Things I've Learned: My Testimony

Well, the last two years have come to a close. My service as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come to an end. That, however, doesn't mean that my testimony of the Church or its truthfulness has diminished. Here is my testimony for all of you!

Over the course of my mission I was able to read the Book of Mormon at least 3 times. Each time I opened its pages and truly began to search, instead of read, to discover, instead of scan, to internalize, instead of simply learning the words, I found that the Spirit, The Holy Ghost, would testify to me in its quiet way that the book was true. I know that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and that it teaches and testifies of Him, His love for us, and His plan to bring us all home again one day. The Spirit is one who will lead you into truth, we are taught that by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:4-5). Through my study I came to know the consequences of choosing wrong and the blessings that come from choosing right. I learned the feelings that accompany righteousness are true and lasting happiness, peace of mind and heart, love for others, a desire to share the good we have, and a life full of purpose and direction because we know where we came from and where we have the potential to go after this life.

I learned that the consequences of sin consist of remorse of conscience, an empty heart, fear, pride, anger, lies, and every other negative thing that pulls us away from our Savior. I came to recognize the times in my life when my actions were filling me with these negative feelings and realized that it was the time to repent and to change from the fear to the peace, the anger to the kindness, the empty heart to one that can love. I know for a fact that The Atonement of Jesus Christ works. I know that it can change, not only your actions or feelings, but your very nature and disposition. It can change you so that the evils you once desired no longer have a hold on you and that the pride that ruled your life can be changed to humility as you follow the counsel of the Savior to follow Him.

I know that Christ lives because I have felt and continue to feel His influence in my life. I know that the peace I have found is only because of Him and what He has done for me. The changes in my desires, my thoughts, and my actions have been dramatic to say the least and to say that I did all of that by myself would be as false as trying to convince you that the sky isn't blue. Men can change behavior but only the Savior can truly allow us to change our nature. The Atonement removes the consequences of our past mistakes as we take them to the Savior in repentance, and it is through that repentance, that turning to God, that we are able to rebuild, restart, and become reacquainted with the things of righteousness in this life.

I know that the man I am now is a product of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that I still have a long way to go, but I am grateful for how far that He has allowed me to come thus far. I know that God loves us, that His son Jesus Christ died for us, was resurrected, and now lives to guide and direct His church on the earth today. I hope you know that He loves you. He can change you if you'll let Him. I leave that with you in His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Family Story

A Wise Father

There once was a man who had many children. This man was also the most powerful, perfect individual that ever lived. As the perfect Father, he wanted for all of His children to grow up and be worthy of the inheritance that He had to offer. As His children grew and prepared to leave home He gathered them together for one last family council. There He put forth the plan, requirements, and potential challenges that lay ahead for His children as they progressed through life away from home. Being a perfectly loving and wise Father, he knew that not all of His children would be able to live up to what was asked of them to receive the inheritance He wanted to give them.

A Noble Son

The firstborn Son of this family was very close to his Father. He wanted to see the success of His brothers and sisters just as his Father did. He prepared himself and went to the Father of this great family and offered a plan so that the rest of His children would have a greater chance to come back Home. His plan was talked over, debated, and eventually chosen as the best way to make it back.

The Plan Unfolds

Just as the Father predicted, His children, once away from home began to wander and forget the things that they had been taught. They began to rebel and they began to lose hope in ever making it back to the loving but just Father who had so plainly set up the way back to Him.  The firstborn Son came and was the only one who was able to fill all the requirements, make all the steps, and qualify for the inheritance that the Father had hoped to give to all. Thankfully this elder brother after receiving all that his Father had to give, turned and offered to each of His brothers and sisters the chance to share with Him.

This Son knew that the Father was justified in refusing His goods from the rebellious of his children. After all, He had told them of the consequences of their misdeeds. However now that the Son had access to all that the Father had, He was able to lay forth a set of conditions upon which He would share His inheritance with each of His siblings who would do what He said to do. The Father was just, the Son was merciful, they both were full of wisdom and love. They opened the door to each child to find his way back Home.

We Are the Children

The Father in this story, is God. The Firstborn Son is our brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. The children are each and every one of us. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). None of us could have done what our Savior volunteered to do so that if we would follow Him we could return Home one day. Our Savior has promised that if we follow Him, have faith, repent, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and keep all of His commandments as best as we can, He will open the doors of Heaven to us. Not because we filled a checklist, not because we scored high enough on a test, but because our Savior loves us and is willing to forgive us of our mistakes and to save us from our sins.

