Month: July 2005

  • Welcome First Time Visitors!

    Welcome to Elder Embree's Updates. Each week this site will be updated to let people know what I am doing as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I became a full time Missionary for the Church on Aug. 17, 2005 and will be released from full time service two years afterwards. Posts before Aug. 17, 2005 are from before I was a missionary.

    I hope that you will enjoy reading about what I am doing, and I hope you will enjoy glancing around the site. Most of the articles and answers to questions you will find here were written by me. The external links, of course, refer to the writings of others. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions or comments you may have. I want this site to be a resource for my friends and guests alike. (read more)

    Thanks,
    Elder Embree

  • ". . . I don't want to tango with you, I'd rather tangle with him. I think i'm gonna bash his head in . . ."

    There is a protected post today. So I'm behind in my entries . . . Wednesday I got a haircut:
    Before: . . . . . . . . . . . After:

    I'm not thrilled with it. The front is cut too straight across. Oh well. At least I have a sexy tan. And I'm certainly looking more and more like a missionary. I mean- compare it to my old lazy days:

    In any event, I hate getting my haircut. Hate it. I hate going to the barber shop because they always do a crappy job, like this haircut. Looks like a robot cut my hair. A $10 robot though. I hate going to the beauty salon just as much though. My hair always looks great- but I have to drop $50. Not to mention I feel like I'm getting way too close to my feminine side. Hence the butcharshop- I mean barbershop haircut.

    That night I got to play Apples to Apples with Megan and Taylor. Then we watched About a Boy. Great game, good movie. I liked it a lot. One more movie off my list. I really want to see Sky High (I know I know) too by the way.

    Yesterday night I got to go to Great America with Megan and her siblings for an hour after work. It was nice to fly superman at night as always.

    Tonight I am going to Michelle Bond's wedding reception. Exciting.
    Edit (11:30):
    The wedding reception was beautiful. The best I've been to. I will miss Michelle so much! I love the Bonds! I am so happy for them now. Is it bad that I was thinking of my future wedding already?

    "You're trying to find a reason for the way you feel. Tonight you're mind is lined with layers of lead. Have you heard one thing that I've said?" (Stroke 9).

  • What are Temples?

    Salt Lake City Temple:

    © 2002, Rick Satterfield.    Temples are different from the regular churches (what we refer to as Meetinghouses, Ward Buildings, and Stake Centers) that we meet in weekly. Unlike the churches, which we use for Sunday services and community events like Boy Scout meetings, temples are reserved for sacred occasions.

    Temples are where Latter-day Saints can be married for time and all eternity. They are also where we make sacred covenants called "endowments" during which we promise to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are also able to perform ordinances (sacraments) like baptism on behalf of those who are dead in the temple. The souls of these deceased can then choose to accept (or not accept) the ordinance that they did not have a chance to participate in during their life on Earth. Because of the sacred nature of the covenants that are made in the temple, only those prepared to make those covenants should enter the inner temple sanctuaries. The Redlands Temple:

    © 2003, David J. Vilt.    Of course, visitors are always welcome to any of our meetings or weekly services in any of our churches.

    The architecture and the paintings and murals in the temple always refer to the grace and majesty of Jesus Christ. Everything we do in the temple refers back to the eternal nature of the family, the divinity of the human soul, and of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have personally felt the power of sacred prayers from the temple. I have witnessed miracles that are a direct result of those prayers. To me temples have always been sacred symbols of comfort, peace, joy, love, and faithfulness. They are symbols of the eternal family, our identities as children of God, and the forgiveness of sins, all of which come together in our Lord, Savior, and Creator Jesus Christ. The temple is truly His Holy House.

    click here to learn more

  • My Testimony

    I believe in our Heavenly Father. He is my friend, my closest confident. I testify that we are His children, that He loves us with an infinite love, and that He is an active force in our lives. I believe that God leads a physical, corporeal existence- that He is the Living God. I long to return to Him to throw my arms around Him and to weep at His feet. I testify that He has cried in the heavens over us because He wants nothing but the best for us and hates to see us hurt. I testify that God so loved the world that He gave His Son, the Only Begotten in the flesh. It is through the suffering of the Son that we can return to our Father.

