Now, let's be honest.

So.. who actually took the time to "read" the previous blog post? Who simply skimmed over it? Who read it but glossed over the Bible scriptures because you honestly believe they can't be taken for face value? Who honestly read it and truly wanted to understand it?

I can tell which people fit into which categories by the PM's and Emails I've received from certain individuals. 

The messages that were sent saying they are happy we have found the peace and joy we needed read it and truly understand why we're here. Not saying they agree fully, but are being nice and keeping what they really want to say inside, but understand.

The messages saying "You have been deceived", "You'll be back", "We are SHOCKED." "We can't believe you could turn your back on your Temple Endowments like this!"...etc . Glossed or skimmed over it. If you find yourself in these categories, you will reread it if you really want to understand. If you're good where you are then we will pray for you daily.


"Deceived" The word keeps running through my head. As I stated in the previous blog. "How easy it is to lead a people a stray after convincing them Gods Word (Bible) is not reliable. What better way to cause division, confusion and contention. After convincing a people Gods Word is not reliable he can then get them to believe anything he wants." Ohh how true it is. For my Dear Sweet LDS friends and Family to tell us we have been deceived by the Word of God (The Bible) I have to tell you, you have been fed a lie. 

Who here believes the Bible we now have is corrupt? Don't be shy. We know who you are. Are you aware the only two "Religions" who believe it's corrupt and can't be trusted is Mormonism and Muslim. The Muslims have come up with their own version but the the LDS hang onto the King James Version but aren't sure which parts they can take for face value. It's a blanket statement saying "It's been corrupt"and gives no direction. Why not use Joseph Smiths Inspired Version? 

 "In 1832, Joseph Smith claimed that he had been instructed by God to make a revision of the Bible:

"Now, verily I say unto you my servants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Sidney Rigdon, saith the Lord, it is expedient to translate again; And, inasmuch as it is practicable, to preach in the regions round about until conference; and after that it is expedient to continue the work of translation until it be finished" (Doctrine and Covenants, 73:3-4).

Smith began to labor on the new translation and wrote that he had completed the work: "I completed the translation and review of the New Testament, on the 2nd of July, 1833, and sealed it up; no more to be opened till it arrived in Zion" (History of the Church, vol. 1, p.324). In a letter dated July 2, 1833, signed by Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and F. G. Williams, the following statement is found: "We this day finished the translation of the Scriptures, for which we return gratitude to our Heavenly Father ..." (History of the Church, vol. 1, p.368)."

"The LDS Church has never published the manuscript despite being commanded to several times: “... I have commanded you to organize yourselves, even to shinelah [print] my words, the fulness of my scriptures ...” (Doctrine and Covenants, 104:58) “.... the second lot ... shall be dedicated unto me for the building of a house unto me, for the work of the printing of the translation of my scriptures ... “ (94:10) “.... let him [William Law] from henceforth hearken to the counsel of my servant Joseph,... and publish the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth” (124:89)."

Do you, or do you not trust in your Prophet. The very Prophet that set the very foundation of your Church? You'll have to answer that for yourselves.

Who here knows how the Bible came to be with us in our day? Was it by those blasted Monks? Those evil conspiring Monks that changed it! Are you sure? Have to ever searched it out? Or was it easier to just go with who ever said whatever because you are to busy with church and family life? Anyone hear of the Dead Sea Scrolls? The full Isiah Scroll? Every single book of the Bible, with the exception of Esther, have been found. If you take the scrolls and compare them to our bibles today, you will find they are complete. 

In 1946 3 shepherds spotted the caves. There, they found 7 scrolls in one of the caves housed in clay pots. There are a total of 12 caves where they were found. The sight is called Qumran.  More can be read here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls
You can see digital copies of the scrolls here.  http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/ 
You have to look at Isiah. I'm not going to even pretend to know how to read Hebrew but many scholars do and have translated them. The digital copy has the translations. Lets look at Isiah 29 10-14

10     כִּֽי־נָסַ֨ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם יְהוָה֙ ר֣וּחַ תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה וַיְעַצֵּ֖ם אֶת־עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־הַנְּבִיאִ֛ים וְאֶת־רָאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם הַחֹזִ֖ים כִּסָּֽה׃

11     וַתְּהִ֨י לָכֶ֜ם חָז֣וּת הַכֹּ֗ל כְּדִבְרֵי֮ הַסֵּ֣פֶר הֶֽחָתוּם֒ אֲשֶֽׁר־יִתְּנ֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־יוֹדֵ֥עַ הסֵ֛֯פֶר לֵאמֹ֖ר קְרָ֣א נָא־זֶ֑ה וְאָמַר֙ לֹ֣א אוּכַ֔ל כִּ֥י חָת֖וּם הֽוּא׃

12     וְנִתַּ֣ן הַסֵּ֗פֶר עַל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע סֵ֛פֶר לֵאמֹ֖ר קְרָ֣א נָא־זֶ֑ה וְאָמַ֕ר לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי סֵֽפֶר׃ ס

