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Mormon Chronicle Interview on For Our Day: Covenant on the Land
by admin on Oct.14, 2013, under Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith Foundation, Multiple Narrator, Non-fiction, Podcast, Reformation, Restoration, Scripture
In this episode the Mormon Chronicle interviews James and Hannah Stoddard of The Joseph Smith Foundation. The Joseph Smith Foundation released the documentary, "For Our Day: Covenant on the Land" in April, 2013. "For Our Day: Covenant on the Land" explores the prophetic parallels in the Book of Mormon, referencing statements from latter-day prophets of God and the Standard Works. For Our Day: Covenant on the Land discusses the covenant on the Promised Land for both ancient and modern inhabitants.
In this episode the Mormon Chronicle interviews the Founder of The Joseph Smith Foundation, James Stoddard, as well as the co-writer and director of For Our Day: Covenant on the Land, Hannah Stoddard. They talk about the history of the Joseph Smith Foundation, their projects past, present and future, controversy surrounding some of their efforts and so much more.
Ye Are the Temple of God
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Doctrine, Full Listing, Joseph Fielding Smith, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Talk or speech
Author: Joseph Fielding Smith
Runtime: 00:26:55
This speech was given by Joseph Fielding Smith at BYU on May 06, 1958
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Who Shall Declare His Generation?
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrine, Full Listing, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Audio Book
Author: Bruce R. McConkie
Runtime: 00:29:42
Bruce R. McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 2 December 1975.
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What Think Ye of Salvation by Grace?
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrine, Full Listing, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Talk or speech
Author: Bruce R. McConkie
Runtime: 00:34:55
Bruce R. McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 10 January 1984.
(continue reading…)
We Are Here to Be Tried, Tested, Proved
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Doctrine, Full Listing, Joseph Fielding Smith, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Author: Joseph Fielding Smith
Runtime: 00:32:58
This speech was given by Joseph Fielding Smith at BYU on October 25, 1961
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This Nation Shall Endure
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Doctrine, Ezra Taft Benson, Full Listing, Government, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Talk or speech
Author: Ezra Taft Benson
Runtime: 00:37:04
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Think on Christ
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Doctrine, Ezra Taft Benson, Full Listing, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Audio Book
Author: Ezra Taft Benson
Runtime: 00:34:05
Ezra Taft Benson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 1 October 1983.
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My beloved brothers and sisters, I always rejoice at the opportunity to visit this campus. It is truly an inspiration to be in your presence. I love the youth of the Church. I have great confidence in you. It is my belief that the Lord has held many of you in reserve in the spirit world to come to earth at this particular time when temptations are the greatest and strength of character is most needed.
The Lord loves you and has favored you with a royal birthright.
We have just completed another glorious conference of the Church. We are all thankful to the Lord for the blessing of strength given to President Kimball and President Romney which enabled them to be present in two sessions of conference. We are thankful for the inspiration and counsel given by the General Authorities who spoke. I hope you will take occasion to review the wisdom and counsel of their messages.
The Product of My Thoughts
To introduce my theme today, I want to tell you, in his own words, of a life-changing experience that happened to President George Albert Smith when he was a boy. His own words are as follows:
As a child, thirteen years of age, I went to school at the Brigham Young Academy. . . . I cannot remember much of what was said during the year that I was there, but there is one thing that I will probably never forget. . . . Dr. [Karl G.] Maeser one day stood up and said:
"Not only will you be held accountable for the things you do, but you will be held responsible for the very thoughts you think." Being a boy, not in the habit of controlling my thoughts very much, it was quite a puzzle to me what I was to do, and it worried me. In fact, it stuck to me just like a burr. About a week or ten days after that it suddenly came to me what he meant. I could see the philosophy of it then. All at once there came to me this interpretation of what he had said: Why of course you will be held accountable for your thoughts, because when your life is completed in mortality, it will be the sum of your thoughts. That one suggestion has been a great blessing to me all my life, and it has enabled me upon many occasions to avoid thinking improperly, because I realize that I will be, when my life's labor is complete, the product of my thoughts. [Sharing the Gospel with Others (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1948), pp. 62–63]
Thoughts lead to acts, acts lead to habits, habits lead to character–and our character will determine our eternal destiny.
King Benjamin understood this. In the next-to-last verse of his great discourse recorded in the Book of Mormon, he states:
And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are diverse ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. [Mosiah 4:29]
Then in the last verse he counsels that we must watch ourselves and our thoughts (see Mosiah 4:30)
When Christ appeared in America following His resurrection, He stated:
Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery;
But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.
Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart. [3 Nephi 12:27–29]
"Enter into your heart"–why, of course, for, as the scripture states: "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).
So critical is it that we understand the necessity of controlling our thoughts that President Spencer W. Kimball devoted a whole chapter to it in his book The Miracle of Forgiveness. The chapter caption "As a Man Thinketh" is the title of a book by James Allen, which President Kimball recommended. He quoted from this book three times. One quotation stated:
A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate or circumstance, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of mere external force; the criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of opportunity revealed its gathered power. Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, p. 105]
President Kimball also quotes President David O. McKay, who said:
The thought in your mind at this moment is contributing, however infinitesimally, almost imperceptibly to the shaping of your soul, even to the lineaments of your countenance. . . . even passing and idle thoughts leave their impression. [Ibid.]
The mind has been likened to a stage on which only one act at a time can be performed. From one side of the wings the Lord, who loves you, is trying to put on the stage of your mind that which will bless you. From the other side of the wings the devil, who hates you, is trying to put on the stage of your mind that which will curse you.
You are the stage manager–you are the one who decides which thought will occupy the stage. Remember, the Lord wants you to have a fullness of joy like His. The devil wants all men to be miserable like unto himself. You are the one who must decide whose thoughts you will entertain. You are free to choose–but you are not free to alter the consequences of those choices. You will be what you think about–what you consistently allow to occupy the stage of your mind.
Sometimes you may have difficulty driving off the stage of your mind a certain evil thought. To drive it off, Elder Boyd K. Packer suggests that you sing an inspirational song of Zion, or just think on its words. Elder Bruce R. McConkie recommends that, after the opening song, you might preach a sermon to yourself. In fact, he says the finest sermons he has ever preached have been preached to himself.
We should not invite the devil to give us a stage presentation. Usually with our hardly realizing, he slips into our thoughts. Our accountability begins with how we handle the evil thought immediately after it is presented. Like Jesus, we should positively and promptly terminate the temptation. We should not allow the devil to elaborate with all his insidious reasoning.
It is our privilege to store our memories with good and great thoughts and bring them out on the stage of our minds at will. When the Lord faced His three great temptations in the wilderness, He immediately rebutted the devil with appropriate scripture which He had stored in His memory.
"Look unto Me in Every Thought"
The Lord said, "Look unto me in every thought" (D&C 6:36). Looking unto the Lord in every thought is the only possible way we can be the manner of men and women we ought to be.
The Lord asked the question of His disciples, "What manner of men ought ye to be?" He then answered His own question by saying, "Even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27). To become as He is, we must have Him on our mind–constantly in our thoughts. Every time we partake of the sacrament, we commit to "always remember him" (Moroni 4:3, 5:2; D&C 20:77, 79).
If thoughts make us what we are, and we are to be like Christ, then we must think Christlike thoughts. Let me repeat that: If thoughts make us what we are, and we are to be like Christ, we must think Christlike thoughts.
Paul, en route to Damascus to persecute the Saints, saw a light from heaven and heard the voice of the Lord. Then Paul asked a simple eight-word question–and the persistent asking of the same question changed his life. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6). The persistent asking of that same question can also change your life. There is no greater question that you can ask in this world. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" I challenge you to make that the uppermost question in your life.
In his book Youth and the Church, Elder Harold B. Lee included a chapter entitled "Lord, What Wilt Thou Have Me Do?" He began the chapter by relating this experience:
Some time ago I heard a leader in a high Church position explain his method of endeavoring to arrive at just and equitable decisions in his council meetings. He explained that as problems would be presented, he would frequently ask himself, "As measured by the record of the Master's teaching, just what would He do in this given situation, or just how would He answer this question or solve this problem?" [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1945, p. 49]
While he doesn't mention who the man was, that man in due time, would become the President of the Church, President David O. McKay.
My friend Tom Anderson told the following story:
There was a little crippled boy who ran a small newsstand in a crowded railroad station. He must have been about twelve years old. Every day he would sell papers, candy, gum, and magazines to the thousands of commuters passing through the terminal.
One night two men were rushing through the crowded station to catch a train. One was fifteen or twenty yards in front of the other. It was Christmas Eve. Their train was scheduled to depart in a matter of minutes.
The first man turned a corner and in his haste to get home to a Christmas cocktail party plowed right into the little crippled boy. He knocked him off his stool, and candy, newspapers, and gum were scattered everywhere. Without so much as stopping, he cursed the little fellow for being there and rushed on to catch the train that would take him to celebrate Christmas in the way he had chosen for himself.
It was only a matter of seconds before the second commuter arrived on the scene. He stopped, knelt, and gently picked up the boy. After making sure the child was unhurt, the man gathered up the scattered newspapers, sweets, and magazines. Then he took his wallet and gave the boy a five-dollar bill. "Son," he said, "I think this will take care of what was lost or soiled. Merry Christmas!"
Without waiting for a reply the commuter now picked up his briefcase and started to hurry away. As he did, the little crippled boy cupped his hands together and called out: "Mister, Mister!"
The man stopped as the boy asked, "Are you Jesus Christ?"
By the look on his face, it was obvious the commuter was embarrassed by the question. But he smiled and said, "No, son. I am not Jesus Christ, but I am trying hard to do what He would do if He were here."
