He is the Gift!!

 Christmastime is a wonderful season full of family, fun and presents.  But how often are we so carried away with the temporal things of the world that we forget the real meaning of Christmas?   Do we remember the Christ in Christmas?  President Monson has 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."(Ensign, Dec. 1995) This year as we celebrate and remember Christ we can remember that Christ is the greatest gift we will ever be given. 


Discover the Gift, that Heavenly Father gave us all those years ago.  The gift of His son Jesus Christ started in a manger and ended with His Sacrifice for us. Jesus gave us the Gift of his life!! He set the perfect example by the way He lived His life.  He was the gift when at the end of His mortal life he sacrificed and gave his life so each and everyone of us could repent. If we embrace the Savior and follow his example we can and will be able to come back and live with Heavenly Father and Jesus forever.  I believe there is no better way for each of us to celebrate Christmas than to take advantage of the Gift given by our Heavenly Father to each of us. Elder Nelson said  "Christmas is a time of reflection on what we can become because of God’s sacred gift. As we discover the gift, we learn of the immeasurable love of God and our absolute need for a Savior. As we embrace the gift, we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to become more like Him. As we share the gift, we follow in the Master’s footsteps, who invited all to hear His message."(Ensign, Dec. 2014) I invite all of you to take advantage of this Christmastime and reflect on the perfect Gift that was given.  I know God loves each one of and that He wants each one of us to be happy!  That is why He gave us the Savior.  The Savior lives and loves Each one of us!  He can help us through anything and is always there for us!!!! Discover, Embrace and Share the Gift of His Life and Love!!
  

What about Jared?

We all know the brother of Jared.  He is the amazing prophet who led the Jaredites to safety in the Americas and saw the Lord in the process.  What ever happened to his brother Jared. Why do we call him the Brother of Jared.  I mean he was the prophet wouldn't knowing his name be more important than knowing his brothers?  Apparently Moroni didn't think so. This was a fact that I had wondered about for a long time. While I was thinking about this and I decided it was probably because we had something important we needed to learn from the Jared.  So I turned to Ether and decided to see what I could learn from Jared.  I learned so much i wanted to share it so here we go.  Ether 1:34-39

34 And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words.

 35 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded.

 36 Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.

 37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.

 38 And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance.

 39 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord according to that which had been spoken by the mouth of Jared.

In those 6 verses from the Book of Mormon I learned several things that we can do to be better and to have a better attitude about ourselves no matter the position we have in life.    I learned that our faith in Christ can be shown in different ways.  That when we are humble we are strong influences for good on others.  That encouraging words are the right way to go.  Commands don't get us very far.  We each have our own roles in the Eternal plan of our Heavenly Father.  Jared understood that very well.  In all he does he shows support to his brother.  Jared understands that his brother is the leader and he respects that.  The last thing I learned was that even though the scriptures say that the no one had ever had as much faith as the Brother of Jared that he still needed help and motivation; and Jared was able to supply that and help his brother to grow.

I know that we all have our own challenges in life.  But I also know that the stories of the Book of Mormon help anyone solve any challenge.  I encourage each one of you to find a story in the Book of Mormon to read it and then apply it to yourself.  I know no matter your story that it will help.  The Book of Mormon is the most true book on earth.  I see it change lives daily and it changes me.  I love it!!!  

Action Driven Prayer: IT WORKS!!!

     In this post I want to talk about Enos but not the normal things about Enos.  I want to focus on a short little statement snuck into a verse.  I had not ever noticed this amazing one liner until my most recent read through of Enos. The line I want to focus on, and really really loved this most recent time through, is found in verse 12 of Enos it says "And it came to pass that after I had prayed AND labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of they faith."(Emphasis added) AND that one word a word that I'm sure has always been there although its sneaky enough i had not really noticed it before.  That one word AND teaches such an amazing principle about the power of prayer as well as how to get an answer to prayer.  

