String Fingers

So this morning I picked up some weights in our apartment.  I tried doing some curls and it was a lot easier than it had been in the past!  I was way excited, and kept pumping away.  Suddenly the weights on one end slipped off and crashed to the wood floor... this was at 6:30am... on the second floor.  I suddenly remembered the first time I tried lifting these weights a while back when the same thing had happened!  I wish I had remembered, it had just been so long.

I think there's a lesson to be learned from this.  Learn from our mistakes and never forget what we learned.  That is progress.

•  39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.
• 40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.

Gospel Sauce Packets

I struggle with the little packets of sauce that every fast food restaurant has... It never ends well for me.  Do you ever pull down no those little ceraded ends and get sauce bursting forth upon you?  I do.  Sometimes I just use the already opened packets that my companions have cracked so I don't have to worry.  It's a lot easier that way, but I don't get as much ketchup on my burger.

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ." (Richard G. Scott)

As we search the scriptures we can have light burst forth upon us!  Lets crack them open more often, and not only rely on what others have read from them.  This way we will have more guidance and inspiration for our lives.

On the Edge

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall...

What was he doing there?!

I can only assume that dear old Humpty thought he would have more fun if he could be playing on the wall.  He probably thought so much about all the sites he could see, and fun he could have that he forgot the eternal perspective.  I forget sometimes too.  Sometimes I feel like having ice cream for dinner... and then I do.  Not thinking ahead opens the way for problems.  If only Mr. Dumpty would have thought about how fragile he was, and how putting his shell so far above the ground opened the way for a major spoiling. 

Let's learn from his experience and try to remember what will be important for eternity.  Like our families, friends, neighbors, and especially our Father in Heaven.  Real joy and happiness lies in putting these first.  I'm sure H.D. would agree.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and will save us from our falls.  We just need to stop scrambing up walls.

How Can I Build Faith?

'Did God send a message that was just for me?  Did I see His hand in my life?'

Trying to remember had allowed god to show me what he had done.

I know that as we seek to remember what God has done for us, His children, we will recognize how much he does love each and every one of us.  Would not this increase your faith?

"remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)

Don't Take My Word For It

Reading Rainbow was one of my favorite shows of all time!  Learning about Crayons, fish, dinosaurs, germs, candles and more. 

At the end of every show the guy would say, 'But you don't have to take my word for it.'  And then would direct you to a book or two to study about what we learned.  I loved it!  The same principle applies in the gospel.

The Savior said, 'If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.'  (John 7:17)

And the prophet Alma said, 'Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Now behold, would not this increase your faith?' (Alma 32:28-29)

I know that if we will 'awake and arouse [our] faculties, even to an experiment upon [His] words, and exercise a particle of faith' (Alma 32:27) we will know what the Lord wants us to do.  And our Faith will swell.  Lets read the Book of Mormon and apply what we learn.

Blackbirds Baked in a Pie

You're one of 24 blackbirds who just got baked in a pie... The pie is opened and you see the king so you start singing (because he's a big deal).  The king goes to count his money while the queen's eating bread and honey, so you sneak out the window and peck off the nose of the maid who baked you in that pie! 

Now you've got somebody's nasty nose in your mouth and she's going to the doctor's.  Who is happy now? 

So none of us reading this are Blackbirds, but we have all had times when we've been baked in a pie - in one way or another.  Shafted, dejected, rejected, insulted, and so on. When we get hurt like this we have to make a choice.  Do we hold a grudge, or do we forgive?  I promise in every case, if you forgive, it will be better for everyone, especially you.  I mean, really, who wants someones nasty nose in their mouth?

They send for the king's doctor,

who sewed it on again;

He sewed it on so neatly,

the seam was never seen.

Climbing Over Mountains of Life

Rock Climbing is the best! When you climb a mountain that is longer than your rope it takes two people.  The 1st climber begins climbing, clips into bolts every 5-10 feet, reaches the length of the rope, anchors into the rock face, and belays the 2nd up to him.  They repeat that until they reach the top of the mountain.

