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Greg: I am so glad you have let us share with
you our beliefs, thoughts and feelings about
God and His plan for us.
It seems that most people have three questions about the purpose of life: Where
did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? I have
spoken to many gospel scholars that consider these questions a mystery.
Having grown up "Mormon" (The real name is the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints... the name Mormon refers to the Book of Mormon that we accept
as scripture along with the Bible) and having Mormon pioneer ancestors cross the
plains in handcarts to arrive in Utah, I was taught the answers to those
questions since my youth. I thought everyone knew those answers. I served
a mission for my church in San Diego California, Spanish speaking mission from
1983-85. I met many people that believed in God but were very uncertain as to
our Father's plan for them. I didn't take the teachings of my parents for
granted. I studied them out in my mind and received my personal witness that
Jesus is the Christ. That our Heavenly Father loves us. We lived with him before
this life as spirit children. We came to Earth to receive a body, grow and learn
to live by faith and to obey his commandments. We will all die someday and
return to Him that gave us life. We will be re-united with those loved ones who
have passed on before us. We will be judged for our actions in this life
by a loving God who is our Father and only wants the best for us. Death is
not the end. In some ways it is only the beginning of our eternal life
with God, His Son Jesus Christ and our loved ones. We will be resurrected as
Jesus was. We will have a perfected body that will be eternal and will continue
the work of the Lord through the eternities.
My dad was killed by a drunk driver when I
was four years old. That left my mom and us five children without a father. My
"angel" mother raised us five children and didn't remarry for 18 years.
She was a school teacher and raised us to know that we would be with our dad
again. We just needed to remain faithful to our testimony of Jesus Christ and we
would live together with our dad in the life "here-after." I miss having a dad.
I have felt his presence and influence in my life and feel like I know him even
though I was very young. I have been blessed in my life with a Grandfather,
Uncles and other men in my life that taught me how to be a man. Not the
way the world views manhood, but how to be a man of God. To take
responsibility for my actions and to raise a family in the Lord's way. No
I am not perfect. No one in this life was except for Jesus Christ. But he
commanded us to "be ye therefore perfect, even as I and my Father are perfect."
We won't get that way in this life. I testify to you that Death is not the end.
I will see my father again. I love life and know that when my time comes I will
see him again and know that I have done all that I could to bring honor to the
name he gave me.
I have been so blessed to have a wonderful
wife and five boys in my life. Although it is so hard to leave them and go on a
couple get-a-way, I know that we are building a marriage relationship that won't
end with "till death do you part." We were sealed for time and all eternity in a
sacred temple of the Lord. Our family -- just like yours -- can be forever.
We need to comply with His teachings and those of His prophets. Because he
loves us so much he not only gave us ancient prophets, but I testify to you that
we have a prophet today. Gordon B. Hinckley has been called of God as was Joseph
Smith of old, as was Moses, Abraham, Noah and all the ancient prophets. And even
though only a few people on the earth ever believed in those ancient prophets
they were still called of God. God has also opened the heavens and poured
out his spirit to all the earth. He has given us more scripture to accompany the
words of His ancient prophets in the bible. I have read the Book of Mormon and
received the sweet manifestation of the spirit to tell me it is true. You
can
get a copy of the Book of
Mormon to read for yourself. Find out for yourself that God has a plan for you.
That he loves you enough to give you modern day revelation and a prophet to
guide us in these latter-days. I know these things are new to you. I
testify of their truthfulness in the holy name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my
God, Amen.
Greg Davies
Read a Brief
Introduction to Our Beliefs
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