After Baptism, What? (1980)

After Baptism, Wliat?

Wherefore, ye must press forward w i t h a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. . . . " 2 Nephi 31:20

After Baptism What?

A s a prisoner, the Apostle Paul once stood before K i n g Agrippa making a mighty defense of himself and the gospel of Christ. So impressed w a s the king that he said to Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.'"

The Apostle told the king of his own conversion to Christ, describing his journey to Damascus to persecute the Saints. It was then, he said, that a bright light came from heaven, and a voice said, " S a u l , Saul, w h y persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."

"And I s a i d , " continued Paul, '"Who art thou, Lord? A n d he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest."

Paul then told the king that the crucified and resurrected Jesus called him into the ministry and sent h i m to preach to the G e n tiles, "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto G o d , that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is i n me."^ 'Acts 2 6 : 2 8 .

-Acts 2 6 : 1 4 - 1 5 , 18.

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A s Paul afterwards went among the nations many people believed his teachings, repented of their sins, and joined the Church of Jesus Christ by baptism of the water and of the spirit.

Each one thus baptized came " f r o m darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto G o d . " E a c h also received the forgiveness of sins and the sacred inheritance of which Paul spoke to Agrippa.

It is the same today. W h e n persons are converted to the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and are baptized by the authorized servants of God, they too receive a remission of their sins, and they too turn from darkness to the light.

A n d they receive that same inheritance which was given to the members of the ancient Church. A l l of this comes to them because of the completeness of the restoration of the gospel i n these modem times.

B u t after entering the Church, what are new members supposed to do? W h a t are the next steps? A r e they to become active participants i n it, or are they to remain passive in their worship of the Lord?

The Savior has given the answer. It is that each one shall labor in the kingdom with all his heart, might, mind and strength, and bring forth much fruit. " I am the vine," said the Savior as he explained this principle. " Y e are the branches: He that abideth i n me and I i n him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.

A l l who become members of his tme Church become part of that vine, actual branches, as the Lord explained. A n d all must produce " m u c h fruit" to be acceptable to him.

I n the Sermon on the Mount he explained that "every tree that bringeth not forth good "John 15:5.

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fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. " The Prophet Nephi made a clear explanation of what should follow baptism. Said he: "And then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. " A n d now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you. N a y ; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. '"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Y e shall have eternal l i f e . " " I n speaking to the Nephites, Jesus himself explained the importance of perfecting our lives. He said, " A n d no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end."Ž Keeping his commandments is fundamental to our being acceptable to the Lord. He interprets love for him in terms of service and •Matthew 7:19.

"2 N e p h i 3 1 : 1 8 - 2 0 .

"3 N e p h i 2 7 : 1 9 .

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obedience to him, for he said, " I f ye love me, keep my commandments. . . . He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words. . . . He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.'"

W h e n speaking to his modern saints through the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord explained further by saying, " O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. "** W e embark in the service of G o d when we join his Church. The act of embarking is but the beginning of a journey which should be of lifelong duration, in a spirit of devotion and obedience. T o keep his commandments will require a combination of both our faith and our works, for faith without works is dead.* Paul had this in mind when he wrote to the Philippians: " W o r k out your own salvation with fear and trembling."'"

But in what direction are we to work? Is there a plan to follow? How are we to go about this business of serving the Lord? H o w are we to "bring forth much fruit" as he has commanded?

The Lord's house is a house of order. He does have a definite plan for us, and it is according to this plan that we must work. It has to do with our individual, personal lives as well as with our attitude toward our fellow men. O u r acceptance before the Lord is based upon both principles.

W h e n Paul wrote to the Ephesians explaining the purpose for the organization of q o h n 14:15, 2 1 . 23-24, ••Doctrine & C o v e n a n t s 4 2.

"James 2 : 1 4 - 2 6 . " P h i l i p p i a n s 2:12.

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the Church,he said that it was "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the m i n istry, for the edifying of the body of C h r i s t " (meaning his people who are members of his organized C h u r c h ) .

