The Bible

In my previous blog, "Antemortal Appearances of Jesus Christ," I shared some exciting Biblical accounts of those who saw the risen Lord after His crucifixion. In this blog, I desire to share additional witnesses, both immediately after the Lord's resurrection and in modern-day. For the exciting news is that Jesus Christ lives and leads His church today!

One of my favorite stories from the New Testament is the following. Mary had just seen the risen Lord. I can only imagine the joy that flooded her heart as she looked upon His face and presence. In fact, she apparently went to embrace Him in that same joy, for He had to caution her not to - he had not yet gone to meet the Father (see John 20:16-17).

Instead, Mary did as Jesus bid. She ran to tell the disciples. And in the evening of that same day, when they were assembled in private "for fear of the Jews", the following occurred (just imagine the emotions that flooded their souls!):

"Then the same day ate evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

"And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord" (John 20:19-20).

Later on Thomas, who had been absent earlier, was given the opportunity for an amazing experience:

"And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst...

"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side [this was where the spear had pierced Him while on the cross]; and be not faithless, but be believing..." (John 20:26-27).

Thomas had the opportunity to actually thrust his hand into the mark left by the spear and to touch the Savior's hands! Can you imagine looking into the face of the Savior, who had gone through so much to pay for humanity's sins?

But the ancient witnesses weren't the only ones to testify that Jesus lives. There have been modern witnesses called to testify to our weary world that Jesus actually is real. He really does live!

Joseph Smith recorded:

"We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

"His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father" (D&C 110:1-4).

When my days get difficult, as they sometimes do, all I need to think about are the many witnesses, both ancient and modern, of Jesus Christ. He is live. He is present in our lives. And one day, we too will have the opportunity to worship at His feet and thank Him for what He has done.

To learn more of Christ's church and about Him, visit Mormon.org.

As Mormons (or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) we believe in Jesus Christ. We worship Him and are grateful for His grace toward us. We know that through no other means can we return to the Father save by Jesus Christ.

In the Book of Mormon, a companion volume to the Bible of scripture, we read of Jesus Christ:

"Yes, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God;..." (Mosiah 27:31)

Certain people at the time of Christ's crucifixion may have thought they'd ridded the world of the Lamb of God. But they didn't. On the third day after the crucifixion, Christ rose! He rose from the tomb, a resurrected being! Oh, what glorious thought.

Here is an easy to understand definition of resurrection, as stated at the LDS.org site:

"Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, we are subject to physical death, which is the separation of the spirit from the body. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected and saved from physical death (see 1 Corinthians 15:22). Resurrection is the reuniting of the spirit with the body in an immortal state, no longer subject to disease or death" ("Resurrection," LDS.org).

There were many after Jesus Christ's resurrection who testified they had seen the risen Lord. One of Jesus Christ's antemortal appearances was recorded in Matthew 28:1-9. For sake of brevity, I will just share a few verses:

"And the angel answered and said....Fear ye not: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said....

"And go quickly, and tell his disciples..."

"And they departed quickly...and did run to bring his disciples word.

"And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him" (Matthew 28:1-9).

They held him by his feet! This is a resurrected Christ, complete with a resurrected body - never to feel death again.

Another witness was Mary.

"And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus...."

As soon as Mary discovered it was the Lord, she went to embrace him. But here is what Christ said:

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren..." (for the complete account, see John 20:1-18).

There were many more antemortal appearances of Jesus Christ, where individuals saw and (eventually) were able to touch the Savior. They all witnessed of the miracle of the Resurrection. This link will take you to a listing of many of Jesus' postmortal / antemortal appearances. Simply click on the references at that linked page to read the many witnesses of the resurrected Christ!

Jesus Christ broke the bands of death; he vanquished sin in our behalf. And He still lives! Joseph Smith, the prophet of the restoration of Christ's gospel and church, bore witness to this himself. This is why as Mormons we worship the risen Lord.

To learn more, visit the Mormon.org website.

Apostles serve as very special witnesses for Jesus Christ. As such, they have responsibility to carry the gospel of Christ to every nation. They also, just like the ancient Apostles, are responsible for clarifying gospel truths whenever misunderstandings arise.

