Sisters

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 have come 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 needed 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. 



Joseph Smith : Prophet of the Restoration

This is one of my favorite movies.  The Bible speaks of the "restitution of all things."(Acts 3:21)  The Bible also says that there would be a general or great Apostasy, or a "falling away."(2 Thessalonians 2:3)

In Ezekiel 37 The Lord speaks to His Prophet of two books of Scripture, the Stick of Judah and the Stick of Ephraim.  The Stick of Judah is the Bible, because it was written by the Jews.

What then is the Stick of Ephraim?

What book of Scripture did the tribe of Ephraim write?

The Stick of Ephraim is the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon was written upon the American continent.

The Book of Mormon was brought forth in modern times by a Prophet of God.

The Book of Mormon was Translated by the Gift and Power of God.

This movie is a depiction of what Joseph Smith went through in order to restore the Church to the Earth.

ENJOY

Click HERE for a free copy of the Book of Mormon

Stargate - Replicators and Energy Weapons

"Overconfidence in our technologies has been our undoing. The entities learned from the very means that were employed to stop them. They have become a plague on our galaxy that is annihilating everything in its path."

— Thor

This is Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet.

.

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This is a Replicator.

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This post is for those who don't know or are not aware of  what might be dangerous.

If we are to put ourselves in the position of the Asgard, we could say that we have discovered how to use natural resources to help ourselves have a better quality of life.

However, those same technologies which we have become so accustomed to in our daily lives, may prove to be our undoing.

About fifty years ago if someone had mention the World Wide Web, everyone would have simply thought that they missed an episode of Star Trek.  Cell Phones are common even among teenagers, when only twenty years ago they were expensive 'Cellular Telephones' that only business men would have. (not to mention they were huge bricks back then, making a great self defense weapon)

Now we have all these great items: the Internet, Cell Phones, Video Games, Calculators, Computers, Tablets, Automatic Garage Door Openers.

These are all very useful technologies, but as the Asgard found their Energy based weapons had very little effect, if any, on the replicator swarms.  It wasn't until they teamed up with SG-1 that they began to turn the tides of the war.  While the Asgard were using their Energy Weapons, the Tau'ri (Earthlings) used Projectile Weapons which were much more effective at killing Replicators.

Likewise our efforts must be of a different type.  We need to change from just ignoring those things which might harm us and actively prepare ourselves against the oncoming attacks.
In one particular episode there were three Replicator ships headed for an Asgard planet.  The Asgard were in the middle of building a brand new Warship named the O'Neill. This particular ship was intended to be the first of its class and would be bigger and better than all other Asgard war vessels.  Nevertheless, they would not be able to get the weapons system online before the Replicators showed up.

Samantha Carter had been brought to help come up with a plan to stop the Replicators from getting to the O'Neill and assimilating it into their technology.  Her plan was referred to as a 'stupid idea'.  However, the plan was to use the ship with higher technology to bait the other three ships into a hyperspace jump and then self destruct the O'Neill, thereby blowing up the other three ships as well.

Her idea worked, and the Asgard admitted that they never would have thought to Sacrifice the ship in order to eliminate the others.

 

This is the Anti-Replicator Weapon.  

It was designed to disconnect the electrical bonds between individual Replicator blocks.

The only Energy Weapon that had any effect on the replicators was not designed to merely 'shoot' them.  It was designed to deactivate them.  It had to be told the code for the specific breed of replicators that was being fought.

For instance, you don't need to worry about how much time you spend using the Automatic Garage Door Opener.  You might however need to worry about becoming prideful if your neighbors don't have Automatic Garage Door Openers.

You usually don't need to worry about which cell phone you are going to use, or which company to have the contract with.  However you do need to make sure that the texts you send and the pictures you look at are appropriate.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said,

"Tragically, the same computer and Internet service

that allows me to do my family history

and prepare those names for temple work could,

without filters and controls,

allow my children or grandchildren access

to a global cesspool of perceptions

that could blast a crater in their brains forever."

(Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul)

For years I have had fun playing many video games.  While many argue that some should spend less time playing video games, I argue that time spent doing something you enjoy, whether it be gaming or knitting, should simply follow the rule of, "Would I do this with my Mom?"

So find that code that will deactivate the terrors of technology, and the target that part that should have 'place no more' in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It might even require a 'Dumb Idea' or two.

 

What to DO When We Struggle

"And it came to pass that the Lord God caused 

that there should be a furious wind blow 

upon the face of the waters, 

towards the promised land; 

and thus they were tossed 

upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

And it came to pass that they were many times 

buried in the depths of the sea, 

because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, 

and also the great and terrible tempests 

which were caused by the fierceness of the wind."

