The Bread of life

Faith starts as a mustard seed, it begins to grow and spread out. It grows branches and develops deep roots, it can withstand some of the elements, it can house nesting birds (small ones albeit). Much like faith each time a new branch forms it becomes stronger, it becomes healthier and it fills out into a lush tree. The fruits develop and spread more seeds so that more bushes and trees can grow. Sometimes that tree becomes withered and sick, branches become brittle, leaves fall off and whither away. The birds shy away from this dying bush and seek out new asylum, they use the new bush again until it withers and so on. Out comes the farmer and he trims off the dead branches and nurtures the dying tree back to health and the tree becomes even more lush than before providing more fruits.
   I think that as our faith at times can diminish when we are not diligent in nurturing our own branches of faith. We do not always take note of the sickly branches and take care of them. As our faith becomes perverted in any one aspect it becomes easier to just put aside the the things we need to do to nurture and strengthen our spiritual self.
   Think of it in another aspect, you may have a finely woven tapestry and it has one loose thread. As that thread begins to unravel it grows or rather shrinks, yes our faith to can unravel, and it can unravel at such an alarming rate until there is little to no faith left. There are things we can do to prevent the unraveling or if you prefer the withering of the tree, we can restitch the tapestry or cut the loose thread, we can trim dead branches and nurture the tree. We can tie the ends of the tapestry to prevent future unraveling.
    In faith we can also stop the unraveling and wilting. I have to admit, my faith is sometimes like a bellows, it swells and deflates. I can feel the spirit come and go as I do different things in my life, this has been true my entire life.
    My faith has struggled of late, I have been having a hard time balancing life, work and faith and to keep it all interconnected. Work pressure has been in a large way distracting me from doing a lot of those things that I should be doing. The sence also of not really feeling like belonging to a church too has distracted me and in some aspect cut me and my family off from feeling God's presence, when we joined this church we belonged to a ward, a family, but with a fledgling group that has been started and being separated from the family we joined is very tough. We feel like pawns being moved back and forth between our fledgling group and the mainstream ward. It is frustrating and dims  the sense of belonging that first overcame us, eighteen months ago we felt that we had arrived home, we were invited into the presence of God,  we felt like we belonged somewhere and that we had become a small part of something great. These last few months of being bounced back and forth has really been distracting, maybe long time members don't feel the same separation, but from a new converts perspective it is hugely disapointing.
    What does this really have to do with the bread of life, well it comes down to this, we become distracted and we fail to nurture our spiritual self, we forget about the simpler things and become distracted thus starving ourselves. When Christ teaches us that He is the bread of life it is really quite simple, feast on his teachings, He wants us to understand that beyond a physical hunger, man has a different kind of hunger, we all have this hunger, a more important kind of hunger that cannot be satisfied with ordinary food.
It is the hunger for life, the hunger for eternity that only He can satisfy because He is the bread of life. The true meaning of our earthly existence is to be found at the end, in eternity, being open to meeting Jesus every day of our lives will illuminate our lives and give meaning to small gifts, sufferings and preoccupations.
And quoting from the Gospel of John, Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”.
    By bread of life, Jesus means the teaching that he is, by what he says, how he acts, and in fact, who he is, the Word of God. Jesus is the Word spoken by God, who reveals God to us in the most complete way possible, that we come to know God when we hear this Word who is Jesus, accept that Word into our minds, our hearts, our spirit, and let that Word begin to change us. When we enter into a relationship with God through Jesus, just as a relationship with any other person, it will change us, so that's what will happen if we believe in Jesus and accept him as the one that God has sent, the one who reveals God to us.
    So to close this up I think that true faith does not come by trying to understand the deeper doctrines of the church or trying to unravel the mysteries of God but to simply follow Christ, do and be like He was, nurture our spiritual mind through Him, it is the simpler part of faith that will help us grow and to be full of the spirit and will endure us in all of our troubles, it will edify us and sanctify us.
   My testimony to you today is this; when your heart is troubled and your mind becomes clouded, when you think that you have become cut off from God's pressence and the spirit has left your heart go back to the basics, go back to Jesus Christ, remember that it is through Him that our minds and our hearts can again be purified and unclouded. When you do this and feast on Him, the bread of life, the Light of Christ will begin to illuminate the way back to Heavenly Father.  These thoughts I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Where is your faith

During a great tempest in which Jesus Christ slept, his disciples feared they would surely perish in the very ship that they had followed Jesus into. It was a troublesome time and the disciples felt that there was need for alarm. Their faith was not whole, they feared because they did not believe that Christ could and would ensure their safe passage. 

Much like today's times, faith is challenged and as the tempest whips around us like a whirlwind we forget what is important, we forget to put our faith front and centre. It is surely a troublesome time for a great many of us with pressures from the deceiver and the temptations of this world. I'm not really sure that when Jesus asked this question of his disciples " Where is your faith?" That he was questioning that they had faith but more expressing his frustrations with the misdirected faith. They at the time of the lake crossing had faith in the worldly things; the boat, the calm lake and the ability to get across safely. Their faith in those simple things is what caused them to panic in the moment when the things that they thought were a surety were failing them. They felt that they would perish in the lake as their boat seemed to no longer be worthy to benefit their safe crossing. When they had woken Jesus he was probably more disappointed in them, His simple rebuke to them; where is your faith? Sums it up.

