Author Archives: rameumptom

About rameumptom

Gerald (Rameumptom) Smith is a student of the gospel. Joining the Church of Jesus Christ when he was 16, he served a mission in Santa Cruz Bolivia (1978=1980). He is married to Ramona, has 3 stepchildren and 7 grandchildren. Retired Air Force (Aim High!). He has been on the Internet since 1986 when only colleges and military were online. Gerald has defended the gospel since the 1980s, and was on the first Latter-Day Saint email lists, including the late Bill Hamblin's Morm-Ant. Gerald has worked with FairMormon, More Good Foundation, LDS.Net and other pro-LDS online groups. He has blogged on the scriptures for over a decade at his site: Joel's Monastery (joelsmonastery.blogspot.com). He has the following degrees: AAS Computer Management, BS Resource Mgmt, MA Teaching/History. Gerald was the leader for the Tuskegee Alabama group, prior to it becoming a branch. He opened the door for missionary work to African Americans in Montgomery Alabama in the 1980s. He's served in two bishoprics, stake clerk, high council, HP group leader and several other callings over the years. While on his mission, he served as a counselor in a branch Relief Society presidency.

LDS General Conference-Saturday morning session

Posted on by

Notes on the Saturday morning session of General Conference

Presiding: President Monson
Conducting: President Uchtdorf

Speakers: Pres Eyring, Pres Packer, Sister Burton, Elder Oaks, Elder Clayton, Elder Perry

Opening Hymn: Glory to God on High
Invocation: Elder Timothy J. Dykes, Quorums of 70

President Eyring: In a future day, we will see the Savior, and he will say to those on his right hand, “Come into my Father’s kingdom. I was hungry and ye fed me, thirsty and ye gave me to drink….” Continue reading →

Book Review: Adam S Miller’s Grace is Not God’s Backup Plan

Posted on by

Grace is not something most Mormons understand well. I joined the Church in 1975 at the age of 16, and for every time I heard someone use the word “grace”, I must have heard the word “obedience” or “keep the commandments” one thousand times.  “Obedience is the first law of heaven” was a mantra back then. I got to a point in my early Mormon life where I believed that Jesus’ atonement was limited, and we virtually earned our way into heaven.

Yet we cannot save ourselves. Without grace, we cannot earn heaven. Even if we kept all the commandments, we could not resurrect ourselves nor find the path into God’s mansions. Continue reading →

America, land of tyranny?

Posted on by

I was recently speaking with a friend, who just quit his job at a correctional facility. This is a place where I once worked, but was fired at, due to a new boss that believes in taking no prisoners. Since my firing 6 months ago, this boss has fired, demoted, or driven away many good people.  What once was a close-knit family with some struggles, is now a divided work place, where many people tip toe around, fearing for their jobs.

Sadly, this seems to more and more be the norm in our society. There was a time when a person was hired at IBM and stayed forever. Loyalty went both directions, up and down the chain. The boss and the worker would look out for each other.

Today, people are just resources to use up and replace, while work locations are just a temporary place to make money, with no loyalty for one another. Continue reading →

Adam S Miller on Joe Spencer’s For Zion

Posted on by

If you haven’t read Joe Spencer’s book, “For Zion, a Mormon Theology of Hope” yet, you need to.  In the meantime, Adam S Miller is discussing each chapter (one per week) over at Times and Seasons.  You can read parts One and Two over there.

One concept currently being discussed is the idea that God has created all things as a gift for us. The sun shines on the good and bad. His gifts are ubiquitous. It is when we sin that we usurp God’s gifts for our own purposes, similar to how Satan wished to be the Savior of mankind for his own glory and purpose. Continue reading →