He explained too that this C h u r c h organization would serve as a protection to its members against being led astray by the false teachings of uninspired and evil m e n . " The perfection of the saints is one of the great objectives of the gospel. Moroni, the last surviving prophet of the Book of Mormon, appealed to his readers as he drew near the close of his writing, saying, " Y e a , come unto Christ and be perfected i n him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the giace of G o d ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of G o d . " ' ^ The Savior commanded this of his people, saying, " B e ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."'ÂŽ The Church then becomes a factor of great importance to us. It becomes the means by which we build Christlike traits of character within ourselves, it becomes a "vehicle" by which the saints may work together for their common good, and it provides protection against those worldly forces which would destroy our salvation.

Since we are to "work out our salvation," we are to work it out through and in the Church which is set up specifically for that purpose.

"Ephesians 4:11-14. " M o r o n i 10:32. " M a t t h e w 5:48.

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T o work in the Church is to participate in the activities of the Church, to engage in the program it provides, and to be associated with the other saints in the work of the Lord.

Then after baptism, we should make definite plans to be active in the Church. Its program touches every righteous phase of our lives, i n cluding our own personal habits, our homes and our relationship with people whether in business, in our local community or in the nation.

Let us list some of the important parts of its program: 1—As It Effects

Us

Individually

First, our attitude must be in harmony with the gospel. The Lord outlined what he expects of a new convert in Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants. A s we read what he says in verse 37 of that section, we are impressed with the thought that the Lord requires sincerity.

He says in this verse that the new convert must humble himself before God. That h u mility of soul must continue with him always.

Next he says we are to have broken hearts and contrite spirits; that is, hearts which are repentant, and spirits which are submissive to the will of God. Recognizing that we are mortal and subject to mistakes, we must strive constantly to avoid sin, and to repent of any mistakes we do make.

The Lord must have had this in mind when he said, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way:

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first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy g i f t . " " The revelation also indicates that as we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, we do so with a determination to serve him to the end of our lives, and that we manifest by our works that we have received of his Spirit.

Inasmuch as this is a requirement B E F O R E baptism, it becomes a standard for our conduct A F T E R baptism.

There are many commandments referring to our personal, private conduct. W e have room for but a few of them here. But we may mention these: Prayer. A Latter-day Saint must be prayerful. The General Authorities emphasize the teachings of the scriptures that we pray privately, by ourselves, frequently, and that we join with our families in daily family prayer.

Fasting. The first Sunday of each month is designated as Fast D a y in the Church. O n that day it is expected that each member of the Church who is in good health will refrain from eating two meals, and this constitutes the monthly fast of the Latter-day Saints.

Generally this consists of going without breakfast and the noon day meal, and then breaking the fast at the usual time of the evening meal. Although there is no set period during which a fast will continue, it is customary to fast from evening to evening, or for 24 hours. Small children are not asked to fast, nor are older people whose health would be jeopardized thereby.

Fast Offering. It is also customary in the Church to give to the bishop for the benefit of the poor the value of meals saved by such "Matthew 5:23-24.

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a fast. Such donations are called fast offerings.

These donations are usually received in sealed envelopes by the Aaronic Priesthood who call at the home, or at the meeting house.

Tithing. Members of the Church are expected to pay a full tithing. Payments are made to the president of the branch or the bishop of the ward, who are authorized to give further counsel on this subject. Tithing funds are used for building temples, meeting houses, carrying on missionary work and meeting many other Churchwide expenses.

Other Donations. There are other donations which are made by Church members, including contributions to the Church Welfare P r o gram, to funds for maintenance of our buildings and grounds, to priesthood quorum projects and other activities. Although none of these contributions are required of the people, and all are voluntary, it is expected that faithful members will support and sustain the Church with their means as well as with their talents.

The Word of Wisdom. T h e Lord referred to repentance from all our sins as being a prerequisite to baptism.'" T h i s has specific reference, among other things, to items prohibited in the W o r d of Wisdom, which is found in Section 89 of the Doctrine and C o v enants. I n the W o r d of Wisdom we are counselled against the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and hot drinks. The hot drinks referred to are interpreted as being tea and coffee. Therefore we list four prohibitions in the W o r d of Wisdom: alcoholic beverages (including beer), all forms of tobacco, and tea and coffee. The Lord declared it to be "the order and will of God in the temporal " D o c t r i n e and Covenants 20;37.

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salvation of all saints in the last days."'ÂŽ Therefore obedience to this law is required of faithful Latter-day Saints.

