Revelation; discovery; disclosure. The name of a book of the New Testament, containing many discoveries or predictions respecting the future state of Christianity, written by St. John, in Patmos, near the close of the first century.

Well. That’s a pretty simple definition, isn’t it? The apocalypse is the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The word itself comes from the Greek, meaning to reveal or uncover. Unfortunately, modern culture has made a confusing mess out of this important word in our English language. Here’s proof:

If I do a search in Google images for the word ‘apocalypse’ I get a choice from several categories of apocalypse: X Men, Zombie, Marvel, Post-Apocalypse, and specifics under those groups. Nearly every image is of death and destruction, made super-colorful by advanced CGI. The post-apocalypse always shows a ruined world with a few desperate survivors.

Hollywood keeps perpetuating the evolved definitions. X Men Apocalypse comes out in May 2016, a number of zombie apocalypse movies are in the queue, and the TV show “You, Me and the Apocalypse” (NBC) has been an instant hit.

Turns out the definition at the top of the page came from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary. Things were a lot simpler then.

Our modern dictionaries reflect the change:

Miriam-Webster Online’s simplest definition is,

• :a great disaster : a sudden and very bad event that causes much fear, loss, or destruction

Other dictionaries agree that ‘apocalypse’ has come to mean any event resulting in great destruction and violent change, or the end of the world. Thinking about the apocalypse strikes us with fear and coincidentally makes us want to watch movies about it.

The Book of Revelation

…has a lot of scary stuff in it, yeah, but it ends very well for the “good guys.” (Mormons believe good guys [and women] are found in every culture, every religion, and even among those who believe in nothing at all.) The criterion for judgment is “What are you doing with the gifts you’ve been given?”

It’s the focus on the prophecies of destruction (and the fact that conflict makes better movies) that has brought us to this point of losing our concentration on the important and best things about the apocalypse.

Didn’t Mormons Expect the Apocalypse in Late 2015?

That is what The Press claimed. As a Mormon, I expect The Press to get us wrong most of the time.

The publicity was caused by a stir among many believers (mostly not Mormon) that a tetrad of blood moons exactly coinciding with Jewish holy days and the end of a shemittah year portended the end of the world.

It does say the following in the Book of Revelation 15:1 — “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God” …and in Acts 2:19 — “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:…”

Indeed, these are preludes to the Second Coming of Christ, whose name is surprisingly never mentioned in the above dictionary definitions of the apocalypse. The apocalypse is actually all about Christ.

Let’s back up for a moment. The word “apocalypse” comes from the Greek, “to reveal, to uncover.” The Book of Revelation recorded by St. John the Divine reveals through revelatory means the events leading up to the Second Coming. There are other revelations in the Bible that fit in this category of being apocalyptic, especially from Daniel and Ezekiel. They are revelations about events that will occur in the Last Days before the Second Coming of Christ.

But since apocalypse means to uncover or reveal, what is the Great Reveal? Maybe it’s, simply, this: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen (Revelation 1:7).

Or, in other words: “…prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.”

That is the real Apocalypse.

The Apocalypse Controversy of Fall 2015

Yet, in the early fall of 2015, The Press announced, “MORMON APOCALYPSE 2015: SURVIVAL KITS SELLING OUT AS BELIEVERS PREPARE FOR END OF WORLD.” Sigh. I submit that when the actual Apocalypse actually happens, we may have outlasted our need for our survival kits. Emergency storage is best relied upon before the actual Apocalyse (revealing of Christ) occurs. Also, Mormons believe no one knows the day of His Second Coming. Only God knows:

“And they have done unto the Son of Man even as they listed; and he has taken his power on the right hand of his glory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till he descends on the earth to put all enemies under his feet, which time is nigh at hand—I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.

So no, Mormons did not expect the Apocalypse in 2015. Many noted possible signs that we are getting closer (Mormons have been calling this “the last dispensation of times” since Joseph Smith began preaching in the early 1800’s). This jarred some members into realizing they haven’t followed our leaders’ counsel of the past many decades to set aside supplies for emergencies.

The same rush to stock up happened at Y2K, a decided non-event, but one that did prompt Mormons to beef up their food supply, and me to buy brownie mix and cocoa.

The Seven Years of Tribulation

Because in the Bible it sounds like the Battle of Armageddon will last 3 1/2 years, and an anti-Christ will oversee a global economic system for 3 1/2 years, Evangelical and other conservative Christian groups talk about a period of seven years of tribulation. Some of these sects expect a “pre-tribulation rapture,” wherein the righteous will be taken up to heaven before the world’s worst trials begin. Mormons believe such a doctrine is NOT biblical. We don’t believe a pre-tribulation rapture will occur, but that the righteous will be caught up to meet Christ at His Second Coming. However, this is the culmination and end of the period of tribulation, the ushering in of the millennial age, wherein Christ will reign, and earth will be like paradise.

In fact, the scriptures say, “I have sworn in my wrath, and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come upon every man; And the saints also shall hardly escape; nevertheless, I, the Lord, am with them, and will come down in heaven from the presence of my Father and consume the wicked with unquenchable fire. And behold, this is not yet, but by and by” (Doctrine and Covenants 63:33-35; emphasis mine).

It is because the Saints will not be spared the turmoils, pestilences, wars, and plagues upon the earth, that the Lord has provided ways for them to be protected — “I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30; emphasis mine).

How God is Preparing Latter-day Saints for Times of Tribulation

Personal tribulation can occur at any time. Health emergencies, job loss, local outbreaks of disease, or natural disasters can be prepared for to a certain extent. Mormon doctrine has always combined temporal (earthly) welfare with spiritual welfare. Latter-day Saints have always been known for their industriousness, their temporal care for all, even as they work to perfect the Saints spiritually. Individuals, families, and even the Church have set aside stores since the beginning in order to prepare for emergencies and care for the poor. Disaster relief in the millions of dollars has been an LDS practice since the 1980’s.

