Baseball and the Game of Life

     Many people who know me, know that I love the game of baseball. Most of my growing up life has revolved around baseball; from Little League, to Tournament Teams and on up through High School. I love everything about the game, maybe that's why its one of my favorite sports....

     Baseball is an interesting sport. There isn't a lot of contact and action like there is in football and basketball. People say that baseball is "slow, boring and nothing happens". However, many people don't know how much you actually have to be doing while you are playing. They say baseball is 90% mental and 10 % physical. Hence the reason people think not much goes on. A LOT of mental aspect goes into the game! 

     You must constantly be thinking about what you are going to do when action happens. You never know when something is going to happen so you always need to know ahead of time what you are going to do with the ball! If you are ready and on your toes, when the action does come, you will successfully execute the play! That's the key, being prepared and ready, for you really don't know what's gonna happen on the next pitch. If you aren't ready, then games can be lost. 

     The game of baseball is a lot like the game we are all in, the game of life. I have learned a lot of life lessons from playing sports, which I appreciate all my coaches who helped me see that life isn't just all about sports and you can learn a lot from sports about how to be successful in life.  But what I wanted to focus on for a moment is how if we are prepared, ready, and "on our toes", whatever comes our way can be dealt with successfully. Part of this life is to be tested and we are tested in SO many different ways. If we do what we know to be right and prepare ourselves for life's challenges, we can "execute the play" and find joy in our journey through life!

     We must always be on the look out. It says in the Book of Mormon "if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not" (Mosiah 4:30). I know that we do our best to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ, we will win the game of life and make it back to the presence of God, our ultimate goal!



Answers to Prayers

     I saw a quote in our church building and it really stuck out to me and it was something that I never really thought of before. This post is mainly going to be the quote I read but I feel like it is really good and worth sharing on my blog. The quote has to do with receiving answers to prayers and I hope it might open a new perspective when waiting for an answer from God because I know it has for me.

    The quote is by Elder Richard G. Scott, one of the Twelve Apostles and he says the following,
     " It is vitally important to recognize that the Lord also responds a third way to prayer by withholding an answer when the prayer is offered.
     Why would He do that?
     " He is our perfect Father. He loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees the end from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience.
     "When He answers yes it is to give us confidence.
     "When He answers no it is to prevent error.
     "When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act."

     I know oft times we say that God always answers our prayers, which is true. I never thought that Him withholding an answer from me was in fact, an answer to prayer. Sure that may sound contradicting a little bit but I really believe it is true. We must not sit around and wait for an answer to come, we must keep going forward with faith and act, then the rest of the answer will come when the Lord sees that we are ready.

Overcoming Temptation

     Recently I have been reading from the book Teachings of the Presidents of the Church. These books are about the life and teachings of the Latter-day Prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Prophet I have been reading about it President David O. Mckay. He was a Prophet for about 20 years from 1951-1970 and many people loved Pres. McKay. I have learned a lot from the small parts that I read and I wanted to share a few things from His teachings specifically regarding Overcoming Temptation. 

     We all go through different trials and tests in life. That's a part of mortality. Along with that, because Satan rebelled and was cast out of Heaven, he wants to destroy God's plan which gives us an opportunity to return to live with God. Therefore, Satan tempts us to choose evil and make mistakes so we won't be able to return to God's presence. However, even though we all fall short and sin, we can conquer Satan and his temptations.

     Jesus Christ Himself was tempted of the Devil, found in Matthew 4, yet Christ never gave in to the temptations Satan tried to throw at Him. Because Christ overcame temptation, "he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Heb. 2: 18). That is one thing we must remember, Christ can help us overcome the temptations we face in life.

Pres. McKay tells us, "Every temptation that comes to you and me comes in one of three forms:

1. A temptation of the appetite or passion;
   
2. A yielding to pride, fashion, or vanity;
   
3. A desire for worldly riches or power and dominion over lands or earthly possessions of men." 
   
   
   He then gives some wise counsel, "You cannot tamper with the Evil One. Resist temptation, resist the Devil and he will flee from you. [See James 4:7.]"  Just say NO when the temptation comes!

One final quote that I loved from Pres. McKay and which gives me hope and courage to resist says the following

"Your weakest point will be the point at which the Devil tries to tempt you, will try to win you, and if you have made it weak before you have undertaken to serve the Lord, he will add to that weakness. Resist him and you will gain in strength. He will tempt you in another point. Resist him and he becomes weaker and you become stronger, until you can say, no matter what your surroundings may be, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:8)."

I truly believe that the more we resist temptation, the more strength we will have when another temptation arrives. I am confident that the Lord will not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able to handle. God knows how much we can take and He knows we can resist Satan if we trust in Him enough to try and resist. Whatever you may be facing in this life, there is always hope through our Savior Jesus Christ. Just read your scriptures, pray, and do your best to keep the commandments and you will be able to resist any temptation that comes your way!

