Today as I was sitting in sacrament meeting, the sacrament was in the process of being passed when I saw a reminder of how important the sacrament is. A deacon approached a man sitting in a wheel chair and this man desired to partake of the sacrament. I don't know what caused this man to have to be in a wheel chair, but he had an extremely hard time moving his hand to take the bread and the water. He worked with all his might to take a piece of bread from the tray. Then used the same labored effort to place it in his mouth and eat it. This same strenuous effort he went through again as the water came to him. His desire to renew sacred covenants with God gave him the ability to do the seemingly impossible. As he labored to take the sacrament his desires to follow Jesus Christ were manifested by his faith. Faith does move mountains. His desire to seek after the God he trusts, allowed him to overcome.
The importance of the sabbath day and going to church is the sacrament. Emblems of a broken body, an atoning sacrifice, given to make us whole. To that man on this day, a small piece of bread and a small cup of water made him whole.
"But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord." (D&C 59: 12)
"O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." (3 Nephi 9:13-14)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Prophets Voice
Come
listen to a prophet’s voice, and hear the word of God,
then heed the words of truth and light
that flow from fountains pure.
that flow from fountains pure.
The world has gone astray; Thru erring schemes in days now past.
Yet Saints of God have found at last,
the straight and narrow way.
the straight and narrow way.
Come
listen to a prophet’s voice, and hear the word of God.
Come
all ye Saints of Zion, and let us praise the Lord;
Rejoice, rejoice, O Israel, and let your joys abound!
The voice of God shall reach you
wherever you are found.
The voice of God shall reach you
wherever you are found.
Come, listen to a prophet’s voice,
they walk the narrow way
And thank the Lord who brought them
To see the latter day.
And thank the Lord who brought them
To see the latter day.
(words are taken from the hymn Come, Listen To A Prophets Voice and Come, All Ye Saints of Zion)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Recounciled On Council Given: It Is Time To Pay Attention!
Every morning as a missionary I have time to study the gospel. My studies are usually around the scriptures and various topics as I try to find how the words of the prophets of old apply to our lives today. This morning I chose to read some of this months issue of the Ensign magazine. This magazine is written for anyone and covers a variety of topics that we face in our lives, and helps us learn how we can apply them to the gospel. The greatest blessing that comes from the Ensign is that we have the ability to hear words from the living prophets today. The first article in the Ensign is a message from the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, written for us to help us in our lives. The tittle of his article is, Love At Home--Council From Our Prophet.
As I looked over the article it had a very typical appearance to me and then some thing caught my eye. All of the article was quoted and there were no new words or approaches to the different topics relating to the family and home. When prophets repeat council that has already been given, the Lord is really trying to make something very clear to us and it is time to pay very close attention. Following the teachings of the Lord's prophets means that we will have safety and protection from the adversities of our day. It is time to listen and act.
The greatest tragedy of my generation is the decline of morality and the destruction of the family. Perhaps this is your generation too. If we are to overcome this great tragedy, we must listen to the prophets, past and present, then follow what they say.
Follow this link to read the words of the Lord's prophet that he has given to us:
Love At Home--Council From Our Prophet
As I looked over the article it had a very typical appearance to me and then some thing caught my eye. All of the article was quoted and there were no new words or approaches to the different topics relating to the family and home. When prophets repeat council that has already been given, the Lord is really trying to make something very clear to us and it is time to pay very close attention. Following the teachings of the Lord's prophets means that we will have safety and protection from the adversities of our day. It is time to listen and act.
The greatest tragedy of my generation is the decline of morality and the destruction of the family. Perhaps this is your generation too. If we are to overcome this great tragedy, we must listen to the prophets, past and present, then follow what they say.
Follow this link to read the words of the Lord's prophet that he has given to us:
Love At Home--Council From Our Prophet
Friday, August 19, 2011
Ways To Check For The Spirit In Our Lives
A few months ago, while at church, one of the teachers was teaching on how we can better feel the Spirit in our lives. Feeling the Spirit in our lives is very important to anyone who desires to come closer to Christ. The point the teacher was trying to make is that when we have the Spirit with us in our lives, there are noticeable things that we are able to see in our everyday lives. The things that we are able to see or recognize come by points of feeling and thought. Then the teacher of the class listed off a list of feelings and thoughts that we can recognize ourselves. Before I list what these thoughts and feelings are, there are a couple of items that I would like you to remember before you read them:
First, the best way to have the Spirit present in our lives is to keep the commandments.
Second, is that the following list is about helping one to see areas in their life where the Spirit is helping them. Also, if you feel that in one area you are weak at something, it doesn't mean that you don't have the Spirit, it just means that there are aspects in your life that could be taking away from feelings of the Spirit.
Lastly, the list is made up of individual feelings, mind sets, thoughts, and actions.
Living With The Spirit:
1. Happy, clear, calm
2. Generous
3. Don't take offense
4. Don't mind people seeing you
5. Eager to make people happy
6. Joy in other success
7. Willing to attend church meetings
8. Feeling to pray
9. Strive to keep commandments
10. Have self-control
11. Think of the Savior often
12. Confident about life
Struggling With Feeling The Spirit:
1. Unhappy, confused, frustrated
2. Possessive, self-centered, resentful
3. Easily Offended
4. Sensitive and evasive, irrational5. Avoid people ie. family and friends
6. Envy, resent others
7. Don't want to go to church
8. Don't want to pray
9. Find the commandments a problem
10. Lack self-control, carnal desires
11. Hardly think of the Savior
12. Fearful about life, discouragement
Look at these lists and see what ever it is that you feel that you could improve on. If you don't feel that there is any need for improvement, then just keep being awesome. When I saw this list for the first time, I noticed that I didn't think about the Savior as often as I should. So to increase the Spirit in my life and think more of the Savior, I decided to make it a goal that I was going to think of the Savior more. One way that I was able to do this was by praying, and praying more with real intent. At first, it was hard to do, hard to change, but as I kept trying I found that I was able to think more about my Savior and how He helps me though my life. So give this a try and see what happens and how you can increase the Spirit in your life.
