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Martin Luther was born November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony.
His father, Hans Luther, was a hard worker and barely provided for his family by leasing mines and smelting furnaces.
Martin's mother, Margaret, often would gather firewood for household needs.
Hans and Margaret loved Martin and recognized their son's bright mind and enrolled him in a school when he turned 7.
Martin's childhood was busy and strict. His parents were severe in their discipline, as well as his schoolmasters.
However, his childhood was also rich. Among his friends at school, were older boys who would carry younger friends to school on their backs when roads became muddy. Martin, gave one of these older boys a bible and a note which said, "To my dear old friend, Nicolas Oemler, who often carried me, a schoolboy, on his back to and from school."
At the age 13, he went to boarding school in Magdeburg. Then attended St. George's School in Eisenach. Here, Martin learned about religious order.
Back home, Martin's father, Hans, had prospered and sent him to a University in Erfurt. There, Martin worked so hard and earned the nickname, "The Philosopher". Martin was working hard for a law degree.
On July 1505, Martin was on his way back home to visit his family when he was caught in a violent thunderstorm. A blinding lightning bolt threw him onto the ground. Fearing for his life, Martin promised that if his life was spared, he would join a religious order and become a monk.
Martin Luther kept his vow and entered the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt, even though his father was disappointed and his friends were surprised.
Living in the monastery was hard and disciplined. Martin even had to carry a sack to collect food from the streets. But, he was a diligent student and was made a doctor of Theology in 1512.
Martin was troubled because he did not know if his life was pleasing to God.
As Martin was studying the Bible, he read, "the just shall live by His faith"(Hab. 2:4). Martin felt a great weight lift off his soul. He understood this to mean that God freely grants forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who repent, believe, and have faith in Him.
Martin was an outspoken teacher, and realized certain practices and abuses within the medieval church that needed reforming. On October 31, 1517, Martin fastened ninety-five theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg.
This was the beginning of the Reformation, a movement that proposed change in the Catholic doctrine and began the Protestant Church.
Luther's propositions were soon widely distributed and his lectures were well attended.
January 1521, Luther was excommunicated from the church. When given an opportunity to deny the things he had written against the church, Luther stated, "I cannot and will not retract anything, since to act against one's conscience is neither safe nor right. God help me, Amen!"
After that, he was considered an outlaw and could be killed on sight.
He disguised himself as a knight and spent several months in the castle studying, writing letters, and translating the New Testament from Latin into German. Joseph Smith, early prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said about Luther's Bible, "I find it to be the most correct that I have found."
In 1525, Luther married Katherine Von Bora. They had six children, two died before they reached adulthood.
Music was another important part of Martin Luther's life. He believed that "music is the greatest gift". Music
Luther died in 1546 at sixty-two years old. He declared, "I would rather lose my life and head than desert the crystal-clear word of God."
Looking at his life from an outside perspective, I can see how all the pieces fit together! I can see the big picture and big influence he made!
Perhaps our lives are the same. Maybe the little pieces don't make much sense, but take a step back and see the whole picture. It might make a little more sense :)
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