The Book of Mormon: From God or the Devil?

     Lately I've been thinking about a talk that a General Authority of the Church gave in General Conference in October of 2011. The talk was given by Elder Tad. R. Callister and the title of his talk is The Book of Mormon- a Book from God. This talk was one of my favorite talks and most of my information from this blog comes from his talk.

     Elder Callister begins by telling of an experience his great-great grandfather had. While reading the Book of Mormon for the first time, his great-great grandfather said, "That book was either written by God or the devil, and I am going to find out who wrote it." He then read through the Book of Mormon twice in the next10 days and declared, "The devil could not have written it—it must be from God."

     There is no middle ground with the Book of Mormon, it is either written from God, or not. Ultimately it is up to the person deciding who its from to actually read it for themselves and find who it truly came from.

Let me tell you more from Elder Callister used in his talk to demonstrate how the Book of Mormon relates to the Bible which proves it is in fact of God. First Elder Callister poses a question. "But why is the Book of Mormon so essential if we already have the Bible to teach us about Jesus Christ?"

He then gives us the answer, "Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian churches in the world today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible? It is because they interpret the Bible differently. If they interpreted it the same, they would be the same church. This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses. Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1)".

He continues, "The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: [now pay attention to this analogy] How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church.

What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses."
 

     The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, only testifies of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. The Book of Mormon provides warnings against the devil and his temptations and testifies against him. Why would the Satan provide a book that completely goes contrary to his plan? He would not do that! Therefore, the Book of Mormon has to be from God. I know it is because I have read it and have been brought closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ. You too can know for yourself whether or not the Book of Mormon is from God or not. The only way for you to know that for yourself is to read from its pages.  Like Elder Callister's great-great grandfather, I know the devil could not have written the Book of Mormon, it must be from God.

Kingdoms of Glory

 At the final Judgement God and Jesus Christ will judge us according to our works and our desires done here on earth. We will then, be rewarded to reside for eternity in one of three kingdoms. Those who accepted and followed the full gospel of Jesus Christ, doing the necessary ordinances, will be rewarded to the highest kingdom, known as the Celestial Kingdom. They will live in the presence of God and progress eternally to become like Him. They will also live with those of their family who qualify. There is no end in the Celestial Kingdom. Its glory is compared to the glory of the Sun, the brightest of all!

Those who don't accept the full gospel of Jesus Christ, but were good people lived good honest lives will be rewarded in the Terrestrial Kingdom. They will not however be able to live in God's presence or be able to become like Him. They can only progress to a certain point. This kingdom is compared to the glory of the moon.

Those people who didn't have a desire to follow Jesus Christ, who didn't repent and lived in their sins, will be rewarded with the lowest kingdom known as the Telestial  Kingdom. These people will obviously not live with God and they won't be able to progress very much. This Kingdom is compared to the glory of the stars.

 

I know someone who likes to compare the kingdom of Glory to God's Mansion. Those who go to the Celestial Kingdom will be inside the house, chillin with God in His living room and being happy forever. Those in the Terrestrial Kingdom are the people who are out on the front porch, looking through the windows but can't come in. Sounds pretty disappointing. Last, those in the Telestial Kingdom are those who are out in the outhouse. Hope that explanation will give a good visual. I know which kingdom I want to live in, I hope you want to live with God too.

And that is the Plan of Salvation. I testify that this is the Plan that God set before us from the beginning. I  know that if we follow this plan, then we will have the opportunity to live with God and our families for eternity. I know that Jesus Christ, through His Atonement, fulfilled this plan. Let us look to Him and follow His example and true gospel.

The Spirit World

    Three days after the death of the Savior, His apostles and friends find the tomb He was buried in to be empty. As we read in the account of John Chapter 20 in the Bible, Mary Magdalene is found weeping at the tomb because she, and many others weren't sure what happened to Christ because they didn't know the reality of a resurrection yet. As Mary is crying by the tomb, Jesus comes and says to her in John 20: 15, "Woman, why weepest thou?" Mary then replies in the same verse, "Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." Mary doesn't know its Christ Himself talking to her, till in verse 16 He says, "Mary." Mary then turns and realizes it is in reality Jesus Himself says continuing in verse 16, "Rabboni; which is to say, Master."
     Mary realizes it is Jesus Christ alive again! As we can conclude from reading verse 17 of John 20, Mary must have reached out to Christ as to give Him a greeting with a hug or some sort, because Jesus stops her and says, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father:..." If Jesus had not yet gone to His Father, where did He go in the meantime?...

 

     After Christ was resurrected, and just before He ascended to God the Father, He went to a place what's called the Spirit World. The Spirit World may be compared to what most people call, Heaven and Hell. The Spirit World is like a waiting room, where our spirits go, once we have gone out of this life. In the Spirit World are two places, Spirit Paradise, and Spirit Prison. There are a few verses in the Book of Mormon that explains who goes where in the Spirit World. The scripture comes from Alma Chapter 40, verses 11-14.

