Q: How should we
talk to Jesus as a brother, a father, or a God who we should be in
awe of on our
knees and afraid of?
Answer:
Dear Friend,
Our Heavenly father knows each one of his children very well and
he's someone who wants the
best for his children.
I have found that
the key in approaching heavenly father lies in having a
broken heart and a contrite spirit. If we are praying for
something with a genuine desire to know.
If we are humbly seeking the Holy Ghost with faith, believing he
will answer our prayers, we will
in time receive His answer. Joseph Smith taught us the way in
which to approach deity. He went
into the woods, knelt down in humility and asked a very important
question to his Father, Knowing
that God would hear his prayer..
Q:
Do you believe that the spirit
chooses which family it will go to before it is born into the
earthly
body? Do you believe that the spirit can choose not to enter the
physical body at any time before
birth? When does the spirit enter the physical body? Is it at the
moment of birth, or is it at
conception or sometime between the two? If the spirit enters at
the time of birth, then where do I
stand? Am I still a mother to my son who is passed?
Answer:
Dear Friend,
Over the years I've heard many comments saying, "Why do bad
things happen to good people?" Our Heavenly Father knows us,
He understands our missions, He knows our weaknesses as well
as our strengths. Before our journey is over, all promises,
commitments, and covenants made by both ourselves and our
Father will be played out on this earth for the benefit and
eternal welfare of our
souls.
Q:
My question is have you ever worked on a Sunday? I know that
a lot of people do work on Sunday's but what is your opinion
on working on a Sunday?
Answer:
Dear Friend,
As members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are not unique when it
comes to observing the Sabbath, from the Hebrew Sabbath
meaning day of rest. It is a day when we rest from our labors
as Christ rested from his creative labors on the 7th day. (Exodus
20:8-11) In addition to this being a day of
rest it is perhaps more important to recognize that the
Sabbath is indeed a holy day - a day of worship. It is a day
when we are to renew our covenants with the Lord and feed our
souls upon the things of the Spirit.
What makes members of our church unique to this eternal
principle is the fact that modern day revelation was received
through Joseph Smith the Prophet on August 7, 1831. This
revelation can be found in
Doctrine and Covenants Section 59. The
temporal and spiritual blessings we receive are outlined in
verses 9-19.
On a personal note, it is my goal to be obedient in all
things. There are occasions when I must work to fulfill
contractual obligations. This is a conflict experienced by any
member of our church who is occasionally required to perform
services of a professional nature on the Sabbath. I earnestly
strive to attend morning services in anticipation of an
evening show. I believe the Lord understands the true intent
of our hearts as we
love and serve Him to the best of our ability.
|
|
Q:
I've all ways heard that God listens to
every prayer. So when I prayed for something I thought he was
listening but my prayer was never answered. Isn't he there to
help us all when we ask him?
Answer:
Dear Friend,
I have received many
letters regarding prayer. It is apparent to me that you, and
so very many, understand the value of prayer in our lives. To
pray is to speak with God, either vocally or by forming the
thoughts and words in our minds. It has been a part of the
gospel from the beginning. "Thou shalt do all that thou doest
in the name of the Son," an angel declared to Adam, "and thou
shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the son
forevermore." (Moses
5:8) Prayer is essential to the salvation of
man.
Jesus Christ offered the greatest prayers ever uttered. "He
himself also knelt upon the earth," the record says "and
behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he
prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record
who heard him. And after this manner do they bear record: The
eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so
great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak
unto the Father; And no tongue can speak, neither can there be
written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so
great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus
speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our
souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father. (3
Nephi 17:15-17.)
Friend, the prayers you offer are being heard by your Father
in Heaven. We have been counseled to "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." (St
Matthew 7:7.) You may not believe your prayer
was answered because you did not receive the specific answer
you were seeking. I hope it is helpful for me to encourage you
to pray for the faith necessary to understand His ways and His
will. I promise you that every good gift comes to us through
faith and prayer.
Great lessons are
to be gained in reading The First Epistle of John:
1 John 1:4-5 - "And these things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard
of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is
no darkness at all."
1 John 3:22-24 - "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are
pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we
should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ, and love
one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth
his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. An hereby we
know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given
us."
1 John 4:16 - "And we have known and believed the love that
God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth in God, and God in him."
1 John 5:13-15 - "These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that
ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of
the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in
him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he
heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we
ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of
him."
