Pride.

I am going to talk about something that I think is one of the things I struggle with the most. It often hurts my ability to perform in the ways the Lord would have me. Pride comes in many shapes and sizes. I am not someone who thinks that I am better than people in fact it is really somewhat the opposite, I tend to have a low confidence. So I will share a few examples from my mission. First starting with when I first arrived in the mission field, I knew that I was not good at the whole missionary thing but I was not really ready to change. I liked the things that I did and didn’t feel like I needed to budge. Wrong! It was pride I thought that where I had come so far in life was good enough, that’s not how I would have phrased it then but in retrospect it’s the closest description to the truth. 

Secondly I was placed with a companion that was a little less than diligent and I then decided that I needed to change to be better. Humbled… no. I then repositioned my pride, with this companion I used pride to push myself. My thoughts were “everyone knows he is not living up to his potential so will impress people by doing better than him”. I needed/wanted the praise of men. A song quote comes to mind, “Could you hold your head high, when no one knows your name”! At this time I could only say no.

The last example is the most recent, as missionaries we teach many lessons and a problem many have is teaching everyone a rote presentation of our lessons. A cookie cutter lesson, with a one size fits all sort of mentality, where we clearly just go through the motions and wonder why our friends that we teach don’t keep their commitments. This one gets worse as missionaries get older and think “I have seen it all”, with a memorized solution to every concern or problem.  We forget to rely on the spirit because our pride says “you know how to do this now, you don’t need help”. Pride is a terrible thing and it is some thing I still struggle with, but I continue to work on. The scriptures are full of examples of pride and its eventual outcome. The entire Book of Mormon shows the destruction of a nation because of their pride which led to them forgetting God and losing His promise of safety. “Behold, the pride of this nation … hath proven their destruction except they should repent.”(Moroni 8:27)

War

I have often thought about the war we are in, the war against evil, Satan, and sin. In this war are two factions: Christ’s or the devils. We are to pick which side we will align with by our actions, by so doing we also choose what our end stage is and show what our true goals are. One thing about this war that is very different from any other is that the victor has already been established and the leaders of both sides know this. Christ will win, there is no question, but Satan continues to try, why?

See this war is filled with countless battles and though the devil knows that he cannot win the war, it is his goal take as many battles as he can. And what do the battles look like, what are they? Well, they have 2 legs, 2 arms, and a torso, a head with 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 mouth, and 1 nose. The battles are each and every person on this beautiful planet. The adversary’s goal is to make all of us stumble, give up, give in, and/or quit! He desires to have us, to take us, and bind us down!  As we follow his ways we are damned, that is we stop progressing. He is miserable and wants to sink all to his level.

This war is tough and our battles are hard, but with a belief in God we can “with surety hope for a better world” (Ether 12:4). Christ will uplift and strengthen us as we do what is expected like keep the commandments always remember him and take his name upon us. That isn’t to say that He makes it easy but He helps us grow to overcome all in our path. “Your path may be thorny, but Jesus is nigh you; His arm is sufficient, tho demons oppose.” (Hymn 266)



This is Fighting!



So what is you role in it? You must fight daily! We must “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men…, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end” (2 Nephi 31:20). Now as we do this there is a promise for which sounds pretty awesome. It is, “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) Don’t give up, because I know that you can do it if you just go for it!

Our Trust in God.

This post is one written by Elder Chad Robert Jeppson, who is currently serving as my companion as of February 14, 1012 to the present. It is a little long but definitely worth the read!

Our Trust in God

Hello my name is Elder Chad Robert Jeppson I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!!! I am 19 years old and I am from a little town in Idaho close to the Wyoming border!!! I came from a family of 6; I have 1 older brother and 2 younger sisters!!! Growing up I learned to love sports and the outdoors!!! My favorite things to do are play football, wrestle, go camping, and hunting!!! I am currently serving a mission in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission and have been out for almost a year!!! On my mission I have had the opportunity to help out a lot of people, but I think the person that has been impacted the most is me!!!

Having been able to study the scriptures every morning, teaching people all day, and devoting all my time to serve the Lord has helped me to see, to gain, a whole new perspective in life!!! I was not always the happy go lucky kid that I am now!!! Back when I was in 6th grade was probably the hardest time of my life!!! Within 6 months I lost my uncle, and my best friend at the time moved away!! I felt alone, I didn’t know where to go, I felt totally lost!!! I had been raised in the church but I didn’t have a big enough testimony to keep me afloat!!! I soon found myself in the rough crowd, doing some things I never thought I would be doing in my life!!! I felt as if the world was crashing down on me and I didn’t know what to do!!!Which brings me to my topic I want to talk about “Our Trust in God”?

