My Testimony

     I haven't been too sure what to put in my blog lately, because there are so many things I think that everyone should know. Things that give us hope, and things that bring us true happiness. Then it hit me that all these things are a part of my testimony, so I decided I would post parts of my testimony, that hopefully will be a resource for some to draw strenght from.

     I KNOW that this church is true. I know with all my heart that the same Church and Gopsell has been restored to the Earth that Jesus Christ himself set up when he was here. I know that the Priesthood, the authority to act in God's name, was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know he truly was a prophet of God, called to bring back those priesthood keys that were lost, those keys that are crucial to our salvation.


    I know that families can be together forever. If I live worthily and keep the commandments God has set for us, I will have the opportunity to be with my family for eternity. Families are so important. God organized us into families so that we can support and love each other through the trials of life.
    I know my Savior lives. I know the atonement is real. I have felt the power of it in my own life, and I know we can be forgiven of our sins if we take the necessary steps of repentance.  I know that He sufferred the pains and sins of the world because he loves us, and me individually. When I am going through a hard time in my life, I can draw strength from his atonement, and know he is there bearing me up. I am so thankful for how the Gospel blesses my life and how it will bless me in the life to come. I say these things in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

We are not alone, God has called a prophet to lead and guide us!

     In my personal study this morning, I had the opportunity to study the account of when Nephi is commanded with his brothers to go and retrieve the plates from Laban. The plates were so important because they recorded geneaology as well as words which were spoken by prophets at the time. The verse thaty stuck out to me the most in my study this morning comes from 1 Nephi 3:20

"And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time."

This scripture has so much truth to it! There is another scripture that I think if we apply both of them to today, it makes everything so clear!

This is Nephi, talking about the Lord:

"For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him."

     These two scriptures give me so much peace and comfort! Since we know that God is the same forever, we know that he calls prophets today just as he did throughout the bible and Book of Mormon. And since we know that the prophets that have been called by God, speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and testify of truth, we have reason to rejoice! We have a prophet on the Earth today, Thomas S. Monson, who leads us and guides us, to know what our Lord would have us do! I am so grateful that we are not left alone, but that God has called someone to be his mouth piece and help us obtain our salvation!

     I know this church is true, I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God called to lead us and guide us today. I know that Jesus is my Savior and that through him and his grace I can return to live with my Heavenly Father. I say these things in that sacred name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Rejoice in your God!

     This morning during my personal study, I was reading from the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon, and was going over a chapter that I have read multiple times. In it, there never have been any particular versus to stick out to me, until this morning. Here is what stuck out to me.

" 11 But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

  12  Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

- Alma 26: 11-12

 

     These two versus hit me really hard today. We need to understand where we stand and where God stands. Everything we have comes from him. All the gifts and talents and parts of our personality come from him. We owe everything we have to him, and need to be so grateful for it. Ammon also does a wonderful job in understanding that without God, we are nothing. If we can remember this, it will be easy for us to stay humble, in always recognizing we are nothing without Him.

     The next thing I noticed and loved in my reading today was how Ammon says he will " REJOICE in my God " This stands out because it shows how thankful and how much love he has for Him. When I think of rejoice, I think of visible happiness. Someone who is not trying to hide their delight, and who wants to share it with others. That is how we need to be about our God and our faith. We need to always be thankful for our blessing, and always willing to share our happiness with others.  I love Jesus Christ and am so thankful for his atoning sacrifice, I am nothing without him. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and how close it has brought me to my Savior!

Mormons don't EARN Heaven, We LEARN Heaven

     Last night, I had the opportunity to attend a fireside in which Brad Wilcox was speaking. He is a proffesor at BYU and a great motivational speaker. In his talk, he mentioned something that I found very interesting.
     He mentioned how many of his friends of a different faith say that Mormons try and earn their way to Heaven. His reply to that is always the same. "We do not EARN Heaven, but rather, we LEARN Heaven." Which is so true! It is said in the scriptures that no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Brad Wilcox pointed out that no unclean thing will WANT to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. They will not feel comfortable and realize they do not belong. This is a perfect explanation of why Mormons live the way we do. We are living our lives in a way that will make us feel comfortable in Heaven. Brother Wilcox referred to it as "practicing". This life is a probationary and practice period for the life to come!