Elder Russell M. Nelson is an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes nicknamed the Mormon church). Elder Nelson gave a talk to the church November 2007 in a special setting called General Conference. His message was titled, "Scriptural Witnesses."

The theme from Elder Nelson's talk was essentially that "the scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible." The talk serves as an aid to help people, whether inside the church or out, to understand why the Lord has given more scripture than that just contained in the Bible.

Why would it be necessary to clarify this? Perhaps people have misunderstood the difference between the Bible's purpose and the purpose of the "scriptures of the Restoration."

The Bible as a Witness

Essentially, we as Mormons believe the Bible to be the word of God, as it is translated correctly, of course. There are countless translations of the Bible and some are closer to the original text than others. As Mormons, we love the Bible. We revere its teachings. We testify of its importance. Its message is urgent, as it contains witnesses from many different prophets to God's children on the earth in the ancient area of Israel.

The Book of Mormon as a Witness

But we as Mormons believe that God loves all of His children. And just as the Lord called prophets to the Jerusalem portion of the earth, the Lord called ancient prophets in the Americas to testify of Christ to those people also. These prophets' words make up the book of scripture called The Book of Mormon. We as Mormons testify of that book's authenticity and urgent message; it stands as a companion to the Bible testifying that Christ really IS the Lord and Savior of the earth - and that salvation can only come through Him and of Him. People may be able to ignore one witness, but add another witness and the testimony becomes that much more insistent. Together the Bible and the Book of Mormon make it pretty hard to deny that the Savior is real, with so many ancient prophets testifying of Christ's reality.

Additional Witnesses

We also as Mormons believe that God is all-powerful and capable of calling prophets now, just as He did then. And He has done so, beginning first with Joseph Smith and proceeding through fourteen other prophets (President Gordon B. Hinckley was the 15th prophet for the Mormon church and passed away January 27, 2008). A sixteenth prophet will soon be called through inspiration from God.

It is precisely because of the power of witnesses for Jesus Christ that we do NOT feel the Book of Mormon competes with the Bible, nor do any of the other prophetic utterances given in these latter days. They all work together much as three hinges on a door - those hinges keep a door securely in place and allow it to swing functionally.

The Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, etc. all act as scriptural "hinges" to teach God's children that He is there and acts on behalf of ALL God's children. God's power is not shortened in His ability to talk with His children. He does so today through prophets as He did back then. And good thing! Can you think of any other time with as many conflicting thoughts, beliefs, and lifestyles? Surely God has an opinion and loves us enough to share. He does so through prophets. What a thing to celebrate!

Additional Reading Material:

"Elder Nelson's talk, Scriptural Witnesses."

"Mormons' Reverence for the Bible

What Mormons believe.

I love the Old Testament. It now is one of my most favorite books. But it wasn't early on in my life. Back then I thought it was nothing but boring accounts of the dusty travails of Moses' people. Page after page of Leviticus and Numbers used to bore me till I couldn't stand reading the Old Testament any more! I quit my effort.

That was, until I took a Mormon Institute class near my college. (Institute is a religion class offered for college kids.) One semester I decided to take an Old Testament class. To this day I'm not sure why.

I remember the first evening well. The Institute teacher stood before us and declared with absolute certainty that by the end of the semester he felt we'd love the Old Testament as much as he did.

I wanted to laugh. Not so, I thought. The Old Testament is a book of dusty stories and boring lists. Was I wrong!

Throughout that semester I learned that the Old Testament exists basically to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, His sufferings, and His hope that we will accept of His offering for us.

Just imagine my astonishment as I read verses such as these below (from a volume of scripture I'd thought was dusty). My heart ached for Christ and His sufferings as I read them; the scripture was so powerful. The Old Testament apparently was a more important book than I'd thought:

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed...." (Isaiah 53:3-7)

To read these words were heart-wrenching for me. And it continued:

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth..." (Isaiah 53:3-7).

I'll stop here. But there is more to this chapter describing the suffering that Jesus Christ went through ... for us! It is a chapter worth reading. And once I'd read that, I realized that the Old Testament is NOT a dry dusty old book that held nothing for me.