In D&C 82:10 the Lord promises us blessings if we do what he asks us to do!!! And in D&C 130:20-21 says that we receive no blessing from God unless we are obedient to the law upon which that blessing is predicated. In the Book of Ether it talks about a civilization of people named the Jaredites!!! They were around when the Lord confounded the languages at the tower of Babel!!! This group of people pleaded with the Lord and asked if they could keep their language and the Lord told them to gather their people and leave!!! So they were obedient and left and the Lord told them about a promised land and how he would guide them to it. So as they travelled through the wilderness they were taken care of by the Lord!!! They then came to the large waters and were commanded to build boats and so they did!!! And now this next part is what I want to talk on most!!! In Ether 6:5-12 it talks about their journey across the large waters!!!

"Large Waters"

Verse 5 states “And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the Promised Land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.” I just want to emphasize that the Lord caused giant waves that tossed them about to come and take them to the Promised Land!!! And I don’t know if you have ever been on a boat in the middle of the ocean in a large storm but I could only imagine that it would be rough!!! I don’t know exactly how big the boats were but having animals and people crammed in there and all manner of sickness and whatever else was going on it could not be fun to be on one of those boats!!!

And it goes on to say in verse 6 “And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.” So as they were on this journey many times it says they were buried in the depths of the sea because of the waves that were caused by the wind!!! So what can we learn from this? We can learn that sometimes it is hard but it is for the best!!! Because without the wind we would never make it where the Lord wants us to go and where we want to be!!! Sometimes as we are going through life, trials arise, we feel that everything is falling upon us and that there is no escape!!! We feel we are inadequate and can’t go on!!! Well if it were just us, we probably couldn’t, but we have the hand of the Lord in everything we do, we just have to ask for help!!!

Then in verse 7 it reads “And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.” Now we know from this that the Lord would never give more than we could handle!!! Even though we may be buried in the deep we will be blessed and be able to carry on!!! No matter how big the waves were no matter how far under we were the Lord is carrying us He knows where we are, He knows what are breaking point is, He is our Father and He loves us, He knows our strengths and our weaknesses and He will support us and preserve us in the roughest of times!!!

Now on to verse 8, “And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the Promised Land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.” It tells us that the wind did never cease to blow!!! Now sometimes we feel like we need a break but if we had a break we might never make it and plus the Lord knows what is best for us and will provide the way that we can endure!!! Even though it is rough, even though it is tough, we are moving in the right direction!!! It is not easy to follow the savior’s example, and sometimes we feel that we are good and can just coast, we can’t because the next wave is coming, the next trial is right around the corner and we must always have our guard up because the wind is always blowing!!!

So it goes on to say in verse 9 “And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.” This makes me come to the conclusion that they had a lot of trust in God, at first I think they would be a little nervous, or at least I would be, having to endure those mountainous waves in these barges, but as they continued to see how the Lord had kept them safe thus far why would he allow them then to be swallowed up? Thus it gave them the strength through their past experiences that Lord would take care of them through this one!!! We must always search for those blessings that we have received as we have gone through rough times before so that we can have the faith and trust that we need to make it through any trial that we may be going through because without that faith and that trust we are nothing!!!

Continuing to verse 10, “And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.” It interests me how the animals of the sea were even giving them trouble!!! Sometimes as we are going through our journey we often run into someone who is not the friendliest person and gives us some havoc, not always on purpose, but who might just be going through a rough time also!!! What do we do when this occurs, because how many of us have been offended or hurt by what someone says, and does not take the time to find out what is going on in their life to make them say something that would bring us down!!! I know that I have I have been told something that strikes me to the core but all I would do is just be standoff and take it to heart and say in my mind, "Well I am not going to talk to them anymore!!!" We need to just try to help everyone we can even if it is tough!!! It could have been easy for those people to yell at or curse the whale but what good would that have done?