Morality.

The Church regards sex sin as being next to murder in its seriousness. Persons who have been guilty of this sin in the past and have completely repented of it, may receive forgiveness. But further indulgence in this sin leads to excommunication from the Church. Repentance means complete abandonment of the sin, the making of what recompense can be made, and sincere living of the laws of God by such individual for the rest of his or her life. The Lord commands that each man must be true to his own wife, that each wife must be true to her own husband, that they are to "cleave" unto each other, and "none else." It is recommended that Section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 22 to 26, be read carefully, as well as the 39th chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon.

The moral law is upheld in the T e n C o m mandments'' and in many other parts of the scripture.

The Sabbath Day. There is no more fundamental law in the gospel than observance of the Sabbath D a y . The Lord required it in the Ten Commandments, and reiterated it many times later. One of the most impressive statements on the Sabbath D a y is that appearing in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 59, beginning with verse nine. The Sabbath should be devoted to sacred purposes. O n that day we should avoid commercial transactions and entertainments of all kinds, as well as our usual amusements and occupations. It is realized that cows must be milked, animals must be fed and certain other employment must be '"Doctrine and Covenants " E x o d u s 20.

89:2. . '•

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carried on. But the spirit of all this is reflected in the words of the Lord as set forth in the above mentioned revelation to Joseph Smith the Prophet. W h a t must be done should be accomplished " w i t h singleness of heart," as the Lord said.

Honesty. One of the Articles of Faith of the Church begins with the words: " W e believe in being honest."'® That refers to our business dealings, to contacts with neighbors, with theaters, bus lines, and railroads. It refers to lying, bearing of false witness, the payment of our regular bills, and to all of our dealings.

The C h u r c h accepts what the Lord said on the subject of honesty, in the Ten Commandments and in Section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which scriptures we recommend for careful reading.

Profanity. " T h o u shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in v a i n " ' * is one of the fundamental laws of the Church. T o profane the name by which we ask for blessings in our prayers, and by which we perform our priesthood ordinances is just unthinkable.

Each instance of such speech is an insult to the Almighty. W o u l d not each of us consider as an insult the profanation of our own names?

But there is something further that should be mentioned here also with respect to unclean speech. Filthy language of any kind is reprehensible. The unclean story, the slighting remark, suggestive references all are out of harmony with the spirit of the gospel and should be studiously avoided by the Latter-day Saints.

W h e n we realize that no unclean thing can enter into the presence of God, and that we are seeking to make ourselves worthy to be ' T h i r t e e n t h A r t i c l e of F a i t h .

"•Exodus 2 0 : 7 .

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with him, we can hardly besmirch ourselves with filthy speech of any kind and hope to receive the Lord's blessings.

Attendance at Meetings. Y o u r activity' and interest in the Church will be measured in large degree by your attendance at the meetings of the various organizations. O u r Sacrament Service is the most important meeting held in the Church. It is conducted in each ward and branch every Sunday under the d i rection of the bishop or branch president. A l l faithful Latter-day Saints should attend this meeting every week. A l l members of the family are expected to be present, including little children. Sunday School is held each Sunday morning for all members of the Church. It is there the gospel is taught to all, with classes organized on age levels. Week day religious education is important in the Church. Little children have the Primary organization, the young people above 12 years of age have the M I A , women of the Church are organized into the Relief Society. These organizations hold meetings weekly.

The Priesthood. It is designed that all male members of the Church hold the priesthood.

But all must be worthy of ordination before they can receive this blessing. The Senior Aaronic Priesthood organization especially i n vites the attendance of adult men newly joining the Church. A s they faithfully attend these meetings and prove themselves by living the gospel, adult male converts may be ordained to the grades within the Aaronic Priesthood, looking to the time when they may receive the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood. For boys in the ages of 12 to 20 years, there are separate Aaronic Priesthood quorums. Boys in new convert families may attend these meetings,

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and after proving their worthiness, be received into this priesthood also.

Church Welfare Work. I n most parts of the Church there are welfare projects designed to provide goods for the support of the poor.

