"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost..."

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." 2 Nephi Chapter 14/1830 (32:3/Utah version)

Reading: "And we talk of Christ..." (2 Nephi 11/1830)

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

- 2 Nephi Chapter 11/1830 (25:26/Utah)

Be a Truth Seeker!

A Sermon of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ

2 Sept. 2012

As Latter Day Mormons in The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ, we believe that man has been sent to this earth to obtain knowledge of truth and to learn to live in accordance with truth and God’s law. By doing this, he increases in intelligence and understanding of the things of God and fulfills the measure of his mortal creation. Indeed, the fact that man is here in mortality signifies that he accepted the Author of truth. Had he, in his pre-mortal state, followed the devil, the father of lies, he would have forfeited the right to come to this earth as a mortal being.

Very sadly too often today in this world of lies, fundamental truths of the Gospel are set aside for the wicked and corrupt ideas of men, which are conveniently wrapped up in attractive attire and seek to lead good men away from the truth. All Ideas, no matter how sophisticated their claims or how beautifully they are presented, should be measured against the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other standard by which we can distinguish the truths by which we should live.

To Latter Day Mormons, basic to an understanding of the things of God is a comprehension of the meaning of truth. In the early days of the restoration of the early church, the Lord revealed the definition of truth to the saints and indeed to the world and provided the key to man’s search for the knowledge of truth. The Lord declared, “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; and whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one was a liar from the beginning. The Spirit of God is truth” (D&C 93:24-26). The fact that the Spirit of truth is of God requires that we search for and proclaim truth in the light of revelations of God.

We proclaim that the pursuit of truth and knowledge has always been encouraged by God and his servants, and that pursuit is still alive today for Latter Day Mormons just as it was in the early days of the restored church. In the days of the early church the Saints were admonished to learn all things, as stated in Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-79. The early saints just as the saints today were also encouraged to diligently teach the truth to one another. Let it be understood that men should pursue the knowledge of the world and participate in experiments to advance that knowledge, but they should have the gospel of Jesus Christ as their constant frame of reference at all times.

One of the main purposes for the existence of The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ in this dispensation is to proclaim the truth. Jesus Christ was, from the beginning, appointed to aid men in their search for truth. The Prophet Joseph Smith, through revelation, learned that Jesus Christ is the light of truth, which lights aids men in comprehending the works and glories of God (D&C 88:6-13). Let us not forget that it is Christ that is the source of the light of truth and we are his instruments in extending that truth to others so that they might understand that same fact for themselves. When men examine the statement, “The Glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth” (D&C 93:36), they are compelled to conclude that to know light and to know truth one must know and recognise Jesus Christ, for he is “the light of truth” (D&C 88:6).

The Lord has encouraged us as his followers to ponder and to be still and to take time to listen to the still small voice and it is for this reason that meditation and prayer are fundamental to Latter Day Mormons because it is during those still quite times that our minds are uncluttered form worldly problems and our minds are open and in search of the truth and in that search we are more open to the spirit of truth that allows us to approach the Saviour who is the guardian of truth. For Latter Day Mormons, truth must be sought and identified, and we must keep in mind that the fundamental truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ should be our constant frame of reference; we should measure the validity of any teaching against the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

By applying the tools of the gospel of truth, we increase our love of truth and our desire to further our knowledge and understanding of truth. As Latter Day Mormons, we must remember that searching for and obeying truth prepares us for our eternal inheritance with our Father in Heaven and with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is because of this that we seek after the truth and guard it with love and care.

Reading: "I am he who will bleed for you at my first coming." Bk of Jeraneck 5:14-19

"And so it was that as Sharaneck was about to tell the people what Lord had blessed him with, the Heavens opened.  And out of the Heavens there came a man unlike any man they had seen before. And he stood in the midst of them and said, “I am he who will bleed for you at my first coming.   I am he who will be born to a virgin pure and clean.  I am he who is the only begotten of the Father.  I am he whom your Prophets testify of. I am the Saviour, the very Christ."

Book of Jeraneck 5:14-19

Reading: "to declare repentance unto this people" (D&C 41:6/16:13 Utah)

"And now behold I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you, will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen."

D&C 41:6 (16:3/Utah)

Reading: D&C 48:3 "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart"

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." D&C 48:3 (25:12/Utah

Reading: D&C 18:9 "Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven"

"Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins — behold, he will confess them and forsake them." D&C 18:9 (58:42-43/Utah)