To the contrary, the Old Testament has led me to a deeper, clearer understanding of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and especially to an understanding of the sufferings of Jesus Christ went through for me.

[To read the free online Old Testament, click on the Old Testament link. To access free online study materials, click on the Old Testament seminary study link and the Old Testament institute study link A or B.]

Have you ever felt completely fatigued? Not physically, but emotionally? Where you feel that life cannot get any worse? Or perhaps you wonder why you were even born?

One of the most powerful scripture stories I've ever read can be found in the Old Testament and for me, it speaks directly to these feelings. It's all about a brazen serpent.

Moses had his hands full. He had been called of the Lord to bring the children of Israel out of Pharaoh's clutches and into freedom. But even after escape, the Israelites would do nothing but complain. As a result, Moses' burdens were great.

Moses was told by the Lord before delivering the Israelites:

"Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land....

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments;

"And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exo. 6:1, 6-7).

So Moses knows clearly what lays ahead of him. But he has yet to meet the true nature of those he's been called to lead. Again, nearly from the beginning, the Israelites complain and murmur and gripe and complain and....

In fact, even though for years they'd cried unto the Lord for deliverance from slavery to Pharaoh, they still start griping just prior to the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea:

"And they said unto Moses, ... hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?" (Exo 14:11)

The man is leading them to safety and yet they complain?

Moses response is simply, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exo 14:13). And the sea parts and they cross on dry ground.

But soon they begin murmuring again.

"Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, ... when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exo 16:2-3).

What does Moses do for them? Through the Lord, Moses shows them manna - a miraculous substance that appears daily and feeds them for the next 40 years.

The Israelites continue this pattern of murmuring. I'm not sure why Moses doesn't just throw them into some pit. But no, he continues to lead and serve, giving them water from a rock and counseling in righteousness. He gives them the 10 Commandments to lead them in ways of truth and happiness. But still they complain.

And the Lord Himself continued to lead them with a cloud by day and a fire by night. Still they complained! And then rebellions enter in, lustings grow (the book Numbers in the Old Testament is quite instructive of the events during this time). Eventually the Lord "sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died" (Numbers 21:6).

This becomes a significant fixture in the history of the ancient children of Israel. (And Moses once again shows his valiant nature.) Moses gives them a momentous choice. While the Israelites lay writhing on the ground from snake bites, the Lord instructs Moses:

"Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live" (Number 21:8).

If you were present, would you have looked? It was a simple thing, really. Just lift your head and you will be healed. To find the rest of the story, read Numbers 21:9. But the point is, Moses teaches an important lesson. "Be humble enough to look and live," is that lesson. All from a "brazen serpent!"

In the Book of Mormon, we read:

"And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. As the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be save" (2 Nephi 25:20).

Moses showed the way, even for us today. That brazen serpent which he placed on a pole and lifted for the Israelites' healing, represented none other than the Healer who can save - even Jesus Christ.

Moses' staff with the brazen serpent entwined was a type or figure of Christ which was to come. This is why I find this scripture story one of the most powerful ones available in the Old Testament.

And this is why when I'm emotionally fatigued, I think on Moses. He was fatigued, I'm sure, from leading those miserably challenged Israelites. Yet he'd learned something. His future Lord, even Jesus Christ, heals all emotional complaints. Moses knew that for those writhing on the ground, and for us today, all we need do is "look and live."

To read more scripture stories, click on this scripture link.

I did not grow up in the Mormon church (officially known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Thus, I had a rather confused image of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

But no wonder. Modern-day voices declare many different things about God - and the Godhead. This dissension has evolved throughout history. When Christ was on the earth His church, His gospel, His teachings were all quite clear.

But Christ was crucified. After resurrection, He returned to His disciples to continue to instruct them in the saving ordinances of the gospel. But eventually the people of the time also rejected them and murdered them. The remaining Christians were left to their own interpretations of God's will, since no prophets nor apostles now remained on the earth.

Interestingly, though, it wasn't until the 4th century that Christians began believing in the "Trinity." Up until that point, doctrine was rather clear that God the Father and His Divine Son were two distinct individuals.

