Beautiful to Him

I haven't been very good at keeping up with my blog and its not because I don't have anything to write. I've just gotten really busy when I'm on line! I will be better...I only have 6 weeks left in my mission and I'm going to post be sure to post 3 more times before I go home! 

As I've been reflecting back on my mission and all the things I've learned and done I've been thinking a lot about how important every person I meet is to God. We often get frustrated and discouraged in this harsh world we live in but as we turn to our loving Heavenly Father in prayer he will show us our worth. Jesus Christ tells us throughout the scriptures that "the worth of souls in great in the sight of God." God knows and loves us all individually. I was reading a talk by President Uchtdorf entitled 'You Matter to Him' and I loved this quote from it;

"And while we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, “What is man in comparison to the glory of creation?” God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters."

I'd like to end with this beautiful song that I was introduced to on my mission by an amazing woman.  She had this song sung at her baptism and the spirit was so strong in the room.  Its called 'Beautiful to Him' by Rachel Thibodeau. 

"I'm not going to buy the world's little lies. 

I define myself and find my beauty in the light he gives.

I'm refined by his divine intentions everyday I live.

It does matter what the world believes

or what they say that beauty means.

It comes from within I want to be beautiful to him."

Reach the top!

Waterton National Park in the day!

So today I was thinking about how sometimes life just isn't what we expect it to be. At the start of my mission I was so overwhelmed, confused and unsure of what to do and how to be a powerful missionary. I got this amazing letter from a friend of mine that had this great encouraging analogy!

When I first came to Tennessee I didn't think I was making a difference and my experience wasn't living up to the picture I'd had in my mind.  I just wanted to throw in the towel and return to the wonderful easy fun filled life I had left behind, but little did I know the joy I could feel out here in good old Tennessee! 

So on one of those particularly hard days I got this epic letter from my friend and he reminded me of this great night in Waterton National Park in Alberta (that's in the beautiful country north of this one...CANADA!).  We had set out to climb a mountain called 'Bear's Hump' in the dark!  I remember starting off the adventure with a big group of us all together ascending the mountain by the light of the moon.  It started off fun and exciting and then it got hard.  It was a steep incline and even though I thought I was in shape I soon found myself at the back of the group struggling to catch my breath.

That's how it was at the start of my mission, I had a strong testimony of the things that I was going to teach to people but then all of a sudden when I had to actually do it, I felt like a fish out of water. I didn't know what I was doing and didn't think I would ever figure it out. 

Happy Hikers!!

But just as I did when I climbed 'Bear's hump' I continued on.  I had this great friend who stayed with me all of the way up!  He waited with me when I needed to take a break and he offered just the right amount of encouraging words as we climbed together. 

As I found myself struggling on my mission one day I got this great letter from this same friend, in it he said
"It won't be easy, but it is more than worth it.  Remember when we were in Waterton climbing Bears Hump?  It was hard and there were times when you wanted to turn back but when you reached the top and saw the moon reflected on the lake and felt the wind on your face, I know that made it all worthwhile!"

He was so right! In that moment I was struggling but I just needed to keep on going and now as I'm getting close to the end of my mission I can look back and see all these amazing moments where I grew stronger in my testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel.  There have been some hard times on my mission but they are outnumbered by the amazing moments where I was able to be an instrument in the hands of God to help others grow in their faith.  Nothing beats that feeling of knowing that you were in the right place at the right time and God was able to use you move his work forward. I have reached the top of many mountains on my mission and seen the beautiful view and felt the peace and love of my Father in Heaven!

As we came to the top of the mountain and I saw the beautiful view with the mountains surrounding the  lights of the town below I felt so much peace and accomplishment! I remember going off by myself and sitting there marveling in the beauty and the peace. Just remember that the trial will one day be over and you will find the peace and the comfort and you will know that God loves you.  Be patient!


Ill end with another quote from the letter..."Not everyday is going to be super fun or full of joy, but a lot of them will be! And the blessings you get are beyond compare! Just remember that I am rooting for you and praying for you, so when you get discourages, put that finger in the air and say "Shove it Satan!" I know you can do it!"

