(May 16, 2015)
In this
Church, we have made certain covenants.
These covenants are not between us and the Church, but between us and
God. The Church (particularly the
Priesthood authority found in the Church) exists to facilitated those covenants
being made.
When
Samuel the Lamanite stood on the wall and criticized the Nephites for not
allowing God to guide them, he was speaking to all of us. Ultimately, God will teach us what we are to
do, and it will be our obligation to follow whatever He tells us. The Church can aid us in that process, but the
Church cannot replace the Lord in that process.
Hi Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteI have followed your blog for several months and I really enjoy your insight, both to the scripture at hand, as well as life in general. I empathize with the struggles you allude to - I am grateful for the faith of others and the stories they have of that faith being rewarded. I talked to my boys about this as we read Alma 59 today - why did Helaman write to Moroni with his story and that of the Stripling Warriors? Why in turn did Moroni rejoice in the story and spread it among all his men and armies? I believe it is because he saw faith in action and wanted everyone to see it, and see that it was possible to strengthen their faith and become better people.
I hope that this helps you in your struggles. Again, thanks for sharing your testimony and thoughts!