Bound with the Bands

Imagine you're sitting on your couch watching TV.  You realize that you're thirsty so you want to go to the refrigerator and get a drink of cranberry juice.  But you can't move because you're wrapped up in strong bands - sort of like a mummy from the catacombs of ancient Egypt.  You would do all you could to get yourself out of those bands.  If you knew how to get those things off of you, nothing would stop you.  You would do all you could to release yourself and attain that refreshing beverage. 

We put ourselves in a similar situation when we sin.  Although it sometimes may seem otherwise, the commandments of God are in place to keep us free and happy.  When we break those commandments we are literally binding ourself in sin. I like how the Book of Mormon prophet Alma puts it, when we sin, we are "bound with the bands of iniquity" (Mosiah 23:12).  They keep us from enjoying the blessings of the gospel.  Most importantly, they keep us from having the Holy Ghost's influence in our lives.

Now let's go back to that comparison I made earlier.  Imagine there's someone who will help you out of those dreadful bands.  He's completely willing to help.  But you have to accept that help before he can.  Of course that man is the Savior Jesus Christ.  If we allow Him to help us, He will. 

So I encourage all who feel they are "bound with the bands" of sin to ask God for forgiveness.  Live the commandments and free yourself, with the help of the Lord!

Gravel

The other day my companion and I were doing some service in the community.  We were helping out somebody shovel a big pile of gravel.  We were moving the gravel, with the help of a trusty wheelbarrow to another spot around the building.  At first, the work wasn't all that difficult, just fill the wheelbarrow, roll it around, and dump it.  But as fatigue set in I became a bit discouraged.  Every time we went back to that pile of gravel, it looked exactly the same.  I didn't feel that my efforts in transporting that gravel were accomplishing a whole lot. 

I think a lot of people fall into this trap when trying to help others.  We don't see the immediate results of our efforts so we become discouraged.  Just like the gravel pile, those we are trying to help don't always look or act a whole lot different right away.  Even in our day-to-day interactions with them, we may not recognize how much we really are helping.  However, the Lord has told us to "be not weary in well-doing, for [we] are laying the foundation of a great work" (D&C 64:33). 

So I'll fast-forward to the end of our gravel story.  The gravel will eventually be laid out to make a walkway leading up to a doorway.  Although it doesn't seem very productive at the time, our efforts will help people comfortably get from their cars to the doorway of that building. 

I know that as we continue to help others, God will bless us.  It may be difficult or frustrating, but our efforts are appreciated.  We will come to know that "out of small things proceedeth that which is great"!  And that's a promise!

Articles of Faith #13

"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things"

So this is the last Article of Faith.  It kinda sums up everything we, as members of Jesus Christ's church, try to do and be.  We believe it is important to be a good person.  We believe in being honest and true in our dealings with our fellow men.  We believe that chastity, benevolence, and virtue should "garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly" (D&C 121: 45). In short, we believe in following the example set by Jesus Christ.


Jesus Christ is perfect.  Although He was tempted, He never broke God's commandments.  He was baptized by John "to fulfill all righteousness".  Christ spent his entire life going "about doing good" (Acts 10:38).  He caused the blind see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear.  He brought people back to life, walked on water, and miraculously fed vast multitudes.  Christ understood perfectly what His Heavenly Father expected of Him.  Our Savior showed this by taking upon Himself the sins of the world.  Just before His suffering on the cross was over he uttered the words: "it is finished" (John 19:30).  Our Lord and redeemer Jesus Christ truly finished His work on this earth. 

We believe that we need to follow Christ's example.  He did His work and we need to do ours.  He is the embodiment of faith, hope, and charity.  As members of His church we are to build those qualities in our own lives.  He spent His entire life in service to His fellowmen.  It is our purpose, as Christ's church, to provide needed help to all of God's children.  Jesus Christ set the perfect example and we, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believe we should follow Him.  Just like the original disciples, Christ invites us to follow Him. 

