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.

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!

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.

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.

God Still Loves Us

       This video really puts in perspective for people how God still loves us and cares for us. That's why he has continued to bring forth additional scripture. To help us to better our life's and to live as he would have us live. The Book of Mormon is a second witness of Christ. It is Gods dealings with his people here in America. As is the Bible the dealings with God in Jerusalem. I know that God does love us and that's why he has brought forth the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon

In district meeting today we talked a lot about the Book of Mormon. As we were talking about it we realized that so many people dont know what it is. They might have heard of it our might have heard something about it but they dont really know what it is and what its about. So I thought I would talk a little bit about the Book of Mormon and what it really is. First off if you read the title it says The Book of Mormon Another Testiment of Jesus Christ. What comes to mind when you hear another testiment? For me I think of a second witness. I compare it to a board on the wall representing the gospel and we have the Bible which acts as one of the nails to hold it in the wall and then you add the Book of Mormon and it adds the second nail so that it will not fall off the wall the gospel cant fall anymore. Its an amazing thing the Book of Mormon is the record of the people here in america and their dealings with god. The Bible is the record of the jews and their dealings with god. Then the last thing that I wanted to mention was the challenge that comes with the Book of Mormon. It comes out of Moroni 10: 3-5 where it challenges everyone that wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true or not that you can read and then ask god if the Book of Mormon is true or not and Through the Holy Ghost he will manifest the truthfullness of its message. I know that if you want to know you can and all you have to do is read and pray. I have taken Moroni's challenge to read and pray and I have recieved my answer to know that it is of God and that Christ has once again restored his Church to the earth.