Back to the Basics- The Gift of the Holy Ghost

     In my recent post about baptism, I talked about the need to be "born of water and of the spirit". This post will focus on being being "of the spirit". In the book of Acts in the New Testament we learn from Peter that we need to "repent, and be baptized... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Being 'born of the spirit' is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
     The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead and a personage of spirit. He can only be in one place at a time, but his influence can be everywhere at the same time. The Holy Ghost is our Heavenly Father's messenger and is a special gift to us. He can guide and direct us and teach us what is true. We read in the Book of Mormon that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:5) That makes the Holy Ghost extremely important in our lives. With so many ideas and different teachings floating around we are promised a way that we can know what is right.
     So what must you do to have such a gift?? Prior to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost you must be baptized by someone who holds the priesthood authority of God. Following baptism someone who holds the priesthood lays their hands on your head and will give you the gift of the Holy Ghost just as Paul did in the New Testament. (Acts 19:6) At that time you will have the Holy Ghost to be with you at all times, so long as you remain worthy.
     I am grateful for the ways that the Holy Ghost has blessed my life. I know that there have been many times when it has guided me to avoid a bad situation or to go and do something that my Heavenly Father would want me to do. I know that the Holy Ghost plays a significant impact in my life and I know it can do the same for you.
     This video will show how others have felt the Holy Ghost, aka the Holy Spirit, in their lives and how it has helped them. Enjoy!

Want to learn more about the Holy Ghost??
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Back to the Basics- Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement

     First things first. What is faith?? Faith is a hope or a belief in that which you can't see. For example, I have never seen Jesus Christ, but I firmly believe he was a real person that lived and died for me and you and everyone. It was important that he died for us because without his sacrifice we couldn't be forgiven of our sins and make it back to our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ's suffering and death for us is called the Atonement.
     Now it's time to learn how you can build your faith. A prophet in The Book of Mormon compared faith to a seed. Think about what you would have to do in order to make a seed grow:

1. Plant the seed. -----> It must have a place to grow.
2. Give it water and plant food. -----> It must be fed.
3. Place it in the sun. -----> It has to be in a place where it can receive light.
4. Continue to care for it. -----> Without more water, food and light it will die.

Those are things you must do in order for a seed to grow. So what about faith?

1. Plant the seed. -----> You have to make a place in your heart for faith to grow.
2. Give it water and plant food. ----> Just as a plant needs food to grow, faith requires spiritual food (The Bible and Book of Mormon, prayer, etc.).
3. Place it in the sun. -----> You need to be in a place where you can receive 'spiritual light' or learn more about Jesus Christ. After all, you must learn about him before you can have faith in him.
4. Continue to care for it. -----> You must continue to 'feed' your faith in order for it to live.

      As you learn more about Jesus Christ you will see your belief in him grow. Just like a seed it will require time, work and patience on your part, but in time you will find your small 'seed of faith' can grow from a small acorn into a giant oak tree! I know that to be true. If you already have faith in Christ, strengthen it. If not, begin today by learning more about him. I know as you do this your faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement will grow. I know Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I know he died for us so we can be forgiven. Now it's up to you to learn the same thing for yourself.

     If you have any particular questions you can message me on Facebook or click on any or all of the following links to learn more.
What is Faith?
Faith in Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ and His Atonement

Back to the Basics

     I remember playing basketball from a young age and I learned so many different things about the game. Even after learning many new things though we always got back to the basics and I think it's about that time for my blog. I have written a lot about the gospel of Jesus Christ and after talking about so many different  things I thought it would be good to get back to the basics and reinforce the fundamentals.

     Over the next month or so, I'll be posting blogs about topics such as Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, and the Holy Ghost. If there are any other things you would like to learn about feel free to shoot me a message on Facebook and then be ready to learn!

Faith and Exercise

     This is something that has been on my mind a lot recently, maybe because it's something I am always trying to work on. In Alma 32:27 it tells us to exercise our faith. So let's see how exercise and faith can relate to each other.

     1. They both require action.- You can think about getting strong all day long, but until you actually go and do something you won't gain any strength. I've thought to myself many times about how I'm going to work out so hard one day and then I'm too lazy to get up and actually do it. John Burroughs put it best when he said, "The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention." So if you want to build your faith don't just think about it, but get up and work on it!

     2. Use it or Lose it!- At one time or another in your life, you may have been really strong or in great shape. I used to be in good running shape. I loved to run! But over time I quit running and now I wouldn't do very well if I tried to run a mile. Our faith is similar. At one point you may have had a lot of faith, but now you are 'out of shape'. Remember that just because you have faith at one point doesn't mean that it will last forever. You must maintain your spiritual strength just like physical strength.

     3. You can see the results.- Over time as you exercise, you can see your muscles grow and that can motivate you to keep working. As we build our faith, we find more joy and motivation to learn about Jesus Christ and we want to continue to "exercise our faith."

     Just like exercise it isn't always easy to put in the work required to gain strong faith, but over time you will see the results that come and it will all be worth it. So try a little harder today to "exercise your faith". Serve someone else, read the scriptures, or pray and you will begin to see your faith grow.

Another Testament of Jesus Christ

     The Book of Mormon is a book you've probably heard of and you may have even taken the chance to flip through its pages once or twice. So what is it exactly? Why do we have it and what is its purpose?

If you have ever wondered about these things, watch this video and hear all about it.

     Just like these people, I too know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I have read it and prayed and asked God if it is true and like millions of others, I received the answer that it is! One of the last prophets to write in the Book of Mormon gave us a neat promise:

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort (encourage) you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:3-5)

It's that simple. If you will pray and ask God sincerely if the Book of Mormon is true, he will answer you by the power of the Holy Ghost. You will feel in your heart and know in your mind that it is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and it strengthens my testimony of Christ just as the Bible does. You too can know that it is true, all you have to do is ask.