The temporal preparations of the Church were highlighted by former news anchor Ted Koppel in his recent book Lights Out, in which he spends three chapters discussing the preparedness of Latter-day Saints. According to Koppel, the Mormon Church is the only entity prepared for a general emergency like a cyber-attack. However, individual families vary in their commitment to preparing. Some are real “preppers,” while others are very casual about responding to prophetic counsel from Mormon leaders to prepare temporally.

Here’s what they teach us: Begin with a three-day emergency supply in some sort of portable container or backpack — a “72-Hour Kit” for each member of the family that you can grab and go. Then work on establishing a three-month’s supply of foods and non-foods that you use often. Store a year’s supply of staples, such as wheat, rice, milk powder, honey, sugar, salt, etc., as well as blankets, clothing, first aid and cleaning supplies.

Spiritual preparation is also of utmost importance. Mormons receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost after baptism by the laying on of hands. The Holy Ghost can warn, prompt, and instruct us during emergencies, and most Latter-day Saints have experienced this.

The Post-Apocalyptic World

Una and the Lion by Briton Riviere

…is going to be amazingly wonderful. One thousand years of peace with Christ in charge with everyone supporting Him; desolate areas of the world becoming like the Garden of Eden; no death; children growing up without sin unto salvation; animals living in harmony with each other and with us, and conversing with us on a sanctified earth; vibrant health for every living thing.

Life may be a little dicey leading up to the Great Reveal, but the choices of men and women have a great deal to do with that. Preparation is good; spiritual preparation is paramount.

How are you preparing for the Great Reveal?

Some excellent outside reading:

A Discussion of the Coming Apocalypse by Religious Thinkers

Apocalypse Not by Wired.com

When Civilization Collapses, I will Survive

Note: The featured image for this article is of artwork by Jon McNaughton. It is copyrighted and may not be reproduced for any reason. Go here to access his gallery.

…there is something incomplete about us. And so we yearn for fullness. If every question had a ready answer, there would be no reaching in prayer. If every pain had an easy cure, there would be no thirst for salvation. If every loss was restored, there would be no desire for heaven. As long as these needs remain, so will religion. It is a natural part of life. To be human means to experience uncertainty, sorrow and death. Religion, however, is a school for making sense of chaos, a hospital for healing unseen wounds, a lifeline that gives us second chances.

The article claims that religion is not merely a creation of humans suffering hardship and wondering how the universe works.  In good times and bad, humans search for the higher power they intuitively know exists.  “Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote: ‘To believe in God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter.’”[4]

Belief imbues life with meaning, a “higher sense of purpose,” which bears fruit in charitable giving and service, an increase of love for others.  Those raised without or living without a spiritual aspect in their lives often reach a point when they glance around at the material world, its works and requirements, and wonder, “Is this all there is”?  I reached this point at the age of 15.

Suddenly, the world seemed empty, and I began to feel a deep yearning, unquenchable and becoming more desperate, for finding my spiritual roots and something above this earth I could naturally reach for. I began to investigate various Christian religions, having more or less accepted Christ as I grew up in a Christian-based society.  Although I enjoyed every church service I experienced, it wasn’t until I attended a youth conference at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I felt spiritual power flowing into me.  It said, very powerfully, that this was the place for which I was searching, I was home.

At the time, I knew nothing about the Mormons, their doctrines or practices. If this was to be a spiritual learning curve, then I was certainly at square one.  But the spiritual experience I had received was overwhelming and real, and only increased as the evening progressed, and various church members told their individual stories.  I felt it continually, but it refreshed me anew when I read and prayed about the Book of Mormon.  At 16, with my parents finally relenting, I was baptized a member of the Church.

Continual Blessings of the Spirit

It’s been 50 years since I was baptized. I married in a Mormon temple and raised six children in the faith.  Having come of age in the sixties, I know joining The Church of Jesus Christ, with its emphasis on clean living and help through the Gift of the Holy Ghost, saved me from the sinful trends that were rife during the decade.  I doubt I would have had one marriage or the myriad blessings I now enjoy had I not found the “restored gospel” in my mid-teens.

We had a lot of fun raising our children, and we did so in four countries.  Being a member of the Church and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit has made our lives more adventurous, not less.  All of our children are active in the faith and continuing the focus on a global culture at the same time.  I can’t imagine raising children without prayer and the constant inspiration I received from the Holy Ghost, and the healing power of the true priesthood of God. Personal revelation has been an abiding help.  But you have to ask for it in prayer.  It’s hard for me to see how people mutter through with only their own logic to help them with decisions.

So I know about spiritual yearning, and am so grateful those yearnings led me to the true and living God, and to His Son, Jesus Christ.

You have to know, before I tell you my story, that I was an un-athletic child.  I seemed to know from the beginning that I couldn’t trust my slow reflexes and weak muscles for any sort of endeavor requiring speed and strength.  In elementary school we had to play softball with the boys.  I couldn’t pitch the ball from home plate to the pitcher’s mound on a softball diamond sized for little kids.  I always batted the ball directly to first base, and as slowly as it traveled, I couldn’t keep up with it.  The first baseman would patiently wait for me to gain on him before tagging me out.

I did, however, love swimming, and excelled at water ballet.  Afraid to do any trick dives into the pool, I did, however, manage a single back flip off the low springboard.  I could never do a front flip, though.  I never had the power to get all the way over.  This is important information for my story. Just so you know…

The Story of the Accident

The Europeans accuse us Americans of building our houses the way they build chicken coops  out of sticks of wood.  This makes them soft and safe, however.  You can bang your head on the wall, and the wall gets dented instead of your head.  Yes, our houses burn easily and blow over in storms, but they are easy to repair, and any girl can hang her own pictures, experimenting with the smallest nails and covering the holes in the flimsy drywall with the artwork.  In Europe houses are stone and plaster and you need a drill and a screw.  Heaven forbid you should make a mistake.