    I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that He is the Eternal God who created the Earth and all the inhabitants thereof. I believe that He is our advocate with the Father. I believe that He came to Earth in a tabernacle of flesh, and that He showed us how to live. I believe that He is the author of Salvation, that He is the Truth and the Light. I believe that He suffered for the sins and afflictions of all men, that they might turn to Him and be Saved. I believe that Jesus is the way, and that we can only be saved by His Atonement. I rely on that Atonement and on the Savior Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus was killed on Calvary's cross, but that He rose on the third day. He lives. Jesus lives. From His empty tomb, from His words 'come follow me,' from His life and love I gain the hope that sustains me each day.

    I believe in the Book of Mormon, which is a third testament of Jesus Christ. I have grown closer to the Savior and to our Heavenly Father through the Book of Mormon than by any other book. I will always remember the first time I read it cover to cover and gained a personal witness from God that it was true. I testify that anyone can discover for themselves if the Book is true by the power of the Holy Spirit if they will read it, ponder it, and ask God the Father in the name of Christ if it is true with real intent and faith in Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon has enlightened me, inspired me, and blessed me. I am eternally grateful for all scriptures, including the Holy Bible. I testify of their truth.

    I testify without reservation that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, that the Book of Mormon is true, that the Bible is true, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God who literally saw and spoke with the Father and the Son, that Gordon B. Hinckley is the Lord's prophet today, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again upon the Earth. I do this in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

  • ". . . Now, I unfold unto you a mystery . . . there are many mysteries which are kept, that no one knoweth them save God himself. But I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know . . . there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know. . ." (Alma 40:3,9).

    I am in awe at the mercy, power, goodness, and plan of our God.

    Yesterday I had a great conversation with a woman at the pool. We had previously and in brief talked about me being Mormon. Yesterday, out of the blue, she asked about the differences between Mormons and Protestants. She was so excited about what I said. Our conversation soon became about what it is to be a Christian in this area. One of the things she asked me about was what I thought would happen to the Jews since they are God's chosen people. We also talked about whether or not those who do not accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ are immediately damned and what happens between death and resurrection. I explained the LDS concept of the spirit world- of paradise (as explained in Alma 40:6-13) as a period after death when those who have not known or accepted Jesus Christ will be taught about Him and given an opportunity to choose His Gospel.

    Our conversation went so well that when I got home I got a Book of Mormon to give her complete with something that would answer the questions she had about the Jews, the time after death, etc. I prayed so hard that I would be able to see her today to give it to her. When I got to work at three it had been so cloudy all day that not a single person had come to the pool. I assumed that today just wouldn't be the day, after all, who would want to go to the pool with an approaching storm. At three fifteen she pulled into the parking lot. I was shocked.

    With tears in her eyes, she explained to me that yesterday her boyfriend's mother had died- at the same time we had had our conversation. She said that our conversation helped her and her boyfriend get through it because of what I had said about the spirit paradise considering his mom had not necessarily been in the best of spiritual situations. I was so taken a back and touched by her sincerity I didn't know what to say. I presented her with the Book of Mormon and she said that she was very interested in it. We had another great conversation alone in the rain at the pool. She was the only person to come to the pool today, considering as she left it became quite the rainstorm.

    I am amazed at the way God works in our lives. My prayer was answered, but much more importantly peoples lives were touched during hard times. God is good.

    "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." (Alma 40:11).

  • 22 days.

    I find it fascinating that a week ago from yesterday our Stake President asked the stake to pray for rain because of the drought. It has been the worst drought in 17 years, but since the stake began praying eight days ago it has rained on five days. Coincidence? Maybe.

    I hate it when I become too tired to go to sleep.