In conclusion, God is light. We seek after light when we
pray. He hears our prayers and we need but ask those things
which are pleasing in His sight in order to receive His
blessings. We must seek after a true knowledge of Him in order
to understand His love for us is complete. As we petition Him
we must also learn to accept His will. He hears our pleas and
we must be of the proper spirit and humility to receive His
answers.
|
|
Q:
I've been a member of the church my whole
life and for the last year I have felt as if I don't belong at
church. Every time I attend church I can't wait till it's
over. I also find it very difficult to pray and to read my
scripture. I want to go to church but I just can't. What
should I do?
Answer:
Dear Friend,
The Savior extended a glorious invitation to you and I when he
said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest" (Matthew
11:28). I would suggest you are carrying a
burden you need not carry. The subsequent result is a loss of
hope and faith. "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a
steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope,
and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall
press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to
the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal
life" (2
Nephi 31:20).
Now, how do we do that? First, we begin by seeking a
testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement is
the foundation upon which all truth resides. The atonement IS
the gospel. The atonement signifies deliverance for all. "It
is infinite as its effect cover all men . . . And reach out
into the endless expanses of eternity" (Bruce R. McConkie). This
is accomplished by diligently searching the scriptures and
other writings of our prophets to further our
understanding. Second, carefully ponder all the information
you've gathered and develop a thorough understanding of this
principle. Finally, pray fervently for a testimony of this
precious gift. It is my prayer as you do these things your
burdens will be lightened and you will experience a renewed
faith, hope and a stronger commitment to the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Q:
It's very to see that ALL The Osmonds are still going strong.
Like most families problems and obstacles are put in our way.
I presume they're there for a reason. I wonder if I can be
brave enough to ask; How does your belief in The Good Book
(The Bible) get you through crises after crises without on a
daily basis. There are times when I'm looking in The Good
Book for an answer I can never find it.
Answer:
Dear Friend,
It's good to hear from
you, my friend. These are trying times we live in and often
our burdens seem more than we can carry. One sure way I find
answers is in the Standard Works which consist of The Bible,
Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great
Price. They indeed are the mind, will, and word of the
Lord. They are one truth that do not contradict the
other. They are directly applicable to any circumstance in
which we find ourselves needing answers.
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for
our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and
consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another
according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one
mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us
to the glory of God"
Romans 15:4-7.
Friend, I pray that you will receive these words in the spirit
of love in which it is given . . . Search the scriptures
diligently then take a moment to ponder all you've read and
feel the spirit. Finally, pray to know the
truthfulness of the words. I promise you a feeling of peace
and comfort will enter your heart.
Q:
Dearest Merrill, Since
speaking to your good self whilst over here in Britain in
April. My faith such as it is (I don't attend a church at the
moment, this is partially due to the fact that my husband has
no faith and is anti church) being tested. I believe in God
Jesus Christ. I now find myself being drown towards the Mormon
faith, thanks to you and your brothers inspiration. Should I
pray to God and Jesus Christ to show me the right way to go
and how can I overcome the hurdle of my husbands non-belief.
At the moment I could not have a missionary to visit due to
my husband's feelings.
Answer:
My dear friend,
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above
rubies." (Proverbs
31:10) You are exactly that. I commend you
for your desires to seek after further truth and light.
May I suggest you begin your journey by first reestablishing
church attendance at your previous church. Your friends will
welcome you and there is a possibility your husband will
choose to join you. Seek changes in yourself, not in him. Show
genuine love and gratitude towards your husband. Praise his
efforts and refrain from judgment.
"Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many
things of their own free will, and bring to pass much
righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are
agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as ye do good they shall
in nowise lose their reward." (D&C
58:27-28) If you will send me your address I
will mail you a Book of Mormon. Begin a personal study of this
book, ponder the writings of the prophets, and upon completion
pray in faith to know of the truthfulness of what you've
read. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall
be given him. (James
1:5) Anxiously engage yourself in seeking
additional knowledge and truth. Reestablish communication with
your Father in Heaven. Pray for the faith necessary to embark
upon this spiritual quest. I promise you as you seek the Lord
you will find Him, ask and you shall receive. Remember, the
gospel of Jesus Christ is intended to brings couples and
families together for eternity.
All my love and support.
Questions may be edited for space purposes.
Have a Question?
Merrill, will answer your questions.
Due to Merrill's
scheduling he is unable to answer questions at the moment.
Back to Beliefs Home
This site maintained by
Teresa Heard.
Copyright © Merrill Osmond Worldwide & The Bear Den DBA - All rights
reserved
Credits
Graphic Design...©www.touchamemory.com
You may add this banner to your
homepage to direct others to this site!
