Suuuuuusquehanna!

Not quite the same ring as Ooooooklahoma, but still awesome.  Yesterday, I was glad to get up at four thirty AM so that we could be in Broomall on time for the bus going to Susquehanna.  Susquehanna county, NY, is where much of the Book of Mormon was translated.  I didn't bring my camera cable here, so unfortunately I am unable to upload pictures at this time.  Maybe later on.

For now, I just want to say that I know that the priesthood was restored there.  I felt the spirit myself, and know that it's true.

Now have some Google pictures.

I'll come back and upload my own.  Promise.

Temple!

On Saturday, construction was officially begun on the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Temple.  That means that there will now be a temple inside of our mission boundaries!  And what an awesome looking temple it is.  Sturdy, and with a nice old-fashioned look to match the buildings around it.  I heartily approve.

(For information about the Philadelphia Temple, see http://mormontemples.org/philadelphia.)

For those who don't know what a temple is, let's go to the first instance of a temple in the Bible.  In Exodus 25, the Lord told Moses that the people of Israel must make him a house, a Tabernacle.  It was to be of the finest gold, brass, and the people were to give everything willingly.  This would be a holy place where people could go to be close to God, where God could manifest himself to his people.  The camp of Israel was organized by tribe, with the tabernacle at the center.  You could say that the tabernacle was the center of their lives, since any meat to be eaten had to be killed at the temple.  It was symbolic of how God ought to be the center of our lives.

This tabernacle served the Israelites for many years, until it was replaced by Solomon's Temple, a larger, grander version of the temple.  It served the same function, as did the Law of Moses, that of constantly reminding the people of God.  Although this temple was later destroyed, other temples were built to replace it.

When Christ was crucified, temple worship changed a bit.  To tell the truth, in 70 AD the Temple of Herod was destroyed by the armies of Caesar, and the temple was never rebuilt. 

Until...

As part of the Restoration of the Gospel, God told Joseph Smith to build temples.  During his lifetime, only one was built.  Nowadays, we have over a hundred.

These unique buildings serve a sacred purpose.  We believe the promise given to Peter in Matthew 16:19.  Families can be sealed together, not just of this life (til death do ye part), but for all eternity.  That means that after you die, you will still be family.  Your grandfather will still be your grandfather, your son will still be your son, and your wife will still be your wife.

I know that if I were in Heaven, and were not able to be with my family, I'd want to go whereever they were.  It wouldn't be heaven without my family.

Life is good.

Mormons: The Restoration

A few posts back, I wrote a post about authority, especially as it pertains to God's priesthood.  If you'll remember, I compared it to a flame from a lighter lighting a candle.  That represents the priesthood being given from God to Man.  Once the candle has the flame, it can be used to light other candles.  Just the same, once man has the priesthood, he can use it to give it to other men.  However, if all of the candles burn down or are blown out, there can be no more flame until the lighter is used again.  In exactly the same way, once the authority is lost it cannot be restored or found on the Earth until God acts to restore it.

The authority given to the Twelve apostles by Jesus Christ had been lost.  The Apostles were killed, many of them in ugly ways.  Nowhere on the entire earth was there a man who possessed the authority.

God had to restore the priesthood. 

Who alive currently had the priesthood?  Nobody.  So, he had to send somebody who had been alive, but was not on the earth.  Peter, James, and John, three of the apostles of Jesus Christ, came and bestowed the priesthood on Joseph Smith and one of his friends.

The priesthood was restored, and with it the church.  Later, Moses, Elijah, and other angels came and gave Joseph the keys to the priesthood, and all was complete.

In our times, the church of God has been re-established.  Now, as in days of old, we have twelve Apostles.  Now, we have a prophet who speaks with God and receives revelations from him.

The only way to find out for yourself is to pray and ask God.  He knows if it's true, doesn't he?