Prayer Is Communication

First and foremost, prayer is communication with God in the name of His Son. Under this general definition, we can pray at any time and any place. For us to understand and use the gift of prayer most effectively, we need to understand who we really are. We have the privilege of communication with Heavenly Father, because we are His literal spirit children. Do you like to call up your parents and talk to them? I do. When I talk to my parents, I like to tell them about my day, ask for their advice, and sometimes even seek comfort. Our relationship with God can be the same way. He loves to hear from us and hear what we have to say about our lives. Once we understand that we are indeed children of a loving Heavenly Father, prayer becomes natural and instinctual.

Express Gratitude

After you begin your prayer, you should try to express gratitude. Prayers are a tool we can use to communicate our needs to God, but we should never neglect to say thank you. Do you feel underappreciated when those you serve fail to express gratitude? Our Father in Heaven is no exception. When we express gratitude to Heavenly Father, not only are we showing appreciation for what we have, but we also become more aware of other blessings and more in tune with a spirit of happiness and contentment.

Sometimes I have prayers in which I offer only thanks. These are special prayers, because I’m consciously not asking for things and focus instead on expressing sole gratitude. These prayers help refocus my priorities and rejuvenate my heart.

Asking for Blessings and Help

You can always ask Heavenly Father for blessings. Because He’s an omniscient God, He already knows your needs, but sometimes the blessings we need are contingent upon our asking for them. You can ask for immediate blessings, temporal blessings, and blessings of eternal consequence. You can ask questions about what job to take, what college to attend, whom you should marry, and when to have children. Bring your heavy-laden plate to the Lord and allow Him to take it all. He is always willing to take upon Himself our pains and trials, but we must first tell Him about what we need Him to carry. Confess to Him your weaknesses and insecurities, your concerns and worries. If you’re having a hard time in a friendship, tell the Lord about it, and ask Him for help and wisdom. Nothing is off limits in prayer.

Pray for Forgiveness

When you pray, you should use some of that time to repent and seek forgiveness. We all make mistakes and need to start over. Regardless of the seriousness of your sin, confess it to the Lord and allow Him to change your heart and guide you to the best ways to rectify your mistake. Some sins require guidance from your local ecclesiastical leader (for Mormons that would be a bishop or branch president) to reach full repentance. While sin may make you feel guilty or ashamed, always know that God loves you and issues commandments so that we can be happy. And because Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, we have the opportunity to repent from our mistakes and move forward. So much of the beauty of the grace of Christ is realized through prayer.

Some Prayers Aren’t Formal

In the Book of Mormon (a book of scripture complementary to the Bible) we learn that we must “counsel with the Lord in all [our] doings, and he will direct [us] for good” (Alma 37:37). Some of the things we encounter in the day don’t allow time for kneeling down in formal prayer. We can and should always have a prayerful heart, a heart that is constantly open to communication from God. I remember several nights when my new baby wouldn’t sleep, and in the middle of the crying and the rocking, I would plead to God to strengthen me and show me the way. Those prayers were just as effective as prayers said on my knees.

End Your Prayers in the Name of Jesus Christ

When you conclude your prayer, be sure to do so in the name of the Savior. Doing so not only acknowledges our need for Jesus Christ and His grace, but it also gives His stamp of approval on our words. When we pray we should always be seeking to know God’s will, and by closing our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, we signal that we have done our best to know the will of the Lord.

Prayer Works

I have been praying my whole life, and I know that prayer works. Because of prayer, I have a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know that my Savior lives. God has answered my prayers, and I know that He hears me every single time. If you are unsure about whether God exists or whether He hears you, take a few moments and offer a heartfelt prayer. He will hear you, and He will manifest His love to you. I know this.

I live in a picturesque town in the mountains of Idaho. It’s easy to see the goodness of God in the beauty of nature. It can be more difficult to see His kindness in our lives—especially when the storms of adversities come. The Psalmist wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalms 14:1). It is a foolish man, indeed, who doubts the power of God and refuses His help in a time of need. The knowledge I have of God, His nature and His plan are essential when the storms of life are raging.