The 1st climber really does the hardest and scariest work because they don't have someone who's shown them the route, and if they fall, they fall far since their anchor is below them.  The 2nd climber has it easy because they just have to follow the route the 1st took. The anchors are all above them so they can't fall (so long as they don't skip any anchors) and the rope connects the dots to show the path the 1st took.



Jesus Christ is the first climber.  He overcame the mountains of life and death.  He showed us the path and left behind principles and ordinances that can be anchors in our life.  The first anchor is Faith in him.  We have to believe that he is ready to catch us when we fall.  The second is repentance which includes acting on that faith and following in his way. We will fall, but the key is to let him catch us.  When we choose to skip these anchors we risk a hard fall, but he will still catch us and put us back on the path. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  He is at the top of the mountain rooting us on, and as we follow his example we will be on the safe path through life and will reach the greatest heights!

The Savior said,

• "will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may ^cheal you?" (3 Nephi 9:13)

 "The Greek word of which repentance is the English translation “denotes a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world” (Bible Dictionary, “Repentance,” 760). This means we are to change our thoughts and then behavior until we are turned away from our sins and are aligned with God’s commandments. This change of mind means that we are actually progressing toward what Paul called “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Repentance is thus a continuing process in which each of us needs to draw on the Atonement for real relief, real forgiveness, and real progress." (See Article)

Jesus Christ made it possible for each of us to have real lasting happiness.  The Atonement means everything to me. I know that Jesus is our Savior.

Watch Out For That... Tree

Walking out of the apartment, I.. OUCH!  too sunny.  I quickly decided to shut my eyes.  I didn't want to stop moving toward the parking lot because time is of the essence, so I decided to reverse-blink until my eyes got acquainted with the light.  I'd take a glimpse, see what obstructions were in my path, and close my eyes again.  Relying on what I could see in a blink every few steps, I made it to the car unharmed.

What do my baby sensitive eyes have to do with the gospel?

Heavenly Father has shown us the safe path through life's struggles: following the example of Jesus Christ.  We can pray and ask Him what he would have us do.  We get answers through the Holy Ghost, or the spirit.

• 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
• 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  (Galatians 5)

When we get our answers it is like glimpses into the safest path, and when we are anxiously 'engaged in a good cause' (D&C 58) we can trust in God that He will be there for us if we are going to run into another car or a bush or something.

'Asked about the role of the Spirit in his professional career, Elder Scott said, “[In my work] it just seemed natural to turn to the Lord to ask for guidance. I’ve never separated church, professional life, family life, or personal life into little compartments; I’ve just felt that the Spirit can guide in all of those.” He said he believes that the Lord is “absolutely aware and very interested in giving us support in whatever we do in life, our professional life included.”' (See Article)

Mixed Signals? Who is Right?

The other day we tried to cross the street and to my dismay this is what we saw.  I froze.  I was stuck one foot on the curb and the other on the pavement.  Who do I trust: the White Walker or the Red Hand?  For a second I simply didn't know what to do...  Then we laughed and crossed the street because we knew it was safe at that point.

Mixed signals like this come every day.  It's hard to know what's right and what's wrong sometimes when people are telling us different things.  One source will say something and another will completely flip flop it.  Who do we trust?

• 30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
• 31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. (2 Nephi 28:30-31 bolds added)

We don't have to trust the White Walker or the Red Hand!  We can find out for ourselves the truthfulness of all things as we pray and ask God and he answers us through the comforting power of the Holy Ghost.

• 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 
• 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.  (Moroni 10:4-5)

How Can We Avoid Whirlpools in Life?

I first saw this river and thought, 'this can't be the whirlpools I don't even see whirling...'  But we've read about others' experiences in them and they're extremely dangerous. 

Whirlpools in life can be deceptive.  It can be hard to see sometimes the troubles that lie ahead, but as we trust in the promises Heavenly Father has made us we can know that it will all turn out okay as we turn to Him.  The scriptures are where we can read others' experiences with trials and how the gospel helped them through them.  As we search the word of God and apply what we learn in our own lives we can find peace, joy, and happiness, and avoid whirlpools.

Water Under The Bridge

"When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else."

• “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).