     It is so true. If we do not live good clean lives, and do our best to repent for the sins we know that we do commit, we will not even have a desire to reside in Heaven because we will feel uncomfortable and unclean. We are not earning it, but trying to learn how to live so that we can feel comfortbale.
     I testify that we enter into the kingdom of Heaven only by the grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ, after all that we can do. I love my Savior with all my heart, and am so thankful for this Gospel and the Book of Mormon. For the comfort and peace it gives to me in my life, and the comfort and peace it can give to anyones life, as long as they have a soft heart. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Consider on the Blessed and Happy State

     There are many who do not like or agree with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are those who will call us foolish for the standards we keep, and how we abstain from many of the things in the world. They will ask why we deny ourselves those certain pleasures and not just be happy. Well over the course of my mission I have really seen the difference between pleasures of the world and true eternal happiness. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I will testify that those worldy things WILL NOT bring you true happiness. The only thing that brings us the satisfaction we are all looking for, is keeping the commandments of God. When we keep the Word of Wisdom ( abstain from alchohol, tobacco, drugs, tea and coffee ) as well as the Law of Chastity ( no sexual relations outside the bounds of marriage ) there is where we find the true happiness. Going to church and partaking of the Sacrament is where we find the true happiness. And of course, in the sacred unit of family is where we find the true happiness.

I would like to quote one of my favorite scriptures in the entire Book of Mormon, that gives great advice to anyone having a hard time keeping the commandments of God.

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

- Mosiah 2:41

     As a true representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I testify that he lives. I testify that the only way back to our Father in Heaven is through him and him alone. I testify that those cammandments that have been given to us are not restrictions, but rather freedoms. They are to keep us safe and free from the bonds of sin. They are how we will return to Him. I know this Gospel is true, and am so grateful for the blessings I have in my life because of it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Service

     I've been pondering lately, the true meaning of love. What does it mean to love someone and how do we show it to them? It is really easy at times, to throw around the phrase " I love you " to family and friends, but how can they really know of our love for them. Like I said, after much pondering and searching out the answer, it all comes down to service. We must be willing to serve those that we love. This life is not easy, nor was it meant to be however, we can make it much more bearable if we are willing to help those around us who are in need.

King Benjamin said it best in the second chapter of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon
"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
- Mosiah 2:17


     Nothing makes our Heavenly Father happier than when we serve and help our fellow man. We are all children of God and he wants all of us to be happy. Since our Father in Heaven cannot be on the Earth with us right now, it is up to us to do the service towards others that he would do if he were here. I testify that when we are helping and serving others, we truly are in the service of our God. I do know that he loves each and every one of us, and I know that the best way to prove my love to others and to my Savior, is by serving and helping others. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Small and Simple Things

     In recent years, I have had trouble understanding the little things of the Gospel, or the importance of those little things. We are always taught that prayer and scripture reading everyday is so important. These are the main little things will affect us so much. They may seem so menial and routine, and growing up I never could understand how those little things could affect my life so dramatically. However since being on a mission, where all the little things have to be apart of our daily lives, I have learned of the joy that the little things will bring into our lives. One of the prophets from the Book of Mormon, Alma, said it best :

"6 Now ye may suppose that this is ^afoolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by ^bsmall and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

7 And the Lord God doth work by ^ameans to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth ^cconfound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls"

-Alma 37: 6-7

These small and simple things are what will lead to our salvation. It is not to say that the big things and big commitments we make are not important, but rather, if we do the small things it will make the big things not so much of a chore. With the small and simple things in our lives everyday, we invite the spirit into our hearts, making us more loving, charitable and overall more Christlike, which to me, should be our overall goal.

I just want to bear my testimony, that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ( Mormons ) is true. I know with all my heart Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that through the power of God he was able to bring forth the Book of Mormon. I know that if we read the Book of Mormon everyday, we will come closer to our Savior. I am so grateful for it and know that it changes lives. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen