Brothers And Sisters, I Have Had The...

Brothers and sisters, I have had the great honor and privilege of spending the better part of the past nine years in the mission field. Many choice blessings have resulted from this experience. I have had the privilege of meeting and visiting with thousands of religious people from all parts of the world as they visited our Church pavilions at the New York World's Fair and at the Texas World's Fair [HemisFair]. ¶

I asked many of these visitors if they believed that they were literally in the image and likeness of God, and almost everyone answered no. ¶

Discussion On Godhead

I would like to mention one fine, clean student who visited the pavilion in Texas. He believed in a trinity of God the Eternal Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, that they were all one and the same God, and that they were incomprehensible. I asked him if he believed that Jesus Christ was ever a separate personage from God the Father. He said that he believed they are one and the same God. He asked about our exhibit of the painting that showed the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove, when he claimed that God the Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ visited him in the grove. We talked about the vision of Joseph Smith and the personal appearance of the Father and the Son. We read what Joseph Smith said about this marvelous vision. ¶

Joseph Smith said, ". . . I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other — This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith 2:16-17.) ¶

We further discussed the profound importance of this divine vision to again witness to all men that the trinity composing the Godhead are separate personages, that they have tangible, personal bodies, and that all mankind is literally in the image and likeness of God. We discussed a number of scriptures showing the appearance of God to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and all of the ancient prophets. We also talked about the personal life and body of Jesus Christ before and after his death, and about his personal, resurrected body. ¶

The Book Of Mormon

He then asked about the Book of Mormon and its purpose and value as a record of scripture. I had him read the following two statements on the first page of the Book of Mormon: "The Book of Mormon . . . is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever — And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations." ¶

He desired to obtain a copy of the Book of Mormon. He was asked to read the book and to pray about it, and we read the following very important promise from the prophet Moroni, who said, "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." (Moro. 10:4.) ¶

He said that he would read the book and pray about it. ¶

I met with him again in a few days. He said, "I have read part of the Book of Mormon and I have prayed about it, but I did not feel that my prayers were answered as promised by the prophet Moroni." ¶

I mentioned that I had received an answer to my prayers when I asked to know about the Book of Mormon and its value and its origin and its divine purpose. "I wonder why God would answer my prayers regarding the divinity of the Book of Mormon and not answer your prayers. I wonder if you prayed to the same God that I prayed to." ¶

Many Concepts Of God

You know, there are many religions in the world today and many and varied concepts of God. ¶

Some worship gods of nature. Some worship the sun and other parts of the universe. Some even worship appetites and the pleasure of this earth. ¶

Some worship an uncreated and incomprehensible trinity of gods. Others worship a god without body, parts, or passions. ¶

The Hindus worship and pray to the god of their belief. The Mohammedans worship and pray to the god of their belief. ¶

If we desire to be Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, we must accept his example, his teachings, and his doctrines. ¶

We must pray to the same God that Jesus Christ prayed to. Many of the gods that are worshiped are from the intellect and minds of men. Through the prophet Jeremiah the Lord said, "Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?" (Jer. 16:20.) ¶

The apostle Paul said, ". . . when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods." (Gal. 4:8.) Man-made gods are no gods. ¶

The Only True God

Jesus Christ said, ". . . this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.) ¶

Jesus said to know the only true God and Jesus Christ — not only to know the only true God, but also to know Jesus Christ, whom God has sent. ¶

Then I said to the boy, "Do you remember telling me that you believed that God the Eternal Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost were all one and the same with no separation, and that they were not personal beings, and that you did not believe that you were literally created in the image and likeness of God?" ¶

He remembered. ¶

If you pray to three gods in one god, that is not the same as praying to God the Eternal Father through Jesus Christ. To pray to a god that you are in the image and likeness of is different from praying to an incomprehensible three gods in one god. ¶

When you believe that Jesus Christ and God the Eternal Father are one and the same god, you are unable to properly use Jesus Christ as your mediator between you and your Heavenly Father. ¶

Remember the vision of Joseph Smith wherein God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ appeared with separate, personal, glorified bodies. The mediator between you and your Heavenly Father is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6.) The apostle Peter said, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) ¶

Promise of Moroni

We again read and analyzed the promise made by the prophet Moroni and what one needs to do to receive the divine answer to prayer. In order to receive an answer, you must closely follow the prophet Moroni's counsel. ¶

The steps are very important and help to prepare the one praying to receive the witness from his Heavenly Father. ¶

The steps are as follows: ¶

Ask God the Eternal Father. ¶

Ask in the name of Jesus Christ. ¶

(Jesus is the mediator.) Ask the Eternal Father if the teachings in the Book of Mormon are true. ¶

Ask with a sincere heart. ¶

Ask with real intent, with sincere desire to know, having faith in Christ. ¶

The prophet's promise is that if you ask the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus Christ, with a sincere heart, with real intent, with faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. ¶

All three members of the Godhead are separately and individually involved to give this great promise and answer to prayer. ¶

The young man said that he would prepare himself to again ask God in prayer. When we met again he said he had received his answer. ¶

Again I repeat, it is very important that we know the only true God and his Son Jesus Christ. We should all remember the great goal as given by Jesus Christ, who said: ". . . this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." ¶

Our Assignment to Teach

Brothers and sisters, our great assignment to God's children, to every nation, individual, tongue, and people, is to teach them about the true and living God, about God the Eternal Father, and about his Son Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Redeemer. ¶

One of the best ways for every member of this Church to be a missionary and to do as our prophet David O. ¶

McKay has asked is to have a copy or copies of the Book of Mormon in the homes of your nonmember friends and neighbors. ¶

Encourage them to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it. You should read to them the great God-inspired promise by the prophet Moroni of how they can receive the witness to the Book of Mormon, and to know of its divine purpose. Be sure they follow the steps given in the promise. ¶

This promise needs the testimony and the help of one who has received the witness and the answer promised by the prophet. The Lord said that everyone that asks receives. Everyone that seeks shall find, and to everyone that knocks, it shall be opened unto him. ¶

(See Matt. 7:8.) ¶

A New Witness

Brothers and sisters, the world is hungry and looking for a new witness. ¶

They need the testimony and they need the strength and they need the counsel of one who has the testimony and the witness. The Lord is at the helm in this great program. It's the Lord's work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, but the Lord has placed much of the responsibility of teaching and helping his children upon those who have received the witness. ¶

The Lord gives a great promise: "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D&C 82:10.) May we help our Father's children to receive the commitments of the Lord by complying and being obedient to his great plan and his teachings, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