"It is an interesting thing when we are training animals, we expect those animals to do exactly what they are told, and we will spend hours, we will spend days, and we will spend weeks, and we will spend months training a hunting dog or a sheep dog or a horse; and they do the same in a circus with their circus animals. Those men who are acrobats in a circus spend months and years in preparing to do those things that are necessary, using all the laws and obeying those laws to accomplish what they wish to do.

"This is true with anything in life. But we are prepared to spend that time and give rewards to our animals when they do right and punish them otherwise, and if they won’t do what we tell them and we can’t train them, we dispose of them. How much more important that we take time to train our children to do what is right, and ourselves as children of God, to do what is right, and to be sure we are where we should be when we should be, doing the things we should be doing in keeping the commandments of God, being obedient in every way. As we do this, we can gain eternal life. How true this is!"

Did Joseph Smith reinvent the temple by putting all the fragments–Jewish, Orthodox, Masonic, Gnostic, Hindu, Egyptian, and so forth–together again?

No, that is not how it is done. Very few of the fragments were available in his day, and the job of putting them together was begun, as we have seen, only in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Even when they are available, those poor fragments do not come together of themselves to make a whole; to this day the scholars who collect them do not know what to make of them.

Joseph, the Prophet, was aware that there were some things about Masonry which had come down from the beginning and he desired to know what they were, hence the lodge.

The Masons admitted some keys of knowledge appertaining to Masonry were lost.

Joseph inquired of the Lord concerning the matter and He revealed to the Prophet true Masonry, as we have it in our temples.

Owing to the superior knowledge Joseph received, the Masons became jealous and cut off the Mormon lodge.

The temple is not to be derived from them, but the other way around. … That anything of such fulness, consistency, ingenuity, and perfection could have been brought forth at a single time and place–overnight, as it were is quite adequate proof of a special dispensation.

Let me suggest that the reason why temple building and temple worship have been found in every age, on every hand, and among every people, is because the gospel in its fullness was revealed to Adam, and that all religions and religious practices are therefore derived from the remnants of the truth given to Adam and transmitted by him to the patriarchs. The ordinances of the temple in so far as then necessary, were given, no doubt, in those early days, and, very naturally, corruptions of them have been handed down the ages. Those who understand the eternal nature of the gospel–planned before the foundations of the earth–understand clearly why all history seems to revolve about the building and use of temples.

“A Firm Foundation in a Shaky World - Don't let something you don't know shake your faith in something you do know. When questions that don't seem to have answers build stress along the fault line between the world and the gospel, the resulting quake can cause casualties of faith among those whose foundations are weak.”

• Why are there so many versions of the First Vision?
• Why did Brigham Young teach the Adam God Doctrine and why did the Church get rid of it, including changing the D&C;, the History Of The Church and even the Hymn book?
• Why do modern-day Egyptologists - who can now fully read ancient Egyptian - say the Book of Abraham Facsimiles show that Joseph Smith was totally wrong in his interpretation?
• Why does the Church condemn polygamy in the media, yet their own current scriptures (See D&C; section 132) say that Polygamy is necessary for Godhood?
• Why does the Church state that it is not racist, yet there are thousands of paragraphs in Church History showing racism even as late as the 1970's with Ezra Taft Benson?
• Why did Joseph Smith create a bank and swindle people out of over $30,000 dollars?
• Why did Brigham Young order the Mountain Meadows Massacre and why does the Church now cover it up?
• Why does FARMS teach about the "Limited Geography Theory" when official cannoized Church Doctrine contradicts it?
• How did a murderer by the name of Hoffman get into the inner sanctum of the First Presidency? Why was the Church buying up documents to hide them away and ended up getting ripped off by Hoffman?

“When searching through praying, reading the scriptures, and studying the words of our leaders doesn't turn up an answer, we wait (see D&C; 101:16).”

• Say you would rather read something you trust, like the scriptures.
• Spending a lot of time and energy reading anti-Mormon literature would be a waste.
• If you run across it, discuss it with someone who is knowledgeable about the gospel.
• Never take anti-Mormon literature at face value.
• Honest inquiry is good, but everything needs a proper perspective and context.

