D&C 6:36 - Doubt not, Fear not.

Hey guys! I was in one of the church meetings a little bit ago and one of the speakers quoted this short, but impactful scripture: "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." This scripture is in the form of a commandment. There are three action words in this scripture: look, doubt, and fear. 

1. Look

The context that the Lord is using with the word look can be personalized to you. Whether it be that you always have Him in your thoughts, you look unto Him when you're having bad thoughts, or to ask Him if what you're doing is right. I think for me when I read that at this time in my life, it means to me that I should always have Him in my thoughts. As a result, the two action words will follow. I will not doubt or fear. This first step is key to accessing the comfort that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can bring into your life by making the right decisions. The Holy Ghost, which is always with you once you are baptized, will always lead you to do the right thing. It's always easy to do the wrong thing, but hard to do the right thing. When you know what is right, and you don't listen to the Holy Ghost, you lose that chance to come closer to your Heavenly Father. However, if we have Him always in our thoughts, the Holy Ghost becomes our confirming witness that what we are doing is pleasing the Lord. You will feel peace and comfort when you do so. 

2. Doubt Not

If you doubt what Heavenly Father has led you to do, you will not follow it. I once heard somewhere and I think to be true, that the more you deny the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the less you will receive of them. And even when you have the Lord always in your thoughts, Satan isn't going to just let this happen. He is working harder than ever to pull us off the path towards our Heavenly Father, revealing another, fun and better looking path, but that which only brings instant happiness. Like in the New Testament, Peter began to doubt, and as soon as he doubted, he began to sink. If you don't want to sink, continue to fix your eye on the Lord. When you have an eternal mindset, Satan cannot get to you. When you know who you are and whose you are it's like you have a bubble of protectino around you. It's harder for Satan to tempt you. A word that I would add to the scripture, is to actively look, because when you actively look, doubting is much harder. We can't go through the motions anymore. If we want to be truly happy, we need to pick a side. The side where we do not doubt. The side where we do not fear because we know what the outcome is going to be. 

3. Fear Not

Dictionary.com defines fear as: "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger or evil." When we fear, we sink. Satan is trying to lead us to fear. HINT: Never fear. He is always with you! :) It is really important to build up your faith over time because then when you get to these situations, you will fear not. Steps to building your faith? Reading scriptures, Attending your church meetings, fulfilling church callings, etc. Your testimony in most cases grows through everyday dilligence. There are huge testimony boosters which always help, but if we are not doing these daily things our testimony will falter when we forget how great that experience was. Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. 

This song really helps explain the core message. Hope you enjoy! Wish I could sing like this...

I know that this Church is true. That our Heavenly Father is and will always be there for us. It is up to us, to not let Him down. You decide. I decide. Let us decide to choose the right, to be a light unto the world. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

"Stay on the Lord's side, and you will win EVERY time"

Last night I started my job at East Coast Custard, which is a scary thing for me. There is a lot to learn, and when the rush comes in I feel helpless. One of their busiest days are Sundays, and in the interview, I told her I had church and that I didn't work on Sundays. She said that that could be a problem. But regardless, I got the job! So I hope that means that they will never assign me to work on Sundays. However, I know that when and if the time comes, that I need to stand up for my beliefs. And stay on the Lord's side. I know that I will be blessed if I put Him as a priority. Even if I get fired, I know that I will find a place that will be better for me to work at. Where I am meant to. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. Even if I might not agree with it. He knows what we need. Now getting back to the topic that is up above, we have our agency. I could choose to work on Sundays, knowing that it isn't right, but that would mean that I am choosing Satan. Or, having the knowledge of the blessings that come from not working on Sundays, I choose to not do that. One of the leaders in the Mormon Church said this, "There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear." (Jeffrey R. Holland). 

Knowing that, why would I question if I should work on Sundays? Why should I put myself in situations where I will be tempted. I know who is going to win. We all know who is going to win. Why fight against the obvious outcome. It's like rooting for the San Antonio Spurs to win the Finals, when they already lost. 2 months ago. Use an analogy that works for you, but essentially the point is, Heavenly Father has won. Satan has lost. The whistle was blown a long time ago. The clock has already hit zero. 

In today's day and age, it is still tough to make these right decisions because Satan's followers are trying to pull you down. They are exercising all of their strength to convince you that having one drink is okay. They say to you that swearing is okay, you don't have to fight it, EVERYONE IS DOING IT. So why fight it? And what is your answer to all of these temptations. You guys already lost. I'm going to be who my Heavenly Father wants me to be. I'm going to rely on Him, knowing that I will fail, but I will get back up. Again and again. I will NEVER give up. 

Another leader in our Church once encouraged, "Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do." When you start to live the Gospel, you're happy. When you live it, you love it! And you want to continue living it every day. As a result, you're protected. You're safe. You receive strength. You know who you are. You know you're divine potential. You will be the Standard of Righteousness. Brothers and Sisters, it is much easier to live the Gospel 100%, than it is 99%. I would like to end this short post with a warning from the President of our Church. Our Prophet on the Earth today, Thomas S. Monson.

"We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender what we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God."

I know that this Church is true and that if we heed to the words of our Prophet and other leaders on the Earth today that we will be protected and guided by the Holy Ghost in what we should do. I know that I am a son of God and that I, along with you, can and will be blessed if we continue on the path back to our Heavenly Father. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Additional References: Helaman 5:12, 2 Nephi 2:27, 1 Cor. 10:13, 3 Nephi 18:15, 18 

Build on the Rock of Our Redeemer. (Henry B. Eyring) 

Want to know more about our beliefs? Want a Book of Mormon? Want to talk to the missionaries? Visit this website! www.mormon.org

Recently....

Recently I have gone out with the missionaries in our area. As I was driving over to meet them, it was late at night (24 hour split). I was trying to apply things in my everyday life to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was elated to find one! This picture below doesn't quite suffice but when I was driving on a 4 lane road, there is a double yellow line in between and white markers on the side that you're driving on and on the other side of the road, the markers are red. They are there to warn us. Because if we drive on that side of the road, we are most definitely going to crash into another car. It reminded me of Holland's "Stay Within the Lines" video that we have all seen maybe 10 times. But it's so true, even if you cross over that double yellow line just a little, there is still a danger of a wreck. This analogy also reminds me of the driver that could drive within 6 inches of the edge, the driver who said he could drive within 2 inches of the edge, and one that said he would stay as far away from the edge as possible. Which driver are you? I strongly suggest that if you are that 2 inches driver, you change your priorities. When we are doing what our Heavenly Father asks of us, serving the needy and the poor, studying the word of God with purpose and when we love others with all of our might, mind and strength, we will be driving as far away from that cliff as we possibly can. We will be in the furthest right lane of that road. Not even letting temptation get to us. Laughing at Satan's tricks and moving on. We will know what is a temptation from the devil and we will know when we receive a prompting from the Holy Ghost, and we will follow it. 

While I was out on my 24 hour split, I studied with them and we prayed a lot. It was so great to realize how much they rely on the Spirit and love the work that they do. The thing that was disappointing but eye opening to me at the same time was that we spent probably 4 or 5 hours trying to find people. They know that it is not the best way to find people but they didn't have any other appointments. Three words. MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK. We got about 3 potentials that day, which was pretty good, but if we had three member potentials, that would've been fantastic! Because if the members are involved in the missionary work and are friends of the investigators, it helps immensely. We can help our friends come to the knowledge of the Gospel. There are people out there waiting for us. All we need to do is to look and be open. I know that God lives and loves us individually. He is hastening His work. What are we doing to help in the effort? I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, I know that the Bible is true and with these two books together, we can come closer to God. I know that there is a living prophet on the Earth today who talks with our Heavenly Father and he cares for us also. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

The Purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood.... Let us be men.

The purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood include:

1. Become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and live by its teachings.    

2. Serve faithfully in priesthood callings and fulfill the responsibilities of priesthood offices    

3. Give meaningful service.

4. Prepare and live worthily to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and temple ordinances.

5. Prepare to serve an honorable full-time mission.

6. Obtain as much education as possible.

7. Prepare to become a worthy husband and father.

8. Give proper respect to women, girls, and children.

Become Converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live its teachings and Serve faithfully in priesthood callings and fulfill the responsibilities of priesthood offices. That's a mouthful. When we are converted to anything, we LIVE it. We breathe it. We know it to be true. When we are converted to the Gospel, We live the commandments. We make it known what we believe. We WANT to tell others about it. Conversion leads to action. Action leads to Conversion. In the long run. When we are converted, like I said, that leads to action. Serve is an action word. When we are converted, we WILL serve faithfully in whatever church calling we have, whether it be in Primary (teaching kids ages 3-12), or whether you are in the Stake Presidency. And when we serve in our callings righteously and diligently, we will GET BLESSINGS. And who wants to deny that? In the book of Luke it reads: "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Now I just have one question, ARE YOU CONVERTED?

Give meaningful service and Prepare and live worthily to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and temple ordinances. So we are not only supposed to serve in our church callings, but serve everyone! It makes me think about a part from the For the Strength of Youth book, "Service to others is an important characteristic of a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is willing to bear other people’s burdens and to comfort those who need comfort. Often Heavenly Father will meet the needs of others through you." Heavenly Father will meet the needs of others through you. Always be looking for opportunities to serve. And don't hesitate when you see them. take those chances. You could make someone's day. And if we all made each other's day for a week, that'd be a great week. And if we do that 52 times in a row, we're spreading the light of Christ to the world. Pay it Forward, in a way. Preparing every day in order to be worthy to enter into the temple and receive the Melchizedek Priesthood requires a realization first off of what you are preparing for. These are sacred covenants you are making with your Heavenly Father. Don't take them lightly. Therefore, we must prepare everyday doing the little things; because it is through those things that we forge our strong testimonies and build up our faith. We do not  become as Moroni by not doing the simple things. We cannot have the trust or courage that Nephi had from eating Wheaties. COME ON GUYS. WAKE UP. Are you reading your scriptures? Are you praying to your Heavenly Father? Do you stay for all church meetings? Do you participate weekly in these meetings? If you said no to any of these questions, there is still time! Start today! And if you answered yes to all of these, what is it that you should be doing that you aren't doing? What is having a bad influence on your life and should exit from your daily activities and routines? PREPARE NOW. 

Prepare to Serve an Honorable Full-Time Mission and Obtain as much Education as possible. Preparing to serve an honorable full time mission goes back to the same EXACT questions that I asked before. It is in those daily studies that we gain a greater testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sure, there are huge boosts to your testimony, and I have seen that myself, but don't joke around in Church young men. There are actually teachers who know what they are talking about. They have taken time out of their busy lives to plan a lesson for you. And hopefully will affect your life. A great help to preparing for your mission is to be a missionary. Read and Study Preach My Gospel. Ask the missionaries when you can go out with them to appointments. They can help prepare you for your mission. Obtain as much education as possible. The whole purpose on this Earth is to learn. Gain knowledge, learn from our own mistakes, learn from others. So, learning as much as we can on this life is key. Understanding our worth as a son/daughter of God. Seeing ourselves as our Heavenly Father sees us, which is what we will become, not who we are at the moment. Don't be shy. Always ask questions. We are all gaining knowledge on this Earth. Why tear down someone who is trying to learn more about themselves and the world around them? In 1993 a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Richard G. Scott) stated: "We should make daily study of the scriptures a lifetime pursuit. … The most important [thing] you can do … is to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. … Learn the doctrine. Master the principles. …You must … see that … searching the scriptures is not a burden laid upon [us] by the Lord, but a marvelous blessing and opportunity." Are you learning something new every day? More importantly, Are you learning something new about yourself, your divine potential, or about your Heavenly Father every day?

Prepare to Become a Worthy Husband and Father and Give Proper Respect to Women, Girls, and Children. In your preparations to become a husband and a father, it is always good to think about what you want your spouse to be like. Then be that person that you want to marry. If you do this, you can't go wrong. You will be learning everyday, you'll have a goal to serve a mission, and you will serve faithfully in your callings. I love how all of these purposes all rub off of each other. One purpose leads us to something else that will help us doing another purpose. Giving respect is key. Especially when it comes to the daughters of God and the next generation. We must treat them with kindness, we must serve them, we must help them in any way that they need it. We need to teach and prepare the next generation so that they will continue on the strait and narrow path. But you cannot teach someone or be an example to another person unless you have learned that principle or doing the things that you say you should be doing. It's that simple.  Gordon B. Hinckley explained this concept quite well, "The example of our living will carry a greater influence than will all the preaching in which we might indulge. We cannot expect to lift others unless we stand on higher ground ourselves." Let us be examples.

In closing, I just want to bear you my testimony that I know that this Church is true. We have the fulness of the Gospel. The priesthood power that we have on the Earth today are real. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that we have a prophet on the Earth today, leading and guiding us. I love you all and hope that my words may have influenced you through the Holy Ghost to do something. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

P.S. I used a lot of Church related terms that most are not familiar with. Need some help? Just go to the links in the sidebar! Thanks!