We were living in one such house, Americans living abroad.  The floors were a gorgeous stone and the walls were plaster over stone.  The ceilings were very high, because the summers were hot  the warm air needed to rise.  But those floors were killers  cold as ice in the winter, and lethal if you fell and hit your head.  We had been to the emergency room many times with our toddlers, and we weren’t alone.  People all around us were having rough encounters with walls and floors.   It just seemed like every surface was so hard  out to get you, almost.

One night I stayed up late doing needlework.  The light in the den was the only light on in the house.  My husband and oldest son were off exploring Egypt, and the other kids and two college-age guests were asleep.  At night I would always leave the light on in the vestibule between the main part of the house and a family room on the other side.  This vestibule was on the far side of a stairwell leading down to the under-house garage, and the ceiling-light there was enough to lend an unenthusiastic, but useful, glow to both sides of the house.  As I finished my project and decided to head to bed, I intended to go and turn on that light.  I extinguished the den light and proceeded to make my way through utter darkness to the vestibule.  I grabbed the door jam with my right hand and swung around to slap my left hand on the light switch on the wall on the right.  Somehow I missed.  I had done it a thousand times, knew exactly where it was.  Maybe I hadn’t reached far enough.

I knew the house well.  I hadn’t needed to feel my way through the blackness.  I knew exactly where I was going as I headed to the vestibule.  I was extremely puzzled by my inability to tap the light switch, but decided it must be a couple of steps forward, which I then took.

Question: When a person steps forward in the dark, not realizing she is at the top of a stairway, how many stairs does she hit on the way down?

Answer: None.

The Story of the Miracle

I had stepped forward fully expecting the floor to continue under my feet, thinking I was in the vestibule.  Unfortunately, I was in the stairwell.  The fourteen stone stairs made their way down against the right- hand plastered stone wall.  On the left, there was no railing, but a series of vertical painted steel bars the size of American two-by-fours all the way to the ceiling.  At the bottom of the stairwell was a patch of stone floor about 30” square and a facing plastered stone wall.  With no forward thrust at all, I did a front flip through space and landed with my hips squarely in the angle where the floor met the basement wall, with my legs up the wall.  Instantly, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I was OK.  Then my torso curled to the right and my head hit the floor hard.  My scalp split to the right of center back.  The hard hit interrupted my relief, and I became hyper-aware.  I crumpled back over to the left and began to assess my situation, blood pouring from my scalp wound.

First, I realized how fortunate I was to be conscious.  Had I been seriously injured or killed, my kids would have found me in the morning.  Scalp wounds bleed precipitously.  There would be blood everywhere.  Pour kids would be emotionally scarred for life.  I mumbled a prayer of thanks, used a piece of clothing to stanch the bleeding, and made my way upstairs to awaken our guests.  They cleaned up the mess and called someone to take me to the hospital.

My resulting injuries were a scalp laceration needing six stitches, a concussion that took some months to recover from, hips out of alignment that required a few visits to a physical therapist, and a broken fingernail.  My husband and son returned from Egypt the next day.  I tried to re-enact the event and explain what had happened, my husband’s eyes as big as saucers.  At the bottom of the stairs, I set myself down into my final landing position, legs up the wall, and realized my torso didn’t fit into the 30” square of floor.  I should have landed with the back of my head squarely striking the bottom stair.  I should have been killed.  And that fall.  At the beginning I should have reached back and tried to stop myself as I realized I was falling.  But I never did realize I was falling.  I should have scrambled and groveled all the way down, bouncing and slamming on every stair, but instead, I had flown.  Angels had carried me and placed me, almost gently, in this life-saving position.  My life had been in the balance.  I had been miraculously saved.

At the Very Moment You Need God, He is There

I read a story once about a girl who was an atheist.  She was hiking with friends and had become separated from them.  Somehow, she fell into something like quicksand and was sinking fast.  No one heard her screams for help.  Realizing that death was imminent, she instinctively cried out to some higher power that could save her.  She “heard” or felt a voice from on high that gave her exact instructions on how to extricate herself from her dire situation.  She is no longer an atheist.

I realized that God knew I was in that stairwell in the dark.  His angels were there to carry me through the air the very second I needed them.  That means they know, He knows, where I am every minute of my life.  He is there when I need Him, always.

He knows where you are, too.  If you reach out to Him, He will reach out to you.

…We are told that by taking the gospel to others and bringing them to repentance, by doing genealogy and temple work, and by living Christ-like lives, we can come to stand as saviors on Mount Zion. By freely giving his life, Christ, and Christ alone, atoned for all mankind. We have the opportunity of aiding others to accept his love and his sacrifice—the gift of the atonement—and thereby aid in the work of exalting the human family, becoming saviors on Mount Zion.

The Great Commission Extends Beyond the Boundaries of Mortality

God’s great commission to us is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  Revelation to modern prophets has shown us that this commission expands into the eternities.  When the prophet Joseph Smith was visited by the Angel Moroni in preparation for receiving new scripture, Moroni quoted Malachi 4:6, prophesying of the return of Elijah the Prophet before the Second Coming of Christ to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. 

The apostle Paul spoke of the ordinance of baptism for the dead as if it were commonplace and needed no explanation.  (See 1 Corinthians 15:29.)  That ordinance was corrupted after the death of the apostles and finally dropped from Christian practice.  It has been restored in modern times through Mormon prophets and is practiced in Mormon temples.  Ordinances performed in Mormon temples for the deceased give the deceased the opportunity to receive the saving ordinance they missed during their sojourn on earth.  Doing our family history work and performing these ordinances in Mormon temples enables us to bring our deceased ancestors to the feet of Christ, there to accept or reject Him.