The view from the top of Bear's Hump, the picture doesn't do it justice!

Personal Prophetic Epistle

Its General Conference this weekend!!! I'm so excited to hear our beloved Prophet speak! What an amazing opportunity we have to go and listen to the Prophet and other inspired men and women speak to us about the gospel.  Last General Conference Elder Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles said this,



"If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you."

My friends and I waiting to watch conference live!

I love that quote! When I heard that last conference it was such an inspiration to me. So I decided to test it out.  As I sat there at conference I focused on questions I had and inspiration that I needed to better fill my role as a missionary. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me so much and wants to communicate to me, he's just waiting for me to ask. So all throughout the conference I wrote down all the inspiration I was given, the feelings that I had and the great quotes I wanted to remember. I looked for answers to my questions and concerns in the things that people said and in the thoughts that the spirit brought to my mind. The result was revelation specific to me and my concerns. I compiled all the moments where God answered my questions and the times I felt inspired to act or change and now I have my own Personal Prophetic Epistle!  It was another witness to me that God loves me personally and will answer my questions!



Our Prophet! Can't wait to hear from him!



So it's that time of year again!! Its conference this Saturday and Sunday.  I'm excited to get another Personal Prophetic Epistle and I hope you are too!  So get your pen and paper ready and bask in the love you will feel from our loving Heavenly Father.  Let me know your experiences!! I can't wait to hear from you all!

Check out this website to watch it online or tune in on BYU channel or go to your local meeting house to watch 10am and 2pm Mountain Standard Time October 5th and 6th. Or come watch it with me in Nashville at 11am and 3pm at 3600 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville Tennessee!

http://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng

Check out this link of how to prepare yourself for General Conference!

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/prepare-for?lang=eng

Check out this video about preparing for General Conference!!!

What thinks Christ of Me??

In this past general conference there was an amazing talk given by Elder Neal L. Andersen (one of the 12 Apostles) entitled "What Thinks Christ of Me?".  I love this question, its a perfect question to ponder and to help us to recenter our lives on Christ. He also asked “Does my life reflect the love and devotion I feel for the Savior?”  Those great questions made me think about my own life and think about how my actions reflect my devotion to my Savior. Right now I am a missionary and everyday I get to wear a name tag that has my name and Christ's name on it.  Putting that name tag on every morning is a great reminder of the great responsibility I have as a christian to represent Christ.

We have many choices throughout the day and in every choice we have the opportunity to honor Christ.  When we are faced with challenging situations we can choose to do what the Savior would do or we can choose to do what we want to do.  Often the things Christ would do are not the easiest or most convenient choice but as we put our faith in Jesus Christ he will help us to do the things he requires of us.  In the same talk Elder Andersen said;

"Wherever you now find yourself on the road of discipleship, you are on the right road, the road toward eternal life. Together we can lift and strengthen one another in the great and important days ahead. Whatever the difficulties confronting us, the weaknesses confining us, or the impossibilities surrounding us, let us have faith in the Son of God, who declared, All things are possible to him that believeth.”

We need to believe and have faith and follow Christ, it doesn't matter where on that road to following Christ we are it just matters that we are moving forward.  We need to do the things we have been asked to do, follow the commandments and do our best.  As we do these things we are promised blessings.  I love this scripture in The book of Mormon, Mosiah 2:41


"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."

I'd like to end with Elder Andersen's parting words at the end of his talk.

"I testify that as you love Him, trust Him, believe Him, and follow Him, you will feel His love and approval. As you ask, “What thinks Christ of me?” you will know that you are His disciple; you are His friend. By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself."

^{For a link to the original article click on this link:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/what-thinks-christ-of-me?lang=eng}

I Believe in Christ

Me and my friend Anne with a statue of Jesus Christ!

