Spirituality Tips Guides

When thinking about Mormons, most people will think about the state of Utah. In fact, some people might think that Mormonism was founded in Utah and that it is the only place the LDS faithful have ever lived. LDS tours would then, therefore, be a rather boorish ride through Salt Lake City.

Quite to the contrary, members of the LDS faith live all over the world. Mormon history actually begins with a family in Jerusalem that travels to the Americas according to the LDS scripture, The Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe to be a true historical document of the people who lived on the American continents thousands of years ago.

This means that sites of Ancient America hold significant religious value to the LDS faithful. Other important locations include those pertaining to the Mormon Church’s organization in the early 19th century such as Carthage Jail, Palmyra, New York, and Kirtland, Ohio just to name a few.

But whether you are a faithful member of the LDS faith, an investigator hoping to learn more, or simply have a historical curiosity regarding the church, we’ve just barely touched the surface of major spots that one would consider visiting during an LDS tour. Here are a few of the bigger ones along with some detail about why they are important to the Mormon faith.

Palmyra, New York and the Sacred Grove

Joseph Smith and his family moved near Palmyra while he was a teenager. At the age of 14, Smith claims to have visited a grove where he knelt in prayer to ask which church he should join. It was at that time that Smith claims the Father and the Son both appeared to him, revealing that he should join none of the existing churches.

This experience is commonly referred to by church members as the “First Vision.” The grove where it occurred is considered by Mormons to be a sacred spot where God and Jesus Christ visited Earth and appeared to young Smith.

Kirtland, Ohio

Smith and his followers were driven out of New York and Missouri before arriving in Kirtland, Ohio. It was here that Smith’s followers built the first Mormon temple, which still stands today. However, Mormon temple ceremonies are no longer held there and, unlike other Mormon temples, it is open to the public.

Carthage Jail

Joseph Smith was elected mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois where he ordered the destruction of a local printing press which published an anti-Mormon newspaper containing false accusations. Smith had hoped it would contain anti-Mormon sentiment. However, it had the opposite effect.

Illinois Governor Thomas Ford called on Smith to surrender and stand trial for the destruction of the printing press. Smith, along with several church leaders, turned themselves in and were sent to Carthage Jail for protection until their trial.

A mob stormed the jail. After shooting and killing his brother Hyrum, Joseph Smith was shot as he attempted to climb out a second-story window. Smith fell to the ground, still alive. The mob finished the job with four men shooting Smith to death.

Carthage Jail, the site of the Mormon prophet’s last stand, is a popular and sacred site of Mormons.

For your next whirlwind LDS tour, the three locations mentioned above are “must-sees” for anyone interested in Mormon history.

Fun for Less Tours (http://funforlesstours.com) offers LDS tours and cruises to locations of historical significance to Mormons including Israel, several Native American sites, the Sacred Grove, Liberty Jail, and many more. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

If I could point to one year in my life that I consider to be the worst, it would definitely be 2005. The death of two of my grandchildren, as well as a whole lot of other things that happened is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Although it was hard losing my granddaughter Ava, I accepted it with a certain amount of grace. God is far wiser than I am.

However, when my grandson Brayden died about six weeks later, I lost my will to live. I wanted to die, and suicide seemed a very real option.

How could so much tragedy happen in so short a time?

My family is decidedly Christian. We don’t take faith lightly. None of us arrived at our faith just by accepting the Bible wholesale without questioning it. I think this is why it irritates me so much when atheists and liberals criticize Christians for taking everything on faith. I don’t. Usually, it’s that one percent of doubt that forces us to decide whether to accept something on faith.

Losing a loved one is never easy, but there are certain things you can do to heal. If you’re still grieving after two years, then you definitely have a serious problem that will destroy your life. Seek the help of a mental health professional.

For the rest of us, here’s what you can do:

1. Allow yourself to grieve. Don’t be afraid to scream, cry, or get angry. These things are part of the normal grieving process. Let it out. It’s preferable to do it in private. You don’t want to hurt anyone or yourself.

2. Talk to someone you love and trust. Seek out those who have suffered from the same loss.

3. Although I was grieving myself, the loss I suffered was nothing compared to what my daughters suffered. I let them know that it was OK for them to take as long as they wanted to grieve. I also let them know that eventually they would need to make peace with their situations. I made myself available to them as much as they needed. Having them talk about it helped me heal.