13     וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י נִגַּשׁ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה בְּפִ֤יו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו֙ כִּבְּד֔וּנִי וְלִבּ֖וֹ רִחַ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וַתְּהִ֤י יִרְאָתָם֙ אֹתִ֔י מִצְוַ֥ת אֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְלֻמָּדָֽה׃

14     לָכֵ֗ן הִנְנִ֥י יוֹסִ֛ף לְהַפְלִ֥יא אֶת־הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה הַפְלֵ֣א וָפֶ֑לֶא וְאָֽבְדָה֙ חָכְמַ֣ת חֲכָמָ֔יו וּבִינַ֥ת נְבֹנָ֖יו תִּסְתַּתָּֽר׃ ס

 Saying in the King James Version as:

King James Version Isiah 29:10-14

10 For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, And hath closed your eyes: The prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, Which men deliver to one that is learned, Saying, Read this, I pray thee: And he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, Saying, Read this, I pray thee: And he saith, I am not learned.

13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, And with their lips do honour me, But have removed their heart far from me, And their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, Even a marvellous work and a wonder: For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

What this means taken in context considering the Jews of the day and time.
 The people’s willful blindness had brought judicial blindness upon them, and they stagger as if drunk. God’s word is unintelligible to them. To some it is a sealed…book, to others illegible. Everyone has an excuse.
Because their religion is purely external and their only fear of God is a matter of memorized creeds, God will perform a supernatural work of judgment, stripping the keenest minds of wisdom and discernment. He has done this with many, as they are blind to the truth of the Bible and change the meaning to mean something else as Joseph Smith did with his revised translated version.
The “marvelous work” in verse 14 refers to the invasion of Sennacherib.
Today the “marvelous work” is accomplished in the gospel found in the word of God His Holy Bible:
 
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.


 Let's read Joseph Smith's translation. It definitely, doesn't mean the same thing.


Joseph Smith Translation (JST) Isiah 29:10..... 26?

10 For, behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For, behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets, and your rulers; and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquities.
 
11 And it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book; and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered.
 
12 And behold, the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.
 
13 Wherefore because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore, the book shall be kept from them.
 
14 But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust; and he shall deliver these words unto another, but the words that are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book.
 
15 For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.
 
16 And the day cometh, that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the housetops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be, even unto the end of the earth.
 
17 Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it, save it be that three witnesses shall behold it by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.
 
18 And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said, that the words of the faithful should speak as it were from the dead.
 
19 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and woe be unto him that rejecteth the word of God.
 
20 But, behold, it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book, Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee.
 
21 And the learned shall say, Bring hither the book and I will read them; and now because of the glory of the world, and to get gain will they say this, and not for the glory of God. And the man shall say, I cannot bring the book for it is sealed. Then shall the learned say, I cannot read it.
 
22 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof to him that is not learned; and the man that is not learned shall say, I am not learned. Then shall the Lord God say unto him, The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee.
 
23 Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.
 
24 Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom to reveal all things unto the children of men.
 
25 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men, save it be according to their faith.
 
26 And again it shall come to pass, that the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him, Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men, therefore I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people; yea, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.

  I could go on, but I will stop there. From the original Hebrew Text above and the 2 translations shown after it, which translation would most accurately fit?  There are many other changes he made to his Bible that change the meaning and substance of the message. 

He even changed it and added his own name in Genesis 50:33 of Joseph Smith's translation it reads:

33 And that seer will I bless, and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise I give unto you; for I will remember you from generation to generation; and his name shall be called Joseph, and it shall be after the name of his father; and he shall be like unto you; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth in his hand by his hand shall bring my people unto salvation."

This, and the other changes he made to the Bible he changed AFTER "translating" the Book of Mormon so it had already come to pass. What? Was he trying to allude to the fact that it was to come to pass after he already did it?

Lets read what we are told about adding and taking away things from the Bible.

Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Proverbs 30:6. "Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar"

  

Revelation 22:18-19."For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this Book" 

Psalms 119: 160 “The entirety of Your word is truth”. 

Proverbs 30:5-6: “Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” 

If we look at the context it saying “Every word of God.” God is stating for MAN not to add to his words. Adding does not only mean additional words, but can also mean changing them to mean what they do not. When you add new words as equal to Scripture you are really taking away from Scripture.

Is this, or is this not what Joseph did to the Bible? Where then does it put him? If God was going to tell someone to retranslate "His Word" in the future, why then would he say in the past to NOT add or remove words to his "Book"? That would then make God a liar, would it not? My God is not a liar. My God is Perfect and would not put a stumbling block, like this, in the path of those who truly want to come  to him for salvation.

Hugs and Prayers! If anyone is questioning About their own church history, go to Desert Book, purchase Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman. All LDS apologist agree that this book is an accurate history.

New Creatures in Christ.

Where to begin? 

