This article says a lot I feel, & has a great message we could all apply to our lives.

[Article As Seen on LDS Newsroom]

Believers in God Need to Work Together, Apostle Says

SALT LAKE CITY 28 May 2008 A senior leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told Bloomberg Television’s Mike Schneider recently that “there should be a wonderful relationship with all people of all religious persuasions.” Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, acknowledged that Mormons and others may not agree on all aspects of theology but maintained that fellow believers in God need to band together for the good of humanity.

“We are all the sons and daughters of God, and we all ought to be in a position to say, ‘Let’s work together and try to solve some of the really tremendous social problems that I think every country is facing,’” Elder Ballard said.

The interview originally aired on Bloomberg Television last month but is being rebroadcast several times this week on Brigham Young University Television.

Interfaith dialogue and collaboration are not new principles for Mormons. Notwithstanding the difficulties of the Church’s early years when misunderstanding and persecution motivated leaders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to start new communities in Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and then in the Intermountain West of the United States, Mormons have a history of reaching out to others, regardless of religious affiliation.

In 1879 Father Lawrence Scanlon, a Catholic official assigned to Utah, planned a meeting of his southern Utah parishioners but lacked a meeting place in the St. George area. Mormon leaders in the town offered the use of their tabernacle for the Catholic Mass and asked their own choir to prepare the Latin musical text for the service. When the building did not fill up on the day, Mormons occupied the empty seats as a measure of support.

As the Church has grown in membership — from six original members in 1830 when it was organized, to over 13 million today — its resources and capacity to make an impact beyond Mormon congregations have also increased. Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints runs a significant worldwide humanitarian and welfare program. An important component in that effort is the growing set of partnerships with international relief organizations sponsored by other faiths. Such working relationships are forged to improve effectiveness in responding to natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods and earthquakes as well as other catastrophes.

The Church has worked with Catholic Relief Services on a number of projects. Earlier this year a Latter-day Saint donation assisted Catholic Relief in its work to support tens of thousands of Kenyans after post-election violence in that country.

“The tradition of collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Catholic Relief Services goes back over 20 years,” CRS president Ken Hackett told humanitarian Internet site ReliefWeb in 2005. “During the great Ethiopia famine of the mid-80s, the LDS church was both forthcoming and most generous in its collaboration with Catholic Relief Services operations. And ever since that time, a bond was struck that carried our collaboration into Russia, the Far East, other parts of Africa and to Eastern Europe.”

For Mormons, efforts like these are based on both need and practicality. “It’s simply driven by the idea that there are people in need,” said Garry Flake, director of Church Humanitarian Emergency Response, “and we reach out where an organization has a strength that we can match up to.”

According to Flake, the Church is currently partnering with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in providing approximately 800,000 pounds of assistance to Kenya, including hygiene kits, ATMIT baby supplement, newborn kits and emergency medical modules. These supplies are needed because of the displacement of thousands due to political unrest as well as weather-related issues in the country. Containers are en route and expected to arrive in Kenya within the next week or two. A volunteer Latter-day Saint humanitarian missionary couple will work with UMCOR to distribute supplies.

“We selected to work with UMCOR because of the strength of their organization in Kenya,” says Flake. “UMCOR works in more than 80 countries worldwide and focuses on response to disasters that overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on its own.”

Beyond responding to worldwide needs, Mormons often partner with neighbors in their individual communities to address local concerns. For example, when the supply of peanut butter ran low at the Houston, Texas, food bank, the local interfaith council, “Faiths Together,” asked the local Mormon cannery to replenish the supplies. Sylvia Campbell of the Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church enlisted volunteers from her congregation.

“We have to work together, there are so many problems,” Campbell explained. “When faith groups work together, they get to know each other better and that tears down barriers. Cooperation increases our individual abilities and also increases scale.”

Though this article is out-dated I found it VERY interesting. Hopefully in the next election, Governor Mitt Romney will run again - and win.

Many U.S. presidents had LDS ties

By Michael K. Winder

Published: October 26, 2007

My Memoir Title - “Truth Needs No Explanation - Only Love”

I was tagged by Rigg, a strong Christian, solid in his beliefs

I am tagging the following blogs,

• Amberfire.In.Us
• Angela Stubbs
• Aubrey’s Blog
• Black Coffee and Bourbon
• Carly’s Blog
• Claire’s Blog
• FreeandFlawed
• Harshsingal
• Jenn’s Blog
• Joni’s Blog
• Kemi’s Blog
• Livin It In London
• Merrianne’s Blog
• Rachel’s Blog
• Sarah & Drew’s Blog
• Sarah Flint’s Blog
• Seth Adam Smith
• TheDeeZone

My memoir is my testimony of my beliefs. I believe in shining as an example of how you’d like to see the world. I believe in order for any change to occur in life - you need to step forward yourself and behave the way you wish your surroundings would become. I believe that contention arises when the Spirit has left the room and one needs to ask them self - why am I using anger to make my point? Peace, Love & The Gospel are the keys to success and happiness in life. With these keys - all things are possible. As long as you’re doing what’s right - there should be NO reason to fear ANYTHING in life.

Meme Instructions for those who have been tagged:

The four requirements for this meme are:

1. Write the title to your memoir using 6 words (can be confusing just mimic what I have done)
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person that tagged you.
4. Tag five or more blogs

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina 13 May 2008 Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, tiring of having their religion misunderstood and sometimes confused with other groups, are increasingly speaking up. Cydne Horrocks Watterson, who describes herself as “a Mormon transplant in the Bible Belt,” today shared her experience as a Latter-day Saint living in North Carolina, on WFAE 90.7 FM, the National Public Radio affiliate station in Charlotte.

Full Story

Paul, an Apostle - (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead; ) marveled that the Saints were so soon removed from him that called them into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: For Paul neither received it of man, neither was he taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul was very hot on the topic of apostasy. He was aware that before the second coming of the Lord, there would first be a falling away. The “mystery of iniquity” was already at work. He admonished the Saints to “stand fast” and hold to the gospel of Christ (Thessalonians 2). He foresaw that “evil men and seducers” (those who would seduce the Saints into another Gospel) “shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

God has always called upon His true prophets to deliver His gospel to His children. These are men whom the Lord chooses and not those who would take the honor unto themselves (as the Apostle Paul stated). It is of the latter kind that Jesus Christ warned, saying “Beware of FALSE prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7).

After the long gospel slumber of the dark ages (when the light of the world, even Jesus Christ, had been fully rejected, His Apostles killed, and His gospel withdrawn from the earth) the Lord prepared another land (America) and raised up another prophet—not to preach a “new” or “another” gospel, but to restore the one Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been preached, by true prophets, since the days of Adam. The one gospel that Christ had preached during His sojourn among men.

In 1831, Jesus Christ declared to his Saints in the Latter-days: “And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days… Behold this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants… Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: …and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; …For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; …They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world… Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; …and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting covenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world… Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me… And after having received the record of the Nephites” (the people of the Lord in Ancient America; Mayans, etc.) “yea, even my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., might have power to translate through the mercy of God, by the power of God, the Book of Mormon” (Mormon was a prophet of Christ in Ancient America).

The Lord continues, “…And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—”

That is the one gospel. Not another gospel, but the one gospel of Jesus Christ, restored for you and for me in these latter-days, by a true prophet called of God, the Father of us all, who loves us.

So great is His love that he tells us, in the same revelation “I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;” (The Doctrine and Covenants 1)

Writing in about 400 A.D., the prophet Moroni (son of Mormon) instructs us (as do so many prophets throughout the Bible) to turn to God for answers and he will provide them. He says: “…take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil… and the way to judge is as plain…as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; …every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him… search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.” (Moroni 7)

Upon finishing the record of his father, and laying it up in a hillside—where it would rest for over a thousand years, Moroni concludes, “And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things…that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

I have prayerfully considered my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I invite you to receive it from Jesus Christ as well, and not from any other man or angel. I also invite you to read and know for yourself the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

A respect for the diverse beliefs and unique contributions of all the world’s faiths is one of the hallmarks of Mormonism. From the earliest days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith elevated the principle of religious liberty and tolerance: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may” (Articles of Faith 1:11).

In that same spirit, Church President Thomas S. Monson made a plea during general conference, a semiannual worldwide meeting, for more religious understanding: “I would encourage members of the Church wherever they may be to show kindness and respect for all people everywhere. The world in which we live is filled with diversity. We can and should demonstrate respect toward those whose beliefs differ from ours.” Latter-day Saints accept all sincere believers as equals in the pursuit of faith and in the great work of serving humanity.

Emphasizing God’s love for all people, not just those of one religion, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency, the highest governing body of the Church, declared: “We honor and respect sincere souls from all religions, no matter where or when they lived, who have loved God, even without having the fulness of the gospel. We lift our voices in gratitude for their selflessness and courage. We embrace them as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father. … He hears the prayers of the humble and sincere of every nation, tongue, and people. He grants light to those who seek and honor Him and are willing to obey His commandments.”

The late Krister Stendahl, emeritus Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm and professor emeritus of Harvard Divinity School, established three rules for religious understanding:

(1) When you are trying to understand another religion, you should ask the adherents of that religion and not its enemies;

(2) don’t compare your best to their worst; and

(3) leave room for “holy envy” by finding elements in other faiths to emulate. These principles foster relationships between religions that build trust and lay the groundwork for charitable efforts.