We then move on to verse 11 “And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water.” It then puts a time on how long this people endured this trial!!! Sometimes we feel  that whatever we may be going through is never going to end, I am sure that these people were ready for it to end, I couldn’t even imagine how these people felt after being tossed upon the water for almost a year!!! I have felt that I have been trodden down and nothing good happens to me for long periods of time but we need to trust that God will answer our prayers that he will be there and will never forsake us no matter how long the wind blows!!!



"Promised Land"



Lastly verse 12 states “And they did land upon the shore of the Promised Land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the Promised Land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.” Ohhh what a happy day this would be after all they had gone through they finally make and the first thing they do is bow down before the Lord and thank him!!! I know that for me sometimes I am slow to thank the Lord after I go through a few struggles!!! As you bow down before the Lord it shows your trust in him and it shows that you are truly humble!!! I know that we all sometimes go through trials we don’t know if we are going to make it through but when these trials do arise we need to put our trust in God. We need to see the blessings that He has already blessed us with and trust that He will raise us up out of the great deep once again!!!

He has already promised us everything that He has to offer since we are His children “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:16-17)So if He has already promised it to us, it is ours, we just have to choose whether that is what we want or not!!! And when we do choose that that is what we want, it becomes our focus and we will trust that we will be able to endure anything that comes in our path so that we can receive everything!!! I just want to say that God lives, I know that Jesus is the Christ, and that He made everything possible for us, we just need to choose to follow Him, and make Eternal Life our vision, and we will make it and we will be able to bring others along with us!!! And I say these things, I the name of Jesus Christ, our brother, and Savior, Amen!!!

General Conference.

So the first weekend in April and October of every year is a very exciting time for members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints. This is where the prophets and apostles of today, our time teach us and encourage us. As they testify of Christ I know you will feel the spirit. This is such an important time for people as a modern day Moses tells us what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ wants us to hear. If God is going to be giving a talk I want to be there, and so I will! It is sad though that for a few people in the church to view this as a Sunday that we can sleep in and we don’t have to go to church. Oh how wrong that "day-off" mentality is. As we do this we become like the people of old who did not respect the prophets of their time, it never worked out well for them and it won’t work out for us! If we want to know what God expects of us then we for sure need to listen up when he sends someone to answer that very question. I know I have not always treated conference as I should and I regret those times very much, but I have applied the atonement and have repented! The coolest thing about conference is that if we come with questions we are guaranteed that at least one of the speakers will touch on the subject we need to hear and we will gain answers! That’s just so awesome! I hope you enjoy General Conference as much as I do!

To watch conference live at home go to http://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch?lang=eng

or even better you could come watch it with me at:

800 Fleetwood Dr.

Seaford, De 19973

The times are: Saturday 12 & 4, and Sunday 12 & 4.

To read more about our prophet today you can visit this site: http://www.thomassmonson.org/

Prayer.



PRAY OFTEN!



What is Prayer? Well to me, it is when we humble ourselves before God to seek Him out. We go to Him to thank Him for the many things we have, we seek for blessings for our loved ones, we ask questions that may be troubling us, we seek for help in our daily lives, and we repent of our sins and shortcomings. But one of the most important elements of prayer is not what we say, but the answers we receive through the Spirit. Prayer is a very beautiful thing, we kneel and speak to our Heavenly Father, and He the Creator of all things , the Most high, The Supreme Being, Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End, etc. listens to those words, but not only that He Answers. He takes the time to do so for all the many children that He has.  I think prayer is one of the most simple and rewarding things that we have been blessed with. It is also the most successful but neglected. Whenever I have a problem in my life that seems insurmountable, if I will but pray and ask for assistance, I feel peace come to me. I may not know what to do to overcome the hurdle but the peace comes that helps me to take one step at a time, with faith that it will all work out. I hereby make my stand that I will pray more, listen more, and apply those things that I learn while praying, I encourage you to do the same!

To hear an Apostle of the Lord talk about prayer look here: https://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/02/exhort-them-to-pray?lang=eng

Sharing.

I would like you to imagine something here. Say someone just found this really amazing recipe for the most amazing food in the world. This person loves it and thinks of it as the greatest thing to come in contact with mankind. But this person keeps it all to themself. And when they die it goes with them. The rest of mankind missed out because of someone lack of sharing, how sad! This is how we should never treat the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the above all else what will help mankind the most, here and in the hereafter. That is why I share what I do because I have found something so truly amazing that I cannot keep it myself. I am not perfect at it and I am trying to be better. Sometimes I have to kick myself in the butt because I forget just how important it is. I want to thank all of those who share. There are many that are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12), but you do! Let them know the important truths that you cherish like: Forever Families, We are Children of God, He loves us, Life after Death, The Restoration of The Gospel, Faith, Repentance, The Gift of the Holy Ghost, The Plan of Salvation, and much, much more! “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”(Matt. 5:16)

Reach Out and Share!

