The Jedi were Missionaries

So this is another conception of how random stuff is related to the gospel.

I love how "all things denote there is a God." (Alma 30:44)

So Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are the GOOD guys....
......Darth Maul is the BAD guy.

Missionaries are the GOOD guys.....the Devil is the BAD guy.

Two Jedi against one Sith....Two Missionaries against one Devil....
....seems pretty close to me. ;)

So as we know the Jedi were the guardians and protectors of peace in the galaxy that is very far away.  We as missionaries guard and protect the truthfulness of the gospel here on earth.  We teach others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how it helps balance their lives.  The Jedi taught how to work with others to maintain balance in the Force.  The Jedi always avoided conflict unless there was no other choice.  Missionaries only have Spiritual conflict when we can't avoid it.

Basically the "BAD GUY" doesn't like what we are doing, and sometimes we don't always win.  Indeed everyone falls down at some point in life, but Christ is always there to help us get up.  Just like when Obi-Wan had to jump much higher than he normally could, Christ is there to help us jump up Spiritually, and keep on fighting.  Even when things don't look like we are winning, if we turn to the Lord, He will help us and even fight our battles for us.

I have experienced this several times, where I feel like I just can't go any further, He steps in and gives me that extra strength to keep going.  I promise anyone who is having a hard time or a bad day, that if you kneel down and say a prayer He will always be there to help you when you ask Him.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that which Christ taught pertaining to the requirements for us to return and live with God. 

These requirements are:

 Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, 

Repentance,

Baptism,

Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost,

and Enduring to the End.

Faith in Jesus Christ is more than just Believing He lived and died for us.  Faith is an action word.  When we have Faith, we do things that we otherwise wouldn't, to try and help others.  We show our Faith by our actions.  Faith can be shown by attending church, praying both vocally and within our hearts, giving service to others in need, reading the scriptures, and following the teachings of the Savior.  Through Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed from all of our sin.  This is possible because of His Atonement, where He Suffered, died, and was Resurrected three days later.

"For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come;

yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth,

to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead,

that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord."

-- Helaman 14:15

Because of this Atonement we have the ability to repent, which is to confess to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.  We can be assured that we have truly repented of our sins when we can look in the mirror, thinking of what we did, and not have feelings of guilt or shame.

"Then Peter said unto them,
Repent,

and be baptized

every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

-- Acts 2:38

After we repent, we must follow the Lord into the waters of Baptism.  Jesus walked many miles to get to John the Baptist because John had the authority to perform this ordinance.  That authority is called the Priesthood.  Today, we must be baptized by that same priesthood which John had in order for our Baptism to be of effect in Heaven.  When Christ was on the earth, He gave this Priesthood Authority to His Apostles.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

-- Matthew 16:19

The Gift of the Holy Ghost is having the right to the constant companionship of the Spirit.  The Spirit is the Third member of the Godhead, and as such He testifies of the truth and divinity of Jesus Christ.  He also can give us guidance and help us avoid danger and make good decisions.  Although we can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost before Baptism we don't have the gift of the Holy Ghost until after we are baptized.  This gift is also given by the laying on of hands, through Priesthood Authority.

"He said unto them,

Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

And they said unto him,

We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

 And he said unto them,

Unto what then were ye baptized?

And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Then said Paul,

John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,

saying unto the people,

that they should believe on him which should come after him,

that is, on Christ Jesus.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,

the Holy Ghost came on them"

-- Acts 19:2-6

After we have done all of this, we are qualified to return to live with our Father in Heaven.  However, we will continue to be tempted and will sin again.  This is why we must pray always for help and guidance from the Lord.  We must Endure to the End of everything.  To the End of the Day, the End of the Week, and the End of our Lives.  We must continue in fighting for what we know to be just and true.

"And now, my beloved brethren,

after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path,

I would ask if all is done?

Behold, I say unto you,

Nay;

for ye have not come thus far

save it were by the word of Christ

with unshaken faith in him,

relying wholly upon the merits of him

who is mighty to save."

