Mormon Musings

  When Jesus spoke to the multitude gathered on the Mount, he said to them: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt. 7:7–8) This seems to be an admonition to search with determination and make earnest inquiry for truth. It is as applicable to religion as it is to science—the process is the same in either case. The search may require a lifetime to examine the necessary materials, discard that which proves to be false, and isolate the truth when it is found. As important as scientific research may be, the greatest quest is a search for God—to determine his reality, his personal attributes, and to secure a knowledge of the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. It is not easy to find a perfect understanding of God. The search requires persistent effort, and there are some who never move themselves to pursue this knowle...

"We should decide now, in the light of the morning, how we will act when the darkness of night and when the storms of temptation arrive." —Howard W. Hunter, " Chapter 19: Our Commitment to God "

“When we … read and study the scriptures, benefits and blessings of many kinds come to us. This is the most profitable of all study in which we could engage.”  Howard W. Hunter (Ensign, Nov. 1979, p. 64.)

"Brothers and sisters, you have and will have worries and challenges of many kinds, but embrace life joyfully and full of faith. Study the scriptures regularly. Pray fervently. Obey the voice of the Spirit and the prophets. Do all that you can to help others. You will find great happiness in such a course. Some glorious day all your worries will be tuned to joys. "As Joseph Smith wrote to the struggling Saints from his cel l in Liberty Jail: "'Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. [D&C 123:17] "'Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. . . . "'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not' [D&C 6:34–37]." President Howard W. Hunter, BYU Devotional, March 14, 1989

“The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master.” -The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams (1997), 269; quoted in Ensign, Dec. 2012, 55

Even with the logic of nature’s regeneration and even with the testimony of that empty garden tomb, there are still those who feel the grave is a final destination. But the doctrine of the Resurrection is the single most fundamental and crucial doctrine in the Christian religion. It cannot be overemphasized, nor can it be disregarded. Without the Resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise sayings and seemingly unexplainable miracles—but sayings and miracles with no ultimate triumph. No, the ultimate triumph is in the ultimate miracle: for the first time in the history of mankind, one who was dead raised himself into living immortality. He  was  the Son of God, the Son of our immortal Father in Heaven, and his triumph over physical and spiritual death is the good news every Christian tongue should speak. The eternal truth is that Jesus Christ arose from the grave and was the firstfruits of the Resurrection. (See   1 Cor. 15:23 .) The witnesses of ...

"As I have contemplated the foundation laid by the early Saints, I have reviewed with reverence the sacrifice and devotion which they showed for the cause of truth. The pillars of their faith are still resident with us as a people today. We, like the early Saints, believe and testify, as the first pillar of our faith, that the Prophet Joseph Smith did indeed see the Father and the Son in the grove of trees in the spring of 1820. Said he, 'I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me' (JS—H 1:25). To those who questioned his experience, Joseph wrote, 'Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and . . . why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it' (ibid.)." Howard W. Hunter ,  "The Pillars of Our Faith," Ensign, Sept. 1994, 54

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we invite people of all backgrounds—many of which are very different from our own—to come unto Christ. We should not hesitate to invite those of other religions. Many of these good people have been seeking for the truth, even by study and also by faith, for a long time. We need to reach out to them in a courageous way with a sweet boldness, with love, and with a pure desire to share the truth from which they have been kept “because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12). President Gordon B. Hinckley said: We do not stand out in opposition to other churches. We respect all men for all the good that they do, and we say to those of all churches, we honor the good that you do and we invite you to come and see what further good we can do for you.  [ TGBH, 667] The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: We don’t ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more.  [ HC ...

"True greatness...always requires regular, consistent, small, and sometimes ordinary and mundane steps over a long period of time."  Howard W. Hunter, " True Greatness ", Ensign, May 1982, 19