I love the Bible. Sometimes my friends of other faiths are surprised to hear that Mormons use the same Bible as the rest of the Christian world. We use the King James version of the Bible as part of our scripture. I doubt there is anything more precious to me than the records kept of Jesus’ life as contained in the four gospels and the Book of Acts. I love the Old Testament too. I love the record of God speaking to people through Prophets like Moses and Abraham. In conversations I’ve had with friends who wanted to know more about me and my faith, there is one question I’ve heard many times. Where are the Prophets when we need them the most?

This is one of my favorite questions to answer! I recently went to a production that answered that very question.

Recently, the missionaries from my area presented a musical fireside entitled “A Long Silence Broken,” a musical tribute to the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Missionaries shared their musical talents with the audience. One missionary was highlighted for his extraordinary musical talent and how music strengthened his testimony of Jesus Christ. (While at BYU, a news production team put together a short video segment highlighting Elder Keith and his astonishing talent. Jonathan Keith on BYU Weekly.)

The fireside began with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ through song and the spoken word. Although I do not have audio recordings of the actual performers from this fireside, here is a video of one of the songs presented to give Testimony to the life of Jesus Christ. In the song His Hands, there is a special emphasis on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

After a beautiful rendition of His Hands, by Kelly Lord, another soloist sang a song I had never heard before entitled Him and Him Alone. It described our absolute reliance on Jesus Christ. The missionary who sang this song, Elder Excell, sang it with such conviction that I was moved to tears. I felt my personal need for a Savior during that song.

Next, there was a photo slideshow of Prophets from the Old Testament including Adam, Moses and Abraham, then on to the ministries of Peter, the Apostle Paul and others as contained in the New Testament. After the wonderful musical tribute to the greatness and glory of our Savior Jesus Christ, this section was a welcome reminder of the love God shows us by revealing Himself to Prophets. Prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection, He set up a form of church government that would be on earth after His ascension. Jesus called twelve apostles to lead and teach and bear special witness to the people of His life and His sacrifice.

After many years of successful missionary work, all of these Holy Apostles were hunted down and killed or exiled, thus leaving the church to govern itself without the divine authority of the Priesthood. Instead of Prophets and Apostles leading the church, members filled the void of leadership with the voice of its members through voting on doctrines and accepted creeds.

Several hundred years later righteous men like John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William Tyndale and John Calvin recognized that the doctrines of their church were not in line with the teachings contained in the Holy Bible. They protested and demanded reform. Many gave their lives in protest, and started the Protestant movement. These reformers and protesters were persecuted in their home lands, but some were blessed with the opportunity to try their faith in a new world, America.

Joseph Smith was born in America, the land of freedom of religion, where all people were given the opportunity to worship God however they chose.  Because of this freedom, there were many, many religions to choose from. So many that even though Joseph’s family loved and knew the Bible, they were divided as to what religion to join.  Many of  Joseph’s family had already joined the Methodist church, but Joseph was unsure which of all churches was the correct one. At age 14, Joseph wanted to do what was best, and what God wanted.

To illustrate Joseph’s feelings during this time, a soloist named Elder Seu sang My Soul Hungered. [Again, I do not have audio recordings from this particular event, but I wanted to share the link above, so you could hear for yourself this beautiful song.]

Joseph took his concerns to the Bible and read this verse in James 1:5, which reads:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him.

With a trust and faith that typically attends the young, Joseph sought out a solitary and peaceful place to pray, believing that God would answer him. And God did answer him!

At this point in the fireside Elder Seu sang the song Joseph Smith’s First Prayer. [To hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing this song please follow this link.] Here are some of the words from this Hymn:

Humbly kneeling, sweet appealing – Twas the boy’s first uttered prayer….

…Suddenly a light descended, Brighter far than noon-day sun,
And a shining glorious pillar O’er him fell, around him shone.
While appeared two heav’n-ly beings, God the Father and the Son.

“Joseph, this is my Beloved: Hear him!” Oh, how sweet the word!
Joseph’s humble prayer was answered, And he listened to the Lord.
Oh, what rapture filled his bosom, For he saw the living God.

A long silence broken!

Just as Abraham, Isaac, Moses and others were called of God to be Prophets to the people of their day, Joseph Smith was called to prophesy, reveal and lead in his day.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormon church, has a living Prophet today who we look to for guidance and authority from God. We love Thomas S. Monson and all the Prophets since Joseph Smith. We worship God the Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ, but we are still grateful for Prophets to guide us morally, spiritually and temporally in the modern days.

