It is said that the only constant in life is change. Apparently, this holds true for our Church as well. Does this present a threat to our standing as the Lord's Church on earth? Hardly. Change has been going on since 1830 and it will continue until the Lord makes His glorious return. So fear not. We are OK

The Atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not just an amazing event in human history but THE pivotal event for all of humankind.

Today we are going to talk about the Atonement; why it was required, and how it was accomplished; and how and why it unlocked the chains of death so that the Savior could take up his glorified and immortal body...and why that will allow us to do so also.

I hope you will join me

There seems to be a disconnect between accounts in the Bible and the corresponding secular histories of the times. For example, critics love to point out that there is no real evidence that Moses and the Israelites ever fled Egypt nor wandered in the desert for forty years. That is, no evidence other than the biblical account. The same with Abraham; The Pearl of Great Price says explicitly that Abraham went to Egypt to teach the Pharaoh, personally, the principles of Astronomy, and yet there is no corresponding secular account of that. So what gives? Is the Bible just a book of fables, or wishful thinking on the part of Jewish historians?

Well, I don't think so; and I am anxious to show you why I know these stories are true; and why they specifically don't show up in secular histories.

If you are weary of diving into Isaiah because you think his words are confusing, you are not alone. Isaiah is probably the most feared set of scriptures to tackle in the Bible...or in 2nd Nephi. and even Nephi was forced to comment on his people's lack of understanding of the words of this great prophet. and yet, the Savior commanded us all to search them and study them. So how do we do that?

I invite you to listen in and find out.

Detractors of the Church often like to throw scripture bombs at us thinking that they can somehow prove to us that we are wrong and blow up our testimonies. this can sometimes work with members who do not have much depth to their beliefs but for any true Latter-Day Saint with a real testimony of the gospel, these efforts can prove futile at best, and often, actually help boost our faith in the restored gospel. one such 'Bomb' that is often thrown our way is Galatians 1:8, which speaks of havens and other gospels. the implication is that Moroni was a false messenger and the resulting Book of Mormon is evil.

So today let's take a look at this verse and associated writings and see just what all the fuss is about.

Temples are places of learning; but what may go unnoticed by many patrons is that every element of the temple is a lesson, not just the ceremony and instruction given there. The very structure of the temple itself, the lighting, the decorations, the landscaping, even the fence around it, all point to elements of Father's kingdom and all can teach us important truths about the universe and our place within it.

For a body of faith that follows a Man/God who taught the nobility of humankind, and the virtues of Christian values such as kindness, patience, temperance, forgiveness, charity, understanding and love, oh, and don't forget non-judgment, it seems paradoxical that so many wars and conflicts, and persecution and discrimination, have been put upon people in the name of Jesus Christ. Certainly, there was nothing within His teachings that would have inspired such behavior and certainly there was nothing 'Christlike' within those actions. So why has so much suffering been foisted upon the world in the name of Jesus? Maybe, just maybe, we are doing it wrong.

The list of Biblical and Book of Mormon prophets, includes a number of men who once displayed questionable character or judgement. Some might say that all men are flawed and so this is the only pool the Lord has to draw from, but I think it goes deeper than that. As Saul, the apostle Paul was a terrible man. So too, Alma the younger when the angel stopped him on the road.

It seems the Lord has never had a problem calling flawed men into his service, and invariably those men rose to the calling which they were given.

In our dispensation the pattern continued. Certainly, early church history was filled with amazing men, but they were men who had to overcome personal weaknesses of their own. And they did, and they served effectively for the Lord. so what is the lesson we can learn from this and how can this heal and grow our own faith? Tune in and find out.