And that, my friend, is what it means to be a Christian, even on Christmas Eve. It's a matter of impersonation. [American Opinion, December 1971, pp. 13–14]
What Would Jesus Do?
Some years ago Charles Sheldon wrote a book entitled In His Steps. It is perhaps one of the greatest best-sellers in American history. It tells the story of a small group of people within a Christian congregation who took a pledge. The pledge was that for an entire year they earnestly and honestly would not do anything without first asking the question, "What would Jesus do?" After asking themselves that question, they were to follow Jesus exactly as they knew how, no matter what the results. The book tells what happened and how their lives were revolutionized.
Just before he died, Charles Sheldon wrote a small sequel to his book entitled In His Steps Today. It tells of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Ward and their four children. Their two oldest children, George and Alice, attended college while their two youngest, John and Mary, were in high school. Mr. Ward was an official in a railroad office, and Mrs. Ward was prominent in the social, church, and literary life of the city.
One morning as the family was eating breakfast, Mr. Ward told of coming across a book in the library which he and Mrs. Ward had read some twenty-five years earlier, just before their marriage. It was entitled In His Steps, or What Would Jesus Do?
He wondered if the plan were practical, if it really worked. He knew of a large number of people who had taken the pledge to try to act as Jesus who had had some interesting experiences. He knew the children were eager to try experiments in the chemical laboratory and in other fields and wondered if they would be willing to conduct an experiment in the world of conduct.
He asked them if just for that day, for example, they would be willing to do nothing without first asking, "What would Jesus do?" and then try to do the same.
There was embarrassing silence around the table. They were a Christian family, but the subject was unusual. Finally, the silence was broken by John, "the irrepressible," as the others called him: "If we take the pledge, what's the matter with you and mother taking it too? You were talking to us yesterday about the bad example the old people set to the young generation. How about you and mother, Dad?"
The father agreed. Mrs. Ward said she would join in the pledge with the understanding that each one would give it an honest and sincere trial.
Perhaps the members of their family did not know it, but this event was to make history for all of them. The pledge was to run until ten o'clock that night. Then they were to meet at that time to share their experiences of the day, holding back nothing.
I wish I had time to tell you all of their experiences. Let me quote the parents, tell what happened to the younger ones, and consider the final question raised by Mr. Ward.
First, let's hear from Mr. Ward:
"My first experience came to me as I went into my office this morning, and . . . saw Crawford of the auditing department. He was very much put out yesterday when he accused me of backing into his car out in front of the office, and bending a fender. I told him he had parked his car at such an angle that I couldn't get out without hitting it. We both became angry. This morning I went in, asked his pardon, and offered to buy him a new fender. It did us both good. . . .
"This afternoon out at the golf course, while I was putting my things back into my locker, two of the members of the club came in and took flasks out of their lockers, drank, and offered some to the rest of us. This has been going on for a long time against the rules of the club and the laws of the state, but no one has ever enforced them. It seemed to me that if Jesus saw a crime being committed, he would consider it his duty as a good citizen to prevent it. I went to the chairman of the House Committee and reported the breaking of the rules, which has raised a storm.
"Several of the members came to me this evening down at the literary club, and threatened to blackball at me the next election for directors if I did not withdraw my charges against the drinkers. More will come from this. But what would Jesus do? It has been an interesting day."
Now let's hear from Mrs. Ward:
"I really did not know what following Jesus might mean, but my story has to do with the action of our women's Board of Directors in renting a part of our building to certain parties who are allowing dancing of a questionable nature to go on, together with card games that are practically nothing but gambling.
"I have known of this for some time as all the women do, but did not want to be unpopular by objecting. At the directors' meeting today, however, I expressed my opinion and objection. The club is in debt, and the amusement concessions bring in big rent. I am the only member of the board to file a protest. It will mean–"Mrs. Ward paused, and there was a moment of silence.
Finally, let's hear from the younger ones, John and Mary, with Mary leading out:
"We went to an entertainment this evening. A lot of the girls at the high school had been to see it, and they told John and me that it was grand. But I'd rather John told what happened."
John seemed to be unusually reluctant to relate their experiences. Finally he spoke in a subdued tone that was unlike his usual loud and assertive manner.
"Well, after it began," he said, "I thought it was one of those foolish things that was just for–well, just entertainment. Then I remembered what you said one day, Mother, about not wanting Mary and me to go to any entertainment that we wouldn't invite you or father to see. Well, it got pretty vulgar, and–"
Another silence was around the table. Mrs. Ward looked at the boy with a new expression, as if some very rare experience were being related–as indeed it was.
The boy went on slowly: "Just then Mary nudged me and whispered, 'Let's get up and go out!' Honest, I thought it would be a [strange] thing to do, but then when I asked 'What would Jesus do?' it seemed all right. So we got up, treading on a lot of feet in the row where we had been sitting."
"On our way out," broke in Mary, "I said to John, 'Let's do one more thing. Let's tell the manager why we are going out.' John said, 'All right, and let's tell him to give us our money back because we did not pay for that kind of entertainment.' You never will see a more surprised man than Mr. Rondus when we told him how we felt!"
"Surprised isn't the word," interrupted John. "He was flabbergasted! When I told him we thought he ought to refund our money, he didn't say a word, but forked the money right over. Do you think we did what Jesus would do?"
Mrs. Ward had a tear in her eye. She reached over and stroked the boy's head. "A thing like that never happened in this town before. Well, we certainly have had some new experiences."
"Worthwhile, don't you think? But can we keep it up?" questioned Mr. Ward.
The question provoked a discussion around the Ward table that lasted into the next morning.
What do you think? [Charles M. Sheldon, In His Steps Today (Litchfield, Ill.: Sunshine Press, 1948), pp. 22–24, 29–31]
Walking in His Way
I began my remarks this morning by discussing how we are accountable for our thoughts and how we are what we think about. I have concluded by affirming that our thoughts should be on the Lord. We should think on Christ.
I testify to you that there is no greater, more thrilling, and more soul-ennobling challenge than to try to learn of Christ and walk in His steps. Our model, Jesus Christ, walked this earth as "the Exemplar." He is our Advocate with the Father. He worked out the great atoning sacrifice so we could have a fullness of joy and be exalted in accordance with His grace and our repentance and righteousness. He did all things perfectly and commands that we be perfect even as He and His Father are perfect (see 3 Nephi 12:48).
"What would Jesus do?" or "What would He have me do?" are paramount personal questions of this life. Walking in His way is the greatest achievement of life. That man or woman is most truly successful whose life most closely parallels that of the Master.
I know that the Lord lives. I know that He loves us. I know that apart from Him no one can succeed, but as a partner with Him no one can fail.
I know that God can make a lot more out of our lives than we can.
That we may all have the moral courage from this moment forward to more fully strive each day to think on Christ, learn of Him, walk in His steps, and do what He would have us do is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Wentworth Letter
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Doctrine, Document, Full Listing, Joseph Smith, Non-fiction, Restoration, Scripture, Solo Narrator
Associated Dates:
- March 1, 1842, written
"March 1, 1842."
At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the Chicago Democrat, I have written the following sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of being the founder.
(Joseph Smith)
Type: Document
Author: Joseph Smith
Runtime: 00:17:41
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The Three Pillars of Eternity
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrine, Full Listing, Non-fiction, Original Author, Restoration, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Talk or speech
Author: Bruce R. McConkie
Runtime: 00:33:00
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Bruce R. McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 17 February 1981.
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I know, as do we all, that the things of God can be understood only by the power of the Holy Spirit. And I pray that we may receive a mighty outpouring of that Spirit as we consider the three pillars of eternity–the three great eternal verities upon which salvation rests.
My purpose is to take the three greatest events that have ever occurred in all eternity and show how they are interwoven to form one grand plan of salvation.
If we can gain an understanding of them, then the whole eternal scheme of things will fall into place, and we will be in a position to work out our salvation. If we do not build our house of salvation on a true foundation, we will never make the spiritual progress that will prepare us to enter the Eternal Presence.
Three Great Events
The three pillars of eternity, the three events, preeminent and transcendent above all others, are the creation, the fall, and the atonement. These three are the foundations upon which all things rest. Without any one of them all things would lose their purpose and meaning, and the plans and designs of Deity would come to naught.
If there had been no creation, we would not be, neither the earth, nor any form of life upon its face. All things, all the primal elements, would be without form and void. God would have no spirit children; there would be no mortal probation; and none of us would be on the way to immortality and eternal life.
If there had been no fall of man, there would not be a mortal probation. Mortal man would not be, nor would there be animals or fowls or fishes or life of any sort upon the earth. And, we repeat, none of us would be on the way to immortality and eternal life.
If there had been no atonement of Christ, all things would be lost. The purposes of creation would vanish away. Lucifer would triumph over men and become the captain of their souls. And, we say it again, none of us would be on the way to immortality and eternal life.
And so I now say: Come and let us reason together; let us reason as did righteous men of old that we may come to understanding.
Come and hear us declare sound doctrine; let us declare it plainly and in power as do the angels of God in heaven.
Come and let us testify of those things which God has made known to us; let us testify as do those whose souls are afire with the Spirit and who know by revelation of the truth and verity of their spoken word.
The Atonement
Let us gaze first at a scene of sorrow and suffering in a garden called Gethsemane, the garden of the oil press. There, outside Jerusalem's walls, on the now sacred side of Olivet, we see eight of the Twelve huddled at the garden gate. Inside the garden are Peter, James, and John. It is night, and the eyes of all are heavy with sleep.
About a stone's cast removed from the three we see the Son of God in sorrow and agony beyond compare. He has fallen on his face. We hear his pleading words: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39).
We see great gouts of blood drop from every pore. An angel–surely it is mighty Michael himself–comes down from heaven and strengthens him. He trembles because of pain and suffers in both body and spirit. He comes off triumphant; and in a way incomprehensible to us, he bears the sins of all men on conditions of repentance.
Now let our gaze turn to Golgotha. There, at the place of a skull, we see him again, crucified between two thieves. It is noon, and his mangled and scourged body has already hung on that accursed tree for some three hours.