4. Accept you don’t know all of the answers. In spite of what atheists want to claim, science can’t explain everything. Besides, do you really want to believe that your loved one came up out of the sludge and is now back in the sludge? Now might be the right time to do your due diligence with issues of faith.

I know that all of the soul searching I did during this dark time in my life helped me find answers. It also helped me make peace.

5. Don’t give up. As your grief process progresses, you’ll have good days and bad days. Don’t be afraid to be happy or feel joy. Do you really think your loved ones who’ve died want you to waste your life grieving over them? Although it is necessary to grieve, there comes a time when you need to move on.

I read my Bible every day. It strengthens my faith and restores my joy. Someone once said, “If your Bible is falling apart, your life is not.” I think it might be time for me to buy a new Bible.

Did you find these tips helpful? Then visit my site for free meditations and other resources to help you heal. Read my blog for more tips and strategies: 101 Christian Blog.

Are biblical prophets relegated to the annals of history? Some religous zealots would say absolutely. However, modern psychics have much in common with the prophets of the bible. Even diehard religious zealots have to admit that biblical prophets had the ability to see the future through dreams, visions, and the revelations of angels. So, why is it incredulous or blasphemous to believe that this phenomenon occurs, in modern day society?

Has the God of the old and new testament forsaken us? After all he did give us his only begotten son Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Indeed even after his son was sacrificed for our sins he granted us the great comforter. Because even after his death and resurrection on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in his stead to impart gifts of the spirit including revelation and prophecy to his faithful followers.

Even in the book of revelations it speaks of prophets that come to warn of the second coming. Still our religious leaders refuse to believe that the prophecy and gifts of the spirit exist. Instead they choose to deny the Holy Spirit and the biblical gifts promised by our holy father. It would seem the true followers of god have been relegated to the fringes of Judeo-Christian philosophy.

Instead of spirituality and the gifts of the spirit we have chosen to worship the almighty dollar. In God we trust? Hardly! It is more like in the all seeing eye of Nimrod we trust! I really think a deeper evaluation of our true motifs as Jews and Christians is in order. It is better that we bring our house in order before God lets forth his angels onto this earth to set his house in order!

Gifts of the spirit should be acknowledged and received, as blessings, by all that believe. Is it coincidence that the leaves change color in the fall or that the flowers bloom in the spring? We see miracles on a daily basis but still live in denial of our true purpose on this planet. To serve and worship our creator

God has a purpose for every one on this planet and every celestial being above and below. God after all created the angels and the Devil. Omnipotence dictates that god knows what we will do before we do. So, to deny or try to empirically quantify Gods existence or the existence of his spiritual gifts is the real blasphemy.

If we could use science to predict the future with high statistical probability would that not be fortune telling and a form of blasphemy? No glory is given to God as we forecast or prophesize the weather. So would that not constitute a type of idolatry? Should weather forecasters wear little horns and carry pitchforks?

Evidently when prophecy is backed by scientific fact it is religiously and biblically acceptable but when there is no way to substantiate a prophecy or vision given by God it is blasphemy. Somehow this ideology seems backwards.

So, before you bash the next psychic or prophet you see just think about how truly blessed you are to see another sunrise. Be thankful for the small gifts god has given to you in your life. Instead of being jealous and hating on a prophet of God try embracing the true teachings of the Bible, like the golden rule.

Fred Gimino owns and opperates the Free Psychic Network. His site provides advice and insight in the hopes that people may live happier more satisfying lives. Content including psychic readings oracles in genres like Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, And Horoscopes may be accessed on and through his site. Why not talk with a live psychic Today?

Christians with rehab and drug abuse issues are eager to understand them, treat them, and to resume a fully productive and satisfying Christ-centered life.

I. How Drug Abuse Starts for Christians

There are many reasons that can contribute to using illegal drugs, and abusing prescription drugs.

Hostility, Anger, or Resentment: When we feel others have power over us, it can feel oppressive, unfair, or unjust. Resentment and anger can build up inside of us, until the point where we can hardly stand it. We want to strike out against those who hurt us, either literally or figuratively.

