Endure to the End

Revelation 2–3. “To Him That Overcometh”

1. The Lord’s counsel to each of the seven branches of the Church in Asia follows a pattern:
•  
• He told the members of the branch what they were doing that pleased Him.
• He told them in what ways they needed to repent.
• He told them of the blessings that would come if they were faithful.
• Fill in the chart below with information you find in Revelation 2–3:

City	What They Did That Pleased the Lord	How They Needed to Repent	Promised Blessings
Ephesus (2:1-7)	The recognized false apostles and cast them out	Swiftly, they had forgotten first, works.	They will eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of God
Smyrna (2:8-11)	They heard the words of the spirit.	Some needed to repent of blasphemy, saying they were jews when they were not.	They shall not suffer the second death. Death shall offer them the crown of life.
Pergamos (2:12-17)	For holding to his name and keeping the faith.	They needed to repent that followed other doctrines which were not God’s.	Eat of the hidden manna and learn of things that no man had learned before.
Thyatira (2:18-29)	Works of charity, service, and faith	The people were following a women named Jezebell who was leading them unto fornication.	Power over the nations.
Sardis (3:1-6)	Of the few that had not defiled their garments and lived a pure life.	They needed to repent of their unclean ways and strengthen that which remained.	Their names will not be blotted out of the book of life and they shall be clothed in white.
Philadelphia (3:7-13)	Kept his word and not denied his name	Of lying saying they were who they were not.	They will receive the name of the city of God, which is Jerusalem.
Laodicea (3:14-22)	God loved them and so he chastened them	They were neither hot nor cold. Neither good nor evil. They needed to do good works.	To him that overcome will be invited to sit with God.

2. Write a paragraph about what counsel given to the seven branches of the Church in Asia applies to you today. Which of the promises the Lord gave to the seven Churches most inspires you to seek eternal life? 

He is pleased with a few of them and he has confidence that all can overcome but none of them are perfect. He wants them to improve because they are all struggling and some he doesn’t even have anything nice to say about. He does provide positive feedback first though which really is cool considering their sins. I found it very interesting that he didn’t care for those who were neither hot nor cold, they didn’t even have the guts to do evil and they did no good in return.

3. How does Doctrine and Covenants 14:7, 63:20 give meaning to the phrase "to him that overcometh?

Those that overcome and endure to the end will have eternal life.  You don’t just have to succeed in this life, you have to keep succeeding and you have to keep facing trials. It’s like a long bike race where there is a new stage to complete everyday. The person in the lead may be doing well at the moment but it’s a long race and it’s very unpredictable. Even if we stay consistent and continue to lead our own personal races we will still face challenges that have to be overcome. Overcoming a mountain on one day will give us the confidence to tackle the next one but we still have to tackle it just like we did the last. lds.org/scriptures

Recognizing False Teachers

False Teachings

Throughout this blog I have been presenting you with a selection of biblical teachings. When you go to church you are presented with even more teaching. You get out into the world and someone says, no that’s all wrong. How do you know who is right? This can be especially difficult when comparing two different teachers of the same faith who are teaching contradictive information. 2 Peter has given us some things to watch for in false teachers.

• ·      They deny the Lord
• ·      Evil speaking of those who speak and seek truth
• ·      Covetous spirit, They shall make merchandise out of or use their followers.
• ·      Powered by lust
• ·      Evil speaking of things they do not understand (They slander things they don’t fully know)
• ·      They do not obey God’s commandments
• ·      Speak and practice vanity

False teachers lack humility, they seek to lead you down their path in order to use you to accomplish their pursuit of worldly things. They deny the power of God and do not follow his teachings.

Often people do not know what they are teaching is false. It is up to each individual person to choose the way of Christ and never go back. Returning to the evils of the world after you know Christ is a terrible thing. It would be better that you had not learned of righteousness than to know it and then turn from it. It is not different than a dog having something unhealthy in his stomach. It would be better that he keep it in there not knowing it is harmful than for him to throw it up and then eat it again knowing full well what it is.

2 Peter chapter 2 can be found at lds.org/scriptures in the New Testament.

Hebrews 13: Works of Righteousness

Paul concluded his epistle to the Hebrews with some brief teachings and statements of counsel. 

• How should we treat strangers and those “in bonds”?

We should remember them that are in bonds and do our best to free them from for as they are in bonds we are also. We should always give service even unto strangers for those who have served strangers have unknowingly been serving angels.

