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. 

Do Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Believe Jesus is the God of the Old Testament?

We believe in the original teachings of The Lord Jesus Christ which He taught when He set up His Church when He lived upon the earth. The is why we are called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do not follow the opinions of men that eventually replaced some of the Lord's teachings.

We believe that Jesus Christ was the Jehovah of the Old Testament and it was He who said:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.  Exodus 6:3
and                             
26 . . . ... all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.  Isaiah 49:26  https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/teachings-bible-images?lang=eng

Did I Vote for the New Prophet?

No, I did not. What I did was participate in the Solemn Assembly where I had the privilege to raise my hand to "sustain" our new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.  This picture shows Aaron and Hur holding up, or "sustaining",  Moses so the Israelites could continue to prevail in a battle. So am I going to hold up the Prophet's arms? In a way, yes.

You might be wondering not only what  sustaining means, but how it differs from voting. To explain, you need to understand that there is no campaigning for the office of President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Change is peaceful and orderly. All know that the next Prophet will be the person who is the senior apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  The Lord, who has power over life and death, chooses the person who will be in this senior position. In this way the Lord provides that the next prophet will be the person who not only has the most experience and years of service in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but the person whom He has prepared to serve as prophet at this time.

How can you say you Know it?

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-001-feeling-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng

Did the doctors figure out why I was so ill?  No. I've been to many doctors and had many, many tests. They showed nothing. Everything was low, but not out of the normal range. I was at the point that I was resigned to just working on my computer the rest of my life. Then in April of 2015, I had this strong impression that I should start checking my blood sugar several times a day. It seemed ok. The next day it was a little higher. The next day it went up 80 points after a balanced, low carb, diabetic meal! I felt extremely ill. A thought came to my mind that my hydrocortisone dose for Addison's Disease was too high and that I shouldn't take my last dose that day. I didn't, actually I was afraid to! The next day I cut it another 5mg under my doctor's guidance. Now what? I had no idea, but I did feel that I needed to do research. I wasn't sure what I was to research, so I just began. I looked up blood sugar, diabetes, and hypoglycemia. When I came to Insulin Resistance, I felt that was it! I read more and found that besides cutting my dose of hydrocortisone, I needed to really cut down on carbs for a while (still have good fats), and I needed to exercise at least an hour at a time daily. I tried it and it worked! My blood sugar slowly stabilized, and I began to feel better than I have in ages.

I know that some people might think that it is odd to somehow "know" what to do, but I just did. I am not that brilliant that I could have figured it out myself. That is obvious since I have been ill for over 45 years and never understood. I feel that I have been very blessed and guided by the Lord to know what to do. It has taken me awhile, but I have learned to just follow the impressions I feel, knowing that later I will understand. I carefully listen to the thoughts and feelings which come after I pray. If I feel a calm peaceful feeling and a strong sense of assurance that my proposed action is right, I know it is what I should do.

Simplifying Service

The question I had to ask myself was what did “magnifying my calling” really mean. (Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are offered "calls" to serve the Lord such as to teach a Sunday School class.) To me it requires a willing heart and a total commitment to do what the Lord would have me do. When I feel tempted to follow precedent and do what other people expect, such as making fancy handouts, gifts, or writing out a soliloquy to present for a lesson, I pray. Praying helps me to focus on the goals the Lord wants, instead of focusing on pleasing people and gaining the applause of men (and women).

I have found that keeping my focus on eternal goals helps me be far more effective. I ask the Lord’s help to know what He wants me to do. What change am I to help bring about in others lives? What do these people really need to help them progress toward exaltation? On what should I concentrate my time and energies?

Now, instead of waiting till I have the proper gift, I simply extend my love by  visiting, calling, or sending a postcard to a person I visit teach. Instead of spending endless hours writing out a prepared script, I simply make notes on the concepts and references that should be presented in a lesson. (With younger children, I also make notes of learning activities that can be used to reinforce each concept.) This simple approach not only keeps the attention on the important principles, but allows for class involvement in the lesson, and thereby helps them apply these principles in their lives.

Besides being less tired and pressured  I find that when I eliminate all the “non- essentials”, I am more flexible and far more responsive to the promptings of the Spirit. Keeping my focus on the Lord’s goals, instead of people’s expectations helps me to both magnify and simplify my Church service.