I know that our Father in Heaven loves us, that His son Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior and Redeemer. We follow Him and our good actions stem from our relationship and love for Him and His work. I know that He loves us. I know that He watches over our stumbling steps and does all He can to helps us get back to Him. I know Christ lives. I leave this with you in His name. Jesus Christ. Amen.

Faith and Works: Keeping Life Balanced

There seems to be a notion among many religions that Mormons are "working their way into heaven" which is the source of many negative and incorrect rumors, thoughts, and philosophies regarding Mormons, faith, and works. The hope that I have in writing this article is to dispel any misconceptions that any may have about the role of faith and works in each of our lives.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 

(Ephesians 2:8-10)

This scripture lays it out pretty plainly that it is the grace of Christ that saves us "through faith" and that salvation can't be accomplished by our acts. The work that Christ did for us, none of us could ever do for ourselves. It also tells us that we were created to follow Christ in His good works. The Savior is our perfect example "who went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). We were told by Him that the way to show Him our love was to keep his commandments (John 14:15).

Many wonder to themselves "If we are saved by grace and it is a gift from God... Why do those Mormons think that they need to do so much? They go door to door, they have 3 hours of church on Sundays, they serve those around them, and so many other things. Do they feel that faith isn't enough?" Not at all. It is our faith that motivates us to do all the things that we do. I'm sure that nobody told Paul to sit back and relax and just have faith. He was following the commission that Christ had given to the Apostles to preach the gospel. He took it upon himself to exercise his faith in that way. He helped others gain faith in Christ. That is the same mission that our proselyting missionaries are out doing today. Their entire purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost into their lives. They don't serve to mark something off of some sort of checklist that will get them to Heaven.

Lets look at James 2 for a moment where it has this to say: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17). Let's cross reference this to the Savior's great sermon on the mount where He said:

 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven... Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock... And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand" 

(Matthew 7:21, 24, & 26 italics added).

All these scriptures, along with others, are the basis for why Mormons seem to be preoccupied with works when, to us, we are only trying to do all the things that Christ has commanded us. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Which commandments? All of them. Of course we aren't going to be perfect, that is why He came "to save the world from sin" (3 Nephi 9:21) He commanded men to repent and be baptized, He commanded us to love our neighbors, He commanded to preach the gospel, and on and on and on. His words and commands never cease. He has given us many things to work on in this life that will help us to become more like Him and it is our faith in Christ motivates us to become like Him. 

No matter what good things we accomplish in this life, we cannot for a moment think that we are making our own path into heaven. Christ made the path, Christ made the rules. We follow Him, His commandments, and His example. That is the way to salvation through His grace. I hope this has cleared up any questions any may have about why our church seems to "work" so much.

I know that obedience to God's commands is the way to happiness with Him in this life and in the next, I know that when we have true faith that we will desire to do good to others as He would, for this is how we show Him our love. I know Christ lives. I know He speaks today. I know this because I have exercised my faith and done my best to follow Him. I know that as we find a balance of faith and works we will be happy followers of our Savior Jesus Christ. For He is the way to Salvation. I leave this with you in His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

God's Plan

When we come to a choice or decision in our lives we often forget to ask ourselves "Which path would God have me take?". So often it is just our whims or spur of the moment decisions that take us down the paths of our life. God can see the whole picture of where we are and where we can go. In the moments of our life when we are awaiting an answer to a question or guidance from on High we often get caught up in our wants and our desires when we should be focusing on what He wants and desires for us. We have to follow the counsel of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon, he taught that we must "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend" (Mosiah 4:9).

The ability to put our will aside and follow Him is one of the greatest tests of this life that we are all taking part in. "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19 italics added). We must be willing to yield to the will of God by listening to the messages we receive from the Holy Spirit. Following the Lord is how we find enduring happiness. Forgoing temporary happiness is well worth the eternal peace and satisfaction that comes from obeying the will of the Lord.

I know that when the day of your next big decision comes that if you will turn to the Lord and do as He directs that you will find that you are in the right path. "Do what is right, let the consequence follow" is the counsel we should take in all our decisions (Do What is Right Hymn 237). Follow the Lord. Follow His plan. Have peace. I know He lives and that His plan is best. In His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

To learn more about the scriptures used in this post please accept a free copy of the Book of Mormon 

"Mormon by the Grace of God"

Today's post was written by a great man, I have been privileged to see him come into this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here is his story:

"Mormon by the Grace of God

I was baptized Lutheran when I was very young, too young to know what baptism was or even to comprehend god,

Didn’t go to church much mostly weddings, funerals and baptisms, sometime on Easter as my first wife was Catholic,

As I grew older I realized there must be something else, a larger power, the Earth may have been created with a big bang but how did life begin,

