Doctrine and Teachings Unique to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Well, we’ve been praying for the end of winter and I think we’ve reached it. Twice we had the air conditioner on in our little house and twice in the car this week. Certainly, we’ll have more snow and cold before summertime, but most likely it won’t be zero degrees with the wind chill factor driving it to subzero.

Along with the closing of winter weather, I suspect we’ve seen the tail end of guest-less sites. With spring break this week, we’ve seen many people from Texas, Utah, and Idaho. Even Oregon-ites have made their way east to Nauvoo. We love guests! Hope to see you too!

We're getting ready for the first Relief Society meeting reinactment. We perform both tomorrow morning for the Temple missionary sisters and Tuesday afternoon the 17th for the Nauvoo sister missionaries. (For those of you who don't know, Relief Society is the oldest and largest women's organization in the world. Most LDS women are members of it.) We'll be performing in the Red Brick Store where the events actually took place. I get to play the part of Bathsheba Smith, wife of George A Smith. She was only 15 years old at the time and the youngest one in attendance. I'm not exactly 15 but closer to that number than most missionaries here. :) I'll report on this event next week.

 As you know from my last post, I’ve been contemplating the lost doctrine that was originally part of the Holy Bible. Well, in our training meeting this week, Elder Brinley taught us 50 doctrines and teachings that are unique to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I won’t mention them all because that would most likely bore you to death, but here are a few:

• The state of little children who die without baptism
• Knowledge of Satan--his nature, character, and origin
• The meaning of resurrection--restoration of body and spirit
• The purpose of life and Plan of Happiness 
• A Word of Wisdom for our day--a move from a meat-oriented diet to grains and plants.
• Purpose and impact of Adam and Eve and their partaking of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
• Understanding of our pre-mortal existence and what happens after this life
• The great judgments on earth in the latter-days
• The gospel taught on earth prior to Christ's birth
• The relationship between grace and works clarified
• Tithing defined and the purpose of fasting and offerings
• Atonement of Christ is more clearly defined and understood
• The nature of hell--it is not a charcoal pit, but the suspense of not knowing your eventual destiny
• Characteristics of the Godhead described (not like the Trinity as found in other churches)
• We pray to the Father--not Jesus. We pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ by inspiration and power of the Holy Ghost
• Revelation from God continues beyond Biblical days. The canon of scripture is not closed. It is not man who tells God if and when He can speak.
• Clear precise steps for repentance

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Religion in our case is not a theory at all but a Divine plan to help us get through this life and return to our Father above.

Our Father in Heaven is a God of love who allows men agency. It is the wicked choices of some who bring evil and sadness into this world. Nothing evil comes from God. In fact, He hurts when we hurt; however, our sufferings can all be for our growth and benefit. This life is short in comparison to the ions of time we'll have to experience the consequences of our actions here. Let's be wise and avoid too many regrets. Repentance is a great blessing.

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