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

What does this mean? I had never read this scripture and took it for it's full meaning. A heart is good, right? What does it mean, "who can know it?" Can I not trust my feelings? After all.. feelings are a firm rooted grasp on Testimony! Without feelings from the heart how can we gain a spiritual testimony with the warm feeling that comes with it? Nothing bad can come from basing truth on feelings....right? But "The heart is deceitful above all things,..." Does that mean it can be deceived? 

Bible scripture was always so hard for me to understand because of the 8th article of faith "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." Which parts are translated "correctly" and which parts are we to cast off? Joseph Smith re-translated the Bible so what he has written in his "Inspired Version" will be okay to take for face value. My mother gave an Inspired Version Bible to my  Husband back in 1993.  I will check and make sure it's the same as the King James Version then will know It's okay scripture to use. So, what else does the bible say about Hearts (Feelings) 

Proverbs 28:26 - "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." 
...... umm.. Okaaaay. So If I trust what my heart tells me I'm a fool but if I seek wisdom I will be delivered.

Proverbs 14:12 - "There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
.....It may seem right to myself and my mortal mind, but contradicts scripture? That's not good.

Jeremiah 10:23 -"O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps"
 ..... So I need to seek the Lord to direct my steps and not men or myself.

What about Saul of Tarsus? He thought he was doing what was right in Acts 26:9 "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth."

What does the Book Of Mormon say about feelings? 

Moroni 10:4-5 "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.."
 
What's the Holy Ghost (Spirit) Defined as?
Dictionary.com  noun: 
the third person of the Trinity.

Theopedia.com: 
The Holy Spirit is the name of the third person in the Trinity, sometimes called the Holy Ghost. Jesus promised the Apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit after his crucifixion and resurrection:
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26, ESV) In Christian theology the study of the Holy Spirit is called pneumatology, from two Greek words, pneuma meaning "wind," "breath," or "spirit" and logos meaning "word," or "logic." Generally this includes such topics as the personality of the Spirit, the deity of the Spirit, and the work of the Spirit as presented in the Bible.

LDS.org:  
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones. He is often referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, or the Comforter.

 How do you know the Holy Ghost/Spirit has answered your Prayers?: 

LDS view:
"A person may feel the Holy Ghost in many different ways, called the fruits of the spirit and the still small voice. The Holy Ghost enters our mind and heart, which anyone can hear, but one must receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost for it to linger with them always. "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground" (D&C 8:2-3.)"


 Biblical View:
I had more trouble finding a biblical reference to the Holy Ghost/Spirit answering our prayers. The nearest thing I could find was where he "Guides in truth". John 16:13 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." The Holy Spirit can't testify of things that the Bible has warned of. Namely, trusting your heart/feelings when it comes to truth.

The Bible is warning about following your feelings but the Book of Mormon and D&C are encouraging it? Which do I follow? Which do I hold fast to? What can I trust? 

God rebukes religious division and contradictions. Yet division is inevitable if we follow our feelings, because feelings vary so much from person to person and from time to time.
Following feelings to guide us in religion results in division, but God condemns division. Therefore, God does not want us to follow our feelings in religion!

 Paul States in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 
10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"


1 Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 
........Who is the author of confusion then? Who would want to create division? Satan.

John 17:20-21
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 

Ephesians 4:3-6
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

How easy it is to lead a people a stray after convincing them Gods Word (Bible) is not reliable. What better way to cause division, confusion and contention. After convincing a people Gods Word is not reliable he can then get them to believe anything he wants.

Gods Word has been preserved and is whole as he promised! Jesus, himself stated in Mathew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." 
Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."  
Isaiah 30:8 "Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:" 
 2 John 2 " For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever."

..........

My entire religious testimony on Mormonism has been a "Burning of the bosom". A Manifestation of a  Holy Ghost (Familiar Spirit?) in fervent prayer wanting truth. I NEEDED to know the answer and was given that answer through a strong overwhelming emotional feeling. According to the Bible (Gods Word) we are warned of such "testimonies". There must be wisdom in our learning or we can be lead astray by Satan. But Satan can't bring a feeling of peace.. can he?... (What is a Familiar Spirit??)  

Brian also received a "Burning of the Bosom" in the polygamy Church concerning polygamy and himself living it. He looked for another wife. I looked for a sister wife. We wanted it to be blessed from God. We both grew up in families that fell apart, ending in divorce, because of polygamy, and wanted our family to stay together, forever, and be blessed of God. We never found the other Women, for good reason. This is the same feeling he received while needing to find out who the True Prophet is that had all the "Keys" of the Priesthood.  If the Holy Spirit/Ghost can only testify of truth, how can it manifest as an answer for something that is wrong? Was it the "Holy Spirit" or a "Familiar Spirit"? What does the Bible say about Familiar Spirits?

Leviticus 19:31
31 "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God."

