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May, 2010

  1. Memorial Day: Families are Forever

    May 30, 2010 by Ben Tanner

    I wanted to take the time in this post to thank my ancestors.  I’m sure over time I’ll tell many of their stories.  They are my hero’s and I can’t wait to meet them someday.

    Memorial day has always been a day in my family to visit the graves of the veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country, but also to visit the graves of our ancestors.   I have been doing this since I was a child.   My mother would take us especially to the Provo cemetery in Provo, Utah to visit the graves of my grandparents and many other relatives.

    Apparently, memorial day was a very important day to my grandmother, Mary Ann Edwards Duke.  She passed-away before I was born, but my Mom tells me that her family would dress up in their Sunday best and spend the whole day at the cemetery.  I probably can say that I inherited this love for departed family from my grandmother.

    I love to hear their stories and find out just who they were.  I love to find the traits in them that I have taken to be a part of myself.  In our faith, we believe that the ties that bind families together can last beyond the grave.  You can be sealed together forever in the Holy Temple of the Lord as a family.  The power of God can bind on earth and in heaven.

    Many other Christian faiths believe that after this life, there are no marriages or family relationships.  They base this on a few verses in the Bible that they have interpreted incorrectly.   The website http://www.fairlds.org  addresses this concern very well.  I would recommend that if you want to understand this please read this article: http://en.fairmormon.org/Marriage/As_a_requirement_for_exaltation/Jesus_said_”neither_marry_nor_given_in_marriage”

    Having addressed that.  I’m very grateful for the sacrifices of my ancestors and also the sacrifice of our veterens. (some of which are also my ancestors.)

    I’m grateful for for the knowledge that I have that I can be with my Family forever.  Another wonderful blessing made possible only because of Jesus Christ.  I honor them and I honor Him.

    In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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  2. Why Join the Mormon Church?

    May 23, 2010 by Ben Tanner

    When Mormons talk about conversion, they are talking about something much deeper than someone changing from one church to another.  We are talking about the Holy Ghost actually testifying to the individual about the truthfulness of the restored gospel, coupled with the desire to repent, and enter into a sacred covenant with Jesus Christ through the ordinances of Baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost.

    Some mistake our missionary work as merely an effort to get people to  join our church.  The truth is that Mormons are interested in getting others to join the church, but only because we believe that it is the true church of Jesus Christ and the only place on earth where Jesus has authorized men to perform the sacred ordinance of Baptism through the holy priesthood, thus giving people the only real opportunity to come to Jesus Christ.

    In order to come to Jesus and receive salvation, one must have faith, repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:37-38)

    In order for baptism to be recognized by the Lord, it must be performed by one who has the proper authority to baptize.  This authority to baptize is called the Aaronic Priesthood.   It is the same priesthood that the Levite priests were given by God in the Old Testament.  In order to give the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, those laying hands must also have the proper authority.  This authority is called the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It is the same authority that the apostles of Jesus had in order to lay hands and give the Gift of the Holy Ghost. (Hebrews 7)

    The reason that Mormons want you to join the church is so that you can truly come to Jesus Christ and experience the only organization on the earth where these two priesthoods, given by the Lord exist.

    If you want to be saved and enter Jesus’ Kingdom, you must come to Jesus in the way that He said to come.  This requires Faith, Repentance, Baptism (by the proper authority, only found in the church), and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (the authority to confer this gift is also only found within the church).

    That is the simple reason we want you to become a member, it’s because their is no other way to come to Jesus fully and receive His mighty Grace.

    Jesus said:

    “6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the away, the btruth, and the life: no man ccometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

    We know that the only way to the Father or to Heaven is through Jesus.  But before Jesus can take us to the father, we must first come to Jesus. And the only way to come to Jesus, is through Faith, Repentance, Baptism by the proper authority, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

    In order to truly go through this process, you just join the church.  That is because it is the only place you can receive baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost in a fashion that will be accepted of the Lord.  Because it is the only organization on earth where the holy priesthood of God is.

    In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

    Click here for Missionaries

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  3. How Great Thou Art

    May 9, 2010 by Ben Tanner


    One of my favorite Hymns is “How great Thou art”. I love how it mentions the grandeur and beauty of the earth. I have found that when you go out into nature you can feel closer to the Spirit of the Lord.

    One particular memory is when Jessica and I were flown out to Ghana by her parents. We had the opportunity to go on a safari and see the amazing wildlife. Ghana is situated in west Africa and is a coastal rain forest. I was interested in seeing pretty much anything dangerous. We came across a troop of Baboons and I wanted to get closer. The tour guide could see that I wasn’t afraid so he told me to follow him.

    We hiked closer and closer to the troop. The large males were making a barking sound to get the rest of the troop up on the side of a small cliff for safety. Then the large males turned their attention to us. They made their bodies as big as they could to try and intimidate us. I’m not sure how big they were but they looked 3 and a half feet tall on all fours. They gnarled their teeth at us and barked as if to say if you come one step closer, we will tear you apart.

    About this time Jessica was taking a picture of me from the road. She said she partly joking and partly not that she wanted one last picture of me before they attacked. The guide told me that I shouldn’t go any further as they meant business. I was an amazing scene. These beautiful apes were protecting their families and I was awe struck at the different colors they were displaying to try and scare me off.

    It was almost like a battle scene with banners.

    The Lord is the master creator. I am so grateful for this beautiful earth that He has created. “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, how great thou art” In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

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