The Book of Mormon will answer your questions – part 2.

Most of us have some hard questions in the back of our minds – the kind no one else can really answer for us. Some are far-reaching questions about the nature of our existence …


What is my purpose? Why do you believe we exist?

The Book of Mormon teaches us: Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Read all about it here.

“Adam fell” is referring to the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.  When he and Eve ate the fruit, it was an act of disobedience and they were cast out of God’s presence.  But it was a necessary act – for they were then able to have children.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why the Fall was necessary:

“The Creation culminated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were created in the image of God, with bodies of flesh and bone. Created in the image of God and not yet mortal, they could not grow old and die. ‘And they would have had no children’ [2 Nephi 2:23] nor experienced the trials of life. . . . The creation of Adam and Eve was a paradisiacal creation, one that required a significant change before they could fulfill the commandment to have children and thus provide earthly bodies for premortal spirit sons and daughters of God.

“. . . The Fall of Adam (and Eve) constituted the mortal creation and brought about the required changes in their bodies, including the circulation of blood and other modifications as well. They were now able to have children. They and their posterity also became subject to injury, disease, and death”. [1]

So Adam fell that men might be … and we exist so we might have joy.

JOY is a word I have always wondered about – it seems too high and glorious to comprehend or explain.  But thankfully, the scripture continues on the subject:

And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall.  And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God have given.

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man.  And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2:25-27)

This scripture from the Book of Mormon is key in understanding how the Fall affected (blessed) us, and how we are capable of experiencing joy.  Adam and Eve’s posterity were likewise banished from the physical presence of God, but we are all innocent from the original sin because we had no part in it.  “It was therefore unfair for all of humanity to suffer eternally for the transgressions of our first parents, Adam and Eve.  It became necessary to settle this injustice; hence the need for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus in His role as the Savior and Redeemer”. [2]  It is possible of every soul to obtain forgiveness of sins – to have them washed away and be forgotten!  The transcendent act of the Atonement saves us from the fall, and we are free to know the joy of our redemption, to know good from evil, and to act for ourselves.  And to have kids.


Do you believe we are saved by grace?

Grace refers to the divine help or strength given to us through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.  The grace of Jesus is made possible by his atoning sacrifice, enabling mankind to be raised in immortality, receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life.

It is also through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we may receive strength and help to do the good that we cannot on our own.  It is an enabling power that allows us to “lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after [we] have expended [our] own best efforts”. [3]

This is what the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi meant when he said:  For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)


It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible.  This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11).  But grace “cannot suffice without total effort on [our] part” – hence Nephi explaining we will be saved by the grace of Christ after all we can do.

“Some Christians accuse Latter-day Saints . . . of denying the grace of God through claiming they can earn their own salvation. We answer this accusation with the words of two Book of Mormon prophets. Nephi taught, ‘For we labor diligently . . . to persuade our children . . . to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23). And what is ‘all we can do’? It surely includes repentance (see Alma 24:11) and baptism, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. Moroni pleaded, ‘Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ’ (Moroni 10:32).

“We are not saved in our sins, as by being unconditionally saved through confessing Christ and then, inevitably, committing sins in our remaining lives (see Alma 11:36–37). We are saved from our sins (see Helaman 5:10) by a weekly renewal of our repentance and cleansing through the grace of God and His blessed plan of salvation (see 3 Nephi 9:20–22).” [4]

What happens to us when we die?

Rather than a short form answer, which may very well raise further questions, I want to answer this as comprehensively as my little bloggy can go.

Both the Book of Mormon and the Bible are pretty clear that we lived with God before we were born.  The Bible refers a lot to people being chosen and ordained prior to being born on Earth (see Ephesians 1:3-4  and Jeremiah 1:5, where prophets were comforted, knowing God knew them before they were born).
And good old Job was not only told he was around when God laid the foundations of the earth, but that we all shouted for joy when the creation was planned and done! (Job 38:4-7)

And clearly for Satan and his minions to be cast out of heaven into the earth, we all had to be in that heaven to begin with. (Revelation 12:9)

The Book of Mormon refers to our pre-mortal life in more detail:

And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such. (Alma 13:3)

This is such a wonderful piece of knowledge!  You must read about it here.

So we know we lived in heaven a long time ago.  And that our Heavenly Father created a plan for us all to live on Earth, have experience and joy, be tried and tested, and to be given the choice of returning to Him.

The scriptures are also clear we will live after we die.

We know that when we die, our body and spirit separates.  Where our spirit goes is another great question (go on, ask me ...).  But the atonement of Jesus Christ conquered death, making it possible for us to be resurrected after death.  Woo!  AND such resurrection is a free gift to all!  Double woo!

This is what the prophet Alma is talking about here:

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.

What a happy thought for the disabled, the handicap, the bald.

