Life really does seem to get in the way with these blog posts. If I could post with thoughts and post through my mind then I'd be posting almost everyday with how Heavenly Father blessed me that day. People need to get on that. Well I hope everyone that reads this is doing well and that you are all strengthening your testimonies as I am mine. It grows every day. And Satan cannot stop that. He thinks he can. But we were reserved for this time because the Lord trusted us. We proved ourselves capable of living down here today and we can definitely do it.
Tonight I was able to go to an appointment with the missionaries. They wanted me to arrive a little early and I did not know I was arriving early until I got there and they just sat and talked to me and what they said was inspired and exactly what I needed to here. Our lesson we had with our friend was fantastic! She has come so far! Going out with the missionaries you are not only attempting to convert those they are meeting with but your testimony is strengthened as well. Tonight the Spirit was there and told me what I needed to hear. It was so simple of an experience but I love that so much. It was not complicated. It meant so much to me. That is how I know this Church is true.
The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith and he was a prophet. Thomas S. Monson is our prophet on the Earth today. I know that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us. Every day I need his help. He has a specific plan for me and I am a witness to that and to imagine that He knows everyone else just as well as He knows me is breathtaking and so great. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints brings happiness and joy into my life that is everlasting. I know that I will be with my family forever and my friends. I know that Jesus Christ will come again. And I long for that day. I know that Jesus Christ took upon every one of our sins and that we can be cleansed if we come unto Him. I assure you all that there is an easier way out there. There is a way out of anything that you are struggling with whether it be spiritually, physically, emotionally, or mentally; it is through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
"How Great Thou Art"
I love Christ's Church. I love the order it brings into my life. Without it, I would be lost and totally confused, and I would not even know it. I say these things in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
This morning I was studying my scriptures and I had the thought of working on my Duty to God a little bit. I love the new format! It really does prepare the young men for our missions. Anyways, I was studying about the sacrament prayer and it came to my mind that this would be a good blog post to do! I feel like sometimes some members of the Church (and even me), take this sacred ordinance for granted. We get to receive a cleansing of our sins every week! That's so awesome! I'm so grateful for that. We start off our week with a new start. I love it. So to understand what really happens I thought I would include the sacrament prayers and discuss them a little.
Doctrine and Covenants 20:77,79:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it; that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen."
So, these prayers are really powerful if you study them closely. When we partake of the bread and drink of the water, we promise to always remember Him, keep His commandments, and take His name upon us. In return, if we do this, we will always have His spirit to be with us! Isn't that sweet!?! And we are not perfect, so as long as we are willing and striving to do these things, we will have the Holy Ghost with us.
In today's world there are so many distractions and it can be hard to always remember Jesus Christ. Luckily, the Church has numerous resources and helpful reminders! I ordered my own CTR ring (Choose the Right), and it always helps me remember who I am representing and who I am indebted to for giving me the opportunity to live with God again. Jesus Christ paved the way for you and I, and without Him, there would be no way to return. I am eternally grateful that Heavenly Father was willing to give up His Only Begotten Son. For ME! :) Another resource is seminary for youth. It's so awesome waking up every morning and hearing a message about the Gospel. My day is different without it. Those who aren't in seminary? Set aside a time each day to study your scriptures. Whether it's for 5 minutes or 20, that time spent will give you the power and the strength to get through your day.
One of my favorite ways to receive strength and one that I lean on the most is through prayer. The Bible Dictionary gives great insight on prayer: "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God, then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them."
And when we use these many things that God has given us to get through our hard weeks, we will still fall short. We will still sin. But, we need not be ashamed. Because last that I heard, our Church isn't for perfect people. We are all imperfect. We strengthen each other as we work our way back home. Dieter F. Uchtdorf says it much better than I can: "Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely. ... He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.”
I know that we can receive strength through the sacrament prayer. If we are just willing to do those three things, we will be blessed with the Spirit. And with the Spirit, nothing can stop us. I know that Christ is my Redeemer. Without Him I would be lost forever. I'm so grateful for how much Heavenly Father loves me, though I have imperfections. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
It's funny how often I need this reminder. With the busyness of life and everything that goes on around all of us, it's easy to feel lost and confused. You wonder if it'll ever get easier. And I'll tell you now, it doesn't. It does become more manageable when you recognize that you have a loving Heavenly Father. He, the Most Supreme Being in the universe, wants the best for YOU. He knows your name, and knows more about you than you do. He wants us to return to Him so that we can become like Him! He has sent us so many helpers along the way back too!
1. He Loves You - He gave His Only Begotten Son
This
scripture is seen during big sporting events, but think of the true meaning of
it. Imagine that you are God, that you gave your only son up.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosever believeth in him should not perish, but shall have everlasting life.”
He
did it for you. He gave up His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we all have the
opportunity and choice to follow God. Without Christ, we would be forever cut
off from His presence. Christ was perfect and an example that we strive to
follow. We can pray to our Heavenly Father for the Chirstlike attributes of
love, patience, humility, and forgiveness. We can become disciples of Christ
and truly be an example of the believers (1 Timothy 4:12).
2. He Loves You - He gave us the Holy Ghost
We are also blessed with the third member of the Godhead, TWENTY FOUR SEVEN. That's pretty monumental when you realize what it really means. The Holy Ghost is awesome. He is always there if we are making the right decisions. He's the best friend that never leaves, the coach that pushes you to do your best, and your parental unit that makes you feel guilty when you know you shouldn't be doing something. It's pretty cool! He's our tour guide. We've been dropped in from a plane into Afghanistan and He knows how to safely get out of the battleground. That way is the Gospel. That way is Christ. Don't take for granted one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. If we recognize that we are being led by the Spirit, we will become more obedient, more loving, and will be filled with more light! In some of my toughest days, the Holy Ghost reminds me to read my scriptures, or ironically, write a blog post. And I feel like I can conquer any temptation after I do these things. It brings me an inner peace that is unmatched.