-- 2 Nephi 31:19

The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth.  Just like someone doing a car restoration after the car has been ruined or left to decay, Christ restored His gospel and His church to the earth after centuries of confusion and spiritual decay.

God is our loving Heavenly Father.  He wants what is best for us.  In order for us to grow and progress we had to leave Him and come to earth where we go through trials and temptation.  We are able to communicate with Him through prayer, and He communicates with us through scriptures written by His prophets.

"Herein is love, 

not that we loved God, 

but that he loved us, 

and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins."

-- 1 John 4:10

The gospel taught by prophets is there to bless the family.  "THE FAMILY is ordained of God." (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).  This means that we can have some of the most sacred experiences within our own families. 

Heavenly Father has revealed the gospel several times.  Each time He reveals it to a prophet is called a dispensation.  When people reject the prophets and their teachings, it is called an apostasy.  Adam was the first man, and the first prophet on the earth.  He taught his children to follow the Lord.  After some time Noah was called to preach this same gospel of repentance and only eight individuals were saved from the flood because of the apostasy of the inhabitants of the world.  Later Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were each called as prophets, to teach the people.  Moses was called as a prophet to deliver Israel from Egypt, and to lead the people back to the land of their inheritance.  As inspired by God, Moses brought forth the ten commandments.  Jonah was commanded to Preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of Nineveh.

"Arise, go unto Nineveh,

that great city,

and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee."

-- Jonah 3:2

Jesus Christ came as the Son of God in the flesh, as the promised Messiah.  He taught a higher law than the Law of Moses.  He performed miracles, set up a church, and called twelve apostles, to whom he gave priesthood authority to run His church.  While on the earth He was the head of the church and they looked to Him for direction.  After He performed the Atonement, died, and was Resurrected on the Third day, He was still the head of His church.  He appeared to His apostles and taught them for forty days, teaching them what they had not previously learned about preaching the gospel to the rest of the world.  The apostles looked to Christ for what should be done within His church after His death, just as they had looked to Him while he was living on the earth.

Not long after the Saviors death however, the people rejected the Apostles just as they had rejected Christ.  Several were killed and all died without conferring the priesthood authority Christ had given them to anyone else.  This period where the priesthood, or the authority to act in the name of God, was gone is known as the Great Apostasy.  This is because of the widespread rejection of the servants of the Lord, as well as His teachings.

"For I think that God 

hath set forth us the apostles last, 

as it were appointed to death: 

for we are made a spectacle 

unto the world, 

and to angels, 

and to men."

-- 1 Corinthians 4:9

This period of Apostasy was ended by God calling another Prophet to the earth.  In the year 1820 near Palmyra, New York, there was an unusual excitement on the subject of religion.  A young boy named Joseph Smith was searching with his family for which church was right.  Joseph read in the bible where it said clearly, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).  This cause him to wonder which of the many different churches was right.  One day he was reading James 1:5, which says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  He then decided that if anyone lacked wisdom, he did.  After some time of reflecting upon this scripture he decided to do as James had directed, and ask God what to do.

He went early one morning to a grove of trees near his home.  He knelt down and began praying to our Father in Heaven.  As he prayed he saw a vision.

This is a description of his experience in his own words:

"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!"

That morning God the Father and His son Jesus Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith.  He was called to restore the church that had been lost back to the earth.  To do this he would be required to translate the Book of Mormon.  The Book of Mormon stand side-by-side with the Bible.  They both teach and testify of Jesus Christ.  If anyone desires to know if Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, all they need to do is read the Book of Mormon and pray, asking with a sincere heart and really intending to do something about the answer they receive.

^"If any of you lack wisdom, 

let him ask of God, 

that giveth to all men liberally, 

and upbraideth not; 

and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, 

nothing wavering. 

For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea 

driven with the wind and tossed."

-- James 1:5-6

"And 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 know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed me in my life and with my family.  I can say with a surety that the Book of Mormon is true and really is inspired by God.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ for all He has done for me.

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

We all have things we need, and things we want.  Sometimes we need to go without the things we want so that we can help others who need our help.