Isaiah 19:3
3 "And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards." 
........So, familiar spirits are in the same category as Idols, Charmers and Wizards..... Not good.
Look up "Familiar Spirits" in the bible. None of them are good. The one sighting I was familiar with was Isaiah 29:1-4 that is sighted as a prophecy of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. After deeper study I found it has been taken out of context for this interpretation.

We all know Satan is a deceiver, liar, and counterfeiter. Everyone knows that Satan and evil may inspire feelings like anger, hate, etc. So why can't they inspire us to feel sure certain doctrines are true, when really they are not true?

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
"13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
  
2 Corinthians 11:3  "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

Matthew 24:24 "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

.............

Which now brings us to question something I dare not question before. You don't speak evil against the "Lords Anointed". I'm not going to speak against him. I'm going to question. How would we know who the Lords anointed is without testing them?  Knowing I can trust certain things in the Bible, I can now take many things as truth and apply them . I had many questions in Polygamy and brought them with me even after joining the LDS Faith but couldn't ask them because of certain things we were told never to question or seek after. We didn't want to brake the "rules", so we faithfully followed. Growing up in Polygamy, I knew many things about Church history that many LDS members, including Bishops and Stake Presidents, had no idea about or would have rather not been bothered with. Having asked some questions when we were first members and kind of being brushed off or given answers that made no sense, we just put the questions back on the shelf where they sat for a very long time, knowing they would be answered, in time. Occasionally, we would look over at what had accumulated on our "shelf" and study up here and there, N.E.V.E.R touching anything that wasn't Official Church Doctrine. Over time,"Official" Church Doctrine started to change and we could no longer use what was considered earlier, "official". To say we got frustrated was an understatement, so much so that we left it all alone. Until recently when we read Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

It's time to embrace Thessalonians. 

1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

We are told to Prove or Test everything. Since most of my Questions had to deal with Joseph Smith and things he did or taught we will put him to the Biblical Test. (What I am going to mention is a very small fraction of the questions Brian and I had. I will compile our full list of questions at a later time.)  

Deuteronomy 13:1-4
1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Deuteronomy 18:22 "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him"

What were the things that Joseph Smith spoke through prophesy, in the name of the LORD. Did they all come to pass as the Bible Prophets Prophecies have? There are may "Prophecies" where he spoke in the name of the LORD and it did not come to pass but I will only mention 3. Remember, it clearly states, Deuteronomy 18:22 "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him"

MORMON DEBTS WILL BE PAID: April 23, 1834. D&C 104: 78-83. God's promise to deliver the Saints from their debts. "It is my will that you shall pay all your debts." The Lord will soften the hearts of their creditors.

 Joseph Smith and others had to flee Kirtland to avoid their creditors, leaving debts of thousands of dollars unpaid. Joseph Smith ended up having to file bankruptcy.

US GOVERNMENT WILL BE DESTROYED: May 18, 1843. HC 5:394, also Mill Star 22:455. Joseph Smith prophesies "by virtue of the holy priesthood... and in the name of the Lord" that if Congress or the United States will not redress the wrongs which the Mormons suffered in Missouri, and grant them protection, "the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted," they shall be "broken up as a government" and there will be nothing left of them. (A similar prophecy was made Dec 16, 1843. See Quinn p 641, Chron JS 189)

The United States rejected the Mormons' petitions; their wrongs were not redressed; they were not protected from their enemies. The United States government was never overthrown and is still in existence. 

CITY OF ZARAHEMLA, IOWA: March 1841. D&C 125:1-4. Revelation directing the Mormons to build a city called Zarahemla in Iowa, across the river from Nauvoo.

No such city was ever built. 

Which ones of these, that were spoken in the name if the LORD, are okay to not come to pass according to Deuteronomy 18:20-22

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

It doesn't state that he's mortal and will make mistakes. It's very clear in it states "If the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath NOT spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously..." . It even states in Verse 20, "..even that prophet shall die." I would be so careful if I was a prophet to make sure what I was saying was from the LORD. I would NOT want that responsibility on my shoulders knowing if it didn't come to pass I would be in such trouble. Joseph, on the other hand, had a new "revelation" every time someone had a question. The "Word of Wisdom" came about because of Emma. She got tired of cleaning up tobacco juice after meetings because the men would miss the spittoon. We knew this while we were members of the polygamy group.

Brigham Young, the second President of the Church, made the following statements concerning the conditions that led to the giving of the Word of Wisdom:  

"I think I am as well acquainted with the circumstances which led to the giving of the Word of Wisdom as any man in the Church, although I was not present at the time to witness them. The first school of the prophets was held in a small room situated over the Prophet Joseph's kitchen,... When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiry." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12,p. 158)

The "Shelf" that had all of our unanswered questions on, for 20 years, came toppling down. Everything we questioned or had problems with had an answer. The very thing we thought was the foundation of our "religion" came crashing down. Joseph Smith was NOT a prophet. 

..........................................