•  "Through the strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you and I can be blessed to avoid and triumph over offense. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165)."

 (see all of Elder Bednar's talk)

Power In Righteousness

Niagara Falls is amazing! The river is incredibly powerful and the falls dump about 150,000 gallons of water per second. 

Think of the drop of water that chooses to take another path...It's purpose is to make it to this grand spectacle, but it may go into tributaries/whirlpools and get stuck.  Other times it may try to start it's own river, but then it gets drawn out until it realizes it must recede back to 'the fountain of all righteousness.' (1 Nephi 2:9)

Our loving Heavenly Father lets us take our own path. He won't force us into anything, and when we realize that the best path is that of His son's he is there to welcome us back.  As we strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ we come closer to God and feel His love more powerfully.  I know that Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to reach our full potential.  Let's try to help Him help us and stay in the river.

Wispy Distractions

The other day we were driving along and saw this really neat cloud cover up the sun.  There were all these wisps, but they were thick enough to bog down the light from getting through.  We had to stop and take a picture.

It made me think about the light and truth that Heavenly Father has revealed in the scriptures and how they are often bogged down by simply not reading them.  Often times we let 'wispy things' like busywork or sleepiness get in the way of what is more important, and that darkens our life.  When we read, ponder, and pray about the scriptures individually and as a family we grow within ourselves and together.  We come to know Heavenly Father is there and become united in following the example of His son.  This is the path to true happiness.

• 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  (John 14:6)

Rock of Our Redeemer

When you take pictures at night and there is not much light, the shutter in the camera will stay open for a while.  The longer the shutter stays open, the more light gets absorbed, and eventually you can make out what is in the picture.  If you shake or waver, the picture will get very fuzzy and will be hard to understand.  We were at Niagara Falls, but by myself I could not hold still enough to get the picture I wanted.  To get this picture I had to set the camera on a firm foundation and hold it there while it absorbed light.

When we are seeking light and truth we can only obtain a clear view when we are established on a firm foundation.  The only truly solid foundation is our Savior Jesus Christ.  He offers us a rock to build on, and we must do everything we can to hold ourselves to it.  As we learn more about our foundation through prayerful study of the scriptures we become more and more stable, and begin to understand the finer details in the picture of life.  As we stand firm in faith in Jesus Christ we will realize the blessings Helaman spoke of when he said

• 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)

Growth Amidst the Storm

This build up of snow stands in front of one of the most powerful waterfalls on the planet.  Niagara Falls.  150,000 gallons of water pour over these falls every second!  The rock at the base of this mound probably didn't enjoy being bombarded with all that water, but here it's grown to be an amazing work of nature.

We sometimes feel like were under 150,000 gallons of water... or I guess more like we're under a ton of stress. But in the end Heavenly Father is just tring to build us and make us stronger.

• 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
• 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (Alma 7:11-12)

The Savior suffered for more than our sins.  He took our pains, sicknesses, and infirmities upon  himself so he would know how to help us.  He knows what each of us have been through because he's endured it for us individually. It's easy to think that when we are in the midst of torrential difficulties that there is no one who understands.  But he does.  We can lean on him in hard times and he will lift us up to our greatest potential.

• 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

Faith Is Like A Little Seed

Seeds are peculiar things.  Or, at least they would be if we never experimented with planting them and watering them.  I mean, imagine you'd never experimented with a seed or seen one growing.  I might laugh at putting a pebble like object in a pot of dirt and spending a bunch of time every day taking care of it.  I might even try to stop others from wasting their time if I lacked the belief that seeds would grow.   I would wonder at the dedication others took to get up each morning and spend such time watering the dirt with a rock in it.  I would be shocked when they spent money on more rich soil and fertilizer. 

Thankfully I've believed others when they've said that these things will grow to be plants, even large trees, and I've experimented on that belief.  I've tried it.  Now I don't have to laugh at truth and wonder at plain facts, and I'm not shocked when I see people pay a price to have stronger and faster growth.  This growth can be compared to our own spiritual growth.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma compared faith to a seed.