The Nature of God is Love

 When the storms of life, rage, it’s easy to ask, “Where is God? How could He let this happen?” God, by His very nature, will never abandon us. Elder Henry B. Eyring, the first counselor in the First Presidency—with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ—answers this question:

That aching for an answer to “How could this happen?” becomes even more painful when those struggling include those we love. And it is especially hard for us to accept when those afflicted seem to us to be blameless. Then the distress can shake faith in the reality of a loving and all-powerful God. …

My purpose today is to assure you that our Heavenly Father and the Savior live and that They love all humanity. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. [1]  

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second counselor in the First Presidency and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, explains the depth of Their love:

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.… Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. …He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked. [2]  

When adversity seems to pile up around us—and around those we love—it is comforting to know that God is our Father in Heaven, and He loves us. He will always be there for us. In times of distress, we can turn to Him in prayer. We find answers to those prayers as we study the scriptures and serve others, becoming in tune with His Spirit.

Heavenly Father Has a Plan for Us

The other comforting thought in times of trial is that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. As the Father of our spirits, God did not send us to earth by accident. Heavenly Father created a plan that is large enough in scope for the entire human family and yet personally designed for each individual. Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:

From the limited perspective of those who do not have knowledge, understanding, or faith in the Father’s plan—who look at the world only through the lens of mortality with its wars, violence, disease, and evil—this life can seem depressing, chaotic, unfair, and meaningless. Church leaders have compared this perspective with someone walking into the middle of a three-act play. Those without knowledge of the Father’s plan do not understand what happened in the first act, or the premortal existence, and the purposes established there; nor do they understand the clarification and resolution that come in the third act, which is the glorious fulfillment of the Father’s plan. [3]  

In the first act, we lived in a pre-mortal realm as spirit children of our Father. He outlined His plan for us, explaining His part and our part. In the second act, He would send us to earth to gain mortal bodies—with all of the joys and sorrows and everything in between—as a test to see if we would obey His commandments in all things, no matter what. He knew we would commit sin, and no unclean thing can dwell in His presence (1 Nephi 10:21 in the Book of Mormon: Another testament of Jesus Christ and a companion scripture to the Bible). So He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to set the example for us to follow and to perform the Atonement, whereby we can be forgiven of our sins after we repent. The third act is the resolution of all things. If we have passed the test of mortality and proven ourselves faithful to God in all things, we can live with Him again.

But included in our Heavenly Father’s plan for us were trials and tribulations to test us, purify us and teach us the things that God wants us to learn. Elder Cook said:

There are many kinds of challenges. Some give us necessary experiences. Adverse results in this mortal life are not evidence of lack of faith or of an imperfection in our Father in Heaven’s overall plan. The refiner’s fire is real, and qualities of character and righteousness that are forged in the furnace of affliction perfect and purify us and prepare us to meet God. [3]

In the midst of trials and hard times, it is helpful to understand that there is purpose in all things. Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, custom tailored to our personality and needs. That plan includes heartache and suffering as well as joy and gladness.

Several years ago, I hiked to a beautiful spot called Goose Creek Falls with the teenage girls in our ward (or congregation). As I was sitting there, looking at the beautiful scenery, I saw a large tree growing out of the rock at the side of the cliff. Not growing through a couple of boulders, but out of the bedrock. I was amazed at the resilience of the tree, and it brought to my mind some lines from a poem called “Good Timber,” by Douglas Malloch:

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out on the open plain

And always got its share of rain

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing. [4]

The beauty of the tree was not just in its leaves and certainly not in its gnarled trunk, but in its sheer determination to fight through the bedrock of the cliff and grow into a forest king. That is the purpose of trials in our lives. They are refining fires that build our character and solidify our faith in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, if we allow them to do so.

What Mormons know about God is this: He is real, He loves us and He has a plan for us. When we are in the midst of sore trials, and we can see Satan’s hand upon us, we just need to look up. Up to our Father in Heaven. He will always be there, and He will never leave us comfortless. He loves us with a perfect, pure love. His plan for us is perfect and pure. As we have faith in that knowledge, we can withstand the storms of life.