The prophet Alma then goes on to explain the relationship between our lives on earth and where we end up afterwards:

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil. (Alma 40:11-13,23)

This is another sound example of how the Book of Mormon helps us to understand what we already know from the Bible, and in greater (perhaps even simpler?) detail.  Do you agree?

Note: I’ve tried to make this answer as simple as possible.  I’m sure it raises further questions and thoughts, for example I’ve totally skipped over the Judgment part and Christ’s role as our mediator in determining ‘were we end up afterwards’.

But know this: we existed before this life, and we will continue to exist after it.

We are currently in Act II of a 3-part play.

“The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary!” [5]


Why was Christ baptised?

Jesus Christ is the perfect example.  Being holy and without sin, Christ physically showed us how to be baptised and why.  What an example of humility and obedience – for that is what it was; an act of obedience.

Although Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist far away from the Americas, the people there knew this event was taking place.  Prophets taught (and recorded in the Book of Mormon) the people of baptism, and carefully taught why their Saviour would do so:

Wherefore, I would that ye should remember that I have spoken unto you concerning that prophet which the Lord showed unto me, that should baptize the Lamb of God, which should take away the sins of the world.

And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!

And now, I would ask of you, my beloved brethren, wherein the Lamb of God did fulfil all righteousness in being baptized by water?

Know ye not hat he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them. (2 Nephi 31:4-9)

We believe that “entering into the kingdom of God is so important that Jesus was baptized to show us ‘the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which [we] should enter’ (2 Nephi 31:9).” [6]
“Born of a mortal mother, Jesus was baptized to fulfil His Father’s commandment that sons and daughters of God should be baptized. He set the example for all of us to humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father. We are all welcome to come into the waters of baptism. He was baptized to witness to His Father that He would be obedient in keeping His commandments. He was baptized to show us that we should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“As we follow the example of Jesus, we, too, demonstrate that we will repent and be obedient in keeping the commandments of our Father in Heaven. We humble ourselves with a broken heart and a contrite spirit as we recognize our sins and seek forgiveness of our trespasses (see 3 Nephi 9:20). We covenant that we are willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and always remember Him” [7]

Good thing the Book of Mormon expands upon this subject, as the Bible isn’t quite as clear …


Why is the atonement necessary?


Do you believe we are accountable for our choices or actions, and to what extent?

These are big topics, but the Book of Mormon can answer these questions too.
I’ll show you soon …


Can you see just how useful companion scripture can be?  The Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand.  Once we have a testimony that they are both indeed the word of God, we can then dive into the life and teachings of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  I love reading the scriptures!  I love the happiness I feel when I understand something more fully, the enlightenment I feel and the peaceful assurance that brings.




If you wish to order a free copy, let me know or click here.
Feel free to read or listen to it here.

[1] Russel M. Nelson, Ensign, Nov. 1996, 33
[2] James E. Faust, Ensign, Nov. 1988, 12
[3] Bible Dictionary, “Grace,” 697
[4] Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 1998, 56 - bold & underline added
[5] Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 2000, 14
[6] Robert D. Hales, Ensign, Nov. 2000, 7–8
[7] Ibid

Time Out for Women - Choose to Become [review part 8]

A recap of the messages I heard and felt.




...continued from review part 7

After all WE can do
Because we are reading this phrase differently now, after all we can do already has a different meaning for me.  Who is the ‘we’?  You know of the famous Footprints poem, portraying the Saviour walking besides us throughout our lives and then picking us up during our tough times.  Perhaps the Saviour has carried you through the whole journey.  Either way, it’s a ‘we’.

You know what I get from that?  Jesus Christ isn’t waiting for you to get your act together.  He’s right there already, either next to you or carrying you.  We should stop feeling inadequate and unworthy for such companionship.  We don’t need to be perfect to enter the temple, we don’t need to be perfect to have Christ carry us, and we certainly don’t need to be perfect to be given God’s grace.

So stop worrying about your faults and flaws.  Your offering may be somewhat important, but you as the offerer is way more important. 

Time Out for Women - Choose to Become [review part 7]

A recap of the messages I heard and felt.



...continued from review part 6

After all we CAN do
Be honest now – what can we do on our own?  Moses wasn’t far off when he exclaimed in Moses 1:10 “I know that man is nothing”.  Our dependence upon the Saviour becomes more apparent to me as time goes on.  I know that was what Moses learnt after God withdrew His presence following their friendly chat in Moses 1.  Keep in mind, ‘nothing’ here means ‘powerless’, not ‘worthless’.  You can still do “all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”.

After all we can DO
I like doing things.  I like ticking things off a list as I do them.  Doings help us to become more like Him in heaven, and more like the kind of people who will want to stay in heaven.  The to-do list helps us – or is a means - to BE.  And really, isn’t the ‘doing’ here all about using the enabling power of grace that we have been given?

Did you know that our well-loved children’s song I Am A Child of God was originally written as “teach me all that I must know”?  I did.  I can’t remember where I picked that up, but it was at the request of President Spencer W. Kimball that the word ‘know’ was changed to ‘do’.  Knowledge is of better use to us when we act upon it. 