The Missionary choir then sang Praise to the Man, a beloved LDS hymn (Mormon Tabernacle Choir rendition to video can be found here). My husband and I were astonished by the wonderful testimonies born through music on this fantastic night. I hope I was able to give you just a glimpse of the talent and testimonies of some wonderful Mormon missionaries, and to show how grateful I am for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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The year I went to 4th grade we lived with my grandparents on their ranch in Northern Utah. I can’t think of a more fun place to be a kid than on a working farm, with so much to explore and do! One of the fun things I did was ride the tractor with my grandpa and uncle while they harvested the fields. They grew alfalfa to feed the cattle and wheat to sell at market. When wheat first begins to grow it looks much like wild grass, in fact there are many wild grasses that attempt to imitate wheat but cannot be eaten. As the summer turns brilliantly hot the mature wheat’s dense green turns to gold. Watching these fields sway in the wind is I’m sure what prompted Katharine Lee Bates, writer of America the Beautiful, to pen the lines, “Amber waves of grain.”

Yesterday I had the chance to tour the Oquirrh Mountain Temple during the open house.

As we walked the glorious halls and rooms with our extended family I had the opportunity to reverently explain to my children the many symbols present in the decor of the temple.

One that was barely recognizable was shown in the lighting sconces. They were reminiscent of wheat sheaves. When I saw them it reminded me of that year I spent on my grandparents’ farm and the eternal family they have built through the blessings of the temple.

The sheaves also reminded me of a phrase popular in Mormon culture, “All Safely Gathered In.” Many Mormons use this in reference to their families being united eternally, but it also can refer to a concept Mormons feel very strongly about:  missionary work.

On a few occasions I have had those not of my faith ask why we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are such a missionary-minded people. Why should we care what other people believe and commit themselves to in this life? I can’t answer that question completely, but I will say that one of the reasons is because we are all a family.

Most, if not all, Christian religions believe that Adam and Eve were the first two people on earth, and as such are the genesis of mankind and the ultimate parents of us all. If that is true, then it means we are all literally brothers and sisters. In the Mormon faith, we also believe we are all the spirit children of God. Because our spirits were created by Him, we are of Him and have a spiritual heritage that is interrelated. We are all brothers and sisters of the flesh and brothers and sisters spiritually. (This is why you might often hear Mormons referring to each other as “Brother Smith” or “Sister Jones” when in fact they are not immediate siblings, nor is the person they are referring to a monk, nun, or priest as other faiths use those terms.) These connections bond us to each other, as do the common trials we face in this mortal life.

Another symbol I saw in the temple yesterday is one of linked circles, creating a chain. If you consider that each circle represents a person, an eternal being, then a chain would be started with the linking of two eternal beings together. In layman’s terms that is marriage, in Mormonism when that marriage takes place in a temple it is called a sealing. The sealing of a man and a woman is then seen as eternal upon conditions of faithfulness and desire. When a mother and father are sealed in a temple sealing, their children, usually then unborn, are then bonded to them as well [referred to as being “born in the covenant” (BIC)]. If those children are then married (sealed) in the temple later in life then they are bonded to their spouse and children for eternity.

Thus, a chain of interconnected circles is the perfect way to visually represent the connections made when families and generational ties are made eternal in the temple. Or even more precisely, because of in-laws and extended families, it is a net of interconnected circles.

Have you ever seen a net where just one thread breaks? There is a hole that can only be fixed if that circle or thread is mended. That is somewhat how Mormons feel about a family member that is not safely gathered in. They are missed, they cannot be replaced, there is a hole in the family. If all mankind is truly a family, then we want our giant net of interconnected circles (brothers and sisters) to be complete and whole. We don’t want anyone to be missing. This feeling comes out of responsibility but also, most importantly, out of love.

Mormons do their best to live as Christ counseled, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” When viewed in light of the knowledge of our giant human family, Christ is simply asking us to be a loving family. We feel that happiness is most likely to be found when living the principles of the gospel, those precepts that Jesus taught. We want everyone to enjoy the blessings and happiness we have found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. To seek out those that are interested in learning more and teaching them so they can make informed choices takes work, a special kind of work called missionary work.

So when when a Mormon missionary knocks on your door, or if your Mormon friend talks to you about our beliefs, please remember that we don’t share to add to the numbers of our church. You are a sister, or a brother, whom Christ has told us we should love, seek out, and welcome into the family so that we may all be safely gathered in.

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