The words of the hymn 'I Believe in Christ' keep running through my head.  Its a beautiful song depicting the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, all the amazing things that he accomplished while he was on the earth.  One of the lines in this beautiful hymns states, "He is the source of truth and light"  Such a beautiful line!  In this world full of confusing and contradictory messages I take comfort in knowing that I can turn to my Savior Jesus Christ and know that he can be my source of truth and light.  His messages are simple and pure and as we follow him we can never be lead astray.


My favorite line in this song is "I believe in Christ, so come what may."  My life is full of unexpected events but as I put my faith in Jesus Christ then I know that I wont have a trial that I can't overcome with the help of my Savior Jesus Christ. As I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ I can withstand anything that comes in my path.  The statement "I believe in Christ, so come what may" inspires me to increase my faith in my Savior Jesus Christ and I hope it inspires you as well!! 





Check out this talk by Elder Holland, it's an excellent talk to read about our Savior Jesus Christ!

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/broken-things-to-mend?lang=eng&query=broken+things+mend+%28name%3a%22Jeffrey+R.+Holland%22%29 

This link will take you to the online interactive version of the song with lyrics and notes!!

http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=134&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=134&searchsubseqend=ZZZ

God loves you!

I've been thinking a lot lately about our Heavenly Father and his infinite love for us.  There are many people that don't know that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them.  My testimony started with knowing that I have a Father in Heaven who truly knows and loves me.  I have had many experiences in my life where I have seen God manifest his love to me.  As I pray I feel his love for me and as I study the many books of scripture he has provided us with I receive answers to my prayers.  I don's understand all the mysteries of the world but one thing I do know is that my Father in Heaven loves me. There is a scripture I love in the The Book of Mormon is says:

"And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." 1 Nephi 11:17

There are so many things that happen in this world that are hard to explain and just like Nephi I do not know the meaning of all things but I do know that my Heavenly Father loves me.  I also love the words of Job in chapter 19.  He tells us of the afflictions that he has in his life for 22 verses but then he bears his testimony to us.  Despite all the afflictions that came upon him he says;

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." (Job 19:25-27)

When ever I study about Job I am immediately humbled.  He had this amazing attitude throughout all of his trials.  He took comfort in his knowledge that his "redeemer liveth".  He had this great eternal perspective that even though life is hard and he had many hardships he was still focused on returning to his Heavenly Father.  I challenge you all to take a step back and look at your life from an eternal perspective.  

Conference Time!

I love to read the scriptures because they are the words that God has inspired the Prophets to write. We can open up the Old Testament and to read about the warnings Noah gave the people before the floods came and to read in the New Testament as Jesus Christ performs miracles and teaches all those who will listen in parables and then to read in The Book of Mormon as Alma the Younger testifies of his experiences using the redeeming power of the Atonement. 

One doctrine I love to teach about is that God has called a modern day Prophet today.  The scriptures tell us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever so if He called Prophets in the ancient times then it only makes sense that he would call a Prophet in modern times.  Joseph Smith was the first prophet called in these latter days and since his death God has continued to call Prophets to lead His church. 



My friends and I attending the April 2011 Session of Conference



Today our Prophet's name is Thomas S. Monson and every 6 months we have an exciting opportunity to listen to him and the other apostles speak.  This is such an amazing exciting opportunity we have to listen to what our Heavenly Father inspires them to teach.  These men of God pray and seek inspiration to know what the world needs to hear.  I'm so excited to listen to them speak this weekend! 

One of the modern day Apostles, Jeffrey R. Holland said this about conference 

“If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you,”

I hope you all watch as much of this conference as you can.  Take the time to pray before you sit down and watch it and ask God for your own "personal prophetic epistle".  

Follow this link to watch the 4 sessions of Conference on line http://www.gc.lds.org/ , check your local listings or come to one of our church building and watch it live 10am and 2pm mountain standard time.  Here in Franklin Tennessee you can join us at the chapel on 1100 Grey Fox Lane at 11am and then again at 3pm!

http://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/03/why-do-we-need-prophets?lang=eng
http://www.lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/preparing-for-general-conference?lang=eng

I've been thinking a lot lately about happiness.  Why are some people happier than others?  Why does the grass always look greener on the other side?  I read this scripture from The Book of Mormon in my studies this morning:

"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



Me being happy!!



