Comments on: Kim Clark and the Book of Mormon

By: R L Spencer

R L Spencer — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 04:30:11 +0000

We wonder why–after all, it is much more specific than usual.
We comment on whether.
We ask how-after all, some sacrifice is involved.
Doesn’t matter as long as we JUST DO IT–
He’s been so right before–I’m kind of old now, and time and experience has taught me that THE LORD wants us to do it, not just President Hinckley, Benson, McKay–etc.
Those who do it will get the stated blessings–those who do not, will not.
Notice it is a call to the nation, not just to LDS.–So have been many calls lately, including the Statement on the Family.
RLS
P.S. BYU Idaho is good, MIT, Cambridge, Cornell etc are good. Oxford is terrific (:-) prejudice there.) But nowhere is any good if you can’t learn to feel the promptings of the spirit to guide you through the world’s morass.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 05:19:10 +0000

There are now 100 days left in the year. As this story indicates, if you devote just one extra minute per day, you could finish the Bible too:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050921/od_afp/britainreligionbibleoffbeat_050921112127

By: JM

JM — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 04:01:39 +0000

I noticed that this site was mentioned on CNN for the low remarks on President Clark. I am one of the students here at BYU-Idaho. We are excited to learn from him and to have him on campus.

Thanks

By: Timothy A. Griffy

Timothy A. Griffy — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:50:26 +0000

There was a time that I read all the Standard Works (though not necessarily the official versions) twice a year. It has been weighing heavily on me lately that I’ve let that practice fall to the wayside. Maybe President Hinckley’s challenge isn’t such a bad idea after all.

By: JKS

JKS — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 03:26:17 +0000

My son is 5. He is going to read the book of Enos by the end of the year.

By: DonA

DonA — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 00:07:57 +0000

The prophet’s council to read the Book of Mormon this year went out to over 12 million members of the Church in 140+ countries on every continent. They range from the very spiritual to the very sinful, from the most intelligent to the mentally disabled, from the very healthy to the very sick, from every socio-economic class from the top to the bottom.

Some adaptation is required. For example, the person who cannot read and does not know brail, may be able to listen to tapes. A person who is illiterate may be able to listen to tapes but only if he can afford them. A very sick person may not be able to do either one in the specified time. None of these people should feel guilty, or ashamed for the adaptations as long as they are doing the best they can. It is their stewardship, their responsibility to determine what best works for them.

Joseph Smith explained how he was so successful in leading his people. He responded that he taught correct principles, and let the people lead themselves. The prophet’s roll is largely to express principle, and it is the responsibility of the members to apply that principle the best of their ability and situation calls for.

Brigham Young is reported to have said that the greatest fear he had was that the members of the Church would take what he said as the mind and will of God without first praying and obtaining a witness of the same for themselves (See Deseret News, 9 Dec. 1857, 317; 12 Feb. 1862, 257.)

In my case, I had just finished reading the Book of Mormon two months before President Hinckley’s council. I wasn’t much interested in rereading it so soon. But after contemplating praying for a while, I decided to do as the prophet directed. I am pleased to say I am gaining much more from it this time, than last. The prophet’s promise is already being fulfilled to me. But I have no illusion that my experience is the same as everyone else.

Our challenge is not slavish conformity, but to apply intelligent obedience to the prophet’s guidance, knowing God’s will for us. Only then will we fill our fullest potential.

By: Tatiana

Tatiana — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 10:36:52 +0000

I agree with obiwan that we should seek our own revelation on every possible issue. That we should think hard and ponder it out in our minds first, then decide what we think is right and ask for confirmation, for our own confirming revelation. I think of it as similar to doing Calculus homework. First you work the problem out yourself, then you check the answer in the back of the book. Now, if my analogy doesn’t break down, the next step, if the book’s answer (the Prophet’s revelation) disagrees with yours is to go back through your problem step by step and try to understand what you did wrong. Check over it three or four times, (personal revelation). If you still don’t see your error, you might consult another authority (the teacher in my Calculus analogy or the Bishop). It is possilbe that the answer in the back of the book is a mistake or typo, but we can assume those will be rare.

I think that just as in Calculus class, thinking for ourselves, then consulting the Prophet’s guidance, is the best and fastest way for us to learn. As a method, this is superior to charging ahead and working out all the problems ourselves in whatever way seems best without checking our answers. But it’s also superior to copying the answers straight out of the back of the book.

