Pocahontas - Is Your Heart Feeling Savage?

Ask yourself, "Am I 'Savage' towards others?"

Interdenominational differences often cause people to raise aggressive defense against each other.  This is not intended to happen if we truly lived the Gospel as taught by Jesus Christ.

"And he gave some, apostles;

and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists;

and some, pastors and teachers;

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 4:11-13

All of the offices of the Priesthood listed were given specifically for us to come into a 'Unity of the Faith'.  Are we Unified in our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ?  Is there only One 'Faith', or 'Church' on the Earth?

Jesus Christ set up His church when He was on the Earth.  Jesus Christ is Perfect, therefore anything He does or establishes must needs be perfect.  Futhermore, if there are any changes made to that church which He established it would become imperfect, because you simply can't make something 'more than perfect'.

If Christ's Church had the offices of Prophet (Adam, Noah, Moses), Apostles (Peter, James, John), Seventy (Luke 10:1,17), Pastor/Bishop (1 Timothy 3:1), Teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28), Deacons (1 Timothy 3:8), Patriarch/Evangelist (Hebrews 7:4), Elder (James 5:14), Priest and High Priest (Hebrews 5:10, Hebrews 9:6-7).

Christ is the Head of the Church. (Ephesians 5:23, Mosiah 5:8)

So how can we know of ourselves which Church is True to the organization of Christ's Church?

Prayer.  That's it.  Prayer is the only way to know if any particular Church is right.  Don't bother asking some mortal, even myself, because they will tell you as far as their understanding allows.  God however cannot lie, and has all the understanding of the Universe.  He is also your Heavenly Father and you can Trust Him without any reservation.

When Pocahontas goes to speak to 'Grandmother Willow', she seeks guidance.  This represents prayer. The Spirit, like the Spinning Arrow guides us in Truth, and tells us what we should do.  Once we know the path we need to have the courage to run the course.  Much as Pocahontas could have received her revelation that she should save John Smith, had she not run as fast as she could to save him, or in other words to Live the Gospel, then he would have been killed by her father, and many others would have been killed in war.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye find direction.  Pray to your Heavenly Father and He will give you direction, but you must listen with your Heart.

Only ONE More

So I only have one more month as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I have some mixed feeling about going home, as I have spent Two Years away from everything (no movies, no TV, no Video Games, no College, no Dating, no Job) to teach others about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This next month I will draw from the great power of the Film industry to teach the Gospel by similarities and comparison to those things which most people are already familiar with.

Most of the clips I will be using are musical, and the from Disney movies.  I hope you enjoy them and learn at the same time.

Have Faith : Step into the Darkness

"There are times when we have to step into the darkness in faith, confident that God will place solid ground beneath our feet once we do."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

We must show our Faith in God in order to receive His Highest Blessings.

"Now, he who finds the Grail must face 3 challenges.

First, is the path of God: Only the penitent man shall pass.

Second, is the word of God: Only in the footsteps of God, shall he proceed.

Last is the breath of God: Only in a leap from the lion's head shall he prove his worth."
-- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

So what do we do to show Faith?

First : Pray

Second : Read Scriptures

Last : Go to Church

What can you do to be closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, in your own Life?

What would YOU like to hear ? ? ?

.

So I sit here and type stuff about the Gospel all the time.


Sometimes I don't know if what I say really helps people.

So here is your chance,

What is Something about the Gospel

that you have questions about,

or maybe just something

that you would like me to write about?

Just leave a comment below and a blog post shall pop up sooner or later. :)


This Blog is here to help you anyways, not me.




.

Armor of God - Four of Six - Shield of Faith

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, 

wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

-- Ephesians 6:16

The Shield of Faith is your most important piece of armor.  It says 'Above All' because even if you aren't righteous all the time, or you don't have a good preparation period, or sometimes you are not as 'True' as you should be, YOU CAN STILL HAVE FAITH.

"Jesus said unto him, 

If thou canst believe, 

all things are possible to him that believeth."

-- Mark 9:23

Faith is more than a mere belief.  Faith is an action word, if you have faith in something you are willing to DO something about it.  The first principle of the gospel is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Without this faith it is not possible to have any form of progression Spiritually.

