In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

     I have been writing a lot about the basics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and there is more to come shortly, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving and the holidays I think it is so important to remember what we have and what we are grateful for. We take too many things for granted nowadays and it's important to reflect on ALL that you have been blessed with and give thanks to God. Enjoy the video. It's one of my favorites.

Heard of Joseph Smith Before??

Many of you may have heard of Joseph Smith in your history class or from a friend that is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but you may not know much about what he did or who he really was. This movie goes through much of the life of Joseph Smith and will give you an idea of who he was, what he did and why we refer to him as "The Prophet of the Restoration." Enjoy it, I know I did.

Wanna Meet a Mormon??

     There are so many misconceptions out there about "the mormons." People will make claims sometimes that we have horns, we don't use TVs or we can only ride bikes, just to name a few. But those claims simply are not true! Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly called "Mormons", are everyday people who have families, jobs and they probably face a lot of the same problems that you do. That may not be what you have heard, but watch this video and you may find that you are very similar!

Wanna Meet More Mormons?? Click Here.

Batman and The Book of James

     So what in the heck do Batman and some scriptures in the Bible have to do with each other?? Well if you're familiar with Batman then you probably know about the villain Two-Face, and if not, then maybe you've at least heard of being "two faced." I was reading the other day in the Book of James in the New Testament of the Bible and this thought of being two faced came to my mind. In James 3:10-12 we read,

     "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh."

     How easy is it to be like this? I think really easy. When you are around your parents maybe you "yield fresh water", but when you're with you friends you "yield salt water." James tells us, "these things ought not to be." We shouldn't put on one face for church and then another for work and a different one when you are among friends. Rather we should be true followers of Christ at all times.

     You may be able to deceive some people by being two faced, but remember that God knows who we truly are and he sees us at all times. So do those things that would be pleasing to your Father in Heaven at all times and don't be a Two-Face!

Huntsman Family Motto

Most of my family (my sister, brother-in-law,

sister-in-law, and neice are missing though).

    

     Growing up I thought that this was the most lame thing ever! I didn't get why we would have a "family motto". My parents would make us say it regularly and it drove me nuts for some reason but over time it stuck with me and I can still remember it. This is how it goes-

     "I will honor and respect the Huntsman name which means:

H is for happiness. (We are a happy family.)

U is for united as a family. (We work together.)

N is for noble. (We have high moral principles.)

T is for trustworthy. (A Huntsman can be trusted.)

S is for sealed in the temple. (Married in the temple for eternity.)

M is for missionary minded. (We share the gospel of Jesus Christ!)

A is for ambitious. (We have a desire to succeed.)

N is for Never A Better Family!" (There isn't a better family! At least for me.)    

     Looking back I'm grateful to remember this and it makes me want to better represent my family's name. Family is so important and I don't know what I would do without them. Take the time to appreciate your family this day and let them know how much you love them!

Live In Thanksgiving Daily

     I know that it's far from being Thanksgiving but it sure doesn't hurt to be grateful for what you have every day! Today take the time to appreciate all of the small things around you. Be grateful for something you normally take for granted. It will make you more happy as you are more grateful. Enjoy the video!

You Are My Hands

     In a recent General Conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf related a story that really hit me. I was reminded of it a few weeks ago when a missionary talked about it again and I wanted to share it with you:

     "A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.

Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”

     There is a profound lesson in this story. When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. And He always talked with, never down to, people. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation. That is what He did during His mortal life; it is what He would be doing if He were living among us today; and it is what we should be doing as His disciples."

So along with that message, today I would challenge each and every one of you to do your best to be the hands of Christ in someone else's life. Go out and serve someone else and I promise you will be more happy! I know that this is true.

Families Can Be Together Forever - Part 3

The temple is a great blessing to us all because we know that our families can be together forever. Watch this video and learn more about the blessings of the temple!

Families Can Be Together Forever! - Part 1

     "Till death do you part" has always been a tough thing for me to imagine. You go through life with your spouse, learn and work together, and raise kids, and then after you die it's all over. It just never seemed right to me. You may have wondered if there is such a thing as a 'forever family'. Well I'm here to tell you that there is and your family can be together forever! This is only possible through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. When God again called a prophet on the earth, one of the many things that was restored was the sealing power. We read in Matthew 16:19 that Christ gave this power to Peter:

     "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

     With these priesthood keys again on the earth, marriage doesn't have to end at death. Your family, whether you have one now or not, can be together forever through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

More to come soon...

Good News!

     It seems like it can be tough nowadays to find good news. When you turn on the TV everything tends to be about war, murderer and any other terrible thing happening in the world. It seems kind of like there isn't much good in the world. Well that's where the Gospel comes into play. The word gospel actually comes from an Old English word meaning "good news" and that's exactly what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about! Despite all of the hardships and trials we face there is good news because of Jesus Christ. I know that this is true and it brings hope to us all!