T h i s is done in addition to the assistance given through fast offerings. Active members of the Church are invited to contribute labor on these projects in behalf of their less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Temple Work. A l l faithful members of the Church look forward to the time when they can go to the temple and receive the ordinances which are given there. These ordinances are all necessary for exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom. New members are asked to prove themselves through at least one year of Church membership before going to the temple. A high standard of worthiness is required for admittance there, and all who go are carefully interviewed by their bishops or branch presidents. Men must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood in order to receive the blessings of the temple.

Genealogical W o r k . It is the responsibility of every member of the Church to make a family record containing the genealog)' of his or her forefathers. T h e Church conducts a large genealogical organization to assist its members in this work. W h e n the records are completed, vicarious ordinances may be performed for the persons listed in those records.

It is the privilege of all worthy Church members to go to the temple to perform these v i carious ordinances in behalf of their departed dead.

Other Activities. The Lord has said: " B e hold it is not meet that I should command in all things: for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise

servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.

"For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. A n d inasmuch as men do good they shall in no wise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned."^* W i t h this in mind, we do not list all the commandments of the Lord pertaining to i n dividuals and their conduct, but recommend a careful study of the gospel, so that on learning the will of God, we may comply with it.

Such a study is all important. H o w can we obey laws we know not of? H o w can we learn of them without study? W e recommend that each new member of the Church make a serious project of studying the revealed word of God as it appears in the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Certain other books officially showing the doctrines of the Church with comments thereon, are also of much value.

Attitude of Others. The attitude of others will be more noticeable to y o u as you join the Church. Some persons may persecute y o u in one way or another. Former friends may snub you, or may gossip about you, even circulating untruths. I n some instances religious persecution goes beyond that. But the Lord offers great reward to those who are willing to bear persecution cheerfully.

"Blessed are y e , " said the Savior, "when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and "Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-29.

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shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."ÂŽ' Then there is another attitude which will come to your attention. It is that of delinquent members of the Church who do not live up to their opportunities, and who make light of sacred things. Such persons have been blinded by the things of the world. Like the blade in the parable of Jesus, they have wilted in the heat of the day. O r , again, like the unprofitable servant who failed to improve upon his talent, they never fully recognize what God has done for them, and lose the pearl of great price.

Just as we shall disregard those who actively persecute us, so we will ignore examples which might lead less thoughtful ones astray.

U—Living

the Gospel in the

Home

The home is a fundamental unit of the Church. T o all intents and purposes, it is a part of the Church, for within it many of the principle objectives of the Church are to be worked out.

Temple Marriage. The home is based upon marriage. T h e Lord's mode of marriage is the temple ceremony which is for time and eternity. Every couple newly joining the Church should look fonvard to the time when they can go to the temple for this ordinance. They should plan also to have their children sealed to them for eternity. It is a basic tenet of the Church that families should be bound together in this manner by the power of the priesthood. •"Matthew 5 : 1 1 - 1 2 .

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Family Prayer. One of the important elements in Latter-day Saint family life is family prayer, night and morning, every day. Kneeling together in this way teaches faith and prayer to children, brings families close together, and invites into the home the Spirit of the Lord, which is so necessary to harmony and love in the family circle.

Teaching the Children. The Lord has revealed that it is the duty of all Latter-day Saint parents to teach their children the gospel in the home, adding that if they fail to do so, "the sin be upon the heads of the parents."ÂŽÂŽ It is the intent of the Lord that children be taught in this manner to prepare them for baptism if they are not yet baptized. The age for the baptism of children is eight years, for that is when children become accountable for their acts in the eyes of God. Children need to be taught and converted, so that they will obey the gospel.

Word of Wisdom. It should be habitual in the Latter-day Saint home for all to live the W o r d of Wisdom. A s parents set the example, children will likely follow.

Tithing in the Home. A l l members of the family should pay tithing if they have any i n come at all. Even children should be encouraged to pay a full and honest tithing upon any income they may have, either from doing tasks about the home, or from part time or other employment away from home. Parents should teach this law to their children, both by precept and by example.

Speech in the Home. Parents should understand that children absorb habits and ideals from their parents, either for good or for evil. There should be no profanitv' in the home, no evil speaking of any kind, no lying, back" D o c t r i n e and Covenants 6 8 : 2 5 - 2 8 .

