If God has all power, why do we need a Savior?

I've heard people question why the Savior had to die. They reason that if God has all power, then he could just bring us back into His presence. 

Envision that happening. Can you see yourself happily being in God's presence as you are now? I can't. A prophet in The Book of Mormon explains what would really happen to us:
"the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord" Mosiah 2:38

I've heard of a mall that was having trouble with gangs frightening away their customers. They asked a professional for help. His solution -- play classical music. It worked! Why? Evil is not comfortable around what is beautiful and good. Knowing this, we fill our streets with light, because we know that violence and crime thrive in darkness.

What Does God Think of Us?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-001-abide-with-me?lang=eng

Who hasn't experienced a child who has the "gimmies". This child never has enough, doesn't appreciate what she has, and never even says, "thank you". She works on her never ending Christmas list year round. Though she doesn't even know what she has in her vast hoard, she is sure that she must possess more than anyone else has-- far more! 

How about the youth who packs up his car with all he can lay his hands on from home, then heads out to be on his own, ignoring his parents --until he needs help. Then after disregarding all his parent's advice and counsel, he expects them to come running to bail him out. Arrogantly, he expects his parents to always be there for him, endlessly supplying his all wants. If ever they refuse to indulge him, he poutingly declares, "You don't love me". 

What is God Like?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-06-01-joseph-smiths-first-vision?lang=eng

We all wonder what God is like. Some think He is a spirit who dwells in our hearts. Some view Him as a great Santa who grants all their wishes, but what is He really like? One of the best ways to know, of course, is through people who have actually seen God. 

Are Bible Miracles True?

A nurse friend said, "The Bible often perplexes me. Am I supposed to actually believe Moses fasted for 40 days? Would he not be good and dead if he didn't have any nourishment or more importantly, liquid, for that period of time? "

Under normal circumstances her statement is true. People cannot live without nourishment for 40 days, but does this mean that the many miracles described in the Bible are not true?

How is a Prophet Chosen?

https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/president-nelson-press-conference-recap?cid=HP_TU_16-1-2018_dPAD_fMNWS_xLIDyL1-A_

People wonder how the new Prophet is chosen. Some envision men who work their way up through the ranks, campaign for votes, and eventually triumph becoming the Prophet. True, this would be man's way of achieving something he wants, but it is not God's way. Throughout time, God has chosen the man He wants to be the Prophet at a particular time. He prepares that man, tests him, then at the right moment, that man becomes the Prophet. Think of Moses', and Samuel's years of preparation and testing before they were given the responsibility of leading the Lord's people. 

Does Obeying the Commandments of God take away my Freedom?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-06-27-the-freedom-to?lang=eng

Some people have had enough of the immature and prideful accusations from people who use religion as a club. Beating upon others, they declare,"You did that. You are bad!", and, "I keep every rule, so I am better than you!" I almost expect next to hear the childish taunt of, "Na, na, Na, na, na", ending with, "I'm going to tell Mommy on you!"  Fed up, some people, understandably, want nothing more to do with the commandments of God.

Being a parent and grandparent has given me an interesting perspective on rules, yes, even commandments. When a child is young you can try and reason with them and try and convince them of the wisdom of doing as you have told them, but it doesn't work.

God Answered My Prayers

I could barely walk across the room. The doctors did not have any more suggestions or treatments for me to try.  In desperation, I asked the Lord for help.

In July (2015) I had recovered from Addison's Disease.  After 15 years, I no longer had to take cortisone each day.  I was thrilled!  Then slowly, in the fall I became more, and more, and more tired. By January I was restricted to bed.  What was happening to me? I should have felt great now that my adrenal glands were working again. Why wasn't I?

As I prayed, I felt a strong impression to go to St George, Utah.  That's strange, I hardly knew the place having only driven through it twice.  I reasoned that being in a warmer climate for a few days might help me feel better.  So my husband shoved in into our old van, and we headed south to St George.

God Loves Me

God knows and loves me. Am I sure? Yes!

Listen to what happened to me and you decide. When I became very ill with bronchitis last winter, we knew we needed to move to a desert climate.  I was so ill that I only had the strength to look for a new house for a few days. On the afternoon of the third day, just before we needed to return north to our home, we found the right home.  Not only did it have the things I really needed, but things I had only dreamed of.

To help my bronchitis heal, I needed to avoid dust catchers such as carpet. Except for the bedrooms, the house had laminate and tile floors. I also needed to have a place to visit that was separate from the house heating and cooling system. so I would have minimal exposure to lung irritating perfumes. The garage had been made into a cheerful, large room for her preschool business. It was perfect!