It is in the hard times of life that we grow the most, and sometimes we don't know how much our actions will influence someone else's life.  I hope that we can all do something to help those we know find happiness, and peace as they journey through life.

"Behold I say unto you,

that by small and simple things

are great things brought to pass."

-- Alma 37:6

"The journey of 1000 miles,

begins with a single step."

-- Author Unknown

Learn From Trials, Then Act Upon Your Knowledge

"I love the musical and motion picture Fiddler on the Roof. There a wonderful Jewish father sings “If I Were a Rich Man.” His memorable prayer concludes with this pleading question:

Lord, who made the lion and the lamb,

You decreed I should be what I am;

Would it spoil some vast eternal plan,

If I were a wealthy man?

Yes, Tevye, it might. Let us give thanks for what we are and for the circumstances God has given us for our personal journey through mortality." --Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign May 2003, Give Thanks in All Things

I found this talk from the April General Conference in 2003 to be rather interesting.  I also quite enjoy this movie quite a bit.  But as Elder Oaks said, we must be grateful for the situations we find ourselves in.  Sometimes this can be rather difficult, but as long as we do our best to deal prudently with what we are given we will be able to see the lessons the Lord intends for us to learn from those situations. 

If everything was easy, nothing would be difficult.  We learn from struggle, when we want to gain more muscle or strength we don't sit around and play video games all day.  Instead we get up and go do something.  We lift weights, go for a walk, go jogging, go on a hike with friends, go outside and play tag, go play rugby or frisbee.  All of these options require GOing and DOing something.  If you are in a race and want to make any sort of progress towards the finish line, you must first GO forward.  If we sit back and are not actively looking for ways to do better, than we will indeed not do better.

From this we know that in order to gain spiritual strength, we must exercise our spiritual muscles.  We can GO to church, DO some scripture study, Pray to our Father in Heaven, watch video clips from General Conference.  There are many ways in which we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ.  But each of them require that we DO something.  We must choose to learn of them and then follow their teachings.  Once we know what we need to do it is time to GO and DO it.

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father:

I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,

for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments

unto the children of men,

save he shall prepare a way for them

 that they may accomplish the thing

which he commandeth them."

-- 1 Nephi 3:7

When Things Don't Go According to the Plan

So I am a huge Stargate fan.  SG-1 and SGA for those who watch it.  But I have found so many similarities between Stargate and the gospel it can sometimes be quite funny.

Here is a clip I found in which Teal'c, an alien from another planet who is working with the US Air Force, makes a comment that would normally be considered wrong or confusing.  However, due to him not being familiar with earth culture and American sayings, he is often found saying things that are outside what we would normally think would be said.

Here we see that from his understanding of our use of words, to calm down is to get better.  So if things were going to get worse, being the opposite of better, they would indeed calm up, the opposite of down.

Just like Teal'c had a hard time understanding how we thought, and they way we speak, so to do we often have a hard time understanding the way our Father in Heaven thinks and speaks.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways my ways, 

saith the Lord.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways, 

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

-- Isaiah 55:8-9

I hope that as we speak with those around us we will have the understanding that they might not understand what exactly we are trying to say to them, and that as we pray unto the Father we may be able to listen to what He says, so that we may learn from Him what is right.

I also know that as we turn to Him in prayer, we will be able to find peace in our hearts, even when we are in a situation that appears to "calm up".

Bad day??....That's ok....Join the Dance

So this is for everyone who has had a bad day.

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing that is worth honor, but somehow one of my friends always manages to convince me that I am still worth something.

Today as we celebrate Easter, I feel good in knowing that Christ will always be there for us, even when we have a bad day.  He suffered for everything we go through, and is always just waiting for us to turn to Him in prayer.

COOL PICTURES

Well now, I haven't had a post of some random happiness in a while, so I think I will post a few things to make ya'll happy!!

Ready??

GO!!!!

Ok, I am now sufficiently happy.  Don't we just have so much to be happy about all around us.

I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father created everything on earth so that we would be happy.

 :)

So What is the Plan of Salvation ? ? ?