Cub Scouts—A Time for Preparation

In The Church of Jesus Christ, boys enter the Scouting program as Cubs at 8—the age at which they become accountable to God for their actions and are baptized. Cub Scouts is a time of preparation, a time to prepare to enter the Boy Scouts and to receive the priesthood (if they are worthy), both of which will happen when boys turn 12. Cub Scouts memorize the Scout Oath and Scout Law. They also learn why and how to follow the guidelines. In The Church of Jesus Christ, “Primary” is the program for children ages 3 to 11. Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President, said:

Primary is a time for preparation — and the time of preparation is as critical as the time of performance. [1]

Thus, preparation for receiving the priesthood begins in Cub Scouts, where the boys are taught a higher code of ethical and moral conduct. Each boy learns the Scout Oath, which is:

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight. [2]

The Scout Law outlines the desired characteristics of participants: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. [2] Each trait is vital for one to honor the oath and covenant he will make when he receives the priesthood of God. But the preparation does not end with teaching values. In a world of ever-increasing permissiveness, Sister Wixom said even Cub Scouts need the frank discussions once reserved for older boys. She said the average age a boy is first exposed to pornography is 9. [1] The Cub Scout program helps to warn both parents and children of the potential dangers. I still remember my surprise when I opened my then-8-year-old son’s Cub Scout book and discovered that we had to discuss sexual predators and Internet pornography. But I realized that safety comes in knowledge; danger lurks in ignorance. From the beginning of the program, boys are taught how to make correct decisions and avoid potential pitfalls. As they advance through the Cub Scout program, they are well-prepared for the greater responsibilities and challenges that lie ahead. The values taught in Scouting reinforce those taught in the home and at Church.

Boy Scouts—Leadership in Action

The Cub Scout program in The Church of Jesus Christ teaches boys the leadership skills necessary to progress not only in Scouts, but also in the priesthood. But the training doesn’t end in Cub Scouts. Boys Scouts is leadership in action—especially for the young men of The Church of Jesus Christ who are holders of the Aaronic—or preparatory—priesthood. From the time young men enter the Boy Scouts, they have six short years to prepare for full-time missionary service and the responsibilities of the higher, or Melchizedek, priesthood. Speaking of Scouting and the Young Men program in the Church, Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (with the First Presidency, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ), said:

Some of the great blessings of these programs that have been developed are that as the youth of the Church, you will have a clear understanding of who you are, you will be accountable for your actions, you will take responsibility for the conduct of your life, and you will be able to set goals so that you might achieve what you were sent to earth to achieve. Our plea is that you strive to do your very best. [3]

hat is the first line of the Scout oath: Do your best. And as you do your best, the Lord will help you. Elder Hales continued:

During the preparatory period of your lives it is so important that you cultivate spiritual growth, physical growth, education, personal development, career preparation, citizenship, and social skills. These qualities are all part of your priesthood duties and will help in the decisions that lie ahead for the next decades of your life.  [3]

All of these are part of the Scouting program.

Duty to God—The Tie That Binds Mormons and Scouts

The strong ethical and moral values taught in the Boy Scout program are an excellent companion to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church of Jesus Christ has been loyal to the Scouting program because Scout leaders have stayed true to their ethical and moral roots. Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, the Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ, said:

Boy Scouts of today face issues not faced by generations before them:  declining morals, technology, addictive behavior and declining academic performance to name a few. I believe that the key to solving these issues lies in family and duty to God. If boys truly understood what their duty to God entails and lived it, they would grow safely into manhood.

…It is this common belief in duty to God that has forged the iron-strong connection with Boy Scouts of America we (i.e. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) have shared over the last 100 years. One hundred years of evidence has shown that this impact-proof, non-rusting core principle works better than whatever has been, historically, the next-best idea. Duty to God is where the power lies. Duty to God is what changes lives. [4]

Teaching young men their Duty to God is the focus of the Boy Scouts of America. And that is the focus of The Church of Jesus Christ. Neither organization has an agenda, concerning youth, other than teaching the next generation how to be the best they can be. Both organizations’ strong commitment to their core values—which have stood for a hundred years—allows them to work together on their common goal.

Hell Is Part of the Plan of Salvation

The Plan of Salvation is God’s divine plan to enable the happiness of His children. It began in what Mormons call the premortal existence, the time before we were born to earth in our physical bodies. The key components to the Plan of Salvation are first, our own ability to choose right or wrong (called “agency”), and two, the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

Throughout our mortal lives we are expected to make moral choices and to make those choices in line with what we understand of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we don’t know what the gospel of Jesus Christ is, or if we never hear it in this life, our actions here will be judged according to what to know and we will all have the opportunity to learn the gospel at some point, even if it’s in the afterlife.