Retaliation and Pushing Back: We may feel aggressive and frustrated. We want to be more in charge of the situation, but feel we are not. We figure if someone hurts us, we will just push the other way, and hurt them back.

Burying and Hiding Feelings: We try to avoid getting into trouble or confronting our feelings by lying about what is going on. We lie to ourselves and we lie to others. (Me upset? No, I am not upset!) And so, our emotions are hidden deeper and deeper under our facade of lies.

Blaming Others: When things do not go our way, we try to maintain our self-esteem by making it appear to be the fault of someone else. We try to make somebody else look bad.

Reactive Domination: Sometimes when we feel we are not in charge, we try to reverse the situation by acting like we are the Arnold Schwartzenegger of the universe. We act like we are in charge, but deep inside we know we are just fearful. This dichotomy between these two personas, makes us feel bad, and contributes to our guilt and unhappiness.

II. What Happens Next In Christian Drug Use

As the devil of substance abuse begins to enter our life, we are still trying to cope.

We try everything:
- Avoiding time at home.
- Running away for the weekend.
- Making up fantasies that our life is different.
- Daydreaming.
- Sleeping excessively.
- Avoiding human contact.
- Watching television or playing video games.
- Staying at work.
- Keeping to ourselves.
- Pretending we are sick.
- Drifting into depression.

III. When Christians Need Drug Rehab

When you see that drugs are entering your life, and your life as you knew it is vanishing away, that is the time to consider drug rehabb.

Denying that you need help is the greatest hazard. Do not wait until you have lost everything. As soon as you recognize the land mines in your life, seek out a drug rehab.

In looking for a drug rehabilitation program, Christians should utilize the most current information available. Searching the World Wide Web (Internet) may be helpful.

The most important thing for Christians is to search for appropriate treatment for drug dependence, and get signed up as soon as possible. You life could depend on it.

Sobriety comes one step at a time. You are invited to continue learning about Christian drug rehab and how
Christians in recovery .

Who’s turning the clock back? Is it the traditionalists who long for the 1950s or is it progressives who want to turn the clock back all the way to the pagan societies of ancient Greece and Rome?

America has always been a liberal progressive society. (I use the word “liberal” in the classic sense of its meaning.) Americans have a moral impulse to improve society and be the shining city set on a hill.

From its earliest days America has been host to a variety of social movements. Early American church people campaigned to abolish dueling and to reform prisons.

They also worked to end lotteries (several states raised funds through lotteries) and to outlaw abortion. Abortion was an issue in early America.

Abortion was only allowed because medical technology was not advanced enough to discern that a preborn child was a genetically distinct human being. Abortion was outlawed in all the states by the mid 1800s.

Early American Christians lobbied most famously for the abolition of slavery. All of the social reform movements were driven by Bible believing Christians. Christians were the political liberals of the time.

Over in England the evangelical Christian Prime Minister William Gladstone (1809 - 1898) was head of the Liberal Party and as Prime Minister worked to free Ireland and other lands from colonialism’s grip.

All of these social progressive movements were led by Christians. Few secularists were involved. In those days secularism, as a faith, was professed by very few people. Christianity reigned supreme in the hearts and minds of the social reformers.

The early church had also engaged in social reform. In ancient Rome after the conversion of Constantine, Christians lobbied for prison reform, abolition of the gladiator battles and they adopted babies that were left exposed to die.

In the medieval period Christians formed the first universities in the modern sense and Christian Europe was the first continent to abolish slavery.

Modern thinkers tend to take the moral reforms of the last 2,000 years for granted as if such sweeping changes happened by accident. People alive today don’t have much of an idea of what it was like to live in ancient pagan Rome or Greece.

The unbridled brutality of pagan life was recorded by the ancient historians such as Tacitus and Herodotus. Even the writings of Plato and Aristotle depict ancient Greeks leaving babies exposed to die and many other such atrocities.

Ancient Greece and Rome were more than half slave. They obtained slaves by conquering surrounding nations and taking people captive. Wars of aggression were the order of the day.

The Romans forced the Slavic peoples of eastern Europe into slavery to such an extent that even their name “Slavic” became the word for slave.

The pagan tribes of Europe were similarly barbaric and practiced not only slavery but also human sacrifice.

