Hi, I'm Ange and I'm a Mormon

I work with preschoolers with autism. I love photography and being outdoors but I especially love my family. I'm a Mormon.

About Me I work with children with severe to moderate autism. I went to school for both a bachelor and a graduate degree but most of my knowledge and experience comes from working with these children and their families in their homes and in the classroom. I've also worked with other children with multiple special needs. I've seen the struggles and joyous moments that come with these challenging yet rewarding aptitudes.

I grew up in Washington where my family and I spent most of our time outdoors and I grew to love everything around me. It always amazed me how grand the star dusted sky, pine covered mountains and vast stormy ocean were, but yet how intricate the details on the ferns, moss, trees and flowers. It made me want to take pictures and capture every thing. I then learned I could capture moments on camera with people and those that we love most.
 

Why I'm a Mormon

 

 I know that my life has a purpose. As I learn more about Jesus Christ, I understand more about why I am here, where I came from and where I am going. There is a reason we have this beautiful earth with all of its creations. There is a reason we are sent here in families. There is a reason that these children I work with have disabilities. The Lord loves us and has a plan for us. Being a Mormon has given me the knowledge and faith I need to trust in God and know these things are true. Knowing that the children I work with came from Heaven, that God knows and loves each one of them individually and that someday through Jesus Christ they will be made perfect, gives me greater guidance as I teach them and support their families. It helps me to know too that God loves me, knows me individually and that through Jesus Christ I can also be made perfect. Not only will we be made perfect, but through Jesus Christ we can be with our families forever. That we will see, know and love each other beyond this life.

 

How I live my Faith

 

I get to help people in our congregation learn about preparing to go to the temple to be sealed together as a family for time and all eternity. I also get to help them learn more about their ancestors. I drive a friend to church every Sunday because she is unable to drive herself and then we stay after for church choir because we both love to sing. There are some other wonderful women at church that I make sure to visit once a month, however we usually end up spending time together a lot more often. We know we are there for each other if we ever need anything and there have been many late night calls and last minute rides and girls-nights-in.

I pray and study the Bible, Book of Mormon and words from our living prophets, which gives me strength daily. I am grateful for my life, for my family and for the children I teach. I count my blessings each day to have the Church of Jesus Christ in my life.

http://mormon.org/me/7KXB/ 

Womanhood

“Woman is God’s supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.” Richard G. Scott

“One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others.” James E Faust

“Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth.” Richard G. Scott

“The true spirit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives to woman the highest place of honor in human life. To maintain and to merit this high dignity she must possess those virtues which have always, and which will ever, demand the respect and love of mankind … [because] ‘a beautiful and chaste woman is the perfect workmanship of God.’” President Heber J. Grant

We must have the courage to be imperfect while striving for perfection. We must not allow our own guilt, the feminist books, the talk-show hosts, or the whole media culture to sell us a bill of goods—or rather a bill of no goods. We can become so sidetracked in our compulsive search for identity and self-esteem that we really believe it can be found in having perfect figures or academic degrees or professional status or even absolute motherly success. Yet, in so searching externally, we can be torn from our true internal, eternal selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our uniqueness—that full and relaxed acceptance of one’s self as a person of worth and individuality. We become so frightened and insecure that we cannot be generous toward the diversity and individuality, and yes, problems, of our neighbors. Too many women with these anxieties watch helplessly as their lives unravel from the very core that centers and sustains them. Too many are like a ship at sea without sail or rudder, “tossed to and fro,” as the Apostle Paul said (see Eph. 4:14), until more and more of us are genuinely, rail-grabbingly seasick.  Patricia Holland

“If happiness is the most attractive accessory a young woman can have, then a smile would have to be the most charming cosmetic. Make-up, if applied tastefully and in moderation, can enhance appearance. But no amount of eye shadow, lipstick, or mascara could possibly compete with the natural attractiveness of a genuine smile. It brightens the room. It cheers others. It communicates friendship, love, and optimism so much more than any cosmetic ever could. It puts people at ease and is welcoming. Truly in the world of glamour, there is no close second to a genuine smile.” Elder Lynn G. Robbins

As a Mother

“No more sacred word exists in secular or holy writ than that of mother.”  President Ezra Taft Benson

“The Lord organized the whole program in the beginning with a father who procreates, provides, and loves and directs, and a mother who conceives and bears and nurtures and feeds and trains. The Lord could have organized it otherwise but chose to have a unit with responsibility and purposeful associations where children train and discipline each other and come to love, honor, and appreciate each other. The family is the great plan of life as conceived and organized by our Father in heaven.” Spencer W. Kimball

“The First Presidency has said: ‘Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind’ (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) The priesthood cannot work out its destiny, nor can God’s purposes be fulfilled, without our helpmates. Mothers perform a labor the priesthood cannot do. For this gift of life, the priesthood should have love unbounded for the mothers of their children. . .” President Howard W. Hunter

“Eve was given the identity of ‘the mother of all living’ . . . before she ever bore a child. It would appear that her motherhood preceded her maternity, just as surely as the perfection of the Garden preceded the struggles of mortality. I believe mother is one of those very carefully chosen words, one of those rich words—with meaning after meaning after meaning. We must not, at all costs, let that word divide us. I believe with all of my heart that it is first and foremost a statement about nature, not a head count of our children.  Sister Patricia Holland

As a Wife

“Elder John A. Widtsoe wrote: ‘The place of woman in the Church is to walk beside the man, not in front of him nor behind him. In the Church there is full equality between man and woman. The gospel, which is the only concern of the Church, was devised by the Lord for men and women alike’ ( Improvement Era, Mar. 1942, p. 161). Within those great assurances, however, our roles and assignments differ. These are eternal differences—with women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and men being given the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthood—but the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord (see 1 Cor. 11:11). Both a righteous man and a righteous woman are a blessing to all those their lives touch.” Spencer W. Kimball

“Let this Society teach women how to behave towards their husbands, to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble, when he is perplexed with care and difficulty, if he can meet a smile instead of an argument or a murmur—if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings; when the mind is going to despair, it needs a solace of affection and kindness” Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 228

Be assured, too, that all faithful sisters, who, through no fault of their own, do not have the privilege during their second estate of being sealed to a worthy man, will have that blessing in eternity. On occasions when you ache for that acceptance and affection which belong to family life on earth, please know that our Father in Heaven is aware of your anguish, and that one day he will bless you beyond your capacity to express. Spencer W. Kimball

“…She rejoices in the seasons of a woman’s life, for each time and each season is worth its own celebration. Spread over a lifetime, celebrating womanhood is a celebration of life.” Marie K. Hafen

Revelation; Guidance From God

Revelation to Guide His Church

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Articles of Faith. 1:9).

Revelation comes in an orderly way in the Church. We are entitled to personal revelation. However, unless we are set apart to some presiding office, we will not receive revelations concerning what others should do.

Revelation in the Church comes to those who have been properly called, sustained, ordained, or set apart. A bishop, for instance, will not receive any revelation concerning a neighboring ward, because that is out of his jurisdiction. Boyd K. Packer, Revelation in a Changing World.

“For him to whom these keys are given there is no difficulty in obtaining a knowledge of facts in relation to the salvation of the children of men.” (Doctrine & Covenants 128:11).

But this we know. There are councils and counselors and quorums to counterbalance the foibles and frailties of man. The Lord organized His church to provide for mortal men to work as mortal men, and yet He assured that the spirit of revelation would guide in all that we do in His name. And in the end, what is given comes because the Lord has spoken it, “whether by [His] own voice or by the voice of [His] servants, it is the same.” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:38) We know His voice when He speaks. Boyd K. Packer, Revelation in a Changing World.

Personal Revelation

Not only should we be constantly seeking it but I strongly believe that we should expect as a right and privilege to be receiving personal revelations daily in our lives.

Alma 5:45-46; And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

Following baptism, in the ordinance of confirmation, you received the gift of the Holy Ghost. While the Holy Ghost may inspire all mankind, the gift carries the right to have it as a “constant companion.” It is “by the power of the Holy Ghost [that you] may know the truth of all things.” Boyd K. Packer, Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, The Promise.

Preparation to Receive Personal Revelation

·      Pray for guidance including specific guidance. -In order to find and receive, we must seek and ask.

o   “Prayer is so essential a part of revelation that without it the veil may remain closed to you. Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees.”

·      Be Worthy- Live in a way that we are more receptive to the spirit

·      Have Faith- The flow of revelation depends on your faith. You exercise faith by causing, or by making, your mind accept or believe as truth that which you cannot, by reason alone, prove for certainty.

·      Partake of the sacrament -We will always have the Spirit to be with us. (See Doctrine & Covenants 20:77, 79.)

·      Study the scriptures every day

o   We learn from the examples of men and women who have followed the Lord's revealed will.

o   We become more receptive to the Holy Ghost in our own lives.

o   As we read and ponder, we may receive revelation about how a certain scripture passage applies to us or about anything else the Lord desires to communicate to us.

·      Take time to ponder.

o   Doctrine & Covenants 138:1-11 We open our mind and heart to the guiding influence of the Holy Ghost (see also 1 Nephi 11:1 & Doctrine & Covenants 76:19).

o   Doctrine & Covenants 9:7-8; You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

·      Patiently seek God's will

o   God reveals Himself “in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (see Doctrine & Covenants 88:63-68).

o   “Patience is accepting a divine rhythm to life, allowing Heavenly Fathers Plan to unfold. Patience is being willing to submit to what the scriptures call the process of time.” Neal A. Maxwell

·      Learn to recognize the spirit

—See True to the Faith (2004), 140-44 & Boyd K. Packer, Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, The Promise.

Why Revelation Comes to Us

·      (Dallin H. Oaks, Eight Ways the Spirit Speaks to Us)

·      To Testify

·      To Give Comfort

o   John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

·      To Uplift Us

·      To Inform (or give guidance)

o   “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation” (Doctrine & Covenants 8:2-3).

o   It almost always comes quietly, as a “still small voice” (see 1 Kings 19:9-12; Helaman 5:30; Doctrine & Covenants 85:6).

o   He prompts us through our feelings. Although we often describe communication from the Spirit as a voice, that voice is one that we feel more than we hear.

o   He brings peace. The Holy Ghost is often called the Comforter (see John 14:26; Doctrine & Covenants 39:6). As He reveals the will of the Lord to us, He will “speak peace” to our minds (Doctrine & Covenants 6:23).

o   A common way to seek revelation is to propose a particular course of action and then to pray for inspiration to confirm it.

·      To Restrain us from doing something that is harmful or wrong.

·      The Spirit may impel a person to action when they may have not been exactly thinking it.

-See Dallin H. Oaks, Eight Ways the Spirit Speaks to Us

How We Can Recognize Revelation

The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a “still small voice.” And while we speak of “listening” to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, “I had a feeling …”

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; … those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.” Boyd K. Packer, Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, The Promise.

President Marion G. Romney, quoting the prophet Enos, said, “While I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind.” Enos then related what the Lord put into his mind.

“This,” President Romney said, “is a very common means of revelation. It comes into one’s mind in words and sentences. With this medium of revelation I am personally well acquainted.”

Doctrine & Covenants 9:8; But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

“This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.” Boyd K. Packer, Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, The Promise.

Priesthood: The Power of God Given to Man

Matthew 16:19; And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Power Given to Man to Act in God’s Name

Doctrine & Covenants 107:1, 8, 13-14; There are, in the church, two priesthoods, namely, the Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood. The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right of presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things. The second priesthood is called the Priesthood of Aaron, because it was conferred upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations. Why it is called the lesser priesthood is because it is an appendage to the greater, or the Melchizedek Priesthood, and has power in administering outward ordinances.

Exodus 40: 12-13, 15-16; And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats… And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.

Alma 13:1-3; …I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people. And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption. And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

Doctrine & Covenants 84:14-20; Which Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; And from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; And from Enoch to Abel…who received the priesthood by the commandments of God, by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man—Which priesthood continueth in the church of God in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years... And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

Doctrine & Covenants 121: 34-42, 45; Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile… Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

Priesthood, Eternal Power and Authority of God

The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. Through the priesthood God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power He redeems and exalts His children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). God gives priesthood authority to worthy male members of the Church so they can act in His name for the salvation of His children. Priesthood holders can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern the kingdom of God on the earth… Although the authority of the priesthood is bestowed only on worthy male members of the Church, the blessings of the priesthood are available to all—men, women, and children…
…The most important exercise of the priesthood takes place in the family. Each husband and father in the Church should strive to be worthy to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. With his wife as an equal partner, he presides in righteousness and love, serving as the family's spiritual leader. He leads the family in regular prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. He works with his wife to teach the children and help them prepare to receive the ordinances of salvation (see D&C 68:25-28). He gives priesthood blessings for direction, healing, and comfort. True to the Faith (2004), 124-28

Given By God to Man on the Earth Today

The growth of the Church in the latter days can be seen as a stone rolling forth “until it has filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:44; D&C 65:2). Even so, fundamental historical events of the decade before the appointed day for the Church’s organization on 6 April 1830 are to be seen as seminal events that gave life-giving power necessary to form anew the Lord’s Church in the latter days.
Among these events is the restoration of the Aaronic and the Melchizedek Priesthoods, bringing back priesthood power and authority required for the organization of the Church on earth. The Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the Aaronic Priesthood, with its authority to baptize, on 15 May 1829. The Melchizedek Priesthood was restored next, bringing to earth all the power and authority necessary to organize and direct the Church of Jesus Christ and to perform additional saving priesthood ordinances.

The Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“…To the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting Himself unto all nations.” Book of Mormon Title Page

Introduction:

“The Book of Mormon…is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting Gospel.
“…We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10: 3-5.)
“Those who gain this divine witness form the holy spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.”

Purpose of:

1 Nephi 3:19-20; And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto the present time.

1 Nephi 6:3-4; …For I desire the room that I may write of the things of God. For the fullness of my intent  is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

1 Nephi 9:5-6; Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is, Amen.

2 Nephi 25:23-26; For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do… And we atalk 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.

“No other written testament so clearly illustrates the fact that when men and nations walk in the fear of God and in obedience to His commandments, they prosper and grow, but when they disregard Him and His word, there comes a decay that, unless arrested by righteousness, leads to impotence and death.” President Gordan B. Hinkley, A Testament Vibrant and True. Ensign, August 2005

Prophecies of:

John 10:16; And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Isaiah 29:4-19; And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust….For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid…Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel…

Ezekiel 37:15-19; The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of aJoseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

Voice From the Dust:

“Its origin is miraculous; when the story of that origin is first told to one unfamiliar with it, it is almost unbelievable. But the book is here to be felt and handled and read. No one can dispute its presence. All efforts to account for its origin, other than the account given by Joseph Smith, have been shown to lack substance. It is a record of ancient America. It is a scripture of the New World, as certainly as the Bible is the scripture of the Old. Each of these volumes of scripture speaks of the other. Each carries with it the spirit of inspiration, the power to convince and to convert. Together they become two witnesses, hand in hand, that Jesus is the Christ, the resurrected and living Son of the living God.” President Gordan B. Hinkley, A Testament Vibrant and True. Ensign, August 2005

“…The Bible contains testimony that God directed the affairs of His church on earth for over four thousand years by revelation and, when necessary, by heavenly ministrations.
In describing conditions of the last days incident to the second coming of Jesus Christ, John prophesied in the New Testament that before the Savior’s return, the world would receive a warning that the hour of God’s judgment was near. That warning would come by an angel from heaven declaring an “everlasting gospel.” Hear his words:
“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:6–7.)
If one accepts the testimony of John the Revelator, new revelation and a visitation by a heavenly messenger to earth should be expected.
Our solemn testimony is that this angelic messenger appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the early nineteenth century. This announcement that an angel from God appeared to a prophet in our times is entirely consistent with the prophecies of the New Testament and should therefore command the interest of every earnest seeker after truth.
…The most singular evidence in support of Joseph Smith’s claim to being a spokesman for Almighty God was the publication of a scriptural record, the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon is a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent and records the visit and ministry of Jesus Christ to the people on this continent following His ascension at Jerusalem. The major purpose of the record is to convince a later generation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The Book of Mormon, therefore, constitutes an additional witness, along with the Bible, to the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Joseph Smith obtained this ancient record from a heavenly messenger, just as John prophesied. This angel appeared to him and revealed the location of ancient records which were inscribed on metallic plates and buried in a stone vault. In due time, the young prophet was given the plates and the means by which they were translated. The book was then published to the world as canonized scripture.
Also, in harmony with the testimony of John, the book contains “the everlasting gospel.” It is now preached by our missionaries to the world.
We invite you to test the validity of our witness about the origin of the Book of Mormon. You can do this by reading it and asking our Heavenly Father if these things are true. I promise you, if you are sincere, you will receive a confirmation of the truthfulness by the Holy Ghost. Millions, with soberness and sincerity, testify they know it is from God.” Ezra Taft Benson, November 1981 Ensign, pp. 61

Blessings of the Book of Mormon:

“… I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon…Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” President Gordan B. Hinkley, A Testament Vibrant and True. Ensign, August 2005

Individual Worth

Psalms 82:6; I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

Genesis 1:26; And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…

Romans 8:16-17; The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Moses 5:9; And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.

Hugh B Brown said “Man is greater then all the planets, for him they were created… Incomprehensibly grand are the creations on the earth but His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”  (God is the Gardener)

“Mortality made it possible for us to be endowed with the powers of procreation…this pledge of participating in the organizing or creative process of God was barred from us until we had scaled the heights of eons of loyal obedience in our ante-mortal state; first as intelligences and then as spirits. Only at this late stage of our development when we have become potential candidates for a place in the councils of the Gods are we permitted to partake of these powers… The fact that parenthood upon this earth is but a training period for parenthood in the eternities.”  Cleon Skousen, The First 2000 Years

We have potential godhead dwelling within us for we are the children of God.