What Happens after We Die

According to the Plan of Salvation, after we die our spirits will enter either spirit paradise or spirit prison. Spirit paradise will be a place of peace and rest, including rest from temptation. Spirit prison, however, is a place where spirits will be able to feel the full weight of their sins and will be able to be tempted. Spirit prison is a place for those who either haven’t learned or accepted the gospel of Christ. This is also a place of learning. Spirit prison is the place where spirits will be taught the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they will have the choice to accept it or not. If they choose to reject it –because spirits here can still be tempted by Satan—then they will have to suffer for their own sins (because they rejected Jesus Christ, who could have saved them from the full pain of their own sins). Mormons refer to this state as hell.

For those who reject the Savior’s redemptive power, hell will be a very painful place. Once they have paid for their sins, however, they will be free to enter the lowest kingdom of heaven, because they will be clean.  In this definition, hell is surely a painful and agonizing place, but also a temporary one.  Note that hell is often described as “endless torment.”  The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of modern revelations, explains this:

Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand. Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless  torment.

Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name’s glory.   Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles.

I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest.   For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—

Eternal punishment is God’s punishment.   Endless punishment is God’s punishment (Doctrine and Covenants 19:5 – 12).

We should note that Jesus Christ is still the one who makes their redemption possible, but that through their own choices, the spirits in this state do not choose to change.

Outer Darkness

There is one more component to the Plan of Salvation. After spirit paradise or prison, our spirits will be reunited with our bodies in the resurrection, which will happen after Christ’s Second Coming to the earth. After the resurrection comes judgment day, and after judgment we will enter heaven. (And remember, those who reject Jesus Christ will still be able to enter the lowest tier of heaven after they have paid for their sins. However, their resurrection will be delayed until after the millennial reign of Christ.)

Mormon doctrine teaches of a place called outer darkness. It is the place that is a state of eternal hell. This is the place for those who have had a sure witness and perfect understanding of Jesus Christ and who have chosen to reject it. A sure witness is more than belief or strong faith; it necessitates an actual visit from the Lord, so that the person has sure knowledge that transcends faith.  Those who fall to this fate, by their own choices, are not redeemed by the power of the atonement. In the Doctrine and Covenants  we read that these spirits will have “no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame” (76:34–35). This is a place of everlasting hell, but it is also one most of God’s children will escape. Most of us will end up in some kingdom of heaven.  This is why the prophet Nephi of the Book of Mormon said that “Salvation is free” (2 Nephi 2:4).

God Is Merciful

Remember that God is merciful, that He wants us to be happy and clean. He does everything in His power to save and purify our souls. He blessed us with the ability to make choices, and He has not only given us the tools and knowledge that we need to make good choices, but He also gave us the atonement of Jesus Christ so that we may repent from the bad choices we make.

We need not fear hell if our hearts are intent and humble. Whether we have a testimony of Jesus Christ at this moment or we don’t, we can rest assured that if our intent and seeking is sincere that we will be led to truth. We will not be held accountable for what we do not know, and once we do know truth, we will find strength and empowerment through Jesus Christ to do that which is right. Yes, hell is real, but so is Jesus Christ and His saving power. With the Lord Jesus Christ as our champion, we need not fear death or sin, but can rather rejoice in His freely-offered redemption.

Latter-day Saints Believe Everyone Is Saved

Unlike my friend’s understanding of “being saved,” Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ saves everyone from sin, not just those who say they accept Him. That isn’t to say, however, that everyone is automatically redeemed. The grace of Jesus Christ—one aspect of which Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) commonly call the Atonement—isn’t something that you earn, but rather it’s something that you’re given. And, like a gift, we have the choice to accept it or not.

When Jesus suffered for our sins in Gethsemane and died on the cross at Calvary, He suffered for everyone, not just those who He thought might need it or accept it. His Atonement is a blanket one. Our entering mortality came with the condition that we would be saved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He suffered and died for us so that we might be made clean and perfect, so that we could live with Heavenly Father again. Latter-day Saints believe that everyone is saved because Jesus Christ overcame death and sin; that triumph alone is enough to qualify everyone for redemption. Even those who never accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice will be saved from a fate in hell.

We Must Choose Jesus Christ

The Atonement of Jesus Christ doesn’t automatically make everyone clean, however. Rather, it makes it possible to become clean. In Psalms we learn about the conditions for dwelling with God: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart” (24:3–4). No one can be perfectly clean through their sole efforts; anyone who lives with God must be made clean through the grace of Jesus Christ.

