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Show jit Mil ifittiiiiWiifiirrr"-- - EDITORIAL Pda I PACE ndiirferentism' long ago as the days of Peter and Paul, even back into Old Testament times, indifferent attitudes toward s Gospel truths have been combatted by of revealed religion. The dont care attitude which is so common today, is nothing new. Neither is it -onfined to matters of religion. But always it is the enemy of him who possesses it. It spells retrogression and destruction. Did any great man ever achieve preeminence by a dont care attitude? Did the dont care individual ever graduate from college with honors, or make the football team, or become president of the United 9 As advo-cafc- States ? THOSE WHO CAKE are those who achieve, and those who care obtain results. Whereas the dont care attitude is fatal, spiritually speaking, for those who pay no heed to Gospel teachings it is nearly as difficult for those within religious groups who dont care to which denomination they belong, or to which baptism they subscribe, or who say that it doesnt matter whether one belongs to any church at all, if he lives a moral and honest life. One cannot be honest with himself by retaining these views. With Christ, there is a stand to take, a line to follow, a dedication to accept. It was He who taught that there is but one way, a single straight gate, one fold and one Shepherd. It was Paul who taught one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, and who asked in all candor: Is Christ divided? COMFORTING as it may seem to some to believe that any creed will do, it nevertheless is a false notion. It was not so with Christ. The Savior made this plain as He spoke to the Pharisees of His day (Matt. 15) and clearlv taught that uninspired precepts of men will not save, neither will old traditions - nor long cherished dictums. ' The new Jerusalem Bible translation ' m.kes this even more clear than does the King James version, and says: The worship they offer me is worthless; the doctrines they teach are only human In the rendering given in Mark 7 :6-- this version says: This people honors me only with lip service while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless; the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human tradiHow ingentions. And He said to them iously you get around the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition. - - - You make Gods tvord null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this. The Authentic New Testament sustains the Jerusalem (Catholic) Bible. It is useless for them to worship me while teaching as doctrine, injunctions of men. Their The New English Bible says: as is me in of teach for vain they worship doctrines the commandments of men. Every person has his free agency, and each one is entitled to worship in whatever way he chooses. But he must remember that some forms of worship, as indicated above by the Savior, cannot provide salvation. Indifference to religion is deadly, bot spiritually and morally, and largely has been responsible for the widespread immorality, crime and corruption which face us today. BUT INDIFFERENCE to the kind of religion is equally misleading. If Christ is not divided, there can be no division over the necessity of baptism, for Christ commanded it. There can be no division as to the mode of baptism, because only immersion is a baptism. There can be no division as to authority, for only those called by current revela-- . tion through a living prophet are authorized servants of God. (Heb. 5:4) The world is endeavoring to heal the wounds of denominationalism through ecumenical movements. But only an acceptance of the principle of One Lord, one faith (or religion) and one baptism can bring it about. And that Lord must be Jesus Christ. That faith must be His Gospel IN ITS PURITY, untrammeled by manmade innovations, and that baptism must be that with which the Savior himself set the example. There is , , only one way. GEMS OF THOUGHT 'Silver T bread Shines T hrough Bloody T apestry r from an jJJren b 1 VUcr Cinrdnn B Wmk.c ) debuted at Cenetal Conference, tn April, 96ft. Oile cannot have been to Vietnam as I have been on a number of occasions and felt in some small measure the sorrow cf the land, witnessed the tragic burdens of the people, seen the bechildren of orphan reavement and weeping mothers, and talked with our men in uniform without making a plea for peace a part of his daily prayer. And yet, there is a brighter side. There is a cause that is fought for. There is in all minis hearts a love for freedom and a hatred for oppression. This war is the outgrowth of a devilish be-iti- 16 CHURCH WEEK ENDING lust for power and a Satanic will to impose on others a system of government that is the very antithesis of the Lords way. Millions in that part of the world would rather die than live in slavery. We pray tiiat the Almighty will give strength to their cause. War is evil. It ever has been. It is now. But I see a silver thread shining through all the dark and bloody tapestry of this present conflict. The hand of the Iflid is plucking good from the evil designs of the adversary. I see coming out of this conflict, as 1 have witnessed come out of an in oilier conflicts Asia, OCTOBER 5. 1968 . . of the Lords enlargement program. I am convinced that there are many and will bp many in that land who some day will respond to the message of the Restored Gospel. I do not know when that cay will come, but I am confident that it will come.-anthat the efforts of your sons who are there in military service will make that day possible. Without them presence I would see small prospect short of a century. We do not have regular missionaries there yet. I do not know when we shall be able to send them. But I am confident that day will come. ... BOOK OF MORMON PROFILES Amulek: Receives Call The call to serve the Lord came to Amulek of Amonihah directly from an angel. Journeying to visit a close relative, Amulek was accosted by a messenger of God, who told the wealthy, . . . return to thine own house, influential Nephite, for thou shalt feed a prophet of the Lord ; yea, a holy man, who is a chosen man of God . . . and he shall bless thee and thy house The holy man was Alma, the Younger, whose appeals to the citizens of Ammonihah to forsake their evil ways and return to God fell upon deaf ears. In disappointment, Alma was leaving the city when an angel appeared to him also, and instructed him to return and continue his cries for repentance. Amulek, obedient to the angels instruction, returned home. En route he came upon Alma, invited . him to his home, and was converted to the Gospel. I never have known much of the ways of the Lord and his mysteries, and marvelous power, Amulek later testified, but through his association with Alma, he came to know the truth and labored valiantly the remainder of his life to teach the Gospel of Christ to his fellow Nephites. The labor of missionary work, however, cost him dearly. He was cast into prison, abused, and saw the destruction of many who were burned because of their testimonies. Finally, escaping from prison by the hand of God, Amulek and Alma abandoned Ammonihah to its fate destruction by the Lamanites and journeyed to the land of Zarahemla where they were successful in establishing the Church. In leaving Ammonihah, Amulek forsook all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were in the land Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred. But Amulek never lost his testimony, gained through Almas friendship. Because of his faithfulness, Amulek taught many of the Children of Lehi It) walk in paths of righteousness . . . having got the victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in ils purity in all the land, the Lord pouring out his blessings upon the people. Judging from the sermons of Amulek, he appears to have been a man of broad education, unfaltering integrity, and of zealous faith. He was a man of affectionate character who became a favorite of Alma and accompanied this great Nephite prophet in many missionary ventures Amulek loved his family intensely, and had deep compassion for the faithful. Yet he loved the Lord more, and gavp up all he had for the riches and happiness of the gospel. ... , Illustration adapted from "The Book of Mormon Sioty" Deseret Book Co, Rona'd Cros-by- , artisi. |