The Plan of Happiness/Salvation! Woot!

(That's a very beautiful picture, don't you think?)

Hello all! And welcome to another exciting episode of "Where's my pants!?" This has nothing to do with the blog, and there is no way that i can tie it in.

As you all know I am going to leave on a mission soon. Not a mission that is impossible, but just a lds mission. You (not you specifically) do something called 'mission papers'. After you (not you specifically) turn them in you (not you specifically) get your (not your specifically?) call in a couple weeks. Then you (not you specifically) leave after a couple of months! Its exciting! So yeah. I am almost done with my papers. So only a few months left of blogging/partying/home-ing/blogging. Don't cry. Please. Don't. So fasten your seat belts, because you are entering a very, veeeeery non-wild ride.

As you probably guessed, this weeks post is about the Plan of Happiness/Salvation. I have already put alot of words on this post. So basically, i am going to do the basics of each major part in the plan.

Premortal Life- Soooo, we were all there. Even Obama (sorry). I don't know exactly what we did up there... but i betcha it involved lemonade. One warm sunny day, God told us there would be a meeting. So we all gathered around in the conference room while God presented his plan. The plan i am sharing, even though i bet it was in more depth. God explained that he needed somebody to die for all of mankind. To pay for their sins. Jesus said that He would do it. Lucifer (santa) said he would take away our agency, so all mankind may be 'saved'. He also wanted God to give him all of his power and glory. God chose Jesus (of course), and because of that, santa was mad so he left God's presence along with 1/3 of the hosts of heaven.

Veil- When its our time to come to party-planet, we pass though a veil. Which makes us forget our pre-life, so it won't effect our earthly decisions.

Mortal Life- Right now! We are on earth to gain a body, become like our Heavenly Father, learn, grow and drink lemonade.

Death- Your (not your specifically?) spirit leaves your body after that guy pulls the trigger.

Spirit World- Everybody goes here after they die. You can still become like our Heavenly Father, learn, grow and drink lemonade up here. People who did not have the chance to hear/accept the gospel, will be taught here. There will be tons of missionary work to teach everybody about the gospel.

Judgment-Before this part you get resurrected. Then, you are judged! You will be judged on your works and desires, and will receive mercy if you used Christs Atonement to repent.

Finally, KINGDOM PLACEMENT!!!!!!!!!!- http://amormonandachristian.blogspot.com/2010/01/heaven-heavens.html (i've already done a post on that. So read up on it instead of hanging out with your friends)

Why I'm not a Mormon.

Hey guys! I want to thank you all for continuing to check out our blog! Bryan and I are eternally grateful for you and each of us thank our respective Gods for you ;)

I just wanted to take this week's blog post to reflect on where I'm currently at in this journey.

I am not a Mormon. I drink Tea and Coffee. And Lemonade.

Bryan and I had an incredible candid conversation not too long ago. We were talking about the possible outcomes of this experiment. We both came to the same startling conclusion that we would both kind of like to be wrong. Not that we do think we're wrong or that we would like the other faith to be true... It's just that we both think it would be incredible to be that person who comes out of a cult, or false religion. To be a person who overcame the odds and were able to see that what they believed in was false... Even when we thought it was so right!

I thought it was amazing that both of us are ready and willing to admit we're wrong. It's not like we're believing what we believe just because we want to be right, we want TRUTH! Regardless of the cost! Regardless of what comes from this experiment, I am extremely content with the place that both Bryan and I arrived at. There is still more time for this to play out even more and I am looking forward to seeing exactly what that entails. But for the time being, I am a happy man. My best friend and I are pursuing truth through a world full of falsities coming from friend and foe alike.

Three reasons why I currently can't accept Mormonism as being true.

No reasonable evidence: I have no reason to believe that the BOM is more than a fictional book conceived by a very imaginative mind in that of Joseph Smith. I don't think I'm setting my standard for truth extremely high, I just expect that if the BOM is based on real events that actually happened, that archeology would be able to verify it to some degree. I don't think the story of the Prodigal Son is real just because the story is in the Bible... I understand that Jesus was relating a fictional story. The BOM could be a fictional story, but then why should I think the BOM is anything more than just that? What authority does the BOM have over me and my life?

Moroni Failed The Test: At least so far... I prayed to know if the BOM wasn't true back in September, All that's happened in my relation to Mormonism is that I think it's even more unlikely that the LDS faith is true. Both Bryan and I agreed ahead of time that I met each of the three Moroni qualifications.

Mormon Eternal Life is Unattainable: I can't do "all I can do". I can't meet the criteria to gain eternal life in Mormonism... I've tried it in Christianity and I find myself continually failing over and over again... I need the free gift of grace and the help of God to overcome my evil desires. I know that if I were to prescribe to a works based theology I would be completely ruined.

Like I said earlier, I don't know where the future will bring me, it's completely "possible" that I will end up being a Mormon. But as I continue to test my own faith and burn out the stubble that never really belonged there in the first place. I am growing more and more confident that Orthodox Christianity is the carrier of the One Truth. That Orthodox Christianity is the conduit chosen by The Way, The Truth, and The Life: Jesus Christ.

God Bless you all!

-Paul O

Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost.

Holy Amber-Alert Batman, where has Bryan been!?

Here!

So ya, sorry about the month without posts. I've been busy/sick/working/school-ing. Paul has likewise been crazy busy. We are going to get back into our awesome schedule of one-post-a-week-for-our-awesome-checker-outers! I've been thinking the last few days about what topic I should do. Its the morning the post is due, and I just barely figured out what to do. With a little help from "Preach my Gospel" I know what I shall do. "Preach my Gospel" is a teaching guide that all missionaries use (I'll be one soon!)

Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost.

First article of faith: We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us" (D+C 130, 21-22).

The Holy Ghost is the messenger and the testifier of God. So how do we get this great blessing in our life? In Baptism and by laying on of hands, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. If we are worthy we can have constant companionship. Even though only Mormons have the gift of the Holy Ghost, doesn't mean that others cant also receive revelation. Prayer is a good way to get communication from God. "God communicates with us through our very thoughts and feelings!" (Elder Bednar, Receiving, Recognizing, and Responding to the Promptings of the Holy Ghost).

Alrighty. So you now know a bit about the Holy Ghost. Now i am going to move on to Moroni 10: 3-5

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things (Talking about the Book of Mormon), if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

So in order to learn truths, you need to: ponder it, pray to God in the name of Christ with a sincere heart, real intent, and with faith. Once you do that, you will receive the truth of all things. This isn't just a guide for the Book of Mormon, but a guide for our lives. If you want to know if a certain doctrine is true, do the steps, and you will receive and answer.

Well. I think that's enough for now. Prayer works. It has worked numerous times for me. God be with you!