This is King Benjamin a Prophet in The Book of Mormon giving a sermon to his people and he tells them how they can be happy.  He tells us that those that are blessed in all things by God are keeping the commandments.  But He not only refers to happiness right now on earth but he says that if we keep the commandments we "may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness".  That is the ultimate goal, to live with our Heavenly Father again and to have never-ending happiness!  So we need to follow all the commandments and all will be well!  That is easier said than done, we know the commandments but often we fall short but that is why our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.  We just need to do our best and the rest is made up by our Saviour.  I'm grateful for repentance!  

The Widow's Mites

I love the simplicity of the teachings of Jesus.  In my studies I've started reading through the Old Testament and I have never felt closer to my Saviour. He was the ultimate teacher, he saw the small things happening around him and used them as parables.  I love the message of this video.  

I have been thinking about about my life and about the sacrifices I am willing to make for the Lord.  I have gained a testimony of paying my tithing and giving the Lord 10 percent of my income.  I have seen that act of faith bless me many times.  Right now I am on a mission serving for 18 months in Tennessee and I am giving of my personal time in order to help others come unto Christ.  There's this song called "Bless My Son" on a CD called "The Work" by The Nashville Tribute Band that has a line in it that talks about how a mission adds up to 10 percent of our lives. I love that line and when times get hard I remember that even though people aren't home when they say they will be and people don't listen when I answer their questions I can know that I am in the service of the Lord.  As I watched this video I thought about how I'm serving the Lord.  Am I serving the Lord like this sweet widow tossing in ALL I can to the Lord?  Everything we have is from the Lord and all he asks us in return is to follow his commandments and to serve him.  The scriptures tell us that when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are in the service of our God. And I love being in the service of my God!! 

Christmas has to come to an end...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know that I did!  I was away from my family and friends back home in Canada but the Lord had blessed me with a wonderful Christmas here with the lovely people of Tennessee!  My companion and I did some Christmas celebration hoping and spent time with 3 different families and were also blessed to have a baptism of one of our dear friends on Christmas Eve! It will for sure be a Christmas to be remembered!

Now that Christmas it over that special light of Christ that we saw everywhere seems to have died down. The Christmas spirit is infectious, we are constantly wishing people a Merry Christmas and singing beautiful carols about our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. And then once December 25th comes the excitement and anticipation is over.  We take down our decorations and our trees and we see the empty spots where our decorations used to be.  Now the trick is to keep that spirit of Christmas with us all year round.  As Christians we need to continue to honor our Lord and Savior even after the Christmas holidays and make sure our actions are in line with him.  As a missionary I've thought about this idea a lot more this year. I was baptised and made a promise to my Father in Heaven to follow him and obey his commandments. I promised to...

“humble [myself] before God, … and witness before the church that [I] have truly repented of all [my] sins, and are willing to take upon [myself] the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by [my] works that [I] have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of [my] sins” (D&C 20:37).

I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I will honor him by honoring that convenient that I made with him.  I know that as I have faith and repent of my sins my life comes more in line with what the Lord expects of me.  I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have and the opportunity that I have right now share it with others.  I know that Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for my sins and for your sins and I know that he  suffered and died on the cross for us as well.  And I know that you will have an added measure of peace in your life as you make an effort to come closer to your Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ!

Christmas is a celebration about Jesus Christ!

Its easy to get caught up in the flashing lights and bling of Christmas but I encourage you all to spend some times thinking about our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season and even though the world might have lost its focus at Christmas it doesn't mean we have to!

We are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and in honor of him we are giving gifts to the ones we love.  The Gifts we give show our loved ones that we appreciate them. The Christmas season is about giving and not getting.  After Christmas we often hear people ask "what did you get for Christmas?".  Instead of asking that we should ask "what did you GIVE for Christmas?"

