Answers to Gospel Questions Vol. 2

I just finished reading Volume 2 of Answers to Gospel Questions by Joseph Fielding Smith. I love the way that he just says it like it is. This book includes a lot of instruction, but also some rebuke to those who do not study the scriptures as much as they should, and especially to those who try to study things that don't really matter. Here are a few of my highlights:

On page 45, while discussing the nature and mission of translated beings, President Smith made the following comment, which really impressed me: "Even in the days of apostasy, and apostasy has occurred several times, the Lord never surrendered this earth and permitted Satan to have complete control...our Father in Heaven held control and had duly authorized servants on the earth to direct his work and to check, to some extent at least, the ravages and corruption of the evil powers."

Page 67--Baptism was not a new thing to the Jews. "When John the Baptist came from the wilderness crying repentance and baptizing all who came to him, his act did not seem to create any curiousity as if he were introducing some new and strange doctrine. The repentant Jews took it as an ordinance well known among them and so it was."

Page 88--"It may be true that some of the smaller children who attend the Sunday Schools and sacrament meetings with their parents are too young to realize the significance of this sacred ordinance, but what injury can come to them or to the ordinance if they are permitted to partake? We know that the feelings of the Savior were very tender toward little children."

Page 178--This chapter talks about blacks and the priesthood. While the chapter was interesting, what I enjoyed most is the attitude that President Smith had. He was certain that one day the blacks would receive the Priesthood. This was 20 years before the revelation on the priesthood was received.

I am excited for the next book!

Fire and Steel: A Generation Rising

 I have to confess, I have never read any of Gerald N. Lund's historical fiction novels before (although I am a big fan of his doctrinal books and his science fiction book The Alliance). This was a new experience for me, and I quite enjoyed it!

One reason that I enjoyed this book is because it takes place in Germany (Bavaria) and gives a lot of historical information about the country. I found this particularly interesting because lately I have been doing family history work for ancestors in Germany. Lund begins the book with a history lesson about Germany that leads up to the point in time where the novel begins. I really appreciated that.

The story itself was interesting. It shows how the statement "Decisions Determine Destiny" is true on a personal, family, and international level. We follow a certain German family, first through the parents and then through their son as certain choices they make lead the family to crucial decisions. It also gives the reader a look at what the misssonary efforts were like in Germany at the time. This book takes the reader to the end of World War I and sets the stage for future books leading up to World War II. I am excited to finish the series.

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith

For the last several years (with a brief exception) the manuals for study in Priesthood and Relief Society have been Teachings of Presidents of the Church, with each year focused on the teachings of a particular president. I have decided to go back and re-read each manual since there is a good chance I didn't read half the lessons during the course of study (oops, confession time!) Rather than read them in the order in which they were studied, I have decided to read them in chronological order of when they were the President of the Church. Therefore, Joseph Smith is where I began.

I love Joseph Smith and revere him as a prophet. I want to highlight just a few of my favorite passages from his teachings.

Page 66-"But when this fact is admitted, that the immediate will of heaven is contained in the Scriptures, are we not bound as rational creatures to live in accordance to all its precepts?"

Page 73-"It is the will of God that man should repent and serve Him in health, and in the strength and power of his mind, in order to secure His blessing, and not wait until he is called to die."

Page 132-"No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator."

Page 243-"My dear Emma, there is great responsibility resting upon you in preserving yourself in honor and sobriety before them [their children] and teaching them right things, to form their young and tender minds that they begin in right paths and not get contaminated when young by seeing ungodly examples."

Page 318-"The moment you permit yourselves to lay aside any duty that God call you to perform, to gratify your own desires; the moment you permit yourselves to become careless, you lay a foundation for apostasy."

Page 356-"You cannot be too good."

Answers to Gospel Questions Volume 1

I inherited the Answers to Gospel Questions series by Joseph Fielding Smith from my Grandpa Wanlass. The book is exactly what the title says it is. This book is a compilation of questions people had written to The Improvement Era, along with the author's answers to those questions. Smith answers the questions based almost entirely on the scriptures, with a few clarifying statements from general authorities and scriptural scholars.

I want to highlight a few of my favorite questions and answers from this book.

One person asks about the term, "Son of man" that the Savior often uses in referring to Himself. Smith explains that the Father calls Himself Man of Holiness. When the Savior calls Himself Son of Man (the "Man" should be capitalized in the New Testament), he is referring to Himself as the Son of God.

In another chapter, the author talks about Jesus being our Mediator with the Father. He points out that the truthfulness of Joseph Smith's First Vision can be found entirely in the statement that the Father introduced the Son and then Jesus is the one who spoke with and instructed Joseph. Had Joseph claimed that God the Father answered all his questions, he would have been proven a liar, for since the Fall of Adam it has been Christ who has had interaction with men. This doctrine Joseph could not have known at that time. What a neat insight!