However, if you have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Principle of the Gospel becomes something that we desire almost daily, that is to repent for things we do wrong.  Faith leads us to Repentance.

Faith can be acquired and still be forgotten.  Sometimes it goes dormant and is not needed for a time.

"Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant"

-- Alma 32:34

This is when we need to continue to Study the Scriptures to increase of Faith in other parts of the Gospel, because Faith has a very short shelf life.

If we use our Shield of Faith, we can deflect and block all the attacks that Satan throws at us.

However, if we have that Faith in Christ, but we don't ACT on it, it is like having a shield and going into battle with it just hanging by our side.  No effort to lift the Shield and there will not be a deflection of oncoming attacks.  The shield then becomes this dead weight that instead of helping us, it actually hinders us.

"Thou believest that there is one God; 

thou doest well: 

the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, 

O vain man,

 that faith without works is dead?"

-- James 2:19-20

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified,

 and not by faith only."

-- James 2:24

I know that by having True Faith in Jesus Christ we will come closer to our Savior and receive a fulness of Joy.  We will have more peace in our lives, and there will come a time when we shall see that our Faith has 'Shielded' us from the Fiery Darts of the Devil.


NEXT POST : Helmet of Salvation

There really is only ONE God.

"There is one body, and one Spirit, 

even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, 

one faith, 

one baptism,

One God and Father of all, 

who is above all, 

and through all, 

and in you all."

-- Ephesians 4:4-6

There is no need for multiple Doctrines.  There is no need for multiple Interpretations.  There is no need for multiple Institutions.

We have all been Created by one God.  He is our Heavenly Father and loves us dearly.  He has given us Commandments for our benefit.  If we live according to His Commandments we shall find Happiness, Friends, and Peace throughout our lives.

There cannot be more than one way of performing sacred ordinances today, such as Baptism, any more than there was in biblical times.

"And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord."

-- Numbers 26:61

We do not see those who did not obey God's prescribed method die as has happened in days past, but the necessity of priesthood Authority has been taught by all of the Lord's Prophets since the beginning.

We have all been Commanded to diligently study the Scriptures, written by Prophets, that we may know for ourselves what is expected of us. (Joshua 1:8)

It is a Commandment to "Pray unto the Father", and to receive personal direction for our individual lives. (John 16:26)

We have also been Commanded to assemble ourselves, or in other words attend church, so that we may receive guidance from Priesthood Leaders, whom God gives revelation on how to govern the affairs of His church. (Hebrews 10:25)

I know that as we Read the Scriptures, Pray to God our Heavenly Father, and seek Revelation from Him as we go to Church, we will be shown what to do in our own lives.  We will know exactly why things happen, and it will give us more spiritual strength.

lds.org/maps/google

Patience - Children

"Patience means active waiting and enduring. 

It means staying with something and doing all that we can 

working, hoping, and exercising faith; 

bearing hardship with fortitude, 

even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. 

Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"

 

-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

Many times in Life we seem to put ourselves in a position we need something but have to wait on others before we will be able to get it.  If we are always trying to move forward it becomes easy to forget that we sometimes need to "be still and know that [He is] God."(Psalms 46:10)

Even when we are pained from seeing someone else struggle, we might be able to help them more by allowing them to figure it out and being patient with them, even if we already have a solution.

“We should learn to be patient with ourselves. 

Recognizing our strengths and our weaknesses, 

we should strive to use good judgment in all of our choices and decisions, 

make good use of every opportunity, 

and do our best in every task we undertake. 

We should not be unduly discouraged 

nor in despair at any time when we are doing the best we can. 

Rather, we should be satisfied with our progress 

even though it may come slowly at times.”

-- Joseph B. Wirthlin

 

I sometimes struggle because I feel that I am not 'good enough'.  A good friend showed me the other day that even if I do something stupid every now and again, it doesn't make me a bad person.

There are 168 hours in a week which is 10,080 minutes.  Even if I was to do something stupid for 30 minutes a day, only 2.08% of my week was stupid.  If 60% was a passing grade, I think most of us are at least C average because we spend roughly 30% of our time in bed.  Knowing that I was doing much better than my brain thought I was has helped me to move forward, feel better about who I am, and what I do.

Pokemon Prayers - Energy and Evolution

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said,

“[A person may have] a strong desire to be led by the Spirit of the Lord but . . .

unwisely extends that desire to the point of wanting to be led in all things. A

desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an

understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal

choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are

meant to experience in mortality. Persons who try to shift all decision making to

the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in

which they pray for guidance and don't receive it. For example, this is likely to

occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either

choice is acceptable.

“We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator

has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we

receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment.

Persons who persist in seeking revelatory guidance on subjects on which the Lord

has not chosen to direct us may concoct an answer out of their own fantasy or

bias, or they may even receive an answer through the medium of false revelation”

(“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994, 13–14).

Don't always look for revelation, but make sure you follow it when it comes.  Make your own descisions, or your are just flipping coins for whose influence you are following.

This post will draw on the game of Pokemon.  If you are unfamiliar with the game I will try to give you enough knowledge for it to make sense.

The most important part is that you are trying to Knock Out your opponent's Pokemon before they Knock out yours.  You do so by using attacks that are specific to each Pokemon.

We will be using four Pokemon for this demonstration.  Hopefully Prayer and Revelation will be more understood than before.

Each Pokemon has a specific type of Energy that it uses.

We all have our own strengths, talents, and abilities that God has given us to use in order to help others.

Sawk - Praying and Doing

So if Prayer is wat you use to Energize your Spirit, having Energy (or Praying) doesn't exactly help much unless you have a specific course of action that you are going to do.

Sawk is capable of doing up to 100 points of damage, but it all depends on a coin flip.  If we pray and receive Energy from the Lord, but then we don't make our own decisions and act of our own will, we will probably not reach our full potential.

"Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself."

-- 2 Nephi 2:16

Gothita - Prayer and Sincerity

Gothita is able to put the defending Pokemon to sleep with a single Energy, but won't do any damage.  With two energy you have the chance to do damage to the opponent.

If I only prayed a little bit, or when I was in trouble with something or someone, I can put down an Energy, which would allow me to deal with something that bothered me in the moment, but I will never win because I can't defeat the enemy that is attacking me.  With more sincere Prayer I would have more Spiritual Energy, and thereby be capable of withstanding the advances of Satan.

Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18

Psyduck and Golduck

Praying for guindance all the time without working out your own solution is kinda like loading up a Psyduck with extra power.  No matter how much you pray you will still only be able to use the same attack, which only needs one energy, and half the time you hurt yourself.

But if you work out a solution you can have Psyduck evovle into Golduck. 

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,

not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12

Some personal effort makes it so you can heal yourself but without prayer you still dont get anywhere.

Golduck becomes more powerful as you give him Energy. Having done the required effort on your part by evolving, Energizing your Spirit through prayer will help you come off Conqueror.

"Pray always, that you may come off conqueror;

 yea, that you may conquer Satan,

and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan

that do uphold his work."

Doctrine and Covenants 10:5

Purity, Meaning of

In most Role Playing Games (RPG's) you have the option of 'upgrading' your character.  Most people simlpy go through the game and upgrade the ability they need the most at that time.  Some abilities might include things such as agility, strength, stealth, and health.  Some games have the option of using Swords, Bow and Arrow, or Magic.  These games give the opportunity to decide how you will fight your enemies.

Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Swords have powerful attacks, but you have to get up close.  Bow and Arrow is a ranged weapon, but you do less damage.  Magic is both powerful and ranged, but certain armor can usually withstand its effect.

What does it mean to be Pure? 

- free from foreign or inappropriate elements

Is there more than one meaning of Pure?
- clear; free from blemishes
- free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind
- unmodified by an admixture

While some people use a blended form of combat, many people pick a single type and stick to that only.  These is called 'purists' or 'Pures', because they have only a single combat method.

By playing a 'Pure' game you have the advantage of not wasting upgrade points on attributes that you dont really use.

In Real Life, we also have to make the choice of what we are going to do with our time.  We can upgrade our Strength by working out.  We can upgrade athlectic ability by practice and by watching others.  We should upgrade our Spirit by reading the Scriptures, Praying Daily, and going to Church.

While we need to do other things in life in order to have money to live, we can remain Pure in Heart by obeying the Commandments of God.  By being Pure we can better receive revelation and have the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives, so that we know how to best use our 'upgrades'.

Sometimes we make mistakes, and that makes the Holy Spirit leave.  Through the Atonement of Christ we can be Clean and Pure again.

If we Keep our lives Clean and Pure we will have the blessing of the Lord.  The only thing we need to do is remove those items in our life that draw us away from our Father in Heaven.

How many Doors Guard our Soul ? ?

The following is a parable teaching what matters most.

"Among the news items of recent date was the report of a burglary, some incidents of which are unusual in the literature of crime. The safety-vault of a wholesale house dealing in jewelry and gems was the object of the attack. From the care and skill with which the two robbers had lain their plans, it was evident that they were adept in their nefarious business.

They contrived to secrete themselves within the building and were locked in when the heavily barred doors were closed for the night. They knew that the great vault of steel and masonry was of the best construction and of the kind guaranteed as burglar-proof; they knew also that it contained treasure of enormous value; and they relied for success on their patience, persistency, and craft, which had been developed through many previous, though lesser, exploits in safe-breaking. Their equipment was complete, comprising of drills, saws, and other tools, tempered to penetrate even the hardened steel of the massive door, through which alone entrance to the vault could be effected. Armed guards were stationed in the corridors of the establishment, and the approaches to the strong room were diligently watched.

Through the long night the thieves labored, drilling and sawing around the lock, whose complicated mechanism could not be manipulated even by one familiar with the combination, before the hour for which the time-control had been set. They had calculated that by persistent work they would have time during the night to break open the safe and secure such of the valuables as they could carry; then they would trust to luck, daring, or force to make their escape. They would not hesitate to kill if they were opposed. Though the difficulties of the undertaking were greater than expected, the skilled criminals succeeded with tools and explosives in reaching the interior of the lock; then they threw back the bolts and forced open the ponderous doors.

What saw they within? Drawers filled with gems, trays of diamonds, rubies, and pearls, think you? Such and more they had confidently expected to find and to secure; but instead they encountered an inner safe, with a door heavier and more resistant than the first, fitted with a mechanical lock of more intricate construction than that at which they had worked so strenuously. The metal of the second door was of such superior quality as to splinter their finely tempered tools; try as they would they could not so much as scratch it. Their misdirected energy was wasted; frustrated were all their infamous plans.

Like unto one’s reputation is the outer door of the treasure-vault; like unto his character is the inner portal. A good name is a strong defense, but though it be assailed and even marred or broken, the soul it guards is safe, provided only the inner character be impregnable."

-- James E. Talmage

How do I 'Digivolve' Myself ? ?

We all have different stages of growth.  We learn things as we go through life and they help us to deal with things we will face in the future.  Without learning and growing from trials we simply get frustrated and worried when faced with new obstacles.

This is a clip from Digimon, a show I loved growing up.

Patamon Digivolves into Angemon, and Angemon Digivolves into MagnaAngemon.

Out of all the Digimon of the First season Patamon was the last to Digivolve.  This is because he wasn't sure about what would happen when he did.  Only after he learned that he needed to in order to protect others was he willing to do it, and that willingness to serve is what gave him the strength to Digivolve.

Later on he learns an extra Digi-evolution and Digivolves into MagnaAngemon.  This would be impossible without going through some kind of test to make him stronger.

Just as steel is stronger when it is forged and put through the fire, so to must we each pass through a Spiritual Fire and grow from our trials.  (Numbers 31:23)

By learning from our trials we will be strengthened and increase our capacity to endure, and 'Digivolve' ourselves into a greater ability of obedience to the Commandments of the Gospel.

What are We ALL Missing Here ? ? ?

So I think we should all Strive to Keep the Commandments, and continue in attending Church so that we can better learn the Commandments.