Hello, Starting this week I am going to be approaching this blog a little differently. I will still be talking straight about religion and being me however I am going to incorporate some weekly scriptures to guide our conversations. Please have your scriptures handy and please do not just take my word. Look the verse up and study it prayerfully for your self.
Romans 8:16-17 "16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of god: 17. And if children,, then heirs; heirs of god, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be glorified together" (KJV)
This verse is written by the Apostle Paul to the Romans. He is writing to the Romans to continue the teachings of the gospel that they may know all that Christ taught while on the earth.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints we believe that we are literal Children of our Heavenly Father and that as such we have a divine gifts and talents. We believe that if we do all that we can in this life then we can return to the glory of God and to the presence of our Father. Many have criticized this believe and stated that we mean that we will be god's and that we will be equal to our Heavenly Father. They have also stated that it is an unfounded believe and that it is no where in the bible. Well I present the above verse. Paul as a chosen leader of the church after Christ died taught in the most simplistic terms that we are Children of Heavenly Father and that we are heirs to his kingdom. The teaching of Paul have many wonderful lessons from our Heavenly Father in regards to the gospel, our divine nature, and the laws and ordinance that we must follow to obtain our salvation.
I would ask you to study Romans with an open heart and an open mind. I would encourage you to read all that Paul has taught and to study it with a true desire to understand. Please cross reference, and look up meanings of words. Please take the time to really truly understand what is contained.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Teaching our children
I have the blessing of teaching Primary today (children's Sunday school). During the past week my thoughts have focused on preparing for this wonderful opportunity. One of the thoughts that struck me is how we teach our children about faith and tolerance. Sadly this is an area most people are lacking. So today my thoughts are turned to the Children and how the world teaches them.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a series of books in my local library titles Religions of the World. However I was saddened to hear from the librarian that the books never get checked out and are on the potential cut list. These books are easy to read very well put together and a wonderful way for Children and parents alike to read and discuss other beliefs. They are straightforward and I was very happy to see the wide range of subjects available.
Many people teach their children from a young age that they are right and everyone else is wrong. This leads to intolerance and anger. Everyone wonders why so many wars happen. Well most of them are because of intolerance in regards to religious views. Our home is a dual religion home. I am a Latter Day Saint and my husband is Non-Denominational. We also have a Teenager who stays with us that is not religious. This gives us an amazing dynamic in our home. Many people do not understand how we can make it work because of the differences. It is easy and simple: We are Tolerant. We do not discuss religion except in a generic generalized way. Sometimes things will float to one belief set because of questions. Those questions help facilitate a better understanding not a hatred or alienation. We love the Bible in our home and we are working on a beautiful wall hanging of Jesus Christ. We honor all faiths in our home and respect all who enter. We have friends from all walks of life and we try vigilantly to help them feel love and acceptance. Unfortunately this is not the case in most homes. Even in the homes of my friends. Now I do not say that to upset any of my friends who may read this or family. I say it to show that this is more common than people realize. I have some dear friends who are not religious at all. They are very understanding and respectful however when we were over for dinner a few weeks back some of their friends frowned at us for telling my baby sister to say a prayer before she ate. They did not say anything but it was obvious it was not something they thought appropriate. My friends were great in handling it and making my Baby sister feel okay but it was one of the first times my sister had encountered such a thing.
Maybe we should stop and think how we teach our children. Maybe we should do some research and learn the truth for our self before passing on myths or untruths to our children. And maybe just maybe we should take the time to Pray to the God we hold dear about the truth of what we learn and how we need to teach our children. Raising children is a God given blessing not a right and we need to remember that and include him. They are his children too.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a series of books in my local library titles Religions of the World. However I was saddened to hear from the librarian that the books never get checked out and are on the potential cut list. These books are easy to read very well put together and a wonderful way for Children and parents alike to read and discuss other beliefs. They are straightforward and I was very happy to see the wide range of subjects available.
Many people teach their children from a young age that they are right and everyone else is wrong. This leads to intolerance and anger. Everyone wonders why so many wars happen. Well most of them are because of intolerance in regards to religious views. Our home is a dual religion home. I am a Latter Day Saint and my husband is Non-Denominational. We also have a Teenager who stays with us that is not religious. This gives us an amazing dynamic in our home. Many people do not understand how we can make it work because of the differences. It is easy and simple: We are Tolerant. We do not discuss religion except in a generic generalized way. Sometimes things will float to one belief set because of questions. Those questions help facilitate a better understanding not a hatred or alienation. We love the Bible in our home and we are working on a beautiful wall hanging of Jesus Christ. We honor all faiths in our home and respect all who enter. We have friends from all walks of life and we try vigilantly to help them feel love and acceptance. Unfortunately this is not the case in most homes. Even in the homes of my friends. Now I do not say that to upset any of my friends who may read this or family. I say it to show that this is more common than people realize. I have some dear friends who are not religious at all. They are very understanding and respectful however when we were over for dinner a few weeks back some of their friends frowned at us for telling my baby sister to say a prayer before she ate. They did not say anything but it was obvious it was not something they thought appropriate. My friends were great in handling it and making my Baby sister feel okay but it was one of the first times my sister had encountered such a thing.
Maybe we should stop and think how we teach our children. Maybe we should do some research and learn the truth for our self before passing on myths or untruths to our children. And maybe just maybe we should take the time to Pray to the God we hold dear about the truth of what we learn and how we need to teach our children. Raising children is a God given blessing not a right and we need to remember that and include him. They are his children too.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Books you should read
So I am taking a break from my normal weekly post. This week I am recommending you to read some books. You can find them on Amazon, the Library or local bookstore. Most of the stupid and ignorant things that are said and done in the name of religion is because people do not take the time to research or study before they open their mouths. Wars have been fought and people have died in the name of Religion that could be prevented if people just took the time to understand. You do not have belief it or follow the teachings but you really should take the time to learn. I have spent years reading and researching religions of the world all in the name of understanding my own faith more. So pick up a book....But I caution you that there are books for every argument and if you really want to understand something go straight to the source. Both the Dummies books and the Idiots Guide books are great because they are easy to understand and written by reputable resources. I would also encourage you to visit www.mormon.org as linked in the side of this blog for more information. If you have the ability in your area check out Deseret Book or Deseret Book online for good titles to look for and read. I also recommend Latter Days by Coke Newell it is a very wonderful and direct book full of history and insight into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)