• 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. 
• 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. (Alma 32 read past these 2 it's a great chapter)

When we are willing to believe enough to experiment on the promises of our loving Heavenly Father through praying, studying the scriptures, and keeping the commandments we can experience the 'swelling' within us.  That swelling is the spirit -

• 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, 
• 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  (Galatians 5 parenthesis added)

We can all enjoy these great blessings if we will but give the gospel a try.  God loves us and wants only the best for us.  No matter what the case may be this is the way to the most happiness.

Steps To Happiness!

Last week we went down to the whirlpools of the Niagara River.  They are way neat!  But before we got to see them we had to walk down about 300 steps... this is hard for a missionary who's not in shape.. at all.  The difficulty made it worth even more once we got there, but we had to trust through it all that the steps would eventually lead to where we wanted to go. We could catch glimpses of the river all the way down but could not see the whole thing until we had reached the bottom and the trees cleared.

In life we take leaps of faith.  We trust our Heavenly Father that the steps he asks us to take, though they are difficult, will lead us to where we want to go.  It's not always easy to endure in faith, but we can catch glimpses of the truthfulness of His word all along the way.  We can receive a witness from the Holy Ghost through prayer, scripture study, church attendance, and other obedient acts. Every step we take we get a clearer view of what lies ahead as the obstacles clear.  As a member of the Godhead the Holy Ghost, or the comforter, is like a hiker coming up from having seen the whirlpools and explaining how great they are!  This witness of truth brings so much comfort into our lives if we will but seek it.

• 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

• 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:5-6)

How Can He Fill My Cup?

 I love the optimist vs. pessimist lesson we can take from a cup filled halfway.  Is it half full? or is it half empty..?  I say it's half full!  There's still a bunch of water you can drink after all.

I had a cup of juice the other day.  I love juice.  Someone kindly offered me more juice but I denied them.  I thought I already had enough in my cup.  They were more than willing to give me more, but because I thought I had enough they were not able to give me more without forcing it down my throat.  In reality I looked down into my cup a few minutes later and saw the bottom of the cup... I was still thirsty.  Downer.

Often life is the same way.  Our Heavenly Father loves us and just wants to bless us with everything He has.  He knows our cups are practically empty and wants to fill us with "love, joy, peace...gentleness, goodness, faith," (Galatians 5:22), but we reject His offers through disobedience.  The Lord has said,

•  20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
• 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C 130:20-21)

The Lord also told us why he leaves our cups half empty sometimes:

•  27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

So how do we get more juice?  First, recognize that we don't have it all (through humility), and then accept His offers to 'make weak things become strong' (through obedience).  I love juice.  But I love the Gospel even more.  Jesus Christ and his teachings will help everyone willing to come unto him.

Is There Enough Time In Your Bottle?

When I was in Sunday school as a little kid I remember my teacher bringing in a big bottle, a bunch of sand and some mongo rocks.  She poured all the sand into the jar and then began trying to fit the rocks in.  They didn't fit! Us five and six year old's then started brain storming how we could fit all the rocks in the jar.

Eventually (and not without help from the teacher) we realized we needed to fit the big stuff in first.  The rocks could all fit in the jar, and then the sand would fall into place around the rocks.


Sometimes our days seem like they would overflow if we tried to add one more thing.  When the to-do list is longer than life, work is getting hectic, it's finals week at school, and then you're car breaks down it's easy to get frustrated.  The lesson we learned in Sunday school can apply to this.  If we put the important things in first, all the rest will fall into place.  What's important is to have the faith to know what the important things are.  When we have faith we know that when the prophet Jacob said,

• 18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
• 19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

he was talking about priorities.  Let's use Facebook as an example.  Think of the time you spend on Facebook... Now think of the time you spend in the scriptures.  In most cases Facebook will win because it's sooo easy to get rapped up in.  But let's face it, reading the word of God is more helpful than reading that bobby got forty thousand points on the Ultimate Unicorn game.

It's easy to think that taking time out of our already crouded day for prayer, scripture study, and church would be a bad idea, but when we have faith in the promises Heavenly Father has made to us He can bless us according to that faith!  And after the massive mess I'm sure we obliviously made when I was five, we learned the lesson that when we put the gospel of Jesus Christ first, everything else will fall into place.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Become One In Your Hand!

I love PB & J sandwiches!  As a kid I would never eat them because I hated mixed foods.  They had to be separate.  It's taken some willingness on my part to keep trying it in order to come to like it.  Now I've come to know the greatness of this union of flavors. The smooth sweet taste of Jam accented and enhanced by the thick salty peanut butter. It's mouthwatering!

When peanut butter and jelly become one in your hand you are in for a great feast.  Another feast is to be had when we combine the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ with the Bible!  Just as the Bible is a record of the people in Jerusalem in and around the time of Christ, The Book of Mormon is a record of the people in the Americas around that time.  These books are united in purpose to invite others to come unto Christ. In order to come to know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, "We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true." (Introduction to Book of Mormon)

We are asked in the Bible to 'join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.' (Ezekiel 37: 15-17) -talking about the Book of Mormon and the Bible.

Jesus said, 'And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;' (John 10:16)  There were more of Heavenly Father's children that had not had the opportunity to see Christ because they were across the sea.  Jesus visited them after his resurrection and said, 'And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;' (3 Nephi 15: 21)

God loves each and every one of us and will help us know Him no matter where we are, we just have to open the door.  We do this by seeking His word in the scriptures.

Jesus Christ, The Mediator

I watched this movie when I was younger and I got my first piece of understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how it works. 

 

   As we accept Jesus Christ's help as our savior, through repentance and using the atonement, we will obtain the 'greatest of all the gifts of God.'

• 7 And, if you ^akeep my commandments and ^bendure to the end you shall have ^ceternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.  (D&C 14:7)

How Can We Become Roasted Starbursts?

Have you ever tried a Starburst roasted over a fire?  It's amazing!  I would go camping as a kid and I came to love these more than marshmallows (probably because my mallows would always spontaniously combust...).  They're hard work sometimes and they're easy to mess up.  You have to make sure you poke them through correctly so they don't fall in the fire, leave them in for the right amount of time so it doesn't all melt away, restrain yourself from eating them too fast or it'll burn off all your taste buds, and, of course, be sure to savor them when they've made it to their final destination (AKA your mouth). 

 The gospel is the same way sometimes.  There are a lot of steps we take to progress along the path back to Heavenly Father, and it's not always easy.  Sometimes when we're not holding to the word of God tight enough we slip away and fall into trouble.  Other times we get distracted and let the most important things in our lives drip away.  Often we get anxious to get out of hard times, but Heavenly Father knows that sometimes we need to go through the fire in order to taste the best. He will usually help us get through it rather than immediately remove us from it.  It's not an easy road: there's a lot of steps and there will be fires we have to endure. In the end it will all be for our good.

Just as Joseph Smith was at one of the hardest points in his life. He received this answer to his prayer:

• 7 My son, ^apeace be unto thy soul; thine ^badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a ^csmall moment;  
• 8 And then, if thou ^aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; (D&C 121:7-8)

So lets strive to endure the "refiner's fire" well so we can enjoy the glorious blessings that come as a result.

Why Do We Have To Keep All the Commandments?

The right to choose is one of the greatest gifts our Father in Heaven has given us.  It gives us the ability to choose right or wrong.  We can choose to keep the commandments or we can not.  When we choose to disobey we are turning away from our Savior, Jesus Christ, and denying the gifts he so desperately wants to give to us.  When we choose the right we open the door for Christ to bless us.  I know it can be hard to keep the commandments sometimes, but we must realize that giving up some of our time or effort to keep a commandments is like paying a dollar for a Farrari (but better)!  The blessings far outweigh the payment.

Moses with the Ten Commandments

We also come to keep the commandments out of love.  When we begin to recognize all the things our Heavenly Father has given us we grow to love Him back.  He is our Father.  The father of our spirits.  As a father He cares for us infinitely.  Nothing can stop Him from loving us. No matter how often we turn away from Him he is always there to welcome us back into His arms.

• 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

• 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

One of the ways God has shown His love for each of us is through His son, Jesus Christ. 

