Month: February 2018

Turned Out of Synagogues

I was struck with what the Lord said in this passage from the New Covenants, Matthew 3:35: “And again I say unto you, Go into the world and do not care for the world, for the world will hate you and will persecute you and will turn you out of their synagogues. Nevertheless, you shall go forth from house to house teaching the people, and I will go before you.”

When the Lord tells us to expect to be “turned out of their synagogues,” I pondered over who would do that casting out. It can only be done by those who own buildings, who control houses of worship, and who expect believers to come to their religious buildings to worship God. It can only be done by those who think they have the right to enforce their religious ideas by compulsion, demanding conformity and suppressing ideas they dislike.

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New Covenants

The second volume of the new scriptures is now in final form and published. It combines the New Testament and Book of Mormon into a single volume. Joseph Smith always intended for these two to be published together in a single volume.

The New Testament version used is the “Joseph Smith Translation” incorporates all changes he made, including punctuation changes. It is the first time all of the changes Joseph Smith made are in print.

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7: Baptism

Who needs to be baptized? Why is it so important? And what is the proper way to baptize? 

Denver answers these questions and reminds all Christian believers that authorized baptism has always been required from the days of Adam until the present, as a sign of faith and acceptance of what it is God is doing. Continue reading “7: Baptism”

Reliable Information

I engage in a process that precedes what I consider having possession of any kind of reliable information. Speculation and casual comments I have made are not particularly reliable. Research I’ve done to try to understand a subject is not reliable. Conversations in emails about some topic may be nothing more than guess work or casual conversation. When information, light and truth come from God, I consider that reliable information worth writing about, talking about or teaching.

Years ago I was contemplating the subject of Christ’s original apostles. As I looked into the scriptures, the promise Christ made to the twelve was that in the resurrection they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Judas was among the twelve when the promise was made. Judas fell away, betrayed the Lord and committed suicide. Whatever promise Judas may have had would have required his continued faithfulness. He was not faithful. Therefore, his throne and position as a judge in the resurrection over a tribe of Israel was forfeited. This led to the question of who would fill that vacancy.

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6: Repentance

What is repentance? What do I need to repent of? How do I repent and what happens when I do?

Today Denver addresses the reality of repentance and what it is and what is required with clarity and simplicity. What if repentance is related to the acquisition of intelligence? Or in other words, light and truth. What if repentance requires us to worship Christ by making a living sacrifice by ministering to others with love and compassion? Or in other words, to be more like Him in word, thought and deed. Continue reading “6: Repentance”

Unchaste

Latter-day Saints who go through temple rites covenant and promise before God, angels and witnesses to obey the law of chastity; which is that they will have no sexual intercourse except with their spouse to whom they are legally and lawfully married.

In Illinois during the entire 1840s it was illegal to be married to more than a single spouse. In the United States Territories it was likewise a crime to be married to more than one spouse. Because of open, unlawful cohabitation by members of the LDS church beginning in the early 1850s, Congress enacted harsher and harsher penalties to stop that unlawful conduct. Congress ultimately confiscated LDS church property to compel them to obey the law. Apparently the LDS church valued property more than their religion because they abandoned unlawful polygamous marriage as a tenet of their faith.

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5: Faith

What is faith? How does one exercise faith, even great faith?

Today Denver teaches from the oft overlooked Lectures on Faith as well as bearing witness of the role of faith. Faith must be grounded in God and nothing else. Faith motivates you to act and produces power when you act. Continue reading “5: Faith”

4: Contradicting Joseph

The documents, words and revelations given by and through ancient prophets up through Joseph Smith are to be read, heeded and valued per God’s own words. But, can anyone, including a modern prophet, church leader or president contradict and change what Joseph Smith said, taught and revealed?

Today, using the words and revelations of God, Denver reminds us how important it is to pay heed to what Joseph Smith gave the world. Continue reading “4: Contradicting Joseph”