  • A List of Questions the Book of Mormon Answers:

    Some questions are not easily answered by the Bible alone. Fortunately, in addition to the Bible, we have another sacred volume of scripture called the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon answers these questions and more. These answers can be read by looking up the references in parenthesis on scriptures.lds.org.

    • How can a person discover for his or her self what is true and what is not? (Moroni 10:3-5, page 529)
    • What is the purpose of mans existence? Why did Adam fall? (2 Nephi 2:25, page 59)
    • How can God be both just and merciful? (Alma 42, pages 311-313)
    • What happens to our spirits when we die? (Alma 40:11-14, page 308)
    • Why was Jesus baptized? What does it mean to fulfill all righteousness? (2 Nephi 31:4-9, page 113)
    • Why was the Atonement of Jesus Christ necessary? (2 Nephi 9:4-14, pages 72-74; Alma 34:8-17, pages 293-294)
    • What happened in America when Jesus was born in Bethlehem? (3 Nephi 1:15-21, page 408)
    • What happened in America when Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem? (3 Nephi 8:5-23, pages 422-423)
    • What exactly is the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Savior? (3 Nephi 27:13-21, page 459)
    • What should our attitude be toward the Jews? (2 Nephi 29:4-5, page 110)
    • What will happen to the Jews? (1 Nephi 22, pages 50-53; 2 Nephi 29:14, page 111)
    • To what extent are men accountable for their choices and actions? (2 Nephi 9:25-27, page 75; 2 Nephi 2:27)
    • Do little children need repentance and baptism? (Moroni 8:1-24, page 525-526)
    • How should men be baptized? (Mosiah 7-17, pages 181-182; Moroni 6)
    • Does the Lord always protect the righteous from the unrighteous? (Alma 60:12-13, page 359)
    • Why should we not procrastinate our repentance? (Alma 34:30-41, pages 295-296)
    • What will our bodies be like in the resurrection? (Alma 40:23, page 309)
    • How can we judge what is good and what is evil? (Moroni 7:14-19, page 522)
    • Does the Bible contain all of Gods word? (2 Nephi 29:10, page 110)
    • How can a desire to believe develop into faith? (Alma 32, pages 288-291)
    • How can a person turn personal weakness into strength? (Ether 12:27, page 510)
    • Are we saved by grace, works, or both? (2 Nephi 25:23, pages 99-100)
    • Who is saved? (2 Nephi 2:9, page 57; Alma 42:24, page 313; 3 Nephi 11:33, page 430)
    • What must we rely on to be saved? (Moroni 6:4, page 520)
    • Who is the author of contention? (3 Nephi 11:29, page 429)
    • How can we prosper in the land of America? (2 Nephi 4:4, page 62)
    • How serious is adultery? (Alma 39:5, page 306)
    • Why should we forgive others? (3 Nephi 13:14-15, page 434)
    • How many good things do we have to do? Do we have to do everything? (Mosiah 4:27, page 157)
    • What does the devil want for all men? (2 Nephi 2:27, page 59)
    • Why must there always be opposition? (2 Nephi 2:11-16, pages 57-58)
    • Will a new Jerusalem be built? Where? (Ether 13:2-3, page 512)
    • Why are good works good? (Moroni 7:5, page 521)
    • What is the source of despair? (Moroni 10:22, page 530)
    • If there were to be no miracles or gifts from God, why would that be? (Moroni 10:24, page 530)
    • How can you know that the Book of Mormon is a true book of scripture? (Moroni 10:3-4, page 529)


  • Introduction to the Word, by Jeffrey Hein © 2005

    I think Jeffrey Hein is the next good LDS artist. I became first interested in him when I saw his painting "Raising of the Daughter of Jairus" in the Ensign a while back. There are still a lot of things he has to work on. His spiritual work is not as sucessful as his contemporary work mostly because he hasn't broken through enough clichés. Thus far Walter Rane is still the best LDS artist of all time, but it is good to see other artists raising the bar and helping us get past the Greg Olsen's that haunt the LDS art world.