Besides these essentials, the home has a large master suite, a great room, a beautiful well lit kitchen, office, family room, pantry, two guest rooms and even a shady, tree filled yard. There was even a large shed for a workshop for my husband.

Blessed by Paying Tithing

In 1972  I was a young coed at Brigham Young University; far from home, and very lonely. My grandparents’ home was only four hours away by bus, and I longed to be with someone I knew, someplace like home. There was only one problem- it cost ten dollars for the ticket. I had ten dollars, but it was my tithing* money. Since I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints two years before, I had conscientiously paid my tithing. Maybe, I could wait a couple of weeks to pay my tithing and visit my Grandparents now. After all, I reasoned, it was good to nurture family relationships, and I was even going to get some family history information from my grandmother. Perhaps, this visit could even count as missionary work since my grandparents weren’t members of The Church. My justified dreams faded  away in the bright knowledge that there was no excuse for not paying my tithing. This money was the Lord’s, not mine.

Solving Problems the Lord's Way

I wrote this about 2010 for our local Church newsletter.

“God won’t let me be ill.  He loves me and has the power to heal, so I’ll be well soon.”  As the days turned into months, I added a bargaining approach to my pleas, “If the Lord will restore my health, then I will be such a diligent servant.”  Slowly, my hope of making a deal which the Lord couldn’t resist, faded.  My convert naivety gave way to a more mature realization that Heavenly Father, instead of merely catering to my wishes for ease, loves me enough to give me what is best for me.

I began to wonder what I was to learn from this experience.  I optimistically hoped to learn the lesson quickly, then move onto something more fun.  When the months became years, I finally began to accept that the Lord knew what experiences I needed to encourage me to grow.  As this sense of purpose in life developed, I no longer felt frustrated.  At last, I could look at problems as opportunities, even as exciting challenges, like solving a tough puzzle.

I Know There Is a God

I believe that there is a God and that He truly is our Heavenly Father, the father of our spirits, and as our father, He wants us to grow and be happy. Our purpose for being here on earth is to learn to choose good over evil -- to learn and become more like our Heavenly Father. With His help we can progress and return and live with Him someday where we can enjoy eternal family relationships.

I know there is a God because I have experienced His help in my life. I feel that He loves us more than we are capable of understanding. I know he loves me for I have felt His presence supporting me in my most desperate moments.

 I know there is a God because He answers my prayers. I have received so much help in my life as I have been married and raised our four children. The Lord has helped me to endure the many years I have had to spend ill and restricted to my home. He gave me the strength to endure the pain and frustrations. I believe He helped to us finally find out what was the problem and am grateful for the inspiration He has given me to help me know what to do to deal with a very rare and serious health problem. Without His help, I doubt that I'd still be here.

I have seen His guidance and help in my life. Jobs have worked out at the right time for our family. We found the right home for us. Opportunities have suddenly appeared, and we have been warned of dangers such as there being an icy spot on the road we had to travel. Everyday I see and experience God's love for me.

Appreciation for Fathers

What I remember most about my Dad is how he spent time with me. He lead games and hikes; read comics with all the voices; played the ukulele and sang; mended scrapes and taught me to drive. I'm grateful for my husband who has been a great father.

What is God Like?

Most of what I write is my attempt to answer a question someone has asked me. This article is part of my response to a woman who wanted to know what God is like. Some scriptures in the Bible made her wonder if He was a vengeful God. These are my comments.

I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 19 ( 46 years ago). I grew up in a religion that saw God as stern and unknowable. Coming to know Him has been a major concern in my life.

The Earth Testifies of God its Creator

I thought you might be interested in knowing a little about Elder Russell M. Nelson. Not only is he an Apostle of God,  but a surgeon who helped to create the first heart-lung machine and performed many open-heart operations.

Many leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been, and are, serious scientists. The great scientists (Copernicus, Sir Francis Bacon, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Isaac Newton, Boyle, Faraday, Gregor Mendel, Kelvin, Max Planck, Albert Einstein) all believed in God.

As Newton said, "The most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." (Principia) Albert Einstein put it this way, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." He felt that it was impossible to have a non-created universe.

Protected

I like this video. Yes, we have been protected many times, but sometimes we are not. I have severe health problems. Even though all does not go as we want it to go, we can still have peace.

As I look at the gaping hole and crumbling glass where his truck window used to be, I know my husband was protected. Whatever hit the window, did not hit him. He held steady. Even a small swerve on the freeway in his large business box truck could have cost many lives, but here he was still with me.

I thought of another time, when we were first married