A chapter in Arthur Koestler’s book The Thirteenth Tribe describes life among the pagan tribes of northeastern Europe. The brutality was mind boggling.

Things began to change for the better when the peoples of northeastern Europe converted to Christianity in the tenth century.

This brings us to the social progressives of our own 21st century. Secularists who work for social change appeal to a vague political correctness as moral guide.

Secularists work for “progress” which largely runs counter to Bible based morality.

For instance they consider it “progress” to allow a woman, up to the ninth month of pregnancy to have her baby partially delivered and killed by a doctor using a sharp instrument to penetrate the baby’s skull.

That type of brutality is similar to the ancient pagan Roman practice of infanticide. That is not social progress but is social regress. It is turning the clock back to the social conditions of ancient pagan civilizations.

The acceptance of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle is another reversion to the practices of ancient paganism.

There are now more than a million abortions per year in the United States alone. The culture of death has spread from abortion to doctor assisted suicide to euthanasia.

The social acceptance of fornication and adultery has led to widespread family breakdown and fatherlessness. Family breakdown and abandonment by fathers was also a feature of the ancient “great” civilizations.

“Greatness” was measured by the ability of a civilization to conquer surrounding peoples and seize their land.

Communism can be considered a form of secular fundamentalism. Communists seized power in Russia in 1917 and in China in 1949.

Together these secular communist states not only suppressed Christianity and other religions but also caused the deaths of over 70 million people in their quest to build a secular utopia. Their brutality was worse than that of the ancient pagan societies!

Secularists often laugh at the social agenda of Christians and say: “You’re trying to bring back the 1950s!”

On the contrary however it’s the secularists who knowingly or otherwise seek to turn the clock back all the way to the brutality of the ancient pagan civilizations.

Bill Nugent has written many articles on Christianity, philosophy and science. He has also written books that give Bible based teaching on sanctification and that caution against the error of legalism. His books are available at his website www.gracelawandsonship.com.

Whether you are talking about the use of the evergreen wreath as a holder of candles to light the long December nights or the Wheel that Scandinavians used to hold candles as they prayed to the god of light to turn the wheel of the earth back to the sun, the advent wreaths roots are somewhat sketchy. One think that is know that by the middle ages, Christians were already forming their traditions for the period of time before Christmas and were using this period to prepare for Christ. Using John 3 as their guide the Advent candle seems to support the verse the Light that came into the world to dispel the darkness in sin. The imagery of the advent wreath is Biblical in nature and the symbolism is vast.

The other gems of symbolism are the evergreen as it is a perfect symbol to of everlasting life. Holly is often on the advent wreath. The sharp thorny leaves serve to remind us of the crown of thorns. In England it was once believed the cross was made of Holy. Laurel is another item that can be seen on an advent wreath and it signifies victory. The Victory it signals is over persecution or suffering. Of course a circle has no beginning and no end and that is what God is. He has no beginning or end, In addition Christ is the path to everlasting life. Pinecones and other seed sac items are often used to represent life, where as they items are the seeds of life. When you combine the wreath and meditate on its symbolism in its totality, yo my see that this wreath helps remind us of the everlasting life were are promised by Christ.

The advent candles also have much symbolism. There are 4 candles to start representing the 4 weeks of advent. Lore says the reason 4 weeks was selected was that each candle represents 1,000 years. The cumulative 4,000 is to represent the years from Adam to Christ came into the world as a baby. The three purple candles are to remind us of the penance prayer and the season of preparing room for Jesus in our hearts. The 3rd Sunday is represented by a pink or rose candle and all the vestments and decor of the church changes to the rose color. This is a celebration of the faithful and signals the half way point of Advent. The third Sunday of advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. The word Gaudete means Rejoice and how the Sunday got its name because of the overwhelming sense of joy the church starts to feel as Christmas day approaches. The symbolism of the advent candle lighting in its totality is a way to show commemorate the first coming of Christ and to show we are also hopeful for the second coming.

Again calling to mind the significance of the light and Christs light in the world, the Advent wreath is one item that in any more should call to mind many aspects of the belief in Christ and help keep families grounded during the secular celebration of Christmas.

Fuil line of advent wreaths and advent candles