The Plan of Salvation is God's plan for us to return to live with Him.  This plan answers three questions that are considered 'questions of the soul'.  They are, Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?  These three questions will be answered today both with words, and in picture format for those who like to see before reading.  ;)

Before we were born we lived in the presence of God but we had no body.  We were spirit children of our Heavenly Father.  He presented this plan, with Christ as the center, so that we would be able to have all of the blessings our Father in Heaven wanted to give to us.

Under the Direction of the Father, Jesus Christ created the Earth.  All things are and were done in order, and we needed somewhere to go to gain physical bodies, and to be tested.

Heavenly Father then created Adam and Eve.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: 

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 

and over the fowl of the air, 

and over the cattle, and over all the earth, 

and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

So God created man in his own image, 

in the image of God created he him; 

male and female created he them."

-- Genesis 1:26-27

In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve their agency. He commanded them not to eat the forbidden fruit, that being the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  However as was expected they were tempted and used their agency, or the ability to make choices, and decided to eat the fruit.  This meant that they could no longer stay in the Garden of Eden, but they were then able to have children and learn from the law of opposition.  While in the Garden they did not know what pain was, and so they did not understand being comfortable.  Without sickness they couldn't appreciate being healthy.  After leaving the Garden they began to understand these things.

Then after a few years...maybe a lot more than a few...we were born into the world.  We also must learn from the experience of life.  We make mistakes and have to learn how to fix things.  One of the greatest things about life is having a physical body like our Father in Heaven.  This is what allows us to make decisions about what we want to do. The other most important part of life is to be tested and see if we will be faithful in doing what the Lord has told us to do.  We don't remember anything from before we were born because we have to act in faith rather than having a perfect knowledge of things.

"And we will prove them herewith, 

to see if they will do all things 

whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."

-- Abraham 3:25

God knew we would not be perfect in keeping His commandments.  He provided His son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior and Redeemer of the world.  Christ came to teach the people, set up His church upon the earth, and then suffer and die for us.

 "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; 

and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith 

he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, 

that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; 

and he will take upon him their infirmities, 

that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, 

that he may know according to the flesh 

how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

-- Alma 7:11-12

This was indeed an infinite atonement, where Christ took everything upon himself.  If we are ever having a bad day, He knows exactly how we feel and we can always turn to Him for help and support.

After we die we go to the Spirit world.  Which is a fancy way of saying we are somewhere other than here. ;) Those who have lived righteously will dwell in a state of peace and happiness, while those who are disobedient to the laws of God will be in a state of misery and shame.

"And now, my sons, remember, 

remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, 

who is Christ, the Son of God, 

that ye must build your foundation; 

that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, 

yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, 

yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, 

it shall have no power over you 

to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, 

because of the rock upon which ye are built, 

which is a sure foundation, 

a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

-- Helaman 5:12

After our time in the Spirit world, and after the Second coming of Christ, we will be Resurrected and Judged.  This Resurrection is for everyone.  We don't choose to die, so in essence we can't choose to live.  But Christ has won the victory over death.

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
-- 1 Corinthians 15:22

 In the Judgement we will be assigned to different Kingdoms of Glory.  The Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial.  

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: 

but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There is one glory of the sun,
and another glory of the moon,
and another glory of the stars: 

for one star differeth from another star in glory."

 -- 1 Corinthians 15:40-41

The Celestial Kingdom is where those who followed Christ, received the ordinances of the gospel, and kept all of the covenants associated with those ordinances.  This is where God lives.  Those who receive exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom will be able to dwell in happiness with those of their family who qualify forever.

The Terrestrial Kingdom is where those who lead good lives but did not accept the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ will go.

 The Telestial is the lowest Kingdom and is where those who led sinful lives and chose not to repent when they had the opportunity to do so.

"Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, 

that I will repent, that I will return to my God. 

Nay, ye cannot say this; 

for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, 

that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."

-- Alma 34:34

Below is a picture depicting how everything I have talked about works.

Hope you have a good day.

"Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation,
then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God;
and no unclean thing can dwell with God;
wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.