For Enos he received a remission of his sins.  After that he wanted everyone to experience the same things he had.  He asked for that then he writes verse 12. For Enos it wasn't enough for him to just ask The Lord wanted to know if he really wanted the other people to feel that way.  The Lord wants to see "Real Intent".   It wasn't enough just to ask you have to show. Recently I have really been pondering and thinking about how I could make my personal prayers more meaningful.  I actually prayed about prayer, and then I read Enos and realized that real sincere prayer is not all in the way you are asking. It is also the way you act that matters(Real Intent). (I have always thought that real intent was just an intent to act on the answer but maybe real intent is also a willingness to act so you may receive an answer). Would your parents give you anything you wanted no matter how ridiculous the request. Mine wouldn't. They would say no, because it might be great now but not in the long run (parents are way good at seeing the big picture,something I wish I would have learned sooner,when you don't). So they tell you no or why don't you earn it. Heavenly Father He is the same way. He could give us anything we wanted but just like our earthly parents He sees a much bigger picture and knows when to say no and when to say...if you really want this "Go for it".   That is where action comes in.  We get the blessings by action and that is when we get to grow.  I realized I can ask for something all I want but if I really want to be able to have my prayers answered I need to do a little work. Lemons don't just magically become lemonade it takes a little work.  I think prayer works the same way.  Why is it like that? Why do we have to do anything at all. Because life it is about the learning and growing and we don't learn without experience.  In life who would get the job when 2 people have the same education the person with experience or the person with none? The person with the experience almost always will. We need to be the best we can be. We need to have experience. That can happen only if we act.   Action leads to our growth.  

Prayer is not Passive prayer is action driven.  I know that as we each allow our lives to be driven by action based prayer we will see great blessings and happiness come to us.  I know prayers are answered because of faith and I know that Enos's prayer was answered by that very power. My life changes everyday because I pray. Those I teach change because they receive answers to prayer and decided to act. Prayer is amazing power.  It can get you through the good times and the bad.  Do it everyday and be willing to act.  It will make all the difference in your life I know it.  I've seen it.We can have all our Questions answered if we have faith and if we are willing to do a little work. How grateful I am for that amazing blessing and truth of The Gospel! 

Trust.....

There are times in life when everything just seems so perfect.  Everything is going right.  Life is perfect and then suddenly for some reason its just not as great anymore. Does anyone else have those moments.  Well recently I did.  And really I was just really pitting myself(Not a good idea) Then I remembered a story told originally by Hugh B Brown but retold by Elder Christoffersen in a recent general conference....well more recent than Hugh B Browns'....it goes like this....

"He(Elder Brown) told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:

"How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. ... And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. ... How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener
here."

President Brown replied, "Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn't intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, 'Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.'"

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, "You deserve the appointment, but I cannot
give it to you." What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:

"I got on the train and started back ... with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. ... When I got to my tent, ... I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, 'How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done--that I should
have done--that I haven't done. How could you do this to me?' I was as bitter as gall.

"And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, 'I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.' The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fellon my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness"
"... And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, 'Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.'"
 ("As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten")

Life can be hard. Especially when we are not in charge.  But I know that God knows what he wants us to become.  He will help us there because he knows what is ahead for us and he will help us to get there.  Not always in the ways we imagine though.  Actually usually not at all in the way we imagined.  His way is the better way.  I know that great things happen when we have patience and trust.
 Elder Holland says
“Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead.” Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ,they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

Vitamin Jesus!

When we are.... Sick, Depressed, Stressed, Down, Overwhelmed, Confused, Upset the list can go on and on. What do we do? Well we try all sorts of things home remedies, extra sleep, happy thoughts, trips to Disneyland(at least that's what my family does)... but I think and have come to learn there is one Cure-All: Vitamin Jesus!

Why do we need vitamin Jesus? Well we are lost without it.  We need it to feel happy successful and purposeful. Would we get very far without it? No. We would feel alone and downtrodden.  Completely without purpose in life. In the Book of Mormon we find a reference to why we need vitamin Jesus in our lives Alma 36:13-19

13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I  was

tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled
against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.

14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my
iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my
God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.

15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.

16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even
with the pains of a damned soul.

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I
was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered
also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the
coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the
world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my
heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall
of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of
death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no
more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more!

How do we get Vitamin Jesus?

