In an age where powerful elements in society are pushing to do everything from obliterate the very concept of a woman by reducing them to such objectified terms such as “menstruating/birthing person” to trying to normalize exposing children to hypersexualized drag shows in order to desensitize them to sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and transgenderism, this LDS Classic is one of the best addresses that you’ll ever read. Not only does it pinpoint the heart of darkness, the cause of much hate and danger in society today, but it also shows us how and why the doctrines of Christ can and should give us immense hope for tomorrow.
Category: LDS Church
This Is What It Is Like After You Die
People have been asking the question of what happens after you die for tens of thousands of years, for millions of years. As long as humans have existed. It has been said that if you could bring someone back from the dead and ask them about what, if anything, happens next it would be the most important thing any of us ever could learn.
Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore. It has happened. People have died. They have had intimate visions of what happens after death. And they have returned to life to explain what they experienced and what we need to do to prepare in this life for the next. This is just such an account, a vision of the next world as shown by God to Elder Jedidiah M. Grant, Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revealed here is what a modern-day Prophet, Seer, and Revelator saw when he looked beyond the veil of death and into the world of spirits.
This is what happens after you die.
This is what the afterlife is like.
This is what comes next.
The Place of Politics in the Church
This Lost LDS Classic looks at the role of partisan politics (loyalty to political parties) and nationalism play in the role of Latter-day Saint culture and religious practice. The political divisions in the church are both bothersome and poisonous. The Body of Christ, the Kingdom of God, should not be divided by the political ideologies of the world. The more we allow ourselves to be defined by our politics – as “liberal” Mormons, “conservative” Mormons, etc. – the more we weaken ourselves, disrupt our Christian unity, and weaken our ability to establish Zion and do the work that God has given us. Nationalism and political partisanship have no place in the Kingdom of God and the sooner we drive them from our hearts and minds the more we become Saints of the Most High God and true Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Correcting The Liahona on the U.S. Constitution
The Liahona, the official magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published an article on the United States Constitution in its September 2022 issue. And boy is it terrible, for numerous reasons. For example, despite having degrees in the subject the author doesn’t even have a basic understanding of human rights or the history of the Constitution and actively tries to justify government tyranny.
This article is a step by step dismantling of the Liahona article and its problems, not only in order to provide Latter-day Saints with a necessary correction for something published in a church magazine, but because such a work will serve as a solid foundation for discarding much of the same kind of dreck (from both academic and amateur sources) that the reader will encounter endlessly elsewhere whenever discussing the Constitution.
What Can Men Do Against Such Reckless Hate?
I recently finished a rewatch of the Lord of the Rings. As always, I was struck by the drama and courage of Théoden and the Riders of Rohan as they made what seemed like a last stand against the overwhelming might of the armies of Saruman. Instead of surrender or retreat they trusted in the words of Gandalf the White and stood against evil no matter what the cost to them, even if it cost their lives. There is a great lesson for us to learn here about how we should live. Using examples from throughout the scriptures I discuss how we can stand against the reckless hate of the world we live in today.
The Human Side of the Book of Mormon
Why are there so many biblical quotations and allusions in the Book of Mormon? Why are there errors in the Book of Mormon’s grammar, spelling, and language? How did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon? How did the Urim and Thummim work? How did the Seer Stone work? Why would Joseph need either in the first place? What impact did the knowledge and mind of Joseph Smith have on the Book of Mormon and its translation? Why would God choose an ignorant ploughboy from upstate New York to be His prophet when much more educated, enlightened, and respectable men existed? What does the answer to these questions say about the authenticity of the Book of Mormon?
Professor N.L. Nelson answers all these questions and more in this excellent essay and explains why the answers to those questions should only increase our faith in the Book of Mormon as Christian scripture.
Heaven Is Real, Hell Is Real, and Why Life Matters
Why does Pascha, Easter, matter?
The story of Pascha is phenomenal, but why does it matter that Christ atoned for Death and Hell? Why does it matter that salvation and exaltation are open to all? What really is worth celebrating at this time of year?
This forgotten LDS Classic by N.L. Nelson on the reality of Heaven, the reality of Hell, and the richness, depth, and meaning these truths imbue into our lives answers these questions and more.
This is why Pascha matters and why it is the pinnacle of Christian holy days.
How Mormonism Influenced The First Mistborn Trilogy
I recently finished Brandon Sanderson’s first Mistborn trilogy -The Final Empire through Heroes of Ages – and loved all three books. They’re incredible works of storytelling and some of the best fantasy out there. Sanderson is easily one of the best fantasy writers alive. He is also a devout Latter-day Saint. As I was reading his books again and again I kept coming across ways that Mormonism influenced his writing in crucial ways, but was shocked to find so little online exploring these influences. This article is my attempt to demonstrate some of the major ways that LDS scripture, history, theology, and culture deeply influence Sanderson’s writing and appear in these books.
Save Jesus Only: The Greatness of the Prophet Joseph Smith
With December being the Christmas season I feel like we often get so caught up in celebrating the birth of Christ that we overlook the birth of the second greatest man in history – the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., born December 23, 1805. This year I wanted to take a day and celebrate his birth as well. Second only to the Savior, the Prophet Joseph is worthy of all the admiration, respect, and honor the Saints give him. This article was written to highlight some of the many ways that the Prophet Joseph was a paragon of Christianity, worthy of learning about, learning from, and following the example of in our lives.
Did Early Mormons Practice Socialism?
Here I use the writings of one of the most intelligent men to be a General Authority – President J. Reuben Clark – and his insightful examination of the Law of Consecration as explained in the scriptures, his evaluation of the historical practices of the early church, and the importance of private property, and the modern Church Welfare Program all to answer a singular important question:
Did early Latter-day Saints practice Socialism in Missouri and Utah?