Ether 6:5-6

We all struggle in life sometimes, and the winds and the waves and the storms come upon us with the fierceness of wolves.  However as these trials and temptations are beating upon you, look to Christ, that sure foundation, "whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)

"And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep 

there was no water that could hurt them, 

their vessels being tight like unto a dish, 

and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; 

therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters 

they did cry unto the Lord, 

and he did bring them forth again 

upon the top of the waters."

Ether 6:7

If you are having a bad day, say a Prayer.

How to Unlearn Things

I want to be a U.S. Marshal.  This means I have a very firm mindset.  I know exactly what I need to do and then I do it.  It leaves very little room for error, and I often tell others what bothers me.   In order to do what I want, I must first become who I want to be.

Unlearning a way of thinking is often very difficult, possibly the most difficult thing anyone would ever do.  With something that is hard physically, you simply go work out and build up strength until you can accomplish the task.  But when your obstacle is Mental you must be able to break it down, and yet not remove the wall.

Black Wall

I have wondered . . . How is it possible to build a Blue wall in the place of a Black wall without removing the Black wall?

Blue Wall

Then a good friend helped me to see that the wall doesn't have to be all one color.  Both colors can be part of the wall.  So all I have to do is figure out which bricks need replaced from the Black, and then remove it and insert a Blue brick.

"And according to his faith 

there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. 

Behold I say unto you that this is all true."

-- Alma 5:12

Knowing what to do is only the beginning, the actually doing it takes time and effort to change not only the way you act, but also the way you think.  Rethinking things and changing your mind is usually not all that difficult, but having a permanent change in how you see things is often a very hard struggle.

Black Wall with Blue Brick 'upgrades'

"And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, 

if ye have experienced a change of heart, 

and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, 

I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

-- Alma 5:26

I have one year left on my Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In that time I hope to assimilate all the Blue bricks I need to in order to make my wall balanced as it should be.

"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, 

have ye spiritually been born of God? 

Have ye received his image in your countenances? 

Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

-- Alma 5:14

"The bricks are fallen down, 

but we will build with hewn stones; 

the sycamores are cut down, 

but we will change them into cedars."

-- 2 Nephi 19:10

How Do We Glorify God?

This is a story about me, my breakfast cereal, and JEEPs. (I LOVE JEEPs, just in case you didn't already know that.)

So there I was, eating my breakfast cereal, when out of the middle of nowhere I had a bit of revelation.  I was thinking about how to "Be an example of the Believers"(1 Timothy 4:12), and the thought came to me of what we were commanded to do.

"Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

-- Matthew 5:16

Then I thought, "How exactly do we Glorify our Father in Heaven?"

"For behold, this is my work and my glory

—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

-- Moses 1:39

So if God's work and glory is immortality and eternal life, then to glorify Him would be to help others find this eternal life.  Everyone will be resurrected and become immortal, because the Savior was resurrected.

"And, if you keep my commandments 

and endure to the end 

you shall have eternal life, 

which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

-- Doctrine and Covenants 14:7

So I thought about how we gain eternal life, or rather how do we keep the commandments.  Those who keep the commandments have Faith, Repent of their sins, are Baptized by someone holding the Priesthood Authority, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then Endure to the End.

Baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost are ordinances, something that takes place at a specific place and time, and is performed by someone holding the proper Priesthood to do so.

Faith and Repentance however are both principles of the Gospel that we must have every day of our lives in order to truly Endure to the End.

But my original question was How do we apply this in our lives?

Basically everything we do should be to Glorify the Father.  This doesn't mean we shout praises and sing hymns all day long although there is a time to do so.  This means that everything we do should be an example, to help others make that decision to exercise their Faith in Jesus Christ by, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and then to help them stay strong and Endure to the End throughout the rest of their lives.

Being this example and striving to help others to also come into the waters of Baptism will qualify them for eternal life, which brings much more Joy and Happiness to God then any amount of praise or singing.  

Our Heavenly Father is most happy when we keep His commandments, so as we help others come closer to Him, we are only giving Him praise and glory by our works.  Let His work and glory, become what we work for, and we can truly Glorify Him.

If you are wondering when I am going to get to the JEEPs I mentioned, I will start now.

So my favorite car in the world is a JEEP.  I don't have one yet but I really really want one.

Why do I want one?  Because I think it will make me happy, but that happiness will only last a short time in this life.

