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It is with a grateful heart that I’ve received yet another testimony. This one like so many others, came via an email, and is a great blessing to me and to others who contend for the Gospel in the arena with those who pursue Torah. Many thanks to Mark Smith for the following. Mark’s story is about coming out of the Worldwide Church of God, from which the Hebrew Roots Movement draws much of its doctrine.This testimony will also appear on the Testimonies Page here at JGIG.If you have a testimony you’d like to share about coming out of the...

"Monday, December 30, 1844.—The following is extracted from the Times and Seasons, Vol. 6, p. 794:— ...December 26...1844... A hymn composed by Elder John Taylor for the dedication of the Seventies' Hall and dedicated to President Brigham Young... The Seer'The Seer;—the Seer;—Joseph the Seer— I'll sing of the Prophet ever dear, His equal now cannot be found,— By searching the wide world around. With Gods he soared in the realms of day; And men he taught the heavenly way. 'Mid the foaming billows of angry strife— He stood at the helm of the ship of life. The earthly Seer; the...

...For eight years, I had been a professor at Brigham Young University... I looked down on Christians...They had part of the gospel, but I had the fullness of it. I kept the laws and ordinances of Mormonism. Three weeks before the end of his two-year mission, Micah called to tell us he was being sent home early—a horrific disgrace in Mormon culture. He had been reading the New Testament. There he encountered a different Jesus than the one I was taught about in Mormonism—a God of grace, not of works, so that no one can boast... To a roomful of...

...But what I was going to bring before your minds was this: Shall we expect that the Lord Jesus is going to delay His coming in the midst of His people, until all this great work shall have been accomplished? By no means. I do not understand that He has ever intimated anything of this kind. Nor need we wait in our faith and in our expectations till all these great and glorious things shall have been accomplished on the earth before the Prophet Joseph Smith shall come unto us again. He has merely taken another mission in advance of...

SALT LAKE CITY — The producers of a Mormon version of the popular “Bachelor” television program were dealt a rude surprise when their lead man got down on his knee and proposed to all six finalists. “I couldn’t make up my mind,” said Larry Whistall, 29, the bachelor. “I realized they all had good qualities, so I went the polygamy route.” Five of the six women said yes, and now say they look forward to moving to rural Utah and bearing Whistall as many children as physically possible. And in-fighting? Not a problem, they claim. “Me and the other women...

SNIP Heber C. Kimball also believed & prophesied that Joseph Smith would return before the second coming of the Lord and associated his return with this period. After prophesying of the destruction which would sweep the western portion of Missouri, he foresaw that The pressure will become so great that the more righteous among them will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes. Then the Prophet Joseph and others will make their appearance and those who have remained faithful will be selected to return to Jackson County, Missouri and take part in the building of that beautiful...

...But if this people should be brought into bondage, as the Israelites were in ancient days, Zion must be led forth out of bondage, as Israel was at the first. In order to do this God has prophesied that he will raise up a man like unto Moses, who shall lead his people therefrom. Whether that man is now in existence, or whether it is someone yet to be born; or whether it is our present leader who has led us forth into these valleys of the mountains, whether God will grant unto us the great blessing to have his...

An army of Elders will be sent to the four quarters of the earth to search out the righteous and warn the wicked of what is coming. All kinds of religions will be started and miracles performed that will deceive the very elect if that were possible. Our sons and daughters must live pure lives so as to be prepared for what is coming. After a while the Gentiles will gather by the thousands to this place, and Salt Lake City will be classed among the wicked cities of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession...

D&C 18:8. How Is the Name Joseph Significant?“Attention is called to the name, because the Scriptures predict the coming of a great deliverer in the latter days, so named. Nephi says that Joseph, the Patriarch, predicted the coming forth of the House of Israel on the American continents, of a ‘righteous branch’ and a Seer, whose name, he said, ‘shall be called after me’ (Joseph), and after the name of his father (II. Nephi 3:1–15).” (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, p. 83.)

- "I come again to lead you forth" The last admonition of Joseph the Prophet to the Nauvoo Legion, before leaving for the Carthage Jail...: "...This I will promise you, that when I come again to lead you forth, for I will go to prepare a place for you, so that where I am you shall be with me."SNIP (D&C Sec. 85, Verse 7) "And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth will utter words,...

December 23 is the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was born in 1805. In his honor, consider watching the movie Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, now available for the first time on Hulu... The Joseph Smith movie is the first Church film to penetrate an exclusive, major distribution channel like Hulu, where some 4 million subscribers can watch on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, web content, and other new media through media devices (Roku, Apple TV), gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation), smartphones and tablets, and other devices that connect to the Internet. SNIP The current version of...