But apostasy had set in and eventually by the 4th century, the Christian church held much contention within its ranks. Finally, a forced convention or council was called and church leadership were required to come up with a definition of God that pleased everyone.

What resulted was the Nicene Creed - a brief and, to me, murky statement established in 325 A.D. It attempted to declare that God the Father and Jesus Christ were "God of God" - one essence. Even after its establishment, there continued to be arguments amongst different branches of churches.

This continuing argument is why another document eventually surfaced in 385 A.D. These documents required people to believe as the council had established "belief." If one did not follow this belief of the time, he was declared a heretic and could be murdered for such utterance.

But even after its establishment, the controversial document continued to cause disagreement. Today not all Christians accept the Nicene Creed, some stating rejection of it because it was not part of the original Bible.

Mormons also do not accept the Nicene Creed as correct. In fact, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, declared in October 2007,

"We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings" (October 2007).

The one way to figure this out on your own is to study the scriptures and to ask God which of all these beliefs are correct. The Lord answers all sincere prayers.

In fact, is was just such a sincere prayer that initiated the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was a young man living in the 1800s. He too saw the confusion amongst the churches, some proclaiming "truths" that conflicted completely with "truths" of other churches in the area.

To learn how he resolved his confusion, click here. But I testify to you that God the Father and His Divine Son Jesus Christ are two different individuals. The New Testament is full of examples of this. But you do not have to take my belief as your own. That is the exciting part of the gospel - the Lord answers all sincere prayers and He will answer yours!

[For further reading, feel free to read the talk, "The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent," given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2007.]

In a previous blog, I mentioned how Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of my faith. And yet, when I was a youth I barely knew who He was.

I remember as a child belonging to another denomination, another faith, and being so terrified of God. During that time, I had a little turtle. He would crawl around on his rocks in his terrarium, helpless and defenseless. I was fully aware of my size and that this tiny turtle could never defend himself against my monster-sized child's fist.

I was only five at the time, but was amazed that I held such power in comparison to the tiny little being of my turtle. I never did hurt him, because I adored him. But even as a young girl, I knew that my ability to harm or destroy was far greater than that tiny turtle could defend against.

And thus was my perspective of God. I sometimes wondered if He looked down upon us puny mortals, toying with the thought that He could crush us with one blow, instantaneously. The thought unnerved me. Yet no-one existed in my young life to teach me otherwise, to teach me that both God and His Son Jesus Christ contained a fulness of love, of sweetness, of tenderness.

It wasn't until my family began attending the Mormon church that I began learning a clearer understanding on the true character of Jesus Christ and that of His Father who sent Him.

Now my understanding has been broadened. Not only is Jesus Christ patient (think of Him on the cross forgiving those who nailed Him there), but He is tender.

In fact, one of my most favorite scriptures illustrates so beautifully the tender nature of the Savior of this world:

"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus...

"...when Jesus came, he found that [Lazarus] had lain in the grave four days already..."

The scriptures then describe the following scene, when Jesus arrived at Lazarus' tomb:

"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

"And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

"Jesus wept" (John 11).

Jesus wept, even knowing He was going to momentarily raise Lazarus from the dead! He is so in tune with the feelings of His friends that He weeps with them. Is this not tender?

The Character of Jesus Christ is beyond approach. Not only is He without sin, but He weeps with those who are His friends. He loves us first, thereby teaching us how to love others. How could anyone not worship this perfect Lamb of God?

Indeed, the Character of Jesus Christ inspires me to reach to Him and to reach out to others. I only hope some day I can be ever more like Him than I am today.

To learn more about Jesus Christ and His church, feel free to visit Mormon.org.

I remember thinking the day I found my baby in his crib, dead from SIDS, "This can't be happening to me."

As I blurred through many motions, from calling 911 to letting in the paramedics to going to the hospital behind the ambulance, I continued to think, "This can't be happening to me."

When we walked through the doors of the emergency room at the hospital, I continued to hope against hope that my little baby son would revive. God is a God of miracles, after all - right?

I listened patiently while both the nurse and the hospital social worker explained the doctors were serving my son as best they could. I trusted there was going to be a happy ending to this story.

