10–11).

Moroni said,

“And … I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written” (Ether 12:38, 41).

The message from the Savior has always been the same “Come Follow me”

President Monson has said,

“How do we follow Jesus if first, we don’t find him?

 And how shall we find him if first we don’t seek him?

Where and how should we begin this search for Jesus?"

"The formula for finding Jesus has always been and ever will be the same—the earnest and sincere prayer of a humble and pure heart. The prophet Jeremiah counseled, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13)."

"Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ."
 

"Many a lovely home provides rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, rooms for family gatherings and activities, but no room for Christ."

 

Is our conscience pricked as we recall his own words: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20). Or does it cause us embarrassment to remember, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). No room. No room. No room. Ever has it been."

"As we undertake our personal search for Jesus, aided and guided by the principle of prayer, it is fundamental that we have a clear concept of him whom we seek. The shepherds of old sought Jesus the child. But we seek Jesus the Christ, our older brother, our mediator with the Father, our Redeemer, the Author of our salvation; he who was in the beginning with the Father; he who took upon himself the sins of the world and so willingly died that we might forever live. This is the Jesus whom we seek."

lds.org

 Excerpts from an article The Search for Jesus, [President Monson, Liahona June 1991]

Church History Tour-Kirtland A Sacred Place

Kirtland - was one of the most spiritual times and places since the resurrection of Christ and the early days of the ancient Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

 Not only was it a place a hardship for the early saints, but it was a time and place for great spiritual manifestations which included several visitations of the Father and the Son as well as many other heavenly messengers. 

 Many "felt the power and felt the glory" of our Savior's visitations, [knew He was in the room with them], but did not see Him.

 One of the principles that separates the beliefs of the restored Church of Jesus  Christ from other religions is the belief in a living God.

"We believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost" [Article of Faith 1]

"These three beings make up the Godhead. They preside over this world and all other creations of our Father in Heaven.

The true doctrine of the Godhead was lost during the apostasy that followed the Savior's mortal ministry and the death of His Apostles. This doctrine began to be restored when 14-year-old Joseph Smith received his First Vision (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17). From the Prophet's account of the First Vision and from his other teachings, we know that the members of the Godhead are three separate beings. The Father and the Son have tangible bodies of flesh and bones, and the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit (see D and C 130:22). [ True to the Faith ]

Zebedee Coltrin related that  while in the school of the Prophets, he saw the Savior, following which he saw God the Father:

"He was surrounded as with a flame of fire, which was so brilliant that I could not  discover anything else but his person. I saw His hands, His legs, His feet, His eyes, nose, mouth, head and body in the shape and form of a perfect man...This appearance was so grand and overwhelming that is seemed I should melt down in His presence, and the sensation was so powerful that it thrilled through my whole system and I felt it in the marrow of my bones." [Salt Lake School of the Prophets, pg. 54] 

This was really not an isolated event. During the Kirtland era, the heavens were very open much like they were open to the early Apostles after the resurrection of the Savior.  The Kirtland Saints:

• Saw visions
• The gift of tongues fell on many
• Saw the angels of heaven
• Were blessed with visitations from angelic beings
• Saw a heavenly messenger who Joseph Smith identified as the Apostle Peter
• Heard heavenly music coming from the roof of the temple at the dedication
• Saw angels hovering over the temple at night, others saw them in broad daylight
• The Savior, Moses, Elias, Elijah accepting the temple
• And much much more



On our tour we were able to spend 2 wonderful hours in the Kirtland Temple in the early morning hours. Although this temple is owned by another religion, it is still a holy hallowed place, one of the most sacred places on earth.   We really felt that while we were there.

Our whole Church History Tour was....the best, and most amazing, and most spiritual week I have felt. I can't adequately put into words what was felt and experienced. I came away with a strong witness that it is true. All of it.

 [sources: History of Joseph Smith, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants by Susan Easton Black, Karl Anderson books: Joseph Smith's Kirtland, and The Savior in Kirtland - Personal Accounts of Divine Manifestation] Karl Anderson was our tour guide in Kirtland and spoke to us for 2 days while we were there. 