Where is your faith? Why is it so easy to leave our trust in the one true thing in this universe, why do we not put our faith in God at the forefront of everyday. How do we expect to weather the great tempest when it whips around us, the storms of life that test our very being and slow our progression to our reunion with our Heavenly Father. How can we demonstrate that our faith is strong enough to put aside these great and mighty tests that challenge us daily?  

 Hebrews 11; 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

  

We complain when things don't go our way,  we wonder why bad things happen to us and when we pray and go to church on Sunday things still don't seem to work out in the way we want. Truthfully it is because we lack true faith, faith that we can receive the blessings from God that we are promised. Even the apostles lacked that faith during the tempest that the saviour would deliver them, even though they had seen the divine power of Christ. They were even in the presence of Jesus and yet they lacked faith, how can we expect to have that pure true faith when even the twelve questioned it? I think we put our faith in worldly things above our faith in God, we don't submit entirely to his plan and this is why we don't see the miracles that happened in ancient times. I feel that faith has become corrupt and this is a direct result of Satan's constant poking and prodding and making us question our faith. He is cunning as I stated in my previous blog post. We must submit fully to God's plan even when that plan takes time to unfold, this is like a test of our faith,  our faith that God is in control of everything, that his plan is unfolding right before our eyes. We just need to open our eyes and really see that miracles are abound and are all around us, we need to be in tune with what our Father is telling us and what He is showing us. I know that by doing this, by opening your eyes and tuning into God He will show you his plan,  He always has, we just need to change our corrupt thinking and give our lives up to Him, offer yourself to your Father in Heaven. 

James 4;7-10 

7 submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

I promise you that by doing this your faith will be strengthened and God will draw near to you. I leave you these thoughts in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Be a beacon

The dominion of Lucifer is at hand. The very heart of Christianity is being peirced, family values are diminishing, marriage is treated as disposable, Brother against Brother, Sister against Sister, neighbour against neighbour. We as a society are in danger of losing the war waged by lucifer. He is placing barriers everywhere, he is against the plan for our salvation, he wants our free agency destroyed and to be his puppets of despair and hopelessness. Only Lucifers ideals can cause such widespread decay of societal  balance, only his will can cause the imminent destruction of man kind, only his plan can cause this world to spiral into the darkness that we face. We are facing the reality of the light of Christ being extinguished, Christianity is threatened by this widespread progression of dark ideals. 

What can we do to stop this progression? How can we bring the light of Christ back to society? Where can we make a difference? We need to ask ourselves; do we do enough? Are we contributing to the protection of decay in our societal balance? Do we care enough to make a difference? 

As we witness the ever increasing power and boldness of satan we know one thing for certain; we must be on the lookout for his cunning, we need to be  ever so carefull. His growing power is in part because of the growing strength in the Kingdom of God. We must unite as Christians, no more brother against brother, neighbour against neighbour, and sister against sister, put aside our Doctrinal differences, put away our pride, unite as brethren in Christ. As a united Kingdom we can over power the temptations of wicked and evil ways, cast out Devils, we must not fall to the temptations of Lucifer, the great deceiver. Stand tall and be a beacon of light and truth, do not let the architect of evil and sin blind your way. Satan can and will tempt your ways, he will lie but be cunning about it, he will use sweet words and tell you it is alright, I am no Devil, I am not here to deceive you, I am only here to tell you it's ok, everyone is doing it. 

Nephi cautions us against his cunning;

“And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

“And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance” (2 Ne. 28:21–22).

We do not need to fear Satan himself, he has no power over us unless we let him, he is really a coward and will retreat from you if you tell him to, The Apostle James counseled: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). He cannot know our thoughts unless we speak them. And Nephi states that “he hath no power over the hearts” of people who are righteous (see 1 Ne. 22:26). 

Stand up and be a beacon, let the light of Christ shine through and extinguish the darkness. Be that guiding light to lead others back from temptation, hearken unto the voice of Christ. Light the way that the path will never be lost. There is but one way, one path to follow, it is narrow but it is straight, guide lost souls back, bring them back to the Saviour. Lift them high that they will see the light of hope and truth, show them that Christ lives in our hearts and that He is the way to eternal salvation. It is never too late for anyone, we all have that chance for redemption. 