Interrupting Cycles of Unhappiness Makes Us Saviors on Mount Zion

My mother suffered from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as did her mother.  These women were terribly difficult to live with and heaped abuse (mostly verbal in my mother’s case, but not always in my grandmother’s) on their husbands and children.  I found The Church of Jesus Christ at age 15, and as I grew in understanding of the gospel and principles of love, I determined the cycle of abuse was going to stop with me.

I remember when my elderly mother was in the hospital, essentially dead, while her second husband delayed removing the myriad of tubes that kept her heart beating.  I stood at the door of the hospital room unable to go to her, not wanting to touch her.  My father had told me that my mother was the same upon her own mother’s death.  She could not bring herself to touch the woman who had inflicted so much undeserved pain upon her.  I realized I was part of a vicious cycle, but I couldn’t do anything about it.  My initial response when my mother lost her ability to speak was to think, “You can’t hurt me any more.”

I wondered if my own children (I had six) would remain apart at the hospital room door when I lived my final moments.  I walked back into the waiting room and sat down among them.  My daughter, then fourteen, flung herself across my lap like a lazy cat longing to be stroked and requested that I play with her hair.  I realized that the cycle was broken.

Work, Sacrifice, and a Loving Heart

Note that the title of Elder Thomasson’s talk includes suffering.  The suffering he speaks of is the result of empathy and love.  It’s the same type of suffering the Savior Jesus Christ bore for us out of love.  We must openly forgive, love and sympathize until it hurts, develop more capacity to forgive, love, and sympathize, and never shrink.  Mormons speak of “enduring to the end in faith,” but really, exaltation requires enduring to the end in love.  I worked to forgive my parents and love my family until Christ completely healed me through the power of His priesthood.  By refusing to perpetuate the travesties of my mother and grandmother, I have reaped the reward of a truly happy family, and we have had fun as well as joy.

Along the way, the Lord has rewarded me with spiritual insights, so that I can see the healing taking place on the other side.  He has led me through miraculous experiences to see that it was my parents, both deceased, who facilitated my healing.  I have seen that they have healed their own relationship and are together, along with my sister, who died at a young age and was handicapped throughout her mortal life.  I also know that many of my ancestors, all non-Christians, have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and the temple ordinances performed for them through my family history research and temple work.

Said Elder Thomasson:

If we desire exaltation we must answer two questions: How happy do you want to be, and how much are you willing to give? For if we truly desire the work and glory that can only come through bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of other spirits, we must be willing to suffer with them and for them, living the gospel of unselfishness.

Why Do Mormons Build Temples?

Anyone who is paying attention can see that Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently called the Mormon Church) have stepped up the process of temple-building in recent years.  This began with a revelation to then prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, that temples need to be more accessible to the growing membership of the Church.  The Church of Jesus Christ then began to build more, smaller temples all over the world.  Dedications of the first 50 currently operating temples spanned 120 years. The next 50 dedications spanned 3 years.  Today, 85% of Latter-day Saints live within three hours’ travel of a Mormon temple.

The four-fold mission of The Church of Jesus Christ is 1) to perfect the Saints (members of the Church); 2) to redeem the dead; 3) to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world; and 4) to help the poor and the needy.  Mormon temples pertain to the first two goals of the Church.

Mormon temples are literally dedicated, sanctified houses of God, purified and blessed to be places where God can visit His children on earth.  The first temple dedicated by the Latter-day Saints was the Kirtland Temple in Ohio.  The Lord not only accepted the temple as His house, He manifested Himself to the Saints in miraculous ways to herald an era of temple-building and the establishment of His kingdom on earth.  To people outside the temple edifice, it appeared as if the roof were on fire.  Many saw angels and others heard the rushing of wings.  Many prophesied.  A day later, Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in that temple, and Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared to confer keys of the priesthood needed for the work of the last days in preparation for the Second Coming.  In a sense temples are the connecting locations between heaven and earth.

Mormons do “temple work.”  The work inside of Mormon temples is to make higher vows to God.  Before they think of going to the temple, Mormons have already made certain vows.  At baptism, they promise to take upon themselves the name of Christ, to always remember Him, to keep His commandments and to be an example of the believers.  They renew this covenant every week when they partake of the sacrament (like the Eucharist, but symbolic).  They must keep their baptismal covenants in order to be worthy to enter the temple.

In temples Mormons participate in higher covenants for themselves and also by proxy for their dead ancestors.  Ordinances like baptism cannot be performed by spirits.  They are physical ordinances.  So we are baptized for our dead who never had the opportunity.  They live on, we know, and still have the choice and volition to accept or reject those ordinances as they will.

In temples Mormons participate in marriages and the sealing of families together for eternity.  My husband and I were married in the Los Angeles California Mormon Temple.  Because of this, we have not had to take our children to the temple to be sealed to us.  They are considered “born in the covenant.”  Our eternal marriage covenant in the Mormon temple guaranteed they would be born into an eternal family, as long as those covenants are honored throughout our lives.

Why Can’t Just Anyone Enter a Mormon Temple?

For some reason what is readily accepted as practiced in other faiths is ridiculed in Mormonism.  Have you ever attended the ritual ordination of a Buddhist monk?  A Catholic cardinal? You would expect such ceremonies to be very special, very serious, and attended by only the initiated.  You would not be insulted if the public were not invited.  You would not expect to show up in the clothing you wore to the football game.  You would not expect the content of the ceremonies to show up on Twitter.

The Church of Jesus Christ is essentially a nation of priests.  Without a professional, trained clergy, we all serve in holy callings.  All of us who are worthy may make higher vows in Mormon temples, and these vows both prepare us for heaven and help us to serve others of Heavenly Father’s children.