Choice.

One of the greatest blessings our Heavenly Father gave us is our Agency, or our right to choose. All through life we make decisions some small, like what to have for breakfast, and others quite large, like what to do for a career. These choices really show us who we are and will be. For instance, the small choice of not doing homework leads to choosing that repeatedly. This will eventually lead to poor grades, which will ultimately limit career choices. Choices of spiritual matters are even more important, because “I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences.” (Thomas S. Monson, Prophet. As Quoted by Elder Randall K. Bennett) When we look at these choices with that eternal perspective things get more clear and we can better see what we really want for ourselves. We must always realize that although we can make our choices the consequences are naturally connected, we don’t choose those. “My dear brothers and sisters, your eternal destiny will not be the result of chance but of choice. It is never too late to begin to choose eternal life! (Elder Randall K. Bennett) If you want it, Choose it. I love the scripture in Joshua 24 which reads: “choose you this day whom ye will serve; …but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. (v.15) So let’s all make our choice, and let it be to Serve God!

Hope.

I love the scripture in Ether 12:4, which reads:

            "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

Hope for a better world ~ Like watching the sunrise!

This scripture tells me that although this life sometimes throws us a fast ball that we didn't really see coming, if we have faith/believe, where can indeed hope for a better world, as that is what has been promised us by our Father in Heaven through many prophets. And then this hope is our anchor to help be the "sure and steadfast" children of God that he expects us to be. That will then be our motivation do to good for our brothers and sisters who need our help, because many do in a large amount of different kinds of ways. And what we do for them will Glorify our Heavenly Father! That is awesome, so let’s all gain that Hope through Faith!

Trials

I was reading the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees (Jacob 5, The Book of Mormon) the other day, which sometimes is a stumbling block for many of us. But I learned something that is pretty amazing to me, although it may not be the main message of this allegory but a good message nonetheless. In verses 20 – 22 it shows the Master/Lord of the vineyard (God) showing his servant a branch which he had hid in the “poorest spot in all the land of [the Lord’s] vineyard”. The servant wondered why this spot was chosen, and the Lord says “Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit.”

On the other hand look at verse 25 where the Lord of the vineyard shows a branch placed in a good spot of ground (later in the chapter he describes it as "a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me above all other parts of the land of my vineyard" v. 43). This tree was nourished just like the rest but only part of it brought forth good fruit. It had some things handed to it, had it easy.

What I was thinking of today as I read this scripture is that though sometimes we feel that God has handed us a "poor spot of ground" (trials, or a "hard" life), and it’s just too much to deal with. Sometimes we seek to "counsel" God and tell him we don't deserve our situation. We observe others with not so poor ground, and think that we have been unjustly dealt with. We do not know what God knows, great things are in store for those that follow His counsel. He nourishes all of his children just sometimes we don’t recognize all the blessings he gave us. Some of us don’t accept blessings either so therefore we let ourselves start to whither away. What we need to focus on is what we can do to bring forth good fruit. Strive to do what the Lord our God asks and requires of us. Lay up treasures in heaven! Trials are always for our good and will help us to become better. God knows our potential and he lets us struggle so that we may grow.

Grateful.

What does it mean to be grateful? When I think of grateful I think of all the things I am thankful for, or appreciate, in my life, which are many different things. The dictionary defines grateful as Feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful. At the times in my life when I feel on top of the world I could tell you of some things I am grateful for, but when I am under a great trial I tend to forget my most basic blessings and dwell on the tough things. There is a family that has forever changed my life. They were going through more than anyone else that I have personally known, health problems, no money to support family, potential incarceration, and many other things. They were telling us of these problems and how desperate their situation was and increasing worse all the while. This family told how they were about to lose all that they needed, and I am talking needs, but then this man whose soul weighed heavy began to tell us of his blessings.