For many years I remember our family prayerfully choosing a family we wanted to serve at Christmas and we would leave them anonymous gifts at their doorstep for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. We would leave a piece of a nativity set and then a silly gift that would go along with the 12 Days of Christmas song.  We would try our best to do it early in the morning and not get caught.  I learned a valuable lesson as a child that giving was more important than getting.

Make this Christmas about Christ and think about what gifts you can give to him this year! I love this Video, it shows the true meaning of Christmas! Just focus on Christ!!


.

Don't Spend Christmas Keep it all year round!

We had to opportunity this past weekend to hear from the first presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to get us into the Christmas spirit.  It was a great program that brought such a sweet spirit.  President Thomas S. Monson talked about how we shouldn't be spending Christmas each December but that we should be keeping Christmas in our hearts all year round. He said:

"Because when we keep the spirit of Christmas we keep the spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit. It will block out all the distractions around us, which can diminish Christmas and swallow up its true meaning "

I love that thought so much!  We celebrate the birth of Christ because of the atonement that he made for us and becasue he died for us.  We need to take that spirit of Christmas, the thoughtfulness, the charity, the love, and take it into our every day lives.  We need to live the spirit of Christmas all year round.

So lets all remember the reason for the season.  Lets all keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts all year long!

Rejoice in Christ!!

One of the best things about being a missionary is that I get to talk about Jesus all the time!! Its the best!  There is a scripture in The Book of Mormon that I love..

 "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies" -2 Nephi 25:26

That Scripture truly does describe what we do as missionaries.  We spend our days TALKING to people about Christ.  We have the awesome job of teaching people about how a relationship with Jesus Christ WILL bless their lives.  Then we get to REJOICE  in Christ.  We get to see people grow and change through repenting of their sins and accepting the atonement of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ.  It has been an amazing experience to see the light of Christ in people, to see how people's lives improve because of their knowledge of Jesus Christ. We spend our time PREACHING and PROPHESYING of how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed our lives and we get to share the promise in the scriptures of how it will bless the lives of all who will receive it!  And in our mission we get to write according to the prophecies in our blogs!  How great is that?

The most important thing that we teach people is that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  It reminds me of that famous verse the New Testament, John 3:16

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

Our Father in Heaven loves us so much that he created a means by which we could return to him.  He knew that we would sin when we came to this earth so he created a means by which we can be forgiven and become like him.  He allowed his beloved Son, Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane and to suffer and die on the cross for us so that we could be cleansed from all our sins and have everlasting eternal life! The best gift we could ever get.

As missionaries we get to talk to people about this beautiful message.  We love the Bible and teach from it often and God has given us more scripture, The Book of Mormon that compliments and clarifies the teachings in the Bible.  Check out http://mormon.org/ and find out more or meet with a missionary just like me! http://mormon.org/missionaries/

Trust Jesus!

I came across this amazing quote today...

"Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and Beloved Son of God. … He is our Savior from sin and death. This is the most important knowledge on earth." - Dallin H. Oaks

I love this quote!  Of all the things that we need to know and to learn, the most important is knowing that Jesus Christ is our Saviour!  The scriptures teach many beautiful principles and commandments that we are  to follow but we need to start with understanding the atonement of Jesus Christ. When we talk of the atonement we are giving reference to Jesus Christ's shedding of blood in the garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross and then His bodily resurrection.  The only way in which we can return to live with our Father in Heaven is through this atonement.  We will all be resurrected, that is a free gift given to us from Jesus Christ but in order to be forgiven for our sins we must repent.  We will be forgiven for our sins to the degree in which we have faith, repent and obey God's commandments.

We make mistakes on a daily basis and we needed a way to be forgiven for those sins! We cannot be perfect ourselves but through the Atonement we can have all of our sins washed away and we can be clean.  I love that scripture in Isaiah where it talks about our sins being washed away..

