"Sunday Sermon" Boyd K. Packer and the Transgressing Missionary In 1971, Elder Boyd K. Packer visited our mission in Bristol, England. He shared the following experience. Soon after being called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, he was sent to a foreign mission, where a missionary faced excommunication for having had sexual relations with a … Continue reading Rules versus Revelation (2 Stories)
"Sunday Sermon" Elder H. Burke Peterson's First Stake Conference (Garden Grove) In 1972, H. Burke Peterson was sustained as a new General Authority. The next week, he presided over the Garden Grove Stake Conference. I was in attendance at the Saturday Priesthood Leadership Meeting. The meeting was supposed to last two hours. However, Elder Peterson … Continue reading Fallible Church Leaders – A Story
"Personal History Saturday" I got married on a beautiful Southern California day in January 1976. My wife and I soon moved into a poor inner-city ward in Long Beach. After a few weeks, I was called as the Explorer Scout Leader, and Priest Advisor. The upcoming Friday was a 3-day holiday and the Explorers had … Continue reading “The Church Campout From Hell” – Delinquents and Me
"Sunday Sermon" THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST (BIBLICAL)THE RESTORED CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTSOTHER CHURCHESCHURCH ORGANIZATION Prophets (Amos 3:7)YesNoTwelve Apostles (Lk 6:13; 7:28; Eph 2:19-20; Eph 4: 11-14;YesNoSeventy (Lk 10:1, 17; Num 11:16-25)YesNoHigh Priests (Heb 5:1-10; 3:1, 14; 8:1)YesNoElders (Acts 14:23; 15:6; 1 Tim 5:17; 1 Pet 5:1-3)YesNo/Yes (few)Bishops (Philip 1: 1; 1 Tim … Continue reading Signs of the True Church of Jesus Christ (Comparison Chart)
"Sunday Sermon" 14th Article of Faith We believe in meetings. We believe in all the meetings that have been held, all the meetings that are now being held, and we believe that there will yet be many great and important meetings pertaining to the kingdom of God. We have endured many meetings, and we hope … Continue reading 14th Article of Faith – “We Believe in Meetings”
"Sunday Sermon" I love General Conference. It is a time of spiritual renewal. We are enlightened and inspired. We are encouraged to “Hear Him” and “Let God prevail.” We are urged to strive to do better and be better. We are “taken to the spiritual mountain and shown visions of great glory.” Most important, we … Continue reading General Conference: A Time of Renewal (Great Quotes)
What if the Church Leaders Denied Their Testimonies? I asked my seminary students and gospel doctrine classes this question: “Suppose that the prophet announced at general conference that the church is not true. Therefore, the prophet asked that the members sustain the general authorities and officers in dissolving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day … Continue reading Joseph F. Smith – An Unshakable Personal Testimony, Even at Gunpoint
A distinctive fdoctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the belief in continuing prophetic revelation and personal revelation. The Lord’s church recognizes that both church leaders and church members can and do receive revelation to guide them in their stewardships and lives. ("Two lines of communication with God." "Priesthood Line" and … Continue reading Personal Revelation (Pt 1/5): The Right to Receive Personal Revelation
My Traumatic Childhood Experience As a boy I stood in long lines at our elementary school waiting to get our compulsory smallpox and polio shots. My first vaccination was traumatic. With dozens of classmates watching, on reflex I jerked away from the nurse, and she accidently shot the vaccine into my eye. That caused a … Continue reading In Praise of Vaccines
(I recently shared the experience when I wore a different colored tie based on the promptings of the Spirit. The following experience reveals that I am not as righteous as some people might think.) Over forty years ago, during my lunch break, I rushed to the bank near the DA’s Office where I worked. I … Continue reading I Disobeyed the Spirit Out of Sheer Stubbornness
The London Edition 