I know that if we show the way and be that beacon of hope that the people will follow, we need to be examples of Christ and never let his light within us diminish. We must lead by example, do the things that set us apart and not fall to the temptations of satan, follow the plan of our salvation, teach others to follow that same plan. Don't just tell them, show them, show them Gods plan is great, show them by being Christ like and doing  the things that He would do and be. We can be and we can do great things in the name of Jesus Christ, we can inspire and uplift even the most dismal soul. Stand upon the rock of salvation and testify to the world, stand tall and stand proud, light the way

I so testify that the Love of Christ is real, it uplifts us, it inspires us and it changes us. Being an example of his love will act as that beacon in the dark, it will lead us and inspire others to follow and come unto Christ. Follow his teachings to bring true happiness and joy, follow Jesus out of the dark and live in the light, in that love and light is power, power over the deceiver, over lucifer himself. These thoughts I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Believing in God

    I at times found it hard to believe that there is a God, let's face it we can't see him and we can't hear his physical voice in our daily lives. We don't get to go up to his home and talk face to face with him and we can't just send him a text or email him, we can't pick up the phone and just say, hey how are you doing today God, I was hoping to have a minute of your time, are you busy? Maybe we could go for lunch sometime I want to get to know you better. These are all things that would be so helpful in believing that God is real. I can't speak for everyone but I'm sure that we have all at one point or another struggled with this concept, like why won't God just show himself to us? Why won't he call down and say hey folks I'm here, I'm real, hear my voice. There were times when I thought the idea of God was ridiculous, I mean what evidence do we have to support the idea of God. Why do we need to have a God or gods in our lives, and why does it seem that there are multiple gods in other faiths. How can we be sure we are right? Where did the concept of the many other gods come from and why? I have attended a number of Christian churches and found them all to have differening opinions, but with the one common theme, God is real. What is it that gives people so much faith in the one thing science has a hard time with; God, what does he look like? how did he do all of the things he did? How did he create the earth and the sky and the universe? Science says a big bang occurred some hundreds of millions of years ago and that all of the planets and suns and moons were a byproduct. Let's look at Earth, it is a perfect distance from the sun to sustain life, the temperature doesn't fluctuate to much and there is water, trees, and grass grows, there is oxygen, an invisible substance very critical for life ( we have faith in that). Man kind thrives here on this planet, this perfect little planet that managed to travel millions of light years in a formation with other planets and a sun and moon and just happened to be in the perfect place at the right time. So life must have started as a single cell organism and evolved dramatically, all manner of animals and plants that have very complex cell structures and have a sequence of DNA. Nature is pretty impressive, I have to give it to her she really has done well to have let evolution get to where it is. 
     I am not an evolutionist and it just makes no sense that life just happened with no design and that all the molecules and cells and DNA just happened to pop out of thin air, how is it possible that we could have evolved to a superior being? How is there such a diverse showing of life forms on this planet? And how the heck did we start? Not the big bang, so what else have we got; I guess we are back to God. There is a book called The Bible and in it contains words that people have written about God, and what he told them, get that, words that he told them to write. So God does show Himself to us, not in the sense that we physically see him, although He has revealed himself to some prophets, but more in the sense of witness, spiritual witness through the power of the Holy Ghost.
     For some one who wants to seek God, start learning about God from a variety of sources. Talk to a friend or family member who is active in their faith about their relationship with God. Go to church with a friend or family member. Read the Bible and The Book of Mormon. On a personal level, look for God in nature, see how God is moving through the works of truly compassionate people, or talk to God yourself by praying, ask Him with true intent, give Him your time and He in turn will give you His time. Don't be discouraged if at first you don't receive that moment of revelation or that "aha" moment, it takes time, pray often and be personal with God, let Him know that you are asking earnestly, open your heart and really listen, or rather really feel His answer. God's love is in our hearts and is something we can experience if we truly want to. The desire for God is also written in our heart, because we were created by God, and God never ceases to draw us to himself. I think that the key is to open yourself up to God and become aware of how God may be moving you to a deeper belief of him. God is the most powerful reality in this world and He is waiting for you to discover Him and be overwhelmed by His wonderful love and goodness. He is the One you were destined for. His love is the reason you are alive and He has a wonderful plan for your life.
    In my struggles with God I found it very helpful to write Him a letter, put it all out there then read it to Him. Read it to God as prayer, reflect afterwards quietly and wait for his answers. Be patient, God listens and ponders everything you desire to know and He will reveal to you in bits and pieces and you will gain in faith. That small seed will take off and you will grow in belief and knowing God, that is what He desires. God wants us to come to Him and He will testify to you his love and we can all realize that His true love came manifest through His son Jesus Christ, the most important gift to all of mankind.
     I bear you my testimony that God is indeed real, He is the creator of our world and our lives. He is our loving and living Father in heaven and through the redeeming love of His son Jesus Christ we will again reunite with God the Father and live eternally with Him.
     These thoughts I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Where did Jesus go

     Of course we all know the happenings of Jesus during his three years of ministry before his crucifixion but what was he up to for the period of time before. This is one question I for one have never pondered, I mean why would I? If memory serves me right Herod was king at the time of the birth of Jesus and he had ordered three wise men who were seeking the newborn king of the Jews to report to him when they found him, of course they did not due to the vision they had of the intentions of Herod. In Matthew it says that Joseph was visited by an angel and told to flee to Egypt so to scuttle Herod's plan to likely kill Jesus.
Matthew 2;13 And when they were departed, behold,the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother,and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him

    There are apocryphal tales that tell of the flight to Egypt where palm trees bow before the Christ child and beasts of all sorts paying homage to him. There is a tale of thieves that encounter the holy family along the way, but change their minds about robbing Joseph and Mary. There is some speculation that two of these robbers were crucified along side of Jesus. I won't delve into the apophrical "gospels" as they are not considered to be inspired of God.

