We can heed warnings. We have been told that many had been given concerning the vulnerability of New Orleans. We are told by seismologists that the Salt Lake Valley is a potential earthquake zone. This is the primary reason that we are extensively renovating the Tabernacle on Temple Square. This historic and remarkable building must be made to withstand the shaking of the earth.
What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do?
Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.
The Lord has said, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).
We have built grain storage and storehouses and stocked them with the necessities of life in the event of a disaster. But the best storehouse is the family storeroom. In words of revelation the Lord has said, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing” (D&C 109:8).
Our people for three-quarters of a century have been counseled and encouraged to make such preparation as will assure survival should a calamity come.
We can set aside some water, basic food, medicine, and clothing to keep us warm. We ought to have a little money laid aside in case of a rainy day.
The Heavenly Logic of Proxy Baptism Mar 12, 2012 Terryl Givens By mid-eighteenth century, two religious titans of the Anglo-Saxon world, erstwhile allies, were at loggerheads over the question of just how many people were destined for an eternity in hell. George Whitefield attacked John Wesley in 1740 for asserting “God’s grace is free to all.” Wesley had agonized over “How uncomfortable a thought is this, that thousands and millions of men, without any preceding offence or fault of theirs were unchangeably doomed to everlasting burnings!” Some, like Francis Okely, simply abandoned the restrictive hell: “Neither doeth it damn any Man, that he hath not the Word of God, if it is not given to him.” And some went on trial for so doing: Robert Breck was charged with believing “the heathen who obeyed the light of nature could be saved.”
In 1823, Joseph Smith claimed a visitation from an angelic messenger, who called himself Moroni. He recited to Smith a number of scriptures, one of which bore rich fruit in the early years of Mormonism. The book of Malachi ends with a cryptic prophecy of Elijah’s return to the earth, when he will “turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that [the Lord] will not come and strike the land with a curse.”
Jewish tradition, full of anticipation and yearning, weaves this interpretation: At the coming of the great judgment day, “the children . . . who had to die in infancy will be found among the just, while their fathers will be ranged on the other side. The babes will implore their fathers to come to them, but God will not permit it. Then Elijah will go to the little ones, and teach them how to plead in behalf of their fathers. They will stand before God and say, ‘Is not the measure of good, the mercy of God, larger than the measure of chastisements? . . . [May they] be permitted to join us in Paradise?’ God will give assent to their pleadings, and Elijah will have fulfilled the word of the prophet Malachi; he will have brought back the fathers to the children.”
The beauty of this story is in its intimation that any conception of heaven worth pursuing is inseparable from reconciliation—not just to God, but also to our loved ones, those of our household and those of generations past. A year before his own death Smith wrote, “There is a thought more dreadful than that of total annihilation. That is the thought that we shall never again meet with those we loved here on earth. . . . If I had no expectation of seeing my mother Brother & Sisters & friends again my heart would burst in a moment.”
Smith eventually divined in the words of Malachi a promise of bridging the gulf that separates the dead from the living, in order to unify and bind together in one heavenly family the numberless generations that have peopled the earth. In August of 1840, the last pieces in his project of a universal human salvation came together. At a funeral for Seymour Brunson, he had been reading to the audience from Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians on the resurrection, with its reference to baptism for the dead. Then, noticing a widow in the audience who had lost an unbaptized child, and invoking the words of Jesus that “except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven,” he “said that this widow should have glad tidings in that thing. . . . He went on to say that people could now act for their friends who had departed this life, and that the plan of salvation was calculated to save all who were willing to obey the requirements of the law of God.”
In other words, Smith believed the same ordinance that connects the deceased to the Lord by baptismal adoption is itself integrally related to the welding together of “children” to “fathers.” This is so because, in Mormon thought, there is only one heavenly family, and Christ is its head. The ultimate end of those ordinances is to affect “one eternal bond of kindred affection and association.” Too excited to wait for the completion of the Nauvoo Temple then underway, Mormon elders immediately began baptizing members in the Mississippi on behalf of their deceased ancestors, by dozens and then hundreds. Today, that same work that Mormons see as fulfillment of Malachi’s promise is performed in over 130 temples around the world.
The effect of posthumous baptisms is not conversion; only a personal, conscious decision to accept the baptismal covenant, in this life or the next, constitutes conversion. The intention is to provide an opportunity for participation in that “whole and complete and perfect union” of the human family. Certainly the scheme reflects a Mormon vision of the eternities, and many are not happy to be put on a guest list for a party they have no intention of attending. Others, on the other hand, can appreciate the motive if not the substance associated with the ordinance. Krister Stendahl, The Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm and dean of Harvard Divinity School, expressed “holy envy” for a practice so conspicuously rooted in love for one’s ancestors. He recognized in this practice, with its hints of ancient origins, acts of devotion performed across a veil of silence, a reaching after our dead in the hope of uniting them to us. And it is these personal ancestors, not celebrities, holocaust survivors, or anybody else, who are the appropriate objects of proxy baptism, as the LDS Church has repeatedly affirmed.