Vows made in holy temples necessitate living a higher law.  Laws of chastity, modesty, and honesty must be observed.  How can Mormons expect to honor such high commandments without first establishing a standard of worthiness to begin with? Some friends of other faiths wonder why Mormons must be full tithe-payers before entering the Mormon temple.  But why should a person who cannot live a simple law of sacrifice (tithing equals ten percent of one’s income) expect to fully consecrate himself or herself to the service of God?  Perhaps the disconnect for our friends of other faiths is that Mormons, although consecrated, live in the world.  Their priestly vestments are hidden under their clothing.  They are soccer moms and business executives.  Their vows are private.

Gratitude for Mormon Temples

Some of the sweetest moments of my life have been spent in Mormon temples.  Friends of other faiths who attend Mormon temple open houses are astonished by the light and airiness, the holy atmosphere inside.  These are places separate from the world, with a purity and holiness unmatched in any church building of any religion.  Here, one may meditate and receive inspiration in the quiet and reverent calm of the Lord’s house.  The temple ritual never varies, but revelatory insights come over the years of temple attendance that help us to understand more fully God’s eternal plan for His children.  The more one attends the holy temple, the more filled with light he or she becomes; light increases as he or she is faithful to covenants made there.  The Lord wishes all of His children to make themselves worthy to enter the temple of God and make holy covenants.  All are invited.  All are welcome.

The Book of Mormon and Government

The Book of Mormon, like the Holy Bible, is a record containing the writings of many prophets.  These collected writings encompass the religious and secular doings of peoples who lived during 1,000 years in the Americas, most of them descendents of Jacob, whom the Lord called Israel.  They were covenant people led out of Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity, so that the Lord could raise up to Himself a protected branch in a far part of His vineyard.  Although they kept the Law of Moses, their prophets ever prophesied of the Messiah to come, and this by name—Jesus Christ.  They taught that salvation only could come through Christ.  Christ Himself visited the Book of Mormon peoples after His resurrection, making the Book of Mormon a second witness of Him, and a support to the biblical account.

There is a great deal in the Book of Mormon about the wars and contentions among the people.  There is also much regarding how they governed themselves during certain periods.  There were periods when organized crime destroyed whole societies, and the accounts of these situations yield important warnings for our day.  There were periods when the people enjoyed real freedom, and periods when there were dictators and absolute monarchies.  There are accounts of assassinations and coups, righteous and unrighteous wars, intrigue, and genocide.  In fact, the Book of Mormon is the record of a fallen people.  God guided Mormon, a warrior-prophet who lived around 400 A.D., in abridging ancient scriptures to deliver to us in modern times what would best help us navigate the tumult and confusion of the Last Days.  Mormons would probably universally agree that in these modern, unstable times, reading the Book of Mormon can be like reading today’s newspaper.

Through this lens we can see the importance of freedom, and the selection of good leaders.  By good, we mean not only capable, but moral.  One reoccurring theme is that the leader of all is the servant of all.  Some Book of Mormon kings took nothing for their service and labored for their own support.  Another theme is what happens when a fallen people create laws—the law becomes corrupt and upholds wickedness.  Good people making good laws are important in the Book of Mormon.

American exceptionalism is also taught in the Book of Mormon.  Its prophets made a point of teaching that God would allow no people to prosper in America, unless they would be righteous.  If righteous, they would always be free, but if wicked, they would be subjected and eventually swept off.

A few quotes from the Book of Mormon regarding government:

• For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up [secret combinations] seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.

Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved (Ether 8:25, 26).

• For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted (Helaman 5:2).
• For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off (Ether 2:10).
• Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written (Ether 2:12).

Prophecy and Government (The Doctrine and Covenants and the U.S. Constitution)

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of modern revelations received by prophets in our day, mostly by the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith.  Among these revelations are several which directly refer to American government.

• The Mormons, who had been ruthlessly set upon on numerous occasions by mobs, should seek redress from local, state, and federal governments.  (This was attempted, but was usually fruitless.) (See
• The Founding Fathers were raised up by the Lord for the purpose of creating the Constitution of the United States, which the Lord calls an inspired document.
• If the people of America are righteous, they will always be free.
• Latter-day Saints should seek capable, righteous people to govern them.
• A New Jerusalem will be founded in America with its center point in Independence, Missouri.  It will follow the governing philosophies of the Constitution of the United States.

Some quotes from the Doctrine and Covenants:

• We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience (D&C 134:5).
• We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded (D&C 134:11).  (See the rest of Section 134, which deals with government.)
• Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood (D&C 101:79, 80).

The Articles of Faith

The thirteen Articles of Faith are a concise explanation of the basic doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ.  They were written by Prophet Joseph Smith in response to a request for an outline of Mormon belief from journalist William Wentworth.  The Articles of Faith were canonized by the Church and can be found in The Pearl of Great Price, a book of Mormon scripture.  The 12th Article of Faith explains that Mormons strive to be good citizens wherever they reside.  It says,. . .

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

There is an understood caveat.  Tyranny and oppression need not be upheld.  Although a soldier cannot be guilty of murder if he kills during war, the Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon only uphold defensive wars as moral—in defense of family, property, and freedom—and only after a great deal of provocation and forgiveness rebuffed. (See Joseph Smith’s prophecy on war, Section 87 of the Doctrine and Covenants.)

This Article of Faith also means that Mormons will not do missionary work where they are not invited or recognized.  Most countries are anxious for Mormons to establish themselves within their borders because of their good citizenship and charitable outreach.

Temporal and Spiritual are combined in God’s True Church

A starving man is in no condition to hear and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, and part of Christ’s commandment to His children is to serve one another.  The two great commandments, to love God and to love one’s neighbor, mean that we are bound to help one another in times of need.  The Church of Jesus Christ has always been involved with both the spiritual and temporal welfare of its own members and neighbors no matter what their faith.   The Church of Jesus Christ works with governments and all sorts of charity organizations worldwide to bring disaster relief and welfare assistance wherever it is needed.

What All This Means on the Ground and in Everyday Life

Having just concluded a year and half’s service for The Church of Jesus Christ in Southeast Asia, I have witnessed some of these principles in action.  In respect for one country’s desire NOT to have its Moslem population proselytized, the Church will not teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to Moslem citizens or allow them on church property to attend Christian meetings.  The Church of Jesus Christ has performed numerous acts of charity for this same population, providing access to clean water, providing wheelchairs and training for needy citizens, and other worthy and well-received projects.

Read more: A Welfare System That Works

How involved is God in the workings of our lives?  How involved is He in the affairs of men, and in the spread of His gospel on the earth?  Does He care enough to open the doors of heaven and send angels to make sure we have the truth?  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently called the Mormon Church, declare that He is involved in our affairs, and He has and does open the heavens to enlighten and save His children.  The heavens are open, and the revealed gospel in its fullness is available to us today.

For our Father in Heaven, it was not enough that wise, brave, and devoted men should risk their lives to try to recapture lost aspects of Christ’s original church.  He had promised the original disciples of Christ that His kingdom would never fail, and though it splintered and drifted for hundreds of years after the original apostles were martyred, Heavenly Father was already sowing the seeds of a complete restoration of Christ’s church.

Some scholars have marveled that the ancient Church of Jesus Christ thought it could succeed.  With the distances the apostles and seventies had to travel, the variety of pagan teachings and philosophies abounding in the Holy Roman Empire, and the inability to communicate except by epistle and personal visit, modern scholars see no way the gospel could remain pure, undefiled, and perfectly organized in the ancient world.  God knew this, too.  He was already preparing men with ideas of freedom of choice, respect for self-volition and personal reason, and toleration for new thoughts in order to create an environment wherein His Church could be restored.  By the time America was founded, these movements and ideas converged to create a country with freedom of religion, and a Great Awakening of personal spiritual sense and expectation of personal inspiration from God.  Not only that, but every person could have his- or her own scriptures, and through personal prayer, find the Savior.

The Church of Christ on Earth Joins the Church of Christ in Heaven

It is proof of God’s love for us and the absolute order of His kingdom, that he opened the doors of His Church in heaven to share authority and power with His Church on earth and restore completely the parts which had been lost.

Twice each year, The Church of Jesus Christ holds a “general conference” in which prophets, seers, and revelators deliver pertinent and poignant messages to Latter-day Saints and friends of other faiths.  Through modern technology, the proceedings are carried across the world in a multitude of languages and media.  Latter-day Saints, now numbering nearly 15 million, and others interested in truth, may all witness the proceedings of general conference.  In the April 2013 general conference, Russell M. Nelson, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, exclaimed how miraculous and stunning was (and is) the restoration of lost gospel truth and authority.  The power to perform miracles and administer the affairs of the kingdom had been lost when the original apostles were martyred.  God sent the angels Peter, James, and John to restore this authority.  Thus, every man who holds the priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ, can trace his priesthood authority back to Christ.  Other heavenly messengers restored lost keys, powers, and authority.  All things were done in perfect order.

The Stunning Restoration of Christ’s True Church

Said Elder Nelson:

This wave of truth and righteousness is wondrous! It is not man-made! It comes from the Lord, who said, “I will hasten my work in its time.” This wave is empowered by a divine announcement made 193 years ago. It consisted of only seven words: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”⁸ Uttered by Almighty God, that announcement introduced a young Joseph Smith to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those seven words launched the Restoration of His gospel. Why? Because our living God is a loving God! He wants His children to know Him and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent!⁹ And He wants His children to gain immortality and eternal life.

“…some 2,000 years ago, the Lord established His Church. After His Crucifixion and the death of His Apostles, men changed the Church and its doctrine. Then, after generations of spiritual darkness, and as predicted by previous prophets,¹¹ Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ restored the Church, its doctrine, and its priesthood authority. Because of that Restoration, knowledge and essential ordinances for salvation and exaltation are again available to all people. Ultimately, that exaltation allows each of us to dwell with our families in the presence of God and Jesus Christ forever!

I cannot speak of the Restoration in tempered tones. This fact of history is absolutely stunning! It is incredible! It is breathtaking! How amazing is it that messengers from heaven came to give authority and power to this work?

Our Eternal Father and Jesus Christ made multiple appearances to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Under Their direction, other heavenly messengers came, each with a specific purpose. For example:

1. The angel Moroni revealed the Book of Mormon.
2. John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood.
3. Peter, James, and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood.
4. Moses bestowed keys for the gathering of Israel.
5. Elias conferred keys of knowledge about Abraham.
6. Elijah restored keys of the sealing authority.

In addition, the Restoration added knowledge that Saints had anciently. The Lord provided a new book of scripture. To the Holy Bible, He added the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is a record of prophecies and the ministry of the resurrected Lord to the people of ancient America. It explains God’s great plan of happiness—the plan of salvation. The Book of Mormon is in full harmony with the Bible. Both sacred records affirm the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of His Atonement….

Together, members and missionaries invite all to learn of God, of Jesus Christ, and of His gospel. Each inquiring individual should seek earnestly and pray fervently for the assurance that these things are true. The truth will be manifest by the power of the Holy Ghost.

I thank God and His Son, Jesus Christ, for the Restoration and its power to propel a magnificent wave of truth and righteousness across the earth. May we catch this wave and fulfill the Lord’s command to take the gospel “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The article was written by Lyle J. Burrup, and he had experience counseling young Mormon missionaries while they were in the first weeks of their missions, at a Missionary Training Center (MTC).  Mormon missions are very challenging for the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ.  Missionaries keep a rigorous schedule, face many daunting circumstances, and often must learn a new language and adjust to a new culture far away from home.  Missionaries are young! The qualifying age to serve has just been lowered from 19 to 18 for young men, and from 21 to 19 for young women.  Some of the young men might end up as leaders of congregations in places where there are few Mormons.  In an age when young people are taking longer to mature, Mormon youth are stepping it up.  They must learn resilience even as they increase their faith.  It is hoped that this process began when they were very young.

