Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Morning Breaks

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richardd6776 <richardd6776@yahoo.com>  Today at 8:52 PM
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From: Robert Richardson <rrichardson@myldsmail.net>
Date: 03/07/2016 2:56 PM (GMT-07:00)
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Subject: The Morning Breaks

HEY EVERYBODY!!!!
I hope yall are doing good. This week was amazing. We saw many miracles and worked really hard like always. We had 17 lessons this week which was amazing. On Monday we did family home evening with a member, Rico, and his wife who is not a member, Sharika. It was really good. We also had referral named Mario. We went and saw him and shared a scripture with him and got an appointment with him this week. We also saw our investigator Dalton. We read a chapter out of the book of Mormon with him. We also saw Jose Vargas a couple of times and read the book of Mormon with him. Another of our Spanish investigators named aurora came to church.

We also got to go see Miss Pat. She gave us some crawfish. It was really good. She didn't come to church so we may have to move her baptismal date. She was going to come... We will have to do a lesson on the importance of church attendance....

We also did a lot of tracting and saw miracles from that. We found two new people. We taught them both the restoration. It was a really fun experience. Most people talked to us about politics about trump and Clinton. HAHA

We also had a fun experience today. We went with our branch mission leader brother viator to the ocean and got to have fun on the beach. It was so nice to visit the ocean.

So for my spiritual thought today comes from Bruce R McConkie's talk The Testimony of Jesus. From this talk came the hymn I believe in Christ which was published after his death in 1985.

I asked the Lord what he would have me say on this occasion and received the distinct and affirmative impression that I should bear testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
I have what is known as “the testimony of Jesus,” which means that I know by personal revelation from the Holy Spirit to my soul that Jesus is the Lord; that he brought life and immortality to light through the gospel; and that he has restored in this day the fullness of his everlasting truth, so that we with the ancients can become inheritors of his presence in eternity.
Now a testimony comes from the Spirit of God. There is no other source. And when a testimony is borne, it has to be borne by the power of the Spirit. And so I desire and pray fervently that I may be guided by that power on this occasion, so that what I say will be the mind and will and voice of the Lord.
I desire to bear testimony to myself, to you as members of the Church, and to all the world. As I speak by the power of the Spirit, if my testimony is to sink into your hearts and be in you a well springing up unto eternal life—if your hearts are to burn within you, so that you will know of the truth and divinity of the words spoken—you must be guided by the power of the same Spirit, and so I pray that your hearts may be opened and that your souls will burn within you and you will know of the verity of what is said.
I shall take the liberty, both by way of testimony and to set the tone for what is involved, to read these words of my own composition:
I Believe in Christ
I believe in Christ, he is my king;
With all my heart to him I’ll sing;
I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ, he is God’s Son;
On earth to dwell his soul did come;
He healed the sick, the dead he raised,
Good works were his, his name be praised.
I believe in Christ, O blessed name,
As Mary’s Son he came to reign
’Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
To save them from the woes of sin.
I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
Who did gain all his Father hath,
Who said to men: “Come, follow me,
That ye, my friends, with God may be.”
I believe in Christ—my Lord, my God—
My feet he plants on gospel sod;
I’ll worship him with all my might;
He is the source of truth and light.
I believe in Christ, he ransoms me;
From Satan’s grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above.
I believe in Christ, he stands supreme;
From him I’ll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: “Ye shall obtain.”
I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I’ll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again,
To rule among the sons of men.
Now, salvation originates with God our Heavenly Father. Indeed, salvation is to be like him, to inherit, possess, and receive what he enjoys. If we are to know God, we must believe as he believes, think as he thinks, and experience what he experiences.
The great plan of salvation was created by our Heavenly Father, to enable us to advance and progress and become like him. But salvation is centered in Christ. The plan called for the creation and peopling of this earth, so that we might come here and gain experiences that were not available in any other way.
We dwelt with our Father in the eternities that preceded this life. We were present when the great cry went forth from him through the midst of eternity: “Whom shall I send to be my son, to work out the infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice, to put in full force and operation the terms and conditions of my eternal plan?” We were there, and in the poetic language of Elder Orson F. Whitney, we beheld:
“A stature mingling strength with grace
Of meek though Godlike mien,
The glory of whose countenance
Outshone the noonday sheen.
Whiter his hair than ocean spray,
Or frost of alpine hill.
He spake:—attention grew more grave,
The stillness e’en more still.
“‘Father!’—the voice like music fell,
Clear as the murmuring flow
Of mountain streamlet trickling down
From heights of virgin snow.
‘Father,’ it said, ‘since one must die,
Thy children to redeem,
Whilst earth, as yet unformed and void,
With pulsing life shall teem;
“‘And mighty Michael foremost fall,
That mortal man may be,
And chosen Savior Thou must send,
Lo, here am I—send me!
I ask, I seek no recompense,
Save that which then were mine;
Mine be the willing sacrifice,
The endless glory Thine.’”
—Joseph Fielding Smith, Way to Perfection, p. 52.
Now salvation is centered in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the language of the angel who came to King Benjamin: “… salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” (Mosiah 3:18.)
Joseph Smith was asked, “What are the fundamental principles of your religion?” He answered: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 3, p. 30.)
That is to say, the atoning sacrifice of the Lord is the center of all things, as far as we are concerned. God our Heavenly Father created us, without which we would have no existence. And Christ the Son has redeemed us, without which there would be neither immortality nor eternal life.
Now the glorious thing that has happened in this day is that the heavens have been opened; that God has spoken again; that he has called living oracles, men who are apostles and prophets, to be his mouthpiece, to declare his mind and his purpose and his will to the world; and his message is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ; and it is administered in the Church which bears his name.
Now, my voice is the voice of testimony. I bear record of the truth and divinity of this work. But my voice is not alone. It is not one voice crying in a wilderness.
The testimony that I bear is just an echo of the testimonies that have been borne by faithful people from the spring of 1820, when the Father and the Son appeared to usher in this last great dispensation of eternal truth. And the testimony that I bear is but a harbinger of that testimony which yet will be borne by ten thousand times ten thousand people, redeemed out of every nation and kindred and tongue and people, redeemed by obedience to the message that God restored through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith in this day.
And if there is one wondrous thing about this work, it is that it is true; that there is saving efficacy and virtue and force in the gospel of Jesus Christ; and that the power of God unto salvation is found here in the tops of these everlasting hills; and this glorious truth is spreading out to all the nations of the earth as rapidly as people in them accept the testimony and witness that is borne and believe the truths that our fellow representatives proclaim. This is a day of which God has said that all of gathered Israel shall be witnesses of his name. “… ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.” (Isa. 43:12.)
This is a day when he has said that every elder in his kingdom, everyone who holds the holy priesthood, has power to speak in his name, to have the Holy Ghost bear record and enlighten his mind, and to proclaim the truths of salvation.
I proclaim these truths and desire in my heart to have men believe and obey. I think I can say with Nephi that the fullness of mine intent is to persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and be saved—because the work is true, because salvation is in Christ. And God being our witness, it is true. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

May we develop a strong testimony of the Savior. I'm so grateful for the Savior and all he has done for us. Especially this Easter season. I know the Savior lives. He loves us. He sees as who we are and who we can be. Not who we were. I know that through his atoning sacrifice we may be purified and stand before him and the father and be granted all the our Heavenly Father has!!! May yall have an amazing week!!! The Gospel restored through the prophet joseph smith is true!
Elder Richardson
Make yourself at home.

