Because Of Him!

I love how being on a mission changes the way that you look at everything. Holidays like Easter have never meant as much to me as it does now. I knew before that Easter is about Christ, but now I finally understand why it is so important to me personally. If it were not for Jesus Christ, there would be nothing. I want to share just a few things with you that the coming of Christ has done for you, whether you fully realize them now or not.

You can change. 
Imagine just for a few moments, the kind of person that you are right now. All of your flaws, imperfections, and faults. If it had not been for Jesus Christ, there would be no ability to overcome any of those things. You would not be able to change. I don't know about you, but I would not be content to just stay the same way that I am right now. Because of the atonement of Christ, you have the ability to repent and become better. Because he has already paid the price for our sins, mistakes, and faults, you are able to find merciful forgiveness and divine help to be the person God sees that you can be. He doesn't look at you in terms of now, but in terms of forever. Because of Him, you and I can be better tomorrow than we were today, and continue on the joyful road of progression.

You can conquer death. I echo the modern day prophet, Thomas S. Monson, in saying that, 

"No words in Christendom mean more to me than those spoken by the angel to the weeping Mary Magdalene and the other Mary when, on the first day of the week, they approached the tomb to care for the body of their Lord. Spoke the angel: “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.”  Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed. The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job’s question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, If a man die, he shall live again."

(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/he-is-risen?lang=eng&query=he+is+not+here)

Not only did Christ pay for your sins, but because He lives, all of us will live again. Death is not the end of anything. He was and is the literal Son of God, and because of the divine attributes he inherited from his Father, he could take his life back up again. He himself declared that,

"Therefore doth my Father  love me, because I lay down my life, that I might  take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
(John 10: 17-18)

I testify of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the eventual resurrection of all that have and will ever live. Death is not a close, but an opening; it is a step closer to coming back to our true home in heaven. I bear witness that he is the Savior of the world and the Redeemer of mankind. Because of Him, endings are not our destiny. They never were! I have found such peace in knowing that Christ paved the way for each of us to return back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. I know that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)

Please check out this website to see more ways that Jesus Christ has blessed your life!

http://easter.mormon.org/

"...That I Might Heal You..."

I've been feeling lately that I needed to share some of my thoughts on the Atonement of Jesus Christ here on my blog for a week or two now. Hopefully, someone who is feeling overwhelmed by the trials that come with life, be they self-inflicted or not, will find some peace and comfort from knowing about the Savior's mission. I don't know who exactly needs to read this, but I feel very strongly that one of you does. I've just been struggling with how to word how precious and important the atonement is to me, and  for each of us. I have gone through some pretty big struggles in my own life, but I have come to learn that I have never done any of them alone. Never. And neither are you.

In the Book of Mormon, Christ told the people of the America's that,

"Behold I have given unto 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...and my Father sent me that I might be lifted upon the cross...that I might draw all men unto me..."

(3 Nephi 27: 13-14, pg. 459)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to do what our Heavenly Father wanted Him to do- save us. That was done through the atonement. The atonement started in His agonizing suffering Gethsemane, continued through His tragic journey to the cross, and concluded with His triumph over the captivation of death. Again, from The Book of Mormon, we read,

"And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than a man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish...And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning..."

(Mosiah 3: 7-8, pg. 152)

Doesn't that sound like another verse that has carried it's way into our hearts through the spirit of Christmas?

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9: 6)

  

It was through those experiences that Christ, who had been perfect His whole life, felt exactly what we have felt. There is no pain He has not taken, no sickness He has not felt, no unfair act He has not conquered. Why would He do that? Why would this perfect man, who had never done anything in His life to wrong another, or spoken out against any of the wrongs that stood against Him...why would He do that? Gordon B. Hinckley, a prophet of God, has said,

"He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. He has brought meaning to our mortal existence. He has given us the gift of eternal life. He was and is the Son of God..."