August 19th 2012 we were asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting before we moved the very next Wednesday. Brian, Myself and Our oldest son, Corey. We were a typical Mormon Family. Paying our tithing and fast offerings faithfully. Fulfilling our callings to the best of our ability. Making it to all of our church meetings. Teaching our children, having FHE (Family Home evening) as regularly as we could with Brian working out of town. Attending the Temple when it was possible. Keeping the word of Wisdom. Holding current Temple Recommends and going when we could. Reading the Scriptures, continually learning and everything else good Mormons do to be good LDS people. That same evening, August 19th 2012,  Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" jumped into our lives.  We knew, without any doubts, of the deception of Satan by Tuesday evening the 21st of August 2012. I didn't have a whole lot of time to read and study as I was also packing up our family of 9 to move that Wednesday afternoon. Every time I had a moment to stop packing and attend to the needs of my other children I would just sob so I did my best to stay busy. 

After moving and unpacking some, we pulled our 3 oldest children aside. We sat them down and explained what had happened. Talked with them about the facts and our findings and answered their questions. We told them our stance and asked them if they still wanted to attend the LDS church we would understand and support them. All 3 didn't want to have anything to do with it. Our Oldest, to the surprise of myself and my husband came to an intimate relationship with his Savior and came to know him that very next Sunday. (What can I say about my Precious Son. He loves Truth and gobbles up scripture. Once he knew he could take what the bible says for face value, he basked in it!) He's not the same child I knew back in August! He is literally a New Creature in Christ. It shows in his actions, his attitude and his countenance. Praise Jesus for taking away the burdens that have weighed him down for years. Our Oldest Daughter had a harder time. She kept thinking about all her wonderful friends in our old neighborhood. How she loves them all wishes she could testify to them of the truth. She is also a new Creature in Christ. Jesus has taken away her burdens as well.  

Mathew 11:28 has changed our entire family. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

Before finding my Savior I was burdened down with anxiety, depression, anger, frustration and grief. My dear sweet husband came to a knowledge of Jesus, the Savior of the Bible, and accepted him when he was 18 while in the Polygamous group. Donna Bonnie and Alice, Sunday school teachers, were teaching from the New Testament. He will tell you of his experience if you want to hear it but he's not been the same person since then. He will be the first to tell you any good through him is because of Jesus and God. He would tell me, when I was at the point of ending it all to "Give it to Jesus.. He is the grand physician and will remove it all." I was so frustrated. I would pray and plead every day. I would attend the temple and sit in the celestial room to find peace. I would immerse myself in scripture and study the Book Of Mormon and other LDS scriptures. I would get angry at my husband when he told me I needed to pray harder and give it to Jesus.. I WAS TRYING! I wanted him to take it all! I was burdened down every day and wanted to cast it off! The only reason I am still here on this Earth right now, is my children. I couldn't imagine them growing up without their Mother. I was so distraught and started thinking how I would be justified in talking my own life being how mentally unstable I was. God knew my heart and knew how much I was going through. The days I knew I might do something, I would not get in the car alone. Images of  pulling in front of an oncoming semi heading to or from the gravel pits near our home would run over and over in my mind. I would play church music and sing along with Hymns to try and remove them. I would keep busy and not allow myself what I so desperately wanted to do, to make it all stop. The constant knot in my throat and anxiety attacks were just part of my normal life. Diet changes and Essential oils helped some days, but parts of it were still there. Not a day went by where I didn't think about the abuse I went through as a child. Not a day went by where I didn't think about justice. Not a day went by where I didn't think about my rotten childhood. 

The day I accepted Jesus and my Savior was just another day, so I thought. I learned who the Biblical Jesus was. Realized how I didn't know Jesus at all and the LDS version of Jesus is a watered down version of him. 


This is NOT my Jesus!
LDS: "He is literally our elder brother, born to Heavenly Parents in the Pre-existence. Jesus, Lucifer, angels and humans are all the same species and are brothers and sisters.
Gospel Principles, p. 11, 17, 18 

Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ...so he is literally our elder brother.... We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" ... Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said "Here am I, send me".... Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me." ... After hearing both sons speak, Heavenly Father said, "I will send the first." ... Because our Heavenly Father chose Jesus Christ to be our Savior, Satan became angry and rebelled."

 THIS is my Jesus!!
BIBLE: "Jesus is fully God, not a subordinate deity. He eternally exists as God and is our creator."

Isaiah 9:6 
 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 8:58 
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
1 Timothy 3:16 
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Hebrews 13:8 
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
John 1:1-4, 14 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Colossians 1:16-17 
For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

My Jesus saves by GRACE!  Not By works. Good Works follow the believer. Not working to be saved.
Salvation is not limited to universal resurrection but is a gift from God to those who believe.

Romans 1:16 
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Hebrews 9:28 
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

One week after accepting the real Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I had to stop and reflect. Something was different. Brian noticed it. My kids noticed it and now I did. It had been a full week since I had to use my Essential oils to ward off anxiety. Depression was no where to be found. This was HUGE! I never did well with change and we just went through some HUGE change with the move. Not to mention our entire life had been turned upside down.. Or better yet, turned right side UP. 