It isn't until much later when Jesus is 12 when there is mention of him in the scriptures again.
In Luke 2;41-52
⁴¹ Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

⁴³ And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.

⁴⁴ But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

⁴⁵ And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

⁴⁶ And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

⁴⁷ And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

⁴⁸ And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

⁴⁹ And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

⁵⁰ And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

⁵¹ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

This was the first time that Jesus is mentioned in the new testament since his birth and it is not again until almost 20 years later that he is mentioned in the New Testament, so where was he and what did he do? So there isn't much information that I can find, there was a visitor to the Tibetan monks that claimed to have seen some writings in the monastery that claimed Jesus had visited them. This claim was later revealed to be fraudulent by the head lama who said no visitors had been there in quite some time and that there was no evidence to claim that the Christ had ever been in the monasteries. The author of this theory later fessed up and said he had fabricated the whole story. So on to India where it is believed by some that Jesus spent some time there, did he go on a mission to show the people there that he was the Christ, perhaps he traveled the spice trail or silk trade routes and ventured through Egypt. There is some speculation that he wandered around in England, maybe he was there to learn, maybe he went to all the places around the Middle East. He could have gone on a mission to spread God's word and to prove that the prophesies were fulfilled and that he was the Son of God the redeemer of the world. Did he spend time with Buddha and learn all the manner of miracles so he could go back to the Holy Land and perform them. I don't really know what happened it is entirely possible that he did wander, he could very well have visited these many places. The one thing we do know about the time frame is that Jesus most likely stayed in the Galilee area and worked as a carpenter, this claim is the most credible as we can read in Mark chapter 6; 3

 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

This is widely accepted that Jesus was familiar to the area although people asked who he was when he started teaching at the synagogue. It is believed this gives credibility to the claim he was a carpenter as stated in the gospel after he started his ministry. So I really had a hard time finding any credible information as to his whereabouts so when i was about to give up it came to me crystal clear, what does it matter as to his whereabouts, is it so vitally important to his ultimate goal. Not at all it really does not matter, if it did then there would be scripture pertaining to it. He simply increased in wisdom and stature and in favor of God and man, pretty simple for The Christ really. We will one day undestand and know all of the happenings of Jesus, we will know his whereabouts but for now my curiosity is curbed because if it needed to be known it would be.

     I do know this, that Jesus Christ is the savior and that his mission still continues today and will continue until all of mankind accepts this as truth. I know he lives today and he lives everywhere, his ministry continues in all of us and through all of us, we are all a part of Christ, He lives through us and in us, he helps us to grow in stature and wisdom, he makes it possible for us to grow in favor with God our Father in heaven and the rest of mankind. It is my testimony that if we continue to read scripture that is relevant and inspired of God, and do the small things required of us we will grow and we will realize our ultimate goal to be reunited with our Father in heaven and be with our brother Jesus christ. I leave these thoughts with you in his sacred name Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Book of Mormon, is it true