• How is marriage looked upon?

Marriage is honorable and is ordained of God.

• What warnings are given about covetousness?

We should avoid covetousness at all costs. We should be satisfied with what we have, and we will never be left or forsaken. We should never leave or forsake others in search of something more. To covet is a sin.

• What is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”?

Jesus Christ, His teachings, his mercy, and his power.

• How are we sanctified?

Christ allowed his own blood to be spilled and died in order to take upon him our sins. Through him we are sanctified that we might return to our father in heaven.

• How do we respond to those who rule over us?

We should follow them that have rule over us who have spoken the word of God, and their faith follow. We should obey them, they will watch over and protect us.

• Who did Paul ask the people to pray for?

For us, or for the children of God. 

Why is life not fair?

Why is life not fair? People often say, “Life isn’t fair. Why do I have to have so many trials? I’m tired of being ridiculed by those who do not keep the commandments.”

Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

When facing trials and adversity it is very important to remember the bigger picture. This life is not meant to be easy, in fact we were sent here that we might have the opportunity to face trials. Trials give us a chance to grow. They give us a chance to learn, to broaden our understanding.

This world presents the unique experience of practicing faith. In heaven we know what is and what isn’t, we have seen God and all his wonders. Here we must act with faith, we must follow Christ without a perfect knowledge, we are given the chance to follow and believe on him without even being 100% sure that he exists. With faith we may feel quite certain that he lives, but in reality we have never seen him and therefore we make a choice to believe. This is much harder.

When we face trials, as was the purpose of our coming here we get a chance to prove to God our faith. Things may be difficult but the more we are tried and the more we persevere the greater our glory in heaven. Just as the scripture says we can be found in praises, honor and glory in the appearance of Christ. When life seems too hard or unfair just remember that we are being given the opportunity to grow and experience increase in heaven, what wouldn’t be fair is if God had just let us remain in our simple unglorified state in the pre-mortal existence. This life is short but its reward extends through eternity.

To read the scriptures referenced please go to lds.org/sciptures

Jesus Christ is Greater Than Angels

Jesus Christ is superior in many ways to many things. He is the Son of God. In the Bible Dictionary "Analysis of Hebrews" Paul teaches the Jews a few things that Jesus is superior to and why therefore they should follow his word.
Jesus Christ, his Law, and his Word is superior to the following according to Paul:

• Angels
• Moses
• The High Priests of Moses
• The Law of Moses

In Hebrews 1 Paul gives us three truths regarding Jesus Christ

1. He is the Son and heir of God
2. He loves righteousness and hates iniquity
3. He will be forever worshipped by God's Angels

Jesus Christ came to this earth on a very important mission, all of the scriptures agree (The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants etc) as in Hebrews 2:9 "...he by the grace of God should taste death for everyman." Christ came here for many reasons, the number one reason seems to be that we may have the ability to return and live with God once again. He conquered death and paid for all our sins. He also experienced all the suffering and burdens of all humanity. He can help anyone with any problem they may face because he has been there. God sent him that he might save and lead his children back to heaven.
I know Jesus Christ is our savior, I know he died for our sins and I know that his love for each and everyone of us is great.
For more information on these scriptures and additional testaments of Jesus Christ I invite you to read the scriptures for your self that you might feel from the spirit their truth and power. lds.org/scriptures

New Testament Solutions to Everyday Challenges

Ever wondered what advice, if any, the scriptures give us for our everyday problems? The scriptures are actually packed with this valuable knowledge, there's no way to cover it all on this blog so today we are just going to focus on the solutions that Philippians has for us.

Ever notice people complaining about petty matters in church and throughout the week, every done it yourself? You're not alone if you have in Philippians we are told to be of one mind with the Saints, we need to all focus on the goal at hand which is to help ourselves and our neighbors achieve eternal life. In verse 8 we are told how Christ lived and we can apply this to our lives as well. He humbled himself, He obeyed, and He sought to serve His Father. In order to become as one mind with the rest of the saints we must live in the same manner.

People often rely on the testimony of others for the own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are also those who profess that the Word is true but do nothing to love their neighbor or accomplish any of God's commandments. This is not how it should be. As Philippians 2:12 says, "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." We must obtain our own testimony, we cannot believe because Dad said so but because we know and have faith for ourselves that it is true. We cannot expect salvation if we simply profess the Word to be true, we must lead a righteous life and strive through our works to draw nearer to Christ.