Alma was nice enough to tell us how he got his. He said "I remembered...the coming of one Jesus Christ..." (17).

That seems so simple but time and time again we don't always get enough.  Are we doing are best? Are we keeping the commandments? Are we praying? Are we reading are scriptures? Are we coming to church? If we are doing OUR best he will make sure we enough.  Vitamin Jesus multiplies inside of you when you try your best.  He makes up the difference because the primary thing in Vitamin Jesus is love because of love He fortifies, He gives immunity, He strengthens, He
Cares!  None of us can do it alone we need Him. I know that I have seen this principle work in my own life I know as I try my hardest The Lord makes up for what I can't do. Let's each try to let Him work a little more in our lives everyday and I know the good will start to flow even more. I love my Savior.  He lives. He loves US and He always will. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Book of Mormon are true. There principles continually change me.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Unsung Heros-Prologe

As I have been reading through the book of mormon this time I have started to notice little characters who don't get to much mention but do so much good.  I've taken to calling them my unsung heros.  I have loved learning about them so much that i decided to well make a series of posts about them.  Probably regularly for the next while.  This is so you all know whats going on all posts will start Unsung hero-then who.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It blesses and changes lives every day.  I encourage everyone to read it daily.  honestly it changes people. I love the Book of Mormon.

If any of you can think of any great unsung hero's let me know because i would love to study about them.  on facebook or just comment.  Let the Book of Mormon change your life. 

Unsung Hero(es)-SERVANTS OF LAMONI...Best MEMBER MISSIONARIES EVER?....

I was reading the 19th Chapter of Alma today and I noticed something today that I had never noticed before.  The servants that Ammon served with at the waters of Sebus shared the gospel and backed up Ammon when the going gets rough(19:33-34).  In my mind I have always seen Ammon as a great missionary who converted a whole people by himself when he listened to the spirit. WRONG!  He converted a few but how did a few become the who people... he had great support, member support to be precise.... Ah ha  it wasn't just him, he wasn't alone.  Those whom served with and loved also shared the gospel with those they knew.  Ammon tried to teach them and so did King Lamoni but that wasn't enough(vs. 32) When the people saw the Servants of Lamoni, who were normal people just like them, sharing the same message Ammon(Missionary) was, their hearts were softened. We all know what happens when hearts are softened.  It becomes easier for the spirit to touch them! And since they felt the spirit coming from there friends.  What happened....

35 And it came to pass that there were many that did ^abelieve in their words; and as many as did believe were baptized; and they became a righteous people, and they did establish a church among them.

They believed, they acted, were baptized and they became a righteous people!!!!  What a blessing it was for all of them. There whole lives were changed.  Not to mention the 2000 young boys who 40 chapters down the line save the day.... :)

LIKEN ALL SCRIPTURE.....

Well in today's world of technology it is not likely that the missionaries are going to have the opportunity to cut off arms of marauders in order to help those around them gain a testimony.  Not only is that not likely its not necessary anymore; because unlike Ammon who went to a country where there was no believers, with the exception of Abish, the missionaries now go to a places where the are already modern "Servants of Lamoni". The servants helped as soon as they were shown how to act and were invited to.  I invite each and every one of us to try a little harder every day to become more and more like the Servants of Lamoni and to be willing to look for and testify when an opportunity to do so arises.  If we ACT then the blessing that happened in vs. 35 will become a reality in each and every one of our lives. I know that because the Book of Mormon is true and Gods blessings never cease I know if we each act and share the gospel daily we will change our lives and the lives of others.  In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

You are Never Alone in the Work!

Recently as I have reflected back on things i have talked about on Facebook and just in my normal life as a missionary I realized that Member missionary work is one thing I talk a lot about doing but not ever the results from when you do Missionary work as a member, so I decided to change that.  When I decided that I asked one of my friends from back home to share with me a missionary experience.  This is what she replied with...