Come now, and let us ^areason together, saith the Lord: though your ^bsins be as scarlet, they shall be as ^cwhite as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. - Isaiah 1:18

I know that as we repent we will feel our sins being washed away.  I know this because I have repented and continue to repent.  Sometimes our sins are big and we have a hard time letting go of them but we must trust in the redeeming power of the atonement and repent and forsake our sins and then we are promised that the Lord will remember our sins no more!

I love to talk about our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! He has done so much for every single one of us!  He was the only perfect person to live on this earth and his life was a perfect example of what we can pattern our lives after.  So continue on and trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repent!

"Be strong and of a good ^acourage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the ^bLord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not ^cfail thee, nor ^dforsake thee." Deut 31:6

How do we know?!

I was thinking today about how it is that we can say that we know something to be true.  How do I know that the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ are true?  How do I know that I have a Heavenly Father? How do I know that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins? How do I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a Prophet? How do I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God?

I came across this scripture in The Book of Mormon that I think helps answer these questions. Alma 5:46

"Behold, I say unto you they are made ^aknown unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have ^bfasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of ^crevelation which is in me."

That scripture truly does tell us how we can know, and it tells us that we need to put a little effort into it.  As we read the scriptures I think its important to remember that scriptures are the testimonies of Prophets (Men called of God to lead his children on earth).  This scripture is the testimony of Alma, a Prophet in The Book of Mormon.  He is sharing with people how he came to know the truth, he tells the people that he has put forth his own effort and fasted and prayed and he says that he knows the truth of these things because the Holy Spirit of God has made it known unto him.  I love it!! Who better to ask for advice than a prophet of God!

We need to fast and to pray!

When we fast we give up food for a period of time and show God that we are willing to sacrifice our temporal needs for a time to get that answer.  In fasting we show God that we are willing to put aside something we want and need (food) in order to receive our answer.

Along with fasting Alma says we need need to Pray!  Prayer is key in seeking answers, unless we ask an answer wont come.  But there is a catch to praying.  Listen to this scripture, the testimony of the prophet Moroni about how to get an answer...

 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how ^amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may ^aknow the ^btruth of all things.

 I love that!! So lets recap, if we:

- "receive these things", hear the word of God
- "ponder it in your hearts", really think about in in our mind as well as our heart
- "Ask God", pray about it!
- "with a sincere heart", really sincerely seeking an answer
- "real intent", be will to act on the answer
- "faith in Christ", having faith we will get an answer

Then we will get an answer, its that simple!!

As a missionary we teach people everyday and everyday we ask people to pray.  I myself have prayed and I know the message we share is true but only as you pray will you be able to know the truth as well! 

I challenge you all to read and pray about The Book of Mormon!  If you do I know that God will answer your prayers and tell you that it is indeed his words!

For the Beauty of the Earth

Today as I was pondering the gospel it brought me to think about times in my life where I've felt the most happiness and felt the most peace.  As I thought back in my life so many of those times were when I was outside appreciating this beautiful earth that Jesus Christ created through the direction of our Heavenly Father.

I remember on day while I was on a vacation in Las Vegas with my friends and one of the moments I remember the most was when we stopped in the Valley of Fire on our drive back home.  As I look out over that beautiful sandy canyon I felt to incredibly happy.  It was early in January and I could take my shoes off and run through the sand!  I could look out over this beautiful canyon and see these amazing red rock formations.

I remember one day stepping out of my from door and looking at the clouds in the sky and how the sun coming through them reflected off the street after the rain.  It was such a beautiful moment in the middle of a busy day where I had the opportunity to stop and see the beauty of this world.

I remember just before I left to come out here on my mission my friends and I went to Waterton National Park in Southern Alberta.  As we hiked the mountains and spent time in nature I remember stopping and pondering on this beautiful earth and the majesty of it all.  We climbed to the top of Bears Hump Mountain and as I sat there at the top looking down over the little town and the lake and surrounding mountains I remember feeling so peaceful.  I took some time to pray and thank God for this world we have and for the many blessings he has given me.  As I prayed I felt God's love and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he personally knows me and loves me.  He loves us all so much that he sent his son Jesus Christ to this earth to suffer for the sins of all the world and to die on the cross so that we to can return to our father in heaven.  So amazing!

