The Spirit is My Best Friend, Is He Yours?

     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. 

I Want to Scream to the World... GOD LOVES YOU!!!!

Hello everyone! Life has been super crazy! It really feels great to be blogging again. I hope that everything is going well in all of your lives that you are depending on your Savior Jesus Christ to lift you up through all of your trials. 

Just yesterday, I got my feet wet again in spreading the gospel. I first went out with the sister missionaries to a less-actives and I am continuing to strengthen my testimony in just loving others for who they are, our brothers and sister in Christ. We started the lesson with a prayer and I immediately felt the Spirit. The missionaries out in the world today are the strongest that the world has seen. They work their butts off and it makes me want to be like them and spread the word to all that are open to this great message of peace, love, and joy. The sisters taught with power and with the Spirit. If any of you ever get an opportunity to go out with missionaries, DO NOT HESITATE. My testimony has had some its greatest uplifts when I was with these representatives of Jesus Christ. I left the lesson with joy that fills you from head to toe! I also went out with the elders in my ward just two hours later (Great idea to put them close together. You're on a spiritual high the rest of the night). 

I arrived at the church a little early and waited for the elders to arrive. We arrived at the appointment a little late but that didn't matter. We met with a women who I will call Emily. She welcomed us in and had many questions about the Book of Mormon. We started with a prayer, once again bringing in the Spirit and it just felt good in that room. She began to tell us her confusion between the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon because they did not match up with the verses in Isaiah. It was so great to help answer her questions. We began reading in 2 Nephi 8 and she would read aloud the verses and pause. She would then say something along the lines of "That is very powerful. Look at that!" Before, I never paid much attention to the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon because the stereotype is that they are hard to get through and so when I read the Book of Mormon I read it, but didn't give it the full pondering that these scriptures needed. It was so great to be able to learn from her, a less active, about the importance and sacredness of the scriptures. 

She also expressed concern because she had talked to her old pastor recently who was saying that Mormons were going to hell and would be damned. And she thought to herself, no! She knew that he was wrong because the Book of Mormon is just like the Bible. It is full of love, joy, and peace. It is a happy message. It was so cool to see her have spiritual experiences right before our eyes. At one point, she was so excited and full of the Spirit that she said she wanted to go to church and tell everyone, "GOD LOVES YOU!!!!!!" I just started laughing because she is just amazing! A couple months ago, other elders that have been transferred now, stopped by Emily's place and she did not answer the door. Seeing where she has come from really is great to know that God has a plan. He has a timetable of when things are supposed to happen and there are no coincidences. Okay back to the lesson. She was reading the chapter and realized that the things she was reading was exactly what she had experienced over the couple weeks that the elders couldn't meet with her. She is so great and I know that Emily will continue to progress. I love seeing people change. I think it is so great how the Lord does His work. We all have a mission to help someone in some way and only we can do that. The investigator told all three of us that if the two elders had not come knocking on the door that day, she wouldn't be where she is today. 

I know that we can have these experiences, whether they be simple or humongous, like the one I was lucky enough to witness, that it will impact others for good.  You can do anything through Christ. So, what's holding you back? There are enough bullies, enough tragedies, and enough bad news. Let us spread the good news! GOD LOVES YOU. :) And he knows you! He wants you to return to live with Him for eternity! I cannot think of a greater blessing. Knowing that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and wants me to be righteous. I can talk to Him whenever I need to and He has provided me with the best tools possible to return home. I love this Gospel and the love that is in it. I am grateful for the missionaries that go out of their way to help other families and people, find their way back on the path to our Heavenly Father. I know that there is a living prophet on the Earth today that talks with God. I also know if we follow His counsel, we will be happier. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

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