Other interesting questions that are answered have to do with Sabbath Day observance, the Word of Wisdom, and meanings of certain words used in the scriptures. The author also gives historical insights into the land of Egypt and the interactions between the descendants of Cain and Shem.

I am eager to continue reading the series!

The Philosophical Basis of Mormonism

The Philosophical Basis of Mormonism is the text of an address by Elder James E. Talmage delivered before the Congress of Religious Philosophies held during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. Elder Talmage was selected by the presiding authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to represent them at this event. The Church was honored to have been invited, as they were one of three Christian churches who were invited.

Elder Talmage gives a brief history of the Church's name and nickname (the "Mormon" church) and then spends most of the discourse on the existence of God and our relationship to Him, the Fall of Adam, the need for a Redeemer, the establishment of His church in the meridian of time, the apostasy and falling away from said church, and the restoration thereof in our era. He concludes his discourse by discussing the mission of Christ's church in our day to prepare for the Second Coming.

All thoughts and explanations are straightforward and mostly quoted from the Bible, although latter-day scripture is used sporadically throughout Talmage's discourse. This is a great text for somebody who wants to get a snapshot of the Church and its beliefs.

Brigham Young: The Colonizer

For a history of Utah and the colonization efforts of the LDS Church, I highly recommend Brigham Young: The Colonizer by Milton R. Hunter. The author has done extensive research to paint the most accurate picture of the settlements created by the early saints. I can definitely say that I learned a lot and it was fun to read how Utah came to be what it is today.

I was particularly interested in Brigham Young's reaction to the Gold Rush happening in California. Here are a few quotes from him found on page 181 of this book:

"If we were to go to San Francisco and dig up chunks of gold, or find it here in the valley, it would ruin us... I can stand in my door and can see where there is untold millions of rich treasures of the earth--gold and silver. But the time has not come for the Saints to dig gold. It is our duty first to develop the agricultural resources of this country...As for gold and silver and other rich materials of the earth, there is no other country that equals this; but let them alone; let others seek them, and we will cultivate the soil; for if the mines are opened first, we are a thousand miles away from the base of supplies, and the people would rush in here in such great numbers that they would breed a famine. . . When the Saints shall have preached the gospel, raised grain, and built up cities enough, the Lord will open up the way for a supply of gold to the perfect satisfaction of his people; until then, let them not be over-anxious for the treasures of the earth are in the Lord's storehouse, and he will open the doors thereof when and where he pleases."

I also enjoyed reading about Brigham's policy regarding the Lamanites (Native Americans). He counseled his people to first of all build forts in each new settlement to create some distance between the two parties. One of the apostles, George A. Smith, carrying out Brigham's policy in a new settlement told his followers to begin building a fort immediately and said, "It is unpleasant I know but it is also unpleasant to have one's back stuck full of arrows."

After ensuring the safety of the settlers, they were to appoint one person among them to be the trader with the natives. They were also to help them by teaching them to cultivate the soil and raise their own food. Many tribes welcomed these lessons and were grateful for the help they received from the Mormons. Brigham counseled again and again to treat all the natives with the utmost Christian charity. Because of his policy, the Mormons and natives, for the most part, got along extremely well, and much better than any other party crossing into and through "Indian Territory."

Overall I quite enjoyed this book and I am happy to have it on my shelf.

An Address to Believers in the Book of Mormon

An Address to Believers in the Book of Mormon is yet another pamphlet I own, this one written by David Whitmer (one of the three witnesses). I assumed this would be an official declaration of his testimony of the Book of Mormon (he died one year after this pamphlet was published in 1887). What I read was not quite what I expected.

While this pamphlet did affirm Whitmer's testimony of and belief in the Book of Mormon, it was actually mostly a defense of his decision to not unite with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor the "Reorganized Church." The reasons he gives are often without foundation, and even contradictory. Here is just an example:

He says that the Church did not remain the way it was supposed to be. He deplored the calling of high priests, stating it was not part of the original church organization, nor part of the original revelations. He also says that Joseph Smith was only called to be a translator of the Book of Mormon, and he took the church leadership upon himself when he wasn't supposed to. However, in another place, Whitmer admits he believes the revelations contained in the Book of Commandments when these revelations talk about Joseph's calling to be the First Elder of the Church and for members of the Church to obey the words from his mouth as if from the Lord's own mouth.

Sadly, more than anything, this pamphlet just shows how blind one can become when they fall from light and truth.