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n ABUNDANT LIFE
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RE y o u s e a r c h i n g for real h a p p i n e s s ? A r e y o u c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e d i r e c t i o n y o u r life is t a k i n g ?
A n d w h a t a b o u t y o u r f a m i l y — w o u l d y o u like to h a v e g r e a t e r love in y o u r h o m e ? W o u l d y o u like t o be more united?
If y o u r a n s w e r t o a n y of t h e s e q u e s t i o n s is y e s , t h e n y o u a r e i n v i t e d to c o n s i d e r t h e t e a c h i n g s of T h e C h u r c h of J e s u s C h r i s t of L a t t e r - d a y S a i n t s ( t h e Mormons).
Life's Choicest Blessings
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ESUS Christ said: " I am c o m e that they might h a v e life, a n d t h a t t h e y m i g h t h a v e it m o r e abundantly." (John 10:10.) T h e p h r a s e the abundant life d e s c r i b e s w h a t t h e C h u r c h o f f e r s its m e m b e r s .
Happy, purposeful living, a w a y to keep families t o g e t h e r , e n t h u s i a s m , d i r e c t i o n in life—these a r e but a f e w of t h e g o a l s of t h o u g h t f u l p e o p l e e v e r y w h e r e , a n d t h e s e a r e a m o n g t h e r e w a r d s y o u c a n f i n d in T h e C h u r c h of J e s u s C h r i s t of L a t t e r - d a y S a i n t s . T h e y a r e e n j o y e d b y f a i t h f u l m e m b e r s of t h e C h u r c h t h r o u g h o u t the world. M o r m o n s u n d e r s t a n d t h a t all m a n k i n d a r e spirit c h i l d r e n of G o d a n d t h a t he d e s i r e s u s t o b e c o m e m o r e like h i m . ( S e e M a t t h e w 5 : 4 8 . ) G o d h a s e s t a b l i s h e d his C h u r c h t o p r o v i d e t h e w a y f o r achieving this goal. M o r m o n s b e l i e v e t h e f a m i l y is t h e k e y s t o n e of o u r civilization. They are generally a healthy people. 1
T h e y b e l i e v e t h a t " t h e g l o r y of G o d is i n t e l l i g e n c e " ( D o c t r i n e a n d C o v e n a n t s 9 3 : 3 6 ) , a n d w i t h t h i s in mind they enthusiastically seek knowledge.
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T h o u s a n d s of m i s s i o n a r i e s , m o s t l y y o u n g m e n , serve without financial c o m p e n s a t i o n to bring the m e s s a g e of t h e C h u r c h a n d t h e a b u n d a n t life t o honest, searching people throughout the world. A n d m a n y s u c h p e o p l e a r e c o n s t a n t l y b e i n g d r a w n t o its message.
What About You?
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HAT are the blessings you may personally e x p e c t for y o u r s e l f w h e n y o u a c c e p t a n d live the t e a c h i n g s of T h e C h u r c h of J e s u s C h r i s t of L a t t e r - d a y S a i n t s ? H e r e , in part, a r e s o m e answers:
• Y o u will k n o w a n d u n d e r s t a n d t h e p u r p o s e of life. Y o u will u n d e r s t a n d w h e r e y o u w e r e b e f o r e living o n e a r t h , a n d y o u will s e e c l e a r l y y o u r e t e r n a l p o t e n t i a l . • Y o u will r e c e i v e a n e w start in life b y o b t a i n i n g a f o r g i v e n e s s of y o u r sins t h r o u g h r e p e n t a n c e a n d baptism. • Y o u will r e c e i v e t h e gift of t h e H o l y G h o s t , t h r o u g h w h i c h y o u m a y r e c e i v e d i v i n e d i r e c t i o n in y o u r life. • In a t e m p l e of t h e L o r d , y o u will be s e a l e d t o y o u r wife or h u s b a n d for all e t e r n i t y , a n d y o u a n d y o u r c h i l d r e n will be j o i n e d t o g e t h e r as a f a m i l y f o r e v e r . • Y o u will be o n t h e p a t h that l e a d s t o e t e r n a l life in t h e p r e s e n c e of o u r F a t h e r in h e a v e n , l e a r n i n g e a c h d a y to live m o r e like h i m . • Y o u will be c o u n s e l e d a n d led b y a living p r o p h e t t h r o u g h w h o m t h e m i n d a n d will of t h e L o r d a r e m a d e k n o w n t o d a y . In a d d i t i o n t o t h e H o l y B i b l e , y o u will be a b l e t o l e a r n f r o m o t h e r d i v i n e s c r i p t u r e s . • Y o u will k n o w for y o u r s e l f t h a t G o d lives, t h a t J e s u s C h r i s t is his s o n a n d t h e R e d e e m e r of all m a n k i n d a n d t h a t his c h u r c h a n d k i n g d o m a r e o n c e again upon the earth. • Y o u will h a v e g r e a t o p p o r t u n i t i e s for s e r v i c e t o o t h e r s a n d will l e a r n t h a t " w h e n y e a r e in t h e s e r v i c e of y o u r f e l l o w b e i n g s ye a r e o n l y in t h e s e r v i c e of y o u r G o d . " ( B o o k of M o r m o n , M o s i a h 2 : 1 7 . ) • Y o u will r e c e i v e j o y a n d k n o w l e d g e . A n e w a n d better life will be y o u r s as y o u a n d y o u r f a m i l y g r o w in f a i t h a n d r i g h t e o u s n e s s . For t h e s e a n d o t h e r r e a s o n s , t h e M o r m o n s c o n t i n u e to g r o w in n u m b e r s , e n j o y i n g a u n i q u e a n d r e w a r d i n g w a y of life in a d a y w h e n r e l i g i o n a n d f a i t h in G o d s e e m to be w a n i n g .