(A Testimony of the Son of God, December 2002 Ensign)

If I had to give a simple, one word response to why Jesus Christ went through what He did for us, I would say love. The love that Christ as our brother has for us was greater than the pains that he went through. If he did not love us, and if God did not love us, than Christ would not have gone through with a plan that would bring him inexpressible suffering. The love that He has for you had to be greater than the pain.

I testify that God loves us. I know because of Jesus Christ and his vicarious act of love in our behalf. God is love, and the atonement proves that over and over again. Because of it, we are able to truly go home. We can be forgiven of the things we do wrong, and the merciful act of forgiveness is one of the single greatest things that we can experience in this life. On the other hand, anything that is unfair in our lives can be made right through the atonement of Christ. If you are doing things now that are distancing you from your Heavenly Father, stop it right now. If you are in any pain of any kind, turn to Christ. Come back to him, and allow Him to be a part of your life. Come back to Him, and let him show you His love and forgiveness. Christ posed the question so well when he said,

"...will ye not return unto me, and repent of your sins and be converted, that I may heal you?"

(3 Nephi 11: 13, pg 425)

He wants to heal us so badly. Will we not allow him to? If we make the choice to come back and find solace in His love, we will be able to conquer literally anything. We will not only endure through this life, but we will prevail. My prayer is that each of us will make the effort to come unto Christ, and partake of the blessings that are ours through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Come Listen To A Prophet's Voice!

In the words of my mother (and a movie that will remain nameless)- "The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things! Like [prophets], [conference], and all those other things!"

Every six months, God's living prophets and apostles speak to His church. This has been known as General Conference. In giving a background to the history of church conferences, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve has said,

"Conferences have always been part of the true Church of Jesus Christ. Adam gathered his posterity and prophesied of things to come. Moses gathered the children of Israel and taught them the commandments he had received. The Savior taught multitudes gathered both in the Holy Land and on the American continent. Peter gathered believers in Jerusalem. The first general conference in these latter days was convened just two months after the Church was organized, and conferences have continued to this very day."

(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/general-conference-strengthening-faith-and-testimony?lang=eng&query=)

So, what do we talk about that takes us two days, and four sessions? There is a lot that we come to learn! Just as in times of old, these men have been called to be a witness of the glory of Chirst, and to teach us what our Heavenly Father needs us to know at this time. From the same talk, Elder Hales explains how the speakers figure out what to say.

"These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit. We are not assigned specific topics. Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord. Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give."

Just as in times of old, God directs his people today through revelation.  Through that revelation, we are reminded of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us, what we are doing well in our lives, and what we need to do in order to follow the example Jesus Christ set for us more perfectly. I always come away from General Conference feeling more at peace because the Holy Spirit helps me to know, from what the speakers are directed to say, what I need to do to become who God needs me to be.

Sometimes though, those ideas just stay in our heads unless we do something about it. I heard a fabulous, short parable a few weeks ago that puts this concept into perspective...

The Parable of the Turkeys!

Once upon a time, a turkey who had figured out to fly gathered together all of his friends and family. He was so excited about what he had learned, that he spent the whole day teaching his friends and family how to fly. They spent all day in good fun, soaring over the fence of their coop and then back. As the sun started to set, the turkeys decided that it was time to wrap it up. They all walked home together.

I hope that you found the same good humor in that as I did. They walked home! Just after they had learned this amazing skill...they walked! How often do we do that? Do we learn something incredible, marvel at the genius of it, and then leave it at that?  The things that we learn are no good unless we apply them!

As we approach the time for General Conference, I would encourage each of you to begin to prepare now by thinking of a question that you have. It can be a question about a concern, a life question, or even the question of whether God knows who you are or not. I promise you are not the only one who has wondered that. I did at one point, and it was during General Conference that I got my answer that God truly does know me and my needs. I promise you that as you get ready to receive answers during Conference, and if you listen intently, the Holy Ghost will help you to recognize your answer. I promise you that answers will come if they are sought after with real intent, and are acted upon! I love General Conference. I testify that as you act on what you learn, you will be incredibly blessed with the things that God knows you need. This is not a chance you will want to miss out on! =)

Times and Channels for Conference

Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6, 2014, with general sessions each day at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT)

	General Conference Website Video in 19 languages
	LDS General Conference YouTube Channel Video in English, Spanish, and Portuguese
	BYUtv Video and audio in English only
	BYUtv International  Video and audio in Spanish and Portuguese
	Mormon Channel Website Video and audio in English and Spanish
	Mormon Channel Mobile Apps Video and audio in English and Spanish
	Mormon Channel on Roku Video in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and ASL.
	Facebook.com/LDS Video in English only

A God Of Miracles!