When I looked at their state I thought that this family had nothing left to be grateful for but, he told how much he loved his wife and kids, how the Lord had already thus far kept him from death when circumstances wouldn’t have allowed if not for a divine miracle. They shared their love for God and his eternal purposes. This family was in the depths of despair and could name blessings that all too often we take for granted. Let us all take a look at what we have and thank God for each and every one of them. Did you just breathe? Welcome to another blessing. Are you wearing something? What a blessing that is. Can you read? Count it. Count your many blessings. (hymn 241, count your blessings) There is too much wrong in this world not to remember the good things that God provides.

Responsibility and/or Priorities

I haven’t written anything for a while and by way of excuse I offer only this: my responsibilities and priorities were changed and jumbled. This topic is something of a big one and I will try to keep it short. Often times as people we wonder what are different responsibilities are and how we can better prioritize them, because we struggle to complete everything that needs doing in just one lifetime. Some struggle with the balance between career and family, as teens, we struggle with the balance of family and friends, some struggle with a balance of virtual things (technology) and the real world. As I have been away it has been because of the fact that I have was called as a missionary trainer, which gives me the responsibility of helping a new missionary find and control the reigns of missionary work. I was told that everything I did would shape this missionary's entire mission. This added weight caused me to evaluate my priorities and I changed a few things around, deciding to put other things ahead of my blog.

I have come to realize that this was a mistake, small, but nonetheless a mistake. So this has made me ponder and think of how we can really know how to find this balance in our lives, I was led my Preach My Gospel (page 107) to the scriptures. In 3 Nephi 13 Jesus teaches the people in America about laying up treasures in heaven and not on earth, then he tells the disciples not to worry about food or clothes or drink, because God will provide. It says he takes care of the lilies so he will take care of you. After reading this I was thinking we should all quit our jobs and just do the lords work… that really wouldn’t work, and that confused me, but as I read on, He sheds a little more light on the subject, he says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”(3 Nephi 13:33) So what he is saying is that if we seek to keep the commandments first he will help us to also do what is necessary to provide for our temporal well being. So the answer to figuring out our priorities is to seek to do what Christ would do. The choice I made was well intentioned and at the time what I thought was right. But my leaders were all stressing that we continue doing what I was weeding out, I was reasoning that the message they were sharing was to those who weren’t facing the same issues as I was/am. I was wrong. If we want to know what is most important we need to seek for revelation from two venues: personal and priesthood. To know more on the revelation topic see "Two Lines of Communication".

The Purpose.

As missionaries we often think of about our purpose and if we are fulfilling it. Our purpose is to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”(PMG p. 1) What about you, what is your purpose? Are you fulfilling it? The prophet Lehi shared with us our purpose as children of God, He said, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”(2 Nephi 2:25) So he says that our purpose is to have joy. That’s great because that’s what I want anyway. That’s pretty easy, sometimes.

What are some things that bring you joy in this life? If you’re like me you begin to think of some hobbies that you like, your family, and friends. Something I do find joy in but don’t remember as often as I should is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Christ Himself. An angel of the lord once explained where we can find joy, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:10-11) this angel brought “good tidings of great joy” which is Christ. So he is that great joy, and is truly where we can find it by the barrels full!

So how do we tap in to this great joy? Let’s look at a scripture, “But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.”(2 Nephi 9:18) We must believe and endure, which will grant us inheritance in the kingdom of God, where we will find or joy is full forever! That sounds pretty awesome! To believe is to have faith, so we must have faith in Christ and endure to the end. So let’s talk about faith, faith in Christ helps us to also have hope in the promises he has given, like eternal life. Elder Derfler use to always say that the greatest joy in this life comes from knowing you will have joy in the next life.  I believe that is true. There is a cycle here; it starts with faith which leads to hope in that which our faith tells us is true. Hope then fosters joy in our lives by helping to look past the trials we face now to the brighter future of living with our Heavenly Father. When we feel joy, it being a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22), it helps us to have a stronger faith because we can feel the spirit confirm our faith. So it continues, unless we let any of these things get interrupted. Without joy we get discouraged and faith falters. Without faith we won’t try for divine intervention to change and become better. Without hope we look to future for nothing better and trails throw us to the dirt.

Now about that enduring thing, how do we do that? What does it even mean? Enduring to the end is to keep the commandments of God and press forward striving to all we can to follow Christ in every way. Keeping the commandments does bring joy, “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) He promises it as long we are faithful, and righteous. Obviously we won’t be perfect but when we slip we should repent immediately and never do it again. Then we recommit and proceed again to do our best. It’s hard, I know, and when we mess up, we often get troubled by this and get discouraged. DON’T DO THAT! Remember what we said that does before. Find joy in repentance because the heavens do (Luke 15:7).