The spiritual and physical needs of the world require goodwill and cooperation among different faiths. Each of them makes a valuable contribution to the larger community of believers. In the words of early Church apostle Orson F. Whitney, “God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.” Thus, members of the Church do not view fellow believers around the world as adversaries or competitors, but as partners in the many causes for good in the world. For example, the Church has joined forces with Catholic Relief Services in a “collaboration of caring” that aids victims of famine and natural disaster. Furthermore, the Church worked with Islamic Relief Worldwide and the Islamic Society of Great Salt Lake to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in December 2004 to the tsunami-hit areas of Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

It is important to note that interfaith cooperation does not require doctrinal compromise. Though the Church asserts its ecclesiastical independence and recognizes its doctrinal differences, this does not prevent it from partnering with other faiths in charitable projects. These efforts are based on universal values. A different interpretation of the atonement of Christ, for example, need not diminish the mandate of Christ to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a separation between charitable efforts and doctrinal tenets, while at the same time sharing mutual concern for those in need. People of good faith do not need to have the exact same beliefs in order to accomplish great things in the service of their fellow human beings.

Article Source: LDS Newsroom

If we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God.

[Excerpts taken from the talk by M. Russell Ballard, “The Atonement and the Value of One Soul,” Ensign, May 2004, 84]

The Savior’s precious birth, life, Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffering on the cross, burial in Joseph’s tomb, and glorious Resurrection all became a renewed reality for us. The Savior’s Resurrection assures all of us that someday we, too, will follow Him and experience our own resurrection. What peace, what comfort this great gift is which comes through the loving grace of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.

There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without the hope of eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals were separated from God (see Rom. 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon Himself the sins of all mankind.

Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. There in the quiet isolation of the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin, He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived. His mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused Him to bleed from every pore (see Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18). And yet Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances. Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God.

The Savior later endured the agony of inquisition, cruel beatings, and death by crucifixion on the cross at Calvary. Recently, there has been a great deal of commentary about this, none of which has made clear the singular point that no one had the power to take the Savior’s life from Him. He gave it as a ransom for us all. As the Son of God, He had the power to alter the situation. Yet the scriptures clearly state that He yielded Himself to scourging, humiliation, suffering, and finally crucifixion because of His great love towards the children of men (see 1 Ne. 19:9–10).

The Atonement of Jesus Christ was an indispensable part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for His Son’s earthly mission and for our salvation. How grateful we should be that our Heavenly Father did not intercede but rather withheld His fatherly instinct to rescue His Beloved Son. Because of His eternal love for you and for me, He allowed Jesus to complete His foreordained mission to become our Redeemer. The gift of resurrection and immortality is given freely through the loving grace of Jesus Christ to all people of all ages, regardless of their good or evil acts. And to those who choose to love the Lord and who show their love and faith in Him by keeping His commandments and qualifying for the full blessings of the Atonement, He offers the additional promise of exaltation and eternal life, which is the blessing of living in the presence of God and His Beloved Son forever.

If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel.

Sadly, in today’s world, a person’s importance is often judged by the size of the audience before which he or she performs. That is how media and sports programs are rated, how corporate prominence is sometimes determined, and often how governmental rank is obtained. That may be why roles such as father, mother, and missionary seldom receive standing ovations. Fathers, mothers, and missionaries “play” before very small audiences. Yet, in the eyes of the Lord, there may be only one size of audience that is of lasting importance—and that is just one, each one, you and me, and each one of the children of God. The irony of the Atonement is that it is infinite and eternal, yet it is applied individually, one person at a time.

As the resurrected Savior said to the Nephites, so He might say to us today:

“Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

“And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Ne. 17:20–21; emphasis added).

We long for the ultimate blessing of the Atonement—to become one with Him, to be in His divine presence, to be called individually by name as He warmly welcomes us home with a radiant smile, beckoning us with open arms to be enfolded in His boundless love. How gloriously sublime this experience will be if we can feel worthy enough to be in His presence! The free gift of His great atoning sacrifice for each of us is the only way we can be exalted enough to stand before Him and see Him face-to-face. The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving. [James E. Faust, “The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 18]

“8 And now, behold, I will ^atestify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the ^btransgressions of his people, and that he shall ^catone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

9 For it is expedient that an ^aatonement should be made; for according to the great ^bplan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are ^cfallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.” — Alma 34: 8-9

I climbed this far

You raised the bar

You want my heart

We need a more fierce desire

to raise up in the end.

His love is pure

may we never forget

He gave His life

so we could live -

…how easy we forget…

Do you see the tears in His eyes?

Do you see the pain He allowed in?

What are you willing to give?

More love…

More light…

More purpose…

More hope…

More faith…

More patience…

More Spirit to know what’s real…

More humility…

I’ll walk the path that leads to home -

I have made the choice,

to seal my witness with my words…

His love is pure

His heart He gave…

Blood reign down His skin

He felt the pain we all endure

I have made the choice

To keep my word

“I will follow thee…”

Rising through the noise

through a World so daft and dark

Shine bright and clear

to those with eyes to see

Honest hearts we’ll hear

the truth that lives in me…

One - but not alone

a thousand voices sing

Praises of the throne

of our Master & Our King

With one voice…

we can make a difference…

even to one…

I am but one voice,

but I am of a voice with light and hope…

I will serve with all my strength

with the gifts I hold…

Praying “Let me reach, but one soul”

One - but not alone…

–Rebecca Cooper

04/10/08

What Wonderous Love Is This by Michelle Tumes