He is at the door. Will we go and open it?

God wants us to be the happiest we can be while becoming the best that we can become (just as a father would).  He knows the way for each of us to attain the greatest happiness and our full potential.  He gave His son to show us this 'way' (John 14:6), and that is where the commandments come in.  They are they 'way' to the most happiness and each of our greatest potentials.

Find the Savior in Everything

You might ask, "What does this cake have to do with anything? What does recognizing the Savior and his teachings have to do with this?" Well let me explain. 
I made this cake based off of writings of a prophet found in the Book of Mormon.  In the book of Alma, chapter 50, we find a great military leader named Moroni building up fortifications for the cities of his people, the Nephites, so that when their enemies, the Lamanites, attacked, the people would be able to defend themselves. 
We are challenged to look for the Savior and his teachings in all things, so lets find him in this situation.

• 1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up ^aheaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

 These 'heaps of earth' could represent how the Savior teaches us to avoid sin.  When we avoid sin we make it hard for temptation to even get to our doors (hence the steep heaps of earth).

•  2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be ^atimbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.

 Perhaps these 'works of timbers' are a solid decision to follow Jesus Christ's example, so when temptations come, we've already decided to keep them out.

•  3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.

 Sometimes temptations get a little tempting, and they start creeping over our 'works of timbers,' and our decisions to avoid them.  When this happens we must remember the wise council council of King Benjamin in Mosiah 4:30 when he said -

• watch yourselves, and your ^bthoughts, and your ^cwords, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and ^dcontinue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord

 - for when we keep watch by setting a 'frame of pickets' around our spiritual defenses, we can recognize sin a-creeping and fight it off.

•  4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those ^atowers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

Our 'places of security' can be found in the scriptures, at church, in sincere prayer with Heavenly Father, and so many other places.  Whenever we are away from the worldly junk that often fills our lives, we can find safety in the Savior's arms.

•  5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.

When we have spiritually prepared we can use the power we gained from our time devoted to God to, not only defend, but push back temptation making it less effective in our lives.  This is where I found the Savior most, Because he makes our weaknesses strong when we turn to him.  He will make temptation less effective by spiritually 'cast[ing] stones from the top,' if we will but allow him to through our own preparation.

•  6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land.

We should work to build up our testimonies in every part of the gospel.  The Book of Mormon is called the keystone of our religion for a reason.  Pray about it.  Ask our Father in Heaven if it is true.  I know it is true because I have done this, and it's changed my life.  I know it can and will change yours if you will let it, for the teachings of the Savior can be found on every page.  We just have to seek them.

Why Do We Need to Go to Church?

 I know it's hard to wake up and get out the door each Sunday, but it can be soo rewarding!  The scriptures give a few of the benefits of the structure of the church.

12 For the ^aperfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the ^bedifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the ^aunity of the faith, and of the ^bknowledge of the Son of God, unto a ^cperfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more ^achildren, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of ^bdoctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the ^atruth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the ^bhead, even Christ: 

(Ephesians 4: 12-15)

All LDS church buildings welcome visitors

Jesus Christ established the true church on the Earth when we came, as recorded in the New Testament.  That church has been restored in it's original form, under the direction of Jesus Christ through a prophet.  The same structure exists now as did then - '^bapostles; and some, ^cprophets; and some, ^devangelists; and some, ^epastors and ^fteachers;' (Ephesians 4: 11)

When we are taught by the spirit through these leaders, we are progressing along the road toward salvation.  At church: we get the blessings of the perfecting of the saints, we learn of the savior and his sacrifice, we become united in faith and knowledge, and we stop being tossed like children between doctrines.  

We go to church to partake of the sacrament which after baptism is a renewal of our promise with Heavenly Father that we will follow Him, and in return He promises us the companionship of the Holy Ghost always to lead, guide, and comfort us.What a blessing the Holy Ghost is in our lives!  If we but live worthy of it, we can have a member of the Godhead with us! I am so grateful for the comforting power of the Holy Ghost that I've felt so much, often at church.  I want to help others feel that same peace through acting on the teachings of our savior.

