Our Weekly Promise to God

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. 

Feel Lonely? God Loves You.

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.   

New Years Resolutions: RECOMMIT!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a great holiday. But we're back to the hustle and bustle of our lives. What are your New Year's Resolutions? I think for me this year I just want to focus on a couple things. I feel that if we all just have one or two simple, straight-forward goals, then we will be more likely to accomplish them! I want to be more humble and love people more. These traits are hard to master and I know that I will never master them completely. However, if I include Christ and God in my goals, praying to Him to help me do so, I know that mine, and your efforts will be more successful! Whether you choose humility or love, all goals apply. 

"Your success and happiness lies in you, resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties." - Helen Keller  

"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

May we all face this new year with a sense of vigor to do what's right. Forget what happened to last years resolutions and go after the ones this year! With God, nothing is impossible. Continue to be a light to those around you. Help them to become a better person because they knew you. 

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better.
I do believe I have been changed for the better.

Because I knew you
I have been changed...
For good."

Wicked "For Good" 

I know that we can all become better people through Christ. If we keep His commandments and are engaged in good works, we will be blessed for our efforts! I love this Gospel. It brings me so much joy! I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

http://alturl.com/8efpc - "With God Nothing Shall be Impossible"

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. 

The Courage of Abinadi.

Hello everyone! Brothers and sisters! Children of God! :) I have been reading in the Book of Mormon. I am trying to finish it before this new year of Seminary being the Book of Mormon. As I am nearing the midpoint, I have learned so much! I'm getting into Alma pretty soon and that brought me to the story of Abinadi. He is a true hero. Everyone was against him. Yet he had a strong enough faith to not deny his testimony when he was facing death. It makes me question...Do I have enough faith right now, that if I was sentenced to death for blogging about the Church, would I take all of it back? Or, would I be like Abinadi and stand for what is right and true? Ask yourself this question. What is your answer? If no, what can you do to strengthen your faith?

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently gave a talk in General Conference titled, "Lord, I Believe" I strongly encourage those who feel that their faith is lacking, to re watch or read this talk. It is so awesome. He knows what he says is true. I'll pull a few quotes from his talk, that I found interesting. 

"In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited."

"Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes."

"The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."

"I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not!"

My stake president shared something with the missionary academy that I really enjoyed. It was a quote from Richard G. Scott, a talk he gave in 2003. It reads, "Faith will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is used. Character is woven patiently from threads of principle, doctrine, and obedience. In James we read: “The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” ⁶ The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to obediently respond to the direction of the Spirit. Righteous character is what you are becoming. It is more important than what you own, what you have learned, or what goals you have accomplished. It allows you to be trusted. Righteous character provides the foundation of spiritual strength. It enables you in times of trial and testing to make difficult, extremely important decisions correctly even when they seem overpowering. I testify that neither Satan nor any other power can weaken or destroy your growing character. Only you could do that through disobedience. 

No matter what occurs, no matter how topsy-turvy the world becomes, you can always have the sustaining power of faith. That will never change. The perfect love of your Father in Heaven will never change. His gospel plan gives life meaning and can assure your happiness. His plan is not only to prove yourself here on earth but also that you may receive the growth that comes from correct decisions prompted by faith, enabled by your obedience." 

 

I know that if we have a strong faith in Jesus Christ, our trials will become easier through our Redeemer. If we are continuous in strengthening our faith, we will have the strength and courage that Abinadi had.  I know that our trials on this Earth are but a moment compared to the eternal happiness that we will feel when we are with our families and our loving Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.  I know that if we listen to the counsel of our Latter Day Prophet here on the Earth today, we will be blessed and be strengthened. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Great Missionary Opportunity! And for others: Great for Answers!

ATTENTION: 

                            You're invited (EVERYONE) to The Church of Jesus Christ of
                              Latter Day Saints on November 1st, 2012 for an Open House! 

What: The Mormons Next Door.. (title)

Time: 7:00 pm. 

Where: 2930 Townline Rd. Perry, OH 44077

Some questions that will be answered:
- Are Mormons Christians?
- What is the Book of Mormon?
- Can families be together forever?
- Why is Kirtland, Ohio important and what happened there?