"And I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall
teach him the truth and the way whither he shall go;" (D&C 79:2)
3. He Loves You - He gave you a Family
Families are so great. My sister makes me laugh on an every day basis. My brothers are serving full-time missions and they couldn't be a greater example. My oldest sister has a 7-month old angel and she is an example to me in how families should be. My other brother (big family) served an honorable full-time mission and is always looking to have a good time. I wouldn't have my family any other way. I think that goes the same for all of us. He is the perfect match-maker! :) I love that families can be together forever and that I will be with mine for eternity. In a booklet for the youth of the church it states:
"Being part of a family is a great blessing. Your
family can provide you with companionship and happiness, help you learn correct
principles in a loving atmosphere, and help you prepare for eternal life." - For the Strength of Youth
I hope that we all go to our family if we are ever feeling down or alone. Ask for a father's blessing or just ask to talk to your parents. I'm 101% sure they will say yes! As you can see, there are so many sources of comfort that our Heavenly Father gave us. I'm not even close to naming them all! He does this because He Loves You.
4. He Loves You - He gave us the Scriptures
"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word,
and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall
have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of
men." (D&C 11:21). He gave us the scriptures so that we can learn more of Him. He gave us the scriptures so that we can learn, understand, gain a sure testimony, and strengthen others through our own knowledge of the divine truths in it. The prophets of old and today are great examples of their love to others and to God. They understood that God loved them and they wanted/want to share that with the whole world! The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection. In 1 Nephi 15:24 we see that: "...whoso would hearken unto and would
hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the
fiery darts of the adversary overpower them to lead them away to destruction."
5. He Loves You - He gave you Friends
I have never met anyone who doesn't need friends. We all need people in our lives to laugh with, someone we can count on, and someone we can use as a shoulder to cry on. Life is hard, and friends ease that burden. In my experiences, friends have either gone through what you have and know what to say, or they just telepathically know what to say, and it kind of shocks you how cool they are. I have realized that as I have been growing up that my friend pool has diminished. My standards haven't. Those that weren't respecting for who I was and what I believe in were distracting me from what I really want for my future. To serve a full-time mission and marry in the temple with my beautiful bride-to-be (whoever that is). Friends are there to help you back up. Let's make the scriptures our friend. Let's make our famlies our close friends. Let's make the Holy Ghost our spirit friend. Let's make Christ our BEST friend.
I know that this Church is true and that God loves YOU. He knows you by name. He knows you and me. We are one in billions but He loves us! Never forget that. And if you need anything, you can ALWAYS pray. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Tonight I will be giving my first ever talk at one of my friend's baptism! :) Hope you enjoy!
What is baptism? Baptism is “the
first saving ordinance of the gospel and is necessary for an individual to
become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to
receive eternal salvation. All who seek eternal life must follow the example of
the Savior by being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.” [Church
definition] (A good scripture: Alma 7:14-15). When we are baptized, we promise God that we will take upon
ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the
end. How do we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus
Christ? We do so by striving to be like Christ in our everyday lives.
From the bible, we learn that Christ is a Counselor, a Friend, and the
Light of the World. In our day-to-day lives, we can be like Christ. A
Counselor, a Friend to all, and a Light to the World. How do we keep his
commandments? We try to be the best people we can be. We try to stay in safe
places where Satan cannot tempt us. We can serve Him by serving others. In
Matthew 25:40 it reads: “Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me.” No one on this Earth is perfect. But as long as we try, we are
blessed. We get the opportunity to be cleansed and renew our baptismal
covenants every week with the sacrament. Every time we take the sacrament, we
have a clean slate. It’s like being baptized all over again! And we can take it
every week!
And when we are
baptized, we must press forward. In 2 Nephi 31, it explains it much better than
I do. “And now, my beloved brethren,
after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path I would ask if all is
done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were
by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the
merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness
in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all
men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ,
and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” I know that this Gospel is true. We can live with God again. Families CAN be together forever. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
In the second video, Bednar is discussing discerning the inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and just an everyday thought. He says: "Everything that entices us to do good and to be good comes from the Holy Ghost. So everyday, whenever you feel the need to help someone either by holding the door open or helping them to understand something, both of which you are not obligated to do, is the Holy Ghost. He also informs that God should not have to get our attention in obvious ways. We should always be in a place where we will be able to hear His still small voice. In this ever busy world, we need to put the Kingdom of God first. What helps me personally is asking myself what it is like for other people that don't have the Gospel. They don't know why they are actually here, where they are going after they die, and how they even came to be. But with the Gospel, we know. So let's not take that for granted. We have been chosen to be on this Earth at this time for a reason. One is to spread the gospel to our friends. You would be surprised who is watching you and needing that comfort that the Gospel brings. To get back on topic, Bednar says that "Any person, anywhere in the world can and is influenced by the Holy Ghost. He is our conscience that warns us of things that are not right and what we should do. He can also confirm spiritual truths. Like if we want to know if the Book of Mormon is true. "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest thegtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may aknow the btruth of all things." (Moroni 10:4-5)
I know that if we are in an environment where we can feel the Spirit that the Holy Ghost will never lead us astray. He wants what is best for us. I love this Church with all of my heart. It gives me comfort beyond belief. I cannot wait for this Saturday to hear from our Living Prophet President Thomas S. Monson. I hope that you will heed to his words and to everyone's words this upcoming weekend. They have pondered over their subjects and their messages are truly inspired. And I say that in the name of my Beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
