Words of counsel

To the Most Wonderful Family in the Whole World!!

This letter will be a little different than my other letters.  Dad and I have been concerned about the state of the world around us, especially in the church, and we would like to share our ideas with you.

We have been concerned about different people we know who have left the church.  Some make a wrong choice (like Word of Wisdom, morality, etc.) and feel embarrassed to go to church and then just get out of the habit.  Others start questioning the doctrine and go to sources outside of the church much of which has been written by former members.  They then try to convince others of their newfound belief or unbelief.  This latter group is what concerns us the most.

There isn't anything good that can come from reading anti-Mormon literature.  It only plants seeds of doubt and I think that it comes directly from Satan.  It doesn't make any sense to us when someone has a question that they read that stuff instead of the scriptures.  You can find the answers to just about every question in the scriptures.  There isn't any need to go searching elsewhere.  Please stay away from it just as you would tobacco, alcohol or drugs.  It can be just as harmful to you, maybe even more so.

Jacob referred to people who "sought for things that they could not understand" as "looking beyond the mark."  Emily and I were talking on Sunday about global warming and as I was telling her some facts and figures from a paper I was reading she said, "Mom, you can find anything on the internet to back up your opinion so it is hard to know what is really truth." (Or she said something like that.)  That is really true.  One thing for certain is this:  The scriptures don't change and they are true!

I think that Mosiah chapter 4 is really powerful.  I really like verse 9 which starts out, "Believe in God..."  That is a phrase that Grandpa Sonderegger called a "three-word sermon."  The rest of that verse is powerful as well as verses 10, 19, 20, and 30.  Verse 30 is especially powerful.  I hope that you will read them.  

Dad and I don't want to lose any of our family.  Grandma Benson said to me one time many years ago, "You have to be on your guard 24 hours a day."  That is really true.  I hope that you don't mind this letter but as we see more and more people leaving the church, and people we know, we felt like we needed to warn our family.  We love you all very much.

Love,

Mom and Dad