     " Now, concerning the state of the soul between death 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 taken home to that God who gave them life.

  "And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

 "And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

  "Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection."

     Now, what's great about the Spirit World is the gospel is being preached to those who are in "Prison". What a wonderful tender mercy of the Lord to give people a first (for those who never heard about Jesus Christ) and second chance to accept His gospel.

     The Bible tells us that those who have passed on will have the gospel of Jesus Christ taught to them. 1 Peter Chapter 4 verse 6 reads. "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."

     I can testify that there is in fact life after death. The Spirit World is the place where we will go after we pass on from this life. Those who accepted Jesus Christ and lived His gospel will live in a state of peace and happiness and they will teach those who are in Spirit Prison and give them an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and His true gospel there. We will be in the Spirit World until the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, where we will all then be resurrected.



Agency and The Fall of Adam and Eve

     Most of us probably know the story of Adam and Eve but their story is very important to us because their story determined our mortal existence. After Jesus Christ and God the Father created the physical earth, they created man and woman. We learn from Genesis that the names of these humans are Adam and Eve. We also learn that we were created in the image of God. Therefore, each of us here on this earth have some attributes that our Father in Heaven possesses. I think that is pretty amazing! 

     God placed man in the most beautiful of Gardens; the Garden of Eden. Here, Adam and Eve lived in a perfect place where they could walk and talk with God and Jesus Christ. In the Garden, Adam and Eve were innocent, meaning they did not know right from wrong. They didn't have any opposition. This meant that they could not experience joy or pain because they didn't know which was which. They were just kind of there not progressing at all.

     

     One of the greatest gifts God has given us, is our agency. Agency is the right we have to choose and act for ourselves, whether we choose good or evil. God gave Adam and Eve their agency. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were commanded to take care of the garden and to multiply and replenish the earth. He also suggested them to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For so by doing, they would become mortal and would eventually die. If Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, then they would know the difference between good and evil. They could experience pain, but also, they could experience joy.

     Eventually as we all know, God allowed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve and they used their agency and partook of the forbidden fruit and were therefore kicked out of the Garden of Eden. This was part of God's Plan. This event of Adam and Eve being kicked out of the Garden of Eden in called The Fall. Because of the Fall, we are all subject to disease, pain, sadness and suffering and we will all eventually die; so we are all subject to physical death. Also, we are all out of God's physical presence which is called spiritual death. When we sin and make mistakes, we distance ourselves from God even further. On the bright side, because Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, the rest of God's spirit children will have the opportunity to come to earth and gain a mortal body which is what we all wanted to gain in the Pre-Mortal council in Heaven. Also, we also can gain experience to learn and grow and progress to become more and more like our Father in Heaven. We can experience joy and happiness to lead us back Home. So there are some negatives that come from the effects of the Fall, but overall it was a good thing Adam and Eve fell so God's plan could continue.

 

After Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. They repented of their sins and received forgiveness and continued of the path of righteousness. They began to have children and taught them the ways of the Lord. I am so grateful for Adam and Eve and for what they did to allow each of us to come to earth so we could all gain a body and to gain experience that help us learn and grow. I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who has given each of us the gift of Agency to act for ourselves and to choose that which we desire. I hope and pray we will use our agency for good and choose to exercise good works! (That was a brief story of Adam and Eve there is more to it if you want to learn more visit LDS.org and search Adam and Eve.) Also some scripture references to look up that tell more about the story of Adam and Eve visit here:

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 2

Bible: Genesis 3

Up next in the Plan of Salvation:

Our Earth Life: The Purpose of Life, Why are we here?

Who Am I?

     One of my favorite movies is the classic film, Zoolander. The hilarious, and yes, kind of pointless film about male models finding out there is more to life than being really ridiculously good looking. The main character, Derek Zoolander, played by Ben Stiller, finds himself lost after losing the number 1 spot for male model of the year by his fellow rival model, Hansel, played by Owen Wilson. This loss shattered Derek Zoolanders entire universe and he is depressed and throughout the film he, in a round about way, tries to find out who he is. A couple times during the movie, he asks his reflection in a puddle of water, and the heavens the question, "Who am I?". With that introduction, let me tell you something that everyone needs to know and should never forget; who YOU are.

 

     Many people in this world sincerely have the question "Who am I?" and really want to know. What glorious news the gospel of Jesus Christ has which tells us in fact, who each and every person is. The answer to that question is simple. You are a child of God! There is spiritual power that comes from that simple phrase and knowing that we are all children, sons and daughters of God.