So as I grew I went to Sunday school a friend was going too, can’t even tell you which religion it was but I started to understand God,

This man they called Jesus, born of Mary, a virgin woman whom gave birth to a son, son of God

People were drawn to a manger by a power they didn’t understand, a Holy Spirit that entered their soul,

Now I believe in God, his son and the Holy Ghost,

So since I was baptized Lutheran I went to the church and they preached from the bible, and talked of balloon mortgages for the church and what I could do to serve the church,

No, not what I understood God wanted of me,

I was invited to go to a Southern Baptist church, was preach to that I was going to Hell if I watched day time soaps, if I danced or played cards,

No, not what I understood God wanted of me,

I went to a Methodist church, a non-denomination Church, Presbyterian, a Synagogue and even listen to the Jehovah Witnesses, really 140,000 will be saved,

No, not what I understood God wanted of me or his plan,

So I didn’t really go to church as it was always what I needed to do for the Church and then I would see the same people whom preached at me, whom judged me, doing things that went against the Commandments,

A priest can forgive me for my sins; money can buy my way to my salvation?

No, not what I understood God wanted of me or his plan,

So years passed, my life was a roller coaster of ups and downs, never really happy, never really whole, something was missing, I couldn’t find a way or church to help me spiritually,

I divorced a couple times, my daughter living apart, drinking, smoking, parties, not being a very nice person, falling into his grasp, I now know is what the adversary wanted, my soul darkened and weak, to cease my quest and to stop the word of God to stop the spread of the Gospel,

I began asking of God on my own, when I was alone and quiet, is this it, can there be no lasting happiness,

Can I not create a better life for my daughter or for myself, is this my life, is this it, can’t I make life better for my soon to be grandchild? Is there a God?

The power of prayer! Never underestimate it,

I prayed in my way, maybe not perfect, maybe not the way it’s told in the Bible but I prayed,

Soon I began to see changes, small at first, things turned around at work and life was a little easier,

Then my soul mate, a woman I was originally engaged to came back into my life after being for separated 32 years when I was in the Marines and she going to college,

My grandchild was born healthy and beautiful; I got married to Christine, a new house;

But still something was missing, there are still hurtles, bumps in the road, the adversary trying to detour the inevitable,

I continued to search for a way to be better, to find complete peace and happiness,

Then God and I know in my heart that God sent me Angles, Angles in the form of Mormon Sisters,

I was drinking and smoking in my garage when they happened by, I was watching football,

I said hello as they walked past, they asked if we could talk and for a reason beyond my comprehension I said sure,

The Holy Ghost works quietly doesn’t he, there was an air of comfort talking to the Sisters,

The Sisters didn’t judge me, I was drinking and smoking and my language was probably less than appropriate,

The Sisters didn’t preach at me, we talked, they asked me questions about life, they didn’t offer corrections, they didn’t judge,

The Sisters asked if they could return, I said yes without a thought, no reason and no idea why just yes,

My journey has begun as the Sisters taught me, then my wife joined in, eventually my daughter,

They asked if I would attend church and I wasn’t ready for a while but eventually I decided why not, let’s try another church,

I found I didn’t try another church, I found the true church,

No one judges us, everyone was so friendly, kind and sincerely concerned for us,

I wasn’t preached at but prayed with; the only mention of money came from the teachings of tithing and their not passing a plate,

We were invited to events, into people’s homes that had never met us, is this real?

I’m confused, the Bishop doesn’t get paid and the church doesn’t pay its servants?

Servants, service, a calling, someone actually, a church actually follows the word of our Savior?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,

It’s the true church, the restoration of the gospel as Jesus Christ taught, as God wants it to be,

Service towards our fellow man living and past, praising Jesus Christ, praying to God,

Loving one another, loving our Savior and all he has done for us,

Feeling his power, his glory, his grace, his love, his love for us his children,

I want to be part of this, teach me, I will follow,

The Baptism, as I call it “my bath”,

The bath that cleansed me, washed away the old me and I rose from the water new, clean, restored,

The stress, the weight of the world in which I was carrying was light, the stress gone,

A feeling of freshness, I feel great!

I Eric Maurice Matzke am a Christian;

I attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,

I am Mormon!!!

Are you Mormon? You should be!

This is my testimony and I say this in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen"

I know, as Eric does, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's church restored to the Earth in our day. Will you come join with us in following the Lord Jesus Christ? May the peace of God be upon you.

Please accept a visit from some of our Missionaries as he did: Request Missionary Visit

We hope to hear from you soon!

