Who is YOUR Best Friend?

God is the Best Friend I have EVER had.

Genie has lots of abilities.  He grants three wishes to every master.  However he can't make anyone fall in love.  He can't kill anybody, and he either can't or won't bring people back from the dead.

Seems pretty limited to me.

God has no limitations, and He grants more than three wishes, to Everyone.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible."

-- Luke 1:37

We simply have to go to Him in Prayer, and ask in Faith.

"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

So make God your Best Friend, and counsel with Him in all that you Do.  He might say no sometimes, but it is for your own good.  He always does whatever is best for us.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths."

-- Proverbs 3:5-6

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings,

and he will direct thee for good;"

-- Alma 37:37

Beauty and the Beast - Transformation

Some people see Humility as 'childish', 'weak', or 'Dependent' on others.

True Humility is not exalting yourself above others, and Submitting to God's will.

Beast was Submissive, and not swift to anger.

Even after Bell came back, he only told Gaston to get out, and did not throw him of the ledge.

Throughout the movie Beast is trying to calm his temper and have Bell fall in Love with him.  He is concerned that the Flower will lose all of its petals before she does, which would result in him staying in Beast-form forever.

We each have our own Spiritual Flower, which if it runs out of petals before we have received a change of heart, we will be stuck as we are forever. (Alma 5)

We must come back to the Lord as swiftly as we can, before the time of our Probation (this Life) runs out.(the Flower)

Red is the color of Power.

As Beast is being transformed his RED Cloak wraps around him, much as we need the Power of Christ to completely envelope us so that we might have this transformation take place in our hearts.

Transformation = Change

One of the missionaries that I have had a chance to serve with once spoke of the Change wrought upon Cucumbers when they are made into pickles.  He stated that we should become 'Celestial Pickles'.

You see when a Cucumber (which is totally gross and nasty by the way), is made into a Pickle (which is AWESOME), it must be completely submerged in a Salt Brine (Also totally gross and nasty).

This is the only time, to the best of my knowledge, that two negatives make a positive outside of math.

The Salt Brine represents Trials we go through in Life.  If we choose to only partially go through them we will not become a 'Celestial Pickle'.  However, if we Humble ourselves and are Submissive to the Lord's Will, then we will have His help in everything we do, and He will make us into whatever kind of Pickle He knows we need to be.

As we go through this transformation, others will be able to see the Light of Christ shine through us.  Much as the Light that comes from Beast's Hands, Feet, and Heart.  This is an AWESOME representation of how the Light of Christ not only changes our Heart, but cause our Actions (Hands and Feet) to be changed as well.

It has been said that "the Eyes are the Window to the Soul."

After Beast has been transformed he says, "Bell, it's me."  She is a little unsure of him, even having seen the Transformation take place, until she looks into his Deep Blue Eyes.

This is something that she Recognizes, and she immediately says, "It IS you."

How are we going to Recognize the Savior when He comes again?  Sure there will be Miracles all around us, and everyone will know it is Jesus Christ.  But how shall we KNOW that He is our Savior?  I believe we shall know Him if we have BECOME like Him.


Yes, we shall all live 'Happily Ever After', IF we keep the Commandments and Follow the Lord's Prophets.

I am in Love - Meg

Have you ever felt that you just can't do anything right?

Well, Meg felt like she couldn't ever make a right choice too.

However, that is why we have the Atonement of Christ.  Even when we make wrong choices, we have the oppurtunity to repent and have our Sins forgiven.

Our subject in question, Meg, has apparently had a bad day with her boyfriend, Hercules, and now she is quite frustrated with men in general. (she is also in service to Hades, and ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24)

Now you see, the Muses(the statues) can see that Hercules is "the Earth and Heaven" and take all their time to convince Meg that she needs to accept him and be with him.

Much as the Prophets have always done.  They teach people and tell them that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, and that only through His Atonement can Mankind be Saved.  He is 'Earth and Heaven'. (see Mark 2:5-12)

One of Meg's arguments is that it is "Too Cliche".  Some people say that they don't believe in the Scriptures because they are just the Cliche old tales of 'good versus evil'.  Why would the Gospel not be cliche?  The Gospel is unchanging and has been around since before Time began.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

-- Hebrews 13:8

Some people think that Christians need to "get a grip".  However there is no need to "Cry Your Heart Out" when you live the Gospel.  Christ has already performed the Atonement, which is a Vicarious Ordinance allowing Him to take upon Himself all of Our Sin, Pain, Sorrow, and Weaknesses.

"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

Many of those who reject the Gospel have felt the Joy that comes from it, but they don't want to have to 'Keep the Commandments', so they just deny the whole thing.

How can we be "way off base" if the Foundation is Christ?  Is He not Big enough, or Strong enough, or Smart enough, to hold all of us the way we should be?

Finally we have those who accept the Gospel, but "At least OUT LOUD, [they] won't say [they're] in love".

If we truly Love the Savior, we should do everything we can to receive Personal Revelation from Him every day.  We should also Search for others who we can share the Gospel with.

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.


.

