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