There wasn't.

Well, then again, it depends on whose perspective you trust. If I look to the Cornerstone of my faith, my perspective shifts into something much more glorious than my mortal mind can completely comprehend.

First of all, Jesus Christ came to redeem all of us - any and all who would hearken to Him and who would take His name upon us. In fact, even for those who do not believe in Him, even those individuals will receive a glorious gift of immortality.

THIS is the perspective that adjusts my vision of losing my 11-week-old son due to the awful vice of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). It is the understanding that all will be resurrected that sustains me. It is the knowledge I've been given through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, that families are meant to be together for eternity.

When one listens to the sweet (albeit quiet) voice of the Spirit of the Lord, one will feel a calming peace testifying to these truths. I know, because I've been there, having all of this perspective tested.

From the day before my son's death till several days after, the warmth of the spirit of God intensified within me until my body felt warmer than I could explain. Then for several days after my little guy's death, a consistent refrain continued to play itself over and over again in my mind: "This was not a mistake."

I knew that this voice or impression did NOT come from my own mind - for I personally felt very much that this was all a mistake. For after all, my whole response had been, "This cannot be happening to me."

But in answer to every time that feeling overwhelmed me, a soothing voice would come, teaching me a simple truth: "This was not a mistake."

In other words, God Himself was reaching down into my small-hearted ways and expanding my awareness that there was a larger purpose at work than I could understand.

This is why the cornerstone of my faith is based on Jesus Christ. He and His Father, even God Himself, have reached into my life and have helped me in even my most ripped-up, heart-torn moments.

As a Mormon, I am well aware that there are those who ridicule my faith. There are even those who believe Mormons are anything but Christian. I'm not sure why they believe this, but I witness with all my heart that I know that Jesus is the Christ. He is my Christ; He is my Savior in very literal ways. Without Him steadying me during the most difficult times in my life, I would not be still standing now.

A "cornerstone" is something upon which the entire building relies upon. That is Jesus Christ for me.

[For further reading about Cornerstones of Faith, this article, "The Cornerstones of Our Faith," is an excellent one. And it is given by our recently deceased, dearly beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley.]

There is a hymn that moves me each time I hear it. It is called "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd." Even when I first joined the Mormon church (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), I noticed this hymn.

The melody called to me; its beautiful lilting shape comforted me with its 6/4 time signature (feeling like a gentle waltz). Yet not only the melody was (and is) beautiful to me. The text was just as amazing. Here are some sample lines:

"Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are the sheep of his fold;
Dear is the love that he gives them,
Dearer than silver or gold."
(Hymn #221 Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd)

Are those words not inspiring ... and oh, so truthful!

Later on in the hymn we read:

"Some from the pastures are straying,
Hungry and helpless and cold.
See, the Good Shepherd is seeking,
Seeking the lambs that are lost" (Ibid.).

How this hymn comforts my heart on dark and dreary days. I don't know about you, but there are times when I wander, disconsolate and adrift in my purpose on this earth.

But all I need to is to hum a few stanzas from this hymn, "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd," and a spirit of peace begins to enter in to my heart. My soul returns to seeking guidance from the true Shepherd.

Not only does the Good Shepherd, our dear Savior Jesus Christ love the ninety-nine sheep that stay within his fold, but He concerns Himself with those who stray - whether because of mistakes or even through their deliberate, willful choices.

How this comforts me as a parent! To know that the Lord cares for my children - most likely more than I do! He watches over them. He hears those who earnestly call him. He responds to those who tenderly plead to Him for rescue.

He will do this for them; He will do this for you; He has done this for me. And I am most grateful.

There is a scripture that is a perfect companion to the lyrics of "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd." It is found in the New Testament in Luke 15: 4-6:

"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

"And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost" (Luke 15:4-6).

How comforting to know factually about the Good Shepherd; but even better, how awesome it is actually to know the Good Shepherd. He cares about you; He cares about your family and friends, as He does mine.

He will rescue those who are lost, when the time is right.

When I think on the goodness of God, it reminds me of the word "mercy", and yet in so much more depth than the traditional meaning of mercy.