     God is literally the Father of our spirits. He lives in Heaven, therefore, we as Latter-day Saints refer to God as our Heavenly Father. We are His children, and He loves us more than we can comprehend. He cares about us and He wants us to be happy in this life. He is happy when we are happy, and He is sad when we are sad. Our loving Father in Heaven loves us so much, that He provided a way for us to communicate with Him, and we do that through sincere prayer. Just as we have an earthly father who wants to talk to us, more importantly, we have a Father in Heaven who wants, and expects to hear from us. He wants us to talk to Him, so He can give us guidance and direction to our lives. Because God loves us so much, He answers our prayers, so we can feel His love in greater abundance in our lives. 

     No matter what circumstance we may be in this life, if we feel like we are forgotten, we must NEVER forget that we will NEVER be forgotten. Our Father in Heaven will never abandon us. We will always have Him love to us unconditionally and help us out in our times of sorrow and despair. We only have to be willing to turn to Him and trust in His constant care.

     I know that each and every one of us are literally children of God. I know He loves us because I have felt His love in my life on many occasions. I know that God knows us personally, inside and out and He is very aware of the situations we are in. He has a plan for each and every one of us in this life and we can know of His plan for us by doing what He has asked us to do (prayer, scripture study, keeping the commandments etc.). I am so grateful for the knowledge I have to know who I am; that is, a child of God.

Here is a song we sing and learn as children that tells us perfectly who we all are.

Enjoy.

 

Be Prepared

     The first weekend in August in Glasgow, our Church had an Emergency Preparedness Day Open House for the community to come and see. Some members of our church set up booths to show of ways that we can prepare for tough times and emergencies that may come upon us. Some of those ways include, 72 hour kits, emergency kits, financial, dry pack canning and recipe's to use from their commodities. 

     Most of us know that unexpected disasters or freak emergencies can happen at any time. Therefore, it is important that we armor ourselves with some, if not all of these necessities that will help us get through hard times that happen to us. Everyone is prone to emergencies and tough times in their lives, for that is a part of our mortal life. However, when we are prepared with these necessities, we are able to get by until times get better. 

     Looking at the world today, we obviously see many natural disasters that are causing emergency evacuations and heart aches to many people around the globe. Earthquakes, tsunami's, hurricanes, forest fires, and many other disasters are so prevalent in our world today. We never know when we are going to be hit with an emergency, that is why we always need to be prepared with these emergency kits so we won't be all chaotic and put at risk ours and our families lives. All of these recent disasters are most definitely signs of Jesus Christ's Second Coming. The scriptures say so themselves. "And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the seas heaving themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in commotion;...And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice...saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come..." (D&C 88:90-92). 

When speaking of the Second Coming and being prepared, I am reminded of the Parable of the Ten Virgins in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 1-13 in the Bible. To say it short in writing, Jesus relates the kingdom of Heaven to ten virgins who were awaiting the time of the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ). Five of the virgins were prepared and wise with extra oil for their lamps in case they needed more. The other five virgins were foolish and did not have any oil with them. Of course when the cry that the Bridegroom was coming, the foolish virgins asked for some oil from the wise virgins but the wise virgins didn't have enough oil for both, so the foolish virgins went out to go buy some more oil and during that time the Bridegroom came and the wise virgins were ready to go to the wedding and when the foolish virgins came, they were too late and not allowed in. The Savior gives us some wise counsel and the end of the parable. He says, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 25:13).

We can learn a lot from this parable and all throughout the scriptures on how we need to always be ready for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. No man knows when He is going to come again, only our Father in Heaven knows. Therefore, we need to prepare ourselves so we can be ready to greet Him. I know that if we are doing what we are supposed to, observing to keep the commandments, saying our prayers and studying our scriptures daily, and doing all the little things that draw us closer to God, then we will be prepared and will be happy and ready to meet our Savior Jesus Christ.

Pre-Earth Life: Where We Came From

There are many people in today's world who have questions about well, just life in general. One of those questions being "Where did we come from?" Sure it does sound obvious or maybe even a little silly but that is a real concern that people have and there is an answer to that question. Which is why I have chosen to address this topic.

The Plan of Salvation: The Plan of Salvation is in a nutshell what the word implies. It is a plan that our Father in Heaven provided for us to follow so we could have the opportunity to live with Him again someday with Jesus Christ our families. The scriptures also call this the Plan of Happiness or the Plan of Redemption. The Plan of Salvation answers the basic questions of life; "Where did I come from?" "Why am I here?" and "Where am I going after I die?" This plan was presented to all of us by our loving Father in Heaven before the world was even created.

