Sunday, June 29, 2008

Joseph Smith

I believe in Jesus Christ and in God the Eternal Father, and in the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ is whom I worship, whom I love, and whom I try to be like. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and I believe no man can enter Heaven by any other way than through the grace and merits of our Savior.

So what is the difference between me and my evangelical neighbor? Joseph Smith. Some have said they would attend our church if it weren't for the outrageous story of Joseph Smith. Yes, it is outrageous, but true.

I do not worship the man Joseph Smith, I revere his life, his calling as a prophet, and give thanks for all that he sacrificed and went through to restore the fullness of the Savior's teachings and authorities giving us prophets, apostles, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

All that I believe rests on the shoulders that Joseph Smith was a true prophet called and ordained by God to bring a restoration after many hundreds of years of darkness after Jesus and the Apostles were killed.

Without Joseph Smith, there is no Book of Mormon, there is no Prophet or Apostles, there is no Priesthood authority to baptize, heal, and comfort, there are no temples to bind our marriages and family relationships for eternity, and there is no redeeming of the dead which allows all born to this earth an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

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