Moroni 10:19

And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.

The logic of this verse is impeccable. God is always the same. He must be the same at all times, for he is perfect, and perfection is complete and unchanging. If perfection were to change, then it wasn't perfect to begin with, or it is no longer perfect now. If perfection is not absolute, then God is neither perfect nor absolute, and so he is no god at all. But if God is perfect and absolute, then he is unchanging. And being unchanging, he can do today what he did yesterday. In fact, he is guaranteed to keep doing the same things the same way because they are perfect. We either believe in a perfect, unchangeable God or we believe in no God at all. We either believe in gifts of the Spirit, revelation, and miracles today, or we believe they never existed. Any middle ground is simply illogical.

Ether 12:12

For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.

The God of heaven, who has all power, who ignites stars and brings worlds into existence by speaking a word, who measures the heavens with the span of his hand and weighs the mountains in a balance, who sits on the horizon of the earth and views the children of men as grasshoppers, can do nothing if we do not let him. Our agency is sacred, and faith is a product of agency. If we do not see miracles in our lives, it is not because God lacks the power to perform them. We must looked inward, not outward, for the source of our lack.

Ether 4:12

And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.

The test of whether something is of God is whether it leads people to do good. The question we must answer is, what is good? It is good to have faith in the Father and the Son. It is good to love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength. It is good to love and serve others. It is good to keep the commandments. It is good to humbly accept the ordinances of salvation. Anything that leads us to do these good things and not resist the truth when we hear it is of God.

Ether 3:12-13

And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.

When we truly know that God does not and cannot lie, when we know for ourselves that he has worked out the atonement for us personally, and when we believe him when he says he can save and exalt us, we will be redeemed from the fall like Moriancumr, Enos, Nephi the first, Nephi son of Helaman, and a host of others. We can have our calling and election made sure by the testimony of Jesus Christ himself through personal revelation. The experiences of the prophets in the scriptures are not to taunt us with unattainable goals, but to testify that such goals ARE attainable. Christ does not want to save us just in the hereafter, but in the here and now. This life is not just the time to prepare to meet God, it is the time to receive a proper introduction.

Helaman 14:28-29

And the angel said unto me that many shall see greater things than these, to the intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land, to the intent that there should be no cause for unbelief among the children of men—And this to the intent that whosoever will believe might be saved, and that whosoever will not believe, a righteous judgment might come upon them; and also if they are condemned they bring upon themselves their own condemnation.

In the final day, everyone will have enough evidence that they cannot logically dispute the truth of God's existence. Nevertheless, they will still have the opportunity to choose to come to him in repentance or turn their backs on him in rebellion. He will leave no doubt of his reality, but he will never force us to follow him. Agency is absolutely fundamental to God's kingdom and an eternal principle he cannot and will not violate, even if it means losing some of his children.

Helaman 12:8-23

For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God. Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake. And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley. Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake; Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center. Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved. Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done; And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun. And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done. Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done. And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say—Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up—behold, it shall be accursed. And if the Lord shall say—Be thou accursed, that no man shall find thee from this time henceforth and forever—behold, no man getteth it henceforth and forever. And behold, if the Lord shall say unto a man—Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed forever—it shall be done. And if the Lord shall say—Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence—he will cause that it shall be so. And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared. Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.

God has power over all physical creation and all the elements. Man also has limited power over physical elements,  but man's power is different from God's. Man's power depends on force and coercion.  Man can move a mountain,  but it takes time, physical exertion, tools, machinery, and explosives. God moves the mountain by his word alone. His voice is sufficient. He speaks his will and the elements obey. They move of their own accord without coercion or compulsion. Whatever man can do, God can do better, bigger, faster, easier, and he has done it first.

At the end of this long list of powers is the one power that man cannot emulate or usurp.  That is God's power to save us. God may delegate many powers to man through the priesthood, including the power to seal up into eternal life, but only God can grant eternal life. Only he can save our immortal souls through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Alma 44:9

Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.

Hear the words of Zerahemnah, which are echoed today by secular humanists. Miracles are seen through the eyes of faith. A miracle to a believer is a mere coincidence to an unbeliever. They both see the same thing, yet their spiritual inclinations alter their perceptions. To a disciple, God is a living power in their life. To an atheist, God is just an excuse for logical actions and reactions, with a little mix of random coincidences and happy accidents to explain the unexplainable. If you want to talk about faith, one has to be more gullible to believe in pure chance than to believe in a living, loving God. One may choose to live without God in the world, but that does not alter the reality of God's existence or his interest in our lives.

Alma 37:12

And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.

Sometimes we have to act in faith and accept the fact that God has a reason for everything, even if he chooses not to tell us his reasons at the moment. We should not suppose that God is whimsical or that he does not know or care about what we do. If we trust in him, he will not let us down.

Alma 30:40-41

And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only. But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?

The absence of something is practically impossible to prove. The existence, however, is relatively easy to prove. So it is with the existence of God. Everything we see suggests a mindful, purposeful design. What's more, we have witnesses who claim to have a direct knowledge of God. To stare the evidence in the face and still claim God does not exist is to be illogical and dishonest. It takes a wilder imagination to believe that the universe, the earth, and life came about by random chance than it does to accept the concept of a Supreme Being and Creator. Accepting that God exists, however, is a much different thing than listening to him and obeying him. Obedience comes from faith.