"The first one is from a loooong time ago. Back when I was in seventh grade, my best friend wasn't a member of the church. She had so many Christlike qualities and was definitely looking for some direction in her life, and so I decided that I wanted to share the gospel with her. The gospel is something that brings me so much joy, and I wanted her to have that in her life too. I started off by bringing her to Young Women's on Sundays, and some youth activities. She seemed to respond well, and eventually I invited her to meet with the missionaries. Her mom didn't want the missionaries over at their house, so she took the first discussion at my house instead. I remember the missionaries bearing their testimonies to her and feeling the spirit so strong, but at the end of the appointment, my friend decided that she wasn't interested in continuing the discussions. This broke my heart. I tried to convince her to change her mind, and did get her to attend a Family Home Evening at my house with her younger siblings and the missionaries, but in the end she still decided she wasn't interested. 

Initially, I took her decision really hard. It was so difficult for me to see someone I loved so much turn away from what I knew to be true. However, I can honestly say that I came away from this experience more firmly rooted in my testimony than I was going in. Sharing my testimony with her reminded me of the knowledge I have of a living God, the infinite atonement, the Book of Mormon, and so many other important truths. Also, when I considered the reasons I wanted her to have the gospel in her life it reminded me of why it is so important to me to keep the gospel in my life. I am so happy to tell you that my friend did eventually accept the gospel and was baptized the year after we graduated high school. Even though she wasn't ready to receive the gospel when we were twelve, I know that the gospel is for everyone and I definitely don't regret sharing it with her."

 

What do we learn from this that when we do member missionary work just like in normal missionary work sometimes we have to plant seeds that will eventually grow into true conversion.  I'm sure it was hard for her to gain the courage to invite her friend, but she did and she grew because of it.  She also eventually saw the fruits of that first reach.  That is a great blessing of member missionary work.  The touch happens at one point in our lives but we might see them convert several years down the road. 

"The other experience I wanted to share with you isn't a typical "missionary experience" but it's pretty recent and it was a huge testimony builder for me. To start off, I should tell you that I really wanted to serve a mission, but every time I took a step towards it, I realized that a mission just wasn't in Heavenly Father's plan for me. A few weeks ago, I was feeling really discouraged about this. It's difficult to have a righteous desire, like serving a mission, and be told no. Instead, I prayed and asked my Heavenly Father if He would send me a missionary experience, since He didn't want me to be a full-time missionary right now. Finding non-members is a little difficult for me, since I come from a predominately Mormon community and attend BYU, so I actually didn't realize that I was getting my missionary experience until after it was over. 

One night, I was in the apartment of a co-worker and good friend. We were having a normal conversation, when I felt a strong impression to share with her a faith-building experience I had earlier that week. This experience was very dear to my heart, and it was really difficult to open myself up like that, but I did muster up the courage to share it with her. This sparked a very deep and personal conversation centered on the atonement of Christ and power of prayer. I was able to share my testimony with her and to firmly state what I know to be true. Even though it had been a spiritual conversation and definitely built my testimony, I hadn't realized it was a missionary experience until I was reflecting on it later. My co-worker is a convert to the church, and the only active member in her family. She has only been a member for three years, and still struggles sometimes understanding doctrine and is often more comfortable with the Catholic practices she grew up with. For these reasons, she doesn't always feel like she belongs in Utah and at BYU. While reflecting on our conversation, I realized that missionary work isn't always about introducing the gospel to non-members. Missionary work is really just about loving those around us and helping God's children become closer to Him, whether they have been baptized or not."

 

 What can we learn from this.  That missionary experience are in large part small things. 1 Nephi 16:29 "...And thus we see that by small means the Lord brings to pass great things."  We never know when we are going to touch someone or when we will have the opportunity to spread the gospel but we need to take the chance and do it,  because if we don't who will.  The gospel and good news we have won't spread on its own.  It requires work...effort...study...prayer...love...diligence...and patience form full time missionaries and members alike.  We can't do it with out YOU!!!!!!!!

 

Planting Gospel Seeds of Spirituality 

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1972/10/planting-gospel-seeds-of-spirituality?lang=eng&query=plant+seeds+of+conversion

Elder Haight gave an amazing talk on missionary work in 1972  I encourage you all to read it i really enjoyed it and I know you will too.

I know that as we each do our part and strive to be the best we can be we will be blessed.  I know the Lord loves each and everyone of His children and he wants each of us to come closer to Him.