Discovering the Truth About the Church!

 

I came across the above video in which Angela Erickson interviews Jeremy Christiansen about his story of conversion from Mormonism to Catholicism, and a book that he has written on the subject. I had previously discussed Jeremy Christiansen’s story in earlier blog posts, and my aim here is not to get into any further discussion about that. But Angela Erickson comes across to me as a reasonable kind of person, and my advice to her is that if she really wants to learn the truth about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her best bet is not to talk to Jeremy Christiansen. That would be like trying to find out the truth about Catholicism by talking to Martin Luther! My advice to her would be to read the Book of Mormon for herself, impartially and prayerfully, with an open mind, and a sincere desire to know of its truth. The Book of Mormon is a book of ancient scripture like the Bible; and contains a promise within it, that those who study it in faith, with a sincere desire to know of its truth, and ask God in faith, the truth of it will be revealed to them by the power of the Holy Ghost. Here is the quote:

Moroni 10:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

And the testimony of the Holy Ghost is not the same as “feelings”. Jeremy Christiansen likes to dismiss that as “feelings”. Well it is not. The Bible teaches that the Holy Ghost reveals truth:

John 14:

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 16:

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

1 John 2:

20 But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

• • •

27 But the anointing [Holy Ghost] which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

That is what the Bible teaches. That is how St. Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God:

Matthew 16:

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven [i.e. by the Holy Ghost].

Peter knew something. He wasn’t just grassing, or having a nice “feeling” about it. That is how the testimony of the Holy Ghost works. If Jeremy Christiansen doesn’t believe that, why is that our problem? That is his problem, not ours. By the testimony of the Holy Ghost one can know that the Book of Mormon is true, and is the word of God; not just have nice “feelings” about it. My advice to Angela Erickson is to read the Book of Mormon for herself, impartially and prayerfully, and with an open mind, and an honest desire to know of its truth; and the promise of the Lord is that the truth of it will be made known to her by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things. That is what the Bible teaches (John 16:13).