Christ the Lord is Risen today March 7, 2016

HEY EVERYBODY!!!!
This week was an awesome week. It was fairly busy again! We had the opportunity to see most of our investigators this week. We are having to reschedule Aurora and her daughters baptism to the 9th so we could better prepare them. If any of you all have promptings to help with the work DO IT!!!! My mom months ago sent me two book of mormons with tabs with answers to questions in them. I ended up giving them to Aurora's daughters and last week when we went by and the oldest girl read the questions and answers. The question "why should I.be baptized stood out to her and she read the answer in the book of mormon. She said she felt the spirit so strong when reading that.

We were also able to see miss. pat. She is really struggling with her health. She has a bad infection in her leg and will probably need surgery so we may have to move her baptism again! We talked about the plan of salvation with her.

We also met a part member called the Desermouxs. The mom and kids are a member but the husband is not. They are a really cool family that moved into the branch a couple of months ago. She has an awesome conversion story. He prayed that his family would find a church and 3 hours later missionaries knocked on their door. She and the children converted in Texas but he still has a lot of questions about Joseph Smith. Me and him talked a lot. He really likes to hunt and fish. He goes with her to church. We are going to help them on Tuesday with some yard work so hopefully we can be able to find out what we can do to help him. He is really awesome. His boss antis him a lot he was telling us, but he says the Church has done nothing but good for his family. We are just going to have to help him recongize that all of it points to the prophet joseph smith. He believes everything accept Joseph Smith being a prophet. We talked a little bit about the Priesthood with him yesterday.

We also helped out with the Easter egg hunt in the branch. It was really fun to help out with that. THOSE KIDS ARE VULTURES! The eggs were gone in seconds. HAHA.

We also found new investigators in a town called Jeanerette and taught them the Restoration. We even found a spanish guy!

It has been really busy down here. I can't believe I have 101 days left. I dont even have time to think of it. I was also able to finish the book of Mormon again. It was also a little chilly this week.

So as missionaries we have the opportunity to share followhim.mormon.org for easter. We have had a lot of success getting media referals from it for Bibles and Book of mormons. I invite yall to view the video and share it through social media outlets.

With me finishing The Book of Mormon I would like to share one of my favorite talks by Bruce R McConkie "What think ye of The Book Of Mormon"

Two ministers of one of the largest and most powerful Protestant denominations came to a Latter-day Saint conference to hear me preach. After the meeting I had a private conversation with them, in which I said they could each gain a testimony that Joseph Smith was the prophet through whom the Lord had restored the fulness of the gospel for our day and for our time. I told them they should read the Book of Mormon, ponder its great and eternal truths, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ, in faith, and he would reveal the truth of the book to them by the power of the Holy Ghost. As every gospel scholar knows, the Book of Mormon proves that Joseph Smith was called of God to minister in the prophetic office   and to restore the truths of salvation in plainness and perfection. The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It contains a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. It is another testament of Jesus Christ. It contains the fulness of the gospel, meaning that it is a record of the Lord’s dealings with a people who had the fulness of the gospel, and meaning also that in it is found a summary and a recitation of what all men must believe and do to gain an inheritance in the heavenly kingdom reserved for the Saints. As the teachings and testimonies of Moses and Isaiah and Peter and place in the Bible, so the parallel preaching and the same Spirit-guided testimonies of Nephi and Alma and Moroni have come down to us in the Book of Mormon. This American witness of Christ was written upon gold plates which were delivered to Joseph Smith by an angelic ministrant. This ancient record was then translated by the gift and power of God and is now published to the world as the Book of Mormon. If this book is what it purports to be—if the original record was revealed by a holy angel; if the translation was made by the power of God and not of man; if Joseph Smith was entertaining angels, seeing visions, and receiving revelations—all of which is an established verity; if the Book of Mormon is true—then the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon proves the truth of this great latter-day work in which we are engaged. All of this I explained to my two Protestant friends. One of them, a congenial and decent sort of fellow, said somewhat casually that he would read the Book of Mormon. The other minister, manifesting a bitter spirit, said: “I won’t read it. We have experts who have read the Book of Mormon, and I have read what our experts have to say about it.” This account dramatizes one of our problems in presenting the message of the Book of Mormon to the world. There are sincere and devout people everywhere who have heard what other people say about this volume of holy writ, and so they do not read it themselves. Instead of drinking from that fountain from whence clear streams of living water flow, they prefer to go downstream and drink from the roily, muddy, poison-filled streams of the world. The plain fact is that salvation itself is at stake in this matter. If the Book of Mormon is true—if it is a volume of holy scripture, if it contains the mind and will and voice of the Lord to all men, if it is a divine witness of the prophetic call of Joseph Smith—then to accept it and believe its doctrines is to be saved, and to reject it and walk contrary to its teachings is to be damned. Let this message be sounded in every ear with an angelic trump; let it roll round the earth in resounding claps of never-ending thunder; let it be whispered in every heart by the still, small voice. Those who believe the Book of Mormon and accept Joseph Smith as a prophet thereby open the door to salvation; those who reject the book outright or who simply fail to learn its message and believe its teachings never so much as begin to travel that course along the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. Shortly after my experience with these two ministers, two other ministers from the same denomination came to another of our conferences to hear me preach. And, once again, after the meeting I had a private discussion with them. My message was the same. Taking the Book of Mormon as their guide, they must read, ponder, and pray in order to gain a witness from the Spirit as to the truth and divinity of this great latter-day work. I told them of my prior experience with their two colleagues and how one of them had refused to read the Book of Mormon, saying that they had experts who had read the book and he had read what their experts had said. I then said, “What is it going to take to get you gentlemen to read the Book of Mormon and find out for yourselves what is involved, rather than relying on the views of your experts?” One of these ministers, holding my copy of the Book of Mormon in his hands, let the pages flip past his eyes in a matter of seconds. As he did so, he said, “Oh, I’ve read the Book of Mormon.” I had a momentary flash of spiritual insight that let me know that his reading had been about as extensive as the way he had just flipped the pages. In his reading he had done no more than scan a few of the headings and read an isolated verse or two. A lovely young lady, a convert to the Church whose father was a minister of the same denomination as my four Protestant friends, was listening to my conversation with the second two. At this  point she spoke up and said, “But Reverend, you have to pray about it.” He replied, “Oh, I prayed about it. I said, ‘O God, if the Book of Mormon is true, strike me dead’; and here I am.” My unspoken impulse was to give this rejoinder: “But Reverend, you have to pray in faith!” This account dramatizes another of our problems in teaching those who read the Book of Mormon how to read it in order to gain the promised witness by the power of the Holy Ghost. The pattern for this was set in the experience of Oliver Cowdery. He desired not alone to act as a scribe to Joseph Smith but also to translate directly from the plates. After much importuning, the Lord permitted Brother Cowdery to try. The divine authorization contained these provisos: “Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith. Trifle not with these things; do not ask for that which you ought not. … And according to your faith shall it be done unto you.” (D&C 8:10– 11.) Oliver tried to translate and failed. Then came the divine word: “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.” That is, he had not done all that in his power lay; he had expected the Lord to do it all merely because he asked. “But, behold, I say unto you,” the divine word continued, “that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you;  therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” (D&C 9:7–8.) Now, if the Book of Mormon is true, our acceptance of it will lead to salvation in the highest heaven. On the other hand, if we say it is true when in fact it is not, we are thereby leading men astray and surely deserve to drop down to the deepest hell. The time is long past for quibbling about words and for hurling unsavory epithets against the Latter-day Saints. These are deep and solemn and ponderous matters. We need not think we can trifle with sacred things and escape the wrath of a just God. Either the Book of Mormon is true, or it is false; either it came from God, or it was spawned in the infernal realms. It declares plainly that all men must accept it as pure scripture or they will lose their souls. It is not and cannot be simply another treatise on religion; it either came from heaven or from hell. And it is time for all those who seek salvation to find out for themselves whether it is of the Lord or of Lucifer. May I be so bold as to propose a test and issue a challenge. It is hoped that all who take this test will have a knowledge of the Holy Bible, because the more people know about the Bible, the greater their appreciation will be of the Book of Mormon. This test is for saint and sinner alike; it is for Jew and Gentile, for bond and free, for black and white, for all of our Father’s children. We have all been commanded to search the scriptures, to treasure up the Lord’s word, to live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God. (See D&C 84:44.) This, then, is the test: Let every person make a list of from one hundred to two hundred doctrinal subjects, making a conscious effort to cover the whole field of gospel knowledge. The number of subjects chosen will depend on personal inclination and upon how broad the spectrum will be under each subject. Then write each subject on a blank piece of paper. Divide the paper into two columns; at the top of one, write “Book of Mormon,” and at the top of the other, “Bible.” Then start with the first verse and phrase of the Book of Mormon, and continuing verse by verse and thought by thought, put the substance of each verse under its proper heading. Find the same doctrine in the Old and New Testaments, and place it in the parallel columns. Ponder the truths you learn, and it will not be long before you know that Lehi and Jacob excel Paul in teaching the Atonement; that Alma’s sermons on faith and on being born again surpass anything in the Bible; that Nephi makes a better exposition of the scattering and gathering of Israel than do Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel combined; that Mormon’s words about faith, hope, and charity have a clarity, a breadth, and a power of expression that even Paul did not attain; and so on and so on. There is another and simpler test that all who seek to know the truth might well take. It calls for us simply to read, ponder, and pray—all in the spirit of faith and with an open mind. To keep ourselves alert to the issues at hand—as we do read, ponder, and pray—we should ask ourselves a thousand times, “Could any man have written this book?”  And it is absolutely guaranteed that sometime between the first and thousandth time this question is asked, every sincere and genuine truth seeker will come to know by the power of the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the mind and will and voice of the Lord to the whole world in our day. We ask, then: What think ye of the Book of Mormon? Who can tell its wonder and worth? How many martyrs have suffered death in the flesh to bring it forth and carry its saving message to a wicked world? We answer: It is a book, a holy book, a book of sacred, saving scripture. It is a voice from the dust, a voice that whispers low out of the earth, telling of a fallen people who sank into an endless oblivion because they forsook their God. It is truth springing out of the earth as righteousness looks down from heaven. It is the stick of Joseph in the hands of Ephraim, which will guide all Israel, the ten tribes included, to return to Him whom their fathers worshipped. It contains the word that will gather the whole house of Israel and make them once again one nation upon the mountains of Israel, as it was in the days of their fathers. It is an account of the ministry of the Son of God to his other sheep in the day they saw his face and heard his voice and believed his word. It is the divine evidence, the proof, that God has spoken in our day. Its chief purpose is to convince all men, Jew and Gentile alike, that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, who manifests himself, by faith, in all ages and among all peoples. . It came forth in our day proving to the world that the Bible is true; that Jesus, by whom the Atonement came, is Lord of all; that Joseph Smith was called of God, as were the prophets of old; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one place on earth where salvation is found. It is the book that will save the world and prepare the sons of men for joy and peace here and now and everlasting life in eternity. As it happens, I am one of the many who have come to know, by the revelations of the Holy Ghost to my soul, that the Book of Mormon is true. And, knowing that I will be accountable for that witness before the bar of the great Jehovah when he judges all men, I testify that as he lives the Book of Mormon is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I know The Book Of Mormon is true. I reflected on Moroni's promise and thoughts of all the happiness and peace the Book of Mormon has given me! I know it is true! By that book I have come to a knowledge of fullness of the everlasting gospel. It is through the book of mormon we can gain a knowledge of the truthfulness of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus christ. The Church is true. Our Savior Jesus Christ lives! HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY AND HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!
Elder Richardson

Make yourself at home.

School thy feelings

School thy Feelings
Robert Richardson <rrichardson@myldsmail.net>  Mar 14 at 11:20 AM
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HEY EVERYBODY!!!!!
This week was an awesome week. The rain was really bad this week but everyone is ok. We didn't get hit to hard but we were still put on Lock down. We also had interviews this week. Mine were really good. He talked a lot about going home in it actually.... I told him the realization happened while we were tracting and I told him it made me a little sad to realize I wont have too much of an opportunity to do this. He said DONT be sad you have so much to look forward to when you get home!!! HAHA. It was a really good interview. We had Zone Conference. It was a long day because we live far away from the Stake Center. I lived 2 minutes away from it in baton rouge and now I live over 2 hours away. We didn't get back until 6:30. We found a Popeyes buffet on our way back from Lafayette!!! It was so good!!!!


We were able to see Miss. Pat. We shared with her The Purifying Power of Gethsemane. She really enjoyed that. It really caught my attention to how much we know because she didn't even know about the garden tomb or where the Resurrection occurred. It strengthened my testimony of the importance of Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the Garden of the empty tomb. We had to change her date to April 9th. We are going to stress the importance of church.

We also visited a guy named Clarence and retaught him the restoration. We also visited Dalton and read the Book of Mormon with him. We were able to see Brother Alfaro. We shared a talk by Dieter F Uchtorf titled "A Matter of A Few Degrees" He really liked that since it is about airplanes.

We also had the opportunity to see Aurora, a Spanish investigator.. US and the sisters have been teaching her because she is not as open when her husband is there. One of the english sisters is Honduran and can speak spanish but doesn't know the gospel much in spanish. Aurora just came out this week saying she wanted to be baptized on the 26th. She wants her three daughters to listen to the gospel. We have a lot to do to get them ready... We taught the daughters the restoration and taught Aurora some of the commandments.

We had the opportunity to see Jose Vargas. That was a really good visit. We continued to read the Book of Mormon with him. He is in 3 nephi. We also had the opportunity to visit sister fresh. She is doing really good. She fed us and we had the opportunity to follow up with how she has been.

We also had the opportunity to teach Rico's Cousin Micheal. He came to church and we taught him the restoration and gave him a baptismal date for April 16th. It was an awesome lesson. He got stabbed two weeks ago. It was really awesome to see how his testimony of God's love.

We have had an awesome week. My thought comes from Gordon B. Hinckley entitled Slow to Anger.

My beloved brethren, wherever you may be, here in the Conference Center or in a Church hall far away across the seas, what a remarkable thing it is that we can speak in this Conference Center and that you can hear what we say in a place as far away as Cape Town, South Africa.

I have chosen tonight to speak to the subject of anger. I realize that this is a little unusual, but I think it is timely.

A proverb in the Old Testament states: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

It is when we become angry that we get into trouble. The road rage that affects our highways is a hateful expression of anger. I dare say that most of the inmates of our prisons are there because they did something when they were angry. In their wrath they swore, they lost control of themselves, and terrible things followed, even murder. There were moments of offense followed by years of regret.

This story is told concerning Charles W. Penrose. He was a convert to the Church and served as a missionary in England for some 11 years. When he was released, he sold some of his belongings to pay for his trip to Zion. Some of the Saints observing him said that he was taking Church property.

This angered him so, that he went upstairs in his residence, sat down, and wrote these verses, which are familiar to you. (See Karen Lynn Davidson, Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages [1988], 323.)

School thy feelings, O my brother;
Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother,
But let wisdom’s voice control.
School thy feelings; there is power
In the cool, collected mind.
Passion shatters reason’s tower,
Makes the clearest vision blind. …
School thy feelings; condemnation
Never pass on friend or foe,
Though the tide of accusation
Like a flood of truth may flow.
Hear defense before deciding,
And a ray of light may gleam,
Showing thee what filth is hiding
Underneath the shallow stream.
School thy feelings, O my brother;
Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother,
But let wisdom’s voice control.
Many years ago I worked for one of our railroads. A switchman was aimlessly strolling about the platform one day. I asked him to move a car to another track. He exploded. He threw his cap on the pavement and jumped up and down on it, swearing like a drunken sailor. I stood there and laughed at his childish behavior. Noting my laughter, he began to laugh at his own foolishness. He then quietly climbed on the switch engine, drove it over to the empty car, and moved it to an empty track.

I thought of a verse from Ecclesiastes: “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9).

Anger is the mother of a whole brood of evil actions.

I clipped from the morning newspaper a story that led off with this statement: “More than half the Americans who might have celebrated their 25th wedding anniversaries since 2000 were divorced, separated or widowed before reaching that milestone” (Sam Roberts, “Most U.S. Marriages Don’t Get to Silver,” Deseret Morning News, Sept. 20, 2007, p. A1).

Widowhood of course is beyond the control of the parties, but divorce and separation are not.

Divorce too often is the bitter fruit of anger. A man and a woman fall in love, as they say; each is wonderful in the sight of the other; they feel romantic affection for no one else; they stretch their finances to buy a diamond ring; they marry. All is bliss—that is, for a season. Then little inconsequential activities lead to criticism. Little flaws are magnified into great torrents of faultfinding; they fall apart, they separate, and then with rancor and bitterness they divorce.

It is the cycle which is repeated again and again in thousands of cases. It is tragic, and, as I have said, it is in most cases the bitter fruit of anger.

I think of my own marriage. My eternal companion passed away three and a half years ago. But we lived together for 67 years. I have no recollection of ever having a quarrel with her. She traveled with me and spoke on every continent, pleading for the exercise of restraint, kindness, and love.

A small publication that came to me some years ago carried the following:

Once a man who had been slandered by a newspaper came to Edward Everett asking what to do about it. Said Everett, “Do nothing! Half the people who bought the paper never saw the article. Half of those who saw it, did not read it. Half of those who read it, did not understand it. Half of those who understood it, did not believe it. Half of those who believed it are of no account anyway” (“Sunny Side of the Street,” Nov. 1989; see also Zig Ziglar, Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down World [2000], 174).

So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way.

Grudges, if left to fester, can become serious maladies. Like a painful ailment they can absorb all of our time and attention. Guy de Maupassant has written an interesting chronicle that illustrates this.

It concerns Master Hauchecome, who on market day went to town. He was afflicted with rheumatism, and as he stumbled along he noticed a piece of string on the ground in front of him. He picked it up and carefully put it in his pocket. He was seen doing so by his enemy, the harness maker.

At the same time it was reported to the mayor that a pocketbook containing money had been lost. It was assumed that what Hauchecome had picked up was the pocketbook, and he was accused of taking it. He vehemently denied the charge. A search of his clothing disclosed only the piece of string, but the slander against him had so troubled him that he became obsessed with it. Wherever he went he bothered to tell people about it. He became such a nuisance that they cried out against him. It sickened him.

“His mind kept growing weaker and about the end of December he took to his bed.

“He passed away early in January, and, in the ravings of [his] death agony, he protested his innocence, repeating:

“‘A little [piece] of string—a little [piece] of string. See, here it is, [Mister Mayor.]’”

The story is told that reporters were interviewing a man on his birthday. He had reached an advanced age. They asked him how he had done it.

He replied, “When my wife and I were married we determined that if we ever got in a quarrel one of us would leave the house. I attribute my longevity to the fact that I have breathed good fresh air throughout my married life.”

Anger may be justified in some circumstances. The scriptures tell us that Jesus drove the money changers from the temple, saying, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13).

But even this was spoken more as a rebuke than as an outburst of uncontrolled anger.

Now, my dear brethren, in closing I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful.

May the Lord bless you and inspire you to walk without anger, without bitterness of any kind, but to reach out to others with expressions of friendship, appreciation, and love. This is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.



I know that through Jesus Christ we can give our burdens, our anger, and our frustration. One of my favorite lines from a hymn called How Gentle God commands is "I'll drop my burden at his feet and bare a song the way." Some times it can be hard when others criticize us when we feel we are doing our best. Through the savior we can have peace and receive peace in our hearts. Through the Love of the savior we can drop what ever burden we may have. May we continue to have peace and happiness through the gospel and peace that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thank you all yall for your prayers and all that yall do! The Gospel has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith! This church is true! It is only thing that can bring peace to this world and offer exaltation and salvation to all those who believe on it and live it. Christ lives. This mission has been the best experience of my life!!!

Elder Richardson



Make yourself at home.

If you Could Hie to Kolob February 29,2016



 Could Hie to Kolob
Robert Richardson <rrichardson@myldsmail.net>  Feb 29 at 11:08 AM
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HEY EVERYBODY!!!!!!

This week was really good. I sure yall had the opportunity to see the crazy weather we had. It wasn't that bad. The only thing that made it bad was there were tornados in random areas of the mission. There was a tornado in Franklin but that was it. The Tornado that we were in the Westbank a year ago was a lot worst then this storm. It wasn't that bad. It certain areas of the mission it was really bad, but for us it was just a little rain.

So this week we were able to see Ms. Pat. She is really excited for her baptismal date March 26. She has been to church a couple of times but she does have a hard time going because of some health problems she has. We gave her a blessing. It was definitely a spirit led blessing. I am so grateful for the guidance of the spirit.  She really enjoyed that and bore her testimony of the gospel. We went over the baptismal questions. She is good on everything but we want to see her come to church more often. She was busy this last Sunday so hopefully she will come this next week.

We were also able to do a lot of tracting. The people here are not as receptive as in other areas I have been in. But that is ok. We have been working hard though.

We also had the opportunity to do splits with Brother Stanely and Brother Viator. I went with brother Stanely and we visited an investigator named Dalton. We talked about the Book of mormon with him and invited him to read it.

We also had the opportunity to visit our spanish investigator Jose Vargas. We read the Book of Mormon with him. He wants to be baptized but he wants to finish the book of mormon before he does.

We also saw a couple of less actives. We saw one named Brother Alvaro. Missionaries have had a hard time getting to be his friend because he is really really into talking about airplanes. It was really cool because we talked a lot about airplanes.

We also saw one guy named bro eric who who we are trying to help prepare for the temple. He is very Cajun. Half of his house is sinking into the ground.

It was really cool on Sunday we had branch conference. There was a lady there that attended church tat looked really familiar. I realized that it was sister Fresh from the Westbank!!!!! It was so awesome to see her again and talk to her!!! She moved to New Iberia recently!!!! It was a real tender mercy of the lord to be able to see her again. She moved from Mississippi here to New Iberia. She looked a lot different and was much more happier!!!! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be able to visit her again. This June she will be able to go to the temple.

In Jeremiah 1:5 we read

 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

In Abraham 3 22-25 we read
 22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

 23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me:Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.


 24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

 25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

In the restored gospel. Truths have been restored of the plan that our God has given man to have happiness, joy, and peace in this life and eternal happiness in the life to God.

We lived with our heavenly father. God is the Father of our Spirits. His work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We have been sent down to earth to be tested and tried.

The Center of the Plan of Salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ. Through it all, he is the center. In the Premortal life we were given a knowledge that a Savior would be provided. Though the fall of Adam and Eve God provided a Savior so that all man kind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. We can have peace and joy in this life when our lifes are built on the teachings of the savior.

Through the ordinances of the temple families can be together forever. Those who have died without of a knowledge can be saved through the proxy ordiances provided in the temples.  Death cannot separate us from those we love. After this life our spirits go to the spirit world where the faithful preach to those who did not have the opportunity to receive.

When the Savior comes He shall be clothed with glory. "That glorious rest will then commence which prophets did foretell When Saints will reign with Christ on Earth And in his presence dwell. A thousand years Oh Glorious day! Dear Lord, Prepare my heart to stand with thee on Zions Mount and nevermore to part."

After the Thousand years the earth will be renewed  The vanquishment of Satan and his hosts shall be complete. The dead, small and great, all who have breathed the breath of life on earth, shall be resurrected—every soul that has tabernacled in flesh,whether good or evil—and shall stand before God, to be judged according to the record as written in the books.q So shall be brought to glorious consummation the mission of the Christ. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet.”r Then shall the Lord Jesus “deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto the Father spotless,saying—I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. Then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign for ever and ever.”s The earth shall pass to its glorified and celestialized condition, an eternal abode for the exalted sons and daughters of God. tForever shall they reign, kings and priests to the Most High, redeemed, sanctified, and exalted through their Lord and God
Jesus the Christ.

We have the opportunity to live with our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus for eternity and receive all that the Father hath. I know the gospel is true. Through our Savior we can be redeemed from sin and death.

YALL HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!!
Elder Richardson


Make yourself at home.



























If you could high to Kolob
































Behold! A Royal Army
Robert Richardson <rrichardson@myldsmail.net>  Feb 22 at 11:52 AM
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larichardson65@yahoo.com
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HEY EVERYBODY!!!!!!

So this week I was transferred to a small town called New Iberia. It is 20 miles south of Lafayette. This town is like one of those ghetto small towns from a movie. This will most likely be my last area. It has a small branch of about 40 people who attend church. It is an english unit and most of our work is english.  We meet in this mini LDS Church building. It has awesome people. We have been fed quite often. We also have a car which is really nice.

Last week I was able to say good bye to the Ottinelli Family and Brother Shute and the other missionaries I served around.  It was sad but I was ready for a new area.

When we got there we were a blt to do some apartment cleaning because it needed it. HAHA.

We had FHE with Sister Garza. That was really fun. We also visited a less active named Sister Greenie.

We were able to visit an investigator named Miss Pat. She is an awesome lady. She has been investigating for 3 years. Everyone in the town knows Miss Pat. She is the "Hood Mama". She is really nice.  We retaught her the restoration. At the end we asked her if she knew the church was true and she had told us she has read the book of mormon and knows that it is true. We gave her a baptismal date for March 26th and she accepted. That was awesome. The spirit was really strong but we have a lot of work to do to prepare her for that.

We also got to have dinner with Brother Stanley. He reminds me exactly of Great Grandpa. He is really nice. We got to eat dinner and play cards with him.

We got to do a service project on Saturday with Brother Stanley, Brother Viator the branch mission leader and his wife who is not a member Mama Fran, and the Davis Family to pick up trash in the City of Baldwin. After Mama Fran cooked us some Gumbo.

We were able to do some Missionary work down in Franklin with Brother Viator. We had a media referal for Kevin and Angela. We taught them the restoration. That was an awesome lesson. We got a return appointment with to teach them about the Book of Mormon. That night we went with Brother Stanley and had Chinese food.

Sunday was awesome. We had an investigator show up to church......😕 Her name is Janice and the elders before tracted into her and then they gave her to the sisters and then they gave her back to us last week because she has the hots for one of the sisters..... YA........ HAHA..........  

After us and the sisters went tracting. We did a little competition they took one side of the street and we took another. We taught two lessons but no return appointments. One lady told us to come back named On. She is Asian. There were a lot of Asians on the street. This one guy we tracted into and taught him the restoration. At the end of the lesson his wife came out and then when we asked if we could come back his wife blurted out in asian accent "NO YOU CANT CUM BACK! WE HAVE BIBLE!!!! GO NOW!!!!....... 🙅 Dang it.... OH WELL.....

After we had dinner with the Davis Family. They are so nice. They were awesome. We had Biscuits and Gravy with them.

For my spiritual thought it is on keeping the commandments. One of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 2 :41  41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Hymn 303 says
Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!
In this there is safety; in this there is peace.
He will send blessings; He will send blessings.
Words of a prophet: Keep the commandments.
In this there is safety and peace.

President Monson said last conference "God’s commandments are not given to frustrate us or to become obstacles to our happiness. Just the opposite is true. He who created us and who loves us perfectly knows just how we need to live our lives in order to obtain the greatest happiness possible. He has provided us with guidelines which, if we follow them, will see us safely through this often treacherous mortal journey. We remember the words of the familiar hymn: “Keep the commandments! In this there is safety; in this there is peace.”

Through God's commandments we can receive happiness and peace in this life. We can receive great joy and peace as we live and follow the commandments. When founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ we can have peace and happiness in our family life. I am so grateful for the commandments to give us the joy and peace that life founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ helps us.

YALL HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!!

Elder Richardson

Make yourself at home.

Behold a Royal Army February 22.2016































Behold! A Royal Army
Robert Richardson <rrichardson@myldsmail.net>  Feb 22 at 11:52 AM
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larichardson65@yahoo.com
Message body
HEY EVERYBODY!!!!!!

So this week I was transferred to a small town called New Iberia. It is 20 miles south of Lafayette. This town is like one of those ghetto small towns from a movie. This will most likely be my last area. It has a small branch of about 40 people who attend church. It is an english unit and most of our work is english.  We meet in this mini LDS Church building. It has awesome people. We have been fed quite often. We also have a car which is really nice.

Last week I was able to say good bye to the Ottinelli Family and Brother Shute and the other missionaries I served around.  It was sad but I was ready for a new area.

When we got there we were a blt to do some apartment cleaning because it needed it. HAHA.

We had FHE with Sister Garza. That was really fun. We also visited a less active named Sister Greenie.

We were able to visit an investigator named Miss Pat. She is an awesome lady. She has been investigating for 3 years. Everyone in the town knows Miss Pat. She is the "Hood Mama". She is really nice.  We retaught her the restoration. At the end we asked her if she knew the church was true and she had told us she has read the book of mormon and knows that it is true. We gave her a baptismal date for March 26th and she accepted. That was awesome. The spirit was really strong but we have a lot of work to do to prepare her for that.

We also got to have dinner with Brother Stanley. He reminds me exactly of Great Grandpa. He is really nice. We got to eat dinner and play cards with him.

We got to do a service project on Saturday with Brother Stanley, Brother Viator the branch mission leader and his wife who is not a member Mama Fran, and the Davis Family to pick up trash in the City of Baldwin. After Mama Fran cooked us some Gumbo.

We were able to do some Missionary work down in Franklin with Brother Viator. We had a media referal for Kevin and Angela. We taught them the restoration. That was an awesome lesson. We got a return appointment with to teach them about the Book of Mormon. That night we went with Brother Stanley and had Chinese food.

Sunday was awesome. We had an investigator show up to church......😕 Her name is Janice and the elders before tracted into her and then they gave her to the sisters and then they gave her back to us last week because she has the hots for one of the sisters..... YA........ HAHA..........  

After us and the sisters went tracting. We did a little competition they took one side of the street and we took another. We taught two lessons but no return appointments. One lady told us to come back named On. She is Asian. There were a lot of Asians on the street. This one guy we tracted into and taught him the restoration. At the end of the lesson his wife came out and then when we asked if we could come back his wife blurted out in asian accent "NO YOU CANT CUM BACK! WE HAVE BIBLE!!!! GO NOW!!!!....... 🙅 Dang it.... OH WELL.....

After we had dinner with the Davis Family. They are so nice. They were awesome. We had Biscuits and Gravy with them.

For my spiritual thought it is on keeping the commandments. One of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 2 :41  41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Hymn 303 says
Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!
In this there is safety; in this there is peace.
He will send blessings; He will send blessings.
Words of a prophet: Keep the commandments.
In this there is safety and peace.

President Monson said last conference "God’s commandments are not given to frustrate us or to become obstacles to our happiness. Just the opposite is true. He who created us and who loves us perfectly knows just how we need to live our lives in order to obtain the greatest happiness possible. He has provided us with guidelines which, if we follow them, will see us safely through this often treacherous mortal journey. We remember the words of the familiar hymn: “Keep the commandments! In this there is safety; in this there is peace.”

Through God's commandments we can receive happiness and peace in this life. We can receive great joy and peace as we live and follow the commandments. When founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ we can have peace and happiness in our family life. I am so grateful for the commandments to give us the joy and peace that life founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ helps us.

YALL HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!!

Elder Richardson

Make yourself at home.

Each life that touches ours for good February 16,2016

























Each Life That Touches Ours For Good
Robert Richardson <rrichardson@myldsmail.net>  Feb 16 at 11:00 AM
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Message body
HEY HEY HEY HEY!!!!!! EVERYBODY!!!!

So I got news that I will be leaving.... I am a little sad but I am ready to start in a new area again. Definitely this area was my hardest as far as getting the work going, but I have gained a testimony of diligence in this area. President Hinckley said, "Without hard work nothing grows but weeds" Definitely it was hard weeding the area but it is now ready for a harvest.  

So this week has been awesome. We have been continuing to help those in the branch do Family History. It has been awesome seeing the spirit of Elijah and the joy the members are having in searching their ancestors. It has been a little harder to find records for those in Central and South America but Definitely we have seen miracles help others. There have been members who have enjoyed it so much that they have shared it with friends. We have gotten referrals to help non members with Family history.

We had an awesome week. We contacted a man last week named Enoch. We got a return appointment. He had a lot of questions about the pamphlet when we went back. It was an awesome lesson. He said that a lot of the doctrinal questions he had like the three separate beings, the priesthood, the apostasy he all agreed with.

We also had the opportunity to visit Omar and his mom. It was a great opportunity to gain his moms trust. She was so nice. We also had the opportunity to just talk to him. Alli wasn't working. But it was a good opportunity to talk to him and told about the family proclamation and the importance of marriage because him and his esposa are not married. It was a opportunity to talk about that with him. It was really good. He said he would start talking about it with his life.

So for my spiritual thought today is on the plan of Salvation. Each of us have accepted our first estate and have come down to earth to gain a body. In the premortal world we had a knowledge that we would have to walk by faith, experience pain and death, and would have to live by obedience; however, we were given a knowledge that a Savior would be provided to redeem us from sin and death.

In this life. All will die, but death is just a doorway to another life, where we will be reunited with the ones we love for ever where we can rest from all of our troubles and labors. In the restored gospel the temple sealing makes it possible for a man and wife with there children to be together for eternity. Through it all obedience, ordinances, grace, repentance, the plan of salvation, and atonement, we have the opportunity to inherit the Celestial Kingdom and be crowned with glory and exalted. As in Adam all must die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. One of my favorite talks is called the Race of Life by President Monson. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-race-of-life?lang=eng

I invite you all to read that talk. The church is true. Death is not the end. We can be with the ones we love for all eternity. May God bless yall this coming week!!! YALL ARE THE BEST!!!!
Elder Richardson
Make yourself at home.

How great thou art February 8,2016

HEY EVERYBODY!!!!!!
So this week was really good. We did a lot of service this week. We helped a member moved from a different apartment on friday. That took all day. We also helped a lady clean up her back yard. It was really nice to be outside. We have also been helping more people do family history. We have seen some amazing miracles as we have found people. We helped a member who is trying to get back to the temple with family history. For district meeting I helped all of the members of the district to find a name so they can also help others in the branch to find names to take to the temple. On Saturday we had branch temple day so the whole district took the names to do initiatory and endowment session. It was awesome! I also saw Sister Ortega from the West Bank there so that was awesome to see her. The film was the old film. That was my first time seeing that one.

This week we had a ton of appointments with investigators but a lot fell through. We still were fairly busy with service. We were able to manage to see Wendy Mejia a less active. We also saw Alfonso we taught him family history. It was still a busy week. We also had our english class we taught. Yesterday we were able visit a couple of investigators.

So for my spiritual thought is on the apostasy. One talk that I really like was a devotional given at Ricks College. This is not done by the church but it is a great devotional.


 Now will you record some dates very quickly. I’d like to build a historical case for why I believe why 1820 was the only time the gospel of Jesus Christ could have been restored and survive on the planet.

Start with the year 0 in your notes. Just write these very quickly. The year 0: the Savior was born. It wasn’t really the year 0. Five centuries later, they decided it ought to be the year 0 because that was a significant event, so it is now, in our calendars, the year 0.

30 A.D. is the next date you need to write. The Savior is now a grown man. We don’t know a great deal about His first thirty years. We have a scripture in Hebrews that says He grew in stature and wisdom and that sort of thing, but we don’t know a lot about His first thirty years.