First, the best way to have the Spirit present in our lives is to keep the commandments.
Second, is that the following list is about helping one to see areas in their life where the Spirit is helping them. Also, if you feel that in one area you are weak at something, it doesn't mean that you don't have the Spirit, it just means that there are aspects in your life that could be taking away from feelings of the Spirit.
Lastly, the list is made up of individual feelings, mind sets, thoughts, and actions.
Living With The Spirit:
1. Happy, clear, calm
2. Generous
3. Don't take offense
4. Don't mind people seeing you
5. Eager to make people happy
6. Joy in other success
7. Willing to attend church meetings
8. Feeling to pray
9. Strive to keep commandments
10. Have self-control
11. Think of the Savior often
12. Confident about life
Struggling With Feeling The Spirit:
1. Unhappy, confused, frustrated
2. Possessive, self-centered, resentful
3. Easily Offended
4. Sensitive and evasive, irrational5. Avoid people ie. family and friends
6. Envy, resent others
7. Don't want to go to church
8. Don't want to pray
9. Find the commandments a problem
10. Lack self-control, carnal desires
11. Hardly think of the Savior
12. Fearful about life, discouragement
Look at these lists and see what ever it is that you feel that you could improve on. If you don't feel that there is any need for improvement, then just keep being awesome. When I saw this list for the first time, I noticed that I didn't think about the Savior as often as I should. So to increase the Spirit in my life and think more of the Savior, I decided to make it a goal that I was going to think of the Savior more. One way that I was able to do this was by praying, and praying more with real intent. At first, it was hard to do, hard to change, but as I kept trying I found that I was able to think more about my Savior and how He helps me though my life. So give this a try and see what happens and how you can increase the Spirit in your life.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Watch and Pray
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
(Matt 26:41)
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him." (3 Nephi 18:15)
To often when we find ourselves praying and asking for forgiveness, it is because we forgot to be "watchful". Throughout the scriptures we learn that prayer can become a source of strength. We pray and look for the ways that it can strengthen us in our lives, but we never can seem to fully find it. The problem doesn't come because God doesn't hear our prayers. As a matter of fact, He really does here them. The problem comes because we are praying to late. Of course, we need to pray and ask for forgiveness, but the Lord wants us to be "watchful" and use prayer to head off the temptation and sin before we falter. When faced with temptation and the attack of Satan, if we are watchful, we can then pray and build up a defense to keep ourselves safe. Strength from pray comes while we are battling with Satan, not asking for forgiveness. A powerful strength to overcome temptation will be found as we pray in the heat of the battle. A watchful vigilance of our lives can help us to overcome our weaknesses as we find strength and trust in the Lord. Cutting off the temptations, cuts off the Adversary giving us power and righteousness in our lives. A power that can only come through our Savior, Jesus Christ, by being watchful and prayerful.
(Matt 26:41)
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him." (3 Nephi 18:15)
To often when we find ourselves praying and asking for forgiveness, it is because we forgot to be "watchful". Throughout the scriptures we learn that prayer can become a source of strength. We pray and look for the ways that it can strengthen us in our lives, but we never can seem to fully find it. The problem doesn't come because God doesn't hear our prayers. As a matter of fact, He really does here them. The problem comes because we are praying to late. Of course, we need to pray and ask for forgiveness, but the Lord wants us to be "watchful" and use prayer to head off the temptation and sin before we falter. When faced with temptation and the attack of Satan, if we are watchful, we can then pray and build up a defense to keep ourselves safe. Strength from pray comes while we are battling with Satan, not asking for forgiveness. A powerful strength to overcome temptation will be found as we pray in the heat of the battle. A watchful vigilance of our lives can help us to overcome our weaknesses as we find strength and trust in the Lord. Cutting off the temptations, cuts off the Adversary giving us power and righteousness in our lives. A power that can only come through our Savior, Jesus Christ, by being watchful and prayerful.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Finding Meaning in The Gospel
One of the greatest pursuits that we have, as children of God, is the opportunity of engaging ourselves in scripture study. In the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a prophet named Alma stresses the importance of scriptures by telling his son that they have been kept and preserved for a "wise purpose". So if the scriptures are kept for a "wise purpose", we might want to pay close attention to them.
Now that we have strengthened our resolve to read the scriptures we start putting great amounts of efforts into studying them. We take notes, write in cross references, teach others, and have a great zeal for studying the words of God. This excitement might last you a few days, a couple weeks, maybe a couple of months, or if your lucky, a year. Then one day you go to read the scriptures and you find yourself so board with them that you cut your study short and find something more exciting to do. The zeal to study the scriptures is gone, and the hopes of what ever was desired to learn is now faded away.
Have you ever experienced this before? Because I have, to many times to remember, as a matter of fact. I had good intentions, I put in some effort, I felt the Spirit, I learned things, and then is was all over. And this is where the problem is. Good intentions don't get us anywhere and "great faith has a short shelf-life."
Good intentions don't get us anywhere. The reason why this seems to finds its way to us is because sometimes we lack full commitment. "Those who are only sort of committed may expect to only sort of receive the blessings of testimony, joy, and peace. The windows of heaven might only be sort of open to them. Wouldn’t it be foolish to think, “I’ll commit myself 50 percent now, but when Christ appears at the Second Coming, I’ll commit myself 100 percent”?" (Brother, I'm Committed. Dieter F. Uchtdorf) The Lord wants us to learn to be committed to him 100 percent. That means that even when we have a bad day or things are not going well, we keep pressing on. I know that pressing on is hard, but I really do know that when someone keeps pressing on they will find great blessings.
