Welcome to "A Voice From the Dust"

On December 15 2007, Elder M. Russell Ballard urged the graduating students at BYU-Hawaii to use blogs and other forms of "new media' to become part of the international discussion about the church's beliefs. He said "“We cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches". Since then I have struggled to figure out how exactly I would be involved in this. Read more about the speech here

At first my inclination was to be a type of "apologetic" for the hot questions surrounding my faith; with the goal of helping others see the answers to these questions from a more rounded point of view. After some serious thought about this I came to the conclusion that it would not have the desired effect for others or any real level of personal spiritual impact for me.

But, one morning, during my reading of the Book of Mormon I was inspired on what to do. One of the most misunderstood parts of the Latter-day Saint faith is the Book of Mormon. I can testify and even argue all week about its truthfulness, but the effect would be minimal and the effort lost. Instead I am going to simply publish my thoughts about what I learn in my morning readings. It won't be anything fancy, just simple lessons that I feel others can benefit from.

Hopefully, as time passes, someone out there will see just how powerfully the Book of Mormon can be in a person's life - and pick up a copy for themselves.
Of course I will refer to other scriptures also as I attempt to provide some taste of the spirit that comes from reading all of God's words.

Why "A Voice From the Dust"?

In the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Nephi writes:

"And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day. And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come"

He knew that he was not writing these words for his people living at that time, but for people who would live long after he had finished his earthly mission - he wrote it for us. His words come from a long time ago, from the dust, but they could not be any more relevant for today's world.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said:

"The standard works are all indispensable to our understanding the things of God. The Bible provides the foundation of our faith: The Old Testament gives the word of Jehovah through His ancient prophets; the New Testament sets forth, in language beautiful and moving, the matchless life and sacrifice of the Savior of mankind. The Book of Mormon stands as an added testament of Jesus Christ. Through its pages march the testimonies of prophets of the New World. Majestic in its sweep of history, its chapters are filled with the tragedy of war, with divine warnings, and with God-given promises. It speaks as a voice from the dust to a world that needs to listen." [The Ensign, January 1989] The Order and Will of God

I only hope that someone reading this blog will find the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, and take its words into their hearts.