33 A.D., third date. Three years after His ministry He had established a church. Called and established a specific form for that church. Rejected by the people and He was crucified. 33 A.D. At that point, it was the charge of the apostles and the organization of the church at that point to go throughout the world, strengthen and build the church.

The next date you need to write is 42 A.D. In 42 A.D., Peter went to Rome and established the Church in Rome. He ordained a bishop in Rome by the name of Linus. Linus is the man to whom the Catholics retrace their historical lineage.

In 43 A.D., the next date you need to write, Paul, performing the function that apostles still perform, went back to Rome to see how the church was doing. Discovered that in one short year, the church under the Bishop Linus had completely apostatized from what Peter had established. Read the first chapter of Romans in the New Testament, understanding that that chapter was written upon Paul’s return from Rome and described what he found there. As a result of this apostasy that had taken place in Rome, Paul established a new leader of the church in Rome, a deacon by the name of Linus as well. History kind of gets messed up here between the two Linuses  but understand the deacon Linus was the authorized leader of the Church of Jesus Christ in Rome. Bishop Linus was an aberrant church already.

The next date you need to write is 64 A.D. In 64 A.D., Nero, then in charge in Rome, a little screwy, but he had Linus the deacon killed. When Linus the deacon was killed, the Church of Jesus Christ – the authorized, sanctioned Church of Jesus Christ – disappeared from Rome. The Christian church under the Bishop Linus was still there and surviving.
The next date you need to write is 70 A.D. In 70 A.D., the Roman Tenth Legion came down through the Armagaeddon Valley under the direction of General Silva (?). Destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Between 70 A.D. and 1948, the Jewish people had nowhere to call home. They were spread throughout the world. No homeland for the Jews until 1948. That’s when the Massad Experience  took place. They made a movie about that. You might remember the movie.

The next date we need to write is about 78 A.D., about I say because we’re not sure of the actual date – it was about 7 or 8 years after the destruction of Jerusalem. The Bishop Linus – at that point, the church was called the Church of Rome – received a letter from one of his people, and in this letter the person said, “You know, we really are a universal church.” And Linus thought about that and said, “You know, we really are a universal church. We are trying to appeal to everyone in Rome. Why don’t we call ourselves the universal church?” At that point, they became known as the Roman Catholic Church.

The next date you need to write is 96 A.D. In 96 A.D., John, the Revelator, banished to the isle of Patmos. Understand that up to that point it was the role of the apostles to go out through the world and build the church. They had some success but not a lot. All of the apostles, save John, were killed, many of them in ugly ways. Peter, for example, was crucified in Rome. Didn’t feel worthy to be crucified the same way the Savior was so he asked if they would mind turning him upside down. They graciously accommodated him and he died on his head on a cross. 96 A.D., John is the last one left. He goes to the isle of Patmos. Between 96 and 101, the Book of Revelation is written and John disappears. Until latter-day revelation, no one ever knew what happened to John.

But in 101 A.D., the apostasy was complete. No one on the earth now authoritatively capable of saying, “Thus saith the Lord” because no one on the earth was speaking to the Lord. The apostasy now complete.

The next date you need to write: 320 A.D. In 320 A.D. – understand that between 101 and 320 A.D., life for the Christians was an ugly experience, even the Christians under the Bishop Linus. The Christians you read about in the catacombs of Rome were not the Christians that Paul had established, but they were the apostate group. They had an ugly time. In 320 A.D., Constantine, now in charge, he had an interesting problem. He had a nation of people of all different kinds of religions. He was bugged by that, and so he sent some of the learned people, about 380 of them, over to a place called Nicea and the first Nicene council was held. The charter was given to these people by Constantine and it was, “I want you to describe God. Define God. You tell me what God is all about and that’s the way everybody will believe.” They went away for several weeks and came back and presented Constantine with a document that is known as the Nicene Creed. Brothers and Sisters, if you have not read and are familiar with the Nicene Creed, you ought to be. Read it this week. In essence it says: “God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are one. They’re not really one, but they’re sort of one, because they’re kind of one, we think they ought to be one, therefore they are one.” Read it. You need to understand it. That document is the basic document now that is accepted by most of the Christian faiths in the world as a description of God. We find now, the beginnings now, the Roman Catholic church now becomes the formal church of state. Up until this time, it was just trying to survive. Now it becomes the church and this is the way people are going to believe. A period of history begins now called the Reign of the Popes. Was this a religiously tolerant time, brothers and sisters? No. The popes were not just ecclesiastical leaders. They became emperors and kings as well.

The next date you need to write is 785 A.D. 785, Empress Irene was in charge. She had another council in the same place. She sent her learned people off to Nicea. In the Second Nicene Council, the canonization of saints takes place. Idol worship enters into the Catholic Church. Understand, brothers and sisters, that you cannot read European history and Catholic history as two separate histories. They are the same. Who wrote history back then? The only ones who could read and write were primarily the clergy, and a few wealthy.

The next date you need to write is 1100 A.D. In 1100 A.D., there were three popes. They broke off from each other, three different European cities. They all excommunicated each other and then went to war to prove who was the only true and living pope. I’m not here making fun of Catholic history. I’m here helping us understand. We need to understand the fact that the Apostasy was very real. The next date we need to write is 1200 A.D.

In 1200 A.D., two significant events took place. First, the advent of the printing press. Up until 1200 A.D., how many people could read? Not many. The printing press surfaces and has a major impact on the culture in Europe in the next hundred years. We’ll talk about that in a moment. The next event, the man in charge in Rome: Pope Innocent III. Pope Innocent III was known in history as The Boss Pope. He was fighting wars all the time. He was fighting on three fronts. Started to run out of money. Decided he needed a creative way of raising money for his wars. And so he initiated in the church a money-making program called the Sale of Indulgences. This was a significant event 300 years later; we’ll discover why in a moment. The Sale of Indulgences simply means you can pay to have your sins remitted. I’ve often wondered why we don’t do that. We could build lots of chapels. It even got to the point where you could prepay sins. “I’m going to Vegas for the weekend, Bishop. Here’s a thousand bucks. Cover me.” “You’re covered.”

The next date you need to write is 1300 A.D. 1300 A.D., revolution begins in Europe, not a revolution of knives and swords, but a cultural revolution. That revolution is known and we refer to it now as The Renaissance. European culture turns upsidedown. One of the reasons was the advent of the printing press. More people had more information. Questions started to be asked that never had been asked before and the culture turns upside down.

The next date we need to write is 1492. Surely, what happened in 1492. You got that right. Columbus, a product of the Renaissance, was part of a growing number that said, “You know, this is not a flat world. It’s round.” And so he conned the queen out of three boats and he finds the New World.

The next date we need to write, very few short years later, 1515 A.D. Martin Luther surfaces. 1515, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, one of the highest orders in the Catholic Church, a product of the Renaissance, he had access to many of the ancient documents. He had a major problem. His problem was the Sale of Indulgences. He said, “I don’t think that’s right. I can’t find anything in the ancient writings that the Savior said anything about the sale of indulgences.” Ultimately, he developed 95 questions that bothered him a lot. He nailed these questions to the door of the cathedral in Wuttenburg, Germany. That’s how he communicated. Took several weeks for people to wander by and see the questions. It bugged the church a lot. He was then pulled before several church courts and told, “Back off with your questions or you’ll be excommunicated.” Understand that excommunication in the 14th, 15th centuries was tantamount to death. Martin Luther did not want to destroy the Catholic Church. He loved the Catholic Church. He wanted to get back to what was being taught at the time of Christ. The next several years were not a good experience for Martin Luther. He would not back off from is questions.