I'm reminded of a scripture in Alma 30:44

“Yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it … do witness that there is a Supreme Creator”

That scripture sums up my thoughts on this subject.  Those words speak peace to my heart as I drive through the country roads here in Tennessee and Kentucky.  As I look at the beauty of the earth I know that "all things denote there is a God." As I look at the leaves falling and the sun setting I find peace and comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ love us!

A testimony is everything!

Today my companion (the lovely Sister Cosper) and I were talking about how we can better explain to people how being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will help them in their lives so we got to talking about how it has blessed us personally. Such an important thing to think about.  The reason we are out here as missionaries is because we have personally been blessed by our Heavenly Father and know that if others will come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end they will also be blessed.  We know that this church is truly lead by Jesus Christ himself through his prophets and apostles and we have been blessed for our faith!

So I think now (in between Canadian Thanks Giving and American Thanks Giving) its an appropriate time to think about the blessing that I have been given because of my faith.

The first thing that comes to mind is that I know my purpose here on earth.  I know that this life as Alma states in The Book of Mormon is the time to prepare to meet God.  Knowing that the things that I do here on earth matter and that I will be judged by my works or the things I do helps me to understand my purpose. 
I also think about how my faith has helped me to develop my relationship with my Heavenly Father and to know His son Jesus Christ. As I pray I know that God hears me and loves me.  I know that He loves me because He sends me comfort when I need it and also allows me to feel sorrow and pain when I need to learn and grow. I have learnt so much from reading the scriptures and applying what I read to my life.  I am more in control of my emotions.  The closer I am to my Heavenly Father the easier it is for me to forgive others and to let go of the hurt and pain I feel in my life.  The more I pray the easier it is for me to love others around me and not to judge others. 

I know that I have found the true church here on this earth.  I know that is a bold statement but I can say that I know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ leads this church and that ALL of the Prophets that have been at the head of this church have gone to him to know how to lead us.  This church is lead by a Prophet called of God who is an instrument in the hands of God to lead and guide this church.  I know that this is true because I have prayed and God has answered my prayers.  I know that he will answers yours too, all you have to do is ask.

I would love to heard others testimonies of how they know truth!  Share it with the world my friends!

The Atonement Covers Sins as well as AFFLICTIONS

A mission is an amazing thing! As missionaries we have 2 hours set aside to study from the scriptures daily and that has helped my testimony of the Savior grow more than I ever expected.  As missionaries we get to testify of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice and every time that I have the chance to testify my testimony grows.  The other day I was reading in The Book of Mormon and I came across this scripture. 

"But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your AFFLICTIONS, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction." Jacob 1:3

I LOVE this scripture.  We often think about how Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for our sins but I think that we forget that he also suffered our AFFLICTIONS as well.  Afflictions are trials, pains and suffering that we feel and expereince in our lives. Jesus Christ suffered for ALL of the sorrows and the pains that we feel.  He knows our loneliness our desperation our sorrow our pain and we can find comfort in turning to him and knowing that he has felt how we are feeling. He is the only one who truly understands how we feel and he is the only one who can bring true and lasting comfort to our lives.  

I myself have had moments where I've felt sorrow and loneliness and desperation and as I have prayed for comfort I have felt the love of our Father in Heaven and of his Son Jesus Christ.  I know that God loves me and knows me personally and have felt him comfort me when I need it.  I have felt the love of my Saviour and know that he knows the pains and the afflictions that I go through.  He has comforted me and He will comfort you if you turn to him for support.  So keep on keepin' on my friends and have faith.  Turn to your Heavenly Father in prayer and seek that comfort.  Use that gift of the Atonement that our elder brother Jesus Christ so freely offers us.  Pray, have faith and lose yourself in the service of others!  I'll end on that thought and with one more amazing scripture!

 "11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and AFFLICTIONS and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities.

 13 Now the Spirit ^aknoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the ^bflesh that he might ^ctake upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me." - Alma 7:11-13