How to 'Unlearn, what You have Learned'.

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

Mulan - Reflection

Who do you see in the Mirror?

When our Reflection shows our Love for the Savior, and our Internal desire for good, then we are true Disciples of Christ.

We dont have to be perfect, but we do need to do our best.  I myself will not be a Perfect Son or Husband, but I am sure going to do the best that I can.

Sometimes we feel that we are not 'meant to play this part'.  However, God has designed the Universe and EVERYTHING in it.  Including us.

As I have a moment of Reflection on my last two years as a missionary, I know that there were days that I didn't feel like I was adequate enough to 'play the part'.  I also hate the phrase, 'fake it til you make it'.  So I have probably not done the best that I could have, but the best the I felt I was able.  Often it takes the view of others to really let us know what we are truly Capable of.  I know that I have become a better person from sharing the Restored Gospel these last two years.

Do you ever wonder who it is in the Mirror?  Is your Reflection someone you 'Don't know'?

Sometimes we do things that make us feel bad afterwards, and then we get all frustrated inside.  This is the Devil tempting us, and saying that we are Worthless.  We are not worthless, because we are literally Children of our Heavenly Father.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;"

-- Doctrine and Covenants 18:10

When will our Reflection Show, Who WE ARE Inside?

"And now behold, I ask of you,...,

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

When we have received His image in our countenance, Our Reflection will show who we are inside.  Many people say that 'True beauty is only found in the Heart'.

"But the Lord said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance,

or on the height of his stature;

because I have refused him:

for the Lord seeth not as man seeth;

for man looketh on the outward appearance,

but the Lord looketh on the heart."

-- 1 Samuel 16:7

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For the Birds ~ Or, For the FOWLS

This is my Favorite Pixar Short.

My First thought is that of the Law of Chastity.  There is no need to be running around without any Feathers(Clothing) to cover our body.  We should maintain modest dress standards no matter what the occasion is.

The second point is that we should always show 'Brotherly Kindness' to those around us.  Just because someone thinks Different, Acts Different, Believes Different, and is simply DIFFERENT from us, doesn't mean we should whisper rumors back and forth, and we should also probably not peck at their toes.

A third item on the agenda is that we should have Patience.  Just because someone or something cause us some level of discomfort now, doesn't mean that making them go away will immediately make everything better.  Sometimes God will let us struggle a bit before He sends help.  Sometimes we have to figure out how to fix the problem on our own.  We have several options with this clip.  The little birds could have flown somewhere else and not been bothered by the big bird.  They could have sat farther apart from each other in the first place.  They could have spread out on one of the other wires.  All the other birds could have flown away when they realized that the wire was going to project them into the air.  God gives us many options, but we have to make our own choices.

Lastly I wish to point out that all of the birds are blue.  I personally believe that the big bird is either the little birds Mom or Grandma.  If this was the case, the little teenager birds were well animated.  However, just because they think they are so clever as to run away from Mommy and talk amongst themselves, Mommy still knew what they were doing, and Mommy always knows best.

Notice, Mommy didn't lose any feathers.

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.

Why Should WE Worry?

So this song is by Dodger, and he is wondering why he should care about anything.

Why should we care?  What great need do we have to worry?

Many people believe that they can be 'Saved' and then they are good for the rest of forever.  This is not exactly the best line of thinking.  We cannot 'Be Saved' in this life.  It is possible to 'fall' even after being Baptized, or accepting Christ.

We should take major precations with our choices in life.  As today is the Fourth of July, and most Americans will be celebrating the Day of our Independance, which usually includes Fireworks.

As a missionary I am held to particular rules that are for personal safety, which I am not held to outside of the Two Years that I wear a Name Tag.  One of those rules is to not handle fireworks.  some people think that this is ridiculous, and that being 22 years old 'I should be able to do things like this safely'.

Well I have handled many fireworks before my mission, and I too am pretty sure that I can still do so safely.  so "Why Should I Worry, or Care"?  The point is that God, through His Prophet, has given His Divine Counsel to avoid doing so.

So if I am able to follow God's counsel for Two Years, I will have His blessings with me.

Even after we accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we still need to give heed to the Commandments that God has given us.  We can't just sit back and think that everything will go along just fine.  We must continue to repent from sin, and make things right when we do something wrong.

No one can 'Be Saved' until AFTER they are dead, and AFTER ALL of their choices have been finalized.


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YOU are NOT WORTHLESS

Sometimes we all have to go through the dark times in order to 'transform' into what the lord whats us to be.

And when we get there we will find that others need our help as well.

When Shang begins training, he doesn't think Mulan (Ping) is really capable of anything.  Ping is the worst at all of the training exercises, and even tries to cheat the system.(Mushu's Fault)

However, after he sends her home she feels like she can't do anything, and that she really is worthless.  These feeling come from the Devil.  When she comes into the shadow of the Tree with the Arrow, she realizes that if she could get to that Arrow she would prove her worth.