"ye have done it unto me"

This life is full of opportunities to serve and to lift others around us. What we do with those opportunities is what matters. The Lord has said "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" but He has also said "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me" (Matthew 25:40,45). The Lord has made it very clear in those verses that when we serve those around us, or when we ignore those around us, it is as though we were doing the same unto Him. I know that as we do our best to take care of those in need and to care for those who struggle through this life we will be doing the work of the Lord. The Book of Mormon teaches that "when ye are in the service of your fellowbeings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). I have had many opportunities in my life to serve others, there have been times when giving of myself was really hard to do, or I felt inadequate to serve the way that was asked, but always with the help of the Savior was I able to help those around me who were in need. 

My challenge to everyone who reads this blog is to find someone today who you can serve. Find a simple act of kindness that you can extend to one in need. I promise that as you serve and afterwards you will feel the Holy Spirit testify to you that what you did is right. You will know that the Spirit has touched you if you feel the fruits of the Spirit which are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). The Lord loves you. As you serve His children you will show Him how much you love Him. 

The New Year

Now as we have begun 2014 we all have another chance to analyse our lives and find somethings that we can leave behind and that we can improve! We can learn from the story of Lot's wife in the Old Testament and know that we should never look back when we know there is a better future ahead!

May we all be blessed with the determination to press forward and never look back! Happy New Year!!!!

The Gift of Christ

Our Savior Jesus Christ truly is an amazing gift to each of us. Through His birth, life, death, and resurrection we are given the ability to change. How grateful I am for that gift, that chance to rid myself of imperfections and sins and to press forward striving to leave them behind forever. In my own imperfect way I try to understand and utilize the Savior's gift to me by building my faith in Him and striving to repent of my sins so that I can be more like He is. I know that I am imperfect and that it takes all my strength to make a feeble attempt to live as He lived and to love as He loved. How sad is it then when others won't even let Christ influence their lives or when you find those who only pretend that they follow the Savior.

A Season of Giving

This time of the year is an excellent time for gifts and for giving, so I am going to create an analogy that might help us to use Christ's gift to us more fully. Imagine for a moment that when Christmas rolls around that you find a present under your tree, it is clearly marked for you and is wrapped beautifully. What do you do with it? Do you open it? Do you use it? Or do you let it sit and gather dust under the tree? Those are a few of the options that we have when it comes to Christ's gift to us. We all have received the gift of the Atonement of Christ, we have it somewhere and we all have the chance to use it. I want to discuss three general groups and how they use and benefit from the gift of Christ's sacrifice.

1. You will see many good people that have used it over and over again, the wrapping and ribbons are long forgotten as the gift Christ gave to them became a part of everyday life. These will have tough hands and sturdy backs from doing the work of the Lord as they strive to share the gift that He gave them with all around them. These would be the wise men that Christ says hear His sayings and doeth them (Matthew 7:24-25). May we all strive to use the the gift of Christ in the way that these do, sharing it with others and seeing the blessings multiplied in our own lives.

2. You will see others who opened the gift just enough to see what was inside and decided that they didn't really have much use for it. Those people my wonder why they don't seem to have all that they seek in life, or why their hopes and dreams are not fulfilled as they would like, maybe they don't understand that a gift sitting on a shelf or only pulled out in times of great need is a gift hardly accepted. These could be likened to the foolish men of whom Christ said would hear His sayings, but do them not (Matthew 7:26-27).

3. The third group are those who read the tag and see that the gift is from Christ and don't even bother opening it, instead they go about telling and showing everyone that they come in contact with that Jesus loves them more then anyone else, or that they are special because they received a gift from Him. They are so busy worrying about whether everyone knows that Christ cared enough to send them a gift that they never open it and actually use it. These would be likened unto the hypocrites that do things in public that "they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward" (Matthew 6:2). Those who flaunt the gift of Christ's Atonement without actually using it are those who will find themselves discontented with life even when all else seems to be going their way. 

Which one am I? 

Which group do we fit into? Are we those who use and share the gift that Christ has given us? Are we the ones who pull it out in times of great need as a final resort? Or are we those who always try to show off and be in the public eye as one blessed of God, when in reality we have ignored the gift He gave being too preoccupied with the wrappings and ribbons and beauty of its appearance. I think that we all go through phases of each group, but I know that as I have tried to put Christ first and to not worry about what those around me think, I have found peace to my soul. There will always be those times when we know we aren't at the best that we can be, but as we press forward, we can eventually bring ourselves into the position to always be using and sharing the gift that Christ gave to us. I know that He lives, I know that He loves us and wants us to use the gift that He gave, I know that using His gift brings peace and joy. How grateful I am for Him this Christmas Season. In His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Nativity

What Do Mormons Believe?