Pre-Earth Life: The Council in Heaven

  So before we all came to this earth, we lived with God and Jesus Christ and with everyone who has come to this earth. We are all children of God, He is our Father in Heaven, literally. We dwelt with Him and our families as spirit bodies. We all noticed that God had a body of flesh and bones and He was perfect. We wanted to become like our Heavenly Father but we couldn't unless we received a physical body and experienced mortal or earthly life. So our loving Heavenly Father presented this Plan of Salvation to all of us. He said He would have a world created where we could experience joy, peace, pain, sorrows, afflictions that would all help us learn and grow and become like Him. But, God said He needed someone to be a Mediator to fulfill this plan. We needed a Mediator because God knew if we came to earth, we would sin and make mistakes which would not allow us to return to His presence. So He needed a Savior to come down and set an example for all of us to follow who would be willing to suffer and die for all of our sins so we could correct our mistakes and live worthy to make it back to Heavenly Father's presence. With that, Jesus Christ stepped up and said He would be the Mediator and Savior of the world. Jesus Christ loved His Father and His children so much that He was willing to offer Himself as a sacrifice so we all could have the opportunity to return to live with Heavenly Father again. Jesus Christ said He would do all this, and whatever glory that was given would go all to His Father and not to Himself.

On the other hand, Lucifer, stood up as well and said that everyone should be forced to do what's right so everyone would make it back to Heavenly Father. But Lucifer wanted all the glory instead of God having all the glory. Now, our Heavenly Father didn't want it to be that way because He wanted all of us to have our free agency or the right to choose whether we would follow His plan. He wanted us to prove we loved Him and wanted to make it back to live with Him. And so, that is how Lucifer became Satan and the Devil because He rebelled against Heavenly Father's plan and so he was kicked out of Heaven, unable to receive a body or the opportunity to experience life. Somehow, Lucifer was able to persuade one third of the hosts of Heaven to leave with him. That was a sad day when one third of all our brothers and sisters were cast out of Heaven, never to be able to receive any blessings our Heavenly Father bestows upon us when we obey. That time was what the scriptures refer to as the "War in Heaven". Not a battle of swords and shields, more so of words and debate. 

As we all know, God's plan succeeded and He and Jesus Christ created the world and all that are in it so we all could have the place to gain a body, experience life and make choices that will help us become closer to Heavenly Father and hopefully in the end to live and dwell with Him when that time comes. All of us who are on the earth now, who have ever lived on the earth, and who will ever live on the earth in the future all chose to follow Heavenly Father's plan. We just forgot it all when we were born so we could exercise our agency and choose the right path God has laid out before us. Thankfully we have the scriptures and words of modern prophets that teach us about this plan and where we came from so we can know what we need to do to make it back to our Heavenly Home. I know that we were all with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ before this world was created and that we all made the right choice in the beginning to come to earth. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has truths that were lost concerning this plan and if we read and pray about the Book of Mormon, we will know if the true Church of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth again.

For more information on the Plan of Salvation visit Mormon.org.

Receiving an Answer to Prayer

     I recently read the story of the Book of Mormon Prophet, Enos, who received an answer to his prayer and a forgiveness of his sins because of his faith in Jesus Christ. I love Enos's experience and it has helped me gain a stronger testimony of the power of prayer and also of the mercy of our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. 

     Enos begins his account telling us about a "wrestle" he had before God. Which wrestle was a struggle Enos had to explain his real deepest desires of his heart to God in prayer. Enos was out hunting wild beasts and he had remembered the teachings of his father Jacob, who was the previous prophet, and he prayed very hard and earnestly for his own soul. He struggled to express his feelings to God and he was seeking for a remission or forgiveness of his sins. Enos prayed all day and into the night when he heard a voice from heaven saying "Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed" (Enos 1:5).

     After Enos was told his sins were forgiven, he gives a inspiring response and question. He asks "how is it done? (Enos 1:6). Now that to me shows how sincere Enos was in calling upon God and truly wanting his sins to be forgiven because he wanted to know how. What a great example if I say so myself. The Lord goes on to tell him that it is because of his faith in Jesus Christ that has made him whole. What a blessing it is to know that if we have faith, we can receive answers to our prayers, even forgiveness of our sins.

     An Apostle of the Lord Elder Robert D. Hales explains the process Enos went through that helped him to have an increase of faith and prepared him to receive the answer to his prayer. This 5 step process Enos went through can also apply in our lives to help us prepare to receive an answer to our prayers.

     " First, Enos heard the gospel truths from his father, just as you are hearing them in your families.

     "Second, he let his father's teaching about 'eternal life, and the joy of the saints'[Enos 1:3] sink deep into his heart.

      "Third, he was filled with a desire to know for himself whether these teachings were true and where he himself stood before his Maker.

      "Fourth, Enos obeyed the commandments of God, which enabled him to be receptive to the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.

      "Fifth, Enos records, 'I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens' [Enos 1:4]. It wasn't easy. Faith did not come quickly. In fact, Enos characterized his experience in prayer as a 'wrestle which [he] had before God' [Enos 1:2]. But faith did come. By the power of the Holy Ghost, he did receive a witness for himself.

    "We cannot find Enos-like faith without our own wrestle before God in prayer. I testify that the reward is worth the effort....I promise that if you do these things sincerely and unceasingly, the words of Christ spoke to His disciples will be fulfilled in your life: 'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' [Matthew 7:7]" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2004, 73-74; or Ensign, Nov. 2004, 72).