So if you desire this gift of joy like this king, listen to answer he gets on how to receive it. “And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy. But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.”(Alma 22:15-16) Basically he says pray and have faith (the first step of the cycle) you will find joy. So as we do this we will accept Christ and begin to follow his example if we are truly converted and seeking His Joy. A couple of ways to follow the Gospel are: rear your children in righteousness and help them do what is right (3 John 1:4); another is to invite those around you to come unto Christ and repent just as you have (Alma 29:9).

Conversion? Yes!

                My name is Elder Kofoed (right now, some day it will be Brother or John Kofoed). I was born in the church and was baptized and confirmed a member at the age of eight. I did it then mostly because that is what we did. It was more the culture of my family and most of my hometown, for that matter, than anything else. As I got a little older something happened that would change my life forever, I came to the realization that not everybody in the world was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That rocked my world! I can’t really remember a time that I didn’t believe the church was true, there were times of slight uncertainty but that would quickly leave as I would continue to live the commandments. I am sure that I started out leaning on the testimony of my parents but I was gradually weaned off and building my own just as slowly. In August of 2005 President Gordon B. Hinckley challenged everyone to read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ Before the end of the year.

My family was a little slow to act and was a little hit or miss but we did our best, and I am not sure if we beat the end of the year but I know that we did finish. During this time of reading together we had frustrations and sometimes low desire from me and my little brother. I also had some very moving experiences as I read about the following stories:  the people with Alma-the-older in bondage and leaning on faith for relief, people being burned and stoned after being converted by Alma-the-younger and his companion Amulek, the converted Lamanites burying their weapons of war and suffering themselves to be killed rather than slay their brethren for their own protection, Samuel the Laminate standing on a wall teaching the, now wicked, Nephites and not being touched by all the things thrown, slung, or shot at him, the resurrected Lord healing teaching and blessing the ancient people of the Americas, the sad destruction of the people after they forgot the Lord. By the end of this challenge I had a testimony (however small it may have been) but didn’t realize it. It grew slowly and even began to slip especially as I hit high school and chose to do some things that I knew I shouldn’t have done. But as I repented and changed back to the person that I wanted to be it grew more.

Today it stands as the one thing I can count as a constant, as long as I nourish it. I know that the church is true, I know that Joseph Smith was a man called by God to Restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness, I know that the priesthood was restored and gives us opportunity to do the Lords work, I know that Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, I know that through Him the pains and trials of this life can be overcome so that we can bear them, I know that He lives today and that He loves us, I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father, I know that he wants every opportunity for us to grow and become the best we can be, I know that He has a plan for us to be happy in this life and in the Eternities to come, I know that the power of prayer is real, I know that we are led today by a prophet whose name is Thomas S. Monson, I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I love it with all my heart. And you can too, by reading the Book of Mormon, praying about it, and applying it your life. Just be sincere and intend to act on the answer you receive and have faith, and you will know through the Holy Ghost that this is all true (see Moroni 10:4-5, Book of Mormon). It works, I know because I did it.

Time.

This past Sunday was my birthday,and it made me think of what I have done with the last 20 years of my life.  It makes me wonder what is time and what is it for? The dictionary defines time as: “a limited period during which an action, process, or condition exists or takes place”. This is one point I would like to discuss. As stated in Alma 12:24 this life is “a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God”. This is very important to remember but often times forgotten. It would be really handy if I could have this constantly in my mind reminding me of the purpose of all of the things that life can throw at us. I have made some obvious mistakes at different points in my life, of which I am not proud of. Of course I wouldn’t change them either, because as I relied on the Atonement I have changed for the better and have been forgiven. One can never be perfect but we can get closer as we progress through life.

                It’s also essential to remember the eternal perspective by remembering just how short this life is compared to our existence extending forever.  Our existence here is illustrated by this mental picture: take a string and extend it in both directions until you can’t see either end standing where you are tie one thread on the string. That is this life in the eternal comparison. Let’s not let the decisions of this tiny little moment ruin our hopes and dreams for the rest of forever. Although we sometimes have trials, the adversity and afflictions of this life “shall be but a small moment”, but if we “endure it well” (D&C 121:7-8) the rewards are out of this world, literally. I love this promise given by the lord. As we face life we can hold our heads high and keep our eyes pointed to God as the goal. Those that can keep this perspective tend to move past their trials with out getting hung up and blaming the one that could help them through those points in their lives, God. Let us move forward with faith and remember why we are here, and where we plan to go!

