* All About Mormons Newsletter *
July/August 1998
Welcome to the All About Mormons Newsletter! If you like what you read, email this to friends and family! If you have poems, stories, object lessons, questions, answers, or good ideas, to contribute, please send them to jenny@mormons.org
FYI—The Official Website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is at http://www.lds.org
***Charitable Scamming***
Occasionally, email messages get circulated through LDS mailboxes asking for money for a certain church member who has fallen on bad times or who has experienced a major disaster. We suggest that you do not forward these messages, nor send money. If the message is true, then there is an organized way for them to receive help through the Church Welfare System. First they should attempt to help themselves. Then they ask family members and then they ask the Church by going through their local Church leadership. If the message is not true, you will keep yourself and others from getting scammed. Thank you J
Would you like the entire world to know your feelings about Jesus Christ and his gospel? Would you like to share how you learned that the Book of Mormon is true? Send your testimony and/or conversion story to jenny@mormons.org and we will post it on the site.
*In this newsletter:
*Book of Mormon Quote of the Month
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)
*Focus This Month: A House of Order, A House of God
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;" (D&C 88:119)
We have had a lot of excitement these last few months. I have graduated, Sarah was born, and now we have moved to a house. With all of the disorder and confusion that can develop when one is living out of partially unpacked, poorly labeled boxes and bags, I have come to appreciate the principle of order.
When I imagine heaven, I envision a place of light and beauty, cleanliness and organization. The temple, a place to teach us more about heaven and what we must do to go there, fits this expectation: it is clean, organized and beautiful. In this order and beauty, it is easier to focus our minds on eternity and godliness. Truly, cleanliness is next to godliness.
There is serenity in order and peace in cleanliness. I feel more calm when I’m in the rooms we have already set in order and made beautiful than the rooms that remain partially unpacked. It is easier to be kind and loving in clean, organized, and beautiful rooms. I am more able to enjoy the company of the Holy Ghost when I am in orderly surroundings. For these reasons, I enjoy making my home more orderly as I scrub my floors, rid the corners of cobwebs, dust and vacuum. When I take a load of laundry from the dryer, I’m not just folding clothes. I’m making order. Step by step, I am physically inviting the Spirit into my home and making my home more like heaven.
Let’s bake some chocolate chip cookies today. I get out all of the ingredients . . . well, most of them. I discover that I’m out of a few things. But, no big deal. I am sure I can find some adequate substitutions. I am out of butter. However, when I scan my kitchen, I notice a large amount of bacon grease, leftover from the big breakfast I made this morning. Fat is fat, so the bacon grease will do. I look in the cupboard for my vanilla, but to my surprise, I am out. Hmm… Worchestershire sauce looks pretty similar. You know, I bet it wouldn’t hurt. After all, it IS the same color, so what’s the big deal? Who is this Betty Crocker woman anyway, telling me what to do? Who put her in charge? So I mix it in with my bacon grease and eggs. Then I look over the recipe again and decided than since 1 1/3 cups of sugar is good, 3 cups have got to be even better. I add 3 cups sugar to my mixture. I put in the baking soda, salt, and flour. It is only after I finish stirring them in that I realize that I used the tablespoon instead of the teaspoon for the soda. Oh well, what’s the difference? Finally, only one thing left: chocolate chips. Of course I have plenty of those. When I add them all together, I can’t resist that delicious looking dough. I take a bite.
Euuugggghh! This wasn’t what I wanted! I wanted chocolate chip cookies, not . . . whatever THIS is! But, looking back, I should have realized that if I REALLY wanted chocolate chip cookies, I should have followed the directions. The ingredients and amounts are listed to help me attain the desired results. If properly followed, the recipe will yield a sweet and desirable treat. The further I strayed from the recipe, the further I got from the result I wanted.
It’s kind of funny that people who would not dare to tinker with a recipe like I suggested would tinker with something even more important from an even better authority than Betty Crocker. Our lives have a recipe for happiness and success. God provided these directions in the scriptures and through instructions from his prophets. These directions are also known as the Gospel. Unlike a recipe, which can be changed a little bit and still turn out well, the Gospel must be followed exactly if we want the promised joy. We are told in the scriptures that the way back to God is a strait and narrow one which must be followed without deviation. I know that when we follow the Gospel and obey God’s commandments, we will have a happy life. The further we stray from God’s plan for us, the less happy we will become.
Thank you Mjlnjl@aol.com for this idea. J
A couple of things I'd like to share;
1. "God loves us & Jesus proved It"
2. " We're born, we die & in-between we garden. Nourish
it well."
Hope this helps other as it does me, when I need to remember.
Angela.
Mormon Basher
I was on the internet fooling around when I got an I.M. from
someone saying "Do you believe in the Bible?", of
course I said yes, how was I to know what his intent was. Well we
started talking about how truthful it was and I asked him "
Are you here to pick a fight?" and of course he said no, but
I found out later that it was a lie. Anyways I told *Bob that
"That's okay as long as we can respect each others
opinion." after that he answered "I can't it's against
my religion, I can listen to it, but I can't respect it."
