My Spiritual Journey

By LaPrele P Jordan

This (book) is the spiritual journey I have taken from being a Mormon, to being Johannine to coming back to the Mormon faith, but in a different capacity. This is all about building belief in Jesus Christ and the twists and turns I've taken to maintain my integrity. Do you feel the world or your religion just isn't what you expected or believed

• Language: English
• Publisher: LaPrele P Jordan
• Release date: Nov 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890219664

LaPrele P Jordan

I was born and raised in a wonderful little town in Southern Utah. My father was a very good man and well informed in the scriptures. I was taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it meant everything to me and has guided my life until the present. It has not been an easy trip, but I must maintain my integrity despite the difficulties I have encountered. I married and had a large family- they are good people and I love them deeply. My faith and my family are my life. I had ten children and then because of irreconcilable differences, I was divorced from my first husband and the father of my children. I was very ill at that time and it was the most difficult. I have a wonderful family, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We have a great deal of love in our family even though I have not been in the Mormon Church for twenty-five years. It's something we don't even talk about.

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My

Spiritual

Journey

My

Spiritual

Journey

He lived for us

and

He died for us

LaPrele P. Jordan

Copyright © 2023 By LaPrele Jordan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

979-8-89021-966-4 eBook

979-8-89021-967-1 PB

979-8-89021-968-8 HB

Preface

Feeling that it is of the utmost importance that I inform others of the truths I have discovered during my almost eighty years of experiences upon this earth, I’m writing to share my story in hopes that what I’ve been through may be of assistance to others who are struggling to make sense of what is going on in this poor, disillusioned world we live in.

What has happened to having integrity and solid moral values especially those principles and ethics that are so pertinent to our well being and happiness?

Personally, I view the changes I’ve seen throughout my life as being so important that it would be beneficial for me to reveal some of what I know to be true. That being said, I never would have made this attempt if it weren’t for me being convinced that the Holy Spirit has asked me to do so.

In doing so, I wanted to give a more detailed account of my life and my spiritual journey but found that at my age it is beyond my capacity to do so. It would be much easier not to write this, but I don’t want to face the Lord on the other side and have Him ask my why I didn’t. He knows I know of His expectation that I use the trials I’ve been through to help others and if I can help even one person, it will have been well worth it to write this account.

So even though many may find it difficult to read my message, it is very important to us all that we open our eyes, ears and hearts to the truth for it is better to know the truth no matter how horrible it is then to be deceived. Truth is often really hard to hear but it is never evil as coming to the knowledge of the truth is the only way to be liberated for it is the truth that makes us free (John 8:3).

Everyone is on their own spiritual journey but the worth of every soul is great in the eyes of God. My journey began with an upbringing of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon and, knowing that their teachings are true, they have been a guide for me throughout all my life.

Having been brought up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and knowing nothing different, unless they are very familiar with the scriptures, my story may be difficult for many younger people to understand. Church history has been sanitized and vital teachings that I was raised with are no longer taught.

Members used to be taught to think for themselves and allowed to let the spirit dictate what topics are to be addressed when they are asked to give talks. Now a days the topics have already been chosen and there is a great deal of control. Why do you suppose this is the case?

A very significant part of my story also has to do with Ether 8:23-25 where we are taught that we must be aware of the secret combinations seeking to overthrow the governments of the world. We need to realize that the scriptures, more especially the Book of Mormon, were meant for our day - for us who are identified as gentiles and that the Churches founded through Joseph Smith are identified by Joseph as being exactly that (D&C 109:60)

For better or for worse, how many of us really pay attention to what they are saying and understand the implications they make in our own individual lives? How many of us read the scriptures and actually apply them to our lives today?

"Wherefore, O Ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby, ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain - - the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these this to be. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or woe be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning." (Ether 8:23-25)

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:5-6)

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:11-12)

According to the Lord, it is important to understand what is going on in the world so that you will be able to recognize what great things are happening now for those who love the Lord and want to serve him. The hour is late, and we must do all we can to educate ourselves to the truths that will save us from the destruction’s that are coming. It is my prayer that sharing my story will give hope and purpose to those wishing for help in their struggle to sort out the truth from the untruth when they start to realize the deceptions they’ve been living under for so long.

All that being said, one thing I would like to make abundantly clear is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true! Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to salvation and exaltation. While the Church is a vehicle through which the gospel can be taken to the world and provide ordinances necessary for spiritual progression, the Church is not the gospel! Every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Jesus Christ is the gospel and we should be following Him and Him only.

Chapter 1 -

My Ancestors

I am greatly thankful to my ancestors, many of which were early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who were securely grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their histories have tremendously influenced who I am now and to honor their sacrifices I will first share a portion of their stories.

Originally going by the name de LeGrand and serving the King of England as Porter, five brothers migrated to America in the 1600’s in search of religious freedom and, perhaps to protect their families from the King, on arrival changed their name to Porter upon arriving in Massachusetts, migrated to and settled in New York.

Owning and operating a sawmill in upper state New York, one of their descendants, my great-great grandfather on my father’s side, was Sanford Porter. In July of 1831 missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ told him about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon and after giving him a copy, asked him to read, pray and see how he felt about it. He read and studied the book for six months after which he and his family were baptized after which they eventually relocated, along with their sawmill, to Nauvoo, IL.

A dedicated member of the Church, when troubles started in Nauvoo, rather than leave with the rest of the saints who were being driven out, Sanford and his family stayed behind to continue sawing lumber to build wagons and hand carts at Brigham Young’s request. Found in Vol. 1 of the Porter family history, over his life, Sanford had a great many spiritual and faith promoting experiences which were handed down to his descendants and I feel are well worth reading.

Once able to finally leave Nauvoo, Sanford Porter recorded that the boat he was riding in was one of the last to cross the river and that they did so accompanied by the mob shooting at them from the riverbank behind them. Bullets were whizzing past their ears but God protected them and no one was hit.

Having disassembled the sawmill, Sanford brought it with him to Utah where he settled down, set up and ran his sawmill in Millcreek with the assistance of several of his sons. It was his son Chauncy Warriner who married Pricilla Strong and his other brothers, who established and relocated the sawmill to Porterville in Morgan county. My grandfather Francis Lysander Porter, son on Chauncy was but a young boy at the time. They wanted to settle in Morgan County on account of the beautiful country and the plentiful trees in which to saw lumber.

A carpenter and a wheelwright, my great-great grandfather on my father’s mother’s side was John Carling who was also asked to stay behind to help