Latest Mormon News and Events 4/25/2008

"Sheep Stealing" the reason Mitt Romney lost Presidential Bid? Interesting thought, but I really doubt it. See the Westin Town Crier, MA article: Weston Wayland Interfaith Action Group hosts speaker

View Larger Map

The article says: What are the concerns that Evangelicals and other Americans have with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known by the nickname of Mormons? Proctor proposed that even though Evangelicals have and will vote for Catholics, Protestants and candidates from other faith traditions, something about Mormon theology and doctrine doesn’t allow for similar support. Proctor quoted a report that this in part could be from a factor known as "sheep stealing." Evangelicals can be frustrated with losing followers who convert to Mormonism and with that lost membership comes economic repercussions. She also said it may be in part to "nearness of doctrine" that causes Evangelicals to feel threatened.

A commentor named Aaron said: Sharon (a previous commenter) has a right to her own opinion, but let us not beg the question. "For evangelicals believe that people who worship any God other than the God revealed in the Bible are in grave spiritual jeopardy."

Then I'd suggest you stop believing a different God then the rest of Christianity, because that is the God in who the Mormons worship! Whether Evangelicals "understand" differences of understanding equates to a different god is not only irrelevant, but ridiculous (and a very calculated rhetoric despite it being logically unsustainable). One can not simply change the being of an individual because you have a different understanding of him. That's like saying that the George Washington that founded this country and was the first president of the US who didn't have false teeth is a different George Washington than the one with wood teeth! It is juvenile, and ridiculous.

The following comes from The Anniston Star located in Anniston, Alabama.

View Larger Map

I am not denying that Mormons are good people and do many good things, but that isn't what makes someone Christian.
Elmyra N. Jackson, Anniston

Elmyra, I think we all understand your concern. But why do you deny the definition of "Christian" in every dictionary? Interestingly, someone responded to Elmyra in their newspaper.

Letter writer Elmyra Jackson stated that because Mormonism was so "deviant" from Christianity, persecution forced the Mormons to move from one place to another. The fact is that those most active in heaping persecution on the early Latter-day Saints were so-called "Christians," those professing to know Jesus and follow his teachings. I don't read anywhere in my New Testament any justification for the followers of Christ to vilify and torment any other group of people for their beliefs. Richard ByBee

Moving on to Raleigh, North Carolina and the Biblical Recorder. A Mr. Brandon Peay stated in response to Mike Lacona (NAMB, director, apologetics and interfaith evangelism), "While I appreciated your attempts to describe Mormonism, as an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former missionary, I feel there were a multitude of misrepresentations in the piece." I have to agree with Mr. Peay, Lacona's misrepresentation is hardly accurate.

View Larger Map

A Baptism Exhibition in England is underway showing where around 600 individuals were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reports the Ledbury Reporter. The article written by Mr. Gary Bills-Geddes describes William Carter, blacksmith that converted to Mormonism and was the first person to plough a half-acre in the Salt Lake Valley.

View Larger Map

The Christian Science Monitor has a piece written by Uwe Siemon-Netto titled Christians Should Keep Scripture Out of Politics. "That is not to say that Christians today shouldn't let their Christianity inform their political values and action. They should. But the Bible is not a political playbook. Christians, or adherents of any religion for that matter, should refrain from using holy text to fight politically over human concerns. Using Christian doctrine to push a political agenda is not just rude – it is a dangerous departure from the core message of Christianity: salvation by grace through faith."

Our hearts can heal

Our hearts can heal
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

Among the headstones on the grounds
Where children sometimes play
There is a spot without the sounds
That little children say

This is where a child’s at rest
Beneath the sod and flower
These tombstones are with tears caressed
Til’ Resurrections hour

While we await the Lord’s return
To rectify our grief
We know we’ll see his glory burn
Rewarding our belief

Until that glorious day is here
The sorrow is quite real
Our Lord will also shed a tear
Through him our hearts can heal.

(Topics: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormons, and the LDS Church.)

A Perfect Family

A Perfect Family
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

From the dawn of our beginning
Upon this wondrous earth.
God has a plan for winning.
Starting with a child's birth.

Each child of God that comes here
Needs a mom and daddy first.
Could we conquer every fear
If each child, with love, were nursed?

Things, sometimes, aren't worked out
In perfection, in this mortal life.
Some people take a different route
And don't love, as man and wife.

So, when our lives are lonely
And pain is all around
We must look to our God only
Where his purest love is found.

Yes, we can be adopted
Into the fold of God.
There’s peace for all who’ve opted
To grasp the iron rod.

For, even if earthly family ties
Dissolve and turn to dust.
God will wipe tears from our eyes
As we place in him our trust.

The second birth creates for you
A built-in family.
And they will be forever true
Throughout eternity.

(Topics: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormons, and the LDS Church.)

Visited Before

Visited Before
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

God lives and is real.
He listens when you pray.
Pure love, he wants us all to feel.
He'll guide our steps today.

This supreme creator,
Loves us endlessly,
He calls a revelator,
And helps us all to see.

His love is so extensive.
He sent his only son.
This gift was so expensive!
The bridge he built is done!