The only change in my life was I knew who my Savior was and accepted him. I didn't ask him to take all my burdens and set me free, but that's what happened. He took it all and lifted the burdens that had been weighting me down for a very long time and made me a new Creature in Christ! I was Born again! Praise Jesus! Thank you God! To this day, I don't have the right words to express my gratitude! 

I am a sinner. I am not perfect and will never be perfect by my own doing. The Biblical Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior made me perfect through him. I Love him because he loved me first, even though I was flawed, broken and a sinner. He loved me first. I came to him as a broken, unworthy sinner and he accepted me. He didn't turn me away and tell me to come back when I made myself as perfect as I possibly could so he could fill in the missing parts. He accepted me as I was and made me whole. I repeat, He didn't turn me away and withhold his Glory from me, the sinner, because I wasn't perfect. He took me as I was. I am a follower of the Biblical Jesus. A member of the Body of Christ. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. When Jesus was on the cross and said "It is finished" it was finished. He gave us the gift of Grace. It is a gift, not to be purchased, but accepted.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  Believe in him! 

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

Brian and I didn't leave the LDS church because we were offended in any way. We didn't leave because we made some grievous sin.We didn't leave because we were pressured by anyone. We left because we love our God, Savior, Jesus Christ and want to follow him in all of his truths. God is so wonderful. His timing is perfect! I do know had he brought that scripture to us any sooner we would have over looked it, or any later we may have rejected it. As it is, he is at the helm and knows Brian and I more then I had ever thought he did. 

We have such a deep love for everyone in our previous neighborhood and Wards that we shared the last 9 years. We love our dear sweet Stake President Ronald Edwards and his precious Wife, Julie. As well as Bishop Cecil Tuley and his sweet wife Judy. Not to mention all of our wonderful Neighbors. We wanted to tell you all in our own due time, but my sweet Sister, Misty, called our Stake President to tell him what had happened and, no doubt, ask him for advice and help to try and stop us from making any rash decisions. She also told a friend she made while living with us in her Spanish ward who in turn told Holly S. (My long Visiting Teaching companion, Visiting Teacher and dear sweet friend) who called to ask Sheryl R, since she knew we were close, who called me to get it straight from the source. (Love that you dislike gossip and always goes to the source. Thank you for the phone call) Holly did call me and we had a nice chat but didn't mention anything of what I now know she already knew. (Love you, Holly) I don't know how far it's gone from there, but knowing these 2 women so well, it's not gone far through them. 

Brian and I want you all to know how much we love you all. Friends and Family alike We have not turned our back on God. Quite the contrary, have found him as well as our Savior, Jesus Christ and accepted him as the one and only way to Saving Grace. We would urge you to find the Savior. No one can tell you, you are "Saved". You will know. No one can stand between you and your Savior. You don't have to go through your Bishop, Stake President or even Joseph Smith. There is no "middle man" when it comes to Salvation. Come as you are. Accept his precious Gift of Grace. It's not by "Works" we are saved. It's is Grace, and Grace alone. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

John 6:28-29
"28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."..... Spoken by Jesus to his disciples when they asked about the "Works" God requires.


Isaiah 64:6 
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags;and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

Love you all and hope to hear from anyone that may have questions to ask us. We hope to keep what friendships we had and keep in contact with you. We hold no ill will toward anyone but we are prepared to be persecuted for Jesus and what we hold dear. 

Mathew 10:32-39

"32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

We plead with you to find Jesus Christ. Don't find yourself being cast out like in Matthew 7:21-23
 "21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." 

God Bless you all! 
To all Friends and Family. If you feel to tell someone our Family is no longer LDS or we left the church, please don't leave them with that information alone. The question of "Why?" will undoubtedly enter their mind. Please link them to this blog or tell them to search out "Daley Journey to truth" on BlogSpot. We all have our own story and they have the right to have their Why question answered even if they feel they can't talk with us.

 

 

Salt Lake Temple. June 25th 1999

Waking up bright and early. Getting our precious family in the car and driving from Riverton Utah to Salt Lake City. We enter the Salt Lake Temple for the very first time with our entire family, including our 3rd child I am pregnant with.

We drop Corey and Cerena off with the Temple Matrons and are lead back to get dressed into our Temple clothing. They escort us into the Celestial room where we wait and bask in the beautiful spirit. Sitting next to one another, holding hands, soaking in the beauty, waiting to be escorted to a sealing room.

This very day, one of my biggest fears will be put to rest. The day I gained a testimony of the Prophet of the church, is also the day I realized my husband and I were not sealed, with the proper authority, for time and all eternity. If something were to happen to one of us we would have to have our work done for us. Our children were not sealed to us, so we would have had to have that done as well. It weighted heavily on my heart. I wanted to make sure, our family would be sealed for ever! I didn't want to rely on someone else to do that for us. This day, that weight would be lifted from my shoulders!

