Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin Passes Away
Tuesday December 2, 2008
Elder Wirthlin, the oldest living Apostle at age 91, died last night around 11:30 pm. The LDSNewsroom announced that he died due to age, but went peacefully ("Joseph B. Wirthlin, Oldest Apostle, Dies, Age 91").Elder Wirthlin was a wonderful man, a true Apostle of God, and a witness of Jesus Christ. He testified of the divinity of Jesus Christ and served the Lord by serving others. Here are some excellent quotes by Elder Wirthlin that show his love and testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel:
Testimony of Jesus ChristElder Joseph B. Wirthlin will sorely be missed until we see him again. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe that there is life after death, that death is not the end, and that all mankind will be resurrected.
"Knowing that Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of God in the spirit and the Only Begotten Son in the flesh gives a far more noble and majestic view of him than if he were just a great teacher or philosopher. He is our Lord, the Redeemer of all mankind, our Mediator with the Father. Because of his love for us, he has atoned for the sins of the world and has provided a way for the faithful to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence" ("Fruits of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Nov 1991, 15).
Peace Through Jesus Christ
"Despite dismal conditions in the world and the personal challenges that come into every life, peace within can be a reality. We can be calm and serene regardless of the swirling turmoil all about us. Attaining harmony within ourselves depends upon our relationship with our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and our willingness to emulate him by living the principles he has given us" ("Peace Within," Ensign, May 1991, 36).
Never Give Up
"We must never give up, regardless of temptations, frustrations, disappointments, or discouragements.
"I believe that perseverance is vital to success in any endeavor, whether spiritual or temporal, large or small, public or personal. Think seriously of how important perseverance, or the lack of it, has been in your own endeavors, such as Church callings, schooling, or employment. I believe that essentially all significant achievement results largely from perseverance" ("Never Give Up," Ensign, Nov 1987, 8 ).
Death is Not the End
"It is my solemn testimony that death is not the end of existence. 'If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.' Because of the risen Christ, 'death is swallowed up in victory.'
"Because of our beloved Redeemer, we can lift up our voices, even in the midst of our darkest Fridays, and proclaim, 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?'
"When President Hinckley spoke of the terrible loneliness that comes to those who lose the ones they love, he also promised that in the quiet of the night a still, unheard voice whispers peace to our soul: 'All is well.'
"I am grateful beyond measure for the sublime true doctrines of the gospel and for the gift of the Holy Ghost, which has whispered to my soul the comforting and peaceful words promised by our beloved prophet.
"From the depths of my sorrow, I have rejoiced in the glory of the gospel. I rejoice that the Prophet Joseph Smith was chosen to restore the gospel to the earth in this last dispensation. I rejoice that we have a prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, who directs the Lord's Church in our day.
"May we understand and live in thanksgiving for the priceless gifts that come to us as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and for the promise of that bright day when we shall all rise triumphant from the grave.
"That we may always know that no matter how dark our Friday, Sunday will come is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen" ("Sunday Will Come," Ensign, Nov 2006, 28–30).
A new apostle will not be announced and sustained until the next General Conference which will be held the first weekend of April 2009.
[Photo: Copyright The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS.org]
Here’s a million dollar question – If you were to die right now, would you qualify for the celestial kingdom? If you’re like most Mormons, you’re not sure. You try hard to be as good as possible, but you still don’t know if you’ve done enough. If the Book of Mormon is really scripture, this hope will always elude you. Alma 11:37 says God cannot save you in your sins. Are all of your sins forgiven? Moroni 10:32 says you must be perfected in Christ, which can only be done by denying yourself of “all ungodliness”. Have you done that? Do you repent on a regular basis? Is so, then it is clear that you sin on a regular basis, since only those who break the commandments need to repent. 1 Nephi 3:7 states that you are able to keep His commandments. In fact according to D&C 25:15, you are required to keep them continually! Since you haven’t done this so far, why assume you will in the future? Of course, we should all try to be holy; but if you think that sinning less will qualify you to live in God’s presence, you are mistaken (Gal 3:1-11). The assumption that good works are required for forgiveness only cheapens Christ’s atonement, making it nothing more than a partial payment. God chooses to justify us by faith. Jesus alone does the “perfecting” (Heb 10:14). God gives peace to those who trust in Him alone. If you don’t have this peace, it’s probably because at least a part of you trusts in yourself. Questions? Visit us at http://www.gotforgiveness.com
Hey Ty, I appreciate your concern, but I think that you’re missing some important details of Mormon Doctrine. I’m really honored that you have such a great interest in our religion as to study the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. The thing that I’d like to explain to you is that we don’t follow God’s commandments as if it were some sort of a “brownie point” system, and the people with the most points obtain eternal glory with God the Father in the Celestial Kingdom. This simply could not be the case. We Latter-day saints are fully aware of our shortcomings and weaknesses, and thus rely fully on the Atonement of Jesus Christ for salvation (see 2 Nephi 2:8; Alma 22:14; or Moroni 6:4 if you don’t believe me). In fact, we know that our lame attempts at gaining salvation couldn’t come remotely close to gaining salvation. Instead, we try to follow what Jesus said in John 14:15 “if you love me, keep my commandments,” as this teaching is also reflected in Mormon doctrine (Doctrine and Covenants 42:29). So, in reality the reason that a Latter-day Saint should keep God’s commandments is so that they can not only show their love for God, but it also helps them develop love for both God and his fellow man. It’s not like our father in Heaven gave commandments as good suggestions, but he wants us to obey them so that we can live happy, healthy, fulfilling lives. What father doesn’t want this for his children? And what loving child wouldn’t want to be obedient to his Father that he knows he can have complete faith in?