The key to being saved is our own moral agency. (Moral agency is a term Latter-day Saints use to describe our ability, freedom, and responsibility to choose between right and wrong. Our moral agency is a gift from God and gives us the power to become as He is.) When the Savior completed the Atonement, He established a condition whereby we may be cleansed. He made it possible. But because He won’t force us to keep His commandments and live by His example, He cannot guarantee that we will be saved unless we choose to accept His gift of grace.

In the Book of Mormon (a book of scripture unique to Latter-day Saints and a companion book to the Bible) we learn a key characteristic of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “he [Christ] cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins” (Alma 11:37, emphasis added). The key to this scripture is that Christ cannot save us in our sins; He can only save us from them. If He redeemed us in our sins, then we wouldn’t be required to change, and we wouldn’t really be made clean. He saves us from our sins, so that we can repent, change, and be cleansed.

Faith and Works

When my friend and I were discussing this, she got hung up on the battle of faith versus works. In James we read that “faith without works is dead” (2:26). But we also know that we cannot become perfect and clean through our own efforts. So how do faith and works fit together? What James means is that our faith in Jesus Christ is powerless unless we act on it. We must use our faith to propel us into making choices that guide us closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

When it comes to grace and being saved, our works are crucial, not because we “earn” salvation but because we surrender ourselves to God’s will. We cannot say that we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior without changing the way we live. So when my friend said that her relative had accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, he was clearly indicating that he had faith in the Lord. But unless he changed his life to fit more in line with the teachings of Christ, then his faith didn’t do much.

We Are Saved by Grace

I need to emphasize that Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) do not believe that our works will get us a ticket into heaven. The pathway to salvation isn’t divided up into one part works and two parts grace. The atonement of Jesus Christ is the whole pathway. Our works come into play because they are what gets us onto the road of grace, and our works keep us there. Being saved isn’t a passive act; it is an involved and active way of living. Being saved is a way of life that invites the Savior into your heart, mind, and actions so that He can make you clean. He can’t wash away our sins if we insist on holding on to them.

Latter-day Saints say that everyone can be saved, because that pathway to salvation is available to everyone. No one is exempt from being able to choose to follow the Savior, and because of His sacrifice, all can make it down the road He has prepared for us.

The scriptures teach us that “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:17). In other words, pure religion is charity. Religion isn’t just a belief in a higher, divine power but also the expression of that belief. Spirituality, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, is “spiritual character, quality, or nature” and “religious devotion.” Romans 8:6 says, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Our spiritual character is a function of how we practice our religion, or our belief in God.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church, I have been taught the value of serving others. Pure religion isn’t a belief, it is action based on belief. In an April 1998 address titled “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart,” President James E. Faust, then second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ, quoted a story from a newspaper that illustrates this:

A group of religion instructors [were] taking a summer course on the life of the Savior and focusing particularly on the parables. When the final exam time came, … the students arrived at the classroom to find a note that the exam would be given in another building across campus. Moreover, the note said, it must be finished within the two-hour time period that was starting almost at that moment. The students hurried across campus. On the way they passed a little girl crying over a flat tire on her new bike. An old man hobbled painfully toward the library with a cane in one hand, spilling books from a stack he was trying to manage with the other. On a bench by the union building sat a shabbily dressed, bearded man [in obvious distress].

“Rushing into the other classroom, the students were met by the professor, who announced they had all flunked the final exam. The only true test of whether they understood the Savior’s life and teaching, he said, was how they treated people in need. Their weeks of study at the feet of a capable professor had taught them a great deal of what Christ had said and done” (“Viewpoint: Too Hurried to Serve?” [LDS] Church News, 1 Oct. 1988, 16).

President Faust continued:

In their haste to finish the technicalities of the course, … they failed to recognize the application represented by the three scenes that had been deliberately staged. They learned the letter but not the spirit [of the law]. Their neglect of the little girl and the two men showed that the profound message of the course had not entered into their inward parts.”

I can relate to the religion students who were so focused on finishing their test on time that they missed—or figured someone else would help— those in need around them. It probably would not have taken that long to stop and help either the little girl or the men. How often do I get so caught up in what I’m doing that I miss opportunities for little acts of service all around me?

