Mormon Musings

Recognizing the Lord’s Hand Naturalism’s explanations of the origins of life and the miracle of our bodies often appear convoluted when placed side by side with the simple truths of the revealed word and divine scripture. With its 107 million cells, connected to the brain by over 1 million neurons, the eye is more perfect than any camera ever invented. It caused Charles Darwin to humbly admit, “That the eye with all its inimitable contrivances … could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest sense.”   1 The Psalmist wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” ( Psalm 53:1 ). Such a foolish disbeliever ought to look at his hands. Seventy muscles contribute to hand movements. Much of the rest of the body is devoted to optimizing the complex function of the hand. There are no muscles in the fingers. The sole purpose of the forearm, its muscles and bones, is to move and position the hand. To observe a miracle, look at a baby’s ...

I will inform you that it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority higher than themselves; therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them; but if any person have a vision or visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for his own benefit and instruction; for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the Church are vested in the keys of the kingdom. Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith , sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], p. 21]

Do you read the Scriptures, my brethren and sisters, as though you were writing them a thousand, two thousand, or five thousand years ago?  Do you read them as though you stood in the place of the men who wrote them?  If you do not feel thus, it is your privilege to do so, that you may be as familiar with the spirit and meaning of the written word of God as you are with your daily walk and conversation, or as you are with your workmen or your households.  You may understand what the Prophets understood and thought--what they designed and planned to bring forth for their good. When you can thus feel, then you may begin to think that you can find out something about God, and begin to learn who He is. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:333

Alexandre Dumas, in his classic tale The Count of Monte Cristo, wrote, “For the happy man prayer is only a jumble of words, until the day when sorrow comes to explain to him the sublime language by means of which he speaks to God.” (Trans. Lowell Bair, New York: Bantam Books, 1981, p. 34.) (April 1993 General Conference , Peace through Prayer, Sun. Morning Session - Rex D. Pinegar)

One of the distinguishing characteristics of our world is that it is a place of law and order, and the basic law of creation is God’s fundamental law of compensation. It says that all work must be paid for, that we can no more do a good thing without sometime, in some way receiving a reward, than we can do an evil thing without suffering a penalty. In everything that we do, including the very thoughts that we think, we are subject to this interesting, undeviating eternal law. It is just as universal in its operation as are the laws of gravity, electricity, light or heat. It is never set aside, it is never suspended or restricted, and it governs in every department of human activity. Nothing is ever denied to well-directed effort and nothing is ever achieved without it. The Lord himself gave this law its clearest expression when he said, ‘There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any ble...

What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity. “For I [said the Lord] will judge men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I n many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon (see  2 Nephi 2:26 ), and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps. And we can speak with the assurance that God will inspire our utterances. This is in part the meaning of the scripture that declares, “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God” ( D&C 121:45 ). As you appropriately seek for and apply unto the spirit of revelation, I promise you will “walk in the light of the Lord” ( Isaiah 2:5 ;  2 Nephi 12:5 ). Sometimes the spirit of revelati...