If you are considering joining the church, whether it be the LDS church or simply to Christianity you may be apprehensive about losing the support of your family and friends. This is a valid concern and one that has turned many the investigator away from the truth. In chapters 3 and 4 you will find comfort in this problem. We are reminded that Christ is the only way to salvation, he is the only one that can pay the debt for our transgressions and no matter what your family and friends tell you, they cannot offer you such a prize. The joy and happiness accompanied by Christ's love, which is greater than that of one, greatly over shadow anything lost in the process. Remember that Christ sacrificed all for us and we may only sacrifice little for him, no matter the difficulty we may face we will be given strength when we follow the word of God. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

These are just a scant few of the many wonderful lessons taught in the scriptures, practically every page is packed, sometimes obviously, sometimes not so obviously, with valuable information pertaining to our earthly lives and our lives to come. In 2 Nephi 32:3 we are told why it is so important to read the scriptures and search for the lessons they contain, "...feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

The King James Bible containing the New Testament and other scriptural references can be found at: lds.org/scriptures

Live As Saints Should Live

In Romans 13:11 it tells us, "now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." nearer is our salvation and it will come sooner than we think. In Ezekial 3:20 a haunting scenario is presented. A righteous man turns to iniquity but he is killed and because he has not been warned, he dies in his sin. We must do good continually because if we turn away from the Lord even for a second we may not get the opportunity to repent and return. In Doctrine and Covenants 14:7 we are told to keep God's commandments and endure to the end. This is how we keep from dying in our sins, our good works forgotten.

Truly understanding how to attain salvation may not be as simple as being told to keep the commandments and endure to the end. What are the commandments and what does it mean to endure to the end? The answers to those questions can be both simple and complicated but Paul has provided us with a good list of things we can do in order to secure eternal life.

• Romans 12:1 "present your bodies a living sacrifice..." or in other words use all the physical and mental talents the Lord has given you in the service of his gospel and his children.
• Romans 12:2 "be not conformed to this world..." renew your mind and prove what is good and acceptable in the sight of God.
• Romans 12:9 "Let love be without dissimulation...cleave to that which is good." Reject that which is evil and celebrate and practice love and good works.
• Romans 12:13 Practice hospitality
• Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind one toward another..." Try to think of how others think, but also be of one mind in all that you do be of one mind seeking after the same goal in exaltation. Whether you are rich or poor seek to serve your fellow man.
• Romans 12:21 "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Do not let evil things control your thoughts and actions rather drive out those evil thoughts and actions by practicing and thinking of that which is good.
• Romans 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers..." There is not power but God in the Universe and we are to be subjects to him.
• Romans 13:3 "...do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:" When you practice good you will receive good praise after this life.
• Romans 13:8 "Owe no man anything, but to love one another..." Don't find yourself indebted to your fellow man, the only thing you should owe your neighbor is love and this is because you are and always will be indebted to God, for he gave you all that you have, and love is his law.
• Romans 13:9 Finally follow the simple commandments. Do not kill, covet, commit adultery, steal, or bear false witness. Love thy neighbor as thyself and anything which that entails.

We also must remember not to judge one another. This is one of the things entailed in loving thy neighbor as thyself. We should not judge for as Paul wrote we should be bearing one another's burdens and building each other up. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes so who are we to judge another of his mistakes.

It is important to remember that all those we might judge are sons and daughters of God. They are God's to judge and not ours. God can build them up and has forbidden us from doing anything to bring them down.

During this time period Paul often refers to members of the church or followers of Christ as "saints". It is important to note this because it gives us a perspective when reviewing how he teaches doctrine to different groups of people and how he refers to those that believe and follow Christ.

New Testament-Romans

Baptism

It is common knowledge that Christians must be baptized, but why? What is the purpose of baptism, what is the proper method, and what must one do in order to be worthy of baptism?

In order to be baptized one must rid themselves of sin. In Romans 6, 1 the scriptures ask, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? and in verse 2 it says, "God forbid." It seems to be pretty clear then, we must repent and we must strive to live a righteous life, we are not saved by grace alone but by works also.


Once one has repented, done their best to lead a righteous life, and has accepted the Gospel it is time to enter into the waters of baptism. There are some churches who have their members enter baptism by sprinkling or by merely encountering water but in Romans it is clear that baptism is only achieved through full immersion of the body.  Romans 6, 4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Christ was buried in death just as we are buried in death when we are baptized we are symbolically plunged into death in the fullest extent and then raised from the dead or resurrected cleaned of all that we have done.