    Do you remember how excited I was to meet Walter Rane and hear him speak and see his newest paintings? You can see those paintings on www.josephsmith.net. There are two- go to the first vision and find the ones by Walter Rane under the Before and During sections. My favorite is the second one- the First Vision itself. I have to say that this whole josephsmith.net site is very well done and should be visited in honor of Joseph Smith's upcoming 200th birthday.

    P.S. Speaking of websites- I cannot wait for you all to see the new xanga skin- DBE_BG1 will soon become a completely new site. Anticipate the change on August 1st. I've put so much work into the site, so I hope you will visit, look around, and then send letters and care packages to the address I will provide.

  • I feel like a new man. No, I am a new man. It is shocking to me how different I feel. New with greater powers, reverence, understanding, and appreciation for Jesus Christ and Our Father. New with a clearer mind. New with a greater desire to do good and a new disgust for the filth of the world. I feel like I suddenly understand things. And now I see how all those others who cannot understand these things become so lost and confused. Understanding. I never realized its power.


    Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hoffman

    Oh, and you youth reading. Do you know how intimately the Church and its members care about you? Do you know that the most sacred of prayers are offered in love, protection, and hope for you? I didn't, and I wish I had.

  • So you are going to get two rather lengthy posts in the same day. Deal.

    There is just so much power in the scriptures. Today as I was preparing for my departure talk (which is Aug. 14, you should come) I was lead to John chapter 5. This chapter was so moving for me. It begins with the scene of one of my absolute favorite paintings: Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda by Carl Bloch. After that tender scene Christ reveals amazingly bold doctrine with such power and subtle wisdom. When questioned about the healing Jesus had performed on the Sabbath, Jesus refers to God as His Father. His questioners were angry with Him because of the significance of that statement. They were angry because he had said "God was his Father, making himself equal with God" (John 5:18). What a profound statement of Christ's divine role, and what a profound thought considering we consider ourselves the children of God, meaning that God is our Father. (Matthew 5:48)

    As I continued reading I was struck by verses 25-29. Here Christ teaches that the dead will hear His voice, and those that hear and accept His voice will be saved. Latter-day Saints have long and often been criticised for believing that the dead will have the opportunigy to learn the gospel, repent, and accept Jesus Christ- and yet here it is plain and simple in the Bible, "all that are in the graves shall hear his voice," (v. 28). And then they shall live. And how shall they live? By coming forth in one of two resurrections: "they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (v. 29).

    You may also note that this passage makes it clear that the Father and Son are distinct beings. Vs. 26 reads, "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" Then again in v. 30, "I can of mine own self do nothing. . . because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." Two selves are mentioned, and two wills. In fact Jesus acknowledges that His will is distinct from the Father's, but that He chooses His Father's will over His own. Jesus is His "own self".

    I was most touched by the next part of the chapter. Jesus testifies of His divine mission and authority to these accousers with the witnesses of others. First the witness of John the Baptist, then the witness of the actual works and miracles of Jesus, then the witness of God Himself, and finally the witness of God's words- the scriptures. In v. 39 Christ exhorts, "Search the scriptures; for . . . they are they which testify of me." As I read that my heart was filled and my mind turned to the ancient prophets of the Book of Mormon who testified of Jesus Christ. I have searched the scriptures, and I add my witness that they do in fact testify of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament- those writings of the pre-Christ prophets- foretold in word and in spirit that Jesus Christ would come. Likewise the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ. These sacred companion records are true- "they are they which testify of [Christ.]"

    I am so grateful for everything that testifies of Christ, but most especially for the Book of Mormon and the Bible. I have found within their pages words of comfort, inspiration, power, wisdom, thrill, passion, and divinity. The more I read and study the Book of Mormon, the more I become convinced that the Bible is true and that Jesus is the Christ. The more I read and study the Bible, the more I am convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains in full the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh the power of the scriptures. Unlock that power in your life.