Just like our savior, we need to help others in any way we can.

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.  I know that His church is restored.  God has called a prophet in these latter days.  God speaks through His prophet!  I firmly believe when we do our best to follow Christ's example "the windows of heaven" will be opened unto us.  Of this I humbly and sincerely testify.

For more on The Articles of Faith see http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith/.

Articles of Faith #4

"We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

1. "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" (see Alma 32)

Faith is the first fundamental principle of Jesus Christ's gospel.  Without a firm belief in the Savior, nothing else in the gospel is worth it or even possible.  The Book of Mormon prophet Moroni tells us that we "receive no witness until after the trial of [our] faith" (Ether 12:6 read the whole chapter for different miracles wrought by faith!).  Our Savior Jesus Christ created the earth.  He came down to Earth to teach people and establish His doctrine.  He also performed the Atonement and many other miracles.  When doing many of these miracles, especially healing, He did not take full credit for the mighty works.  Christ told the people "thy faith hath made thee whole" (see Mark 10:52)!  So our faith allows Jesus Christ to perform miracles in our lives.  This faith leads to sincere repentance.

2. "Repentance" (See Mosiah 18:20)

Repentance is sincerely desiring and asking for a remission of our sins.  We learn in Romans that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  Unless we are cleansed of this sin we cannot "dwell with God" (1 Nephi 10:21).  When we humbly recognize our sins before God and ask for His forgiveness, He will grant us the desire of our hearts.  The same way that faith leads to repentance, our true repentance will lead to us making the covenant of baptism.

3. "Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins" (See Mosiah 26:22)
Baptism is the first covenant we make with our Father in Heaven.  A covenant is a sacred promise.  We promise to keep the commandments, take Christ's name upon us, and always remember Him.  In return, our Heavenly Father promises us the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 4:3 and 5:2).  Without baptism, we cannot "enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).  For more on baptism, you can read my blog post, "Fulfill all Righteousness". 

4. "Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost" (see 3 Nephi 28:11)
Jesus Christ promised the Holy Ghost to come after He (Jesus Christ) was ascended into Heaven.  The Holy Ghost provides us with comfort and peace.  After we are baptized by Christ's authority, we can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the same authority.  With the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is like we have Jesus Christ with us always (see the Savior's promise to His disciples in John 14:25-27).  The Holy Ghost has helped and will help all of us to make the right decisions and follow Christ.  Through prayer and obedience to the commandments, we can have that peace with us throughout our lives!

Christ's gospel has been restored!  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's kingdom on the earth!  Through His apostles, Jesus has restored His priesthood, making it possible for all of God's children to return with Him someday.  I know this to be true and you can too!  Come unto Christ with faith and repentance in your heart.  Pray to know the truth concerning baptism and prepare to make and keep those covenants.  As you do, I promise that the Holy Ghost will help you know the truth!

For more on The articles of faith see http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith/.

The Articles of Faith #2

"We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression."

God gives us commandments.  Most notably, the Ten Commandments, but there are many others.  God gives us commandments and expects us to live by those standards.  When we disobey, God is displeased; but when we follow His commandments He is happy with us.

There is a time in the future (after we leave this earth) when we will all come before Jesus Christ and be judged.  The Book of Mormon prophet, Alma, teaches that we will "be judged according to [our] works".  If we have done good  in this life (kept the commandments, served God), then we will "be restored unto that which is good".  But if our works have been not good, or "evil", then we will be rewarded accordingly.  Alma then explains how to make sure our "works" are good: "If [you have] repented of [your] sins, and desired righteousness until the end of [your] days, even so [you] shall be rewarded unto righteousness" (Alma 41:3-6). 

This is what it means in the second Article of Faith by saying we "will be punished for [our] own sins".  God sets forth eternal laws, and violation of those laws brings sure punishment.  The only way to overcome this is through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.  We do not believe that we will be punished for the mistakes of our fathers but for our own sins and transgressions, based on decisions we have made.