And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things,
and deny them not."
-- 1 Nephi 10:21-22

That is a Cool Movie!!!!

These are just a few of my favorite movie quotes.

"Sanka, you dead?"..."Ya, mon."

-- Cool Runnings



source



"Define 'dancing.' "

-- WALL-E



source



"You must be the dumbest, smart person in the world.

And you must be the dumbest, dumb person in the world."

-- I Robot



source



These are a few of my favorite scriptures.

  "Now Amulek said: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations?

Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him.

And now thou hast lied before God unto me. Thou saidst unto me—Behold these six onties, which are of great worth, I will give unto thee—when thou hadst it in thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy desire that I should deny the true and living God, that thou mightest have cause to destroy me. And now behold, for this great evil thou shalt have thy reward."
-- Alma 11:23-25

   "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
-- Matthew 7:24-29

I love the scriptures because they teach us everything about life, like how to have fun, how to work hard, how to grow crops, and how to raise a family.  Not only that but they have lots of really good quotes!!  Everyone around me knows that I quote things all the time.  I don't think a day goes by where I don't quote something.  Sometimes I quote something and I don't even realize it.

The connection I made between funny movie quotes, and inspired writings from God, is how everything that we find interesting is easier to remember.  I love quoting things, so if I watch a movie that doesn't have a lot of good quotes I don't usually watch the movie very often.  It is the same with the scriptures. If I can't say it to myself and find something in it, I don't remember it very well.

I know that as we read and study the scriptures we can find things to be very interesting, and then we will want to go back to it more and more so we can remember what it said and how it said it.  From studying the scriptures I have found many days to be easier to handle than before I was reading.  The Bible, particularly the New Testament, talks about those people in the Jerusalem area of the world, and of the life of Christ. The Book of Mormon talks about a people separated from those in Israel and living in the Americas, and is a record of their dealings with God.  These two books are the most important source of quotes in my life because 'in the I think I have eternal life.'

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

-- John 5:39

The BEST Action Book EVER

So as I was considering what to write for my blog post today I thought of how I could better introduce the Book of Mormon in my own words and still be creatively interesting.  Well I'm not so good at the 'my own words' part, but I did find something that is creatively interesting.

In the movie, The Princess Bride, a grandfather read a book to his sick grandson.  At the beginning of the movie he is introducing the book as a gift, describing it as, "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles."...his grandson replies with, "That doesn't sound too bad. I'll try and stay awake."

 

The grandfather gave a very good description of the Book of Mormon.  There are sword fights, wars, revenge, torture, chases, escapes, and even miracles!!!!  That is probably why I love the book of Mormon so much.  I love being able to read all about how Nephi teaches his older brothers about God.  Then Enos praying with mighty faith, and after that Alma and Amulek preaching in prison.  The best part is when Christ appears shortly after His resurrection, to the people on the American continent, and heals all those who are sick.

I know that the Book of Mormon has brought me closer to my Savior, and helped me to learn about my Father in Heaven.  Therefore I know that anyone else who reads the Book of Mormon will also come closer to Jesus Christ and be able to have the witness from the Spirit, just as millions of others have, that it is truly scripture, inspired from God.

REPENTANCE = A MAGIC ERASER

Good mornin' folks.  Today I have decided to talk about repentance.  Repentance is where we seek forgiveness from something we did wrong, or more specifically forgiveness from sin. There are five steps to true repentance.  First you must acknowledge that you did something wrong.  You can't say sorry to your mom for stealing a cookie if you don't feel like it was a bad thing to do.  Second is to confess your sin to your Heavenly Father.  This means you need to pray and tell Him everything you did wrong.  Then you need to ask for forgiveness, both from Heavenly Father as well as anyone else who might have been hurt or offended by what you have done.  After asking for forgiveness doing whatever you need to to make it right with them.  This is called reconciliation.  To reconcile stealing a candy bar from the store, you would either take the candy bar back to the store and tell them you stole it, or give them the money that would pay for it.  Once you have done all you can to fix the problem you must do all you can to never do it again.  Sometimes this is very difficult, but if you turn to the Lord in prayer He will help you with whatever problems or challenges you are facing.