That was a turning point in our conversation, at this point I was
determined to either prove him wrong or at least be able to stand
my ground, this man *Bob was 18 years old that's 4 years older
than I and well versed in the scriptures, even the Book of
Mormon. In his eyes the B. of M. was completely false, in mine,
the truth. He talked to me about being saved, I asked him if he
thought that he would be saved, I waited a couple of minutes for
him to answer, (and let me add that it doesn't take that long to
answer a yes or no question) he said that his Dad came in to say
good night, how ironic, I then asked him "What ever happened
to thou shalt honor thy mother and thy father" I went to
I.M. him again and he was off line. Earlier he told me that I was
smart, that is one thing that I really believe, especially coming
from someone who has no respect for my beliefs. Don't let bashers
get you down, and if you decide to argue with them (which I don't
recommend) keep your scriptures handy, and try to remember that
they're just misguided people. ~by Natalie Crouch
*What’s New on All About Mormons?
LDS Humor is continually expanding. Thanks to all those who have contributed so far! Keep on sending us your funny stories, jokes, etc. We want our humor to be enjoyable to all of our visitors, members and non-members alike, so please use discretion when choosing which ones to send. Our Other Good Stuff section is especially for non-religious humor. Laugh With Us!
All About Mormons now has even more information to keep you in touch with the Church, including Church related web sites and internet services, Church phone numbers, and magazine information. Check it out on our Welcome page!
For links to the following articles, check out our What’s New page.
In The Book of Mormon: True or False, Hugh Nibley discusses why Joseph Smith could not have written the Book of Mormon and why the book has to be exactly what it claims to be. (08/01/98)
An updated answer to Was Mary a Virgin? (08/01/98)
In A Scholar Looks at the Evidences for the Book of Mormon, Daniel C. Peterson speaks about some of the evidences for the Book of Mormon. (07/31/98)
The Is it true that Mormon identification with Christianity as a whole is relatively new? article has been updated. (07/18/98)
Our Testimonies section has received a major revision. Would you like the entire world to know your feelings about Jesus Christ and his gospel? Send your testimony and conversion story to john@mormons.org and we will post it on the site. (07/09/98)
The Wentworth Letter, a letter written by Joseph Smith in response to an inquiry by a newspaper editor contains a brief History of the Church to 1842, including the key events in the restoration of the gospel. (07/05/98)
Modesty in Dress discusses the Church's standards on dress and appearance. (06/14/98)
A new accusatory question has been answered entitled: Didn't Joseph Smith deliver some prophecies that didn't come true? (06/07/98)
A new accusatory question has been answered entitled Why Don't Women Receive the Priesthood? (06/07/98)
The Mother in Heaven page has been updated with additional comments by Church leaders. (06/07/98)
*Response of the Month: How can I tell my friend about the Church without offending her? I really value our friendship and I’m afraid that if I tell her about the Church, she might think I’m pushy or judgmental and our friendship won’t be the same.
In response to the Question of how to tell your friend about the church................ You just do. I work at a prison in California. My boss and good friend is not really the person you would consider the type to listen to the gospel or even read a Book of Mormon. However, I really felt a need to share the gospel with her. One day I decided to go for broke. I sat down at the computer and wrote down my testimony to her. In essence I told her that I felt very strongly about the Book of Mormon and that I was not giving it to her as a missionary would but that I was giving it to her as a friend. I told her valued her friendship so much that I would not be a friend to her if didn't offer the opportunity for her to learn what I knew. The next day I gave her The book and she took it without a saying anything either way. A short while later she left work to have surgery. About a week later I walked into work and a mutual friend of ours handed me a letter from her. Inside was a thank you note expressing her gratitude for giving her the Book. She told me she would read the Book cover to cover. We have since kept in touch and I look forward to her coming back to work. You see if your friend is a true friend she won't care if you are a Mormon, a catholic, or what ever. She loves you for who you are as do you for who she is. My friend may never read the Book, but our friendship hasn't suffered. And I have the best of both worlds. I still have my friend and I am fulfilling my responsibilities to spread the Word of God. ~Mitchell
I think that you should tell your friend about the church by setting a good example of how you live your life. It's not always easy to come right out and tell someone all about the church. I have had several experiences in which others ask me how I can be so happy or how I have the time to do so many things for others. I try to answer truthfully...my church is wonderful. The members of my church are so helpful and are my best friends. Usually, this helps my other friends to inquire a little more about my religion and may even open the door for me to invite them to church one Sunday. I hope this helps a little. *smile* ~Jill
IF you're a youth, invite her to an upcoming activity or dance. If you're
an adult, take her to a fun homemaking night. There's no harm in inviting a
friend for some fun, then if she likes those she may be more willing to learn
without feeling pushed. ~ "Bellyse"Rather than tell her about the Church, invite her to homemaking and other ward or stake activities. This will give her an opportunity to experience the Church, partake of the Spirit, and feel the unity of the love Saints share for each other. Invite her to a fireside or dinner in your home with other members, but keep the conversation light. Make her feel at home and she will relax. Before you know it, she'll be asking YOU questions about the Church. Follow the Spirit's promptings in knowing what and how much to share. I find that if I don't press, but keep it kinda matter-of-fact, my friends will usually press me for more information. That's when I refer them to the full time missionaries. Believe me, if you keep the atmosphere relaxed and friendly, it won't hurt your friendship at all, only enhance it. If you take her to a Church activity and she doesn't ask any questions at all, don't be discouraged and don't press her. We don't know what the Spirit is doing in someone’s heart and mind. Take it slow. The answers will come. Trust the Spirit. God Bless! ~SistaSaint
*Question of the Month: How can I help nonmember family and friends feel part of a wedding celebration when the marriage ceremony is taking place in the temple? (We’re writing an article addressing this question. We’d love your input!)
Let us know what you think. We want your wisdom and input!
Reader responses will appear in the next newsletter. E-mail responses to mormon@mormons.org
See you next month!
John and Jenny Walsh