Ben Carson, a former presidential candidate described a very troubling new survey just released by the Pew Research Center, the report found that Americans are giving up on both God and miracles.
The study identifies a massive 49-percent of those surveyed as “nones,” or those who don’t identify with a religious group, they say they left their church because they simply “don’t believe.” Some said it was because they “don’t believe in miracles.”
Dr Carson said; “As a Christian, and as an American who knows the paramount role that faith played in the founding of our nation, this is alarming. But more importantly, this motivates me. to show how faith can lead to a better life for us as individuals, and how embracing our Judeo-Christian values can lead to a better future for our entire nation…and it doesn’t take a miracle. There are those who hope to whitewash God from our history and transform America into a more secular, European-style nation.”
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one who was converted over 60 years ago and whose faith in God and religion is strong, the above information is difficult to believe. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or commonly known as LDS, is growing around the world. I believe that there are many reasons for that including the fact that we have nearly 80,000 missionaries knocking on doors and teaching anyone who will listen. Christianity is a religion of peace and common sense that emphasizes the importance of the family, the basic unit in life, both before the world, as it is now, and as it will be after mortality. Missionary service is expected by members but not mandatory. A pair of missionaries knock on doors day in and day out trying to find those who are honest of heart who will listen. Those who do and want to believe are expected to change their lives before they are accepted into the church. Those who smoke or drink alcohol are expected to give up those habits. Those living together with a member of the opposite sex are expected to marry or leave the relationship. It is a hard thing for many who have listened and believe it is true to change a few aspects of their lives. Many missionaries, whom together with their companion come home after two years, not having converted even one person, after eighteen months or two years of service. Young ladies missionary service is for eighteen months while young men are gone for two full years. But usually missionaries will find at least one whom they will take to the river or a church baptismal font and baptize them a member of the restored church. It is a proud and exciting thing to see a person accept the Gospel. In some cases a whole family will join the church together. After their children reach the appropriate age they then go on missions and thus the church multiplies and grows. When I joined, there were merely a million members as I recall; now there are over 16 million and growing by about 250,000 a year.
A recent survey of Americans showed that those who ‘no longer believe in God’ has risen from 16% to 22% in just a few short years. This vacillating from believing to non-believing has gone on for centuries. When those who no longer believe try to force the believers to join them and the world becomes wicked and cruel then God will step in and cause a catastrophe humbling the people so that they return and believe. It has been demonstrated historically time and time again. The catastrophe may be a financial crisis or a war or some other event that cause people to rethink their lives and their relationship to a greater being.
True, God is not accessible to the average mortal eye but the evidences of His existence are overwhelming. He is all-powerful and the most intelligent being in the universe, holding it all together. Creating and organizing it the way it is in the first place. Can anyone identify a replacement for Him? He is our Father who loves us regardless of what we have done and seeks and hopes the best for us. He has provided a Plan of life that if followed by us will assure us of happy, loving families and a way to return to His presence. The plan is variously called the Plan of Progression, the Plan of Salvation and even the Plan of Happiness. He has reestablished His church on earth to assist us in and through trying times. God lives and loves and there is no power in the universe that can change that. Why is that so? Because all matter is intelligent and all intelligence honors and obeys Him because He is just and fair to all equally.
For those who question God’s existence, describe for me who or what it was that created this earth to accommodate human beings, etc.? Who created the universe in all its majesty and order? If you say it was the “Big Bang” or some other unexplainable and unreasonable theory you will never get a reasonable person to believe it. There is no substitute for God and when you finally come to that conclusion you will begin to believe and your life will become much more happy and you will begin to progress in a much more steady way. God bless you in your quest.