Terryl Givens is a professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond.
In the office of Elder M. Russell Ballard are busts of the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum and Hyrum's youngest son Joseph F. Smith. The latter is Elder Ballard's great-grandfather through his mother's line.
"As I look at the faces of these mighty Prophets, I think I hear them saying, 'Russell, get going! Do more; work a little harder while you still have time.' " Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve made that remark in his March 2 keynote address for the BYU Church History Symposium.
It is a timely reminder to us all to make the most of the time we are allotted, to do that which we need to do while in mortality.
The conditions of use for the New.FamilySearch.org website were set in place "for reasons of common sense, reasons of doctrine and reasons of respect," said Dennis C. Brimhall, managing director of the Church's Family History Department.
The conditions are simple and straightforward. "Users should not submit the names of nonrelated persons for vicarious temple ordinances, including names of celebrities or famous people, or those gathered from unapproved extraction projects," according to the terms all users must accept every time they log onto the site.
The re-emphasis on the guidelines, which are also stated in Church Handbook 2, follows recent violations of the Church's proxy baptism policy.
"One of the things we need to remember is that the searching out of our family and preparing the names for the work to be done in the temple is, yes, a responsibility, but it is also a privilege," said Brother Brimhall. "That privilege is extended to the members by those who hold the keys to the work. The keys to this work are held by the First Presidency of the Church."
Church leaders have asked the members who are submitting names for proxy baptisms for the deceased to:
1. Work only on their own family line.
2. Not submit names of celebrities.
3. Not submit names of unauthorized groups, such as Jewish Holocaust victims.
Church leaders issued a statement Feb. 21 in response to questions about violations of the Church policy, which was established in 1995 after discussions with leaders of the Jewish faith.
The statement repeated the Church's firm commitment to not accept the names of unauthorized groups for proxy baptism and noted that in order to bypass safeguards already in place a submitter would have to use "deception and manipulation."
Such actions could lead not only to suspension of a Church member's access to the New.FamilySearch website, but local leaders might also take disciplinary action in some cases.
"It is distressing when an individual willfully violates the Church's policy and something that should be understood to be an offering based on love and respect becomes a source of contention," the statement said.
Brother Brimhall said the mission of the Church's Family History Department is clear — "We don't do the work. We just help members do the work. With that in mind, for years, we have been trying to help them better."
He added, "Before, you had to go to the record and do it by yourself. With the advent of the technology, we took a huge step forward in the ability to let the work be done."
The work moved forward again a few years ago when the Church introducedNew.FamilySearch.org.
Different from FamilySearch — a searching tool that anyone could use — the new program is a tool for Church members that helps them link into their family line and, if they meet certain criteria, set in motion proxy work for the deceased.
"Because of the ability to do this now in such a convenient way, we had to be cautious that, as with any technology, the technology wasn't abused," said Brother Brimhall. "So we set into place a series of policies to that end."
Church leaders recognize, he explained, that because of the ease of doing research some members will want to do it for everyone — not just their own family line.
"So we put certain policies in place that restricted the submission of the names of celebrities."
In addition, out of respect for a group of people unique in all of history, the Church also restricted work for the names of Jewish Holocaust victims.
Brother Brimhall said over the years the Church has found that a few people are not following those agreements.
"When that happens there are problems; there are difficulties the Church faces because of individuals not following these conditions of use or these policies," he said.
Unfortunately, he said, many in the community do not separate the work of the Church from the work of its members.
"They assume we are all one. Even though the Church didn't violate the policy, a member can violate the policy and that single member can set the work back," he said.
He wants to remind members that if, in all honesty, they comply with these agreements and conditions of use the Church won't have any problems. "The overwhelming majority of our members do that," he noted.
He said in order to help members of the Church understand the conditions of use, the Church will make them more prominent.
"We are going to see a season of education," Brother Brimhall said. "We will remind ourselves again of rights and responsibilities and keys and privileges and whose work this is and how it should be done and who directs the work. If we just remember that, I think we are going to be fine. … We can make the system better for everyone."
He has a politician’s quick smile and looks like he was born to wear a suit. He has a beautiful wife and picture-perfect children. His ancestor’s name is plastered on buildings all over his family’s hometown. He went to Brigham Young University. He has executive experience in both the private and public sectors. He’s a Mormon, and he’s running for president.
But his name is not Mitt Romney. It is Yeah Samaké. He’s the reformist mayor of Ouéléssébougou, a city of some 35,000 residents in the southwest corner of Mali. His anti-corruption policies have made that city a model of civil engagement, and this April Samaké expects to be elected president. If that happens, Yeah Samaké will be the first Mormon head of state in the world.
These are the last days of mortality of this earth... wickedness and evil will prevail as prophesied, as Lucifer desperately strives to lead the righteous astray, and further bind the foolish before his allotted time is up.
Those who endure to the end in righteousness will prevail and reap eternal rewards.
The world wide growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues with the creation of the 3,000th stake this year. At present, there are 2,947 stakes worldwide. This indicates that the Church is projecting an additional 53 new stakes to be created this year. Stakes are only created with increased active membership. Thus there are more active members, more chapels, more stakes, more Temples.