     This past week has been interesting to say the least. My wife and I went to a home with the Sister missionaries to follow up on a number in their contact list. We followed the "girls" to the destination and asked them about the contact before knocking on his door. They had said that he was interested in meeting with them but was not going to convert to being a Mormon. I think back to a little over a year ago when I said the exact same thing with the exception that I didn't even want to meet them, at least this guy did. So up to his door we went and knocked, when the door opened he looked a bit surprised and exclaimed that there was a whole gang of us. I have to say that both my wife and I have been to lessons before with the missionaries but this time we both felt uneasy before hand about this one. He welcomed us in and invited us all to sit down, on his table were a couple of history books, nothing really to set alarm bells off yet. After a few moments and some ice breaking questions, you know like what do you do for work? Are you a history buff? You know just conversation. Then a question was asked to the man, do you have any beliefs, like in God or what faith? His response was, oh I believe in God alright, the creator of the world the ultimate authority. He took this opportunity to ask who we thought was the ultimate authority, who did we worship. He really stared down Sister Foote so she was compelled to answer that God is the ultimate authority and Jesus Christ. He asked her not to lie so her responds was I  will not lie to you I have no reason to. So he then more stated than asked do you not worship Joseph Smith!?!? No of course not We worship God and Jesus Christ is our savior. He retorted with a rather rude tone as to when did that change?!?! He was then adamant that Sister Foote read from Doctrine and Covenant section 84 and read it out loud. She complied and read a few paragraphs, when she had got far enough the guy asked the question, did that happen? He repeated it a few times. I have to admit I was taken aback because I realized that this was a set up, that this guy had only let the girls come so he could bash. He then wanted sister Foote to read Deuteronomy 9, she was reluctant and didn't open her bible at that point knowing that this was just going to be a negative experience. He was loudly asking what are you afraid of the Bible? Read it if your not afraid of it. He then made it a point of pride that the last two girls that had come by left crying. This was enough for my wife she let this guy have it in a polite but matter of fact way. Sister Wright asked if this was only an invitation so he could bash. It was shortly after this that we as a group stood up to leave, he was saying  that we had no right to tell people what we were telling them, that it is false doctrine. False prophets like Joseph Smith will die, sister Wright replied that all men die. He was again read Deuteronomy 9 it is all about your Joseph Smith. We were at the door at this point now and his goodbye remark was at least you are not crying! We were all like thank you for your time and off we went, it was apparent that we would only engage in further negative banter if we stayed.
    This experience certainly gave me a new found respect for missionary work and opened my eyes to the challenges they can face.
    So I really had hard time over this, I was stunned and really silent because I did not know what he was taking about, what was it in section 84 that had him so riled up? Did what happen? New Jerusalem has not yet been built that I know of so I guess no it hasn't happened.... Yet. And Deuteronomy 9 I found out later was all about false prophets, so why did he say it was all about Joseph Smith? I do know that it states that a false prophet will lead you to follow a god that is not familiar or will lead one to disbelieve what is contained in the scriptures. I don't recall reading anything that would make me think that God is not the one we follow, I mean we are taught about God and we read the same bible as so many other Christians, we do not discount any part of the Bible, it is scripture and is the word of God that has been written down many years ago by scribes and get this Prophets.
   So now The Book of Mormon, what is this? Is this book truth, or is it a very well written book of a fantasy by a young uneducated man? I thought about this all night because I felt that that seed of doubt had been cast ( not a good seed) and it had kind of consumed my mind, I didn't sleep well as my mind kept wandering back and forth. I thought back to a little over a year ago when the missionaries invited me to read the book, at first it was a lot to take in, it wasn't easy to understand at all, wait a minute now maybe it was trickery, maybe this book is so well written that it tricks the reader into believing it, maybe this young man really was a genius and had tricked the people around him to think he was uneducated. What a brilliant man, he has duped even his own parents, he has not been honest in his dealings with them. He has carefully since childhood made them believe he is honest but in reality has duped them. OK now really could he have done that? I do not think so. The Book of Mormon is to well written for that time period, it could not have been fabricated even by a literary genius, it would not have been written by any man who was righteous and it certainly could not have been written by someone who was not.
    I have only remember the moment I realized that this book was true and the words contained within were righteous words written by the hand of prophets and those selected to record the history of these people and the visit by The Christ to his people in this land. I believe that this book is of divine origin and that Joseph Smith nor any of his associates could have written this book nor would they have written it, I believe that those who are critical of the text contained within have not actually read it and have certainly not prayed to know its truths. I believe that the critics are more in fear of believing it so they spend a great deal of time trying to disprove it I can't speak for others but my own experiences with this book are incredible beyond belief, instead they are experiences of knowing and of receiving witness of the truth through the Holy Ghost. This book is not about believing, it is about knowing, knowing that our Father in Heaven lives, that he loves us and wants us to return to him, that he is the one true God. I think that the crowning moment in this book is when the resurrected Christ visited his most righteous people in the Americas and organized his church just as He had done in the Holy Land before his crucifixion. If The Book of Mormon is True as I know and believe it is then Joseph Smith is truly a prophet of God, and perhaps one of the most important Prophets of all time and The Book of Mormon is of utmost importance to every person on this earth. The work must continue and the missionaries must persevere and continue to bring the truth to not only those that disbelieve but to current members of the true church , the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints.
  I know that The Book of Mormon is true and I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and that he lives in each of us, and only through him do we have the opportunity to have eternal life. God lives and he loves us all so so much. I know this and I love this and I love God the Father and Jesus the Savior and I love you all. I say this in the name of the Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

The Temple

I have to admit I got lazy, no Monday message last week or the week before. Sometimes when I get a lot on my mind it is hard to focus on anything other than negativity. I have been having a hard time focusing on my daily scripture reading and listening to various talks. So any way this is my attempt at getting back on track.
    
     Last weekend my wife and I attended the Temple over in Langley with some of the dearest people in our hearts. For me it was an absolutely incredible experience, I'm not sure I can properly describe it. I found myself at complete peace, I fully expected to be nervous and a little bit weirded out but I made up my mind at the door to check all my hesitations and to let the Spirit guide me.
     I will say that the temple worker assigned to me was a super big help and of course my escort was simply amazing. Both of these individuals made my experience inside the temple really unforgettable. I just loved that the Spirit was so strong inside and how beautiful and peaceful
It was.
    Leading up to our Temple trip we went through prep classes, these were to ensure we were on the right track to understand the significant meaning and that all of the ordinances performed inside were of a sacred and symbolic nature. These classes do not go into great detail on the temple ordinances but they are explained as very symbolic and that these are the same "rituals" from ancient times. Some of the ordinances performed inside include washing and anointing and special instructions. There are also baptisms, but not for us, more for our ancestors, there is also what we call an endowment ceremony. The endowment ceremony really was something special, if you go through the Temple for the first time it may seem confusing but if you really let the spirit take over and guide you it is easy to understand the symbolism. Again I will not give details about these sacred ordinances, I could not do it justice anyway. Endowed members wear what we call garments, these are worn next to our skin, some call it Mormon  underwear, but garments is what we prefer. Look at it like this, monks wear their robes at all times, there are prayer caps and robes in various other religions, priests in many Christian faiths wear a white collar. All of these are symbolic in nature and also sacred, they are reminders of the covenants we make both before we enter the temple and new ones we make inside the Temple. It is impossible to learn everything all at once, it is therefore recommended to attend the Temple often, as often as circumstances permit. The Temple is a place of learning and we must attend regularly in order to learn as much as we possibly can.