Again it is the hour of atonement. The sun is darkened; for three long hours there is "darkness over all the earth" (Luke 23:44), as all the agonies and sufferings of Gethsemane return. Then the victory is won; the ransom is paid; the atonement is accomplished.
Some thirty-eight or forty hours later–after three days as the Jews counted time–we see him by a garden tomb. He has risen in glorious immortality. Clothed with immortality and eternal life, he gently restrains one of the beloved Marys from embracing him with the same intimacy that had once prevailed.
Soon angelic choirs will fill the heavens as the redeemed sing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12).
And thus it is that salvation is in Christ, that his atoning sacrifice is the heart and core and center of revealed religion, and that he–in Gethsemane of sorrowful memory and on the cross of Calvary–put into full operation all the terms and conditions of his Father's plan.
He is the resurrection and the life. He is the Redeemer of the world and the Savior of men. He "hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). It was his work and his glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. And his is the only name given under heaven whereby man may be saved.
If there had been no atonement of Christ, there would be no resurrection, no breaking of the bands of death, no coming forth from the grave.
If there had been no atonement, there would be no remission of sins; no return to the presence of God; no salvation of any sort, kind, or nature; no eternal life; no exaltation; no continuation of the family unit in eternity.
If there were no atonement of Christ, all men would be subject to "that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment" (2 Nephi 9:19).
If there were no atonement of Christ, "our spirits" would have become "like unto" Lucifer's, "and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself" (2 Nephi 9:9).
If there were no atonement of Christ, all men would be damned everlastingly, all would be sons of perdition, and the whole purpose of God and his eternal plan of salvation would utterly fail.
All things center in, revolve around, are anchored to, and are built upon the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no language given to men or angels to proclaim these truths with the power and verity and dignity that should attend them. Let it be blazoned in burning fire through all the sidereal heavens that salvation is in Christ and comes because of his atoning sacrifice.
Now this atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ–grand and infinite, glorious and eternal as it is–does not stand alone. It is not simply a sudden blaze of light in a universe of darkness and despair. It is not by itself alone a great sun rising in celestial splendor to dispel the gloom of endless night. It is not merely a manifestation of the grace of an infinite God toward his fallen children.
However much the atonement may be and is all these things–and more!–yet it does not stand alone. It is not a child born without parents. It has roots; it has a reason for being; it came because other events called it forth.
The Fall
The atonement is part of the eternal plan of the Father. It came at the appointed time, according to the will of the Father, to do for man that which could not have been done in any other way. The atonement is the child of the fall, and the fall is the father of the atonement. Neither of them, without the other, could have brought to pass the eternal purposes of the Father.
The fall of Adam and the atonement of Christ are linked together–inseparably, everlastingly, never to be parted. They are as much a part of the same body as are the head and the heart, and each plays its part in the eternal scheme of things.
The fall of Adam brought temporal and spiritual death into the world, and the atonement of Christ ransomed men from these two deaths by bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. This makes the fall as essential a part of the plan of salvation as the very atonement itself.
There are, in fact, five things that came into being and continue to exist because of the fall. None of these things would have existed if there had been no fall, and all of them are essential parts of the divine plan of salvation. They are:
1. Temporal death. This is the natural death; it occurs when body and spirit separate; it results in corruption and decay. Because of the atonement of Christ all men will be raised from corruption to incorruption, from mortality to immortality, thence to live everlastingly in a resurrected state.
2. Spiritual death. This is death as pertaining to the things of the Spirit. It is death
as pertaining to things of righteousness. It is to be cast out of the presence of the Lord. It is a way of life which is in opposition to that of the Father of us all. Because of the atonement, because the Lord Jesus bore our sins on conditions of repentance, we have power to gain eternal life, which is spiritual life, which is a life of righteousness, which is life in the presence of our God.
3. Mortality. Mortal life comes because of the fall. If there had been no fall, there would be no mortal life of any sort on earth. Mortal life is life where there is death. Death must enter the world to bring mortality into being.
4. Procreation. Before the fall there was no procreation. I repeat, for thus saith the Holy Word, before the fall there was no procreation. Adam and Eve, in their Edenic state, could not have children, nor, as we shall see, could any form of life when first placed on the newly created paradisiacal earth.
5. A probationary estate. We are here to be tried and tested, to see if we will believe the truths of salvation and keep the commandments while we walk by faith. After the fall men became carnal, sensual, and devilish by nature, and the plan of salvation calls upon them to put off these worldly snares and to put on Christ.
Now, lest there be any sliver of misunderstanding about any of this, let us reason together on all these things as did they of old. Indeed, let us use the very words they used as they are found in the holy scriptures.
"Now is Christ risen from the dead," Paul said as he testified of the atonement. "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." Adam brought death, and if he had not fallen there would be no death; and Christ brought the resurrection, and, if there had been no atonement, there would be no resurrection. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:20–22).
Moroni linked the fall and the atonement together in this way. God, he said, "created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ." It is just that simple; the fall is the source and cause and reason for the atonement. "And because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man" (Mormon 9:12). Salvation is in Christ!
"And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ," men "are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep" (Mormon 9:13).
What did the angel say to King Benjamin? He said, Christ's "blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam" (Mosiah 3:11). We are descendants of Adam; we all have a common father.
He said, "As in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins" (Mosiah 3:16). The blessings of the fall have passed upon all men; all can be redeemed because Adam fell and Christ came.
He said, "Salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Mosiah 3:18). There is no other source of salvation from the fall than that which comes through Christ.
He said, "The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord" (Mosiah 3:19).
Thus the natural man, which is Adam, is conquered by the perfect man, which is Christ; and thus "all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel" (Third Article of Faith). And now, what saith our great and good friend Lehi about all these things?
He saith that the Redeemer "cometh to bring salvation unto men. . . . And the way is prepared [for him] from the fall of man, and salvation is free" (2 Nephi 2:3–4). The fall is the foundation upon which the atonement rests.
He saith that "after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth" (2 Nephi 2:19). Their mortal probation and the trials and tests of mortality began after the fall.
He saith:
And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth. [2 Nephi 2:20]
Every living soul on earth is a descendant of Adam and Eve. God hath made of one blood all the nations of men.
He saith:
If Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. [2 Nephi 2:22]
If Adam had not fallen, he would be there today, six thousand years later, in all the glory and beauty of his immortal nature. Such is the word of holy writ.
And next–marvel of marvels and wonder of wonders–Lehi saith, "And all things which were created"–all things means all things; it includes animals and fishes and fowls and creeping things and plants; it includes dinosaurs and whales and ants; it means all things–
All things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. [2 Nephi 2:22]
There was, we repeat, no death in the world until after Adam fell. And there was, we repeat, no procreation until after the fall. And there was, we repeat, no mortality until after the fall.
And so Lehi continues, "And they"–Adam and Eve–"would have had no children" (2 Nephi 2:23).
And then, on the foundation so laid, while filled with light and guided by the Spirit, Lehi acclaimed:
Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy.
And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. [2 Nephi 2:25–26]
Truly, as Enoch said:
Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe. . . .
And men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God. [Moses 6:48, 49]
Truly, as Mother Eve said:
Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth to all the obedient. [Moses 5:11]
Truly, salvation comes because of the fall, and it is just as important to believe in the fall as it is to believe in the atonement, and, indeed, it is not possible to believe in the atonement without believing in the fall.
The Creation
Now, even as the atonement grows out of the fall, so the fall grows out of the creation. If all things had not been created in the very way in which they were created, there could have been no fall. If created things were to fall, they must be created in a higher state than the state they would be in after the fall. To fall is to go downward or forward, not upward.
And so it is that the revealed accounts of the creation of this earth and all things on the face thereof are accounts of the paradisiacal creation. They speak of the immortal state in which all things were first made; they are telling of created things in the day before death entered the world.
Our Tenth Article of Faith says: "We believe . . . that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory." When the Lord comes and the millennial era commences, there will be new heavens and a new earth; the earth will be renewed; it will become new again; and it will return to its paradisiacal state; it will become as it was in the Edenic day. And once again death as we know it will cease.
The accounts of the creation in Genesis 1 and Moses 2 are accounts of the paradisiacal or Edenic creation. They are descriptive of a creation that antedated death and mortality and the fall. They speak of a creation in which–again these are Lehi's words–
All things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. [2 Nephi 2:22]
That is, they would have so remained if there had been no fall.
Now, we are speaking of the three pillars of heaven, of the three greatest events ever to occur in all eternity, of the three doctrines that are woven inseparably together to form the plan of salvation. We are speaking of the creation, the fall, and the atonement. And these things are one. And, be it noted, all things were created; all things fell; and all things are subject to the redeeming power of the Son of God.
I am not conscious of expressing a single thought or concept that has not already been said by the Brethren who have gone before. Almost every sentence I have uttered is a quotation or a paraphrase of something said by Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Joseph F. Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith, Orson Pratt, or some other of the great theologians of our dispensation.
Many among us have no difficulty envisioning that the atonement is infinite and eternal and applies to all forms of life. They know that the revelations say in so many words that all forms of life both lived as spirit entities and will be resurrected–animals, fowls, fishes–all things are eternal in nature.
But some among us have not yet had it dawn upon them that all things fell and became mortal so they could be resurrected.
The early Brethren of our dispensation wrote these words:
The word atonement signifies deliverance, through the offering of a ransom, from the penalty of a broken law. . . . As effected by Jesus Christ, it signifies the deliverance, through his death and resurrection, of the earth and everything pertaining to it, from the power which death has obtained over them through the transgression of Adam. . . . Redemption from death, through the sufferings of Christ, is for all men, both the righteous and the wicked; for this earth, and for all things created upon it. [Compendium, pp. 8–9, cited in Mormon Doctrine, B. R. McConkie (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), pp. 64–65.]
Three Glorious Beings
When we speak of the creation, the fall, and the atonement, we are speaking of the works of Elohim, Jehovah, and Michael. We are talking of the doctrines which are stated or are implicit in our first three Articles of Faith. We need to come to a unity of faith as to the labors of each of these glorious beings.
Who is Elohim? He is God the Eternal Father. He is a glorified and exalted personage. He has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's. In the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He knows all things and has all power–not simply as pertaining to us or in some prescribed sphere or realm–but in the absolute, eternal, and unlimited sense. In the ultimate sense, he is the Creator. And anything you may have heard to the contrary, whether in the creeds of Christendom or the mouthings of intellectuals who, in their own eyes, know more than the Lord, is false.
Who is Michael? He is a spirit son of the great Elohim. Under Christ he led the armies of righteousness when there was war in heaven. Our revelations say that he "was the son of God" (Moses 6:22), that he was "the first flesh [the first mortal flesh] upon earth, the first man also" (Moses 3:7), and that he was "the first man of all men" (Moses 1:34). He is Adam our father; he is the presiding high priest over all the earth. Under Christ, who is "the Holy One," he holds "the keys of salvation" (D&C 78:16). He is the only one by whom the fall came. And anything you may have heard to the contrary, from whatever source, is false.
Who is Jehovah? He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Firstborn of the Father, the Savior and Redeemer. He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is the Only Begotten in the flesh, the only person ever born with a mortal mother and an immortal Father. He worked out the infinite and eternal atonement, ransomed men and all forms of life from the fall, and made the purposes of creation operative. Salvation is in him and comes to those who believe and obey. And anything you may have heard to the contrary is false.
The truths relative to Elohim, Jehovah, and Michael are the greatest of all eternal verities. They wrap the creation, the fall, and the atonement into one grand plan of salvation. They are the gospel of God who is the Father. And of their truth the Holy Ghost bears witness.
God grant that we may all believe and know and understand the great eternal verities by which salvation comes and that, believing and knowing and understanding, we may so live as to gain eternal life. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
[[Category: Talk or speech]]
[[Category: Bruce R. McConkie]]
[[Category: Doctrine]]
[[Category: Non-fiction]]
[[Category: Original Author]]
The Ten Commandments of a Peculiar People
by admin on Nov.25, 2011, under Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrine, Full Listing, Non-fiction, Original Author, Scripture, Talk or speech
Type: Audio Book
Author: Bruce R. McConkie
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Bruce R. McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 28 January 1975.
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Thank you, President Oaks. I am honored and delighted to have this opportunity to meet and worship with the student body and faculty of Brigham Young University on this occasion. I have pondered and prayed much to learn what the Lord wants me to say to the youth of Zion, to the young and rising generation of the Church. My prayer has been and is, "O God, manifest unto thy servant what thou wouldst have said to those who are a choice and a peculiar treasure unto thee above all the peoples of the earth." In response, there has come into my heart the desire to consider our unique and peculiar status as members of the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth. If I may now be guided by the Spirit, I shall take up the doctrine that we are a peculiar people; show wherein that peculiarity lies; tell how it may be obtained and perfected; and draw some conclusions as to what is expected of us because of our unique status.
We Are a Peculiar People
There is an old saying, "All the world is queer save me and thee, and sometimes I think even thee is a little queer." This is used jocularly of those who set themselves apart from mankind and who profess to be or seemingly are different from other people. We do not place ourselves in this category. We are not freaks, but normal, wholesome people who enjoy life. We work and play, engage in sports, mingle with other people, go to parties, and enjoy festive occasions. But we are, nonetheless, peculiar in the eyes of worldly people. We are a breed set apart. We are different from the world because we do not ape the practices and follow the fashions of worldly and carnal people. We glory in the things which set us apart by ourselves, and we hope and pray that we may maintain and increase the differences. Of the true saints, with whom we are numbered, Peter said: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people." Having so announced, he told what is expected of them: "That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
Query: "How shall we show forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light?" This is equivalent to asking "How do we worship the Lord?"
Answer: It is more than in song or sermon; perfect worship is emulation. Perfect praise is to do the things he would have us do. It is to keep the commandments of God.
To true saints, and we are they, Paul wrote:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope [the hope of eternal life], and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. [Titus 2:1114; emphasis added]
Query: "How does the Lord purify unto himself a peculiar people?"
Answer: He does it when that people forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts, when they live "soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." He does it when that people take counsel from him and keep his commandments.
To his chosen Israel, of whom we are a part, the Lord said: "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exodus 19:56). Note the terms of the Lord's offer: "Obey my voice; keep my covenant." This covenant is the fulness of his everlasting gospel. It is the new and everlasting covenant in which we promise to forsake the world and in which he promises us an inheritance with him in his Father's kingdom. All those who keep the covenant, who live by gospel standards, receive this promise: "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:2). And I say to you, "You are that people–'an holy people,' a chosen and favored people, a people set apart, 'a peculiar people.'"
The Family of the Lord
Now, with those principles before us, may I speak of the special family relationship enjoyed by those who so live that they become a peculiar people. Of them it is written: "Ye are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10). That is, those who gain the high status of a peculiar people are adopted into the family of the Lord Jehovah. They become his sons and his daughters and have him as their father. Our best recitation of the doctrine here involved is found in these words of King Benjamin:
And now, because of the covenant which ye have made [in the waters of baptism], ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. [Mosiah 5:7]
This is a special family relationship reserved for the faithful. It is over, above, and in addition to the fact that all men are the spirit children of the Eternal Father.
King Benjamin continues:
And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
And it shall come to pass that whosever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ. [Mosiah 5:89]
This is a glorious and wondrous doctrine. We are the sons and daughters of the living God, the children of the great Jehovah, the adopted offspring of the Lord Jesus Christ. We bear the name of Christ. We are members of his family. He is our father. Now, how do we gain such a personal relationship with him who has bought us with his blood? He says:
But to as many as received me gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons.
And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me.
And this is my gospel–repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom. [D&C 39:46]
When we partake of the sacrament, we renew the covenants made in the waters of baptism. We agree again to take upon ourselves the name of the Son and to keep his commandments so we shall always have his Spirit to be with us.
Baptism and the sacrament are the ordinances which open the door so that as a people, peculiar and set apart from the world, we have power to become sons and daughters of God. Obeying and conforming, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly and righteously and godly in this present world–such a way of life is the course whereby the power is exercised and the desired eventuality obtained.
In my father's family we had a saying, "Remember who you are and act accordingly." I adopted this same motto for my family. My wife tells me that her father did precisely the same thing. Our family motto meant to us, "First, you are a McConkie; you have been taught the truth; you know what is expected of you at all times; you are to live by the standards of the family and avoid anything that would stain the family name. Second, you are a Christian; Jehovah is your shepherd; the Lord Jesus is your father; you are to live by gospel standards and not do anything which would bring disrepute upon him whose name you bear; you are to keep his commandments."
Now, in the light of the principle that we are a peculiar people who have become the sons and daughters of him who is our Lord, may I suggest some specific things that will help us overcome the world and make the doctrines here involved live in us. I shall do this by presenting what we may term the ten commandments of a peculiar people. First the commandments and then a brief commentary about them.
Be Virtuous
The first commandment: Thou shalt be morally clean and conform to every standard of virtue and chastity.
The commentary: People who live after the manner of the world are immoral and unclean–so much so that we sometimes wonder whether there are any moral standards left among men. People speak of a new morality, which is, in fact, immorality under a new name. We are confronted on every hand–on radio, on television, in the movies, and in the so-called literature that is available–with a recitation of standards that are contrary to gospel principles. They are inherent in the course that the world pursues.
But the true Saints still adhere to the divine decree, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). We still believe "that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Our proclamation still is "thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the spirit" (D&C 42:2223). Immorality is the crying evil of our day. It ranks next to murder in the category of personal sins. We must shun it, avoid it, flee from it. It destroys men spiritually in this life and sends them to an endless hell in the life to come. The word of the Lord given to the world through us still is "For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts" (Jacob 2:28).
Bridle Your Passions
The second commandment: Thou shalt bridle thy passions and abstain from all manner of lasciviousness.
The commentary: We are here in mortality to be tried and tested; we are on probation. The great test is whether we overcome the lusts of the flesh, flee from that which is lewd, and live by gospel standards. We are to overcome the world. If we get involved in necking and petting, if we go to pornographic movies, if we read trashy and vulgar books or magazines, if we tell or enjoy vulgar stories, if we profane and are unclean in thought or word, we are living after the manner of the world. Then there is nothing peculiar about us. We are as the generality of mankind. We are outside the family circle. We lose our status as the sons and daughters of our Lord. Oh that it might be said of us, as it was of them of old:
There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. [4 Nephi 15:16]
What an accolade that is! Surely there could not be a "happier people among all the people who had been crated by the hand of God." True happiness is found only in righteous conduct. No one can live after the manner of the world and be truly happy. "Wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10).
Be Modest
The third commandment: Thou shalt be modest in dress and appearance.
Commentary: It may come as a surprise to some people to learn that modesty in dress and grooming is related to salvation. I left the Missionary Executive Committee meeting this morning to come here, and the last item approved was a document to go to mission presidents, stake presidents, and bishops instructing each to counsel all returned missionaries to conform to the dress and grooming standards that had prevailed in their missions.
The Bible has a great deal to say about covering our nakedness, about costly and ornate apparel, about excessive use of jewelry, about garish and worldly costumes, and yes, about hair styles. Women are told to avoid "plaiting" the hair and not to wear "broided hair." I suggest you figure out what those things mean in the context where they were used by Peter and Paul. The Holy Book approves long hair for women and short hair for men: "Doth not even nature itself teach you," Paul says, "that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" (1 Corinthians 11:14). I noted in the church section of the Deseret News that within the month President Spencer W. Kimball, speaking before a similar group, quoted that sentence from Paul with the same application that we're making here.
Conformity to dress and grooming standards is one of the tests the Lord imposes upon us to see if we will take counsel and to see if we can stand up against the pressures of the world. There is, of course, an underlying reason for all the counsels and commands relayed from the Lord by the Brethren to the Saints. Immodesty, for instance, leads toward immorality. Long hair and grubby grooming open the door to rebellion against the established order and to associations which lead away from the Church. Surely those who are so adorned are not living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. But even if we are not sufficiently in tune to recognize the valid reasons behind the dress and grooming standards, we are still expected to abide by them. We might well hark back to the counsel given Adam to offer sacrifices. He, not knowing the underlying reasons, did so in order to conform to the counsel that the Lord gave. And in due course the angel from heaven explained what was involved.
Be Honest
The fourth commandment: Thou shalt be honest and manifest integrity in all thy doings.
The commentary: The devil whispers to men, "Lie a little; there is no harm in a little dishonesty; a little stealing won't matter; everybody cheats on an exam and you have to in order to get by; don't search out the true owner of lost property; learn to get along in the world by living the way worldly people live." We are living in a day when evil is on the increase. Shoplifting, crime, and dishonest practices prevail in increasing measure throughout the world. In my judgment this will continue until the day of the coming of the Son of Man when the wicked will be destroyed, the earth will be regenerated, and we will have a new way of life. I think also that in the midst of these worldly circumstances the Church itself, at least the faithful portion of it, is being perfected. We are living by higher standards, and we are preparing ourselves to be that people who will be ready for the Lord when he comes again. As to these matters, the Lord our God has never rescinded that which is written: "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15). No amendment has ever been appended to the decree "Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell" (2 Nephi 9:34). The honor code is still in force. Neither a dishonest man nor a man lacking in integrity can be saved in the kingdom of God.
Pay Your Offerings
The fifth commandment: Thou shalt pay thy tithes and offerings unto the Lord.
The commentary: Tithes and offerings divide the faithful from the unfaithful. All men will give an accounting before the judgment bar for the manner in which they used the moneys and properties that came into their hands while in mortality. "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). And that includes the inordinate attachment to money that is legally and properly your own. The Lord said to Martin Harris, "And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon" (D&C 19:26). Speaking of making our money and property available for building up the kingdom, Paul says, "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:67). Well might we remember the revelation which says, "For he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming" (D&C 64:23). Some people say tithing is pretty good fire insurance.
Keep the Sabbath
The sixth commandment: Thou shalt go to sacrament meeting and keep the Sabbath day holy.
The commentary: We live in an age when almost the whole world is rushing about madly in search of pleasure. Nearly everyone sets the weekend apart for recreational purposes, and this means for Sabbath violation. The generality of mankind fish, play golf, go to movies, or otherwise (as they suppose) seek surcease from the toil of the week. There are churches which conduct their worship services on Friday evening or Saturday morning to free their adherents for recreational pursuits on the Lord's day. The law of the Lord, given anew in our day, counsels us:
That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High. [D&C 59:910]
Keep the Word of Wisdom
The seventh commandment: Thou shalt keep the Word of Wisdom.
The commentary: We have received from the Lord a law of health which, if kept, will assure us not only of physical well-being, but also of great outpourings of spiritual enlightenment. This law is divided into affirmative counsel, telling us what we may properly eat, and negative counsel, which forbids the use of certain things which are injurious to the body. While the great hosts of men–of people in the world–reel and stagger through life in an alcoholic stupor; while they immerse themselves in the stinking fumes of tobacco; while they drown themselves in gallons of semipoisonous tea and coffee; while they inhale the smoke of marijuana or otherwise afflict themselves with mind-destroying drugs; the Saints of the Most High, in all their peculiarity, avoid these things for the plague that they are.
Theirs is this promise:
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. [D&C 89:1821]
Now note what was involved: First, "walking in obedience to the commandments," for the World of Wisdom is more than a law of health; and second, those keeping it "shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." These hidden treasures include such things as a testimony of the truth and divinity of the work, personal revelation to guide us in all our affairs and to provide us with the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit. And the eternal decree is that the Spirit will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle.
Believe True Doctrines
The eighth commandment: Thou shalt believe true doctrines and reject the false educational theories of the world.
The commentary: We are saved or damned by what we believe. If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and the saving truths of his everlasting gospel, we have a hope of eternal life. If our beliefs embrace the philosophies of men and the vagaries of the world, they may lead to destruction. Nearly the whole educational world goes blithely along, espousing the false theories of organic evolution, which rule out the fall of man and the atonement of Christ. Men worship at the shrine of intellectuality without ever realizing that religion is a thing of the Spirit and that "the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 1:11). Our schools teach some principles of socialism, of communism, of so-called women's liberation, of curtailing population growth and the like–much of which runs counter to revealed gospel truths.
How grateful we should be for the revealed knowledge we have of the eternal saving truths of the gospel. We know the verities that must be comprehended, understood, and applied to our lives to give us joy and peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. These things pertain to the nature and kind of being that God is and to the great plan of salvation which he ordained to enable his spirit children to advance and progress and become like him. The fact that Adam fell, bringing temporal and spiritual death into the world, and the fact that God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world to ransom men from the effects of the temporal and spiritual death brought upon all mankind through the fall of Adam–these are eternal verities. Other eternal verities are these–that God has spoken in our day; that the fulness of his everlasting gospel has been restored; that the church and kingdom of God has been set up on earth anew; that it administers the gospel by the power of the holy priesthood; and that there are had among us the gifts, signs, miracles, and all the wonders, blessings, and graces that were ever had in any day when the Lord had a people on earth.
Serve Your Fellowmen
The ninth commandment: Thou shalt serve thy fellowmen and sacrifice for the building up of the kingdom.
The commentary: Service and sacrifice are essential to salvation. Jesus said, "I am among you as he that serveth" (Luke 22:27). King Benjamin said, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). Joseph Smith taught that "a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary to lead unto life and salvation."
The tenth commandment: Thou shalt pour out thy soul to the Lord in mighty prayer.
The commentary: We are a praying people –not giving lip service only, not reciting mere words, not repeating memorized phrases–but praying with all the energy and power we possess, praying until the heavens open and the Lord rains down righteousness upon us. No one can pray with perfect faith unless he keeps the commandments. An immoral man can never generate the faith to raise the dead. A person who does not keep the Word of Wisdom will be hindered in healing the sick, and so on right down to the dress and grooming standards.
God's Kingdom on Earth
Such, I suggest, are the ten commandments of a peculiar people. If we live by the principles set forth in them we shall have peace in this life and be inheriters of eternal life in the world to come. If any of us now fall short in any degree, the door is open for repentance. The Lord's arm is not shortened that he will not hear, but he invites all men to come to him and partake of his goodness and grace.
There is an organization in his kingdom whereby we can receive the counsel and direction that we need. All of us have power to set our lives in order to the full so that we do "live soberly, godly, and righteously" in this present world and thereby gain the promised peace and the promised hope of an eternal reward in what we're talking about.
"What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they?" The inspired answer is "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:1314). No one ever said or claimed that life was intended to be easy. The Lord deliberately has left us in a situation where the world is all around us and where we have to make the choices. If we choose to follow him and take the counsel that is given, we reap the blessings. And if we choose otherwise, we follow the course that the world follows and the destruction promised to them will be heaped upon us also. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father in his throne" (Revelation 3:21). "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his god, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7).
What a glorious and wondrous thing it is to be a member of the church and kingdom of God on earth, to have the revelations of heaven, and to know what is meant by the prophetic utterances and the counsels written by prophets and apostles. We are so blessed. This Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's kingdom on earth. It is led by the spirit of inspiration. If we follow the counsel and direction that we receive, then these principles about which we have talked will live in our lives. They will live because they are true and because the Lord wants to operate by these standards. Out of that kind of a course we shall get the joy and the peace "that passeth all understanding" while we are here in mortality, and we'll have a guaranteed inheritance of glory, honor, immortality, and exaltation in the realms ahead. Of this I testify and for these things I pray for all of us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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You have exactly one week left to view the Pulitzer Prize winning play, "Lost in Yonkers" about a dysfunctional Mother and daughter who become hosts for their relations (a group of young boys) who are temporarily exiled to Yonkers. Directed by a favorite - Rick May.
Tickets: Adults/$22 and Seniors/Students:$17
Call the ticket office for other discounts.
Sat. Feb. 28/8 pm
Sun. Mar.1/2 pm
Thurs. Mar. 5/7:30 pm
Fri. Mar.6/8 pm
Sat. Mar.7/8 pm
Renton Civic Theater 507 South Third Street (425) - 226 - 5529
The Twilight Zone Art Show Opening Night
4 weeks ago

subset: commoncrawl


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Looking for a convenient way to store your CCW pistol, holster and gear and carry it all to the range for a day of training? The Concealed Carry Handgun Case by MTM is the perfect option.
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Court issues verdict in residence ransacking case
According to the details Captain Khamees Abdulrasool's garage and kitchen were demolished in April when the convicted men stole a crane from a nearby construction site, driving it to his East Ekr home. The officer's wife was at home at the time and the attackers threatened to destroy the house entirely and kill her in the process.
Abdulrasool's house has been vandalized repeatedly, with the latest incident just over a week ago that involved the theft of four air conditioners. Petrol bombs, stones and other projectile have caused more than $130,000 loss, in addition to the bulldozing incident. The family has had to move to an undisclosed location for their safety.
Bahrain has witnessed a sharp increase in violent attacks aimed at policemen and civilians since the beginning of the year when influential cleric Ayatollah Isa Qassim called upon his followers to crush the police for their response to illegal activities.
Short URL: http://www.twentyfoursevennews.com/?p=25786


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- Events
- Bioenergy (73)
- Education and Outreach (40)
- Energy Efficiency (259)
- Renewable Energy (87)
[ December 12, 2013 ]
Webinar: ACEEE 2013 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard—A Midwest Perspective
On Dec. 12, 2013 the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance will host a policy webinar from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. CST. The webinar will include an overview of ACEEE's 2013 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard and methodology, as well as presentations highlighting the Midwest region's success with utility energy efficiency programs and building code adoption and compliance.
Questions? Contact Cassandra Kubes at firstname.lastname@example.com or 312-374-0930.
Categories: Energy Efficiency
Tags: Energy Efficiency


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I do love the color pink. It's the most girly of all girly colors and when used well in a space, pink can really brighten things up and add interest to the room. I found some great pictures of rooms where pink is used and looks fabulous. Enjoy! : )
I don't think I would have ever thought to paint all the cabinets pink but they look incredible! And then little pink splashes in the other rooms look beautiful.
(photo from Fancy House Road)
LOVE the pink and black chair!!
(photo from Your Decorating Hotline)
Yep, a pink desk! Love it, right? Also, a great idea to have the chalkboard wall and calendar behind it!
Yes, yes and yes to all of these pink ideas! The pink pillows look fabulous on the brown couch. I love the pink ruffle throw and side table!
(photo from Fancy House Road)


text: Who'd You Rather? Lisa Rinna or Demi Moore? September 7, 2010 3:27 AM View Comments Related Tags: Demi Moore, Demi Moore bikini tweet pic, Hot Chicks, Hot Cougars, Lisa Rinna, Lisa Rinna tweet bikini tweet pic, Tweet pics, Twitter They're both 47 and they're both tweet pic-ing bikini shots! View Comments


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The Women's Mikvah at Aventura Chabad is a luxurious, state of the art facility. Everything that is necessary for preparation is provided by the Mikvah. It is under the direction of Rebbetzin Zipora Brusowankin, the Mikvah Lady and is authorized by Rabbi Pinchas Weberman.
Sunday through Thursday - Mikvah opens half hour before immersion time.
Friday Night - is by appoinment only and can be made by calling the office during the week at 305-933 0770.
Saturday Night - Mikvah opens half hour after Shabbat ends.
Closing Times
AUG-SEPT-OCT - 10:00 PM every night
NOV-DEC-JAN-FEB-MAR -9:30 PM every night
APRIL-MAY -10:00 PM every night
JUNE-JULY -10:30 PM every night
For Jewish Holidays, times are different, so please
Call the Office: (305) 933-0770.
|Mikvah Membership:
$72 annually
Monthly Fee:
|Members $15
|Non-Members $25


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About this blogLife in the city has its ups and downs, its quirks and characters. Get a behind the scenes look as members of the York Daily Record/Sunday News staff share their experiences in York County's urban center.
Mark Walters
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Monthly Archives: January 2010
Clean Sweeps scheduled for next week
Clean Sweeps are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 2 and 3) in York. Starting at 8:30 a.m. each day, Public Works crews will be removing litter and debris from sidewalks and streets on several streets, which will be barricaded. … Continue reading
Posted in Angie Mason, neighbors Leave a comment
Order your St. Patrick's Day parade T-shirt
The York Saint Patrick's Day Parade Committee is taking advance orders for commemorative T-shirts, sold to help cover parade expenses. The short-sleeved black T-shirts will have a small graphic printed on the front and a larger design on the back. … Continue reading
Free smoke detectors, by the numbers
I've previously blogged about how city residents can get smoke detectors installed in their houses for free by the fire department. I noticed these numbers in the most recent issue of the Yorker newsletter that the city puts out, and … Continue reading
Live in the southeast neighborhood?
Then Crispus Attucks wants you. You might remember that CA did a community survey a few months ago. Out of that, a committee aimed at tackling neighborhood issues was formed. The group has met twice. But they're looking for more … Continue reading
Reader response on wayfinding in York
I received an e-mail over the weekend from Shirley Hastings, a relatively new area resident, in response to this story about wayfinding and highway signs in York. She gave me something my story didn't have: the perspective of someone new … Continue reading
Expanded First Fridays coming
Downtown Inc. is planning an expanded First Friday program for 2010. On the first Friday of each month, many downtown merchants, restaurants and other attractions extend their hours or offer specials and discounts. Downtown Inc. will offer subsidies to merchants … Continue reading
Posted in Angie Mason, downtown shopping, nightlife Leave a comment
Neighbors Helping Neighbors … with free stuff
Several community groups are holding a "We Care Giveaway" Saturday (as in tomorrow, Jan. 23) at noon in York. Items such as household goods, clothing, food and toys will be given away. The event is sponsored by Neighbors Helping Neighbors, … Continue reading
'Free fun' at city zoning meetings?
Quite often, the York City Council agendas contain a number of appointments to various city boards and authorities. There are usually resumes and letters of acceptance attached. The items usually fly by during the meeting. Most times, the candidates aren't … Continue reading
St. Patrick's Day Parade details
Here are details for the 27th Annual York St. Patrick's Day Parade, provided by the parade committee. When: 1 p.m. March 13Where: Starts at Market and Penn streets, ends at Market and Duke streetsWhat: About 100 entries, including bands, Irish … Continue reading
Posted in Angie Mason, Holidays Leave a comment
Buy a cookie, help the city
Order forms for "I Love York City Cookie Grams" were available at last night's York City Council meeting. For $5, you can buy a peanut butter cup cookie from Confectionately Yours. The cookie, with a message attached, will be delivered … Continue reading
Posted in Angie Mason, downtown shopping Leave a comment


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The past two years have given good exposure to the Egyptian street art scene. With increasing international media focus on graffiti artists – I've lost count of the number of print articles, news shorts and documentaries made – comes increasing interest on the part of foreign delegations looking to support and endorse the Egyptian art scene, as well as books and films that will hopefully strengthen the graffiti scene's legitimacy in Egypt.
Continue reading Egyptian Graffiti Artists Exhibit Around the World


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Register by September 18!
The library is partnering with Parks and Recreation to offer a trip to the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. on Saturday, September 26. The bus will depart at 8:15am from the Woodstock Lowe's parking lot and arrive at the festival in time for its opening at 10:00am. Please dress comfortably and wear good walking shoes as there will be lots of walking. The festival closes at 5:30pm and we will depart DC at 6:00pm sharp.
For more information about this program, download the flyer [PDF] from Parks and Recreation.


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Heather McCurry joins Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Choices as vice president of Home Health and Hospice. Otterbein Home Health was licensed in early 2010, and Otterbein Hospice was licensed in late 2013.
McCurry joins Otterbein from Curo Health Services, a North Carolina-based company that operates multiple Home Health & Hospice agencies throughout ten states. She was the vice president of operations, and had oversight of 14 hospice and three home health agencies. Prior to Curo, she served as an area vice president of Hospice Operations with Amedisys, where she was responsible for operational, financial, and clinical components of 18 hospice agencies in eight states.


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IRS / Income Tax
Filing Your US Tax Return
October 10, 2014
For U.S. citizens and Resident Aliens who reside abroad, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has created a new comprehensive tax page, IRS.gov -- U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad, to better help you understand tax obligations. Your worldwide income is subject to U.S income tax, regardless of where you reside.
For anyone living abroad or receiving income from a foreign source, the IRS Publication 4732, Federal Tax Information for U.S. Taxpayers Living Abroad and IRS Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad are invaluable resources.
The IRS suggests that U.S. citizens and resident aliens living outside the United States may want to use IRS.gov -- Free File software to prepare and file federal tax returns electronically. To pay your taxes online, please visit the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System website.
New IRS Form for Overseas Taxpayers
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a new reporting form for U.S. citizens living abroad for tax year 2011.
To report foreign assets or foreign account information taxpayers should file Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets).
Because the law imposes significant penalties for failing to comply with this new IRS requirement, it is important for taxpayers to determine whether they are subject to this new requirement. Form 8938, instructions, regulations implementing this new foreign asset report, and other information to help taxpayers determine if they are required to file it is available at: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/corporations/article/0,,id=236667,00.html
Tax Forms and Instructions
Please note: Because most tax forms and instructions are now downloadable directly from the IRS website, American Citizen Services (ACS) only a limited number of tax forms available are in our office. Tax forms may be downloaded at IRS.gov -- Forms and Publications.
Tax Consultants
Consular officers cannot advise U.S. taxpayers about federal income tax matters. The Consulate does not have an IRS office.
U.S. State and Local Taxes
For individual state income tax information, visit http://www.taxadmin.org/. The Consulate does not have state tax forms or state tax information. The Embassy and our Consulates do not provide assistance with Indian taxes.
IRS Contact Information
Mailing address:
Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 920
Bensalem, PA 19020
Telephone: (1) (215) 516-2000 (6:00am to 11:00pm EST, Monday through Friday)
Fax: (1) (215) 516-2555
Or e-mail the IRS.
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
For those taxpayers who do not qualify for Social Security Numbers, the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) was created for use as a tax reporting number. For more information about the purpose, legitimate uses, and application process for the ITIN, please consult IRS.gov -- Understanding your ITIN. To apply for an ITIN, complete the IRS Form W-7.
Combating Fraud, Waste and Abuse in Federal Tax Administration
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is responsible for oversight of IRS activities and for maintaining integrity in the U.S. Federal tax system. Fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal tax administration are unfair to all U.S. taxpayers and can take a variety of forms. For more information on TIGTA's oversight function and information on how you can report potential fraud, waste, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still have to pay U.S. taxes while living in India? Yes. Please find more information here.
Can the Embassy/Consulate provide me with IRS tax forms? Unfortunately we cannot send forms via e-mail or fax. However, you can access all applicable federal tax forms at the IRS website. The instructions for each are available, and the forms themselves are all printable. If you are in Hyderabad at any point and you have time to come by the Consualte, we do stock a limited number of forms in our waiting room. Most (if not all) states have their forms available online as well.
Can the Consulate help me prepare my taxes? We at the Consulate are not experts in filing taxes; our recommendation would be for you to consult an international tax preparer.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Looks like Sofia Vergara's got money to burn!
Forbes recently named the Colombian beauty the best paid actress on television – and she's definitely spending her "Modern Family" millions!
On Tuesday, Vergara made an appearance on "Good Afternoon America," rocking some pretty pricey accessories. The 40-year-old sizzled in a royal blue curve-hugging dress, pairing her outfit with a $2,260 Fendi '2 Jours Elite' white leather handbag (customized with her initials) and $4,000 J/Hadley Blue topaz earrings with champagne diamonds!
Season 4 of the show started off rocky as Vergara and her co-stars, Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Ferguson delayed production of the series over a contract dispute with 20th Century Fox to negotiate their salaries. But, since the conflict has been resolved, it looks like TV's favorite family is doing pretty well!
And it seems like the brunette bombshell is putting her new salary to use! See even more of Sofia's sexy looks in the gallery below.
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The fourth annual BHS Athletic Hall of Fame Golf Tournament will be held June 18 at the Hyannis Golf Club in Hyannis. The fee is $135 per person for the daylong event, which includes a shotgun tee off, golf, post-match dinner, awards, raffles and an auction. Awards will be presented for longest drive and closest to the pin. Those wishing to attend just the dinner may purchase tickets for $25. Payments must be received by June 5 and may be purchased via the BHS Hall of Fame, c/o Gill Devine, 776 Main St., Hyannis, MA, 02601. Checks should be made out to BHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Click HERE to subscribe to e-mail updates from barnstablepatriot.com.
CONTACT US | The Barnstable Patriot | 4 Ocean Street | P.O. Box 1208 | Hyannis, MA 02601 | 508-771-1427 | Copyright © 2015 Local Media Group, All Rights Reserved.


