The Gospel: REJECTED

Long ago, prophets, the spokesmen of God, were called to warn the people of dangers that would come upon them if they did not change their ways. There would be some that would listen, but over time, most would not. The prophet would then be killed, the city of people would be destroyed and/or would suffer in unusual ways. This pattern was set from the beginning of the world. God would call a prophet, the people wouldn't listen after a while, and they would reject the words of the prophet. This rejecting of the words of God is called an Apostasy.

During Jesus Christ's ministry, He told His apostles about the signs that would happen from that time, until end of the world. He said, "Then shall they deliver you up" (the apostles) "to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:9-11). This took place not too long after He said this. Jesus Christ was rejected and put on trial on false charges, then crucified and killed. The apostles from Peter on down the line to Paul were killed in many different and gruesome ways: upside-down crucifixion, beheaded, stoned, lanced, burned, hanged, etc. The apostles couldn't pass on their authority quick enough because of heavy persecution. The Great Apostasy begun.

It's called the Great Apostasy because it was the greatest period of time when the gospel wasn't on the earth. The some of the apostles had talked about his when they wrote their epistles. Concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ, Paul said, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come, a falling away first" (2 Thessalonians 2:3). That "falling away," or apostasy, did happen. It is no coincidence that this time in our world's history is known as the Dark Ages. There was no light of the Gospel to bring people closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

"For [Christ] is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him" (1 Nephi 10:18).

Just as prophets were called by the Lord in time's past, he has again called another prophet to the earth. He has again brought back the authority to say, "Thus saith the Lord..." because he speaks with Him. I know that a restoration (not a reformation) had to happen in order to come closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. We have the authority again, we have continuing revelation again, we have the truth again.

Following Jesus' Life On Twitter (Or What It Would've Been Like)

There is a lot of buzz (or fluttering) about Twitter and all the information that gets passed around the world in blazing fast speeds. This "Twitter Episode" of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a good way to get some of the feelings that were portrayed by those around Jesus, in a short period of time. I know that Jesus is our Savior. I know that He lived a perfect life, but through the ignorance of those around Him, He suffered, was beaten, and was crucified. I also know that because He was divine, He had power over death, and He rose from the tomb, which is still empty today. I love this Gospel. It turns people who are unhappy and who don't know about their purpose in life, into people who have hope and who have joy that doesn't ebb and flow with the patterns of life around us.

The Whole Armor Of God

The Armor of God is a compilation of many attributes that we need to have in order to bring true and lasting happiness in our lives. I wanted to go into detail about what each part does, and how it can help us in our lives today. Let's start at the top.

The Helmet of Salvation is extremely important to have on for several reasons. Thoughts take place before actions do. Because thoughts are that important, it's necessary to have our minds free from things that would compromise who we are. Someone once said, “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Also, many words we speak, people will remember. That is important because if we say something bad, we can't take it back. The scriptures tell us in James 3:10-12, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." What we eat and drink can also make a difference as well. We know that alcohol is not good because of what it can do to us. We know that coffee and tea aren't good because of the tannic acid that it contains. We know that smoking, of course, isn't good for us. We know that any illegal drugs are bad because of the damage it can do to our health. And we know that too much food can cause obesity. The Helmet of Salvation can remind us of these things, and in turn, help bring us closer to Heavenly Father because this will make our purpose, His purpose.

Next is the breastplate of righteousness. This breastplate will help us do several things. Not only will it help us to be righteous, but it will also help us to think righteous thoughts. This is very important because our thoughts become our desires, which becomes our actions, which becomes who we are. So if we think righteously, we're going to be doing righteous things. It helps us to break off of the sins that keep us held down. Breastplates in ancient times were used to protect the vital organs. The breastplate of righteousness does just that as well. It protects our hearts from temptation and allows our lungs to breathe in the cleanliness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The breastplates were also once used to intimidate your enemies and to scare them off. If you have on the breastplate of righteousness, even Satan will find it hard to tempt you because he will not know how to get inside your heart, to persuade you to do evil. It will be hard for him to find your weak spot because of your firm faith, and because of your righteousness.

"Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth..." In John 3:21 it says, "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light..." We know that the light is Jesus Christ. We also know that "the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). So why do we have to girt our loins about with truth? In Doctrine and Covenants 123:12-13 it says, "For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it. Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven." We have to girt about our loins with truth because we need to know the truth for ourselves, and because we have missionary work to do with helping others find the truth we know as well. This is also an important piece of armor to have on because it also helps us with chastity.

Now we need to equip our feet with armor. This armor is The Gospel of Peace. The Gospel of Peace is what we need to be following. Following someone requires walking in their path. We are always trying to emulate the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. There may be some that have on, what I call, the Sandals Of Laziness, which leave our feet exposed to the different paths that this world has in store for us, but when we have The Gospel of Peace on our feat, there is only one path we want to follow, and that one straight and narrow path will lead us down the road to Jesus Christ, and, one day, to Eternal Life with our Heavenly Father. Having your feet "shod with the Gospel of Peace" is a very important part of the Armor of God for that reason alone.

The Shield of Faith is a very important part of our armor. Armor can take a lot of abuse and damage, but a shield is built especially for that purpose and can take much more damage while still being able to protect you well. When we use a shield, we can't see beyond it until we lower it back down. As we're holding it up, we're protecting ourselves from the fiery darts of Satan who is always trying to weaken our armor. Luckily, our Shields Of Faith were made special to defend against these darts. While these darts are flying, our faith is being tried, and when our trial is over, and we lower our shield, we will be able to see what has happened when we exercised our faith. In Ether 12:6 it reads, "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Never put down your shield.

The last thing we need is something to attack our adversary with. All of what we've seen so far is a defense so that we can take anything that is thrown at us. What we need is an attack method of our own. This is where The Sword of the Spirit comes in. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Where we can find the Word of God is in the scriptures. The scriptures provide us with the knowledge of where to go and what to do. When opposition comes up and tells you that what you are doing is false or stupid, or when accusations start flying, you can be sure to use The Sword of the Spirit to "thrash the nations" by using the Word of God. Diligent study of the scriptures will help us know who is right and who is wrong. It will help us identify that God is our strenght and our help, as well as give you the guidence on how to recieve His help when we need it. I know that by using The Sword of the Spirit, we can overcome any trial that is set before us, by attacking it head on, without any fear. 

I know that while using The Armor of God, you can be assured that you have the Lord behind you. I know that the Armor is flawless in its design and that, by using it correctly, there is nothing that can penetrate it. I thank Heavenly Father for providing us with the protection and use of His Armor. Remember the promise of the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 35:14, "And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them." I pray that we might all use it each and every day of our lives.