What Do Mormons Believe About the Trinity?

1 We ^abelieve in ^bGod, the Eternal Father, and in His ^cSon, Jesus Christ, and in the ^dHoly Ghost. (Article of Faith 1)

Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are 3 separate and distinct beings.  It is easy to be confused about the nature of God with all the doctrines that can be found everywhere we look, but we can and should go to God in prayer and faith, and ask Him.  I have done this and have come to know that He is our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ is His son, and the Holy Ghost is united in purpose with them.

Joseph Smith saw God Jesus Christ (See The Restoration)

What is this purpose?

• '39 For behold, this is my ^awork and my ^bglory—to bring to pass the ^cimmortality and ^deternal ^elife of man.' (Moses 1:39 - the Lord speaking to Moses)
• '3And this is ^alife ^beternal, that they might ^cknow thee the only true ^dGod, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast ^esent.' (John 17:3 - the Lord speaking in prayer to God the Father)
• These two scriptures mean the same thing: the purpose of life is to live eternally with (or 'know') our Father in Heaven.  The Godhead (God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost) are all united in bringing about this purpose.  They do everything they can to help us return and live with our God.

Why do the scriptures say they are 'One,' if they are in fact three separate beings?

• The scriptures are saying they are one in purpose, methods, objectives etc.  just as a football team strives to become 'one' or united.  In the following scripture reference 'they,' refers to Christs people or believers.

• 21 That they all may be ^aone; as thou, ^bFather, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ^cone in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  (John 17: 21-23)
•  The Savior is praying that the people will become 'one' in the same way that he and he Father are 'one' - In desires, beliefs, perfection.  He is praying that the people will become a perfect people so they can be united again with God, himself, and the Holy Ghost.
• 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ^aone, even as we are ^bone:  (John 17: 21-23)
• He gave us glory (knowledge, his example, doctrine, 'the way') so we could follow it/him.  In this way, when we follow Jesus Christ, we are following Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost because they are all walking the same 'way'.
• 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made ^aperfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast ^bloved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17: 21-23)
• God loves us and wants us to perfect ourselves so we can become united and live in His presence again!  We do this through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Are Mormons Christians?

Mormons are Christians.  The name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  If that is not enough to believe that we believe Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Redeemer please invite missionaries over to your house, talk to a member who lives near you, or visit one of our chapels for a Sunday service.  We want to share the truth of this gospel with you, so please ask us.

What is the Priesthood?

"The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. Through the priesthood God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power He redeems and exalts His children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). God gives priesthood authority to worthy male members of the Church so they can act in His name for the salvation of His children." (See full article on Priesthood)

Jesus Christ used the Priesthood to heal and perform miracles

 And no man taketh this ^ahonour unto himself, but he that is ^bcalled of God, as was ^cAaron.  (Hebrews 5:4)
 

  18¶And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee ^aJoshua the son of ^bNun, a man in whom is the ^cspirit, and ^dlay thine hand upon him;

 19And ^aset him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

 20And thou shalt ^aput some of thine ^bhonour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

22And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

 23And he ^alaid his ^bhands upon him, and gave him a ^ccharge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 27)

We see from these Bible verses that throughout time the priesthood has (1) been passed down by the laying on of hands [v. 18, 23] and (2) can not be taken upon oneself without this laying on of hands. Even the Savior had to be ordained or given the priesthood as we find in Hebrews 5:5-6, 10 and Acts 10:42. 

Jesus Christ ordaining the 12 Apostles

The priesthood authority of God was lost to the Earth after Christ was cricified and his apostles martyred.  For over a thousand years mankind went without this authority until our Heavenly Father saw it was time for it to be restored.  It was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith in the early 1800's and has been passed down by the laying on of hands since.  The priesthood remains in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because it is Christ's church.

Conferring of the priesthood continues today

  I know that these things are true because I have prayed to Heavenly Father about it, searched the scriptures for answers, and done my best to do as He has asked me.  It was in the doing of these things that I found my witness of the truth.  Anyone can follow this same pattern to know for themselves.  Experiment on the word and seek the truth of it.