     I would like to add my personal witness that I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers. He answers our prayers according to our faith and to our willingness to act upon the answer we receive. I know that if we follow the steps that Enos took in preparing himself to receive an answer, then God will grant us what we best need according to the desires of our hearts. I am so grateful for the power of prayer and the role it has played in my life. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have a Father in Heaven whom I could go to for strength and support and comfort. God hears and answers our prayers, we just need to be willing to do something about it and watch and listen for the answer.



   

Furnace of Affliction

    

There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that I have come to love and that has helped me get through life's trials and look forward with an eye of faith. The scripture come from the 1st Book Of Nephi, Chapter 20 verse 10 and it reads, "For behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." The term refine in the dictionary means, " to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities". A furnace is, as stated in the dictionary, "a place characterized by intense heat".
     If anyone know anything about metals, you know that it requires very intense heat to refine or to remove the impurities out of the metal to make them pure and next to perfect. The metals go through a process in the furnace where the intense heat cleanses and purifies each metal.
     In the gospel, each person goes through a process where the Lord refines us and makes become more pure. One of the ways He does that is by allowing us to have affliction and trials in our lives. These afflictions that come upon us are not there to punish us or to weaken our faith, rather to shape us into the best people we can become. An Apostle of the Lord, Elder Dallin H. Oaks observed that like intense heat refines metal and removes impurities, likewise affliction can refine and purify each of us, he says this, "Most of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call 'the furnace of affliction' (Isaiah 48:10; 1 Nephi 20:10). Some are submerged in service to a disadvantaged family member. Others suffer the death of a loved one or the loss or postponement of a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing. Still others struggle with personal impairments or with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression. Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become."
     Along with Elder Oaks I believe that the troubles and trials we all face in life can help shape us into who God wants us to become.  I know its not easy to go through trials and difficulties and I don't think they are meant to be. But I do know that if we push through our trials with patience and faith, continue in scripture study and prayer, knowing that everything will turn out okay in the end, then we can truly become pure and sanctified. Our afflictions can truly refine and purify us.

Diligence

     Okay back to the Christlike Attributes. The next one I would like to talk about is diligence. Diligence is an important attribute to have. Not only in the gospel of Jesus Christ and doing His work, but also in our every day lives. One needs to be diligent in accomplishing his or her life's goal. Diligence in all we do will take us far in life.
     To be diligent means, "constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything." Throughout our lives, we go through many different tasks which we want to accomplish. Some of those tasks may include a school or job project, making the school sports team, getting into a certain school to earn a degree in an area of your choice or even some yard work. If we are not diligent, if we don't put in constant effort to finish our task, we won't be able to reach our ending goal. It's important that we do find that determination within ourselves and be diligent so we can accomplish any life goal we may have.
     Everyone in life also goes through different trials and tribulations through their life. These trials and difficult to overcome at times and we often want to just give up and quit. But like any goal we wish to accomplish, we need to put in our effort and be diligent in our trials knowing that if we are doing our best in life, we will eventually overcome our trials and be freed from the burdens that beset us. If we push through our trials with faith and diligence, the Lord will see our efforts and will bless us in our time of need. We can't just sit back and wait to for the blessings to come because they most likely won't. We need to be active and do what we are supposed to even when we may not want to and it may be hard, but as long as we do, then the blessings will flow.
     I know that being diligent in all that we do will help us become better people and we will find success in our lives. The most important thing we need to be diligent in is living the gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing His gospel with others. That's why we as missionaries go out door to door to try and find people who will listen to our wonderful true message we have to share. I know as long as we missionaries are diligent, even when times are tough and we may be tired, if we stay diligent and be persistent, we will find people who are interested in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Diligence is important and we can go far in life when we are diligent. I know all this to be true.
    

My Dad

 

Before I move on to another Christlike attribute I would like to slip a quick post in here in regards to Father's Day coming up on June 19th. I would just like to write for a bit about my own dad Russell Neilson. My dad is the best, to put it simply. I truly couldn't have asked for a better dad. I have become the person who I have become because of him and how he has taught me and how he has lived his life. My dad would literally do anything for me, even if he didn't really want to. He always made sure to do whatever it took to make me happy. I have always been provided for my whole life, whether it was food, shelter, clothing, or even sporting equipment and attire. Ever since I can remember my dad has been up early in the morning to make me breakfast before school. Something which I now deeply appreciated cause I love his cooking. My dad has been a wonderful teacher to me. Whenever I needed help in school, he was right there to help me find the answers. He was a great coach and mentor. I absolutely love sports, my whole life has revolved around sports and my dad taught me how to play and get better in my athletics. He pushed me to my fullest potential  even when I may have whined and complained. He knew how good I could get and I am very grateful he did push me to become better. 