Let us love him in return,
Though life is full of pain,
Remember that this earth will burn,
When Jesus comes again.

We need not fear the devil's roar,
We can be free of shame,
If we've been visited before,
By Gods great cleansing flame.

(Topics: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormons, and the LDS Church.)

There is Hope

There is hope
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

O struggling world so full of strife
Thy God is near to thee
He is the way to peace in life
Bright hope I truly see

For when we place our hand in thine
Our footsteps thou wilt lead
And guide us with a light divine
With love supply our need

The nations of the earth must bow
In deep humility
To find the peace you offer now
To view the hope I see

For death or trial with pain and grief
May come to me today
I through the Savior find relief
That peace inside will stay

My hope for our dark troubled earth
Is peace for you and I
The answer is the second birth
That Jesus can supply.

(Topics: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormons, and the LDS Church.)

Ghost Town

Ghost Town
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

Darkness in the City
Brings a pensive mood
My state should bring me pity
Caused by thoughts on which I brood

This City is a ghost town
As empty as despair
Tonight I’m feeling down
And there’s no one here to care

Sure, The homes are full of people
Their lights are blazing bright
I can see the lighted steeple
On the church house, through the night

But I also see the shadow
Of friends who once lived here
Their hearts made my heart glow
And filled my life with cheer

So many friends have moved away
And yet their ghosts remain
“Remember me” their houses say
In haunting, slow refrain

I cannot travel down the road
Once the sun has set
For all the memories kindness sowed
Will not let me forget

So many houses with memories living
Those families sure were kind
I miss the sharing and the giving
That soothed my lonely mind

And yet, before I moved to this home
Someone’s friend first moved away
So wherever all my friends may roam
They will find more friends I pray

Yes, I’ll try to be the kind of friend
I hope and pray to meet
Because I know that in the end
I must love, to be complete.

(Topics: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormons, and the LDS Church.)

Refining Fire

Refining Fire
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

When life seems really sad
And full of punishment
It's not always cause' we've been bad
That the trials have been sent

In the Scriptures as we read, we see
Hard times the righteous face
Though pure in word and deed
They had to run this mortal race

The glorious crown we hope to win
Isn't in this place of scorn
For, though the Lord was free from sin
He wore a crown of thorn

Please, Lord guide us to the light
May we heed the words you say
Stay with us through this night
Til' we behold Celestial day

The trials of this life
Can inflict no lasting harms
If we trust God through the strife
Til' once again we're in his arms.

(Topics: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mormons, and the LDS Church.)

To Clearly See

To Clearly See
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

We need to see things clearly, If we want to know the truth
We must hunger for it dearly, Hunting like a super-sleuth

We only see through darkly, As we travel in this life
Faith grows like a small tree, Overcoming storm and strife

There is a gift as great as love, That our kind God will give
And he has sent it from above, To help our faith to live.

A seer is helpful to us all, In showing truth and light
In taking down tradition's wall, And ending darkest night

We all have misperceptions, About our history
We see murky reflections, In the way things used to be

We need the help, God will provide, To understand the past
The truth can help us then decide, To find great joy at last.

My Son

My Son
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

Evening light is fading
The room is dark and still
My child, sleeping soundly
Must wake to take his pill

I wake him very gently
He cries, for he is tired
He tries to move but cannot
There's a machine to which he's wired

And after he's asleep again
My heart is very sad
I feel like I should fix all this
Because I am his dad

Dear Father, up in Heaven
I'm pleading with you now
I want to heal my child's pain
Please help, and show me how

I feel I have no answers
Oh, Father hear my cries
My son is someone special
Will you just watch him as he dies?

Then, I hear a gentle voice
Speaking to my mind
Fear not, my child, for there is peace
In the plan that I designed

You see, I understand your grief
For I have felt it too
My son has also suffered pain
I've been as sad as you

When my son suffered on the cross
I wasn't by his side
I couldn't be there with him
Or help him as he died

Please know I love you and your son
And hold his little hand
You see, your loving kindness
Is the help for him I planned

And when his short life slips away
I'll catch and hold him tight
I hope this knowledge helps you
to make it through the night

So, Listen to your heart, my child
And you will clearly see
Your Savior, Jesus, paid the price
That all may come to me.

The Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost

The Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

The third member of the Godhead,
is a personage of spirit
Through his whisperings we are led,
as we listen close to hear it

Without a body of flesh and bone,
he enters into our heart
The truths of God can then be known,
by those who do their part

The Godhead works, always together,
in perfect unity
Giving us strength, life’s storms to weather,
with blessings eternally

The Holy Ghost will reveal,
the truth to the righteous mind
This truth, once received, no devil can steal,
because of the plan God designed

This quiet communication,
delivered softly to you and I
Is a gentle invitation,
to love our king who came, for our sins, to die

The witness of the Holy Ghost,
brings peace and certainty
This helps our conversion the most,
beyond what natural eyes see

As we strive to walk the trail,
that leads to eternal joy and bliss
We know that we will never fail,
if his promptings we don’t miss

The spirit can protect us all,
from danger of any kind
As we each answer his loving call,
great peace we soon will find