I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is available to everybody.  I know that obedience to the commandments of God, as revealed through His prophets in ancient and modern days, will bring blessings in this life and eternal joy in the life to come.

for more on the Articles of Faith, see http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith/.

I'm in Havre

So I got into Havre on Tuesday evening.  It was really cold.  It was very negative outside in the degrees.  It felt like my earlobes might fall off and shatter on the ground.  I was convinced that this is the coldest place in the universe.  It made me think of why I'm out on a mission.  I would never willingly submit myself to such harsh conditions.  I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would live here.  Don't get me wrong, the people I've met are great and it's a lovely little community, but it's really cold. 

I'm here because the Gospel is true.  Jesus Christ lives and His church is restored!  God has called me, through His prophet, to serve here.  He loves all of His children, especially those who live in really cold places like Havre, MT.

Look to the Light

This Video is great.  It shows how Christ can make a difference in anybody's life.  It shows how anybody can find Christ and refocus on what is important.

Merry Christmas.

"Thou art the Christ"

In the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Matthew is recorded a remarkable exchange between our savior, Jesus Christ, and His apostles.  He asks them, "Whom do men say that I the son of man am?".  The apostles give various answers reflecting rumors of the time, "some say thou art John the baptist: some, Elias (Elijah); and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets".  Through their own reasoning, men at the time of Christ came up with many theories about who Christ could be and how He had so much power to heal and perform the miracles He did.  These ideas were an attempt to explain, through man's intelligence how one man could have such power.

Christ then asked His disciples, "But whom say ye that I am?".  The apostle Peter then answered with the most pure testimony of Jesus anybody could give: "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God".  Peter knew his master and his master's role.  Christ is the son of God.  He is the savior of the world.  He is the long-awaited Messiah.  He is the Christ. 

Along with Peter, I know that Jesus is the Christ.  And that knowledge is available to all.  Christ tells Peter how he (Peter) gained that knowledge: "for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven".  That is how we all can know of Christ's divine role, through a personal witness from God.  In the world today, a lot of people believe different things about Jesus Christ.  A lot of really smart people have different ideas ranging from both positive and negative extremes.  But the way to know for ourselves is the way Peter knew almost 2,000 years ago, we must learn from God.

I know that Jesus is the Christ.  I know He is my savior and redeemer, my advocate with the Father.  I know this through the feeling in my heart through the Holy Ghost.

 "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things"(Moroni 10:5)

The Iron Rod

In the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi and later his son, Nephi, see a vision of a "Tree of Life".  Leading to this tree is an "iron rod".  This rod provides guidance along the only path to the Tree of Life.  There are many distractions along the way but only by holding fast to the rod of iron can anybody hope to taste of the fruit of the Tree of Life.

In explaining the symbolism of this vision, Nephi says that the "iron rod is the word of God".  "The word of God" as recorded by His prophets is called scripture.  In the light of the restored Gospel we have four books of scripture which we call the Standard Works.  These include The Holy Bible, The Book Of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.  In addition to these books of scripture, Christ's living Prophets and Apostles provide us with "the word of God" for daily guidance and direction for our time.

If we can ever hope to reach the Tree of Life we must hold fast to the iron rod.  We must treasure the word of God.  We must read and learn from the scriptures.  We must follow the counsel of modern-day prophets.  We must resist ALL distractions that can and will come along our ways.  To dwell with Heavenly Father for eternity and truly enjoy the fruit of the Tree of Life we must stay on the strait and narrow path leading to Him.  Luckily, we have an iron rod to help us along the way.

And when temptation's power is nigh
Our pathway clouded o'er
Upon the rod we can rely
And Heaven's aid implore
(Hymns #274)

None can escape the mist of darkness.  But as we proceed, holding fast to the iron rod, we can make it.  I add my testimony that Jesus Christ lives.  He has spoken to His prophets in ancient times and He does so now.  Following the counsel of these prophets is how we return to live with our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.