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"he Savior organized his church in ancient times, He gave his apostles power a n d authority to preach the gospel a n d administer the ordinances of solvation,
The Church Restored
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H E N C h r i s t w a s u p o n t h e e a r t h , he e s t a b l i s h e d his c h u r c h a n d k i n g d o m w i t h apostles, prophets, and other divinely c a l l e d o f f i c e r s w h o t a u g h t his g o s p e l a n d a d m i n i s t e r e d the o r d i n a n c e s of s a l v a t i o n . In t h e w o r d s of t h e A p o s t l e P a u l , t h e r e w a s " o n e L o r d , o n e faith, one b a p t i s m . " (Ephesians 4:5.) The c h u r c h established by Christ and the d o c t r i n e s t a u g h t by h i m , h o w e v e r , d i d not c o n t i n u e in t h e i r p u r e t o r m t h r o u g h t h e c e n t u r i e s t h a t f o l l o w e d . T h e r e w a s , as t h e a p o s t l e s h a d p r o p h e s i e d , a " f a l l i n g a w a y . " (See 2 T h e s s a l o n i a n s 2 : 3 . ) M e n d e p a r t e d t r o m t h e t e a c h i n g s of t h e S a v i o r a n d c h a n g e d t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n of his c h u r c h . T h e r e c e a s e d t o be living a p o s t l e s a n d p r o p h e t s , a n d w i t h o u t t h e m , t h e t r u e a u t h o r i t y w a s lost. T h e t e a c h i n g s of the S a v i o r g r a d u a l l y b e c a m e d i s t o r t e d . W h a t w a s o n c e his c h u r c h a n d k i n g d o m o n e a r t h d i v i d e d into m a n - m a d e o r g a n i z a t i o n s . T h e d a r k a g e s of t h e a p o s t a s y b e c a m e a reality. Then c a m e the great reformers—Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, and others—who recognized what had h a p p e n e d and attempted t h r o u g h reform a n d protest to reestablish the original c h u r c h a n d t e a c h i n g s of C h r i s t . T h e i r e f f o r t s r e s u l t e d in many organizations now known throughout the w o r l d as P r o t e s t a n t c h u r c h e s . B u t m o r e t h a n a r e f o r m a t i o n w a s n e e d e d . It w a s b e y o n d t h e c a p a c i t y of m e n a l o n e t o r e e s t a b l i s h t h e L o r d ' s c h u r c h . T h e w o r k of t h e r e f o r m e r s , h o w e v e r , w a s not in v a i n , f o r t h r o u g h t h e i r e f f o r t s , t h e h e a r t s a n d m i n d s of m e n w e r e b e i n g p r e p a r e d f o r w h a t w a s really n e e d e d — t h e r e s t o r a t i o n of t h e t r u e c h u r c h . J e s u s C h r i s t himself, in t h e e a r l y part of t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y , r e s t o r e d his c h u r c h a n d k i n g d o m o n c e m o r e to t h e e a r t h . T h e C h u r c h of J e s u s C h r i s t of L a t t e r - d a y S a i n t s is t h a t o r g a n i z a t i o n . Apostles and prophets are o n c e m o r e on the earth. They and others are divinely authorized to t e a c h t h e g o s p e l of C h r i s t , to a d m i n i s t e r all of t h e o r d i n a n c e s of s a l v a t i o n , a n d to d i r e c t t h e w o r k of his church throughout the world.