     There are so many more things I could go on about my dad and how he has blessed my life, but most importantly he has been the best example to me in living his life like our Savior Jesus Christ. My dad is the most kind, and loving person out there and I have seen the love he shows for my mom, my brother and sisters, the people he served in our ward as a Bishop and all the people around him. Throughout my life I have always seen my dad studying from his scriptures so he could teach me the ways of the gospel. He made sure we had family prayers, and family scripture study, and family home evenings to help strengthen us kids and help us gain a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sure there were times we as a family slacked, but that was us kids' fault cause we tended to again whine and complain. But I am so thankful that my dad did push to make sure we had the spiritual times as a family so we could know how to become more like Jesus Christ. Forgive me if I sound like I am rambling, there is just so much to talk about my dad that I will be forever grateful for. I am who I am today because of the example my dad set for me and I appreciate him and allowing me to be a part of his wonderful family here on earth. I love you dad and thank you for EVERYTHING. Happy Father's Day!

Humility

     The next Christlike attribute I would like to discuss is the wonderful characteristic of humility. This attribute is one that many people in the world struggle with. I have heard the saying that "pride is the universal sin". If you look at the world, that sure makes sense to me, whether we're prideful out of ignorance or whatever the case may be, pride is not good and one needs to be humble to live a Christlike life.
     What does it mean to be humble? Well I found some good words out of the missionary reference Preach My Gospel explaining Humility. "Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgement of your constant need for divine help. Humility is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of spiritual strength. When you humbly trust Him and acknowledge His power and mercy, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are confident that you can do whatever the Lord requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His chosen servants and follow their counsel. Humility will help you as you strive to be obedient, to work hard, and serve selflessly."
     Clearly, being humble is pretty awesome but on the flip side, we need to beware of pride. Preach My Gospel goes on to say, "The opposite of humility is pride, which is condemned in the scriptures. To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God or in His servants. It also means to put the things of the world above things of God. Prideful people take honor to themselves rather than giving God the glory. Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than other people. Pride usually results in feelings of anger and hatred, and it is a great stumbling block."

     I know that its important to be humble in all that we do. There is a difference between being confident and prideful or arrogant. One can be proud of their accomplishments but still give God the credit and thanks. Humility truly isn't a sign of weakness, it is a strength and we are better off when we are humble because we develop more Christlike attributes when humility runs its course in our lives. I know I can be more humble in some areas in my life, that's why I am working on becoming better, as everyone can improve the quality of their lives. If we strive for humility, others will see our examples and will want to follow. I know that as we strive for humility, we will become a better person and follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Patience

     This next Christlike attribute is one that I most definitely need help on. That attribute is Patience. Now, I'm sure everyone has heard the saying "the patience of Job". Yes Job truly had an incredible amount of patience. The patience of which I know I will probably never have. But I can work towards it hopefully cause I know it'll be tough. Anyways patience, how do we describe patience.
     The Missionary Guide Preach My Gospel says this concerning patience. "Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith-you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled. You need patience in your everyday experiences and relationships...You must be patient with all people, yourself included, as you work to overcome faults and weaknesses."
    During our times of difficulty that we will all face in life, if we are patient and keep enduring, then we will eventually receive the blessings God has in store for us. Going back to Job, he literally lost everything he loved, yet, he still pushed forward with patience, not getting angry at anyone, and although he was tested for a long time, he still endured and in the end he received even more than what he had to begin with. We all have our different trials and tests in life which are hard for each one of us, but as long as we are patient and look forward with faith, then when the time is right, we will get the blessings promised to us.
     I know that it takes a lot of learning to develop patience, but that's how we learn is by practice. Our Savior was patient with everyone he dealt with, so why can't we? I know that if we strive to be a little more patient with others, and also ourselves, then we will find an added measure of the Spirit of Lord in our lives. I know in my youth I was not patient at all. If I didn't have something right then and there, I would get angry. Now that I'm older and more mature, I have been able to become more patient with things in life and I've noticed that if you don't have something right now, its okay, just keep being positive and when the time is right, and if you have been patient, then you'll get what you need. Patience is surely a virtue and a Christlike attribute, so its important that we learn it.

Here is a short video by an Apostle of the Lord, Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, about patience. It puts what it means to be patient in simple terms, check it out.