In America, where the birth rate is declining, many people who have children have very few, maybe only one or two, and they tend to coddle them.  A new philosophy wherein everyone wins is meant to protect children from feeling inferior.  Children have little work to do that is very meaningful.  In prior generations on the farm, if anyone neglected chores, the family faced loss of crops, livestock, income, even their lives.  No one dies nowadays in America if Johnny doesn’t take out the trash.  Kids can grow up lazy and entitled, having faced few real obstacles in their lives.

As children become resilient, they understand and accept these two facts. They see life as challenging and ever changing, but they believe they can cope with those challenges and changes. They view mistakes and weaknesses as opportunities to learn, and they accept that losing may precede winning.

As children develop resilience, they believe they can influence and even control outcomes in their lives through effort, imagination, knowledge, and skill. With this attitude, they focus on what they can do rather than on what is outside their control.

Another mark of resilience is to see great purpose and meaning in life and people. A sense of purpose will help our children avoid giving up, in spite of setbacks and pressure to do so. If our children are becoming more resilient, they will develop deep values that guide them: charity, virtue, integrity, honesty, work ethic, and faith in God. They will involve themselves in what is happening around them and opt for commitment to values rather than feel alienated and avoid struggle.

Living according to the true gospel of Jesus Christ fosters resilience, and it’s much easier to be faithful to Christ, to have faith in Christ, if one is resilient.  Remember the parable of the sower.  For our faith to sink deep and take root, it must not be wilted by the parching wind or beating sun.

The following relate both to resilience and faith:

• Perfectionism undermines resilience.  We may want to be perfect out of love for God, but when He speaks of being perfect, He means becoming whole.  This is a process that is meant to stretch into the eternities and depends upon the grace of Christ.  God loves us when we are trying.  He knows we are imperfect.  He gives us weakness to encourage us to have faith in His grace.
• Children learn resilience when parents use natural consequences as discipline.  Standing in the way of natural consequences does not serve children well.  We all need to learn to see mistakes as opportunities to learn.  The doctrine of repentance is God’s way of doing this.  To repent, we need to become aware of our mistakes, desire to change, confess, make restitution if possible, forsake the sin, and return to righteous living.
• Everybody doesn’t win when we are dealing with earthly matters.  We all need to learn to deal with loss by developing an eternal perspective.  Losing the game, even if it’s our fault, is insignificant from that eternal perspective.  We need to learn to accept our losses and move on.
• The world is a competitive place.  Should we hinge our self-image on success in any worldly thing? Probably not.  We might not be the best in anything, but we still can become co-heirs with Christ in eternity.  An eternal perspective helps us to see everything in mortality as temporary.  Loss is part of our experience here on earth.  Both children and adults should be allowed to lose.
• God values our effort most of all, and parents should focus on effort, rather than achievement, as well.
• Nothing is free.  For every blessing, someone pays, whether in effort, time, or money.  If children learn to pay their own way, they learn to value all they have.  If they see others’ sacrifice in order to provide for them, they develop reverence and respect for those who aid them.

A person who is trained to be resilient from childhood (read the article to see how parents can train children to be resilient), will have an easier time developing deep faith in God.  In Hebrew, the word for faith means “trust.”  Even in the face of great trial, a resilient person will keep returning to God.  If this is true, it’s no wonder that in these modern times, people are becoming less religious.  Laziness, entitlement, the “everybody wins” idea, cradle to grave care, are all enemies to real faith.  The reality of the gospel is that “in the world we will have tribulation, but Christ has overcome the world.” (See Online Bible, John 16:33).

The Saturday morning session of April 2013’s General Conference brought two undeniable apostolic witnesses that Jesus is the Christ.  Boyd K. Packer is now 88 years old.  He spoke of aging, and how as the body breaks down, the spirit continues to be enriched by the conveying of knowledge through the Holy Ghost.  At the end of his address, he bore testimony that he knows Jesus is the Christ.  He has a sure witness that has transcended faith.  Christ has revealed Himself to this apostle.

Later in the session, Henry B. Eyring, a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ, explained that he knows Jesus is the Christ the same way Joseph Smith knew it, by seeing the Lord.  In the Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of modern revelations, there are several accounts of Joseph’s Smith’s personal visitations and visions of the Christ.  In two of those experiences, Joseph wasn’t alone.

The first, of course, is what Mormons call “the first vision.”  A boy of 14, Joseph went into a woods on his father’s property to pray.  Confused by the conflicting doctrines of  various Protestant sects who all claimed the Bible as the basis for their teachings, Joseph felt like he couldn’t resort to the Bible to find out which of the sects was true.  Joseph had no idea his venture would lead to the restoration of lost priesthood keys and the re-establishment of the fullness of the gospel of Christ to the earth.  Joseph saw God the Father, and Christ the Son in that vision, and they instructed him personally.

In Section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants Joseph recorded another vision and series of visitations.  The occasion was the dedication of the Kirtland Ohio Temple, April 3, 1836, the second day of the Jewish Passover and “Bikkurim,” the Jewish festival associated with harvest first fruits.  Joseph and Oliver Cowdery would receive various priesthood keys from Elias, Moses, and Elijah that day, but first they saw the Savior:

The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.  We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father (D&C 110:1-4).

Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76, is the account of a vision of the kingdoms of heaven experienced by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon.  It begins,

Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior.

Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doing none can find out.

We, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two—By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God—

Of whom we bear record: and the record which we bear is the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision.

…the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.   And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fullness.  And we saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.

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 (D&C 76:1, 2, 11, 12, 14, 19-24).

The testimony of Elder Henry B. Eyring at the close of his talk was as follows:

I am a witness of the Resurrection of the Lord as surely as if I had been there in the evening with the two disciples in the house on Emmaus road. I know that He lives as surely as did Joseph Smith when he saw the Father and the Son in the light of a brilliant morning in a grove of trees in Palmyra.