164 years celebrating a legacy of faith!

     The 24th of July marks 164 years since the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. They have left behind a great heritage and are an inspiration to all of us. They have showed us what those who have desires to follow Christ would be willing to do. There are lots of stories that show their faith, but I will share one that really inspires me. It’s about the rescue party sent out to find the Martin and Willie handcart companies. They were stuck near Devil's Gate Wyoming in blistering cold winter weather. Their food was all but depleted and they had suffered many deaths already. Brigham young had sent a crew from Salt Lake to help.

     "Rescue party leader Captain George D. Grant described the scene to President Young in a letter sent by courier on the morning of 3 November 1856: 'You can imagine between five and six hundred men, women and children, worn down by drawing carts through mud and snow, fainting by the wayside, children crying with cold, their limbs stiffened, their feet bleeding, and some of them bare to the frost. The sight is too much for the stoutest of us, but we go on doing our duty, not doubting, nor despairing. Our party is too small to be of much of a help. … We have prayed without ceasing, and the blessings of the Lord have been with us' (as quoted in Improvement Era, Jan. 1914, 209).

     "Solomon F. Kimball continues: 'Those of the handcart people who were unable to walk were crowded into the overloaded wagons, and a start was made; the balance of the company hobbling along behind with their carts as best they could.

     'When [they] came to the first crossing of the Sweetwater west of Devil’s Gate, they found the stream full of floating ice, making it dangerous to cross, on account of the strong current. However, the teams went over in safety. … When the people who were drawing carts came to the brink of this treacherous stream, they refused to go any further … , as the water in places was almost waist deep, and the river more than a hundred feet wide. … [They] remembered that nearly one-sixth of their number had already perished from the effects of crossing North Platte, eighteen days before. … They … cried mightily unto the Lord for help.

     'After … every apparent avenue of escape seemed closed, three eighteen-year-old boys belonging to the relief party came to the rescue, and to the astonishment of all who saw, carried nearly every member of that ill-fated handcart company across the snowbound stream. The strain was so terrible, and the exposure so great, that in later years all the boys died from the effects of it. When President Brigham Young heard of this heroic act, he wept like a child, and later declared publicly, ‘that act alone will ensure C. Allen Huntington, George W. Grant and David P. Kimball an everlasting salvation in the Celestial Kingdom of God, worlds without end’' (They Came by Handcart)."

This story really shows how these young men cared for those around them and followed the savior teaching to love one another (John 13:34). Those 3 really loved they risked their lives for their brothers and sisters. Which the Lord describes as the greatest example of love (John 15:13).there are still men and women who do this today. Some are the only members in their family, some are the only members in their school, community, etc. they have hardships and struggles just as the people in the 1800's. The Mormon Tabernacle choir will be celebrating this by broadcasting a concert on July 23, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. MDT in several languages. this year they will be "paying tribute to those pioneers who left their homes and families to settle the West” and "will also focus on men and women who have served in the military" (Learn More).

The Pure Love of Christ

     Something that has really been on my mind lately is charity, the pure love of Christ. This is something that I need to work on. It should be our motivation for how we treat the people around us. It will drive us to be more like Christ than anything else would. The prophet Mormon, in the Book of Mormon put it best:

 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen. (Moroni 7:46-48)

I love this scripture because it teaches us how to gain this charity. I would recommend reading the entire chapter it is awesome. Christ showed us charity when he performed the atonement and "went about doing good". Lets all seek to follow the lords own counsel when he said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).

The Grand Opening

     I have begun this blog as a way to share my thoughts and feelings of the savior and his teachings. As a missionary my purpose is to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." I will be spending two years of my time and money to do this, away from my family and my home in Idaho. I do this because I love Jesus Christ and know that it is through him and his teachings (the Gospel) that we can find true happiness in this life. I know that he has called a prophet to lead and guide his children today. I know that his authority, The Priesthood, was restored to the earth by three of Christ’s original apostles. I know that I am a child of God and he loves me (and you). I know that families can be together forever. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God along with the bible.  I know that prayer works and if we pray we will receive answers to them.