Giving ALL

In Church today we talked a lot about the word ALL. I got thinking about what it means to actually give it ALL. Are we giving all our mind, heart, and soul? When we have one of those things do we have the others? It's something that we as people sometimes take for granite. We need to start focusing our minds and our hearts and bring our soul into it. Center those things on Christ and everything else will fall in place. When you have felt that all is being given what do you feel? For me it's when I'm doing service or helping someone else out. That's when I really feel like I'm giving it ALL! So when I'm done doing service how can I keep that feeling and those 3 things still giving ALL? I would invite those who read this to ponder when they feel that they have been giving it ALL? Then ponder how you can keep giving ALL! I know that if you do that you can continue to have those feelings and it will continue to get stronger.

Trials and Hard Times

The other day as I was reading in the Book of Mormon something stuck out to me in one of the chapters I read. It was in the book of Helaman Chapter 12. Here we are being told about a patter that Helaman is noticing. If we read verses 2-3.

           "Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
          And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him."

         So what Helaman is tyring to tell us here is that when we are doing what we are supposed to we are going to be blessed. Then we will start to forget who gave us everything we have unless we get put through trials or go through some rough times. So God puts us through trials so that we can continually humble ourselves and remember Him. So when we start to get a little pride full or maybe just a little proud we should think about who made it possible for us to get to that point and then humble ourselves.

Mother's Day

  As Mothers Day approaches I thought it would be appropriate to make a post dedicated to mothers world wide. Whenever I think of mothers I am always reminded of the story of the 2000 Stripling warriors! If we turn to Alma 53 verses 20-21 it will describe the 2000 stripling warriors and what kind of men they were. "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." So here it describes how good of men they were!

Then if we go to Alma 57 verse 21 It tells us who taught them so well and who had raised them to be such valiant men. "Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them." So we should all thank our mothers for raising us and teaching us the things to make us the people we are today! I can proudly say I'M A MAMMA'S BOY! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Happiness

      This morning while I was reading in the Book of Mormon In Alma 50 I came across a few verses that really stuck out to me about happiness and doing what the Lord has asked. In verse 20 it talks about how the Lord is going to bless those people when they are doing what they are supposed to and how He is not going to bless us when we don't keep the commandments. Then I really like what verse 23 said : "But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges." So we see that when we do what we are supposed to the Lord is going to bless us with all the happiness we can imagine! Lets all strive to be a little better and make those changes in our lives to come closer to Christ!

A Beautiful Easter Message

As I was going through recent posts by other people this video caught my eye and I thought I would give it a chance and see if it does a good job at explaining the easter story and I thought it did a very good job and was a very emotional video I really hope you all will take 5 minutes to watch this video and remember to follow Christ our Savior who died and now lives!

Two Brothers

      I watched this video yesterday at a meeting we had and it is really a great video that talks about two brothers and their relationship. It made me really think about whats really important and are we really doing the things we need to do, to show our thanks to the ones we love and are close to. I hope you will take the time to watch this short movie and feel the spirit it will bring into your life as you ponder the ones that mean the most to you.

Helping Others

            This past weekend was Conference and there was a lot of great stuff to learn and take in. But one of the biggest things that stuck out to me would have to be on the saturday morning session of the conference. It was a talk given by Elder Henry B Eyring. If you would like to Listen to the whole talk you can by going to http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/04?lang=eng&vid=880291596001&cid=12 . There was a phrase he used that I liked. He said "The lord has made it possible for anyone who wants to help to do it." There are so many of us who are capable of helping others but either don't take the time to do it or are just to busy sometimes. Other times we just feel like we don't really need to help others. I was also reminded of the covenants or promises that we make with our Father in heaven when we get baptised. We are our brothers keeper, we do need to be looking out for all those that are in need of help. So my thought is that we should all try to take a few minutes out of our busy lives to help someone else that might be in need. Then the Lord is going to bless others through us and He will also bless us for putting forth effort in helping his other children.

Dont Tempt The Lord

   This morning I was reading in Alma in the Book of Mormon. They where explaining there money system and what everything was worth. usually I just skim through it to get by it but I actually read thru it this time and I actually understood the next verses really well when Zeezrom tries to tempt Amulek. He was offering him a lot of money if he would deny God. But Amulek showed his faith and didn't even hesitate. It covers it in Verses 21-23 of chapter 11 in Alma.
           "And this Zeezrom began to question Amulek, saying: Will ye answer me a few questions which I shall ask you? Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the devices of the devil, that he might destroy that which was good; therefore, he said unto Amulek: Will ye answer the questions which I shall put unto you?
           And  Amulek said unto him: Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord. And Zeezrom said unto him: Behold, here are six onties of silver, and all these will I give thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being.
          Now Amulek said: O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yieldeth to no such temptations"
        Amulek was very wise in how he frazed his response he said that you don't understand that the righteous people wont give in to Satan's temptations. So if we are truly doing what we should be Satan will have no power over us. We will be able to live happy lives and see the joy that comes from doing what it right.

What Matters Most

             I watched this video and thought its what a lot of people really need to hear. Sometimes in life we let all the problems of the world overwhelm us and we dont take the time to really cherish what matters most in life. I would ask you to take the time to watch this little clip and and then think about what matters most in your lifes. I know for me my family, and friends are what matter most!

Patience and Faith

This morning while I was reading in the Book of Mormon I had a couple verses stick out to me. They are in Mosiah 23 : 21-22 it says:
       "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day."

      This really answers a lot of questions for a lot of people it seems like at least once a month or more we will usually get someone that will ask us as missionary's "why does God allow so much suffering" why would God punish people like this".  These are fair questions and this verse does a great job at answering those questions. We see that the Lord with put us through trials to test our patience and our faith so that He can know the level of our commitment to Him and our commitment to keeping the commandments. Then he gives is a promise that whosoever putteth their trust in him they will be lifted up at the last day! I know that Christ loves us and wants us to return and be with him. So lets do our part and do our best as we go through trials and not doubt God and his love for us.

Giving Thanks

The other day I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants in section 50 and there was a couple of verses that stood out to me. It was verses 34 and 35 they say:

"34 He that receiveth of God, let him account it of God; and let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive.
35 And by giving heed and doing these things which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive—and the kingdom is given you of the Father, and power to overcome all things which are not ordained of him"

As I was reading this I thought about all the times that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have communicated with me through the Spirit and all the times I have just said to myself thanks that's what I needed or just taken a prompting for granite. But how many of us actually take the time to thank our Heavenly Father for giving us those promptings? How many of us rejoice because God has accounted us worthy to receive that enlightenment? I know for me I have not always been the best at thanking God for everything He has done for me in answering my prayers. I think if we all will take the time to thank God for all the things He does for us on a daily basis He is going to continue to enlighten us even more!

All That Is Required of Us

I was reading in the Book of Mormon this morning and it was mainly in chapter 2 of Mosiah : 21-24. Here it is talking about what God requires of us. In the first verse he says if ye would serve him with all your souls it would not be profitable service. God loves us and knows we are all human and that we do have lives of our own. He wants us to enjoy life and do things that would be pleasing to him. If we go to the next verse 22 we see that all He requires is for us to keep his commandments. Its a big task but so much of it is easy. We just need to think about everything that Christ has done for us and we can realize that doing the few simple things that He has asked us to is only fair and on top of that He is going to bless us. So I think we should at least do our part in showing our love and respect to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ by keeping the commandments that they have asked us to.