Then in order to understand how faith plays a role in this you can read a blog that I posted called "Tips on Building Faith"
So now that we are well aware of how our scripture studying efforts have been so weak, we probably feel like we want to stop reading this. WAIT, DON'T STOP! There is a solution to this and here it is. PRAYER. We can pray and ask our Heavenly Father to helps us have to desire to keep going, we can explain to Him why we don't have the full commitment and seek direction on how to increase it. Plus, we usually have trouble reading the scriptures when our prayers are struggling too. So instead of trying to force your self to read your scriptures in vain, pray more and I promise that what you are looking for will come to you as you keep working at it.
Now that we have strengthened our resolve to read the scriptures we start putting great amounts of efforts into studying them. We take notes, write in cross references, teach others, and have a great zeal for studying the words of God. This excitement might last you a few days, a couple weeks, maybe a couple of months, or if your lucky, a year. Then one day you go to read the scriptures and you find yourself so board with them that you cut your study short and find something more exciting to do. The zeal to study the scriptures is gone, and the hopes of what ever was desired to learn is now faded away.
Have you ever experienced this before? Because I have, to many times to remember, as a matter of fact. I had good intentions, I put in some effort, I felt the Spirit, I learned things, and then is was all over. And this is where the problem is. Good intentions don't get us anywhere and "great faith has a short shelf-life."
Good intentions don't get us anywhere. The reason why this seems to finds its way to us is because sometimes we lack full commitment. "Those who are only sort of committed may expect to only sort of receive the blessings of testimony, joy, and peace. The windows of heaven might only be sort of open to them. Wouldn’t it be foolish to think, “I’ll commit myself 50 percent now, but when Christ appears at the Second Coming, I’ll commit myself 100 percent”?" (Brother, I'm Committed. Dieter F. Uchtdorf) The Lord wants us to learn to be committed to him 100 percent. That means that even when we have a bad day or things are not going well, we keep pressing on. I know that pressing on is hard, but I really do know that when someone keeps pressing on they will find great blessings.
Then in order to understand how faith plays a role in this you can read a blog that I posted called "Tips on Building Faith"
So now that we are well aware of how our scripture studying efforts have been so weak, we probably feel like we want to stop reading this. WAIT, DON'T STOP! There is a solution to this and here it is. PRAYER. We can pray and ask our Heavenly Father to helps us have to desire to keep going, we can explain to Him why we don't have the full commitment and seek direction on how to increase it. Plus, we usually have trouble reading the scriptures when our prayers are struggling too. So instead of trying to force your self to read your scriptures in vain, pray more and I promise that what you are looking for will come to you as you keep working at it.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Following The Holy Spirit Gives Us Power In Life
This blog post is taken form a talk that I gave in church last Sunday. Enjoy!
Today I was asked to talk on how following the promptings of the Holy Ghost can give us power in our lives. The concept of power in our lives is directly related to the doctrines of agency or the ability to choose. Our agency or the choices we make always have powerful effects as the end result. So to better understand the relationship between the Holy Ghost and our choices, we need to learn about the Holy Ghost and who he is.
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the God Head. He is a personage of Spirit. His role is to teach and bear witness to our spirits of the Father and the Son, testify of truth, teach us all things, brings all things to a remembrance, and to be a Comforter. We are able to feel the positive affects of the Spirit in our lives by the fruits of the Spirit which is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. the effects of the the fruits of the Spirit in are not based around personal gratification or the influence of others. These things can only be achieved as one strives to come closer to God in their lives by living the gospel.
The hardest part about understanding the Spirit in our lives or even recognizing it, comes because it is something that we must feel after. It requires faith.
In answer to the question, "How de we recognize the promptings of the Spirit?" President Gordon B. Hinckley read Moroni 7:13, 16-17 and then said: "That's the test, when all is said and done. Does it persuade one to do good, to rise, to stand tall, to do the right thing, to be kind, to be generous? Then it is the of the Spirit of God... If it invites to do good, it is of God. If it inviteth to do evil, it is of the devil... And if you are living the right way, you will know on your heart what the Spirit is saying to you. You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit--that which enlightenth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinkley)
Standing tall, buildeth up, enlightenth, positive, and uplifting are all words of power and strength.
To illustrate this concept of strength and power in our lives I wish to share a personal example that has taught me how to recognize the effects of the Spirit in my life.
My Grandfather was a convert to the church as a young adult during the Second World War. He continued in the church all his life and served in many callings that required him to be so very close to the Spirit of the Lord. Although not a perfect man, he would always strive to live his life in a way to keep the Spirit with him. He was able to achieve this by studying the scriptures daily, keeping the commandments, and striving to serve his wife and family. In the final days of his life, my grandfather had to live with a care family to assist him in his frailties'. The family he lived with is a wonderful family and they live good Christian lives, but at times their choice of TV viewing was what can be considered acceptable by the ways of the world. As different shows would come on that were slightly immoral, derogative, or laced with innuendo, my grandfather's would ask the family kindly saying, "can you please change the show, it makes my heart hurt."
When we have the Spirit with us and do, or encounter something that is wrong, we can feel its presence leave as a pain in our hearts, sadness, or discomfort. It is at these points in our lives where we need to make a stand and strive to bring the Spirit back by changing our course and making choices to invite the Spirit back.
The other way that the Holy Ghost works in our lives comes by impressions. Impressions are thoughts and feelings that come to one in their mind and heart that invite them to do good. When these thoughts and feelings come to us we need to pay close attention to them, pray about them, and most importantly act on them.