     Perhaps my favorite part of my first Temple trip was the sealing ordinance. Although I have been married to my wife for 17 years we were sealed in the Temple, this is a very significant ordinance and seals us together for all of time and eternity, how cool is that. No longer are we only married until death do us part, we are married for all time and eternity.

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:13–19.)
I love that the sealing power has been restored to us on earth, it really  truly gives us that assurance that families are forever.
     I could go on and on about the Temple but I really believe everyone needs to witness it first hand. It is my testimony that if you leave all of your inhibitions at the door and truly let the Spirit envelope you, go with the amazing peacefulness in the Temple and enjoy the time there you will be blessed immensely.  If you will accept the revelation concerning temple ordinance work and if you will enter into our covenants with whole heartfelt truth the Lord will protect us. We will receive inspiration sufficient for the challenges of life.
The work relating to the temples is true. It was revealed from beyond the veil and revelation continues.
Revelation may come to each of us individually if we so desire with wholehearted faith and accepting the most sacred covenants with our Father in Heaven
I know this is true and I leave these thoughts with you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. amen.

Conversion and testimony

Well its one year as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. March 8th 2014 is a date that marks a new journey in my families life. It all started with my wife walking home from work on January 8th,  2014 when she heard a couple of young women laughing, it turns out one had just rescued the other from stepping in a pile of horse poop. They greeted my wife with open loving arms, they were just a sweet pair of missionaries from the church and their mission was to bring the gospel to whomever would listen. They chatted for a bit and prayed there on the side of "Church" road, set up an appointment and parted ways. I remember the text my wife sent me at work, I met some missionaries and they are coming over tomorrow. I thought to myself OK, I texted her weird. They are Mormon, she said, weird I said. So it went back and forth like that for a bit. She met with them that next day and a couple more times after, I still had not met them. They decided to set up an appointment for when I would be home, I was really not so sure about this. I had told my wife forget it I don't want to meet them, I don't need to meet them, come on let's face it they are Mormons its weird. I was still resorted to not meet them, I had actually tried to pick up some extra work for the meeting night so I wouldn't make it home on time. It was very strange the day leading up to meeting them, I didn't know them, I hadn't met them I didn't know what they would say to me and honestly I really didn't care. As the day progressed I just could not help feeling strongly that I had to keep this appointment, that what they would say would be well worth my time, that I really needed to listen to and trust them. I kind of knew at that time that there was something going on, what was it why was I feeling this way. Well as I wrote in one of my previous blogs on The Holy Ghost it was most certainly him, witnessing to me the truth that they would speak. Well the time came and they knocked on the door, I can't say it was loud and confident but more quiet and timid. Did they know I hadn't wanted to meet them and were nervous to meet me now. Well when we opened the door I just knew something good was going to happen, these two bright young ladies standing on my porch. It really felt like I knew them already and they were just stopping by to visit. In my heart I knew that I loved them already, I knew, even though I didn't know, that I would join the Church. My feelings of, I didn't need church or God, I was in control were all of a sudden dashed and I felt strangely at peace. It was really one of those times in your life where you just know that there was another presence and that had come through the door with them. I really love that the spirit followed them through my door and had entered into my heart. The thing that really struck me is their confidence, I found it amazing that they didn't just believe what they were saying, they knew what they said to be true and they spoke with such emotion that testified to the truth.
     Well we were baptized exactly two months after my wife first met the missionaries on Church road, my daughter was baptized one month later than the rest of us but I have another thought on why she waited. I was at times so sure that these two young women were going to give up on us, we didn't make it easy at all but they persevered and completely won us over. I think back on some of the questions we had asked them and man what the heck were we thinking, I really don't know why they kept coming back, I was a bit of a quack, OK I'm exaggerating, I was a lot of a quack. Truthfully these two had to have had witness of the spirit that we would join the church because the love and compassion they showed my family was in itself a testimony of the true love of Christ.
    So really this past year has brought along a lot of bumps in the road, there were days when I thought that staying in this church would be impossible, how could I really live up to these standards. Temptations are always present and at times it is tough to not just think what could it hurt, one coffee or one pot cookie, i mean i can get back on track tomorrow, but over this last year I have resisted these temptations and won. I have had worthiness issues, how can I hold the priesthood, I am no one special but one thing that has helped me along is that my wife has faith in me even when I don't. As a family unit we have grown stronger but we have our struggles as most families do. Doing the things we should do becomes a challenge, family home evening, family prayers and scripture studies, these are all things we as a family need to do but fail at miserably. I want to do these things but my own short comings plant that seed of doubt in my mind that I can do it. I pray silently alone I do read scriptures, I try to understand them as best I can, I truly know that my conversion will take a lifetime and beyond. We have had a number of missionaries who have come into our lives Elders and Sisters alike and they all bring a strong spirit with them, they have all taught us so much and they have really become like great friends and family and it is so easy to love them all.
    I gained a testimony very quickly on the Book of Mormon and the truth in the words printed within. I remember the moment that I had powerful witness and it came while driving to work listening to it. It was like nothing I had experienced in my life before, I was so overwhelmed that driving seemed impossible and that I needed to not only hear, but also needed to read the words. I pulled off the road and found the scriptures to read them. I had a real moment with Heavenly Father that felt so real and He presented his son our savior Jesus Christ to me, he revealed through the scriptures that He was real and that Christ visited the Americas, He ministered to the peoples there and to the children. I especially felt strong emotion when I read about Christ ministering to the children, I just felt as though I was a little child and He was there, right there to minister to me specifically at that moment, like He placed his hand on mine and touched me, made me know that this moment had happened, gave me witness to the truth of Joseph Smiths visions and to the real truth of The Book of Mormon. This all really happened, it is so true, I had questions at first of that it could be real and how could there be no record of this happening, my doubt was extinguished after this moment. I bear witness that The Book of Mormon is truth, that it is a record of times past, that Jesus Christ died and overcame death, rose from the dead and revealed himself to his people in the Americas. I know that Joseph Smith was given these records and translated them for all the world to know, and to know that Jesus Christ lives and He loves us all. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us so much and He wants us to all return to him. I know that The Holy Ghost gives us knowledge and bears witness to Christ's perfect love and that He reveals to us what we need to know and gives us comfort in times of need. I know this to be true and this I say in the name of our loving savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
   