Chronological Historical Recap: What makes 'Smithmas' 'Smithmas'? Every river has its banks. What is the channel forged -- the definition of the river -- that we've come to know as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' "Smithmas"? Every river has its tributaries; and when it comes to "Smithmas" it's the same. As the Mormons annually celebrate Joseph Smith, his birthday, his advent, the Mormon Church adoration and over-attentiveness to Joseph Smith has openly competed with the focus Jesus Christ receives. The result? This continual cresting onto the banks of "Smithmas" has flooded our nation. Its headwaters are multi-faceted:...

SNIP This special season has greater importance for the Latter-day Saints than for others because we not only observe the birthday of the Savior but also the birthday of our Prophet, Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith, the great Prophet chosen by our Heavenly Father to usher in the last dispensation, was born on December 23, 1805, just two days before December 25, which the world observes as the birthday of Jesus Christ. December 23 should be a day of great importance in every Latter-day Saint home, a day of remembering and honoring one of the great prophets of God, a day...

The FIRST DAY of Christmas Past was just too easy! Prophet Joseph Smith, was the ANSWER all did see! SNIP Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on December 23, 1805. His nephew, Joseph F. Smith, said of this fact – “in my judgment the next birthday celebration to that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ should be that of Joseph Smith.” The following is parts of a talk Joseph F. Smith gave at a Memorial honoring the Prophet Joseph Smith’s Birthday held on December 23, 1894. That year marked the 50 year anniversary of his martyrdom. “I should like to...

Is there anything that goes by the name “Christian” that has not been usurped, abominated, surpassed and eclipsed by that damnable heresy Mormonism! Let us not allow Christmas to draw our attention away from the great event of the ages – the birth of Joseph Smith. Let us not permit the events recounted in the gospels to distract us from the great events of the “Restoration”. God forbid that the annunciation of angels, the trembling wonder of shepherds and the reverence of wise men at the advent of God become flesh should eclipse the news of the “First Vision.” God...

'Twas the night before Smithmas, and all through the temple, Not a cumelon was creeping, or a tapir, (for ex-emple!) The garments were hung out to dry in the air, But fortunately for us, we have two extra pairs. The children were stashed at Gramma's homestead, While Mom and Pop got dunked once again for the dead! And Mom in her veil, and I in my old bakers' cap, Had just about finished another endowment wrap! When beyond the temple grounds I heard a big clatter Even sprang from my seat to see about the chatter; To the pentagram window...

If you were ever to receive a liturgical Order of Smithmas Sacrament Meeting devoted to Joseph Smith, here's what it might look like! Part B of Double Posting: 'Answers' to the 26-Question Quiz from Part A {Note: This is part B of How would YOU score on this 26-question quiz about 'Smithmas?' [Vanity, Part A]} What makes this part B? Well, the "answers" to the 26-question quiz of part A weren't included there. Want to see how you scored in that Part A Quiz? [If you haven't yet taken the Quiz, go HERE before continuing to read this piece...Then come...

Almost half of the 164-year existence of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been led by three men who served as director-conductors of the choir for 73 of those years. One of those men, the 3rd-ranked director-conductor (in terms of longevity), was J. Spencer Cornwall -- a veteran of leading the choir for 22 years (1935-1957). [The two who served longer were Evan Stephens, 26 years; and Jerold Don Ottley, 25 years...see List of Mormon Tabernacle Choir music directors). Still in good standing with the church, the Mormon Church even brought Cornwall back for the 1979 tabernacle reunion event. There --...

[URL=http://s208.photobucket.com/user/gahamm_photos/media/mormon/moxmas.jpg.html][IMG]http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb254/gahamm_photos/mormon/moxmas.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Mormon MOxmasDecember 12, 2005 photo of the Joseph Smith nativity scene in the main lobby of the BYU administration building. The caption under Smith's image is enlarged in the upper right hand corner. In the crib is a doll representing baby Joseph Smith.

66 years ago today (Dec. 17, 1947), an Old Testament "scholar" for BYU gave the annual "Joseph Smith Memorial Fireside" message in Logan Utah at the Lds Institute for Religion. The Institute, geared to be a spiritual hub for Utah State University Mormon students, has grown from 114 students to it being perhaps the "second largest" LDS Institute of Religion in the world with over 7,000 students. See Perry honors 75 years of Logan InstituteThe Logan Institute has made a significant "contribution" to the Mormon celebration of "Smithmas" by developing "Joseph Smith Memorial firesides" that "began in 1944 and have...