"If a Man Die, Shall He Live Again?"

     With Easter being so close I have thought a lot about what it means and why we really celebrate it. President Thomas S. Monson gave a talk in April 2010 regarding the Easter holiday and I wanted to share part of it with you:

     "Centuries ago the man Job—so long blessed with every material gift, only to find himself sorely afflicted by all that can befall a human being—sat with his companions and uttered the timeless, ageless question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” Job spoke what every other living man or woman has pondered.

This glorious Easter morning I’d like to consider Job’s question—“If a man die, shall he live again?”—and provide the answer."

     He went on to explain the Savior's sacrifice for us all and then added the following.

     "No words in Christendom mean more to me than those spoken by the angel to the weeping Mary Magdalene and the other Mary when, on the first day of the week, they approached the tomb to care for the body of their Lord. Spoke the angel:

“Why seek ye the living among the dead?

“He is not here, but is risen.”

     Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed.

The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job’s question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” To all within the sound of my voice, I declare, If a man die, he shall live again."

I too know that this message is true! During Easter remember that Christ is risen. He died for us all and was then ressurected that we too may rise one day. I am grateful for my Savior and all that he has blessed me with. If you want to know if this message is true, ask your Heavenly Father in prayer and you can know that it is!

Happy Easter!!!

His Sacred Name - An Easter Declaration

     I couldn't put this in any better way so just watch the video and remember why we really celebrate Easter. The eggs and candy may be nice but they pale in comparison to our Savior's sacrifice and ressurection. Enjoy!

Flecks of Gold

     One of my favorite talks from the last General Conference was by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He presented a question and then related the following story that I'd like to share.

How can we free ourselves from this tangled web of challenges and uncertainties to find peace of mind and happiness?

Oftentimes we are like the young merchant from Boston, who in 1849, as the story goes, was caught up in the fervor of the California gold rush. He sold all of his possessions to seek his fortune in the California rivers, which he was told were filled with gold nuggets so big that one could hardly carry them.

Day after endless day, the young man dipped his pan into the river and came up empty. His only reward was a growing pile of rocks. Discouraged and broke, he was ready to quit until one day an old, experienced prospector said to him, “That’s quite a pile of rocks you are getting there, my boy.”

The young man replied, “There’s no gold here. I’m going back home.”

Walking over to the pile of rocks, the old prospector said, “Oh, there is gold all right. You just have to know where to find it.” He picked two rocks up in his hands and crashed them together. One of the rocks split open, revealing several flecks of gold sparkling in the sunlight.

Noticing a bulging leather pouch fastened to the prospector’s waist, the young man said, “I’m looking for nuggets like the ones in your pouch, not just tiny flecks.”

The old prospector extended his pouch toward the young man, who looked inside, expecting to see several large nuggets. He was stunned to see that the pouch was filled with thousands of flecks of gold.

The old prospector said, “Son, it seems to me you are so busy looking for large nuggets that you’re missing filling your pouch with these precious flecks of gold. The patient accumulation of these little flecks has brought me great wealth.”

Those little flecks of gold in our lives can often seem insignificant, but over time they add up to bring us great wealth. Don't give up on what you're doing because you are only finding 'small flecks'. Over time you will find see just how much those small flecks make a difference in your life.

Choose This Day

     Choose today that you will be better. Choose today to quit a bad habit. Choose today to serve someone. Choose today that you will follow Jesus Christ.

How To Be Happy

     Where does happiness really come from? How can we find lasting happiness? Those can be hard questions to find answers to with everything in the world today. Sometimes we try to find it through money or possessions, but that is not the way. So then where can we find it?

     In the Book of Mormon we read, "Wickedness never was happiness. (Alma 41:10)" That is about as straightforward as it gets if you ask me. When we disobey God's commandments we aren't happy. Another thing we can understand from this is that righteousness always is happiness. When we choose to follow Christ and to do what he would have us do, we are truly happy.

     We see examples of this throughout the scriptures but I have one particular favorite. After Christ appeared to the people in America, everyone united in their efforts to follow him and we see the blessings that come to them because of their obedience to God.

     "And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God." (4 Nephi 1:15-16) 

     It is clear to see that when we follow the commandments and do what our Heavenly Father wants us to, we find true happiness just as the people here. It isn't always easy but if we will "give away all [our] sins" and try our best to follow Christ, we will experience true and lasting happiness.
I know that this is true and you can too. Pray about it and give it a try. I promise that as you follow Christ you will feel more happiness throughout your life.