Prayers, are they answered.

It has always befuddled me when people pray so frequently and express that their prayers are answered. I mean is it not just a manifestation of a solution you already have? Does Heavenly Father really answer our prayers?
   Let me start by saying I am such a weak prayer, I don't pray frequently usually once a day, and my prayers are almost always repetitive. I just at times don't know how to trust although I am getting  better. I actually change it up a bit, though I still have a hard time with taking my troubles to the Lord. I am a problem solver and like to think that I can do almost anything. I watch other people pray and hear how their prayers have been answered and can't stop but wonder that at some point coincidence becomes a very weak argument. I don't think its possible for our own mind to manifest a real answer to prayer, in fact it is only through God that we can have prayers answered.
     Sometimes I wonder, is my relationship with God sufficient enough to have my prayers answered and when they are do I have the capacity to recognize the fact that they are. Faith in God becomes an integral part of prayer, in fact without faith the need to pray seems fruitless.
Relying on our Father in Heaven is something, I think, He really wants us to do. He wants us to, even though He knows already, to bring everything to Him in prayer. Give it all up to Him, our struggles, our happiness, our sadness anything that is current in our daily lives. Doing  this will bring strength to our relationship with God.
     At times in our life we may feel that we can not feel Gods presence, there seems to be a disconnect between us. Our faith may have waned and we question that relationship that we once had, we might say a prayer to Him but without sincerity and wonder why it is not answered. We may even feel that we do not have the right to ask our Heavenly Father for certain things, but it is fundamental to Gods plan that we bring everything to Him, ask him for blessings and thank Him for our struggles, our blessings and everything that is of Him.
    We must first build a relationship with God, ask for forgiveness and do what it takes to please him, accept that Jesus Christ is the son of God and let his love enter into into your heart, truly become a child of God. Jesus teaches that he is the Sheppard and we are the sheep, and as any good Sheppard knows, his flock will know his voice and will listen. He teaches that by following Him we will have eternal life and not perish. When we follow Christ's teachings our confidence in God grows and we become more aware of his presence. It seems that there is a pattern starting to develop, God, Jesus Christ, faith, trust and commitment.
A sincere commitment to our eternal Father and the teachings of his son are the way to develop that loving trusting relationship.
    One of my failures comes from thinking that my plan for me is better than Gods plan, thinking that there is only one obvious answer to a prayer. Sometimes the answer that God gives isn't what we want to hear, we go by the here and now and question with our limited knowledge Gods will. I for one need to change this way of thinking and trust that Gods knowledge is infinite and he knows the best plan and path for me to take. Even when the world seems out of control it is paramount to trust without question what Gods will for us is. He strives to have a loving and trusting relationship with us all, walk by faith not by sight. God can provide answers far beyond our own comprehension as we submit to being satisfied with His answers, he will always be our Father and his love will be everlasting. Trust in him always and bring all of your troubles to him in prayer, thank him and praise him, love him.
    