God does not ask us to 'Prove' that we are of worth in this world.  He simply says that WE ARE.

After everyone wakes up in the Morning and they see that she can "Retrieve the Arrow" (while thinking she is a man) they realize that each of them have their own Talents and Abilities.

Chien-Po is no longer afraid of water, and can do flips to each platform across the river.

Yao can run through blazing arrows, even when they are 10 times as thick as before.

Ling can smash stone with his face without losing any teeth, or hurting himself.

We all have Talents and Abilities, sometimes we just need to figure out what they are before giving up and going home.

Trinity or Godhead ? ?

So I have had quite a few questions about the 'Trinity'.  This post is to help others understand where the Trinity came from and how it was conceived.

"And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."

-- John 8:16
If I am not alone then there must be another person standing by, and I cannot send myself somewhere, I would just GO there.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
-- John 14:26

Again being sent is a command from someone else, and if 'he' (the Holy Ghost) shall bring all things which Christ had said unto them, why would He not have said that, 'I shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have already told you'?

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

-- Acts 10:38
To anoint is like giving a blessing.  The priesthood of God is used to bless and help others, not yourself.  Being selfish is against the will of the Lord, and prevents one from exercising the priesthood.  When Christ was baptized by this same priesthood authority, 'God was with him'.  I cannot be with myself, I simply am myself.

"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
-- Luke 3:22
The Holy Ghost has the form of a body all on his own, and if Christ was in the water then how could He be speaking from Heaven.  'Thou' and 'Thee' are pronouns like 'you' and are used when talking with someone else, not yourself.

The notion of the Trinity was conceived by men because after the Death and Resurrection of Christ, His apostles were also killed.  In war if you don't like the King you kill all of the Kings servants as well to prevent them from rebelling against your dominion.  The Jewish senate known as the Sanhedrin condemned Christ, so also afterward they sought to destroy His apostles.  After those apostles were gone there was no one left on the earth with the priesthood authority to speak with God concerning doctrines taught in the scriptures.  So several hundred years went by with honest men giving what they thought about the Bible.

These concepts were than taken to be correct because their was very little opportunity to actually read the Bible itself without having someone else who could read Greek, Latin, or Hebrew.  It wasn't until about 1500 AD that William Tyndale translated the Bible into English.  This even had to be done secretly as the church and national governments did not agree with giving the common folk access to sacred scripture.  Tyndale once said to a priest, "If God spare my life ere many years, I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the scriptures than you!" (source)

This was realized about 300 years later when a 14 year-old farmboy in New York was reading the Bible, which was made possible by Tyndale's efforts to translate it into English. 

Excerpts from the history of how this farmboy, Joseph Smith, learned more about scripture than an educated priest, is as follows.  For the entire record see Joseph Smith History.


"There was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion.

"During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit....but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.

"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

"I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 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.

"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

"When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right and which I should join.

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” "


Joseph Smith was called as a Prophet of God, to restore the church that Christ had established during His mortal ministry.  Through him we have the Knowledge that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared in the year 1820, side by side.

In regard to the Godhead the scriptures teach that They are each individual, yet one in purpose.  Separate physically, but united spiritually.  Even as I and my mortal father are united in our labors when we go out into the field to work, so also was Christ united with the Father while laboring here in His vineyard.


"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me."

-- John 8:42

I cannot be my own father.  That would require being of age before I was born.  If God works by natural laws, and is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), then Jesus Christ could not have also been His own Father.

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

-- John 17:20-21

Here Christ prays for His apostles, but not them alone also all who believe on their words.  Therefore there must needs be a way for us to be 'one', or 'united', with each other while still in possesion of our own individual bodies.

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."

-- John 20:17

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are not each other.  However they each hold the title of God.



"Thus Ends Mormonism"

This video tells about what many thought would happen if they could kill the Prophet of the Lord.

What they didn't think about is that the people in the Old Testament Killed the Prophets all the time.

Nevertheless the Work of the Lord is NEVER frustrated . . .

only the work of Man. (Doctrione and Covenants 3:3)

(Acts 5:34-39)

Lamps and Lightbulbs

So this one time I was trying to explain how priesthood Authority works, and why it is important.  I came up with my own story, and it goes something like this.


     Once upon a time there was a Lamp.  That Lamp was the Gospel.  Then Christ came to teach the Gospel, perform the Atonement, and establish His church.  The church Christ established is like a LampShade, it holds all the 'Light and Knowledge' of the Gospel.

     However, after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the church was persecuted, and the Apostles who received Priesthood Authority were killed.  This means that the Lamp was broken, because no one had the Authority to direct Christ's Church.

     Less than 500 years later there were a small number of churches that had pieces of the broken Lamp.  People knew that something had been lost and they tried as best they could to reform the Lamp.  Roughly 1000 years later there were many churches, or many Lamps, that all claimed to be the "True Lamp".  That they each had part of that Lamp it is true, but none were the Lamp of the Gospel as it was supposed to be.

     Now we have a world where we can choose from many churches, almost like going to the store to buy a Lamp, there are planty of options.  Some Lamps are tall and flexible, some are short and round, others may be there more for looks than for light.

  

 


But even if the Lamp came close, the Lightbulb of Authority was still missing.  You see Christ is the 'Light of the world', and so even if you have all the components of a functioning Lamp only when He puts in the Lightbulb does that church give Light.

     In 1820 Joseph Smith asked God in prayer, which church to join.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and called him to be a new Prophet to restore His church to the Earth, exactly as it was when Christ was on the Earth.

     The same Lamp of the Gospel, with the same church organization or LampShade, was once again found on the Earth.  God gave the Authority of the Priesthood to Joseph Smith, who ordained others, and the Priesthood has never again left the Earth.

What are You DOing???

As a missionary I often ask people to read the Book of Mormon.  Missionaries ask people to pray and ask God if the Book of Mormon is true, and to come to church so they can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit more powerfully, and to learn more about God and His commandments and His kingdom here on the earth.

We are always asking because we know that in order to truly understand something you have to act in faith to see what happens.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true because I have read and prayed about it myself, not because someone else told me a little bit about it and I said 'hey why not'.  My journey to truly knowing what the Book of Mormon was just that, a journey meant for me to be able to understand the gospel, and how it applies in my own life.

So are YOU going to do something about it, or are you just going to sit there and read all about it without ever truly trying to figure it out for yourself??

I hereby invite anyone reading this to Read the Book of Mormon, Pray and ask God if it is a True record, and then to act in Faith.  I know that anyone who follows this course will feel the Spirit, and know what to do to come closer to Jesus Christ.

If you do not have a Book of Mormon, go to this website and request one for free.
>>http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon/<<

Any questions you may have can be answered by reading and praying about this book.  If you would like to learn more, or ask missionaries in your area about the Book of Mormon, please go to one of the following.
http://mormon.org/missionaries/ to talk to the missionaries.
http://mormon.org/faith/ to understand what we believe.
http://mormon.org/meetinghouse/ to locate the nearest meetinghouse to you.

The Book of Mormon in a Nut Shell - Mormon

The Book of Mormon

CHAPTER 1
Ammaron instructs Mormon concerning the sacred records—War commences between the Nephites and the Lamanites—The Three Nephites are taken away—Wickedness, unbelief, sorceries, and witchcraft prevail. About A.D. 321–26.

CHAPTER 2
Mormon leads the Nephite armies—Blood and carnage sweep the land—The Nephites lament and mourn with the sorrowing of the damned—Their day of grace is passed—Mormon obtains the plates of Nephi—Wars continue. About A.D. 327–50.

CHAPTER 3
Mormon cries repentance unto the Nephites—They gain a great victory and glory in their own strength—Mormon refuses to lead them, and his prayers for them are without faith—The Book of Mormon invites the twelve tribes of Israel to believe the gospel. About A.D. 360–62.

CHAPTER 4
War and carnage continue—The wicked punish the wicked—Greater wickedness prevails than ever before in all Israel—Women and children are sacrificed to idols—The Lamanites begin to sweep the Nephites before them. About A.D. 363–75.

CHAPTER 5
Mormon again leads the Nephite armies in battles of blood and carnage—The Book of Mormon will come forth to convince all Israel that Jesus is the Christ—Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites will be scattered, and the Spirit will cease to strive with them—They will receive the gospel from the Gentiles in the latter days. About A.D. 375–84.

CHAPTER 6
The Nephites gather to the land of Cumorah for the final battles—Mormon hides the sacred records in the hill Cumorah—The Lamanites are victorious, and the Nephite nation is destroyed—Hundreds of thousands are slain with the sword. About A.D. 385.

CHAPTER 7
Mormon invites the Lamanites of the latter days to believe in Christ, accept his gospel, and be saved—All who believe the Bible will also believe the Book of Mormon. About A.D. 385.

CHAPTER 8
The Lamanites seek out and destroy the Nephites—The Book of Mormon will come forth by the power of God—Woes pronounced upon those who breathe out wrath and strife against the work of the Lord—The Nephite record will come forth in a day of wickedness, degeneracy, and apostasy. About A.D. 400–421.

CHAPTER 9
Moroni calls upon those who do not believe in Christ to repent—He proclaims a God of miracles, who gives revelations and pours out gifts and signs upon the faithful—Miracles cease because of unbelief—Signs follow those who believe—Men are exhorted to be wise and keep the commandments. About A.D. 401–21.