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Patch Management Out of Band Microsoft Critical Patch Release
Created: 14 Jan 2013 | 5 comments
How long does it take for the out of band critical patch release to be available for download on my server? Specifically looking for MS13-008 that was released today.
Mark Ledesma
Discussion Filed Under:
Group Ownership:
Comments 5 Comments • Jump to latest comment
But what about Java updates?
I'm thinking specifically about JRE7u11, which was just released after the recent 0-day exploit:


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Real Madrid Moves Closer to Spanish Title With Win; PSG Loses
Real Madrid beat Sevilla 3-0 to move to the brink of a record-extending 32nd Spanish league soccer title. Paris Saint-Germain lost 2-1 at Lille in France to drop five points behind leader Montpellier.
In Madrid yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 19th minute and Karim Benzema added two more goals for the home team early in the second half. Real now has 91 points, a lead of seven over Barcelona, with three games left.
"It was an important win and the team deserves to be champions as the players have shown their mentality and character," Real assistant coach Aitor Karanka said.
Real, which was ousted from Europe's Champions League by Bayern Munich last week, lifted its goal tally this season to a league record 112.
Barcelona moved to 104 league goals for the season with a 7-0 rout of Rayo Vallecano. Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez each got two goals, while Seydou Keita and Thiago Alcantara scored and Rober had an own goal as Barcelona rebounded from losses to Real in the league and Chelsea in the Champions League. Messi and Ronaldo each have 43 league goals this season.
Real, whose manager Jose Mourinho has previously won league titles in Portugal, England and Italy, has finished second to Barcelona for the past three seasons.
Third-place Valencia lost 1-0 to Malaga, with the pair even on 55 points. Valencia retained third place on goal difference.
Three-Point Lead
In Italy's Serie A, Juventus won 4-0 at Novara to maintain its three-point lead over AC Milan, which won 4-1 at Siena.
A Mirko Vucinic double and goals from Marco Borriello and Arturo Vidal helped put unbeaten Juventus, which has a better head-to-head record against Milan, on 77 points with three matches left.
Napoli, Udinese, Inter Milan and Lazio all have 55 points and occupy positions 3-6 following the weekend's results.
In France, 10-man PSG gave up two goals in eight minutes yesterday to lose at Lille, which closed the gap to the Paris club to two points with four matches remaining. Leader Montpellier won 1-0 at Toulouse on April 27.
Nolan Roux's introduction as a 69th-minute substitute turned the match Lille's way after Javier Pastore put PSG 1-0 up. Roux was fouled in the area by Mamadou Sakho, who was shown the red card, and Eden Hazard converted the penalty kick in the 71st minute. Roux then got the winning goal from close range.
In the Netherlands, Ajax moved closer to a 31st league title with a 2-1 victory at FC Twente. The Amsterdam-based club has a six-point lead with two games left in the season, and can clinch the championship with another point.
In Germany, Borussia Dortmund won 5-2 at Kaiserslautern a week after sealing the Bundesliga title. Second-placed Bayern Munich beat Stuttgart 2-0 at home, while Schalke will compete in the Champions League group stage next season after guaranteeing third place with a 4-0 win against Hertha Berlin.
Porto secured its 26th Portuguese league championship yesterday after second-place Benfica's drew 2-2 at Rio Ave left it six points clear with two games left. Porto is assured of the title because of its better head-to-head record against Benfica.
*T WEEKEND RESULTS =============== Italy: Udinese 2-0 Lazio; Novara 0-4 Juventus; Siena 1-4 Milan; Lecce 1-2 Parma; Inter Milan 2-1 Cesena; Atalanta 2-0 Fiorentina; Bologna 3-2 Genoa; Roma 2-2 Napoli; Palermo 1-1 Catania; Cagliari 0-0 Chievo.
France: Toulouse 0-1 Montpellier; Lorient 2-1 Marseille; Rennes 3-1 Ajaccio; Valenciennes 2-0 Nice; St. Etienne 1-0 Dijon; Nancy 1-1 Caen; Sochaux 0-3 Bordeaux; Auxerre 4-0 Brest; Lille 2-1 PSG.
Spain: Rayo Vallecano 0-7 Barcelona; Betis 2-2 Atletico Madrid; Malaga 1-0 Valencia; Zaragoza 2-0 Athletic Bilbao; Real Madrid 3-0 Sevilla; Villarreal 1-1 Osasuna; Getafe 1-3 Mallorca; Real Sociedad 3-0 Racing; Espanyol 0-3 Sporting Gijon; Levante 3-1 Granada.
Germany: Kaiserslautern 2-5 Borussia Dortmund; Wolfsburg 3-1 Werder Bremen; Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Hanover; Hamburg 0-0 Mainz; Hoffenheim 2-3 Nuremberg; Bayern Munich 2-0 VfB Stuttgart; Freiburg 4-1 Cologne; Borussia Moenchengladbach 0-0 Augsburg; Schalke 4-0 Hertha Berlin.
Netherlands: Groningen 1-1 De Graafschap; Feyenoord 1-0 AZ; NEC 1-1 RKC; Roda 1-3 PSV; FC Twente 1-2 Ajax; Heracles 2-4 Heerenveen; Utrecht 1-3 NAC; Vitesse 3-2 Rotterdam; Venlo 2-1 Den Haag.


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– PDF version: Simply fill out the form below and download.
– Hard copy Slide Rule Version: Simply fill out the form and choose 'Mail' as your delivery format.
DMA Membership is at the corporate level, with individual employees enjoying benefits all year long. The membership rate is based on annual revenues and size of the business. All of these membership packages are offered to businesses that qualify for the employee and revenue/fundraising requirements above. Non qualified requests will be adjusted to reflect your true market position.
< $2m revenue; 5 employees or less
< $2m revenue;15 employees or less
< $5m revenue;15 employees or less
$10-25m revenue; 15+ employees
*Any class valued at $200 or less.
**Does not include discounts on Exhibition or Sponsorships.
***Digital Starter Kit contains 4 education modules in Email, Mobile, Social, Analytics.
^1 full DMA Certified Marketing Professional (DCMP) program includes a total of 17 on-demand DMA education modules.


text: Tooking into moving up to a f/s from a ht. Do mostly XC riding. Want to stay below $2000 but if I find a excellent bike for more I would be willing to wait a little longer so I could save up the extra money. Rode a Specialized Enduro and didn't like it so I plan to stay away from specialized. My LBS suggested Santa Cruz Superlight, Trek Fuel and GF sugar. Are there any other bikes I should look into?