It is my testimony that by submitting to our loving Heavenly Father's will and reading his word, trusting in him and his plan for us we can receive that answer to our prayers. I can't definitively say how your prayer will be answered but I know someone who does, my Father... our Father in heaven, ask him.  The first prayer God answers is your prayer to begin a relationship with him, then will you understand that your prayers are and always have been answered.
I say this in the name of our loving Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Holy Ghost

Before Jesus Christ ascended into heaven he promised his disciples that they would have one that would teach and guide them as long as they had faith and would believe in him.
     When we are baptized we need to also receive the Holy Ghost, this usually takes place at the next sacrament meeting by the laying on of hands by worthy priesthood holders. Although after baptism we have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost we also have him before in a more limited capacity. We can still receive whisperings of the Spirit usually to receive witness to Gods love or truth of the gospel.
   The Holy Ghost has many purposes. He not only gives gifts of the spirit at his will and as he seems fit, but also will teach us and He is our guide and will council us and lead us, He will reveal Gods truth to us. The Holy Ghost will also comfort us in our trials, it is important that when we are troubled to seek his comfort or we risk the spirit of contention into our hearts. Satan looks for weakness in all of us and can easily destroy a fragile mind and chase from us our constant companion.
   Recognizing the guidance of the Spirit can be different for us, he does not speak directly to us but rather through us, that voice inside of us known also as our conscience. He will also guide us in other ways that will be subtle. For me I feel deep emotion when I feel that I am being prompted, I get that lump in my throat and my eyes water a bit when Gods truth and Christ's love is revealed to me
    Reading the scriptures and being familiar with Gods word is paramount to understanding how to recognize The Holy Ghosts guidance. I have found that at certain times the Spirit leads me to very specific scripture and it is almost always to answer a question I may have. Last year on the very day I was to baptize my daughter I was having a bit of a hard time, like who was I that I could baptize anyone, it was really distressing and I felt that I was not the right person to perform such a sacred ordinance. I prayed to seek answers to how I could be considered worthy, I was led to a scripture in Matthew when Jesus was baptized by John. I felt that this was personal witness from the Spirit to assure me that I indeed was worthy.
   The Spirit will never lead us to do anything that is not Gods will. If a prompting is contrary to the scriptures then it is not of The Holy Ghost and we should ignore such promptings.
   Prayer is another very important way to recognizing the presence of The Holy Ghost. This helps us to keep our minds and our hearts open to his guidance. He will help us and speak through us if we are open to him, as in prayer when we don't know what to pray for the Spirit will intercede and lead us to the right words.
    The Holy Ghost will never lead us into sin but if we form a habit of sinning then we risk missing his promptings and his guidance. In order to best follow and recognize the Holy Ghost we must turn away from sin, pray often to Heavenly Father, and study the scriptures, this will help tune us into his whisperings and promptings.
   I believe that we all can channel the Spirit in our own ways as long as it is in harmony with God. We all are a part of Gods eternal plan and in order to return to him we need to use the gifts that the Spirit gives us.
   I have a personal witness of The Holy Ghost as it was he who told me to trust the missionaries that I did not want to meet, that I would see the true love and the light of Jesus Christ through them and that I would know in a short time that what these young women say was truth, and that it is Heavenly Fathers will. I say this in the name of our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

So, what about Helaman chapter 5

This is what I get from this chapter. 
Because of the wicked hearts of man destruction is imminent. Nephi and lehi recognized this and went forward to prepare the hearts of man for the truth and what is righteous. Preaching and ministering to the people and converting their hearts to avoid the coming destruction. I think that because of their names they felt obligated to be honourable and to go forward and preach the good works of the lord and to honour his commandments, and be just. With Nephi leaving his position as chief judge it made it easier for him to become more righteous and to steer away from the wicked hearts of the people and devote more time and energy to doing and being what God would have him be. Obedience and faith became the focal point in their ministry and became crucial for the conversion of the many. Teaching that only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can man gain their eternal glory as promised by our loving and compassionate father and that they have all in essence been given a gift, a gift to repent and change their hearts. The people were taught that only through full repentance is it possible for the miracle of the atonement to be fulfilled to completion. It to me shows that our Heavenly Father is loving and compassionate and he wants us to make the right choices. His mercy and his patience are perfect and he is not happy in punishing the wicked so he provides avenues for repentance. His willingness to give up his perfect son so that man can be made clean from their sins exemplifies his pure love for all of us.
By building a strong foundation in Christ and his teachings and by obeying the commandments and remaining strong in faith we can overcome the perils of the world. As our faith grows so do our testimonies. Our testimonies become a tool and a guide especially in troubled times when things get tough. Our testimonies must remain rock solid or we are in danger of falling to the temptations of mortal sin and that is when Satan takes hold and our testimonies become fragile or lost. We must always follow the teachings of Christ, remain true to the commandments set out for us by God follow the council of our prophets cling to the words in the gospel. Repent and pray until all darkness and doubt are cast out and the pure light of Christ shines brightly. The tender mercies of our Father in Heaven will richly bless our lives and He will minister to his faithful followers. Light will always prevail even in the darkest of days if we stay n the straight and narrow path. 
I so testify that the light of Christ will light our way and will never fail, it at times may be obscured but it is always there and Christ lives and he is the redeemer of this world. Follow Gods plan and listen to the words of prophets read the scriptures and pray. I leave this with you in the name of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen