5 QTs - Standing for Truth, Doing Good, and a little Diligence

Merry Christmas everyone! 2013 is almost over! Seems crazy! A new tradition that our family is starting is one of filling a present with gifts that we will give to Christ in the next year. I love the idea! My best friend's family has done it for years and we're following suit! So what gift will you give to Christ in the following year? 

Since it is the Christmas season I thought I would do a few quick thoughts based off of some scriptures.

1 Nephi 15:24 - "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."

I love this scripture because it helped me through a tough time in my life. I wasn't sure what to do in my life and I was reading the scriptures and happened upon this scripture. I just opened it up and found it within a couple minutes. This experience gives me the knowledge that God does listen to us and answers our prayers. We must turn to Him and let Him guide us to our answer. And I knew that I needed to hearken unto the word of God, and hold fast unto it. Not letting go. 

Galatians 5:1 - "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

This is a great time for this scripture. To remind us that we need not worry, believe in His sacrifice. He took upon all of our sins so that we can become perfect. It is a good reminder to me to tell myself that with Christ, everything is going to be okay. We know that. So don't fear. :) 

D&C 97:8 - "Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me."

Everyone wants to be accepted. This verse stuck out to me because the Lord tells us all what we must do to be accepted of Him! Honesty, Humility, Willingness. There are things that are hard to accomplish in this life, but one thing we can all do is try. We need to be willing to observe our covenants. Willing to keep the commandments which He has given them. That's all we need to do. 

Psalms 37:23 - "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way."

I love the simplicity of Psalms. A good man listens to the promptings of the Spirit. They are a disciple, and they delight in following Him. I'm sure that President Monson experiences delight in following Christ. I hope that I can be trusted with more promptings and follow them. He is a good example of what one man can do. Let us all follow in the steps of a good man. Look for a worthy example in your life to follow. 

D&C 64:33 - "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

These are the last days, and we are laying the foundation for our future children. It is up to us! Continue to be engaged in wholesome uplifting activities. When you are doing good, you will be given strength because you will be doing what your Savior would do. And when you follow Christ, you shouldn't get tired of it. When I went on my HEFY trip over the summer, I loved serving the people down there. I didn't want to leave one bit! Serve others in small ways, because great things can happen because of YOU. 

I know this to be the Church of Jesus Christ. He leads and guides this Church. He is living. He died for you, and because He did, you can live with your family for forever. I love that we have the Atonement to be forgiven and have our sins be remembered no more. I love my Savior. He is my foundation. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

The Power of Everyday Missionaries.

The membership in our church passed 15 million members this past October. What a great achievement. The missionary force has increased significantly. New missions are opening. More temples are being built. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is filling the world. 

With this growth and push for missionary work, missionary work is the "cool thing" to do now. And that's so great! We all can join in this work. Clayton M. Christensen wrote a book titled, "The Power of Everyday Missionaries". I have not read through the entire book yet, but so far it's so inspiring. I recommend that every member of the Church 12 and up to have a copy of this book. It is so awesome! We as members of the Church are the finders and not the missionaries. Knocking on doors just doesn't work anymore for missionary work. I've experienced it myself when I've gone out with the missionaries. A lot of the time you get no answer, or people seem interested but they don't make it very far. When a member introduces oone fo their friends to the Gospel, the conversion rate is far better. This book will help us all to become better missionaries before and after our missions. Elder Christensen explains ways to go beyond our normal daily conversations with friends and involve the Gospel in them in simple ways. He has already shared great experiences that have come up from taking that first step and letting the Spirit guide. May we all listen to his counsel and use it to help us hasten His work. 

“Every time you take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves the person whose hand is in yours.” 

               

                                                                                                    - Clayton Christensen

Involve the Lord in finding who is ready to hear His Gospel. When you include Him, He will direct you to a brother or sister in need of your help. They are out there guys. All we have to do is find them, and show them the blessings from living the way we do. From Elder Ballard's most recent talk in Conference, he reads a letter of a family who took to heart, in hastening the work of the Lord. 

"Dear Elder Ballard, 30 minutes after the worldwide broadcast on hastening the work of salvation, we held our family missionary council. We were thrilled to find that our teenage grandchildren wanted to be included. We’re happy to report that since our council meeting, we have expanded our family teaching pool by 200 percent."

I hope that we all can step up to the plate like this family did. Inviting people is the first step and most often the hardest. Pay attention to what your friends/coworkers may need and then invite them to an activity that will best suit them. 

Pray for missionary opportunities. Pray for service opportunities, because that can open doors you wouldn't think to be imaginable. I love this Church and the opportunity that I will have to serve the Lord and teach the world about Jesus Christ, our Savior. I am preapring every day. Christ's Church has been restored, and it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I say this in the name of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

It is The Last Days...

We're finally getting a good snow in Ohio! :D And it is definitely Christmas time! Make time for Christ. I loved listening to the Christmas Devotional this past weekend. President Thomas S. Monson said, "To catch the real meaning of the Spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the Spirit of Christ." So drop that syllable! :) 

Life is flying by so fast! I feel like just yesterday it was summer. This past month has been so uplifting and it has helped me a lot with all the chaos going on around me and all of us. You can't walk for 10 seconds and you don't hear something inappropriate. We need to keep our eyes focused on our ultimate goal of returning to Christ. Put God first. If you don't put the most important person in your life first, the adversary will have that many more chances to persuade you to sway on the path back to eternal life with our Heavenly Father. 

We need to remember who, what, and how. Who should we follow? Should we follow Our Brother who set the perfect example for us and who made it possible for us to return to heaven to live with our families together for all time and eternity? Or, should we be on cruise control, and follow what we feel like? Wrong. There is no gray area anymore. We must choose. Choose who you will serve. As for me, I'm serving God. Are you going to join? 

What: What are we going to do once we choose? We must become a witness of God at all times, in all things, and in all places. That is what we promised to do when we entered the waters of baptism. That we will keep His commandments. We chose to serve Him. "If you have not put the Kingdom of God first, it will make no difference what you have chosen instead." So what will you do?

How: How will you do this? There are many ways. Whenever you serve others, you are serving God. When you serve, you are filled with the light of Christ. You will choose wisely. So for me, I like to serve others. It keeps me focused because I know that that is what my Savior did for His whole time on this Earth. There are numerous ways. Find the one that helps you the most. 

The key in not getting lost along the way during the last days: TGIF. 

Today    God     Is     First

"The time will come when only those who believe deeply and actively in the family will be able to preserve their family in the midst of the gathering evil around us." (Spencer W. Kimball). If you're wondering, that time HAS COME. Raise your families in righteousness. Make your home a place of refuge for your children. Make it a home of order and of love. I know since I have read this that I will not marry my wife unless she is fully devoted to raising righteous children. I suggest to those of you that have not entered the temple to be sealed yet, to join me! Write down what your standards will be for your spouse and don't compromise. 

I know that we can make it. We were sent on this Earth because we were the strongest. He needed us for this time. Let's show Satan what we got! Make Christ your number one priority, and all else will be easy when you rely on Him. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.