An Invitation
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O b e c o m e a m e m b e r of C h r i s t ' s c h u r c h is t o b e c o m e a m e m b e r of t h e k i n g d o m of G o d o n e a r t h . H e r e are t h e s t e p s , a s r e v e a l e d by G o d ,
n e c e s s a r y to g a i n m e m b e r s h i p :
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1. Faith. H a v e a s i n c e r e f a i t h in t h e L o r d J e s u s Christ. 2. Repentance. Recognize those things that you a r e d o i n g w r o n g , r e p e n t , a n d strive t o c o n f o r m y o u r life to t h e L o r d ' s c o m m a n d m e n t s . 3. Baptism. C o v e n a n t w i t h t h e L o r d , p r o m i s i n g t o k e e p his c o m m a n d m e n t s , by h a v i n g a n a u t h o r i z e d s e r v a n t of G o d b a p t i z e y o u in w a t e r by i m m e r s i o n , t h e r e b y r e c e i v i n g a r e m i s s i o n of y o u r sins. 4 . The gift of the Holy Ghost. R e c e i v e t h e gift of t h e H o l y G h o s t . F o l l o w i n g y o u r b a p t i s m in w a t e r , a u t h o r i z e d s e r v a n t s of t h e L o r d will lay t h e i r h a n d s u p o n y o u r h e a d a n d b e s t o w u p o n y o u t h e gift of t h e H o l y G h o s t by w h i c h y o u a r e " b o r n o f . . . t h e S p i r i t . " ( S e e J o h n 3 : 5 . ) T h r o u g h t h e H o l y G h o s t , o u r Father in h e a v e n will g i v e y o u d i r e c t i o n a n d k n o w l e d g e that will g u i d e y o u a n d y o u r f a m i l y t h r o u g h o u t y o u r lives. These four principles a n d o r d i n a n c e s are the g a t e w a y t o t h e a b u n d a n t life. T h e y w e r e t a u g h t a n d a d m i n i s t e r e d by J e s u s C h r i s t d u r i n g his e a r t h l y ministry, and they now are taught and administered in h i s r e s t o r e d c h u r c h . T h e C h u r c h of J e s u s C h r i s t of L a t t e r - d a y S a i n t s , t h e k i n g d o m of G o d o n e a r t h .
Prayerfully Seek the Truth
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HE a b u n d a n t life is a v a i l a b l e to y o u a n d y o u r f a m i l y , but it is not a l w a y s e a s y to a c h i e v e . It d e m a n d s sacrifice, humility, and self-discipline. B u t t h e b l e s s i n g s of G o d will f o l l o w , b r i n g i n g p e a c e , h a p p i n e s s , a n d p u r p o s e in life. T h r o u g h p r a y e r , y o u c a n k n o w for y o u r s e l f t h e t r u t h of w h a t y o u h a v e just r e a d . A p r o p h e t of a n c i e n t A m e r i c a m a d e t h e f o l l o w i n g p r o m i s e t o all w h o d e s i r e to k n o w t h e t r u t h :
" A n d w h e n y e shall r e c e i v e t h e s e t h i n g s , I w o u l d e x h o r t y o u that y e w o u l d ask G o d , t h e E t e r n a l F a t h e r , in t h e n a m e of C h r i s t , if t h e s e t h i n g s a r e not t r u e ; a n d if y e shall a s k w i t h a s i n c e r e heart, w i t h real intent, h a v i n g f a i t h in C h r i s t , he will m a n i f e s t t h e t r u t h of it u n t o y o u , by t h e p o w e r of t h e H o l y G h o s t . " A n d by t h e p o w e r of t h e H o l y G h o s t , ye m a y k n o w t h e t r u t h of all t h i n g s . " ( B o o k of M o r m o n , Moroni 10:4-5.) C o n s i d e r o n c e m o r e t h e w o r d s of t h e S a v i o r t h a t s o a p t l y s u m m a r i z e for y o u a n d for e v e r y o n e t h e p u r p o s e of his life, m i s s i o n , a n d c h u r c h : " I a m c o m e t h a t t h e y m i g h t h a v e life, a n d t h a t t h e y m i g h t h a v e it more abundantly." (John 10:10.)
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THECHURCHOF
JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS PTMI2700
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