"And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still small voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it id pierce even to the very soul" (Helaman 5:30)
The idea of one's soul being pierced, comes as feelings of the fruits of the Spirit. An internally eternal feeling that rests in our hearts and minds.
"But, behold, I say unto you, that you study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore you shall feel that it is right." (D&C 9:8)
As we feel out things that are right, we make right choices. Right choices lead to power. That power comes by us, choosing the Lord's will over the adversary's.
And because of the righteousness of His (Jesus Christ's) people, Satan has no power.
One practical way to increase the influence of the Holy Spirit in your life is to ask for it. Ask for the Spirit to teach you and help you in what ever you face. Then wait, listen, and be ready to act. The most important part of any prompting or feeling of the Spirit is action. The results, blessings, will then speak for themselves as you see the hand of the Lord manifest its self before your eyes.
I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that following the promptings of the Spirit adds power and great blessings to our lives. I know that feeling of the Spirit in my life has brought me happiness and given me glimpses of what eternal joy can be, hope. I testify of these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Today I was asked to talk on how following the promptings of the Holy Ghost can give us power in our lives. The concept of power in our lives is directly related to the doctrines of agency or the ability to choose. Our agency or the choices we make always have powerful effects as the end result. So to better understand the relationship between the Holy Ghost and our choices, we need to learn about the Holy Ghost and who he is.
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the God Head. He is a personage of Spirit. His role is to teach and bear witness to our spirits of the Father and the Son, testify of truth, teach us all things, brings all things to a remembrance, and to be a Comforter. We are able to feel the positive affects of the Spirit in our lives by the fruits of the Spirit which is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. the effects of the the fruits of the Spirit in are not based around personal gratification or the influence of others. These things can only be achieved as one strives to come closer to God in their lives by living the gospel.
The hardest part about understanding the Spirit in our lives or even recognizing it, comes because it is something that we must feel after. It requires faith.
In answer to the question, "How de we recognize the promptings of the Spirit?" President Gordon B. Hinckley read Moroni 7:13, 16-17 and then said: "That's the test, when all is said and done. Does it persuade one to do good, to rise, to stand tall, to do the right thing, to be kind, to be generous? Then it is the of the Spirit of God... If it invites to do good, it is of God. If it inviteth to do evil, it is of the devil... And if you are living the right way, you will know on your heart what the Spirit is saying to you. You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit--that which enlightenth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinkley)
Standing tall, buildeth up, enlightenth, positive, and uplifting are all words of power and strength.
To illustrate this concept of strength and power in our lives I wish to share a personal example that has taught me how to recognize the effects of the Spirit in my life.
My Grandfather was a convert to the church as a young adult during the Second World War. He continued in the church all his life and served in many callings that required him to be so very close to the Spirit of the Lord. Although not a perfect man, he would always strive to live his life in a way to keep the Spirit with him. He was able to achieve this by studying the scriptures daily, keeping the commandments, and striving to serve his wife and family. In the final days of his life, my grandfather had to live with a care family to assist him in his frailties'. The family he lived with is a wonderful family and they live good Christian lives, but at times their choice of TV viewing was what can be considered acceptable by the ways of the world. As different shows would come on that were slightly immoral, derogative, or laced with innuendo, my grandfather's would ask the family kindly saying, "can you please change the show, it makes my heart hurt."
When we have the Spirit with us and do, or encounter something that is wrong, we can feel its presence leave as a pain in our hearts, sadness, or discomfort. It is at these points in our lives where we need to make a stand and strive to bring the Spirit back by changing our course and making choices to invite the Spirit back.
The other way that the Holy Ghost works in our lives comes by impressions. Impressions are thoughts and feelings that come to one in their mind and heart that invite them to do good. When these thoughts and feelings come to us we need to pay close attention to them, pray about them, and most importantly act on them.
"And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still small voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it id pierce even to the very soul" (Helaman 5:30)
The idea of one's soul being pierced, comes as feelings of the fruits of the Spirit. An internally eternal feeling that rests in our hearts and minds.
"But, behold, I say unto you, that you study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore you shall feel that it is right." (D&C 9:8)
As we feel out things that are right, we make right choices. Right choices lead to power. That power comes by us, choosing the Lord's will over the adversary's.
And because of the righteousness of His (Jesus Christ's) people, Satan has no power.
One practical way to increase the influence of the Holy Spirit in your life is to ask for it. Ask for the Spirit to teach you and help you in what ever you face. Then wait, listen, and be ready to act. The most important part of any prompting or feeling of the Spirit is action. The results, blessings, will then speak for themselves as you see the hand of the Lord manifest its self before your eyes.
I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that following the promptings of the Spirit adds power and great blessings to our lives. I know that feeling of the Spirit in my life has brought me happiness and given me glimpses of what eternal joy can be, hope. I testify of these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
SALVATION?????
Salvation. As people of faith, we love this word, we want this word, and we desire to have it in our lives. So if this is something that is wanted, what does salvation mean? "Salvation means to be saved from physical and spiritual death. All people will be saved from physical death by the grace of God, through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each individual can also be saved from spiritual death as well as by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. This faith is manifested in a life of obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and service to Christ." (PMG Pg. 59)
In this life our search for salvation causes us to build a very personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth." (2 Nephi 2:6) This personal relationship is built by prayer and a love for and of God. The personal line we have with God works to assist us in salvation but must work in balance and harmony with the commandments of God. Therefore, we have a personal line and an authoritative line for salvation.
The authoritative line is called the priesthood, or God's authority given to man to act in His name on earth for the benefit and salvation of mankind. This priesthood authority is what governs the church and that government is established by Jesus Christ through His prophets and apostles by revelation and taught as council and commandments to the people of the church. This doctrine creates a problem to many people in the world today, because this is organized religion.
