It
is an astounding testimony builder for me to see that even Nephi was
shown that the different sects
of religion would be a tool created by Satan; creating contention and causing division are the chains
that hold individuals from desiring to seek out the fulness of the gospel that is found in The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
of religion would be a tool created by Satan; creating contention and causing division are the chains
that hold individuals from desiring to seek out the fulness of the gospel that is found in The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In 2 Nephi 28:3-4 Nephi says that the Book of Mormon will come forth
and, " It shall
come to pass in that day the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when one will say
unto the other; Behold I, I am the Lord's; and the other shall say: I, I am the Lord'; and thus shall\
everyone say that have build up churches and not unto the Lord. And they shall contend one with
another, and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning and
deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance."
come to pass in that day the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when one will say
unto the other; Behold I, I am the Lord's; and the other shall say: I, I am the Lord'; and thus shall\
everyone say that have build up churches and not unto the Lord. And they shall contend one with
another, and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning and
deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance."
There are many senerios exactly like Nephi has mentioned, but there is
one man in
particular whom I admire, that sacrificed much for the experiences that Nephi describes in these verses. His name is Arius, and he was willing to die rather than deny what he knew about God to be true. Arius was a Priest in Alexandria of Egypt.
He taught a fundamental truth about the nature of the God head; one in which I am certain that the
\ Holy Ghost confirmed to him. Arius was influential among many Bishops; and he had such an influence that his beliefs became a major cause for the very first governmental meeting put on by Constantine regarding the church. This meeting was named
the " Council of Nicaea ". At this council Constantine invited 1,800 Bishops to come and vote on
what is now called the, " Arian Controversy " which was named after Arius himself. The belief
that Arius taught was that God and Jesus Christ were not the same individuals, and this belief was
grounded in many scriptures like John 14:28:
particular whom I admire, that sacrificed much for the experiences that Nephi describes in these verses. His name is Arius, and he was willing to die rather than deny what he knew about God to be true. Arius was a Priest in Alexandria of Egypt.
He taught a fundamental truth about the nature of the God head; one in which I am certain that the
\ Holy Ghost confirmed to him. Arius was influential among many Bishops; and he had such an influence that his beliefs became a major cause for the very first governmental meeting put on by Constantine regarding the church. This meeting was named
the " Council of Nicaea ". At this council Constantine invited 1,800 Bishops to come and vote on
what is now called the, " Arian Controversy " which was named after Arius himself. The belief
that Arius taught was that God and Jesus Christ were not the same individuals, and this belief was
grounded in many scriptures like John 14:28:
" The Father is greater than I
". Arius's teachings resulted in his excommunication and exile to
Illyria. Later it was speculated that his sudden death came as a result of being poisoned by his opponents. Historians later reported that Constantine whom had never been baptized as a Christian during his lifetime was either ironic or not a
coincidence that when he was baptized on his death bed, it was performed by an Arian Bishop.
Constantius II who succeeded Constantine was Arian himself, however his successor Theodosius
effectively wiped out all Arianism once and for all through an Imperial Decree, persecution and the Second Ecumenical Council in 381 while expanding the Nicene Creed.
Illyria. Later it was speculated that his sudden death came as a result of being poisoned by his opponents. Historians later reported that Constantine whom had never been baptized as a Christian during his lifetime was either ironic or not a
coincidence that when he was baptized on his death bed, it was performed by an Arian Bishop.
Constantius II who succeeded Constantine was Arian himself, however his successor Theodosius
effectively wiped out all Arianism once and for all through an Imperial Decree, persecution and the Second Ecumenical Council in 381 while expanding the Nicene Creed.
The devotion to rid the world of this belief should be testimony of
it's truth and as
Elder Lawrence Corbridge ( of the Seventy ), best stated it in his April 2014 conference talk titled,
" Joseph Smith " he said when looking for truth that Satan would like to shut out, " Look for the
biggest dust cloud billowing above the most dirt that is kicked" and that " Opposition, criticism and
antagonism are companions to truth- whenever the truth with regard to purpose and destiny of man is
revealed there will always be a force to oppose it."
Elder Lawrence Corbridge ( of the Seventy ), best stated it in his April 2014 conference talk titled,
" Joseph Smith " he said when looking for truth that Satan would like to shut out, " Look for the
biggest dust cloud billowing above the most dirt that is kicked" and that " Opposition, criticism and
antagonism are companions to truth- whenever the truth with regard to purpose and destiny of man is
revealed there will always be a force to oppose it."
Nephi knew this truth as he wrote of church's contending with one
another, and I
am sure that Arius and Nephi were smiling with great joy in their hearts on that day when Jesus Christ Himself, and God The Father Himself appeared to Joseph Smith in that sacred grove. I am also sure that they are smiling down as we read the Book
of Mormon today, and I am sure that the heavens rejoice that on Nov.18th President Henry B. Eyring
is set to meet with the Vatican and other religious leaders in a meeting. This time the meeting
will not be to create a memorized statement like the Nicene Creed; but to come together in the common belief that we all hold about man and woman being married as a sacred practiced honored by God.
am sure that Arius and Nephi were smiling with great joy in their hearts on that day when Jesus Christ Himself, and God The Father Himself appeared to Joseph Smith in that sacred grove. I am also sure that they are smiling down as we read the Book
of Mormon today, and I am sure that the heavens rejoice that on Nov.18th President Henry B. Eyring
is set to meet with the Vatican and other religious leaders in a meeting. This time the meeting
will not be to create a memorized statement like the Nicene Creed; but to come together in the common belief that we all hold about man and woman being married as a sacred practiced honored by God.
I am not sure why Satan continues to try, knowing ultimately he will fail, as Joseph Smith stated
in the Wentworth Letter;
in the Wentworth Letter;
"The
Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the
work from progressing;
persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth
of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited
every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be
accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth
of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited
every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be
accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
( All of this information came from Wikipedia under the topic of : The Council of Nicaea, Arius,
and Arian Controversy )
and Arian Controversy )
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