Knowledge

     The next Christlike attribute we need to develop is Knowledge. Jesus Christ was had all knowledge and wisdom. He knew the scriptures and He knew all He needed to know in this life to fulfill His purpose on earth. He grew up seeking, searching, pondering and applying what He learned from the scriptures and from His Heavenly and earthly parents to gain the wisdom and perfect knowledge that He had. Likewise, we are to obtain knowledge so we can be successful in this life.
     We have been commanded by the Lord to gain knowledge. In the scriptures we are told to "Seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118). We need to seek knowledge, specifically spiritual knowledge. We are to study from the scriptures and the words of the Apostles and Prophets everyday. When we study in faith, with prayer, we will find answers to questions, and find help to any challenges we may be facing in life. We should do all we can to gain the knowledge we need to be eternally happy in this life and forever. By so doing we will live our lives as our Savior would have us live.
     Now, we must remember that when we are seeking knowledge, we will not know everything all at once. Knowledge comes over time. We learn little by little every day, line upon line, precept upon precept. We have the scriptures and living prophets to helps us gain the knowledge we need to know so we know how to worship, what to worship, and what we need to do to find success in this life.  Knowledge is one of the gifts of the Spirit and if we do all we can to seek and obtain the knowledge God wants us to obtain, then we will have "the advantage in the world to come" (D&C 130:18-19).
     I know that my spiritual knowledge is very small compared to others. But I do know that if we don't obtain knowledge, then we won't know how to get back to our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the words of the Apostles and Prophets that help me to learn and grow in my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love reading the scriptures and hearing the knowledge others have of the gospel and I hope that one day I can become more knowledgeable in the ways of the Lord so I can help others obtain the knowledge they need to find true happiness and success in this life. 

Virtue

     "Virtue originates in your innermost thoughts and desires. It is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. Since the Holy Ghost does not dwell in unclean tabernacles, virtue is prerequisite to receiving the Spirit's guidance. What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.
     "Virtuous people are clean and pure spiritually. They focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put unworthy thoughts that lead to inappropriate actions out of their minds. They obey God's commandments and follow the counsel of Church leaders. They pray for the strength to resist temptation and do what is right. They pray for the strength to resist temptation and do what is right. They quickly repent of any sins or wrongdoings. They live worthy of a temple recommend.
     "Your mind is like a stage in a theater; in the theater of your mind, however, only one actor can be on stage at a time. If the stage is left bare, thoughts of darkness and sin often enter the stage to tempt. But these thoughts have no power if the stage of your mind is occupied by wholesome thoughts, such as a memorized hymn or verse of scripture that you can call upon in a moment of temptation. By controlling the stage of your mind, you can successfully resist persistent urges to yield to temptation and indulge in sin. You can become pure and virtuous" (Preach My Gospel pg. 18-19).
     Jesus Christ never at any moment even considered thinking about thinking unwholesome thoughts. He always resisted the temptations of the devil and He conquered all. I know that if we strive to keep our thoughts and desires clean and pure and virtuous, then we will live a true happy and productive life. Even in eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

 What does it mean to be virtuous?
 D&C 4:6        D&C 46:33                  2 Peter 1:3-8
D&C 25:2       D&C 121:45-46
D&C 38:24     Articles of Faith 1:13

Charity and Love

     The next Christlike attribute is probably the most important attribute that we need to develop during the course of our life. That attribute is charity, the pure love of Christ. Now, what exactly is charity? Yes it is the pure love of Christ, but what does that entail? In the Bible Dictionary it explains charity as this, "The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ." Now to me that sounds like a pretty important type of love to develop. Having charity and love for everyone is very important to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
     Christ was once asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus answered: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:36-39). Preach My Gospel says that this pure love "includes God's eternal love for all His children. We are to seek to develop that kind of love. When you are filled with charity, you obey God's commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel."
     "Charity is a gift from God." A prophet in the Book of Mormon, named Mormon, tells us one way we can gain charity. He says in Moroni 7: 48 that we should "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love." If we are to pray and ask to be filled with love and charity towards our fellow men, it must be important to God that we strive obtain this precious gift.
     Preach My Gospel goes on to explain what will happen to us as we develop charity. "As you follow this counsel and strive to do righteous works, your love for all people will increase, especially those among whom you labor. You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are struggling or discouraged. Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself."
     Our Savior Jesus Christ set the example for us in pretty much every aspect of life. One being this love I've blogged about. He showed and demonstrated this kind of love throughout His life. He always looked for ways to serve His Father's children. Also, He proved His love for us by sacrificing Himself and suffering for all our sins, pains, and afflictions so we could have a chance to live with God again. I'm so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and Brother who love us with unconditional love and who are willing to bless us with this love if we have that desire to become like them. I know that if we are filled with charity, the pure love of Christ, then we will see everyone as God sees them and we will find our lives being more happy and blessed.


  Christ healing at the Pool of Bethesda

 

Christ suffering for the world.

People giving service to those in need.

Related Scriptures About Charity:

What is Charity?

Moroni 7: 45-48

1 Corinthians 13

How did Jesus Christ demonstrate Charity?

1 Nephi 19:9

Alma 7: 11-13

Ether 12: 33-34

Luke 7:12-15

What do these verses teach you about Charity?

2 Nephi 26:30     Alma 7:24          1 Timothy 4:12

Mosiah 2:17        Ether 12:28         1 Peter 4:8

Mosiah 28:3        D&C 88:125