Think of how you feel when you read the Book of Mormon, or bear your testimony. How do these feelings compare with the feelings that come from reading anti-Mormon literature? Which is guiding you to the truth? [emphasis added]

Just tell your friend the truth, that you find that literature disturbing. If he or she is a true friend, he or she will have no problem with it. Stick with your feeling of not wanting to read it. If you do read it, it could open up a window of doubt. There are plenty of good books (like True to the Faith) that have been written through inspiration. Pick up one of those so that you may know how to respond to questions. [emphasis added]

Anti-Mormon literature will be filled with scriptures or quotes that are taken out of context and twisted to serve the author's purpose of filling people's minds with doubt about the Church. The fact that you get an uneasy feeling when you read anti-mormon literature should be proof enough. The best thing you can do to be prepared for questions is to be faithful and read the Book of Mormon daily. Also, most people who will ask you questions that come from the anti-Mormon literature are not interested in finding the gospel. They want you to argue with them so they can twist your words (see Alma 11). [emphasis added]

One day I was talking to a friend, who is not a member of our church, and we almost got to the point where we started putting each other's churches down, but I didn't want it to get to that point, so I just bore my testimony and stopped. A few weeks later I got some pamphlets and magazines in the mail from her. I could have kept them so that I would know what some writers think about our church, but I didn't. This experience made me want to be more prepared when things like this happen. [emphasis added]

"In the course of our evening conversations Joseph would give us some of the most amusing recitals which could be imagined he would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, their manner of traveling, the animals which they rode, the cities that were built by them, the structure of their buildings, with every particular of their mode of warfare, their religious worship as particularly as though he had spent his life with them. It will be recollected by the reader that all that I mentioned and much more took place within the compass of one short year. (EMD, vol. 1, p. 296)"

"Sometimes traditions, customs, social practices and personal preferences of individual Church members may, through repeated or common usage be misconstrued as Church procedures or policies. Occasionally, such traditions, customs and practices may even be regarded by some as eternal principles."

"The eternal principles of the gospel implemented through the divinely inspired Church apply to a wide variety of individuals in diverse cultures."

"The thousands of LDS Church members who attended the October 1984 General Conference, who watched it live on their televisions, or listened to it being broadcast on the radio, had the opportunity of hearing Elder Ronald Poelman give what some considered to be the best talk of the conference. What a surprise it indeed was for some of them to discover a heavily revised version of his remarks in the Ensign the following month, which differed substantially from the sermon they had originally heard and from the excerpts given in the Church News.

"Of course, most members of the Church – living outside of America - wouldn’t have had the opportunity to watch the conference live, and therefore would of relied on video tapes shown at their Stake Centres. Those who watched such tapes, however, would remain unaware that a change had been made in Elder Poelman’s talk, due to the fact that following conference he was re-filmed giving the altered version of his speech in the tabernacle, and it was presented in such a way on the video that it would seem to viewers as if he was speaking live."

Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger. That call to warn is made harder and more important by the fact that the warnings of most worth are about dangers that people don't yet think are real...

The duty to warn our neighbor falls on all of us who have accepted the covenant of baptism. We are to talk with nonmember friends and relatives about the gospel. Our purpose is to invite them to be taught by the full-time missionaries, who are called and set apart to teach. ...

As a member of the Church, you can expect that the full-time or the ward or branch missionaries will ask for the opportunity to help you make a list of people with whom you could share the gospel. The missionaries may suggest you think of relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances. They may ask you to set a date by which you will try to have the person or family prepared to be taught by the missionaries.

...The Lord would not use the word warn if there was no danger. Yet not many people we know sense it. They have learned to ignore the increasing evidence that society is unraveling and that their lives and family lack the peace they once thought was possible. That willingness to ignore the signs of danger can make it easy for you to think: "Why should I speak to anyone about the gospel who seems content? What danger is there to them or to me if I do or say nothing?"

Well, the danger may be hard to see, but it is real, both for them and for us. For instance, at some moment in the world to come, everyone you met in this life will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, is to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. They will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you.

"The gospel reference guidebook True to the Faith defines “apostasy” as the act of individuals, the Church, or entire nations falling away from the truth."

"Apostasy frequently results when a person commits serious sin but does not repent. To silence his conscience or justify his sinful actions, the individual [church] moves away from the truth, looking for imperfections in others "

"We enter a state of apostasy when we assume authority we do not possess or when we seek revelation for a stewardship outside of our sphere of responsibility. "

A few months after my first prayer, we reached a point where we were no longer able to make our loan payments on the business. Eventually we had no choice but to close the business and allow it to go into foreclosure. The bank would sell the building for much less than it would get as an operating company, and we would be responsible for the difference, which would amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Did Joseph Smith reinvent the temple by putting all the fragments–Jewish, Orthodox, Masonic, Gnostic, Hindu, Egyptian, and so forth–together again?

No, that is not how it is done. Very few of the fragments were available in his day, and the job of putting them together was begun, as we have seen, only in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Even when they are available, those poor fragments do not come together of themselves to make a whole; to this day the scholars who collect them do not know what to make of them.

Joseph, the Prophet, was aware that there were some things about Masonry which had come down from the beginning and he desired to know what they were, hence the lodge.

The Masons admitted some keys of knowledge appertaining to Masonry were lost.

Joseph inquired of the Lord concerning the matter and He revealed to the Prophet true Masonry, as we have it in our temples.

Owing to the superior knowledge Joseph received, the Masons became jealous and cut off the Mormon lodge.

The temple is not to be derived from them, but the other way around. … That anything of such fulness, consistency, ingenuity, and perfection could have been brought forth at a single time and place–overnight, as it were is quite adequate proof of a special dispensation.

Let me suggest that the reason why temple building and temple worship have been found in every age, on every hand, and among every people, is because the gospel in its fullness was revealed to Adam, and that all religions and religious practices are therefore derived from the remnants of the truth given to Adam and transmitted by him to the patriarchs. The ordinances of the temple in so far as then necessary, were given, no doubt, in those early days, and, very naturally, corruptions of them have been handed down the ages. Those who understand the eternal nature of the gospel–planned before the foundations of the earth–understand clearly why all history seems to revolve about the building and use of temples.

"First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything"

Second fundamental: "The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works"

Third fundamental: "The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet"

Fourth fundamental: "The prophet will never lead the Church astray" ("Fourteen Fundamentals," 27).

Fifth fundamental: "The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time"

"Sixth: The prophet does not have to say 'Thus saith the Lord' to give us scripture"

"Seventh: The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know"

Eighth fundamental: "The prophet is not limited by men's reasoning.

"Ninth: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter-temporal or spiritual"

"Tenth: The prophet may be involved in civic matters"

"Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich"

"Twelfth: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly"

"Thirteenth: The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency-the highest quorum in the Church. . . .

"Fourteenth: The prophet and the presidency-the living prophet and the first presidency-follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer"

"It is impossible for my husband to dedicate his life to the Lord if that is not his personal choice."

" the help of the Spirit I have realized that either I can focus on what my husband’s choices have taken from our temple marriage, or I can strive even more to develop a celestial relationship with him."

"the overall feeling of love and the occurrence of spiritual experiences have been strengthened both in our relationship and in our home."

"This does not mean that we should desire or expect any less from our spouse, but that we should give our love freely no matter what point they are at on their personal road of progress."

Derk Palfreyman, Utah, USA

Former Utah County Sheriff's deputy Derk Palfreyman also sought to have his punishment reduced. He appealed a POST decision to revoke his peace officer certification.

Palfreyman was charged with misdemeanor theft, accused of stealing livestock equipment from a man he was feuding with over leased ranch land. He struck a plea deal with prosecutors. He admitted to the POST Council that he wasn't exactly forthcoming when Salem police investigated the theft – but he was cooperative with other investigators.

The rabbi was intrigued. He asked how old Joseph was when he had the First Vision. When I told him Joseph was 14, about the same age as Samuel of the Old Testament, he replied that many prophets were called in their youth. He said it was consistent that God would call Joseph Smith in his teen years.

He then explained why the text appeared to be an English translation of Hebrew.

I told him the book was written by a tribe of Israel. I cited Ezekiel 37:15–20, which speaks of the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph. We agreed that the stick of Judah represents the Bible, and I explained that the stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon.

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

There may seem to be less encouragement for returned missionaries to get married. If that is your understanding, it is false.

All returned missionaries should be encouraged when they return home to remain active in the Church, secure an education, acquire employment skills, and move in the direction of finding an eternal companion.