The gifts of the spirit will help us
to bless, those who need our love
We can help them to confess and forsake sin,
and dwell with our Father above

The soothing voice of a father,
brings comfort to a crying child
Let us help a Sister or Brother,
feel peace from the spirit so mild

The Holy Ghost can fill us up,
with perfect love and hope
The Savior can enter and with us sup,
and cut sins binding rope

Through the Spirit’s mighty power,
we are sanctified
We can find in every hour,
our needs will be supplied

We must enter through the baptismal gate,
to reach the Kingdom that’s best
The Gift of the Holy Ghost helps conquer hate,
and brings us peace and rest

He’s the Holy Spirit of Promise, it’s true,
and in this, his capacity
He confirms the ordinances given to you,
and those that are given to me

This approval depends on our faithfulness,
we each need this to take place
Our Father wants to guide and bless,
so we’ll worship him face to face

All honest seekers of the truth,
can feel the spirits influence and direction
Please ask God to bless all our youth,
to be worthy of his protection

The gift of the Holy Ghost is more constant,
than its influence alone
The gift allows him always to be present,
so we’ll have greater joy than we’ve known

We must keep the commandments of the almighty,
if we desire the spirit, to guide
We can enjoy his great company,
as in the love of God we abide

Full enjoyment of this gift,
can make us fit for Celestial glory
Let us go forth to bless and lift,
and tell all the world Jesus’ story

Each blessing comes, one by one,
as we prepare our hearts for God’s will
We must live in harmony with his Son,
if we desire God’s power to feel

God will bestow upon us great strength,
if we love him with all that we are
We know that we will conquer at length,
we can make it, no matter how far

The Spirit of the Lord may grieve,
his power may be quenched
If tangled webs of sin we weave,
the joy from our lives may be wrenched

Let’s keep our souls clean through the Lord’s grace,
and fill all our lives up with beauty
With help from the spirit we’ll reach the right place,
and accomplish each sacred duty.

The Atonement of Jesus Chirst

The Atonement of Jesus Christ
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

The loving Atonement performed by our Lord
Can help us to find harmony
God loved us so much that he sent forth the word
To reach out and to save you and me

Jesus alone could rescue and save
And help us be made perfect too
He Helps us to get the mercy we crave
By showing us what we should do

The penalty warranted by all our sin
Required the infinite gift
The battle with Satan we each can win
Our burden the Lord helps us lift

From the beginning the Lord was ordained
To die for what justice demands
Salvation from sin can now be obtained
By following Jesus' commands

We each can dwell with our Father above
As we follow the Lord's righteous course
His sacrifice shows a supreme act of love
Let us drink from this spring at it's source

The Savior has suffered these things for our sake
To redeem all mankind from the fall
Upon us his name we gladly will take
He offers his love unto all

We can all go where there's nothing unclean
Through Jesus alone this takes place
We can be saved from things evil and mean
To again see his loving face

The Savior had power to lay down his life
And take it up after its end
He asks us to flee contention and strife
And come home with him as a friend

He suffered temptations but gave them no heed
And lived life in pure innocence
He knows how to help in our hour of need
For all he has made recompense

The blood of the Lamb for our sake was shed
He gave his life freely for me
He prayed to our God as he suffered and bled
For help to endure agony

Because of the love that our dear Savior had
For the will of our Father and God
Our hearts fill with joy and are truly glad
For he finished the course that he trod

We can find peace through the powerful name
That broke bands at Gethsemane
We can be lifted up out of our shame
By the hope found upon Calvary

We must accept the Atonement he gave
Or face pure, strict justice alone
We all need the grace that's might to save
We deserve no mercy on our own

Our Lord took away the sharp sting found in death
He was the first of those who slept
We shall live again after losing life's breath
Joy comes to his children who’ve wept

The Savior invites all the world unto him
We'll be judged for the works we have done
That day will restore each joint and each limb
Through the power of God's perfect son

Those who are righteous will have so much joy
And praise the Lord eternally
His sacrifice saves each girl and each boy
That died in their pure infancy

So let us have faith in our dear Savior's call
And overcome evil today
Let's deliver his sweet invitation to all
To be baptized and walk in his way

We all can become truly born again
Receiving the spirit to guide
And this must take place in the hearts of all men
To be filled with his pure love inside

If you will repent he will receive you
Come feast on his love to the end
Trust in the Lord in all that you do
And his grace he freely will send

Partake of his love so exquisite and sweet
Drink deep of the doctrines he'll send
Some day we will kneel at our dear Savior's feet
Where our pains and our sorrows he'll mend

He knows all the trials we each face right now
Come cast on the Lord all your care
We all can be healed and he'll show us how
He atoned so that we could come there.

The Instrument

The Instrument
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

In the hands of a master craftsman
Each tool works efficiently
The mind of the expert holds the plan
And sees what no other can see

He patiently works to finish the task
He's done this job often and well
He does the job better than any could ask
And when he's done the work, you can tell

The tool alone, never can find success
Or accomplish the things contained in the plan
Please help me dear Father to serve and to bless
Like a powerful tool in your almighty hand.