As Brian and I kneeled across from one another at the alter, holding hands, the tears flowed. This man, who I promised to be with forever, would now be my forever companion, for the first time, 4 Years to the day we were married! We fell in love all over again!

Then the matrons brought our precious children in to us and set them on top of the alter. Seeing them dressed in white was one of the most beautiful sights. We were sealed together as a family. There was not a dry eye in the room as many in the room knew exactly of our journey and shared in our joy!

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one and only true church on the earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of the Lord who holds all of the Authority to the Priesthood. I have a Testimony of Prayer. I could not have asked for more clear answers through prayer. I know my Savior loves me, died for me and I know, through him, all of my sins will be forgiven, if I but repent and give them to him. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I Know that Joseph Smith, with the inspiration of our Heavenly Father, translated the Gold Plates to give us the record of the people who came to the Americas, lived in Americas and even those, who got to see the Savior, after his resurrection, in the Americas. I have a Testimony of Temple work for the dead through proxy as well as the work we do for ourselves. I know, if you take the time to pray, with a sincere heart, wanting to know truth without an agenda, the Lord will answer you!

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Update 11-9-12

Excuse me as I remove my foot from my mouth and wipe the egg from my face. I was deceived. I was wrong. I was misinformed because I chose to research a few topics and not the foundation of the LDS church. I relied on my "Burning of the Bosom", knowledge lacking testimonies instead of the Word of God. I chose to be ignorant of the Bible and it's warnings. After much study and learning how the Bible we now have came to us, I know now my God kept his word and preserved his words to our day and his words will be preserved forever. My God cannot Lie and has kept his promises.

Ohh dear. The things that weighed heavily on my heart while trying to save myself through the "Works" I thought were required to make it back to God. The "Works" that I did to save myself and my ancestors.. so they could make it back to God. How foolish I was. Thinking that God dwells in the Temples here on Earth?

Acts 7:48-49 
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,  
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

Not to mention the fact about trying to save myself... doing all the works I can, to pay for a Gift that can't be bought. If I can do it all and save myself by becoming perfect ...or even work my way to 1,000th of the way and have the Savior fill in the rest.. what need do I have of a Savior in the first place? My works are nothing! I can do nothing to earn salvation. You don't earn a gift. You accept it. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast
  
My "works" are nothing. I am a sinner. I cannot be perfect by my own doing.. It's against human nature because of the fall of Adam. God knows this. All he asks is we accept and know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through him we become perfect in him. He dwells in those who accept his Gift. Good works follow the believer.  We are changed and become a new creature in Christ, who saves us.... We must repent of our Righteousness!! 

Isaiah 64:6 
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags;and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

Luke 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 

Covenants Received!

Our date to take out our Endowments is June 24th 1999. We schedule to take them out in the Manti, Utah Temple. We chose this temple because they have live sessions. In the Group they had a live session of their own so we wanted to experience a live session for our own personal reasons.

We drove to Manti with Brian's Sister and Brother in Law Becky and Sam. The day before we attended the Manti Pageant and toured the town. Stayed in a hotel room and awoke bright and early to be the first couple to attend the session.

Walking into the temple, feeling the peace and calm of wonderful surroundings. The attendants escorted us back to speak to the Temple presidency. I could feel angels pass us in the hall and was so overcome with joy that tears filled my eyes! We were then escorted back to change into white clothing to prepare for the session.

It was wonderful, so full of meaning and feeling that many times during the session I couldn't help but cry. Feeling the love and truth of everything was more then I could have ever hoped to feel. Toward the end, when my husband lead me into the Celestial Room, there was not a dry eye in the room. Total strangers that went through the session with us were crying. Temple patrons were in tears as well as our wonderful Friends and Family that were able to attend with us. Entering the Celestial Room was as if we entered Heaven itself! I wanted to dwell in that room forever!

My beautiful box was no longer empty but was now full and overflowing!

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Updated 11-9-12
My box was so full of feeling. So full of what I needed to feel. So full of what I wanted to feel...and so full of deception.

There are things missing from this ceremony that were in the Polygamy ceremony. Things I later questioned my Bishop who then sent me to the Stake President. His answer to our questions about the penalty's that were removed?  The Lord saw that they weren't needed anymore so they were removed. Why were they not needed? Why were they removed? What kinds of penalties did the Lord require now if they were broken? (They were pretty grotesque and part of me was glad they were removed  but I still questioned why the change?) Does God change things for the comfort of his children? Why did he not change the Law of Moses to conform more to the comfort of the Jews? That would mean his word is ever changing instead of never changing. The LDS church believes in a Church that is ever changing. It doesn't matter what one prophet before them taught.. When that prophet passes away it's almsot as if most everything they said it null and void when the current Prophet makes a statement that contradicts the last. One generation of Mormons believes one thing and the next believes another.. There teachings don't match and it's confusion. Old time Ensign use to be the Journals of Discourses.. but it's not official Doctrine anymore. It's Null and Void. So what if one prophet use to teach that the only way to enter the Celestial Kingdom is by living the Plurality of wives?  That went away with The manifesto and the Prophet Wilford Woodruff. The Most recent.. and I know it's silly... but Gordon B Hinckley said that faithful members of the church don't drink Coke... but now it's okay to drink Coke. Did God conform to mans weakness because they were already doing it?