Alma 30:18

And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof.

Satan's great ploy is to convince us that absolute truth and eternal right and wrong do not exist. If he can get us to doubt that God cares about what we do, our own imaginations will lead us down any number of paths, none of which will be right. God has given us a conscience, but if we sear it with a hot iron, we can destroy guilt. We then become laws unto ourselves. Chaos reigns, anarchy follows, and misery is always the results, both for the individual and for society. I testify that God is real, he knows us, and he cares about us. Death is not the end but only a step closer to him.

Alma 30:13

O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.

The prophet Alma was confronted by an Anti-Christ who denied the notion of salvation. Like so many modern philosophers, Korihor refused to believe in anything he could not see and touch. Whether people can know more than their natural senses tell them is at the heart of the question of revealed religion. The real questions are 1) does God exist, 2) is he all-knowing so that he knows the future, and 3) if so, does he reveal his knowledge to humans? These are the first questions we must each answer for ourselves. The Book of Mormon testifies of all three hypotheses. If the Book of Mormon is true, it answers all the questions affirmatively and invites us to learn more. Because I have learned for myself that the Book of Mormon is true, I know God lives, knows all things, and reveals things to his children.

Alma 22:10

And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth. Believest thou this?

Aaron knew the true nature of God, but rather than argue the technicality of whether God is a spirit, he chose to let the little detail slide in order to capitalize on the king's willingness to accept the concept of God. When we look for points of contention, we can always find them. But when we look for areas of agreement, we can be agreeable as we teach important principles. We can always sharpen the fine points later.

Alma 18:32

And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.

We are always in God's thoughts. He is always aware of us. Our mundane lives are so interesting to him that he pays attention to everything we do. No act is too small, no choice so trivial, no thought so fleeting that God does not take note. His work and glory is to bring us into eternal life. To accomplish this goal requires all his concentration. Can we afford to be any less engaged in our own salvation?

Alma 12:32

Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.

God's goodness--the very thing that makes him God--is his ability to be perfectly obedient to the laws by which the universe operates. He is good because he never violates a law or tries to negate justice. He is never whimsical or inconsistent. He is one hundred percent reliable. We can always trust him.

Alma 7:8

Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of his dwelling in his mortal tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit hath not said unto me that this should be the case. Now as to this thing I do not know; but this much I do know, that the Lord God hath power to do all things which are according to his word.

God has the power to do everything he needs to do. One of the very definitions of God is a being of supreme power.  No one and no thing are more powerful than God. If anything in the universe is more powerful than God, he would cease to be God. We can put ultimate and unconditional trust in God because we can know that he can keep every promise and deliver every blessing. 

Mosiah 8:16

And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

God does not grant to men all of his power. Some powers are simply not meant for mortals. The power of resurrection, for example, is not given to man. The Lord holds that power for himself. Yet man can be granted power through the priesthood to raise the dead and call them forth from death to return to mortality. Those so raised,  however, are still mortal and will again have their spirits separated from their bodies, to await like all mortals the permanent reuniting of body and spirit that is the God-given gift of resurrection. We as mortals can receive great power over earthly things, but God reserves power over heavenly things.

Jacob 1:6-7

And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come. Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.

Because I am convinced in the very depths of my soul that God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, lives, and that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to help me return to his presence when the test of mortality is over, I am obligated and duty-bound to share what I know. I believe God is real. I believe he loves me. I believes he loves every human being who ever has, does now, and ever will live on this earth. Can a greater truth be known? Can a greater purpose be found? Can I stand idly by surrounded by countless numbers of people who live without God in the world? Believing what I believe to be true, can I possibly find a more meaningful and purposeful use of my time than "persuading others to come unto Christ and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest"?

Second Nephi 29:9

And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

The Book of Mormon is evidence that God is not partial and does not change. He speaks to prophets whenever and wherever he likes. What he says to them also does not change. The basic principles of the gospel are the same in every dispensation.

Second Nephi 27:23

For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.

God does not change. What he did yesterday, he is doing today and will do again tomorrow. God cannot change and still be God. One cannot improve on perfection, and God is, by definition, perfect. If he changed, he would have to devolve from perfection, and thus he would cease to be God. Because God is perfect and unchanging, we can trust him. We can also expect certain things of him. If he used to speak to prophets, he will speak again. If he gave scriptures in the past, he will give us more scriptures now and in the future. If he created one world, he will create another. God's reality is one eternal round.

Second Nephi 9:41

O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

Christ is the one and only way to return to God's presence. No one is an acceptable substitute. We should honor and obey the prophets, but they cannot save us. They can only point us to Christ. The scriptures are vital tools, but they cannot save us. Their words can teach us of Christ, but ultimately it is we as individual sinners who must come unto Christ. Using everything we know and everything we believe, we must exercise faith in Christ until we come to him as he stands at the gate. He will not ask us how many Sunday School classes we have attended or how many scriptures we have memorized. He will ask, rather, how many people we have fed and clothed in his name and whether we love him more than the natural man and the worldly world. If he lets us enter the gate, it is not because we are worthy or have earned it, but because he loves us and has paid for us and atoned for us.