Prince of Egypt: Heaven's Eyes

What is worthy of Honor?

If you ever have trouble seeing your Infinite and Eternal Potential, you might try asking what others see in you.  Most of the time your friends know what you are good at and they will tell you.

Then get on your knees, pray to your Father, and ask Him to help you see your life through Heavens eyes.

I Want Jesus To Walk With Me

We should always desire Jesus to walk with us each day.

All we need to do to have that is keep His Commandments.

Saxophones - Bigger was Better

When I was in high school I played the Bari Sax.  I played in the Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Concert Band.  (remember that one time...at band camp :)  Quite a bit of my time was spent after school sitting alone in a practice room with just me and my saxophone named Kristy.

(this is not Kristy, it is just a cool Sax)

One of the worst parts of playing Bari Sax is the reed.  Most people start out playing on an Alto Sax, then a Tenor, then to the Bari.  The Alto has one of the smaller reeds and is rather easy to play on, even when I was in sixth grade.  The tenor is a little bigger, and I played Tenor from seventh grade until ninth grade.  In ninth grade I started out on the Bari which, in comparison to the Alto, is frankly huge.  You have more metal that the air needs to pass through, and a longer, thicker, less flexible reed.  The reed is what actually produces the sound from a Sax.  The air passing through and escaping at various points is what changes the note being played.  Normally you need to replace a reed about every 2 months.

So when you get a reed you have different options of thickness, which determines how hard the reed is to get vibrating.  Reeds start at 1 and go up in hardness by half.  I usually play on a 3 or 3 1/2.  If you pick a reed that is to soft, meaning the number is lower than what you need, then when you begin playing you end up splitting the reed because it can't handle the pressure and stress it is under.  If you get a reed that is too hard, you won't be able to make any music at all, because it takes more wind from your lungs to get it moving.

God chooses His Prophets the same way I would choose a reed.  He puts them to the test as they grow up and throughout their lives.  Sometimes the individual is too soft, and when trials and affliction come around the give way to temptation, and brake.  Sometimes they are too hard, or hard-headed, and refuse to yield to the promptings from the Spirit, and don't do as God commands.

But every now and then, when you find the right reed with the right thickness, you can play for 4 or 5 months without getting a new reed.  With a Prophet, only those who follow the Lord and keep His commandments are chosen and ordained unto this calling.

" For many are called, but few are chosen."

 -- Matthew 22:14

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen.

And why are they not chosen?

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world,

and aspire to the honors of men"

-- Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-35

As I stated the air escaping through various points is what creates different notes and makes the music pretty.  This could be related to each of the Apostles having their own personality.  Each individual will express the gospel in their own words.  So it is all music, but with a little flavor. 

 

Sometimes you might find that someone claims to be telling you the truth when they don't really know.  It's kinda like they are trying to play a certain note but they don't know the fingering.  When you are playing a Sax the worst thing that can happen is not knowing where to put your fingers.  You have to put all your fingers in the right spot or you do not sound very good.

So the feelings you get when someone is talking about the Gospel is how you know what is right, and what is not.  The Spirit testifies of Truth.  (John 15:26)

"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind

and in your heart,

by the Holy Ghost,

which shall come upon you

and which shall dwell in your heart.

Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation;

behold, this is the spirit by which Moses 

brought the children of Israel

through the Red Sea on dry ground."

-- Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3

You don't usually have a Saxophone in a Symphony.  Everyone has their own part in life, but in a Symphony they just don't like the sound of a Sax.  I don't really know why they don't put a Sax in a Symphony, and I don't know how exactly this relates to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but all things denote that "there is a Supreme Creator."

"But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

-- Alma 30:44

What Have You Done With Your TIME?

So my companion just informed me that he feels the pressure of being halfway through his mission.  This reminded of one of my favorite songs, TIME by Jericho Road.

The song goes over whether or not you are using the TIME the Lord has given you here on earth.  Are you using your TIME, or are you losing out on blessings by not keeping His commandments?  Are you paying attention and listening to the messages He is sending your way, or are you missing them?  Are you wishing that you had more TIME to study what is from God, or are you priorities somewhere else?

Here are the lyrics, don't just read them, study them.  At the bottom there is a link to listen to the music.  I think you will enjoy it once you know what it is that they are trying to say.

Time is a tickin'
Are you listenin'
When you find out what you're missin'
You'll be wishin'
That you would've taken

Time is a wasting
Are you waiting
To find that yours is taken
You'll awaken
When you're running out of time

Time is a moving
Are you using
Your time or are you choosin'
To be losing
The precious gift of time

It went so fast
But you thought it would last
And I wonder when you'll see that
Your time's run outChorus:
It's time
To make the best of time
Just trust and you will find
There's something you can do
To make the best of time
You gotta understand
When you reach out your hand
Someone's reaching out for you
Just leave your fears behind
It's time

Why are you waiting
Hesitating
To change your situation
Stop delaying
Don't live your whole life blind

He is your best friend
So remember when
Your life seemed like a whirlwind
He was waiting
Forever by your side
It goes so fast You think it's gonna last
But I wonder when you'll see
That the time is now

Chorus

You can never live your life over
There's no crying on anyone's shoulder
How long can you walk the line
No more faces to hide behind

You gotta just trust and believe it
Put your faith in what you can't see yet
You know it's not too late
He's guiding you along the way

Chorus

Take a step of Faith and look into that which you don't understand and haven't given the TIME.  Spend more TIME with your family.  Take time to sit and relax, WITHOUT THE TV ON.  Go outside and contemplate how things work in nature, and think of what you really want to do with the TIME you have before it is all gone.


Listen at : http://grooveshark.com/#/s/Time/1eRa4c?src=5

Lyrics taken from : http://www.lyricsera.com/

Deliverance Comes from the Deliverer

We might not be able to stop our children from sticking their fingers in the toaster.  We might not be able to stop them from putting a knife in the power outlet.  We might not be able to have them understand why certain things are bad for them, and we might not be able to stop them from placing their hands on the red hot stove.  But we can always give them a band aid and kiss it better and tell them they shouldn't do it again.  Sometimes they listen, Sometimes they don't.

But just like that bright red on the stove, which is interesting and unknown to them, so is sin.  Something about it seems to attract us to it.  Our Father in Heaven repeatedly tells us, Don't do this...Don't do that.  He also has told us repeatedly, DO this, DO that, and DO them all the time, not just when you feel like it.

Again, like the red hot stove, when we sin we must take the consequence.  Sin brings Spiritual pain.  The only band aid strong enough to help is the Atonement of Christ.  He can kiss it better, and wipe away the tears.  But we have to be DOing what He has told us to DO in order for the Atonement to have any effect.

This is the method of us being Delivered from sin by Jesus Christ.  When we are obedient we receive blessings.  When we sin we we lose those blessings, and things always turn into problems because of our choices.

However, when the Children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, the Lord raised up a Deliverer for them.  This came after they had Prayed and asked for His help in their afflictions.

"The Lord thy God

will raise up unto thee a Prophet

from the midst of thee,

of thy brethren, like unto me;

unto him ye shall hearken;"

-- Deuteronomy 18:15

Moses was sent to redeem, or save, his people from slavery to the Egyptians.  Jesus Christ came to redeem and save all people from slavery to sin, and the bondage of the devil.

"And I,

if I be lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men unto me."

-- John 12:32

Through Jesus Christ we are able to repent of our sins, and then receive forgiveness.  He was raised up to be our Deliverer.  We must do our part, for the Atonement to have effect in our lives.  We have to be full of good works and righteous actions, or we will stand before the Judgement bar knowing that we have sinned and cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

"And for this cause have I been lifted up;

therefore, according to the power of the Father

I will draw all men unto me,

 that they may be judged according to their works."

-- 3 Nephi 27:15

"The spirit and the body shall be reunited again

in its perfect form;

 both limb and joint shall be restored

to its proper frame,

even as we now are at this time;

and we shall be brought to stand before God,
knowing even as we know now,

 and have a bright recollection of all our guilt."

-- Alma 11:43

Prince of Egypt

So as i studied the scriptures this morning I read a little bit out of Exodus where Moses is born and a few chapters later when he confronts Pharaoh.  I then thought about one of my all time favorite movies, the Prince of Egypt.  It goes through the life of Moses, and depicts how he came to understand and obey the Lord.

One of the best parts is when Moses must use the Priesthood to perform signs and "wonders" and thereby convince Pharaoh to "Let his people go."

I found this video and the words of this song make so much sense, it seems a wonder of its own that Pharaoh would not soften his heart before losing his firstborn son.

I hope we can all listen swiftly to the Spirit, and not harden our hearts against the Lord.  When His Spirit whispers to us that we need to do something, quickly obey and just do it.  I know that by obeying the voice of the Lord we will find greater peace and happiness in our lives, and we will be able to build upon a firm foundation.

The Power of Prayer

I was thinking this morning about Prayer, and how we have been commanded to "pray always".(3 Nephi 18:19)  I thought of how we can possibly have a Prayer in our heart for when we are not Praying vocally,(Alma 34:27) and how we could always be able to be near the Lord through the Power of Prayer.  Then I thought of a promise given by the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants 25:12.

"For my soul delighteth

in the song of the heart;

yea, the song of the righteous

is a prayer unto me,

and it shall be answered

with a blessing upon their heads."

This lead me to think about some of my favorite hymns we sing at church.  One of my favorites is "I Need Thee Every Hour".  It talks about how we can truly come closer to the Lord, and our dependency on Him for everything we have.

" I need thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord.
No tender voice like thine
Can peace afford.

I need thee ev'ry hour;
Stay thou nearby.
Temptations lose their pow'r
When thou art nigh.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
In joy or pain.
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Most holy One.
Oh, make me thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son!

[Chorus]
I need thee, oh, I need thee;
Ev'ry hour I need thee!
Oh, bless me now, my Savior;
I come to thee! "

-- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Hymnbook, Hymn 98

I hope that through thinking of Hymns we may be able to have a Prayer in our heart all day long, and thereby be near the Lord in all that we do.

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

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.