Baptism is very symbolic of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the end of Christ's life he took on all of the world's sins, all of our burdens. He then died, was buried in death and then resurrected clean and pure, exalted. He conquered death and sin, providing a way for all of us to do the same. Prior to baptism we are burdened by sins just as Christ was, then we are submerged or buried in death. When we leave the waters we are clean and pure, free from sin. Free to live righteously for all our days.


After baptism it can be easy to fall back into our old habits, regrettably we all will but somethings can help us to avoid it as much as possible. We must not yield to sin. Since we died unto Christ we shall live unto him also and Christ lives in righteousness. Keeping this symbolism in mind can help us when we face life's temptations.  According to Mosiah 3:19 we should put off the natural man. We should put him off at baptism and we should strive to put him off everyday of our lives.


Who's servant are you? Baptism allows us to break free from the servitude of sin. When ever we give into temptation we are serving sin, whenever we follow God's commandments we are serving him. You can tell in any given situation who you are serving by asking your self whether or not this is something God would have you do, in most cases you will know the answer right away. Some may say, "well if I have to serve something, why not just serve temptation? It's more fun anyway." Don't fall into this line of thinking. Freedom comes not from doing the things that seem to matter now but in doing the things that matter most, the wages of sin is death, the wages of righteousness are eternal life
 New Testament-Romans
Book of Mormon-Mosiah

1 Corinthians 5: Avoiding Sin

Sometimes it is difficult to know whether terms used in the Bible are being used in the same way we use them today. There are many words and phrases which may come under this scrutiny but we are going to examine fornication. Did Paul use it the same way we use it today. Today fornication can mean different things to different people but Websters Dictionary describes it as follows:

"consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other"

That definition is pretty straight forward, but how was it seen in Paul's time? In the scriptures fornication is often used for any unlawful sexual relations between two people and it seems to be interchangeable with terms like adultery. Fornicator is also the title occasionally given to a person who has apostised or fallen away. Remember that in the Bible any sexual relationship between two unmarried people is unlawful. During the times of the Apostles it was against civil law and also as it remains to this day against God's law. 

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul gives us some additional advice on how to avoid sin. It is important to understand the meaning of fornication because in verse 9 and 10 he counsels us to steer clear of fornicators. This of course doesn't just mean unmarried non-virgins, this means that we should not associate ourselves with those who have fallen away or broken God's law. These people are likely to drag us down with them and this is why Paul gives us this counsel. Paul also suggests that we be as new lamps or that we return to are innocence. A new lamp has no oil or burn stains on it, it is pure and clean. Repentance can return us to this clean state and this is what Paul suggests we must do. We must return to our clean state and do our best to remain there.

In Matthew 5 verse 29 Christ tells us that we should cut out our right eye if it offends us, for it is better for one member to perish than for the whole body be damned to hell. If there is a sin or a habit that we have we should give it up, we should cast it out and return the whole of us to a clean state. If we are willing to give up and cast out the sins we enjoy and continually seek a state that is pleasing unto God we will be better prepared to avoid sin when it comes to tempt us.

This material was brought to you by a reading of the King James Bible, the scriptures can be found at http://lds.org/scriptures on the web or at book stores every where.

Jesus Christ-Our Rock Against Temptation

It was a wise man who built his house upon a rock. A rock is unmovable. More important than it does not move is that it is not moved. A rock is not affected by natural forces, a rock stands despite wind, rain and all forms of tribulation.
It was Paul who called Christ a "Rock" in 1 Corinthians 10, 4. Christ is unmovable. He stands for the same things yesterday, today and forever. Like the foundation of the wise man's house Christ protects us from the outside forces of this world. He atoned for the sins of the world and placed himself as Rock between himself and the evils that threaten to overcome us.
Paul gave us a list in 1 Corinthians 10 of the many transgressions man can and will fall into:

• Lust
• Idolators
• Fornication
• The tempting or mocking of Christ
• Murmuring

These sins are certainly a temptation for God's children today. They come in many forms and there are more sins in the world not mentioned here as well. Lust runs rampant thanks to pornography and a decreased social view of sexual purity, fornication exists for the same reasons. Murmuring whether it is against ones parents, God or your fellow man is a very easy sin to fall into. We see violent crime, dishonesty, cheating, stealing and a generally vulgar attitude to be the norm in today's society. All of this considered, man's situation seems desperate to say the least but in verse 13 Paul gives us all some reassurance.
Paul says that There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. I included the entire verse because it is very straight forward and each line needs to be taken into account. Paul is saying that there is no temptation we are given that we can't handle, God won't allow it. If he allows us to have a temptation that means that it is something we can overcome and he will provide a way for us to escape it. Christ being a rock is crucial to fulfilling this promise. He provides the foundation and the strength for us to overcome temptation. Alma 13:28 expounds on this asking us to come unto the Lord with the promise that he will provide us strength, that we may not be tempted above what we can bear. This promise is so great because the sins of the world are incredibly easy to fall into and the consequences of falling are catastrophic. On our own we clearly have no chance, but with the Lord on our side with Christ as our Rock we have a chance. We have someone to support us and give us strength. This is yet another demonstration of the love Heavenly Father and Jesus have for us, that they would go out of their way to make sure we have the strength and the assistance we need to prevail in this life.
This information was gathered using the King James Bible, 1 Corinthians 10, The Topical Guide,  and the Book of Mormon.  The bulk of the information is based on the text of 1 Corinthians 10, 1-14.

An Example For Missionaries- As displayed by Paul

Paul gives an exceptional account of the ideal ways of a missionary in first and second Thessalonians, I especially like 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, 1-6's description of the mind set and goal of a true missionary. Paul doesn't appeal to anyone in these chapters except God. When he teaches the Gospel he teaches what God would have him teach, not what would be pleasing unto men or what would keep him from being thrown in jail. No, he teaches for the glory of God.

• He does not seek glory for himself from anyone. Not his friends his foes or anyone else. Like Christ he does his work in the glory of God.
• Paul conducts himself as a saint. That is to say that he does nothing of reproach, he lives his life according to what he is teaching and he lives as righteous a life as he can.
• He works hard. He works to support himself and asks no one to support him. He cannot teach others to labor if he is not doing it himself.
• He teaches by the Spirit. This aspect was mentioned earlier, in saying that he teaches what God would have him teaches but it is also important to recognize that he is also letting his words be guided constantly by the Spirit.
•  Paul does not use flattering words. True missionaries do not ooh and ahh the people they teach by refined vocabulary but rather they put it how it is. They teach the Gospel.
• Missionaries like Paul served others. Paul taught them the Gospel but he also served them in other ways. Selflessness is key here for missionaries. When giving service one cannot be thinking about the return one might attain, a baptism count for example, rather service should be done selflessly with the person being served in mind.

This information was brought to you from the words of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians as written in the King James Bible. The Bible can be found at http://lds.org/scriptures, at a library, or from LDS Missionaries near you.

Acts 1-12 An Introduction and Overview

This section is a great example of many Gospel principles, missionary work being the most pronounced.

Christ ministers for forty days following his resurrection and the apostles spend the majority of their time serving others and testifying as witnesses of Christ. They travel teaching and serving those they find. This section is a great example of the hardships that followers of Christ must sometimes experience in order to spread the word. The Apostles suffered great hardships despite their loyal devotion and we must be prepared to face trials as well. This is also a time when repentence is being introduced and practiced. Saul who later becomes Paul is shown the error of his ways and the calling that he has to be a disciple of Christ. As a result of his experience he changes his ways and repents. In Chapter 11 God gives the gift of repentance unto the Gentiles. Repentance is very important following the death and resurrection of Christ. Before Christ there was no one to carry the sins of the people, and unless you lived a perfect life there was no hope except in the prophecy that a savior was to come. Now that he has come he gives them a way with which they can forsake their sins and come clean.

Peter is doing quite a bit of work during this time period and it is shown to us in this section. Peter brings many to the Church when he testifies of resurrection and does a great service when he explains the manner by which one may attain salvation. He testifies of many things including the Holy Ghost, repentance, the second coming, and many other things. Peter spends a great deal of time teaching with John. They perform miracles and on occasion are thrown into prison. They are delivered by Angels though and despite their run in with the law Peter continues to teach. He confers the gift of the holy ghost and baptizes many. When a man asks to buy the gift of the holy ghost he is criticized by Peter. Peter does a lot to bring the word of God to all and as a result the Church has and continues to grow as we close with chapter 12.
This information is brought to you from the words of the King James Bible, Acts chapters 1-12. The King James Bible can be found online in it's entirety at lds.org and at many other locations.