Morality is about more than obedience. If you make a mistake while obeying authority, God may not hold you responsible, but the wrong thing still happens because of the mistake. There’s that much more trouble or sorrow in the world because the best thing wasn’t done. I feel responsible for doing what’s right, what’s best, no matter what, and don’t feel like I’m off the hook just because I won’t be punished or held accountable for it. It’s bad consequences, not punishment, that I am trying to avoid.

By: Harold B. Curtis

Harold B. Curtis — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 05:16:45 +0000

The Book of Mormon….Like unto Me…..August 9, 2005

Do I like my parents like Nephi liked His?

Do I get nervous when members talk about answered prayers, being directed by the spirit, or knowing that the church is true?

Do I see the comparison between Lehi and the many other prophets testifying that that great city Jerusalem will be destroyed if the people do not repent, and the proclamation on the family, which is also declared by many prophets, saying “…..that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

Can those great cities New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, and a thousand cities in between, and a multitude of Nations and their cites ever really be destroyed because of the wickedness of the people and or the course of the government?

Righteousness is lived in the wilderness away from worldliness. Three day journey from worldliness…. Always trouble when you try to bring your worldliness with you. It blocks you from righteousness. Got to give it up, or it will get up on you. Jesus went into wilderness to prepare for ministry….

Not good for man to be alone, go get your wife brethren…..off to Jerusalem we go……

If don’t have scriptures you will fail. If you don’t read scriptures you will not have the spirit… In the midst of a vision Lehi reads a book… and being filled with the spirit……”

Don’t loose head from keeping scriptures locked up!

How do you erase a typo on gold?

How do you hold on to the Rod of Iron…The word of God…what would make you let go…release….abandon…forsake….give up….rebel against…

In the midst of a mist of darkness….strange paths…..forbidden……spacious building dwellers dressed fine…..what is the point of their pointing…

Kneel to partake of the precious fruit….kneel at the feet of Jesus …..Then you can really see the wounds in his feet….Kneel….they are my wounds…

To be continued…..

Harold B.Curtis

By: Harold B. Curtis

Harold B. Curtis — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 03:45:08 +0000

Concering Kim Clark…….

Upon the principle of the first shall be last and the last first, it may be hoped that the first….Harvard….wil be last …..and the last…..BYU Idaho…will be first. The economics of such ledger balancing are mind boggling to the macro, in a society who one day shall have all things in common. It just may be that we will need an army of trained saints to monitor those ledgers.

Welcome to Zion Bro. Clark……Weve been micro long enough…………..

Harold B Curtis

By: N Miller

N Miller — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 21:51:44 +0000

Harold has an excellent point. Is there a reason behind the prophet asking us to do this? It is not often that the prophet commands (or heavily suggests) that we all do something within a specific time period. Although I would bet the purposes are focused more on the repentant side of things that Harold noted, it is fun to think about the other things such as opening the doors to China, moving to Missouri, etc.

Concerning the exception discussion.

I often wonder why exceptions are so often sought after. Do you often ask yourself what reasons you have not to follow the commands from the prophets? As my family and I started through the Book of Mormon the other day, we came across the oft read verses of the murmurings of Laman and Lemuel as they left Jerusalem. They struggled with the commands of their dad, the prophet. Although some say, “hey, at least they went”. Agreed. But I wonder if their souls would have been worse off if they stayed in Jerusalem. I doubt it. Looked what they did after they left Jerusalem. Not much better, and probably worse, than had they stayed back I bet.

How often we hear this in the church, murmurings that what the Lord wants and expects of us can’t be done becuase of one reason or another. Yet, Nephi explains that all things can be done if the Lord commands it. Either he was deceived, lying, or was absolutly correct.

I am not suggesting there are not exceptions. In the example I gave, to accomplish the command to get the plates, Nephi had to kill Laban which meant to break another commandment. But how many times did he get prompted by the spirit to go against the commandment? Three times. Perhaps we ought to feel the same way as Nephi did before we go against prophetic counsel or commands. It took prompting from the spirit to go against that commandment. Perhaps we ought to go do what we are commanded and wait for the spirit to prompt us to do otherwise. It’s not like Nephi prayed and asked “can I kill laban?” rather it was a prompting from the spirit. He might have prayed for help to know what to do, but I am sure he wasn’t the one that came up with the killing idea.

Are you Laman or Nephi? Which do you want to be?