"During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ conferred the authority of the priesthood that bears His name and He established a church that also bears His name. In this last dispensation, His priesthood authority was restored and His Church was reestablished through heavenly ministrations to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This restored priesthood and this reestablished Church are at the heart of the priesthood line. The priesthood line is the channel by which God has spoken to His children through the scriptures in times past. And it is this line through which He currently speaks through the teachings and counsel of living prophets and apostles and other inspired leaders. This is the way we receive the required ordinances."(Two Lines of Communication, Dallin H. Oaks)
This authority is key in the workings of salvation and this is where many people seem to build up walls of rejection because they feel that their personal line is being broken up. The personal line can not be broken, but must have the support of the priesthood. If organized religion and authority seem to be a problem then you may have forgotten that it is Christ who sets the way, not you.
"Those who reject the need for organized religion reject the work of the Master, who established His Church and its officers in the meridian of time and who reestablished them in modern times.
Organized religion, established by divine authority, is essential, as the Apostle Paul taught:
'For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
In this life our search for salvation causes us to build a very personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth." (2 Nephi 2:6) This personal relationship is built by prayer and a love for and of God. The personal line we have with God works to assist us in salvation but must work in balance and harmony with the commandments of God. Therefore, we have a personal line and an authoritative line for salvation.
The authoritative line is called the priesthood, or God's authority given to man to act in His name on earth for the benefit and salvation of mankind. This priesthood authority is what governs the church and that government is established by Jesus Christ through His prophets and apostles by revelation and taught as council and commandments to the people of the church. This doctrine creates a problem to many people in the world today, because this is organized religion.
"During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ conferred the authority of the priesthood that bears His name and He established a church that also bears His name. In this last dispensation, His priesthood authority was restored and His Church was reestablished through heavenly ministrations to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This restored priesthood and this reestablished Church are at the heart of the priesthood line. The priesthood line is the channel by which God has spoken to His children through the scriptures in times past. And it is this line through which He currently speaks through the teachings and counsel of living prophets and apostles and other inspired leaders. This is the way we receive the required ordinances."(Two Lines of Communication, Dallin H. Oaks)
This authority is key in the workings of salvation and this is where many people seem to build up walls of rejection because they feel that their personal line is being broken up. The personal line can not be broken, but must have the support of the priesthood. If organized religion and authority seem to be a problem then you may have forgotten that it is Christ who sets the way, not you.
"Those who reject the need for organized religion reject the work of the Master, who established His Church and its officers in the meridian of time and who reestablished them in modern times.
Organized religion, established by divine authority, is essential, as the Apostle Paul taught:
'For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ'" (Ephesians 4:12–13).
"I feel to add two cautions we should remember in connection with reliance on the vital priesthood line. First, the priesthood line does not supersede the need for the personal line. We all need a personal testimony of truth...Second, like the personal line, the priesthood line cannot function fully and properly in our behalf unless we are worthy and obedient. Many scriptures teach that if we persist in serious violations of the commandments of God, we are 'cut off from his presence' (Alma 38:1). When that happens, the Lord and His servants are seriously inhibited in giving us spiritual help and we cannot obtain it for ourselves...We must use both the personal line and the priesthood line in proper balance to achieve the growth that is the purpose of mortal life. If personal religious practice relies too much on the personal line, individualism erases the importance of divine authority. If personal religious practice relies too much on the priesthood line, individual growth suffers. The children of God need both lines to achieve their eternal destiny. The restored gospel teaches both, and the restored Church provides both."(Two Lines of Communication, Dallin H. Oaks)
I know that salvation is possible for all people no matter who they are. I know that Jesus Christ lives and has placed his church on the earth today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know that the principles that I talked about are true and I know that anyone can begin the journey of salvation and it begins by putting pride on a shelf. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tips on Building Fatih
"Great faith has a short shelf life."
"And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out." (Alma 32: 37-38)
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10: 32)
President Henry B. Eyring
What does that mean, aren't we supposed to have great faith in this life? If we have or feel like we have great faith, why does it have a short shelf life? The first time that I heard this phrase, I was shocked. I thought that my faith was being challenged and I thought that the scriptures teach us to have great faith. These thoughts and feelings I had were soon changed as I took time to ponder and pray about this quote. I pondered about my life cause this is where I exhibit and show faith every day. What I learned was that throughout my life I have had moments of great faith, for example reading the four gospels in a week, or turning to the Lord in hard times by going to church, praying, and living righteously. Despite the effort, after I began these tasks, I would soon crash and burn, leaving me back where I started and at times worse off than I began. The effects of these great bouts of faith were that I was just flooding my self with the gospel and that I was never taking the time to nourish myself with the gospel. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma teaches this concept by comparing our faith to a seed and the growth of a tree and here is an example of this concept:
But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out." (Alma 32: 37-38)
In order to nourish our selves with the gospel of Jesus Christ we must do the very basic and simple things that the Lord teaches us to do. Like pray, read and study our scriptures, go to church, keep the commandment, and love and serve others. Doing all these things with humility, a proper attitude, and always striving to do them the best that we can will bring us closer to the Lord in our lives. Closeness to Jesus Christ is what we all seek after and it is this closeness, our faith, that will be our strength when we face the many trails of this life. That strength comes from God's grace, and that grace comes by a consistent effort to follow Christ in our lives.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Part 6: The First Vision
From the Great Apostasy we can see that the world was in a time of darkness and confusion and this has carried on until the present day. As a result of this darkness and confusion over ones relation to deity, religion, faith, and life its self can cause a great sense of wonder and questioning. This sense of wonder and questioning takes us back to the early 1800's and a boy named Joseph Smith; this is where we will begin and end today.
"Joseph Smith lived in the United States, which was perhaps the only country to enjoy religious freedom at the time. It was at a time of great religious excitement in the eastern United States. His family members were deeply religious and constantly sought for truth. But many ministers claimed to have the true gospel. Joseph desired 'to know which of all the sects was right,' (Joseph Smith—History 1:18). The Bible taught there was 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' (Ephesians 4:5). Joseph attended different churches, but he remained confused about which church he should join. He later wrote:
'So great were the confusions and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was . . . to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. . . . In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?' (Joseph Smith—History 1:8, 10)." (PMG Pg. 36-37)
"As Joseph sought truth among the different faiths, he turned to the Bible for guidance. He read, 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and up braideth not; and it shall be given him' (James 1:5). Because of this passage, Joseph decided to ask God what he should do. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience:
'I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!' (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).
In this vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches, for they 'were all wrong' and 'all their creeds were an abomination.' He stated, 'They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof' (Joseph Smith—History 1:19). Even though many good people believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they did not have the fulness of truth or the priesthood authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances. They had inherited a state of apostasy as each generation was influenced by what the previous one passed on, including changes in the doctrines and in ordinances such as baptism." (PMG Pg. 37)
To whom ever may read this blog, I want to tell you that these things are true, we have a Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is his son and our Savior, and that God has called prophets to the earth today and has established the fullness of His gospel. Meaning, one can find a fullness of God's blessing in this life and the life to come, and this can only be found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I testify to you that this is true in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
'So great were the confusions and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was . . . to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. . . . In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?' (Joseph Smith—History 1:8, 10)." (PMG Pg. 36-37)
'I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!' (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).
In this vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches, for they 'were all wrong' and 'all their creeds were an abomination.' He stated, 'They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof' (Joseph Smith—History 1:19). Even though many good people believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they did not have the fulness of truth or the priesthood authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances. They had inherited a state of apostasy as each generation was influenced by what the previous one passed on, including changes in the doctrines and in ordinances such as baptism." (PMG Pg. 37)
As a results of these events the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ began its return to the earth. Over time all things that we need to know and do in this life were taught, understood, done by the priesthood authority of God and continue on to the present day resulting in the restoration of Jesus Christ's church. Joseph was not the only one who saw and was a part of heavenly manifestations and others would testify of miraculous events never to deny what they had seen. One of these events was the bring forth of a book called "The Book of Mormon". For Joseph to be able to show proof to the world, he was given and translated an ancient volume of scripture:
"The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah." (Book of Mormon Pg. Introduction)
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah." (Book of Mormon Pg. Introduction)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Part 5
Part 5 of the Restoration lesson is very important and is called "The Great Apostasy". In part 4, we went over and covered how the early Church of Jesus Christ was established and how he gave his authority to his apostles. At the conclusion of that lesson questions were posed as to the outcome of the early church and in this section we will cover the results.
"After the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted the Apostles and Church members and killed many of them. With the death of the Apostles, priesthood keys and the presiding priesthood authority were taken from the earth...Without the Apostles, over time the doctrines were corrupted, and unauthorized changes were made in Church organization and priesthood ordinances, such as baptism and conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost."(PMG Pg. 35)
"Without revelation and priesthood authority, people relied on human wisdom to interpret the scriptures and the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. False ideas were taught as truth. Much of the knowledge of the true character and nature of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was lost."(PMG Pg. 35) Because of the loss of gospel light and knowledge this period of time would ironically be noted as the Dark Ages. But out of darkness comes light and people during that time searched for light and truth, with the ability to worship God freely. This desire brought about the Reformation and that over time lead to the emergence of Protestant churches, all having pieces of the truth and no priesthood authority. Without the priesthood authority, organization, and revelation men were left to search for light and truth on their own leading to philosophies, arguments. contentions, and conflicting doctrines. That is why there are so many different churches on the earth today.
"The Savior’s Apostles foretold this universal apostasy. They also foretold that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church would be restored once more upon the earth." (PMG Pg. 35)
Additional Scriptures:
1 Nephi 13
2 Nephi 26:20–21
Mark 12:1–9
Amos 8:11–12
2 Timothy 4:3–4
"After the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted the Apostles and Church members and killed many of them. With the death of the Apostles, priesthood keys and the presiding priesthood authority were taken from the earth...Without the Apostles, over time the doctrines were corrupted, and unauthorized changes were made in Church organization and priesthood ordinances, such as baptism and conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost."(PMG Pg. 35)
As we look and read through the New Testament of the Bible, there is an apparent struggle that is occurring in the church as the apostles, namely Paul, send letters to the different groups of the church helping them to see and correct issues of doctrine. As the apostles are killed off the church begins to break into pieces. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"(2 Thessalonians 2:3)
"The Savior’s Apostles foretold this universal apostasy. They also foretold that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church would be restored once more upon the earth." (PMG Pg. 35)
Additional Scriptures:
1 Nephi 13
2 Nephi 26:20–21
Mark 12:1–9
Amos 8:11–12
2 Timothy 4:3–4
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
PART 4
This portion of the Restoration lesson is a great part and we could spend so much time on it because we are now at the Savior's Earthly Ministry. The life of our Savior, Jesus Christ is truly magnificent. The living Son of the living God walked and talked, healed and comforted, lead and established, and among all this gave his life for us, and took it up again. When we view the Savior's life there are so many things that we could look at, but in this blog I want to show how he set lead and established his church among the children of men.
