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

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.

Wanna See What I Do??

     A lot of y'all know that I'm on a mission, but my guess is that you probably don't really know what I do out here in Montana and Wyoming. In this video you can get a little preview of what I do and why I do it. Then if you want to you can even meet the missionaries like me that live near you. Just click here. I can promise you that the message they share can and will change your life. Give them a try, there's nothing to lose.

Want To Leave the Past in the Past??

     It seems to me that when we want forgiveness, we are often the last person to forgive ourselves. We can be our own worst enemy at times. We will hang on to our mistakes even when others may have completely forgotten them and forgiven us. So can you ever really be completely rid of your sins and mistakes? Can they really be gone for good? The answer to this question comes from the Bible in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

     "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

     Think about it like this- You are a board that is perfectly whole, but when you commit a sin a nail is pounded into you and you are no longer perfect. You recognize that you have sinned and you want to be forgiven. So you sincerely repent and ask your Heavenly Father for forgiveness. Then what happens to the hole in the board (your sin)?

     Some people may think that the nail is removed, wood putty fills the hole and it is re-finished. On the surface it may look good, but deep down it would still have an imperfection. Luckily that's not how Christ's Atonement works! Rather when we sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness the old board with a nail hole is "passed away." The old, imperfect board is gone and you "are become new." You are again a perfect board. You can be perfectly whole again! So choose today to leave the past in the past. When you have repented you can be "a new creature" and move on to a better and brighter day!

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.

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!

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.

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.

 

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.

What's Going On?

Many of you probably remember me saying that I would not be on Facebook or have a blog when I left on my mission. Well, our mission was selected as one to use the internet as a tool to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a missionary my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ and that's exactly what we are doing online. I will regularly post to my blog and be available on Facebook for one hour each day. The messages I share will invite everyone to come unto Christ and to find the true happiness that comes through following him.