Service makes us spiritual

Several years ago, I was in a store parking lot and a man came up to my car and asked for money, saying he had run out of gas. My first thought was, “Yeah, right.” So I told him no. But immediately the thought came to me that I should help him. I tried to go back and help him, but he was long gone. I have always felt bad about that. I had some cash in my wallet, but I didn’t listen to the prompting from the Holy Spirit to help. I did not practice pure religion, and spiritually I suffered, because I knew I should have helped.

A few weeks ago, I drove to the gas station about 11 at night. As I was filling up, a woman approached me and asked where a certain hotel was. I live in a small town, but there are several hotels, and I wasn’t sure where this particular hotel was. So I looked it up and told her the address. I asked if she wanted a ride because it was cold outside and she wasn’t wearing a coat. She declined. I finished pumping my gas and then left. As I drove down the street, I saw her walking, and she looked cold. I called my husband and asked where the hotel was. He told me, and it was a lot further than I thought. So I turned around and stopped and asked the woman again if she wanted a ride. I told her the hotel was further down the road than I had thought, and I was headed that direction. This time, she accepted the invitation. We chatted during the few-minute drive, and then I dropped her off at the hotel. I don’t know why she was out alone so late at night with no coat, but I felt good knowing that this time, I didn’t ignore the prompting to help. That is the essence of pure religion—helping people when they need it, not when it’s convenient for us.

President Faust said:

“We must at times search our own souls and discover what we really are. Our real character, much as we would wish, cannot be hidden. It shines from within us transparently. Attempts to deceive others only deceive ourselves. We are often like the emperor in the fairy tale who thought he was arrayed in beautiful garments when he was in fact unclothed.”

I love the title of President Faust’s address: Search me, O God, and know my heart. For those who are true followers of Christ, who want to practice pure religion with the right spirit, that is the litmus test. Honest, true seekers of Jesus Christ will want the sweet assurance that God has seen their hearts and knows their intents are sincere.

Heaven Is Part of the Plan of Salvation

Mormons see heaven as part of a great and eternal plan for our own happiness. Heaven is the goal for our lives and choices. Heaven is where we can live with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ again. It is a place where our souls are perfected and where our families dwell with us. Mormons believe it to be an unimaginably beautiful and glorious place.

To understand heaven the way Mormons do, we must understand the Plan of Salvation. God’s plan for our happiness began before we came to earth. In our pre-mortal existence we lived with God as His spirit children, and we fought Satan for our right to make choices on earth. We came to earth to gain a body, live with a family, and make ourselves more like our Savior. Our choices here matter greatly, and even though we make mistakes, the grace of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to repent, change, and start over. Our mortal life is all about choosing, repenting, changing, and choosing again. The more knowledge of gospel truth we have in this life, the greater our responsibility is to act accordingly.

Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison

Once we die and our spirits separate from our bodies, we go to one of two places (and no, they’re not heaven or a dead-end in hell!): If we had a knowledge of the true gospel and lived to it the best we could, we go to what Mormons call spirit paradise. If we either didn’t know about the truth or did but didn’t live what we know, we go to what Mormons call spirit prison. Spirit prison is not as scary as it sounds. It’s merely a place to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ. Spirit prison is for learning and spirit paradise is for teaching. Spirit prison may be a hard place to be for some, especially for those who have heard and rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. This place has been referred to as hell in Mormon scripture. Once these spirits, however, have suffered for their sins, they will be released and allowed into a tier of heaven. Spirit paradise is a peaceful place, where we can rest from our cares and be assured of the reality of Jesus Christ.  There, we can also enjoy the company of loved ones who have already passed from mortality.

The Resurrection and Judgment

Eventually Jesus Christ will come again to the earth, and He will come in all of His glory. This will be an exciting time for His righteous children. Christ’s Second Coming means that we will all be resurrected, or reunited with our perfected and immortal bodies. After the resurrection, we will be judged by God the Father with Christ as our mediator. This judgment will be a merciful and honest one. After the judgment day we will be accepted into a tier of heaven.

The Three Kingdoms of Heaven

What we can traditionally call heaven is a collection of three different kingdoms, or tiers. The highest kingdom is called the celestial kingdom. This is the place for the righteous, for those who accepted Christ’s atonement and allowed it to change and perfect them. Here we can be with our families forever and all dwell with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ eternally.