Next date you need to write is 1523. In 1523, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the church and the church put out a proclamation, saying, “We will not consider it murder to kill Martin Luther.” They put out a papal hit on Martin Luther. He had to go into hiding. He was protected by a group of wealthy German princes. The German princes, quite frankly, I don’t believe were particularly interested in his theology, but they were not interested in paying tribute to Rome any more. And so they created a church. Finally they talked Martin Luther into heading that church. He didn’t want to at first, but when they started trying to kill him, he decided he would. He became the head of the Lutheran Church. Brothers and sisters, if there is a people on the planet today that have a testimony of the Apostasy, it’s the Lutheran Church. That’s why they exist. They have documented it very carefully.

The next date you need to write is 1534. In 1534, King Henry VIII in England had a problem with his wife. He wanted to unload her. And so he went to the pope and said, “I want to divorce my wife.” The pope said, “You can’t do that. There is no divorce in the church.” He looked over at Germany and said, “You know, Luther’s doing all right. I think I’ll create my own thing.” And so he created the Church of England and it breaks from the Catholic Church. Was that a popular decision in England? Really wasn’t. Many wars resulted. Ugly, terrible battles as a result of that decision. He was able then to get rid of his wife. No revelation. No saying, “I talked to somebody in heaven.” But he said, “I want to get rid of my wife.” A church starts. What church in America today is the Church of England? The Episcopal Church.

The next date you need to write is 1540. I’m just mentioning a couple of the major reformers. By the way, go back to 1515 – the Reformation starts. There had been some earlier reformers but the major beginning of the Reformation really goes through Martin Luther. The reformation begins. 1540. Man by the name of John Calvin in Switzerland and France starts an organization called the Huguenots. He was a disciple of Martin Luther. Didn’t agree with everything that Luther was doing, but he said, “I think he’s on the right track. Something’s wrong.” The Huguenots begin. Presbyterians in America today.

Next date is 1560. 1560 in England, John Knox. John Knox, a disciple of both Calvin and Luther, says “You know, I think they’re on the right track but they’re not totally on the right track. Think I’ll start my own thing.” And the Puritans begin.

The next date you need to write is 1575. 1575, an event took place in Paris, France, called Bartholomew Day. This was not an isolated incident, but I plug this in here to give you an idea as to how the Reformation was being received in Europe. Bartholomew Day, a pogrom took place in Paris, France. The Catholics rose up and destroyed every Protestant they could find. There was a bloodbath in Paris. Bartholomew Day. The Reformation was not a popular movement.
The next date you need to write is 1620, not too many years later. What happened in 1620? The Puritans come to America. Fed up now with the lack of the freedoms that they wanted, they came to America. 1620, a nation is invented. It was discovered by Columbus. It was invented by the Puritans. The United States of America has its humble beginnings. Between 1620 and 1776, a nation is born.

The next date you need to write is 1776. 1776, we’d had enough. We wrote a letter to King George. It said something like this: “We’re tired of your taxes. We don’t like your troops over here. In fact, we don’t like you. Will you take them home. We’re going to be our own thing.” Now that paraphrases the Declaration of Independence a little bit, but that’s basically what it said. An ugly war began. George was not very excited about that and for the next six years, a war. The Revolution. For some, miracle. May I suggest to you, having done a military study of the Revolution, there is no way that war could have been won without the direct intervention of God. I believe that with all my heart.

1781’s the next date you need to write. The war ends.

1785 is the next date. A meeting begins in Philadelphia. They discover the Articles of Confederation are not working. We need another document. It took two more years, until 1787, to finish the Constitution. For the first time, in the incorporating papers of any nation on the planet, a guarantee of the freedom of religion was written into the constitution. 1787, it is signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

The next date you need to write is 1805. How many years between 1787 and 1805? Not very many. Who was born in 1805? Joseph Smith. Now, maybe – maybe – the Church can survive again on the planet. The Prophet is born in upstate New York.

The next date you need to write is 1812. A significant war was fought in 1812. What was the name of that war? That’s good. The War of 1812. That’s a significant war. Why? This time, we beat the British with some definite win. We had our own navy now. The USS Constitution had been commissioned in 1797. We had a major win. They came up the Potomac River, levelled the White House, we didn’t like that very much and we won soundly this time. We threw them off and we said, “No one will ever fight a war against us again on our own land.” That was the last war fought with an external force on American soil. We had a little family trouble in 1860, but that was internal. Last war with an external force.

Next date you need to write is 1820. What happened in 1820? Joseph Smith, the boy prophet, goes into a grove of trees, wanting to know: “Something’s wrong. There are a lot of people teaching different things. What church should I join?” And the Lord and Jesus Christ appear to him and the Restoration begins.

The next date you need to write is 1830. 1830, the Church is formally established on the earth. You might be interested to know that in 1830, in Washington, DC, the patent office, the US Patent Office, was closed. You can read in the congressional record for that year, “We’ve decided to close the patent office because everything has been invented that could possibly be invented.” 1830. It’s been opened since. More progress on this planet since 1830, brothers and sisters, than in all 5,000 years past.

Now I’m going to ask you a question. Why was the gospel restored in 1820? Why didn’t the Lord appear to a young man in a grove of trees in Europe in 1512? If Martin Luther had come out of a grove of trees and said, “I just talked to God and Jesus Christ and you know that they said? We’re all messed up.” How long would he have survived? Twenty minutes, maybe? Not very long. I would suggest to you, brothers and sisters, that the reason the Lord restored the Church in 1820 is because that is the only time that it could possibly have survived on the planet. And it almost didn’t survive then. Was there religiou s freedom in America in 1830? No. Was Joseph Smith welcomed with “You talked to God and Christ? Boy, that’s exciting. Tell us what they had to say.” No, they weren’t excited about that. Ultimately, they had to leave the confines of the United States and come to a God-forsaken place called Salt Lake City to survive. Brigham Young did not say “This is the place.” He said, “This is the place?” No, that’s a joke. That’s a joke. That’s a joke. They had to come out here to survive. There is another date we need to write in your notes. The date you need to superimpose, you need to go back to 1817 and write in the birth of another person over in Europe. A man by the name of Karl Marx. You know who Karl Marx was, I trust. Is there any coincidence that the opposition raised up its leader the same time the Lord raised up His? I don’t think there was a coincidence.


I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the blessings and the guidance of the gospel. I know this church is true! The Church has been restored to the earth. The book of Mormon is a testimony that God is the same yesterday today and forever. It came forth by revelation and is a testimony that God still reveals his will to us in these Last days. It is a second Witness that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the almighty God. It is a testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true and only true church on the earth and his the Lords kingdom established in preparatory for the Lord's Second Coming. I miss yall so much and I am so grateful to be serving a mission. YALL HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!!
Elder Richardson


Make yourself at home.