The LDS Church is growing in contrast to false claims that membership is dwindling
“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
“It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).
Heavenly Father was in the grove on that beautiful spring day. He called Joseph by name. And He introduced the resurrected Savior of the world as His “Beloved Son.” Whenever and wherever you pray, your testimony of the reality of that glorious experience can bless you.
The Father to whom we pray is the glorious God who created worlds through His Beloved Son. He hears our prayers as He heard Joseph’s prayer—as clearly as if they were being offered in His presence. He loves us enough that He gave His Son as our Savior. By that gift He made it possible for us to gain immortality and eternal life. And He offers us, through prayer in the name of His Son, the opportunity to commune with Him in this life as often as we choose.
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has issued a letter to be read in all Utah congregations, which encourages Latter-day Saints to attend their local precinct caucus meetings:
On Tuesday, March 13, and Thursday, March 15, 2012, political parties in Utah will hold precinct caucus meetings. Precinct caucuses are the most fundamental grassroots level of political involvement. They are best served by a broad representation of Utah citizens. Those who attend play a critical role in selecting candidates for public office.
We are concerned with the decreasing attendance at these caucus meetings in Utah in recent years. We therefore ask that local leaders not schedule meetings on these Tuesday and Thursday evenings so that members may attend a caucus meeting of their choice. The locations of these meetings can be found on the websites of the respective political parties.
Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in the platforms of the various political parties. We encourage members to attend their precinct caucus meetings.
Over the past two years, general officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have delivered major addresses on many aspects of religious freedom — what it means, what it does, the threats it faces and why it is so vital for free people everywhere. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles said, “There is a battle over the meaning of [religious] freedom. The contest is of eternal importance.” And Elder Quentin L. Cook, also an Apostle, challenged university graduates to “work with people of other faiths” to protect and “be an advocate for religious freedom and morality.”
Alongside these endorsements of religious freedom from Latter-day Saints are the significant efforts of other religious leaders and citizens. So why this attention to religious freedom? Why do we as citizens of the United States need it?
The need flows from the immense diversity of our nation and society. From its very beginning, the United States has been home to a wide range of religious beliefs. Without a confining state-sponsored church (thus breaking a 1,500-year European tradition) and with a steady and assorted stream of immigrants, religious pluralism has been a signal feature in America. Americans in the new and growing nation found a range of religious choices unheard of in their past experience — they could choose their own faith group, select a congregation (or start their own) and find a minister. They could also choose not to adhere to religion at all. This vast array of religious choices demonstrated an invigorating freedom of conscience and a flourishing religious freedom. Americans didn’t simply tolerate other religious beliefs, but eventually embraced full-fledged religious liberty, realizing that the “only way to get it for themselves was to grant it to all others.”
Yet there has been no royal road to religious freedom in the United States. Baptists, Jews, Catholics and other faiths — which at some time have been new, unpopular and minority religions — have felt the sting of religious persecution and societal prejudice. But the possibility of a society where diverse faiths and beliefs can coexist is rooted in the high principles of freedom of conscience and the enabling protections for religion in the First Amendment. They are the architectural framework that ensures the physical, social and legal space for individuals and groups to live out their different beliefs in meaningful ways, both privately and publicly. A statement of principles signed by scholars and statesmen emphasizes these principles: “The Religious Liberty clauses are both a protection of individual liberty and a provision for ordering the relationship of religion and public life. They allow us to live with our deepest differences.”
But freedom of religion and conscience require more than simply living and coexisting with our differences. These preeminent freedoms also create rejuvenating obligations. All recipients of religious freedom — every group and individual who is free to live according to the dictates of conscience — must in turn protect that same freedom for all others, especially the most vulnerable, whether religious or not. That is the obligation. And it is rejuvenating because it “enable[s] diversity to be a source of national strength.”
These principles are splendidly articulated in The Williamsburg Charter. Drafted as a national “reaffirmation of the First Amendment,” signatories included leaders of government (including two former presidents of the United States), business, education and faith groups and many other interests. Elder Dallin H. Oaks signed the document on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The charter emphasizes the vital nature and moral importance of the obligations associated with religious freedom, including the incisive observation that a “society is only as just and free as it is respectful of [freedom of religion and conscience] for its smallest minorities and least popular communities.”
Recent studies quantify the societal benefits of religious freedom. These findings report, for example, that:
• Religious freedom promotes stability in a pluralistic society, but when limited, it correlates to increased violence and conflict.
• Wherever religious freedom is high, there is more economic prosperity, better health, lower income inequality and prolonged democracy.
• Religious freedom directly correlates with the protection afforded other civil and human rights; if some agency can control the yearnings of faith and conviction, then that agency could, in James Madison’s words, “sweep away all our fundamental rights,” such as freedom of speech, press and assembly.
These are some of the consequences of religious freedom that contribute to a just and free society where tensions are negotiated and people live peacefully with their deepest differences. This is the essence of democracy.