More Preparation.

We are now members of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For the first time in my life I know where I belong. . The peace that fills me is indescribable. I feel I'm home.

We now need to wait a year before we can enter the Temple to take out our endowments and be sealed as an eternal family. Taking this journey with my best friend and Husband was such a blessing. Having this man, whom I chose to be with forever is now with me, on the same path.

We received our Temporary Temple recommends and entered the Temple to do Baptisms for the dead at least 2-3 times a month. Feeling the presents of those who had been waiting to get their work done, their excitement, gratitude, and joy was sometimes overwhelming and other days sparse.

It was a rough year, full of temptations and doubts. Not of our faith but of my worthiness to be sealed to such a wonderful man for eternity! I made some choices that caused me to have to put our date on hold, but with some help from my husband and lots of prayer, I was able to overcome the problems and continue.

By this time, I am now expecting our 3rd child, Andrew. He will be our first child that will be born under the covenant into our Eternally Sealed Family! My due date will be 6 weeks before his birth from our Sealing date.

Baptism

The day had finally arrived!! June 3rd 1998! Brian and I were going to be entering the waters of baptism! One, to be cleansed of all of our sins and two, to become Members of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints!

We didn't have many family members there but we did have LOTS of our Ward family attend! I didn't know what to expect as my first 2 experiences with baptism were empty. No feeling and no meaning. Empty shells. I wasn't looking for another because I know, in my heart, that this is where the Truth was. This is what I needed to do.. and to have my husband with me while we both were baptized this day was wonderful!! I didn't want to do this without him by my side!

The font was filled but it was too full so someone let the water out and walked away letting it almost completely empty. They had to fill it again but there was no more hot water. When I walked down into the water it was so cold. When the time came to be placed under the water and brought back up, I felt a cloak of warmth surround me as I walked out of the water. I didn't notice the cold anymore, all I felt was warmth and love. Walked up out of the faunt and went into the dressing room to get dressed. I cried! Tears of joy!

Elder Wirthlin

The day finally came for us 2 months later. We were asked to go and meet with one of the 12 apostles. We are actually going to go and speak with one of the 12 who will then decide if we will be approved to be baptized. It was Elder Wirthlin. Brian and I went to the building and waited in his receptionists room. The spirit in that room... in that building was wonderful. We basked in it!!

I was called to go into his office first. He motioned for me to sit in the chair and he went straight to the point and asked me "Why do you want to join the church?" Between the spirit in his office and the words that leaped my lips, I could not hold back the flood of emotions and tears! My answer? "Because the church is TRUE! I can't deny that, or will I ever deny it!" I was sobbing almost uncontrolled when he said. Good Answer! He shook my hand and said. "What an honor to have such a strong testimony! Welcome to the Church!" He escorted me out and motioned for Brian to enter.

While I was in the office Brian was talking to the receptionist. He asked if she was aware of the spirit in his office. She nodded and he asked if she ever gets use to it. She said that she guesses she does.

We left the offices totally on cloud 9! We then set our baptism date for June 3rd 1998.

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Update 11-9-12
A man, being chosen to decide whether or not we can be forgiven of our Sins and be baptized and become members of a church. I guess it makes sense because it is the church of Men... If it truly was Jesus Christs Church then Jesus would decide. 

Patience and Perseverance.

Our papers were placed on the desk of an apostle who was out of the country. Elder Wirthlin was in charge of all members wanting to join the church from backgrounds like ours. Becky W. called to try to find out our status as it was taking a very long time. Brian and I waited patiently.

We were attending church, loving the companionship and support from everyone. I was compiling a binder with all of the information I had found that helped me see the truth. Scripture references, Talks from both sides, letters as well as church archive time lines. It helped pass the time as well as helped me help my sister, Misty, and all of her questions.

The day told my family we were joining the church my sis had so many questions. She was so full of anger and resentment toward me and Brian. I don't know what mom was telling her about us but it couldn't have been good. I finally told her that I wasn't going to talk to her about any of it till she prayed for peace and understanding. The spirit of contention was so thick she wasn't going to listen to anything I told her. 3 days later she came over and told me she prayed and wanted to know what I know. Something told her she needed to join the church as well. She slowly came to the truth and joined the church. It was a long hard road for her. The church has a policy that requires the person being baptized to not be living with a parent with the background of ours. She was still living with mom at the young age of 14, wanted to be baptized more then anything and not being able to be. She hung though, stayed firm in her faith, went to church every week as well as all of her young women meetings and was finally given the yes to be baptized at 17 years old. What a wonderful day that was!!