Volume 2, Issue 1 – July 2005

Posted on 7/22/2005 at 12:10:55 PM

Contents

“These Signs Shall Follow”

Rebaptism – Ancient & Scriptural

An Address on the Book of Mormon

Prophets & Opinions

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An Address on the Book of Mormon

Posted on 7/21/2005 at 7:33:42 AM

Given by president Waird MacDonald, at the Northern California Mission Conference, 9th February 1950

I would like to talk to you this morning about the Book of Mormon, because I believe all our missionary work stems from it. Very few people have ever come into this Church except they have read this book, and it seems that this book is the thing that converts them. We have many learned men and almost all of them have written a book to explain our gospel, and they have written about the Book of Mormon, and, yet, with all these books together, they do not convert the people, they may interest them, but they do not get into the waters of baptism until they have gone into this book.

What is the Book of Mormon? The greatest student of the Book of Mormon that this Church has ever had, and the man who studied it the most, and became the most profound in it, was Orson Pratt. I would like to read what he said about this book in 1851 while in England – nearly a hundred years ago:

“The Book of Mormon claims to be the sacred history of ancient America, written by a succession of ancient prophets, who inhabited this vast continent. The plates of gold, containing this history were discovered by a young man named Joseph Smith, through the ministery of a holy angel, on the evening and morning of the 21st and 22nd of September 1823. Four years after their discovery, on the morning of the 22nd of September 1827. The angel of the Lord permitted Mr. Smith to take these sacred records from the place of their deposit. The hill in which they were found buried is situated near the town of Manchester, Ontario county, New York with the plates were also found a Urim and Thummim. Each plate was not far from seven by eight inches in width and length, being not quite as thick as common tin. Each was filled on both sides with engraven Egyptian characters; and the whole were bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book. And fastened on one edge with three rings running through each. This volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters or letters upon the unsealed part were small and beautifully engraved. Mr. Smith, through the Urim and Thummim, and by the power and gift of God, translated this re cord into the English language. This translation contains about the same amount of reading. As the Old Testament. A large edition of this wonderful book was first published early in 1830.”

This is the most comprehensive statement about the Book of Mormon I have ever read. Nothing essential is left out in this first paragraph in a series of tracts which he wrote on his first mission.

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Rebaptism – Ancient & Scriptural

Posted on 7/20/2005 at 7:57:38 PM

Rebaptism is currently only performed in the Church for the re-admittance into the Church of previously excommunicated members. However, among Latter-day Saints prior to the turn of the century, the word rebaptism carried with it a wider meaning and was performed for a variety of other reasons, such as personal rededication, repentance, and even for health.

In scholarly treatments of the doctrine of rebaptism by Mormon historians any scriptural references to this practice are entirely absent. Because of this some might assume that the ordinance was newly introduced in this dispensation, and was not part of the restoration of the Gospel. Yet, Joseph spoke of it being God’s design that all the beliefs and practices reintroduced in our era, would be but a repetition of those shared by former-day Saints of more ancient times.

“Now the purpose in Himself in the winding up scene of the last dispensation is that all things pertaining to that dispensation should be conducted precisely in accordance with the preceding dispensations.”¹

This dispenses with the theory that rebaptism (or any other principle or ordinance) is solely of modern origin, and as we look once again at the ancient Bible and Book of Mormon in light of Latter-day revelation and Church history we will discover that it played an important part in God’s plans anciently and in the last century in the lives of many faithful Saints. One contemporary of Joseph Smith recollected how the Prophet Joseph himself used the scriptures to support the practice: Read the rest of this entry »

“These Signs Shall Follow”
Women giving blessings

Posted on 7/17/2005 at 12:02:47 PM

Before he ascended into heaven, the resurrected Jesus gave one last sermon, in which he stated:

“… these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (1)»

What is interesting about this passage is that Jesus is speaking not just of the Apostles or other priesthood holders possessing these spiritual gifts (or signs), but all those “that believe.” Men and women can both exercise faith, both be blessed for it, and through that faith and can obtain God’s power to bless others.
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Prophets and Opinions

Posted on 7/9/2005 at 7:04:34 AM

Everyone has opinions, points of view, or different perspectives. However we may phrase it we realize that there are some things we do not totally know or understand, and that we may speculate upon.

Opinions can be valuable, such as in the case of the views of someone who has great experience in his professional field upon a new project, or of a wise old grandparent who has seen or been through certain problems many times before in their life. Yet the conjecture of someone completely unacquainted with some situations might be considered of low value or worthless in comparison.

If a country’s President has an opinion which is unpopular he is likely to have it seized by the media, and his character is likely to be judged upon it. If anyones opinions are in wide contrast to those around them they may be labeled “out of touch with reality,” yet if they are in line with the majority they are more likely to be seen as a sage, and their words may be more easily accepted.

In all of these scenarios though no definite facts have been established by the giving or accepting of someones views, except that we learn that opinions are valued very differently depending on how close they are to conventional thinking, and upon who gives them and the position they are in. Read the rest of this entry »