Have you ever had a pair of young men show up at your door from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Have you ever stopped to listen? Here is what they want to tell you:

First, 

God is your loving Heavenly Father, you are literally His child and he loves you. He has said 

"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

(Moses 1:39)

God wants you to come back to live with Him after this life so that you can become more and more like your Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ. 

Second,

The gospel of Jesus Christ will bless your family in many ways. A home centered around the Savior will be a home where the Holy Ghost can come and create a refuge safe from the cares and concerns of the world. God has always taught His people about his gospel through prophets. The words of many ancient prophets have survived to our day and are recorded in books called scriptures. 

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

(Amos 3:7)

Third,

Prophets are given authority from God, they ordain others to that authority, or Priesthood, under the direction of God and by the laying on of hands. Christ gave this Priesthood authority to His Apostles so that they could do His work.

"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils"

(Mark 3:14-15)

After Christ's crucifixion and the martyr and death of all of His Apostles, the authority that they held slowly dwindled and was taken from the Earth because men had stopped doing things the way that Christ had commanded and thereby could not have or exercise His power or authority. The world went into a time of darkness, and after a few hundred years of disagreements between men about doctrines the Christ had taught, scholars gathered and decided what was what. Once that happened, the churches of the day began to quiet any questions that were asked, they openly and sometimes violently brought down anyone with an opposing view, thus stopping people from asking questions without fear of retaliation. This time was foretold by the prophet Amos in the Old Testament.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

(Amos 8:11-12)

Fourth,

During this time period we see many eras of reformation, churches sprung up faster and faster as emigration moved to North America searching for religious freedom. Thus with the world beginning to truly seek after the Lord again, we saw the fulfillment of the words in Acts 3:19-21, which state that Christ would remain in Heaven until the "times of refreshing" and "times of restitution of all things". A young boy wondering what church he should join, followed the advice in James 1:5, asked God, and found an amazing answer. In his words, this is what occurred. "

"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!" (See Joseph Smith - History 14-20)

The time for the "restitution of all things" was at hand. Over the years to follow, the Lord brought back to the earth all the promised blessings and authorities prophesied for the last days through His prophet. Through Heavenly Messengers this new prophet was led to an ancient record of scripture written by prophets in the Americas during the time of Christ who He visited after His resurrection. This record, translated by the gift and power of God, is now known as The Book of Mormon.

Finally,

It is the invitation of all those young men and women who may soon be knocking on your door for you to simply read from The Book of Mormon for yourself and to ask God if it is true. That is the only sure way to find out for yourself if anything is true. Follow the admonition to "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). You can know from God whether or not Christ's Church has been restored to the Earth again, you can know that His authority resides in that Church, and that God speaks to His prophet again today as He has all throughout history. I testify that Christ's authority and church are on the earth again and that it has been a blessing in my life as I know it can be for you! I know that Christ lives, and that He wants us to be happy and with Him again after we pass through this life. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

We are Never Alone.

When we are discouraged it is easy to feel like God has abandoned us, I have come to know however that we are never out of His mind, heart, or view. Our Heavenly Father loves us dearly. The entire reason we are on the earth is so that we can become like Him. In 1839, the prophet Joseph Smith was, due to persecution of the Saints and false accusations, imprisoned in Liberty Jail in Missouri. This was a time of great despair for him. In his words:

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?" (Doctrine and Covenants 121:1-3)

While the Lord may have seemed distant, in His wisdom, He had a greater plan in mind. He knows that it is only in facing opposition and bitterness in life that we come to know the peace and sweet that He has to offer. The Lord's response is both comforting and full of Love, but you can tell that the Lord knows best.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes"

(Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8)

I have a testimony that even when our trials seem overwhelming, scary, or impossible to overcome, the Lord is with us and ready always to help us to "triumph over all [our] foes".  Whatever our struggles are, physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, the Lord is ready waiting to lift us and carry us to His side so that we can be with Him for eternity after this live is over and done. Even when you have troubles, remember that the Lord has not forsaken you! I know that He lives. I know that He is real. I know that He has helped me and carried me in the past and that He will continue to do so in the future. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sometimes the Lord gives us mountains to climb,

but He will be there with us.

Having Compassion

Christ is often said to have felt compassion. Compassion and love are two of Christ's greatest qualities. In this video of His sermon on the mount, He focuses on how we can be more compassionate to those around us in keeping His higher law.

He teaches us to focus our lives on things that are of a better world than the one in which we all live. I know that as Christ has compassion, we must also have compassion, or love, to be His followers.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

(John 13:35)

We must be as Christ commands and build our foundation upon Him and His gospel so that we will not fall when the wind and the rains of life come. I know that as we love His children as He would and remember that everyone we see is our brother or our sister we will be able to show them the love and compassion that He would. Will you have compassion on those around you? I promise you that if you will, you will find the love of God poured into your life. He not only commands us to love, but He will share with us His love so that we can love others as He does. 

Have a blessed day! Thank you for reading!

"who went about doing good"

The Example to Follow: The Savior

The Savior was one "who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38). Christ was our perfect example in all things, but today I'd like to focus in on how He went about doing good. 

This video is an amazing example of showing our faith by the works that we do. It is in these things that we draw near to our Savior. As we serve as He would we are blessed to feel His love for those we are serving. 

"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

(James 2:18)

The people in this video all exercised great faith, while many went on to let their faith bring them to wonderfully good works. How blessed are we when our works echo our faith. These people truly did what Christ would have done if He had been there.

I know that miracles happen, I know that Christ lives and that He is in the details of our lives. I know He loves us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

His Church Restored

There are a lot of important questions and concerns that we all have in this life. I myself have many questions, but I know that there is a wonderful source of answers. Good news everybody, The Heavens are open and revelation does happen. I have a firm testimony of that. I know that God speaks to His servants and each of His children in times of need and in times of want.

After Christ was crucified and the Apostles killed, the spread of unclear and false doctrines spread slowly but surely throughout the Church that Christ had established. With the Apostles gone and the Priesthood Authority that Christ had given them no longer on the earth, the world was stuck in a time of spiritual famine.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

(Amos 8:11-12)

We see that after the passing of the Apostles the "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5) which Christ established descended into that time prophesied. As the world moved on and those trying to follow Christ were persecuted and eventually assimilated with the basic population, the confusion that comes without revelation at the head of the church was answered by a council of men who decided what was and what wasn't true. While these men were undoubtedly intelligent and well meaning, they lacked the first and basic step to receiving inspiration. Asking Questions. And by so doing stopped the population at large from asking questions of Heaven. Once the questions stopped, so did the answers. 

The Lord hears and answers questions. This I know. In 1820 there was a young boy who had questions. He wanted to know what church he should join but kept getting different answers from those surrounding him. He decided to turn to his Bible to find the answers he sought, when he found   

"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."

(James 1:5)

He knelt in a grove of trees near his home and prayed to know what church he should join. When he leaned essentially what I just told you above. God and his Son, came to the young boy and called him to be the instrument through which They would restore Christ's church to the Earth. It would be "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20). I know that since that time, we have had an authorized servant of the Lord leading the Church by inspiration and revelation from God. I know that the Lord lives and that His church is again on the Earth. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here is the story of the Restoration.

Listen to a Living Prophet's Voice!

Can you imagine what it would be like to have been living in the time of Christ? What would it have been like to sit at the feet of the ancient Apostles of the Lamb? I know that Christ's church has been restored to the earth and that He has prophets here again who speak and help us to know what the world needs to do to keep our families safe. The Living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson holds all the keys of the kingdom that Christ gave to Peter.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

(Matthew 16:19)

This is President Monson

Thomas S. Monson will be speaking, along with the living 12 Apostles today and tomorrow. (October 5-6, 2013) and you can hear what they have to say about the world we live in by visiting this link -> Watch General Conference.

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice! 

Commitments to the Lord

In life we are asked to make all kinds of commitments. Whether we are committing to donate, time, money, help, or anything else. If we just think about it we aren't going to go anywhere. That is why it is so important to commit to do the right things instead of just having wishful thinking. As the saying that goes: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". I've been able to see that over and over as I've been striving to serve the Lord. The devil doesn't always try to get us to do bad things, he'll settle for stopping us from doing the right things.

The Lord has commanded us to pray (3 Nephi 18:19), but as the devil is always in opposition to God, "...the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray" (2 Nephi 32:8). The  way he draws us away from our Heavenly Father is not, at first, by large and drastic means. It is merely to stop communication to God. Once we lose communication with God though we are losing our ground spiritually and are slowing edging toward the devil's territory. All because we weren't committed to daily personal communication to our Father in Heaven.

I've seen so many goals get set, by myself and by others that just seem to fall by the wayside. I've come to realize that the reason goals, especially spiritual ones don't seem to be achieved is because of lack of commitment. We had great intentions, but we were able to be swayed from our course by the influences of the adversary.

Goals are great, but if we truly want to be able to be like our Savior it takes commitment and not merely good intentions. I'm found that once we are able to sit back and truly commit ourselves to doing the will of the Lord instead of our own will, that is when we are able to be strengthened and empowered by Him. Often we sit and wait for the miracle before we will exercise our faith, but miracles come after faith. That is how it works. I know that once we commit to the Lord to do something and we truly are committed, He will open up the way so that we can hold to our commitment.


I know Christ lives. I know that He has power to help us overcome any obstacles that we face if we will truly turn to Him and act in faith. Once we commit to Him and can keep commitments, then we are becoming prepared to make and keep covenants with Him. Covenants are the way of promising the Lord and receiving a promise in return. Commit to the Lord to pray daily and to open the scriptures and you will find strength to commit to much harder things! I know this to be true. In the name of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Watching for Rain

I grew up in the city of Farmington, Utah. I lived most of my life in a desert where we don't get rain very often and whenever we did, it was something to be excited about. Since then, I've traveled to live in Florida to spend two years of my life teaching others about Christ and how His gospel and Priesthood authority were restored to the Earth through a living prophet in the 1820's and 1830's (Learn about The Restoration here). While here I've realized that rain is not such a special thing to people who get soaked with it almost everyday. I've since learned that you have to be prepared for the rain in a moments notice because there are days you literally only have seconds to get ready because you can see a wall of rain getting closer and closer. I've learned that early and preemptive preparations are the key to staying dry and comfortable no matter the weather. So it is with our life.

The Storms of Life

Life is good at taking all of us by surprise. I know it hits me upside the head all the time. So we have to find a way to be ready for whatever life my throw at us. When Christ was on the Earth He was able to say to the raging sea "Peace, be still" and the storm ceased (Mark 4:39). I don't know about you, but I have never been able to tell a storm to quiet down and have it listen to my opinion. Christ is the one who created this world and He is the one who has power over it. As we turn to Christ and His teachings and put Him first. Then we shall have all the protection that we need.

"But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;"

(Alma 13:28)

The key to having protection from the storms of life and the sins and temptations that the devil continually is trying to throw at us to slow us down is humility. When we are truly humble we are willing to submit to anything that the Lord feels is necessary for us to learn to become like Him. He shows us our weaknesses so that we can know that it is only through Christ that we are able to do anything good in this life.

"Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."

(Jacob 4:7)

So remember that next time the storms of life approach and it seems that you only have seconds to get ready, if you've been striving to follow your Savior, things will work out for your good. I know that as we follow His directions life goes on and we can have peace in us no matter the storms of our surroundings. We can be comforted in knowing that the Lord is watching over us and is never far away. I know He loves you. I know He loves me. Let us all love one another and draw nearer to our Savior. In His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

"For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

(Luke 12:30-32)

  

The Power of God.

My Testimony:

I know that God has power. I know that when we look to Him and follow His Son we are strengthened to do things beyond our normal capacities. He has pulled me through hard times, and carried me to the peaks of my good times. All the while His power supporting me in my righteous desires and actions. Christ has said:

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." 

(Ether 12:27)

I know that God will show unto me my weaknesses at a pace and at a time that I can be taught to overcome them. He wants for me to become more like His son so that I will be ready when my time comes to return to Him. 

My Story

 When I was a young boy, my left hand became covered with warts. Somewhere around 30 or them. That left my little hand ugly, painful, and embarrassing. Thanks to the restoration of God's power to the earth, The Priesthood, I was given a blessing by the laying on of hands by my Grandfather. While his hands were upon my head he pronounced that I would be healed and within a miraculously short period of time my hand was clean again. It makes me think of the time when Christ was approached by a leper who said "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean" (Mark 1:40).

"And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."

(Mark 1:41)

My faith as a child was enough to produce miracles. My faith now is my driving force to keep me spreading the Lord's word among His children. It is what provides me with strength and gives me the desire to carry on and endure in the Lord's service. 

We all have burdens, and whether small or great they can be lifted off of our shoulders as we come to Christ. 

"For [His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light" 

(Matthew 11:30) 

Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Love: Part Two

The Truth About His Love

Our Father in Heaven is always waiting and wanting to show us just how much He loves us. He does so in many ways. Whether it be the tender mercies we receive at His hand day by day, or the miracles he sends as we have faith in our Savior. Even when times may seem hard and the world may be after us, we can always have hope in the Lord. "...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" (1 Nephi 1:20).

Our Savior's Example:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" 

(John 15:13)

"If ye love me, keep my commandments"

(John 14:15) 

As always, Jesus Christ has provided a perfect example of love. He laid down his life, He forgives us of sins, He cheers us on as we strive to keep His commandments. People sometimes ask why in the world He would do what he did for us. The answer really is simple. HE LOVES US! We never need to despair and think that God doesn't want to be our friend anymore. Sometimes he allows us to wade through affliction and struggle with things, but how else could we ever learn? This is one of my favorite descriptions of what Christ does for each of us. 

"11 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.  

12 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)

He understands us. He felt what we feel. His love and his mercy are all encompassing.  "It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines" (It Is Never Too Late, Jeffrey R. Holland).

  

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

(Romans 8:35-39)

I am a witness to this kind of love. He loves each of us. I am so grateful for the love and forgiveness He has extended to me. I love Him. He loves you. His love is real and this is His truth, that He will always love you. He wishes for you to follow Him. He will always lead you to do what is right if you will but listen. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

What is Love?

Love: Part One

Love is Forgiving,

Love is Divine,

Love is Redeeming,

Love is The Vine.

God is Love.

We Have a Father who Loves us.

The greatest love we feel comes from no earthly source. We are all loved by the most powerful being in the Universe. How amazing is that? Because of our Heavenly Father we live, breathe, love, and enjoy our existence here on earth. "It is significant that of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to Deity, He has asked us to address Him as Father" (Father, Consider Your Ways). God is our Father. He loves us more than we can comprehend. As we go through this life away from Him we are given glimpses and insights into how much He really does love us by the attention He pays to our personal needs. 

Prayer in a Rainstorm:

When I was a little boy living in Northern Utah, we had one day a large thunderstorm roll through. Living in a desert, as Utah is, storms are not too common. So all the rain was an exciting and at the time, scary adventure. In many Utah homes you have what are called window wells, which are holes dug down into the ground so that you can have natural light in your basements. Usually these window wells are lined with corrugated metal or plastic and if they don't have a proper drainage system they can get filled with water during big storms. This happened to be the predicament in which one of our neighbors had found themselves. Water had started leaking into their basement and so my dad went out to help them. I remember standing on the landing in our garage looking out at the driving rain and being worried about my dad out in the rain. He really wasn't in any danger, but my young mind was worried. With my earthly father out in the storm and me needing comfort, I turned to my Father in Heaven. With the faith of a child a prayer was said and down from the heavens came the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, a gift from my Father to reassure and calm my worried heart. I remember the warmth and peace that only come from on High. I remember feeling that all was going to be okay and that I didn't have to be worried about a thing.

I was a little child worried about something rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but my Heavenly Father, the one who holds all the cosmos in balance reached out to tell me that everything would be okay. Ever since then I have looked and found, sometimes in hindsight, the evidence of His love in my life. I know that He lives and loves us. How grateful I am for that. I know that as we seek the Lord, He will show himself unto us in our daily lives. I am grateful for the opportunity to know Him. I testify that He is always there waiting for us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" 

(John 16:33).

Serving others. Serving God.

Have you ever had the thought to do something nice for someone? Have you ever followed through on that thought? What did you do? How did you feel? These are a few of the questions I'd like to discuss. Service. It is one of the most basic elements in the gospel. All of what Jesus Christ did was service. He provided a way for us to repent and, through "relying wholly on the merits of Him who is mighty to save", obtain Eternal Life (2 Nephi 31:19).  I have come to know that it is by serving our Savior that happiness comes into our lives and that it is by living His way that draws us unto Him.

An Example: Jesus Christ

Throughout Christ's mortal ministry on the Earth He performed many acts of service. Today we call most of those things miracles, but service they were. Healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead are all wonderful and miraculous examples of our Savior's service for those he was around. We have the mandate from his prophets to "mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:9). Why is that important? Because that is what He would do if he were in your place.

Something to Learn

"...I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17). From this scripture we see that whenever we take the time and serve someone in some way, it is as if we were doing that service to our Savior. He has said: "...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). He also warns us that if we ignore our duty to serve others, we are ignoring our duty to serve Him.

Personal Thoughts:

Throughout my life I've had many opportunities to share of my talents and abilities, some of those chances I took, others I let pass by, but every time I have thought of others over my own wants or needs I wind up better for it. This past week the opportunity to serve has been ever present. I know that the reason that I feel so good after serving is because the Spirit of the Lord is witnessing to me that what I am doing is right and what the Savior would have me do. He would have me help my neighbor, as he taught in the parable of The Good Samaritan (See Luke 10:30-37). I know that serving others is helping our Father in Heaven to accomplish the work he wishes to do among His children here on earth. I know that as I serve I feel a closeness to my Savior. Please give of yourselves so that God can fill you with his love! I know this to be the restored church of Jesus Christ. It is through His gospel I gain my happiest moments. I love my Savior, I look forward to serving Him in my new area in Jacksonville, this is His work. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day!