This is the true Church of Jesus Christ. Only in the priesthood keys held by President Thomas S. Monson is the power for us to be sealed in families to live forever with our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We will on the Day of Judgment stand before the Savior, face to face. It will be a time of joy for those who have drawn close to Him in His service in this life. It will be a joy to hear the words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”19 I so testify as a witness of the risen Savior and our Redeemer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Modern apostles have been ordained of God beginning with the heavenly messengers who ordained the first prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith.  That authority comes from Christ Himself.  The authority and power and priesthood keys are the same as those exercised by Christ’s apostles in ancient times.  They have been called and set apart as special witnesses of Christ in preparation for His Second Coming.

The title of this Huffington Post article is highly misleading. The doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ are unwavering and simply stated — sexual activity is only acceptable to God if it is practiced within marriage, with marriage defined as the legal union of a man and a woman. God’s Law of Chastity is that of abstinence outside of marriage and complete fidelity within it. The doctrine and practice of the Church regarding gay members is that same-sex attraction is not a sin, but acting on it is. The new website of the Church of Jesus Christ, Mormons and Gays.org, displays sympathy for those confused by same-sex attraction, but shows how gay Mormons have been able, through God’s help, to see their attractions move from the forefront of their lives to a place so far in the background, they are no longer a barrier in living the gospel and even forming a traditional family.

Because of rising awareness of the previously hidden suffering of maturing young people who gradually discover they are attracted to others of the same sex, and of mature adults for whom sexuality has taken center-stage in their lives, leaders of the LDS Church have set out to learn more about the situation. Thus, leaders have met with gay activists, gay Mormons, and experts on same-sex attraction, in order to be able to deal compassionately with gays without offending God, whose doctrines are immutable. One of the seeming “shifts” is a recognition of how intransigent same-sex attraction can be. Although not genetic, environmental influences in the womb can make it seem so. This type of rising awareness can increase compassion, but not change doctrine.

Another perceived shift is that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not been as prominent in the public square as it was during the controversial vote on Proposition 8 in California. Those observing the situation need to be aware that nearly all those states who have now legalized gay marriage have done so through the state courts or legislatures, and not through popular vote, so there has been a general difference in campaigning on both sides. As far as investment of money, private parties and organizations were always the donors on both sides of the issue.

Observers, whether LDS and friends of other faiths or no faith, should not await with baited breath the day that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints begins to approve of gay marriage. Such a thing will never occur. It is against the laws of God. It is only one aspect of Satan’s attack on the institution of marriage, and one thread in the web of decadence that will bring the punishments predicted in the Book of Revelation upon us. Heavenly Father prompted the composition of a proclamation of Mormon belief regarding the family in 1995. It is very clear, and prophetic.

Other threats to marriage include the following:

Birth control—Mormon doctrine holds that when to have children and how many children to bear is up to husband, wife, and God, as they prayerfully seek His counsel. Thus, the LDS Church does not ever preach against birth control within traditional marriage. However, improved birth control methods have led society to a situation where the bearing of children has been devalued to the point where countries cannot even maintain current population levels. Marriage has shifted from the foundation of a family to a simple contract between two people who think they are compatible.

Abortion—Abortion is next to murder in God’s eyes and an abomination of our time. The Church of Jesus Christ considers abortion in cases of rape, incest, or mortal danger to the mother, but even then only after counseling with church leaders and praying for guidance.

Easy divorce— The US divorce rate is very high, with conservative US states having higher divorce rates. “A young couple marrying for the first time today has a lifetime divorce risk of 40 percent [25% for religious couples]….and 60 to 67 percent of second marriages fail, and 70 to 73 percent of third marriages end on the rocks.” [1] The divorce rate for Mormon temple marriages is 6.5%.

Cohabitation—Cohabitation originally started as an experiment in forming a union to test compatibility before marriage, thus adding to the surety that partners are really meant for each other. It hasn’t turned out that way. Couples who cohabit before marriage are much more likely to end up divorced. People who cohabit are likely to cohabit again, creating a lack of security for children. Between 1960 and 1998  “cohabiting couples increased from 439,000 to 4.2 million – a tenfold increase, and greater than the rates of marriage and divorce. These informal unions come into existence and dissolve much more easily than marriages and divorces. The formation and dissolutions increase the fluidity in American life.” [1] [2]

Homosexuality—In order to accommodate homosexuals who want to marry, laws that are the foundation of society must be turned inside out, with gender erased. People who want traditional marriage suffer from these changes, and the changes are already creating chaos. In two states, 3 parents may be listed on birth certificates. Moral training for children, in sex education classes in school, must conform and teach the legitimacy of homosexual sex and marriage. It’s a mess that will only get messier.

Women in the workforce—This is a sacred cow to feminists. Many women have to work, and those who do should get equal pay to men in the same profession. Workplaces should do what they can to ease pressure on families when women work, such as having day-care on site and maternity and paternity leave. Women who work generally limit family size, and still, most are absolutely frazzled most of the time. There is no such thing as substituting scheduled quality time with children when quantity time is gone. The child decides when he or she needs quality attention, which could be at any moment, day or night. That’s why moms are best at hand 24/7. Note that Mormons consult with the Lord and seek to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in these cases, and it sometimes happen that the Spirit suggests that mom works and dad stays home. Both husbands and wives in the Church have the same directive: No success can compensate for failure in the home.

Pornography—No matter how common or accessible the viewing of porn might be for the general adult public, it is terrifically damaging in marriage. It causes the addict (and it is addictive, terribly so) to objectify his or her partner, so that love begins to wilt to the point of no return. Sexual demands to satisfy increasing lust also may take marriage to the breaking point.

Gay marriage is only one aspect of Satan’s assault on the family. As God’s true church on earth and directed by revelation from God, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must stay true to God’s laws regarding morality. There is no shift, and there will be no shift, on morality.