So why would someone want to be Baptized?  Because the example of those who have been Baptized makes them think that being Baptized will help them be happy, and this happiness can last forever and extend beyond this life.

source



The JEEP will represent Baptism.  I don't have a JEEP, but the JEEPs I see around me look cool in my eyes, and I desire one.

So since I have been Baptized, I need to be just like a JEEP and my example should help others desire to be Baptized.



source

 

People are there to Glorify the Father by helping others get Baptized!!

JEEPs are there to make me want a JEEP!!



source



Earthbending - A Steadfast Ability

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, 

Blessed art thou, 

Simon Bar-jona: 

for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, 

but my Father which is in heaven.  

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, 

and upon this rock I will build my church; 

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

-- Matthew 16:17-18

Here Christ is teaching Simon, to whom He gives the name of Peter which means 'small stone', and tells him that Christ's church will be built upon the 'rock of revelation'.  Revelation is only possible when you are listening to the Spirit of the Lord.  When the timing is right, the Spirit will whisper what to do, how to do it, where to go, what to say, who to talk to, as well as give advance warnings.

Earthbending demands a special connection with the earth that is achievable with neutral jing, doing nothing but waiting and listening until the right moment to strike.  By waiting and listening you can sense where things are, and when someone else who might be a threat is near by.

Sometimes however even when the Spirit does speak to us we don't listen.  Either we are too distracted by things of the world, or we hear Him and then Choose not to obey.  If we are going to have the Spirit we need to be willing to act on what He tells us to do.

For good Earthbending you must be solid like a 'rock'.  Meaning you don't just move the rocks, sometimes you let the rocks move you.  If you can bind yourself to the Earth and accept what the stones intend to do, it makes them a little more willing to act under your direction.

"Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; 

nevertheless, they were steadfast and immovable 

in keeping the commandments of God, 

and they bore with patience 

the persecution which was heaped upon them."

-- Alma 1:25

"No matter how the wind howls, the Mountain cannot bow to it." -- Disney's Mulan

So practice being immovable like a rock, and sooner or later the rocks will move for you.  The Spirit will tell you what you need to know, but the more willing you are to listen and then follow His instructions, the more willing He is to tell you about stuff.

Armor of God -- Fight for Your Life

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

-- Ephesians 6:10-17

Loins girt about with Truth.  In Biblical times to 'Gird up your Loins' would be to wrap the bottom of you cloak into your belt, and by doing so you would be more able to move about and perform the days labor.  You really don't want your clothing to limit your movement in battle.

The Breastplate of Righteousness.  The Breastplate covers your Heart and Lungs, as well as other vital organs.  When the scriptures say that in the last days, "men's hearts shall fail them", (Luke 21:26) it is because they do not have their Breastplate protecting them.  Your Righteousness, which is your diligent obedience to the Commandments of God, will protect you from having your heart fail you.

Feet Shod with Preparation of the Gospel.  When the Hebrews were 'Preparing' to leave Egypt they were told to eat the Passover.  This was done with their Shoes on their feet and their staff in hand, and you ate while standing.  This is because even though they had not yet received permission to leave Egypt, they were planning on going somewhere.

Whenever I go home for anything my Mommy always gets frustrated with me because I never take my jacket off.  This has several reasons behind it, but the first and foremost reason is because I like having my jacket on, even in the middle of the summer.  Then there are the reasons that are actually logical, like my jacket is somewhat a safety object and i am more comfortable around people when I am wearing it.  My jacket has all my stuff in the pockets, my keys, my iPod, my phone, and an assortment of other things for the day.  My jacket is what prepares me to go do what I need to later, and I don't take it off just because I am going to sit down for a few minutes.

 

A Shield of Faith.  You must have Faith in order to be equipped with your best defense, your Shield.  This Faith is required because when you put your Shield up you cannot see your enemy.  You cover your head and most of your upper body to block the opponents sword, but also block him from your eyes.

Much like when Luke Skywalker puts the BlastSHIELD down and cannot see the remote, but must follow the promptings within, or his instinct, to know what to do.

 

The Helmet of Salvation.  The Helmet protects YOUR BRAIN.  There are a few things we need to know in order to return and live with our Heavenly Father.  First is that Jesus Christ is His only Begotten Son in the Flesh.  Second is the Plan of Salvation.  Once you have a Knowledge you must protect it and continue learning.

The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  The only offensive weapon you have in the Armor of God is the Sword of the Spirit.  In combat your sword is your life, you need it in hand if you are to fight the foe. 

If you do not have your sword and you go up to battle anyway, your only option is to try and block the blows of your enemy.  Sure you have your other Armor, but how long can your Shield last when it is being beat upon repeatedly.  How long do you think it would be before your breastplate either came loose, or perhaps had a small gap between the plates where the enemy's sword found a way through.  How long before your legs grew tired and you trip over your own feet.

The answer, not very long at all.

Without the Spirit you begin to lose faith (Shield), it is harder to keep the commandments (Breastplate), and you become less prepared for the fight (Feet Shod).  Once you lose these other pieces of Armor you are an easy target and then POOF, you die.  When it comes to the Armor of God you die Spiritually, and Christ is the Light and Life of the world, therefore the only way back is through His Atonement.

So remember to always have your Armor, and be on Guard.

God will protect you, IF you are doing what is Right.
 

"And it came to pass that I said unto them 

that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, 

according to the truth; 

and the righteous have I justified, 

and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; 

wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, 

for it cutteth them to the very center."

-- 1 Nephi 16:2 (emphasis added)

The Scriptures are the Word of God.  Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  God teaches only Truth, and therefore the Wicked take the Scriptures to be Hard.

Keep the Commandments, Read the Scriptures, and do whatever it takes to truly have the Spirit with you at all times, in all things, and in all places.

The Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.
Truth will fight your battles for you, as long as you keep it close by, and in your Heart.

Temptation is Unavoidable

So why is it that we repent?  Is it because we have been told to or because we feel that we should?

I feel like I truly repent when I feel bad for something I have done and then decided to fix the problem.  If I did something to one of my sisters then I need to apologize not only because mom and dad said so, but because I will feel better after I am no longer fighting with them over it.

Take a look at this picture.  It shows a depiction of a young boy being tempted.



As we go through life we will all be tempted.  Even Christ was tempted to see whether or not He would keep the commandments.  As we keep the commandments we will find that we are naturally happier, get along with others easier, and can feel the presence of the Lord more abundantly.

When Tempted, sing a Hymn or quote scriptures in your mind, part of the commandments is to read the scriptures daily.  If we are reading the scriptures each day, something that we read recently will be available for us to think about whenever temptation enters into our thoughts.

We all sin, it is our job to do our best to not sin, and when we do we repent for it.

"IT IS BETTER TO PREPARE AND PREVENT, THEN IT IS TO REPAIR AND REPENT."

-- Author Unknown

What Exactly is Required to be 'Saved' in the Kingdom of Heaven ? ? ?

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?"

-- James 2:14

Lets say you are at home, and your stomach says your hungry.  You believe and have faith that there is food in the fridge.  Your friend tells you that there is indeed food in the fridge.  You know that the food in the fridge would make your stomach feel better, but unless you actually get off the couch and go in to the fridge and get some of the food you will still be hungry.

In the gospel you can believe that Christ is the Savior of the world.  You might even read scriptures, and have your friends tell you all about it.  But unless you actually do those things which Christ has commanded us to do on your own, you will never be able to gain a testimony, and be saved at the last day.

The first action to take after having a Faith in Christ is Repentance.  To Repent is to ask for forgiveness for sin, or something you have done wrong, and to promise that you will do you best to never do it again.  Part of the Repentance process also includes making things right with others, or paying them back if you stole something.  When we sin we incur spiritual debt, but through Repentance and exercising our Faith in Jesus Christ that debt can be paid.

Mark 16:16

After you believe and repent of your past sins the next step is Baptism.  Just as before if you have a belief and do nothing about it, then you really don't believe in it that much.  If you truly believe that Christ is your Savior, and you have a desire to follow Him, then you will be baptized even as He was.

When Jesus Christ was baptized He walked somewhere around 40 miles to get to John the Baptist.  There were people who baptized right in Jerusalem, but He walked to John the Baptist because John had something that the others did not have . . . The Priesthood.  The Priesthood is the Authority to act in the name of God.  It is required to perform sacred ordinances.  While anyone can go to a lake and perform a baptism, only those baptisms done by Priesthood Authority will be recognized by God.

Acts 2:38

Even after we are Baptized we still need to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  This is much like an upgraded conscience.  The Holy Ghost is there to testify of truth, to comfort us(John 14:16), and to help us make good decisions.  We can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost before Baptism, but the Gift of the Holy Ghost is when He becomes a constant companion, if we live worthy of His presence.

Matthew 24:13

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is just that, His Gospel.  We have to follow His plan in order to have a part in it.  We cannot pick and choose which parts we like and which parts we don't.  If we are to live again in the presence of our Eternal Father, we need to Endure to the End of all things.


So in order to truly be 'saved' you must have Faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, Repent of your sins, be Baptized by someone who holds the Priesthood, Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End.