Just what does "mercy" mean? If we go to most dictionaries, they will tell us traditional definitions of "mercy." The explanation would go something like this:

"Mercy means to give kindness when it is not deserved."

And that definition is indeed an accurate one. But I feel that mercy - at least when we speak of the goodness of God - is so much broader.

Just as a judge has the power to stop a pending punishment or to actually pardon someone for an earthly crime, so too does God have the power to pardon us for greater offenses than even earthly tribunals might consider.

But He only does this because His Son was willing to come and pay for our sins. Jesus Christ was whipped, scourged because we have sinned. He bled and suffered deeper than eternity can tell, in the Garden of Gethsemane, because of our indiscretions. He was nailed to a cross because He loved us enough - He loved us enough to cross the threshold of death and then return, so that we might do the same.

So does a simple definition of "mercy" suffice for me? It can't come close.

For all the times my God has given me evidence of His divine caring, my heart soars. And yet in the same moment, I am overcome with grief that because of me and my mistakes, His Son suffered.

Yet this was the eternal plan. God would create an earth for us so that we, as His children, could be tested. We would prove that we indeed valued the things of God greater than the dusty things of mortality. But walking here, we (and He) could see that we would make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes would be grave ones, ones called sin because of their serious offensive nature before Him.

It was because of this that there was a need for a Savior to compensate for our shortfalls. This is why the Savior Jesus Christ is so often called the Redeemer of the world.

Think of the word "redemption" like this - when you receive a coupon in the mail, you have the option of returning it to a store to "redeem" the item offered. But it is all choice based. The offer of Jesus Christ to us from God Himself is very similar. The intensely priceless "coupon" of eternal life is given freely to us. It is up to us to decide whether we grasp that coupon and effectuate the offer - or whether we throw it away carelessly.

This is why, when I hear the term "mercy", for me it is so much greater than a simple act of kindness, like so many assume. For me the word mercy has such depth it is difficult for me to articulate its meaning. The goodness of God is manifest by the gift of His Son; what an amazing extension of God's goodness that is!

I've been thinking a great deal lately about the power of Jesus Christ. Reason being, I'm a seminary teacher for Mormon high school kids. In fact, I'm an early morning seminary teacher.

What this means, is that when most people haven't even stirred yet to get up, these 14-18 year olds are already showered, dressed, and sitting in chapels across the world - studying the life of Jesus Christ as found in the scriptures (all before beginning their high school day).

It is an amazing experience to work with these kids, to see the light of the testimony of Jesus Christ in their lives. True, some kids struggle to find the Savior in their daily paths, but once found, most grow spiritually in amazing ways.

Well, that's modern-day people; what about ancient individuals? So many times the "ancient children of Israel" rejected God with outright abandonment (Israel was originally named Jacob who was the son of Abraham; he was faithful, but so many of his descendants were not).

This year in seminary we've been studying the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a bit of a quixotic book for many people. Its stories are puzzling, the people's ways are puzzling, in fact, the choices of many found in Old Testament pages are nothing but puzzling.

Currently the seminary kids and I have reached the stories of Samuel, one of the exceptional examples of righteousness and (as a result) heard the Lord speaking to him as a boy.

What I'm finding in these Old Testament pages is over and over again the power of Jehovah (Jesus Christ) is mighty to save - if the Israelites would just wake up and listen to the Lord's prophets!

But am I any different today? Or does my faith falter - do I stumble and fall into erroneous ways, just like the ancient children of Israel? To whom do I look ... modern idol-types or to the Lord Himself ... during my personal times of challenge?

Life can be most frightening at times. Yet the Lord - He who walked on water during New Testament times - has the power to redeem me from all mishaps, mistakes, and miseries. This is the message of the Old Testament and it is a message that is sinking deeper than ever into my heart, as I teach these terrific modern-day youth the Old Testament stories.

But finding the power of Christ requires that I first look. And finding time to look, study, and ponder can be challenging in this world that is spinning by faster and faster each day. I must grab moments of peace and quiet or they will pass me by. How urgent it is that I require of myself study time each day in the scriptures themselves.

