Have you ever just looked around you and took in all that our heavenly father has given us? What a beautiful sight it is. As i was looking around one day in a resturant i noticed a family that sat down just across from us. They looked like any other family in the world, but there was one thing that was troubling me. There just wasnt any joy in their faces. Sure i dont know what there situation might have been but i just kept thinking to myself "Man, the gospel could bring so much peace and hapiness into their lives." I thought about what our savior taught us in the 11th chapter of matthew.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and i will igve you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for i am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
How easy is it to come unto christ. He has given us a promise that all that will come unto him will find rest unto your souls. This has to be one of my most favorite photos of all time. I cant wait for the day that we get to be embraced by our saviors arms as he says "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into my rest."
I humbly testify that i know that Jesus is the Christ the savior and redemer of the world. If we will but keep his commandments we can be happy forever.
I cannot deny the power of the spirit when i think of those who serve our country in distant lands. There is not doubt that our father in heaven looks after and cares for our troops as he did in the times of captain moroni. The story of captain Moroni and the title of liberty is very close to my heart. We find throughout book of mormon history that the lamanites persecute and rage war against the nephites numerous times. Moroni had finally had it with this..... Alma 46:12-13
12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it-In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
13 And he fastened on his head plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land.
Our troops are out fighting for our freedom, which gives us so many blessings. The blessing to worship the way we want, or to freely express ourselves! What a great gift our troops preserve for us.
The song "Here's to the Hero's" By the Ten Tenors is a great song that explains how grateful i am to our troops. May God continue to bless them and our country.
Here's to the heroes,
Those few who dare,
Heading for glory,
Living a prayer.
Here's to the heroes
Who change our lives.
Thanks to the heroes, Freedom survives.
Here's to the heroes
Who never rest.
They are the chosen,
We are the blessed.
Here's to the heroes
Who aim so high.
Here's to the heroes
Who do or die.
Through my life i have always been intrigued by the young women of the church. In the young women progress book it states, "You are beloved daughters of our heavenly father, prepared to come to earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose." I fully believe that those words ring truth in any ones eyes. Just in my life i have seen the wonderful examples that the young women have on the community. I serve here in Lander Wyoming and have grown to love the youth of the church here for their examples to everyone. Because of their radiant examples we have people wondering "what makes them so happy? Why do they act this way?"
One of my favorite scriptures is found in 3 Nephi 19:25,35-36, which states, "And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon the earth so white as the whiteness thereof. And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again unto them: So great faith have i never seen among all the Jews; wherefore i could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief. Verily i say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard."
I directly relate that to the youth of the church. They are so faithful in keeping the commandments of God that their examples radiate much like the garments of Jesus. I bare testimony that i know that this church is Christs church once again upon the earth. And that the youth are carrying that sacred responsibility of sharing the message on their shoulders very well. I'm thankful for them and all that they do. I know that the book of Mormon has the fullness of the gospel and works "hand in hand" (Ezek 37:15-17) with the bible. I know that we have a prophet of God on the earth today, who leads and guides us in the things that heavenly father would have us do. This i know, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
On October 7th 2010, i recieved the oporitunity to go to the temple and recieve my endownment. It was an amazing and special spiritual experiance. My cousin Karinne Wignal and myself got our endownments taken out together. Our family members who held a current temple recomend join us on our amazing temple experiance. My temple experiance was an experiance that is beyond words that i know how to write. The temple is the most beautiful experiance i have had on my journey back to my father in heaven. The temple is where familys can be sealed forever! The knowledge of heavenly fathers plan of salvation becomes that much more real in the temple. I challange each one of you to strive to go to the temple and recieve the blessings promised therein.
One of my all time favorite scriptures in the book of mormon is Alma Chapter 29 verses 1-3.
1. O that i were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that i might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
2. Yea, i would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
3. But behold, i am a man, and do sin in my wish; for i ought to be content with the things which the lord hath allotted unto me.
I find my self in the shoes of alma quite often. I wish that i could speak with the trump of God to declare the wonderful message of the plan of happiness and salvation. I wish that i could speak word of the lord in a way that would pierce the very soul of every man. But, behold i am a man, and do sin in my wish; and i should be content with the things the lord has given me. Im so thankful for the oporitunity to be here on a mission serving the lord 100% of the time. He has blessed me with the ability to speak and teach the message of love for every one.
The other night at a members house we read from 2nd nephi chapter 9. What an awesome chapter that talkes alot about the plan of salvation and gods love for his children. One verse that particularly stuck out to me was......
V 47,48 "But behold, my bretheren, is it expedient that i should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would i harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would i be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?"
"Behold, if ye were holy i would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that i teach you the consequences of sin."
As we pondered these verses we thought about exactly what it said. If we were "holy" then our modern day prophets and leaders would speak to us of holy things. But knowing that we are men and do sin in our wish, we are content to the things that are given to us. Let us strive every day to be like our teachers of old. Nephi, moroni, heleman, king mosiah etc.
As i was reading in Alma chapter 48 i came across an interesting scripture that really caught my attention.
Alma 48:17 "yea verily verily i say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."
I challange every one every where to be like unto moroni. How great would the world be if every one was like moroni. I strive every day to be better than i was yesterday.