Church History Tour- God Appears in Small and Simple Places

Church History Tour: The John Johnson Farm

  

The John Johnson Farm is in located in Hiram, Ohio 

I was very unfamiliar with this home and farm in Church History, yet very familiar with events that  happened there.  I knew the history just didn't know WHERE .  That is what was so great about this tour we went on, it helped connect stories and history I have heard my whole life to the actual places they happened.   I had a lot of things mixed up in my head. 

The John Johnson Home was the headquarters of the Church for a certain time period. I  learned that pretty much where ever Joseph was living at the time, became the center of the Church.  Which makes sense.

What happened in the John Johnson home?

 Joseph and Sidney were invited to come live in the John Johnson home for a quiet, peaceful place they could work on the translation of the Bible.  Soon Emma joined with their 4-month old twins Joseph and Julia.  Sidney and his wife Phoebe with their 6 children moved into a log home across the road.

This is the room where Joseph and Emma lived with their twins. Notice the very colorful floor.  The Johnson's were wealthy and their home was decorated in the latest and best fashions of the day. It was a very comfortable home to live in.

Saturday, March 24, 1832 Emma and Joseph had spent the day caring for their now 11 month old twins, both suffering from measles.  By nighttime, Emma went to bed with Julia. Joseph stayed up with little Joseph, who was the more ill of the two. Joseph layed down on the trundle bed near the door and quickly fell asleep. 

They also believe the Prophet and baby Joseph could have been sleeping in this room right off the kitchen and very close to the front door, which was a room used for the sick.

During the cold night, a group of men with black-painted faces burst through the door. Emma screamed as they dragged the Prophet from his bed.  During the attack, baby
Joseph was left uncovered long enough to catch a severe cold and died a few days later.

Sidney Rigdon was also dragged by his heels, his head thumping on the frozen Ohio ground.

They threw tar on them and feathers.  Both of  the men were unconscious for a while afterwards, due to to violence of the act. Sidney worse off than the Prophet.  He suffered bad head injuries and was delirious for days afterwards.

After the mobbing Joseph pulled the tar from his mouth so he could breath. He made his way to the house. When Emma saw the beaten and tarred Joseph, she fainted.  Elsa Johnson and Emma stayed up most of the night, scraping tar from Joseph's skin.

The kitchen.  Notice the swirls in the wood. Another sign of the wealth of the Johnson family. The cupboard opened above shows how the wood looked before the re-finished the home.



kind of blurry...but this is the bread dough box next to the oven. At night time they would fill this with fresh bread dough. In the morning they would wake up and make all their bread.



the well next to the front door, Joseph hid in a few times to escape a mob

the doorstep Joseph was dragged from, and the doorstep he preached from.
What a Prophet he was!!

The John Johnson home was  a place of revelation

Though Joseph had lost a tooth, received a severe injury in his side, was missing a patch of hair, and had nitric acid burns, he preached a sermon at the usual Sunday worship services.  Afterwards he baptized 3 members of the congregation.

The Revelation Room: a sacred and hallowed place.
Sacred because something a great spiritual significance happened here and
 hallowed meaning the Savior has been here

We had a wonderful guide that joined our tour from  the John Johnson farm to Kirtland: Karl Anderson. You might be familiar with several of his books on the Doctrine and Covenants and the revelations that happened in Kirtland.[search them out at Amazon.com] He is a former CES Seminary teacher who is in his late 70s. A jolly guy who was fun to listen to.  He has lived and taught in Kirtland for years.   Because of him, we were able to get into many places we would not have otherwise.   He was great and seemed to know everything about everything that happened in the Johnson home and in Kirtland. 

I liked a statement he said to us many times: "God chose to appear in small and simple circumstances: the manger,  the grove, and this room in the John Johnson farmhome in rural Ohio."

I think for the most part, we as members of the Church are unaware of the many visitations of the Savior to His people.  He leads this Church and is not only very aware of what is going on, but is personally involved.  Many early Saints saw the Savior or were present when He was and felt of His presence. The John Johnson revelation room was one of those sacred and hallowed places on this earth. 

Many revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants happened in the John Johnson home.

Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants was revealed in the revelation room

24Behold, I am God and have spoken it, and it is of me

as well as these Sections 65-69, 71,73, 74, 76-81, 99,133

Section 76: Vision of the Three Degrees of Glory

One of the greatest doctrinal revelations given in this dispensation.

  Joseph and Sidney saw the Savior and conversed with Him:

14 Of whom we bear record; and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision.

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

 23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. 

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