If you have any questions please feel free to call:

(440) 228-9181

(440) 796-3764

REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED. (Now you want to come....)


PLEEEEAASEEEE SHARE THIS WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!!!!!!!! Whether it be by status, text, tweet, email etc. We want to get the word out!!!!

Patterns of Light: Discerning Light

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 the^gtruth 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. 

Patterns of Light: Part I

Elder David A Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, talks about patterns of light, and it is separated into three separate videos. Part 1 discusses The Light of Christ. He explains light as radiance. He has some really awesome points about how light and darkness work together (I don't want to ruin it for you! :) ) He says that the Light of Christ is an influence to do good. And everyone is influenced by it. Even if you don't think you are, dude, you are. It comes as a thought to help someone in need, like a service conscience! As he concludes, he warns us of the consequences of disobedience and the blessings that we can have if we listen to His still small voice. There is also a scripture reference from Doctrine and Covenants that I challenge you all to think about. It is D&C 50:24. I love this video so much and I encourage you to study about Christ's life, because as you do, you will learn of Him and as a result, become closer to Him. I am so happy to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is such a blessing! If you have never heard of us, go to mormon.org RIGHT NOW. You will be blessed if you do this and as you continue to live righteously throughout your lives. Let's all have the Light of Christ! And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.



 Patterns of Light: The Light of Christ

The Plan of Happiness! :)

Have you ever wondered, Where we came from? Why we're here? And what the point is to life? Well I have the answer for you! In our church, we believe that we lived in the presence of God before Earth, and that we will return to him one day. In the "premortal life" as we call it, we were all spirits and living with God. Our elder brother, had a plan for us (Jesus Christ). His plan for us was to come here on this Earth, not knowing where we came from, and having agency (the right and power to choose). We would be on Earth to be tested our willingness to follow our Savior. We could choose whatever we wanted. There was not just one plan though. Satan or Lucifer, suggested that we have no agency, that we would follow Christ no matter what. All of Satan's followers were cast out of heaven and sent to outer darkness. Those who chose to follow Christ's plan, came down to Earth to receive a body and continue on our path to come back to Him. That means all of you chose to follow Christ before! Isn't that great?!?!?! LDS.org explains our mortal life very weel so I'll just quote them: "We are now experiencing mortal life. Our spirits are united with our bodies, giving us opportunities to grow and develop in ways that were not possible in premortal life. This part of our existence is a time of learning in which we can prove ourselves, choose to come unto Christ, and prepare to be worthy of eternal life. It is also a time when we can help others find the truth and gain a testimony of the plan of salvation." So after we die, our bodies stay on Earth and our spirits go back to heaven. In Alma 40:11 it states: " Now, concerning the ^astate of the soul between ^bdeath and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are ^ctaken ^dhome to that God who gave them life." This is one of my favorite scriptures of all time. It just gives me so much peace. I LOVE IT. We will at this point remember premortal life! We are either in two places, Paradise, or Spirit Prison. Now it isn't actually a prison, it is where those who have not had the opportunity to hear of the Gospel have the chance to accept it, or those who did not accept it on Earth, have a second chance. Those who followed Christ on Earth, are the teachers. We get to teach others in heaven! After this, we will all be resurrected. Because Christ took upon all the sins of the World through the Atonement we can become like Him. Our bodies will reunite with our spirits and the we will be judged. Our Savior will be judging us. Now our Savior is merciful and we will be judged fairly. We will see all of our wrongdoings, and be placed into 1 of 3 kingdoms: Celestial, Terrestial, and Telestial. Celestial is the one we are aiming for. If we are in this kingdom, we will live in the presence of God forever and ever. I think everyone would want that! In this kingdom, we also can live with our families and friends for time and all eternity! And even the telestial kingdom, the lowest of the three, is greater in glory than the Earth! I cannot even begin to imagine how great that will be and I look forward to it. Our Savior's Plan gives me comfort and I am happier every day having this knowledge. I hope that we all Come unto Him and endure to the end. Through the Atonement, we can be made perfect. I know that that is true. And I love this Gospel so much. And I say that in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

P.S. - Here is the website that explains The Plan of  Happiness much better than I do! http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=45af9daac5d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD