The Dark Knight of Apostasy

Shining, happy city...

Apostasy: (a) Distortion or rejection of truth. (b) Loss or absence of Priesthood Authority

Once upon a time in Gotham City, an honorable police force guarded the city. The citizens lived peacefully knowing that they would protect and uphold the law. They had power given to them from on high, otherwise known as the State. They maintained that authority by living the law that they swore to uphold.

Then, the 1920's came around. With the Prohibition of alcohol and other spirits, criminals organized themselves into gangs and mafias. Despite the Gotham City Police Department's efforts to prevent the sale and smuggling of liquor, the crime families became too strong for them to be effectively removed from the city. With little resources and growing opposition, the police and Feds fought a losing battle.

Lost in the fog and gloom...

The Nation did away with the Prohibition Act, but the damage was done. The Mafia put their own system into place within the GCPD, this time with officers receiving bribes and the honorable ones occasionally disappearing in the night only to be found a few days later in the river. Crime spread and became the norm for Gotham. Within a decade, this shining city turned to rust and decay.

What police force they had by the late 20th century, was a joke. This became all too apparent to young Bruce Wayne as he watched Joe Chill, a small time thief, shoot and kill his parents in front of him. The injustice and corruption in the city had gone too far, and he determined that something had to be done by someone. Coincidentally, the vigilante Batman burst onto the Gotham scene when he grew old enough to change the world.

Pow!

This Dark Knight watched over and protected Gotham, opposed on both sides for the good he did and because he went about doing so in the wrong way. Even though Batman took down crime rings, halted super-villains in their tracks, and saved Gotham from utter destruction now and again, he had no authority given to him by The State to play Judge, Jury, Police Officer, Lawmaker, and Animal Control. As a vigilante, he was a criminal himself.

The only way for Gotham to return to its original light and glory is to completely overhaul the system and restore the GCPD to its original integrity by the Governor of The State. His chosen representative(s) would fire the bad cops and call the good cops to higher, nobler positions. Then the citizens of Gotham can live happier safe lives.

We in the real world do not have to wait for such a day to come. After centuries of darkness following the death of Christ's apostles, priesthood authority has been restored to the earth by our loving Heavenly Father. Original gospel truths, once lost due to Apostasy, have been given to us through modern revelation and the Book of Mormon.

I invite everyone, member and investigator alike, to read the Book of Mormon, ponder the message it contains, and to ask God in prayer if it is true. I know that the Holy Ghost will testify to you that it is true, and help strengthen your testimony in our Savior Jesus Christ.

We Believe in Biblical Things

We Believe...

That God spoke to a young boy and called him to be a prophet.

That Christ's true church can only be restored through divine power and with His authority.

That we don't know everything, but that God gives prophets revelations to help us understand His gospel.

        

In living the Gospel of Jesus Christ through all aspects of our lives.

     

That the Ten Commandments are not obsolete.

    
In the Law of Chastity.

    

In health codes and taking care of our bodies.

    

That the dead can be raised and the sick healed through priesthood power and authority.

That spiritual gifts are given to every man to help others grow in the Gospel.

That the Twelve Tribes of Israel will be gathered and that the Abrahamic Covenant still applies today

       

That Christ suffered for all our pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, infirmities, and transgressions, was crucified, and rose again the third day to conquer death. 

That he will come again to the Earth in great power and glory, and we are eagerly preparing for that day.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in Biblical things. Through God, all things are possible, no matter how improbable they seem. I know that my Savior lives and that He loves me. I know that Jesus Christ's church has once again been restored to the earth, and we have the fullness of the Gospel and its blessings in His church. These things I testify as true in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Why do we need Prophets and Scriptures if we can just Pray?

I guess because Heavenly Father would rather not repeat Himself if He can help it.

Us missionaries have this term for the three basic things you have to do regularly to stay steady and on track. They're also the three basic sources of revelation: CPR, or Go to CHURCH, PRAY, and READ the Scriptures. They're all commandments from God, given to us to enrich and bless our lives.

CHURCH

Mosiah 4:1-3, an entire people become converted during General Conference, Book of Mormon style.

Before you head off to church on Sunday, grab a notebook and have a question in your heart. A Spirit-filled service where other members have come to be edified is the perfect place to listen to those quiet promptings. As you listen to what the speakers and teachers have prayerfully and thoughtfully prepared, something they say may stick out to you or bring up a memory. Write it down. Record the thoughts that come into your mind.

Coming to church is a fantastic opportunity to listen to things that have been revealed through Modern Revelation. This could mean words spoken by the Prophet and his Apostles in General Conference, but it could also be as simple as a Bishop extending a calling or asking the ward to work on a particular aspect of the Gospel.

Even then, we don't just blindly accept everything we're told. We have to take it all and Pray about it...

PRAY

Alma 37:35-37, Counsel with the Lord, and He will direct thee for good.

Imagine that you've been given 15 minutes to talk to the Prophet. Before you go, are you going to prepare some questions to ask him? Or are you just going to wing it? I know I would try to think of some things to ask President Monson ahead of time because if I didn't, we'd just chat for a bit and I'd have wasted his time.

When we pray, we're talking to the Supreme Creator of the Universe, and he wants to hear from us. It should be a sacred experience, not five minutes where we ramble on because we know we have to. Bring a notebook to your closet. In a conversation, two people speak. Record what God tells you through the Holy Ghost. They could be random thoughts that come into your head, or an impression to open your scriptures.

Then, compare what you've been told to what has been written in the scriptures...

READ

1 Nephi 19:22-23, Liken all scriptures to yourself.

There's a saying that we talk to God by praying, but if we want him to talk back to us, we read the scriptures. One time, I really needed some sort of direction with how to act. I struggled to figure out how to work with this one person in my life, and I didn't have the option to run. I went into my closet and prayed for help. Then I opened the scriptures up. One was on forgiving others until seventy times seven. The other was on teaching by example. These two verses helped me know exactly how I needed to approach this situation, and I found them exactly when Heavenly Father wanted me to read them.

Al Carraway shared one way she received revelation by reading Ether. Clayton Christensen teaches us to Pray, Read, Write, Pray. Revelation from the scriptures comes from interacting with them. And sometimes we need to discuss the scriptures with our church leaders to understand them...

Church, Pray, Read. It's how we Endure to the End.

I know that doing these three basic things will help us stand firmly and on a sure foundation when the winds and tempests of trials and temptations beset us. I've seen it in my own life. When I wasn't praying everyday or reading my scriptures, I was drowning in the world and I didn't even realize it. Then I went on a mission. Suddenly, I was praying constantly and reading daily. I had never stopped going to church, but now it's never been so meaningful to take the sacrament and listen to the speakers and lessons. My testimony has never been so strong, and I'm looking forward to maintaining it at home where things will be different.