"He called twelve men to be His Apostles and laid His hands on their heads to give them priest- hood authority. He organized His Church..."(PMG pg.34)
"He called twelve men to be His Apostles and laid His hands on their heads to give them priest- hood authority. He organized His Church..."(PMG pg.34)
It was the cry of Jesus to His apostles saying "come follow me" and that is what they did. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15:16) Christ sent His apostles forth to teach His gospel of faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. In doing this Jesus Christ established His church of those that chose to follow Him. This church was built of a foundation of prophet and apostles with Jesus Christ as the corner stone. (Eph 2:20-21)
The early christian church you might say, was indeed The Church of Jesus Christ because that is whom they followed. This church had the His gospel and His authority and was the only way that one could find salvation in this life to be bale to return to heaven.
So, if there were only one church, and one way, then why today do we see so many different churches, and so many different ways? Where are the prophets, where are the apostles, where is the priesthood (the authority given to act in God's name) at? What happened to The Church of Jesus Christ?
These are all good questions to think about, and if you can wait the answers will soon be posted.
More Scripture References:
Matt 10
Matt 16:13-19
Matt 7:13-14
Eph 4:5
Eph 2: 20 -21
Heb 5:4
Amos 3:7
Acts 2:37-38
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Part 3
Prophets! Who are they, why are they important, why do we need them, and how do we find out who they are? These are some questions that come to mind when we think of the word "prophet". We might picture in our mind great individuals of the Old and New Testaments that walked in the desert and carried a staff: Noah, Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist. All of these individuals were called of God and were given His authority or the priesthood. With this authority they were able to administer ordinances of salvation and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ through revelation. After the prophets would receive direction from the Lord they would try and teach it to the Human family and they would record what they learned and what they taught. That is how we got the scriptures. Most of the time, the teachings of the prophets tell us to repent and change our ways and come unto Christ. The people of the world, us, don't seem to like this correction and we choose to reject the words of the prophets. When this takes place, we call it an apostasy, or a turning away from the commandments, teachings, and covenants of our Heavenly Father. As we read through the bible we can find this repetitive cycle over and over. The cycle of prophets and apostasy was even taught by the Savior during His ministry.
I know that God calls prophets, this is how He works. He sends us His prophet to teach us how we can follow the Savior more closely in our lives, there council is timeless and greatly bless our lives when we follow what they teach.
Other scriptures about prophets:
Amos 3:7
Hosea 12:13
Jacob 4:4,6 (Book of Mormon)
2 Nephi 25:26
Hebrews 5:4
Luke 6:13
John 15:16
"And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way." (Mark 12: 1-12)
I know that God calls prophets, this is how He works. He sends us His prophet to teach us how we can follow the Savior more closely in our lives, there council is timeless and greatly bless our lives when we follow what they teach.
Other scriptures about prophets:
Amos 3:7
Hosea 12:13
Jacob 4:4,6 (Book of Mormon)
2 Nephi 25:26
Hebrews 5:4
Luke 6:13
John 15:16
Friday, May 6, 2011
Part 2
To be able to learn in this life our Heaven Father has placed us in families. This is a place where we, as children, are protected from the harms of the world and can grow up and learn.
"The restored gospel blesses and helps husbands and wives, parents and children as they strive to develop stronger relationships and spiritual strength in their families. These blessings are available now and in eternity. The gospel of Jesus Christ provides help with current concerns and challenges. Because families are ordained of God, they are the most important social unit in time and in eternity. God has established families to bring happiness to His children, allow them to learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and prepare them for eternal life. The home is the best place to teach, learn, and apply principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A home established on gospel principles will be a place of refuge and safety. It will be a place where the Spirit of the Lord can abide, blessing family members with peace, joy, and happiness."(PMG Pg.32)
"Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."(Joshua 24: 14-15)
"The restored gospel blesses and helps husbands and wives, parents and children as they strive to develop stronger relationships and spiritual strength in their families. These blessings are available now and in eternity. The gospel of Jesus Christ provides help with current concerns and challenges. Because families are ordained of God, they are the most important social unit in time and in eternity. God has established families to bring happiness to His children, allow them to learn correct principles in a loving atmosphere, and prepare them for eternal life. The home is the best place to teach, learn, and apply principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A home established on gospel principles will be a place of refuge and safety. It will be a place where the Spirit of the Lord can abide, blessing family members with peace, joy, and happiness."(PMG Pg.32)
"Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."(Joshua 24: 14-15)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Restoration
Part One:
“God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. He has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected. He loves us. He weeps with us when we suffer and rejoices when we do what is right. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer.” (PMG) One might say that it is hard to understand God and who He is, but I know that this describes Him and prayer is one of the key elements that we have to use if we want to know Him and how He feels about us, talk to Him and ask Him.
"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:" Acts 17:27
As we look at this scripture and we ponder what we want to know we are given directions on how we can come to know and better understand God's love in our life. First we must seek. Seeking for God is done through a prayer of faith. Then we learn that we will feel after Him. The feel part is the Holy Spirit letting us know that He, our Heavenly Father is truly there. Every day as we move through life we face different trials and struggles and as we are going through those events often we feel alone, but if we take time to look back we will see where our Heavenly Father has sent and given help to lift us. We move forward by feeling (faith) and we look back with sight (experience).
“He has given us this experience on the earth so we can learn and grow. We can show our love for Him through our choices and our obedience to His commandments.” (PMG) Following God’s direction is vitally important and shows the desires of our hearts.
“God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. He has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected. He loves us. He weeps with us when we suffer and rejoices when we do what is right. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer.” (PMG) One might say that it is hard to understand God and who He is, but I know that this describes Him and prayer is one of the key elements that we have to use if we want to know Him and how He feels about us, talk to Him and ask Him.