Otherwise I might go my whole life and never learn completely the true power of Christ. For it is within the pages of scriptures that His power is most obviously made manifest. Why not learn from history and refuse to repeat the mistakes made by those poor ancient souls who could not seem to learn otherwise - that the power of Christ is sure and can save all those who look and trust in Him. Here is a link to the Old Testament to make scripture study easy!

One of the most amazing hymns I've heard sung is the hymn, "I Believe in Christ." You can listen to the song by going to the musical representation of the hymn. Simply click on "I Believe in Christ."

You will be taken to a musical player. On the left side of the screen, you will see at the top a "play" button (sideways triangle), next to a "stop" button (a square) and a "pause" button (looks like two quotation marks).

Underneath these tools on the left you can get interactive with the music. You may select to hear "Music with Parts", to hear it with "Words and Music", and/or to hear it with "Music Only."

Try sampling each choice. A little lower on the left there are some other great options. If you want only to hear the melody (the Soprano part), click in the little squares to the left of Alto, Tenor, and Bass (in the "Music Parts/Volume" section on the left). Clicking in these boxes will deselect those parts, thus silencing them.

You can have great fun with this particular option. For example, while trying to learn the Alto part of "I Believe in Christ," you could deselect all parts but the Alto one. Once you feel you can sing that part relatively well, you could click on the Tenor square to re-engage that portion. Now you have a duet going between the Alto and the Tenor lines!

This is entertaining. But the best part is really all about learning the amazing words to this hymn. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, one of the apostles for the Mormon church (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), wrote the words to this hymn and read them during General Conference, just prior to his death from cancer.

Here is just the first verse (the rest are available for reading when clicking on "I Believe in Christ"). Just feel the power of praise these words bring:

I believe in Christ; he is my King!
With all my heart to him I'll sing;
I'll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ; he is God's Son.
On earth to dwell his soul did come.
He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
Good works were his; his name be praised.
(Text: Bruce R. McConkie, 1915-1985)

I'm not quite sure how some people claim that Mormons are not Christian. If you've not heard that claim before, I'm sure you will at some time. But sing the words to this song, knowing that they were written by one of the Apostles for the Mormon church. Feel the Spirit of the Lord descend while you sing them, and you will know that indeed not only do Mormons believe in Christ, but we rejoice in praising His name!

Jesus Christ is coming to earth again. He really is. And what an amazing thought. Will I be ready? It could be so easy to put off preparing for His visit.

I think of it kind of like having a cousin come to my house unexpectedly. If I procrastinated getting ready, the visit could be awful. Crumbs on the kitchen floor, beds perhaps unmade, dirty laundry on the sofa. What a horrible experience. No, how much better to have planned wisely and be ready when my loved one makes their appearance.

This is how I think about Jesus Christ and His Second Coming. To be ready for that spectacular event could readily become a top priority in my life, and how wise to have it be so.

But how do I know when His coming is nigh? I know by being aware of the Signs of His Coming. How do I do that? I learn about the by studying about them in the scriptures.

One of the best ways is to read the scriptures, using study keywords like "Signs of His Coming" to find helpful aids for spiritual progression.

In this manner, I am brought to explanations such as this one:

"Events or experiences that God gives to people to show that something important in His work has happened or will soon happne. In the latter days, many signs for the second coming of the Savior have been prophesied. These signals allow faithful people to recognize God's plan, be warned, and prepare" ("GS Signs of the Times," LDS.org).

Some of the Signs that show His coming is nigh are listed here:

• The Lord shall gather Israel
• Men shall break the everlasting covenant
• Wars shall precede the Second Coming
• All nations will gather to battle Jerusalem
• Great calamities will occur prior to the Second Coming
• The gospel shall be restored

(To see the full list, visit "Signs of the Times".)

No-one knows when Christ will come again. The scriptures tell us that it will be as a thief in the night (see 2 Pet 3:10). But we are also told that those who prepare for His coming need not fear. Instead, we are taught to lift up our voices and declare the glad news of the gospel.

So that is what we do as consistently as possible. Rather than spiritual "crumbs" on our kitchen floors and the spiritual equivalent of "dirty laundry" in our lives, we are seeking to be ready. And with the help of the scriptures and the modern day prophets, we will do so!