The miracle of the atonement is that we can be changed; and that we WANT to be changed.  And by changed, I don’t mean just cleansed, but transformed so that we want to be with Him.  Otherwise we might be begging to leave His presence.

What we should be doing is ensuring we get the best resurrected body, to be and feel comfortable in heaven. God requires faith and repentance to make us want to change.  Same with our higher standard of living.  Our covenants, paying tithing and for missions – all these things are required for our change.  That is the purpose of these things.  We are practicing for heaven.

... more to come ...   and thankyou for comments thus far!  It helps to know you are reading and thinking ...

Time Out for Women - Choose to Become [review part 6]

A recap of the messages I heard and felt.



...continued from review part 5

After ALL we can do
‘All’ is a lot.  It is a scary word in this context - especially for those like me who like to be the compulsive overachievers.  I start to think of the ten commandments, other commandments, visiting teaching commitments, family history, attending church and meetings, and callings, and faith repentance baptism holy ghost scripture study personal prayer family prayer help me please this list may not end.  The words “just do your best” may start to feel like a discouraging challenge.  Come on woman, you’ve been told what you need to be doing; you clearly must be able to find the time.  You can do better.  Your current all isn’t enough.

But Brad said something way better: Even if your offering is not acceptable (by our definition), God accepts it.  He accepts it because God is more concerned with the offerer than the offering.  He is more pleased with the efforts we do make, no matter how faltering.  He is more interested in me offering something, anything, than what I offer and how much I offer.  Remember the parable of the widow’s mite?  In Mark chapter 12, we read that two mites was more in value that the offerings of the Pharisees, simply because it was her all. “…this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury…[she] did cast in al that she had, even all her living.”  So you know what?  Your best IS your all.

Wilcox then spoke about mediocrity.  The word ‘mediocrity’ coming from a Latin word that literally means ‘halfway up the mountain’.  Satan would have you believe that your effort is incomplete, that you are failing and can’t give it your all.  But no – instead you are halfway up the mountain, you’re getting up there, and you sure ain’t refusing to try.  So as long as mediocrity isn’t our objective, then we can recognise that it is a stage we must go through on our way up.

From now on, I’m not going to try and impress God and Christ with my sacrifices, but rather allow their sacrifices be more deeply impressed in me.

...more to come

Time Out for Women - Choose to Become [review part 5]

A recap of the messages I heard and felt.



How do you study the scriptures?  Not read – study.  How do you break down meaning and gain inspiration and insight?  Have you ever taken a verse or two, and analysed the words every possible way?

The next speaker at Sydney’s Time Out for Women conference was Brad Wilcox.  Funny guy.  Young guy too, for all he has done.  His entire address was pulling one particular scripture apart to successfully draw out the most meaning and application to us.

Turn to 2 Nephi 25:23, and read it with me:

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
According to Brad Wilcox, this may be the most quoted scripture in the Church and the most misunderstood.  He took us through the phrase ‘after all we can do’, looking at each word so that we may understand it more fully.  It was a good point – parts of the scriptures can sometimes be a source of discouragement if we do not understand them.  And so he took us through the phrase (above in bold), emphasising each word in turn:

AFTER all we can do
Most read the word ‘after’ to mean ‘afterward’ or ‘subsequently’ – meaning it is time related.  That is, once we ourselves have done all we can do to be saved, the Lord will step in and save us; the finishing touch to all we have accomplished.  We try our best to do everything we can, and then He will come to our rescue.  But does that sound right?  Doesn’t that imply that we and our efforts are alone until we absolutely need Him to make up the difference?  Wait a minute … neither Paul or Alma the Younger did much good to deserve their amazing turn-around experiences.  And yet they received obvious blessings.

Brad thinks the word ‘after’ means ‘regardless’, ‘in spite of’.  So the grace of God will save us in spite of what we try to do and cannot.  Maybe even regardless of all we can do.  Nephi was telling us more about the mission of the Messiah than anything, and that no matter how much we do, it simply wont be enough to guarantee our salvation without the intervention of Christ.

So, we are still saved by grace after all is said and done, but this grace is not something that suddenly switches on like an emergency generator after we have exhausted all of our efforts.  It is our constant energy source, not the last-mile booster.

Brad reminded me of this: in the sacrament prayer we hear every Sunday, we renew a promise to remember Him always.  How can we keep this promise when we try and do all that we can without Him, thinking He’ll make up the difference at the end?  The gift of the Saviour’s grace surely isn’t given to us at the end, but for and during the journey as we are trying.  Isn’t that more of a comfort?

The truth is, we probably need that grace, that extra boost and help, during our journey, not at the end.  And we need to realise that this gift is available to all as we learn, make mistakes, and try.  If perfection were the requirement, grace would be awarded to no one.

...more to come