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biting or criticism. This holds true with respect to all, including neighbors and authorities of the Church. There is no quicker way to teaching children to lose respect for Church officers than for their parents to speak disparagingly of them.

Respect for Each Other. O n e of the T e n Commandments urges respect as between parents and children. T o w i n the respect of their children, parents must themselves be respectable. But parents must also respect their c h i l dren, and be fair and just to them. Children are to honor father and mother, be obedient to them, and cooperate with them in developing a Christlike atmosphere in the home.

Blessing the Sick. " I s any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: A n d the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."ÂŽÂŽ Patriarchal Blessings. Patriarchs in the Church give blessings to worthy members.

These blessings reveal to the individuals receiving them, what their possibilities are if they are obedient to the truth. Both parents and children may receive these blessings. But parents should prepare their children carefully for this rich experience. Patriarchs officiate only within the stakes of Zion. However, persons living in missions, if worthy, may receive from branch and mission presidents, recommends permitting them to obtain blessings when and if they visit a partriarch within an established stake of the Church.

The Family Hour. One of the lovely customs in the Church is referred to as the Family Hour. Parents are urged to hold a "family evening" once a week, with all members of the ^James 5:14-15.

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family taking part. Parents and children present various numbers on the family program.

These numbers may be humorous, serious, musical, or may even include stunts. The point is that each member of the family should be permitted to participate in a wholesome activity before the other members of the family.

Refreshments might well be served. A l l such evenings should include some direct gospel teaching from the parents, and should open and close with prayer.

Doing Things Together. It is vital to the success of any family that the members-learn to do things together in a spirit of love and cooperation. Families which work and play and worship together make the greatest success in life. , z III—Activity

in the Ward

or

Branch

The importance of participating in ward and branch activities has been stressed under the section devoted to our individual responsibilities. It should be pointed out that in stakes, the ward is a central religious unit for all members living within a given geographical area.

The branch holds a similar place in missions.

It is the unit which provides the group activity so necessary in Church procedure.

It is in the ward or branch where the local priesthood authority resides. T h i s authority regulates all affairs of the branch or ward, so that the program of the Church will be properly conducted, and so that all members are given equal opportunities for activity. There the bishop or branch president issues recommends for baptism, for advancement in the priesthood, or for the temple. It is here where we receive our instruction in the gospel and i n

our special assignments. It is the seat of local government i n the Church.

Meetings. The regular ward or branch meetings have already been mentioned, and all members should plan to participate i n them.

There are also stake or district meetings i n which new converts will be interested. They include stake or district conferences which are held every three months. These are meetings of great importance and are often addressed by the General Authorities of the Church.

The entire family should plan to attend. A l l should be prompt in coming to these meetings, avoiding tardiness in attendance.

Reverence.

O u r meeting places are the houses of the Lord. H i s Spirit is in them.

W e should show due reverence for them and teach our children to do likewise.

Respect for Authority.

The authorities of the Church local and general, are the servants of the Lord. They are entitled to our respect.

W e should support and sustain them by our participation in the regular activities of the Church, avoiding unkind remarks about them.

The Lord honors his servants. T h i s is evident all through the scriptures, which teach that those who receive the servants of the Lord shall themselves be received of the Lord, but those who reject the Lord's servants will themselves be rejected.®' IV — The Latter-day Saint in the

Community

W h e n the Lord gave us the first and great commandment, which was to love G o d with all our hearts, he also said: 'And the second is like unto it. T h o u shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."®® " M a t t h e w 10:-40: Luke 10:16: John 13:20: Doctrine and Covenants 84:36; 112:20. " M a t t h e w 22:36-40.

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In the Sermon on the Mount he gave us what has become known as the Golden Rule: " A l l things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."®® As we read the scriptures, we are impressed with the fact that our relationship toward our fellowmen will determine in large measure the kind of salvation we shall receive from the Lord.

W h e n the Savior gave us his lesson in forgiveness in connection with the Lord's prayer, he made it clear that we shall receive forgiveness of our sins only in proportion to the way in which we forgive others who trespass against us.®^ In the day of judgment he will reward every one according to his works "and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellowman.

The entire Sermon on the Mount bears up the spirit of this teaching. Most people have greatly underestimated the importance of the Second Great Commandment and the Golden Rule.