Have you heard of the expression, "The Lamb of God"? It is a very important phrase, for it refers to Jesus Christ.

The LDS.org website explains:

"Jesus Christ was foreordained to carry out the Atonement, becoming 'the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,' (Revelation 13:8; see also 1 Peter 1:19-21" ("Foreordination," LDS.org).

When you think of the expression "Lamb of God," what comes to your mind?

I know that for me, I think of baby sheep in the spring. Soft tender animals that know no ill; animals that are symbolic of the freshness of spring; creatures that would not harm another creature.

All of this is also how I think of the Christ. His feelings are tender. For example, He cried before raising Lazarus from the dead - even knowing His power to bring Lazarus back. This is tenderness in its finest hour! Yes, just as a baby sheep is tender, so too is Christ. I am sure He weeps with us when we weep.

Baby sheep are symbolic of the freshness of spring, of a new beginning. Christ is symbolic of new beginnings. He represents new life through faith on His name and through baptism, as He was baptized. Everything He did was to bring us new birth, a new life, a joy that comes - similar to the feeling one gets on a new spring morning.

Baby sheep would not harm another. Neither would the Christ. He came to bring life; not take it. And so it is most instructive to me to read in the Bible how Christ was designated to become the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (again, see Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:19-21).

Now for just a moment, let us think of the ancient Israelites, Abraham's people. They used unblemished lambs as a sacrificial symbol of Jesus Christ's future sacrifice of His life.

The animal sacrifice of their lambs may seem repugnant to us now, but remember - they slaughtered their animals for food. They didn't have grocery stores around the corner for their meats. Thus, it was a true sacrifice to give up the firstlings of their flock as an offering to God - when normally they needed that for food.

Their ancient sacrifices were performed as instructive ceremonies that one day a Savior would come and be offered up to redeem all of mankind. The Israelites' sweet little lambs represented the future Lamb of God.

If it were not for sin, Christ would not have needed to be offered up as an atonement for those sins. How it pains me that I brought Him to that sacrificial altar. But how grateful I am that He followed through, partook of the bitterness of that experience, and was brought forth on that resurrection morn in the spring.

Because of the Lamb of God, I can be brought home to my God. How tender, how amazing a thought!

Jesus Christ has many names. I love pondering on them. They each carry depth and resonance for me. Try it for yourself. As you read each of the following titles used to reference Him, feel the descriptive nature of each term's significance.

For example, He has been called Bread of Life. How profound. We die without food. Thus how appropriate to signal the spiritual need our souls have for Jesus Christ and what He has brought us.

Cornerstone. A cornerstone is an integral piece of stone to a building. Its purpose is to unite walls at their intersection. A cornerstone is the most basic, yet essential piece of construction. How symbolic of what Christ could be like in our lives, acting as a cornerstone to all that the Father offers us, acting as our foundation.

Advocate. An advocate in a court of law is someone who pleads your case before the judge. The comparison here is quite clear - Christ is our advocate with the Father. Because of Him, our sins can be forgiven. Because of His grace so fully extended to us, we can return to heaven.

Exemplar. Christ is our perfect example in all things. Even while nailed to a cross, thirsting and bleeding, He forgave those in front of Him who had nailed Him there. How much I easier it should be for me to forgive others with His mighty example in living in such pure ways.

Good Shepherd. What are your thoughts on this one? For me, I think of the shepherds throughout the world who are constantly on guard, watching over their sheep. When a sheep gets stuck in a ravine or attacked by a wild animal, the shepherd risks himself to save the sheep. How like Christ in what He is willing to do for us.

Light of the World. It is literally the light of Christ which illuminates this world, as much as those who deny Him would resist such truths. As quoted from the Church's website, LDS.org:

"The Light of Christ is the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things. The Light of Christ influences people for good and prepares them to receive the Holy Ghost. One manifestation of the Light of Christ is what we call a conscience" (LDS.org).

There are many more titles or names attributed to the Redeemer of us all. Names such as Judge, King, Lord, Messenger of the Covenant, and so forth (to read of many of them, visit the Topical Guide). All of them are express and potent in painting a fuller understanding for us who the Mighty Christ is.