Just as an Oak Seed becomes an Oak Tree, we can grow and become like our Heavenly Parents

1)   In life many of us often struggle with finding charity towards ourselves and toward others.
2)   Going through this life we must acknowledge and act upon that knowledge that we are children of God. We have the potential to do all things if we rely on our Savior. We are worthy of our Father’s blessings even though we may not feel that we are.
3)    Every child of God on this earth fought the same battles and because they also made it to this “final period of probationary testing” (Skousen, The First 2000 Years). We must also acknowledge and treat them as though they have godhood dwelling within them because they do!  
4)    Moses 7:38-33; Even with all the vast creations of our Father’s, he knows us individually, loves us individually and we are his greatest creation. How can we not love one another and ourselves when each precious child is so important in the sight of God? 

If we take man, he is said to have been made in the image of God, for the simple reason that he is a son of God, and being his son, he is, of course, his offspring, an emanation from God, in whose likeness, we are told, he is made. He did not originate from a chaotic mass of matter, moving or inert, but came forth possessing, in an embryonic state, all the faculties and powers of a God. And when he shall be perfected, and have progressed to maturity, he will be like his Father—a God, being indeed His offspring. As the horse, the ox, the sheep, and every living creature, including man, propagates its own species and perpetuates its own kind, so does God perpetuate his. John Taylor "Chapter 1: The Origin and Destiny of Mankind," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, (2001)

Three Degrees of Glory

And now, after the many testimonies, which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. Doctrine & Covenants 76:22-24

The three degrees of Glory are not 3 separate locations, but are in deed, three degrees of ‘being’, the type and state of resurrected body our spirits will dwell in and the blessings pertaining to that state hereafter. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:27) We all shall dwell on the earth as she reigns in her resurrected, celestial state. She shall return to her mother, Kolob from whence she came.

John 14:1-3; Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

1 Corinthians 15:40-42; There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:27; For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body. They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened. Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.

Bodies of a Celestial Nature

And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. Doctrine and Covenants 76:96.

Cele= Heavenly

Doctrine and Covenants 76:70; These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

Whom:

Doctrine and Covenants 76: 51-54; …Received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name…That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn. Into who’s hands the Father has given all things—They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory…

Doctrine and Covenants 76:57-58; And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son. Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God.

Blessings:

Doctrine and Covenants 76:59-69; Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

• And they shall overcome all things.
• These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.
• These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.
•  These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.
•  These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.
•  These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.
•  These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.
•  These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.
•  These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.

Doctrine and Covenants 76:93-95; Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever. They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.

 Bodies of a Terrestrial Nature

And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. Doctrine and Covenants 76:97

Terre= earth

Whom:

Doctrine and Covenants 76:71-79; Whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament. Behold, these are they who died without law; And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it. These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun. These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.

Bodies of a Telestial Nature

 And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world. Doctrine and Covenants 76:98

Tele= Far Away

Whom:

 Doctrine and Covenants 76:81-88; Which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament. These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus. These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit. These are they who are thrust down to hell. These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work. These are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial; And the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial. And also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them; for they shall be heirs of salvation.

Doctrine and Covenants 76:103-106; These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth. These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work…

Sons of Perdition:

Doctrine and Covenants 76:25-38; And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning! Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power—They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born; For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity; Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame. These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels—And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.
…except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him. Wherefore, he saves all except them—they shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment—

Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent. John 17:3

What is [man]? He had his being in the eternal worlds; he existed before he came here. He is not only the son of man, but he is the son of God also. He is a God in embryo, and possesses within him a spark of that eternal flame which was struck from the blaze of God’s eternal fire in the eternal world, and is placed here upon the earth that he may possess true intelligence, true light, true knowledge,—that he may know himself—that he may know God—that he may know something about what he was before he came here—that he may know something about what he is destined to enjoy in the eternal worlds…
…As a man through the powers of his body he could attain to the dignity and completeness of manhood, but could go no further; as a man he is born, as a man he lives, and as a man he dies; but through the essence and power of the Godhead, which is in him, which descended to him as the gift of God from his heavenly Father, he is capable of rising from the contracted limits of manhood to the dignity of a God, and thus through the atonement of Jesus Christ … he is capable of eternal exaltation, eternal lives and eternal progression. But this transition from his manhood to the Godhead can alone be made through a power which is superior to man—an infinite power, an eternal power, even the power of the Godhead: for as in Adam all die, so in Christ only can all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). John Taylor, Chapter 1: The Origin and Destiny of Mankind," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, (2001).

“…Why, I do those things my Father did when the worlds came rolling into existence… My Father worked out His kingdom with fear and trembling and I must do the same and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father so that He may obtain kingdom upon kingdom..." Joseph Smith, KFD.