"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:" Acts 17:27
As we look at this scripture and we ponder what we want to know we are given directions on how we can come to know and better understand God's love in our life. First we must seek. Seeking for God is done through a prayer of faith. Then we learn that we will feel after Him. The feel part is the Holy Spirit letting us know that He, our Heavenly Father is truly there. Every day as we move through life we face different trials and struggles and as we are going through those events often we feel alone, but if we take time to look back we will see where our Heavenly Father has sent and given help to lift us. We move forward by feeling (faith) and we look back with sight (experience).
“He has given us this experience on the earth so we can learn and grow. We can show our love for Him through our choices and our obedience to His commandments.” (PMG) Following God’s direction is vitally important and shows the desires of our hearts.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Life of the Savior
Out of all the days of the year, Easter weekend is still one of the best times of year. Jesus Christ lives, the tomb is empty! I enjoy this time of year more than that of Christmas because there is no rushing around searching for gifts and toils of the holiday season. Rather, we have the arrival of spring emerging forth from nature's winter sleep. It is a quiet time to think of the Savior and His life.
"Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—"(3 Nephi 27:13-14).
I often like to ask myself: How well do I know the Man who died for me? He gave his life so that we can live again. As I think of this question, I realize that there is still so much about His life that I do not know. However, every time I read his words I get to learn more about Him. The scriptures teach us so much about the Savior. They teach us of His humble birth and life. They teach us how He views the works of His hands. They teach us of His attributes and how we can gain them. They teach us how He heals our hearts and makes our burdens light. They teach us of His gospel and how we can return to be with Him and His Father. The list of what the scriptures teach us can continue forever. Why? Because Jesus Christ lives, and so do His words as the Holy Spirit brings them to our hearts.
"And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good."(2 Nephi 33:10)
I know that Christ lives today, I know that His gospel is true, I know that His atoning sacrifice is real, and I do know that He can heal our hearts if we let Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Who Do We Hear?
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge that we have lost in information?"
~T.S. Elliot
Every day there are so many people that just walk around with headphones in their ears, some even so much as to only have one side of the headphone in and the other side out so they can attempt to be involved in the world around them. For the sake of explanation, I'm just going to call this being "Plugged In". This plugged in idea is an influence that has seemed to overwhelm the youth and young adults in our times today. Now, please don’t take this the wrong way, I love my music and iPod, but in observation of others you can see the extreme that I'm getting at. In away, one's dependency on being plugged in has gone to new extremes and watching this has caused me to raise some questions as of what is going on and when did music become so infectious. Of course many would argue that they just love their music or they are not really listening to anything, that it might be educational, or the most ridiculous of all, that they can multi-task. Have you ever tried talking to someone that is plugged in? Your conversation results in, what?, hold on, and un-plugging one side of the head so you can only be paid a slight amount of attention. These are all very good ideas and observation, but there is more behind the scene than we often like to think.
We live in a world today where there is an increasing onslaught of distractions and temptations. We learn in the scriptures how to listen to the Spirit and how His voice comes, "And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—." (Helaman 5:30) There is so much noise in the world, and with in all of that noise how do we ever think that we can hear the still small voice of the Holy Ghost? We can't, no one can. Every time we plug our mind in and seek after the fads and trends of the world, whether it is headphones, cell phones, texting, or just being worldly, we disconnect ourselves from that perfectly mild voice of the Spirit. The Holy Ghost communicates with us by feelings and thoughts in our hearts and minds, but when we give in to worldly influences our hearts and minds are no longer available to the Spirit. These vital communications usually come as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, temperance, gentleness, goodness, faith, and meakness just to name a few. With this line of communication we are able to better judge choices and action in our day to day lives and most often these acts that we do are to bless the lives of others. So in all, take time to smell the roses, un-plug your mind of the worldly things and seek for a better and I do know as one does this that they will be able to bless their lives and even better, bless the lives of others.
~T.S. Elliot
Every day there are so many people that just walk around with headphones in their ears, some even so much as to only have one side of the headphone in and the other side out so they can attempt to be involved in the world around them. For the sake of explanation, I'm just going to call this being "Plugged In". This plugged in idea is an influence that has seemed to overwhelm the youth and young adults in our times today. Now, please don’t take this the wrong way, I love my music and iPod, but in observation of others you can see the extreme that I'm getting at. In away, one's dependency on being plugged in has gone to new extremes and watching this has caused me to raise some questions as of what is going on and when did music become so infectious. Of course many would argue that they just love their music or they are not really listening to anything, that it might be educational, or the most ridiculous of all, that they can multi-task. Have you ever tried talking to someone that is plugged in? Your conversation results in, what?, hold on, and un-plugging one side of the head so you can only be paid a slight amount of attention. These are all very good ideas and observation, but there is more behind the scene than we often like to think.
We live in a world today where there is an increasing onslaught of distractions and temptations. We learn in the scriptures how to listen to the Spirit and how His voice comes, "And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—." (Helaman 5:30) There is so much noise in the world, and with in all of that noise how do we ever think that we can hear the still small voice of the Holy Ghost? We can't, no one can. Every time we plug our mind in and seek after the fads and trends of the world, whether it is headphones, cell phones, texting, or just being worldly, we disconnect ourselves from that perfectly mild voice of the Spirit. The Holy Ghost communicates with us by feelings and thoughts in our hearts and minds, but when we give in to worldly influences our hearts and minds are no longer available to the Spirit. These vital communications usually come as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, temperance, gentleness, goodness, faith, and meakness just to name a few. With this line of communication we are able to better judge choices and action in our day to day lives and most often these acts that we do are to bless the lives of others. So in all, take time to smell the roses, un-plug your mind of the worldly things and seek for a better and I do know as one does this that they will be able to bless their lives and even better, bless the lives of others.
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