In my most recent studies, I have made more of an effort to study the Bible and the Book of Mormon together. It is so amazing! It has strengthened my testimony of the divinity of Christ, and God's love for us.

My family! I see God through them all the time =)

God is our loving Heavenly Father. He is happy with us, and sad with us. He desires nothing but the very best for His children! Because of that desire, He has blessed us to come down to earth to learn and grow. He has a plan for us, and that plan is centered on Jesus Christ. Another major part of that plan was to gain a family. When a family is centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, having the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end), they can be strengthened and unified. A family is the best place to teach and learn the principles of Christ's teachings. It is through prophets that we learn of the plan that God has for us and our families.

Prophets are men called of God, who are given the priesthood (or the authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of His children) to lead and direct His people. In the book of Amos, we read that,

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the prophets."

(Amos 3:7)

The prophets learn the gospel of Christ through revelation, and in turn, teach it to His children. They are witnesses of God & Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. Through out time, God will call a prophet such as Moses, Abraham, Jeremiah, and Noah to teach His people what they should do. Over time, the people make the choice to reject the prophets and their teachings. This is a state called apostasy. Whenever the choice is made to reject God's prophets, God will withdraw his priesthood authority for a time until the people are ready to listen again. Because God loves us, He will return to us prophets and priesthood so that we can learn how to return to live with Him. This pattern of God calling prophets, prophets being rejected and removed, and God calling another prophet after a time is something we see over and over again as we read the Bible.

All of the prophets taught of Jesus Christ, and bore powerful witness to His divine mission. In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Jacob stated,

"For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had  hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us."

(Jacob 4:4)

When Christ came to the earth as the Son of God, He came to do the will of his Father in heaven. During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ preformed many miracles such as healing the lame, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead through priesthood authority. He was also baptized by John the Baptist, in order to show us the way. He taught his gospel, and called twelve apostles. He ordained them, and gave them authority to teach his gospel, preform saving ordinances, and establish His church on the earth. Christ also preformed the atonement, where He took upon himself the sins and pains of the world. After He had done all His Father had required of Him, the people rejected and crucified Christ. 

After Christ's death, His apostles were also persecuted. Many of them were killed. With their death, the priesthood authority of God was again removed from the earth. The world then entered a great apostasy. This time was prophesied by Amos when he said,

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

(Amos 8: 11-12)

The apostles had been able to keep the doctrine of Christ pure, but with the absence of priesthood direction, the teachings of Christ began to be changed. Without revelation, people relied on their own wisdom to figure out what the scriptures and other doctrines meant. Many people known as reformers sought greater spiritual guidance, even speaking of a needed restoration. However, known of them claimed to be prophets. These movements opened the way for our Heavenly Father to once again bless his children with the fullness of His gospel. When the time was right, God again called a prophet to lead and guide his children.

In 180, a young boy named Joseph Smith was living in Palmyra, New York. At the time, there were many religious conflicts. His family was very religious, and so they attended many churches. Joseph often wondered which one was correct, because each seemed to look at a passage of scripture very differently. He knew that, in Ephesians, it states that,

 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism..." 
(Ephesians 4:4-5)

In a quest to find an answer for himself, he turned to the Bible. One day, he was reading the epistle of James, chapter one, verse five. This particular verse encourages all to ask God for wisdom if they need it, and He will give it to them freely. Joseph Smith, from his own account, said,

"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know...At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture."