In our communities we are to live in such a way that our lives will be examples of the ideals of Jesus, and will serve as a beacon on a hill, inviting all men to come unto Christ.

V—Latter-day

Saints

as Citizens

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" W e believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law."®* Need more be said than this which is taken from our Articles of Faith? " M a t t h e w 7:12. " M a t t h e w 6:14-15. " D o c t r i n e and Covenants " T w e l f t h Article of Faith.

1:10.

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Early in our history as a Church the Lord said: "Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land."ÂŽ" For persons living in the United States it is important to know that the Lord himself established a free form of government in America, and that he himself raised up righteous men to write the Constitution of the United States. Therefore the Church regards that instrument as being inspired of the Lord, guaranteeing the personal liberty of all who live here.

The Lord says by revelation that it is not right that one man should be in bondage to another and that personal liberty is provided by law as a means of permitting man to be judged according to his own deeds.ÂŽ' It is easily seen, therefore, why the Lord told us that if we obey his law^there is no need to disobey the law of the land.

In short a good Latter-day Saint should be a good citizen, observing the laws, taking part in elections and otherwise contributing to the preservation of justice, peace and order in the land.

Conclusion The gospel is the plan of salvation. It is a way of life. It is not something to be considered on Sunday and forgotten the rest of the week. It is a pattern to help us to become Christlike.

W e should labor in it with willingness and cheerfulness. W e should put it first in our lives, always keeping in mind that divine i n junction of the Savior: " D o c t r i n e and Covenants 5 8 : 2 1 . " D o c t r i n e and Covenants 9 8 : 4 - 5 : 13:10-20: 3 N e p h i 21:4.

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101:77-80;

I

Nephi

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."®® Let us not be weary in well doing. Let us not suppose that the task is too hard. There is no excellence without labor, and there is no salvation without obedience.

The Lord is kind and he is helpful. If we will but believe in him, and accept his word, we shall discover the truth of what he said on another great occasion; " T a k e my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."®® " M a t t h e w 6:33. " M a t t h e w 11:29-30.

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Mission Addresses Mission offices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are located worldwide. Some are listed below. You can learn more about the Church and about the gospel of Jesus Christ by contacting the office nearest you.

Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission Casilla de Correo 147 Lomas de Zamora. Buenos Aires Argentina

Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission 11 764 South Harreirs Ferry Road Baton Rouge. Louisiana 70816

Australia Sydney Mission 5 Russell Street, Wollstonecraft Sydney. N.S.W., 2065, Australia

Mexico Mexico City Mission Monte Caucaso 1110 Lomas de Chapultepec Mexico 10. O F.

Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission Caixa Postal 20809 Sao Paulo. SP, Brazil California Los Angeles Mission 1591 East Temple Way. P.O. Box 24889 Los Angeles, California 90024 Canada Toronto Mission 338 Queen Street East, Suite 205 Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6V 1C5 Denmark Copenhagen Mission 164 Dalgas Boulevard DK 2000 Copenhagen F. Denmark England London Mission 6 4 / 6 8 Exhibition Road London SW7 2PA, England France Paris Mission 23, rue du 11 novembre 1918 78110 Le Vesinet, France Germany Frankfurt Mission 6 Frankfurt/Main 90 Ditmarstrasse 9, Germany Hong Kong Mission No. 2 Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong Kowloon, Hong Kong Italy Rome Mission Via Cimone 95 00141 Rome, Italy Japan Tokyo Mission 5-8-10 Minami Azabu Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106, Japan

Missouri Independence Mission 306 South Pleasant Street. Box 455 Independence, Missouri 64051 Netherlands Amsterdam Mission Waldecklaan 3 Hilversum. Netherlands New York New York City Mission Two Lincoln Square.

125 Columbus Avenue New York City. New York 10023 Philippines Manila Mission Commercial Center. P O. Box 801 Makati, Rizal, D-708 Philippines Salt Lake City Missionary Department 50 East North Temple Salt Lake City. Utah 84150 Samoa Apia Missioh P.O. Box 197 Apia, Western Samoa South Africa Johannesburg Mission ' Cumorah."

Fifth Avenue Lower Houghton. Johannesburg Transvaal. South Africa Spain Madrid Mission Calle San Telmo 26 Madrid 16. Spain

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