In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Enos had been taught by his father to follow the Lord.  He was out hunting one day and his thoughts turned to everything he had done wrong.  While alone and thinking of everything he felt that he should repent, so he knelt down and prayed to Heavenly Father.
 

He said:

"I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins."
-- Enos 1:2

Often we find that true repentance takes quite a bit of effort and it can sometimes be quite a struggle.  I know that when we are brought down in humility, and we call upon God in repentance, His love for us is enough to have Him help us through anything we will ever have to go through.  He suffered everything for us so that He would know how to help us.  This is how repentance and prayer can work just like a magic eraser.

"But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning;
wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works
among the children of men;
for behold, he hath all power
unto the fulfilling of all his words.
And thus it is. Amen."
-- 1 Nephi 9:6

JEEP's in the MUD

OK....someone is probably wondering why a missionary is blogging about a JEEP.  Well, more than one someone probably.  However, tonight you get a special treat.  Tonight is the night that we have been waiting for.  We are going mudding!!!  But even better it is going to be easier than normal, and so is the following car wash.  ;)   

We are also going to be looking into how a JEEP relates to the gospel.  Particularly with the ideal of taking it mudding.

So step right up and climb into your new crawler....

This is us as we enter mortality at birth.  We are perfect and clean, ready to do whatever needs done.  To serve others and fulfill our purpose in the way the Creator designed us to.

This is us after we go through life a little.  We think we can do these things but we just can't.  God knew we wouldn't be perfect, and that sometimes we would get ourselves stuck.  Not only are we stuck be we are also very, very dirty.

Baptism makes us clean through the Atonement of Christ.  It is like the sweet car wash after a good day of mudding.  No one wants to be in a slimy, dirty, dusty, immobilized JEEP.  Likewise no one enjoys being around those who are dirty, slimy, and spiritually immobilized.

This is us after that washing, or baptism, where Christ makes us all clean and helps us to learn from our mistakes.  This learning is essential so that we don't make the same mistake again.  Learning is like putting the upgrades on that stock JEEP.  We become a perfected JEEP by being baptized and allowing the Lord to do what He sees fit without arguing.  I never heard a JEEP argue when someone went to give it a few upgrades.  :)

My hope is that we may all become that new JEEP and follow our Lord, Jesus Christ.

There when YOU Need Him

So....tonight was quite exquisite.  We taught an awesome gentleman, watched the Restoration DVD, and now I get to tell the world about it!!  Isn't the gospel of Jesus Christ just wonderful??  I have decided that even if we are not entirely perfect, which we are not, we can still be just as happy as if we were.  This is because of the Atonement.  The Atonement is Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and his Resurrection three days later.

This enabled us to call upon His name in repentance.  Repentance is when we pray to Him asking for forgivness, and promising never to do what we did wrong ever again.  Heavenly Father knows we won't be perfect and He provided a Savior for this purpose.

I love my Savior.  I know that He loves me, and I can turn to Him for anything.  I am so grateful for the Atonement and everything that Christ has done for me.  Jesus Christ went through everything He did, so that when we need help He would know exactly how to help us, in the exact way that will help us the most.  He is always just a Prayer away, and He is the best friend you can ever have, and He is always there when you need Him.

This is one of my favorite scriptures on the Atonement.

"But God ceaseth not to be God,
and mercy claimeth the penitent,
and mercy cometh because of the atonement;
and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead;
and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God;
and thus they are restored into his presence,
to be judged according to their works,
according to the law and justice."
-- Alma 42:23

Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration

This is one of my favorite movies.  If everyone had the faith, and was humble like unto a child, the power of the Devil would be shattered forever.

ENJOY

wow...cool picture

So....I really dont know what this has to do with anything.....but it was a cool picture.....and it made me happy....and like I have pointed out before....things that make us happy, come from God.




Hopefully everyone has a good night, and a wonderful day.

Sisters can be Angels

So there we were...in front of my house.  Mom wanted more pictures...I didn't know why.  Dad had taught me to not say anything when I didn't understand what my mom was trying to do.  So I just stood there.  Then one of my sisters decided to bring back a pose that the four of us have been doing since I was little.....

Rian's Angels

My sisters are a big part of my life.  I never really had a brother to do stuff with but I am ok with that.  Lacey went before the rest of us and showed me what not to do if I wanted to avoid getting into trouble.  Ashli had lots of friends that were kinda like older brothers for me.  Shayla being only two years older than me was always around when I was sad and needed someone to talk to.

I remember one morning when me and Shayla were getting ready for school, and my dad happened to have a day off, we somehow ended up in my room.  At some point I thought it would be funny to 'pin' her to my bed.  I was smaller than she was still I think, but either way I was going to win this one.  After a few minutes of struggling I had her down.  She proceeded to struggle a bit more and then started calling for dad.  Normally I would have been swift in getting off and pretending I didn't do anything, but she sounded like a sheep every time she called for him.  It was something along the lines of, 'DaaaaaD' ... 'DAAAaaaaaaaaD' ... 'DaAAAaaAAAaaaDdy, he's squishing me'.  It was just so funny, all I could do was laugh at her.  Then she started laughing and it was even more funny.

Basically I love my sisters.  If they weren't there, I wouldn't be here on a mission.  Because of the examples they have been for me, I know that serving the Lord for two years is exactly what I need to be doing.  Everything in my life so far has led me to this.  Everything in my life after I go home will be affected by what I do for my mission.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true and living church on the earth today.  I have felt the witness of the Spirit confirming my testimony that this is true.  I have that same knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true.  It was translated by Joseph Smith, a prophet, by the gift and power of God.  If anyone does not believe that, I invite you to first READ THE BOOK. Then pray about it and ask God speciffically if the writings contained therein are true.  I know, and promise anyone who is willing to do so, that you will also be able to find out the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 



Importance of Family

Today I want to brag about my family.  Mostly just my dad.  Within my family there are contained four women, and two men.  That means three sisters, mom and dad, and then me.  I usually never got anything I wanted at the store because I was the youngest and the only boy.  We rent a movie, it was almost guaranteed to be a chick flick because three older sisters will always out-whine a single younger brother.  My dad was usually working late all the time so I didn't get a whole lot of backup either.  But that is just fine now, I can quote most of those movies better than my sisters.   ;)

However, as the years went by, my dad got a different job.  I got myself a job.  Then I went to college.  Then dad lost his job.  Then I came home from college.  Then me and my dad were home together all the time.  Almost everyday.  So we started doing more stuff together.  We went golfing.  I proceeded to lose somewhere about ten golf balls in the same spot, of the same water hazard, on the same hole, all trying to tee off. (I think it was hole 3.)

Then we decided that golfing would be expensive.  So we started doing things we already had at home.  I had some video games, and we started doing them together.  Dad found a game that he enjoyed, so we started playing.  I have a lot more experience in gaming than he does, but I would teach him how to do different things and mix up the strategy he was using so he wouldn't be so predictable.  I thought that I was the teacher and he was under me.  I was wrong.  Not until months later did I realize that he was teaching me to be a good dad.  True he had been gone most of when I was growing up trying to make money to support the family.  But when he finally had time to spend with me, he found a small interest in something I enjoyed that he could do with me.

Although my dad only ever won about 5% (maybe less) of the games we played, I know that he had fun because he was playing with me.  His son.  Although he really didn't know what he was doing, and I frequently had to let him win, he was happy being able to spend time with me.  I also enjoyed my time with him.

This picture is from snorkeling in New Zealand...I'm the scrawny one, standing beside my dad.

I know that the family is there for us to learn from.  Not only do we have our best friends within our own family, but the family also contains the best teachers.  No one other than my dad will ever be able to teach me about being a dad, and only I could teach him gaming.

So it is with our eternal family.  My Father in Heaven is the only one who can truly teach me about Himself.  These teachings come from the Spirit, but I have to make time to listen to Him, and learn from Him.  This applies to everyone.  Old or young, male or female, bond or free, none of these matter.  I know from experience, both temporal and spiritual, that we must look to our Father if we want to go very far.

I AM NORMAL..........Contrary to Popular (and Family) Belief

     So....as the title says this post is all about how I am Normal.  However my family would probably say that is not entirely accurate.  Sometimes they think I am more of an alien, Goa'uld depending on how many times I say "Cree" in a sentence, Asgard depending on how technical my last sentence was, and Ancient if they simply didn't catch a word I just said.  Going by popular belief most of my friends think I am smart, some think I am funny, and few really know my personality.  However tonight I am going to prove once and for all, I AM NORMAL.

     You see, last night I just didn't feel happy.  I didn't have any reason not to be happy.  In fact I had several reasons to be happy.  We had just got home from Priesthood session of 181st General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am doing what God wanted me to be doing.  I am doing what I want me to be doing.  I am even doing things that I have tried to do in the past without success.

     Indeed I was in the best situation I could have possibly been in.  However as I went to take a shower, I felt very, very worthless.  After my shower I went and sat by myself by the backdoor, and tried to understand myself.  In this state I was able to relax, but the feelings didn't leave.  As a missionary I try to be in bed by 10:30 so that I will be able to function the next day without being tired.  That did not happen.  I walked into the bedroom at about 10:45, and my wonderful companions sat up with me to try and help me feel better.

     I personally don't sleep well anyways, and I haven't for quite some time.  But because they cared they stayed up and didn't go to bed themselves.  I wasn't feeling entirely better when we finally decided to go to bed, but I knew they loved me, and I could feel it within me. 

     The Lord is the same way.....He doesn't always make it all better, He only supports us enough to help us through.  This is what enables us to grow the most, and to become like Him.  By learning of Him we are able to apply His teachings into our own lives.  This was what helped me to feel better throughout the day.

     This is my proof that I am normal.  Beyond that I declare Mormons normal.  We might appear to have less difficulties, but the truth is that we have just as many problems and trials.  But when you have others that are willing to help you, every trial you go through becomes much much easier.

That Which is Good Comes From God

So, i found this picture and it made me happy.  Therefore I decided to show everyone a really cool picture.  Isn't he so cute??

This principle of things that make you happy is actually a true doctrine.  Because God wants us all to be happy in the long run, as well as each and every moment of the day.  But He understands that the devil will do everything he can to make us "miserable like unto himself". (2 Nephi 2:27)

"For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God." --Moroni 7:15-16

The Mind of a Mormon: Member Missionary Work: More Than Just a Good Exam...

The Mind of a Mormon: Member Missionary Work: More Than Just a Good Exam...: "As a missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is our job to share the gospel with everyone we see."

This is a great post.  I loved it!!  So rather than just retyping it all, I decided to give you the link.   :)

It's the 1st Day of School . . . Sort of.

It's the 1st day of school, it's the 1st day of school. C'mon dad wake up we're gonna be late!! (Finding Nemo) Well I think we have all had those days, when we just feel the tense suspense in the air.  Like the night before General Conference.  Tomorrow we get to hear the words of God's living prophet, just like in the days of Noah, Abraham, and Moses.  I know that we will be taught well, and if we truly want to learn we will come away refreshed and strengthened.

You can watch or listen to the 181st Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by:
Going to this web page = http://lds.org/general-conference/watch?lang=eng
Using this web page for language translation = http://lds.org/general-conference/live/listen?lang=eng
Go through the Mormon Chanell on Facebook = http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/mormonchannel
At home on BYUTV or at a local Mormon Meetinghouse near you, Find one at http://mormon.org/meetinghouse/.

Saturday Morning session starts at 11:00 AM and goes until 1:00 PM
Saturday Afternoon session starts at 3:00 PM and goes until 5:00 PM
Saturday Priesthood session (men only, we need more help sometimes) 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM
Sunday Morning session starts at 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM
Sunday Afternoon session starts at 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM
ALL TIMES ARE BASED ON CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (USA)

Check it out.....and you can access a print out after the Conference at http://lds.org/ :)