(Joseph Smith History 1:12-13)

On a beautiful spring morning, Joseph went to a grove of trees, and offered up his first vocal prayer in his life. As he prayed, he received an answer as James had promised. As you read his account, pay attention to how if feels to do, and what thoughts you have as you read. In his own words, Joseph says,

I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God...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: 15-17)

God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. As he posed his question, They told him that none of the churches were completely correct, because they no longer had clear doctrine, or priesthood authority. They told Joseph Smith that, in time, he would be called to be a prophet to bring forth Christ' original church.

Later in his life, other heavenly messengers such as Peter, James, John, and John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith. They conferred upon him the authority they had held on earth to preform all saving ordinances. With that authority given to him, Joseph called twelve apostles and organized Christ's church on the earth once more. That authority has continued since then, with Thomas S. Monson as the living prophet today. 

God knew that the Bible would be changed, so through Joseph Smith He brought forward another volume of scripture known as the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (see my post called "Ask, and Ye Shall Find"). It is a companion to the Bible, and gives us the fullness of Christ's gospel once again. It is also evidence that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God. It contains a record of the people living on the American continent 600 years before the birth of Christ, and 400 years after His death. After Christ was resurrected, He appeared to those living in the Americas. That account can be found in the Book of Mormon.

In order to know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, one must read, ponder, and sincerely pray about it. The Book of Mormon is a book with a promise. In it, we read that,

 "...when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."        (Moroni 10: 4-5)

I testify that God has again reached out in love to us as His children. The gospel of Jesus Christ has again been restored to the earth! There are living prophets who speak to us today. I have gained my own testimony of this by reading the Book of Mormon, and earnestly asking God if it is true. I cannot deny the feelings of peace and comfort that come to me as I follow Moroni's promise. I extend that same invitation to you. I promise that if you will read and pray with an honest heart, God will answer you!

Do You Trust Him?

This morning as I was studying, I was struck by the simple principle of trust. A story in the Book of Mormon tells us of a time when the people demanded signs and wonders before they could believe in the coming of Christ. Even though they had seen so many wonderful things, they stated that

"...it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come...But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass...we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true."

- Helaman 16: 18-20, pg. 406

Note how they say that "cannot" witness. They have been seeing all of these great signs, but because of their lack of faith, they are not truly seeing. How many times do we see something, without truly seeing it? How many times does God bless us with a tender mercy, and because of it's simplicity, we deny that it as divine? The time we spend in mortality requires that we walk by faith rather than by sight. Most of the miracles that happen will not be what we term as "massive", but they will be simple and plain things. If we do not trust God with every fiber of our being, we will be unable to truly see what He does for us. If we do not trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we will be unable to understand the love that God has for us. Our inability to recognize God's hand in our life comes from our lack of trust.

Do you trust Him? Not just in the general sense, but do you trust Him with all that you have? Do you trust Him enough to step into the fog, and accept the future that He has planned for you? Even though we may not be able to physically see Him there with us, do you trust Him enough to make choices that would make you worthy to stand in his presence? Do you trust in Him enough to recognize the small tender mercies He blesses you with daily, that lift you closer and closer to the divine potential that you carry within you? The more we trust our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, the more we will understand that the blessings we receive will come perfectly in the way that we need them, and in the perfect time that we need them.

If we could trust in God the way that He needed us to, we would be amazed by what would otherwise go unnoticed around us. I have come to trust my Father in heaven enough to know that He really is there. He is very aware of us, and knows how to help us in whatever we need. The moment we begin to trust is Him is when we will truly have our eyes open to the truly miraculous blessings that are around us. We will see the true meaning in the plain and simple. I testify that He is there. Christ lives, and as we have faith in Him, we will be more aware of the times where He catches us and places us back on our feet. Like the Israelites of old, look to God, and live!

The Battles We Must Fight.

My studies the past few days have very connected to each other. Oh the beauty of studying by the Holy Spirit =) I've learned a lot this past week about the importance of being selfless- why we do it, and what it could mean if we don't. In a talk given by Marvin J. Ashton in the October 1990 General Conference, he states that,

"Selfishness is much more than an ordinary problem because it activates all the cardinal sins! It is the detonator in the breaking of the Ten Commandments."

(http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1990/10/put-off-the-natural-man-and-come-off-conqueror?lang=eng)

Being converted to Christ helps us reach our goal for perfection.

Being selfish leads us to act in an uncaring manner. Christ and his teachings lead us to continually serve others, but when we are incited by Satan, we are moved to act for our own interests. It's a very lonely, cold way to live. When we act only for ourselves, we lose important progression, and that in turn effects the progression of those around us. From the same take, Brother Ashton says,

"Unchecked selfishness thus stubbornly blocks the way for developing all of the divine qualities: love, mercy, patience, long-suffering, kindness, graciousness, goodness, and gentleness...these virtues are sheared off by sharp selfishness...Take away an acknowledgment of divine design and then watch the selfish scurrying to redesign political and economic systems...Take away regard for the divinity in one’s neighbor, and watch the decline in our regard for his property. Take away basic moral standards, and observe how quickly tolerance changes into permissiveness. Take away the sacred sense of belonging to a family or community, and observe how quickly citizens cease to care for big cities. Take away regard for the seventh commandment, and behold the current celebration of sex...Its theology focuses on “self.”...Thus, in all its various expressions, selfishness is really self-destruction in slow motion!"

I have seen first hand the distruction of selfishness. It never leads anywhere good. I have never found any kind of personal, lasting happiness that comes from making choices that benifit only me. That is because it does not follow the example of Jesus Christ, and his constant outward expressions of love. No matter what he was doing, he never turned anyone away because something else was "more important". In today's world, where quick gratification is so popular, let us fight the battle of selfishness by reaching out to all around us. Let us fight by doing a "good turn" each day. You have to be the change you want to see. This really will be a fight, because it requires us to change the way that we think and act. As we strive to reach out to our fellow men, I promise that the world will be a brighter place. We will feel better about ourselves as individuals, and we will feel happiness that will last!

I testify that Jesus is the Christ. His example  and sacrifice is the only way to return to our Father in Heaven. He showed us the way so that we could follow. The way has been set; let us follow Christ' and his lead of selfless service, and we will find our way back to our home!

Photo from "Reflections of Christ"

What I Wish You Knew.

Suuuch a crazy weekend. I am shipping out to a new area on Wednesday! There is lots of late night cram packing to be done. You tend to accumulate a lot of things after 6 months. It's a really good thing I like going through and cleaning things out!

It's really bitter sweet. I've been serving in these congregations for a long time, and with the best companion. Sister Krueger has been a big blessing in my life! I have learned so much from her, and will continue to learn from her as time goes on!

I had a lot of people thank me this weekend for helping their families since I have been here. I want to just express my gratitude for the chance it has been to serve! In Alma 17 (in the Book of Mormon), a group of amazing missionaries are preparing themselves for their missions. I love how their purpose is worded!

"...they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren...to the knowledge of the truth..."

(Alma 17: 9, pg. 251)

Because of their righteous desires, the Lord speaks peace to them, assuring them that-

" ...[as] ye [are] patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me...I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."

(Alma 17: 10, pg. 251)

I have always wanted to help everyone around me become happier. I've learned that true happiness comes from following the commandments of God, and the gospel established by Jesus Christ. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it hasn't been me at all. As I have fasted and prayed, the Lord has blessed me to be an instrument in his hands to help you. I feel so blessed that the Lord sees fit to use me to further his kingdom on earth. It is so incredibly humbling! Later on in Alma, one of the missionaries (his name is Ammon), expresses his joy in service.

"And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started...that God would have granted unto us such great blessings? And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell? Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren...were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work."

(Alma 26: 1-3, pg. 272)

I want you all to know that I know this work in the work of God. He is my Father, and He is yours. He loves you more than you can imagine. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind, and there is no other way whereby salvation can come. As we follow him and keep the commandments of God, you will be a light and a blessing to all those around you! I will praise my God forever for answering my fervent prayers to be of service to you!