The second kingdom is called the terrestrial kingdom. This is the place for those who were good people and made good choices, but who didn’t accept the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. The third kingdom, the telestial kingdom, is for those who didn’t accept any part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and who deny the witness of the Holy Ghost. Despite these differences within the tiers of heaven, all kingdoms will be more glorious than we can imagine. We should also note that depending on the state of our character, on who we have ultimately become, we will go wherever we are most comfortable. Those who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ would never feel at ease living in His constant presence, like those in the celestial kingdom would. Remember that God is merciful and He does that only which is best for us.

You Can Prepare Now for Heaven

The beautiful truth of the doctrine of heaven is that where we end up eternally is based on a glorious combination of our choices and Christ’s grace. Jesus Christ will make up for our shortcomings if we allow it. Our destiny is in our hands. Even the highest degree of heaven is possible to attain  through Jesus Christ. To learn more about the heaven and the Plan of Salvation go here and here.  To read the account of a vision of the kingdoms of heaven, go here.

Jesus Christ represents all that is good, true, virtuous, merciful, just and godly. Lucifer is the adversary of everything that Christ stands for. He embodies all that is evil, false, immoral, and devoid of any trace of goodness or divine light. He is the enemy of God and of every human being who seeks to follow Christ (Newsroom, December 12, 2007).

This post answers the question “Is Satan real?” and how one can withstand his temptations.

Who Is Satan Really?

Satan is known as the adversary, the devil, Lucifer, Satan, Perdition, and the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve. The modern prophet Thomas S. Monson has taught that:

Lucifer, that clever pied piper, plays his lilting melody and attracts the unsuspecting away from the safety of their chosen pathway, away from the counsel of loving parents, away from the security of God’s teachings. He seeks not just the so-called refuse of humanity; he seeks all of us, including the very elect of God. King David listened, wavered, and then followed and fell. So did Cain in an earlier era and Judas Iscariot in a later one. Lucifer’s methods are cunning; his victims, numerous. We read of him in 2 Nephi: “Others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security.” “Others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell … until he grasps them with his awful chains.” “And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” (“The Three Rs of Choice“, Ensign, November 2010)

Is Satan really bad? Yes, Lucifer is bad because he rejected God and His plan for us. The devil wanted to take all of God’s glory and power for himself. Satan really wants us all to be as miserable as he is. Once someone understands the plan of salvation, it is easy to know the answer to the question “Is Satan real?”. One needs only glance at a newspaper to read about all the evil in the world today such as robberies, violence, and wars. Fortunately, the choice to choose good/evil is ours. Our modern prophet Thomas S. Monson taught the importance of agency or the right to choose for ourselves:

We know that we had our agency before this world was and that Lucifer attempted to take it from us. He had no confidence in the principle of agency or in us and argued for imposed salvation. He insisted that with his plan none would be lost, but he seemed not to recognize—or perhaps not to care—that in addition, none would be any wiser, any stronger, any more compassionate, or any more grateful if his plan were followed.

We who chose the Savior’s plan knew that we would be embarking on a precarious, difficult journey, for we walk the ways of the world and sin and stumble, cutting us off from our Father. But the Firstborn in the Spirit offered Himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all. Through unspeakable suffering He became the great Redeemer, the Savior of all mankind, thus making possible our successful return to our Father (Thomas S. Monson, “The three Rs of choice”, Ensign, October 2010).

Is Satan real? Yes. He tempts us to disobey God and choose things that take us further away from Him. But there is also hope through Jesus Christ and one can overcome such temptations through our Savior.

How is Satan Real?

Ancient prophets in the Americas wrote in the scriptures (Introduction, The Book of Mormon) to invite us to Christ and have taught us how to recognize if Lucifer is real.

Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him (Moroni 7:12-17).

Little children seem to have an innate ability to feel or know right from wrong. Some people may consider this their conscience yet others may consider it guidance from the Holy Ghost or the Light of Christ. God has given us the Holy Ghost to guide us and help us know right from wrong. The Holy Ghost can help us recognize if something will take us closer to God or further away and towards the devil. Therefore, the Holy Ghost can answer the question “Is Satan real?” if you ask in sincerity. This can be done through prayer. Since we are all children of God, we have the right to ask Him anything. If you don’t believe me, ask for yourself and you will get an answer (most likely through the Holy Ghost).

Additional Resources:

Read another article about Satan.

Visit a local “Mormon” meetinghouse near you.

Mormon Beliefs: Is Satan really part of God’s plan?