You Can Change

Today, I was reading an old talk by Richard G. Scott, entitled, "Finding the Way Back." It talks about how we can come back unto God for help. I have heard many people say that "it's too late" or "God does not love me that much" when referring to problems they have. Scott says, "I need not define your specific problem to help you overcome it. It doesn't matter what it is. If it violates the commandments of the Lord, it comes from Satan, and the Lord can overcome all of Satan's influence through your application of righteous principles." We will all fall at times. We are not perfect. We are here to learn and be tested but, there is always a way back. If we are willing to try, we can be forgiven of our wrong doings.

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Now, some may be saying "I've gone through too much and it is too hard" but, this is not true. Scott said, "Satan wants you to think that it is impossible. That is not true. The Savior gave His life so that you can completely overcome the challenges you face." Jesus Christ paid the price so we can be healed.

I have a friend that felt this way. I will not go into any sort of detail but, they felt they had fallen too far, too many times. It was hard to watch them suffer and struggle. I did not know what to tell them other than to just turn to God and keep having faith. After a lot of struggles, they finally had overcome this trial. From watching this friend struggle, I learned that God really never does give up on us. He will always love us, no matter what. If we are willing to try and be better and do what He asks, He will bless us.

Later, Scott said the following, "As you pray for help, the Lord will place in your path priesthood leaders who will counsel and friends who will give support if you'll let them. But remember, they can only help by your following the rules that Christ has set out for the journey. Any lasting improvement must come from your own determination to change."

I know God helps us change and helps us be better, no matter how small or large it is. Ether 12:27 teaches us, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness... for all men that humble themselves before me... and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I know that scripture to be true. I have seen it in my life and in the life of my friends and family. God answers prayers. He helps us change. He will make us better.

My Lifeline

Yesterday we had stake conference [several congregations gathered for church] and someone brought up a talk from an old apostle, James E. Faust. The talk is entitled "The Lifeline of Prayer." This morning, I read this talk and was blown away by several  quotes that I would like to share with all of you.

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The first is comparing prayer to things around us- "There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place."

This reminds me that prayer is not something limited. We can always pray or have a prayer in our heart to talk with God. He wants to hear from us. All we need to do is talk to Him. It's like with a parent. A parent wants to hear from their children. So does God want to hear from us. "God knows our needs better than we can state them, but He wants us to approach Him in faith to ask for blessings, safety, and comfort."

Later, Faust shares a story of a little boy who was asked if he prayed. He said yes. When asked if he prayed in the morning, he said, "No...I ain't scared in the daytime." Faust went on to say, "Fear of the dark should not be our only motivation to pray- morning or night." How often do we think, "oh, I'm ok. I don't need to pray right now,"? We always need to be praying. In the scriptures, we are encouraged to pray always.

I hope all of us can remember that our Father in Heaven loves us so much and simply wants to hear from us. When we pray from our heart, we can feel the Holy Ghost and feel peace. In a world where things are super crazy, I know this is a way to find peace when it is hard to do so. I know it is how I have found peace and felt closer to God than any other way.

Time Sure Does Fly When We Try

Today... kind of... I hit the half way mark of my mission. As I reflect on all that happened in the past nine months, it is hard to believe how much I have grown and changed. Sure, I still have a long way to go but, it is great to look back and see the progress. In the Book of Mormon there is a book called Ether. In Ether chapter 12, verse 27, is a verse that has always meant a lot to me. It says...

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. 

I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; 

and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; 

for if they humble themselves before me, 

and have faith in me, 

then will I make things become strong unto them." 

(emphasis added)

As a summary, it is saying, if we come unto God, He will show us our weaknesses and if we are humble and have faith, God will make our weaknesses strong. 

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I know this to be true. I have mentioned before how I have a fear of speaking with people I do not know but, through having faith and trying, I have seen that become easier. I obviously have a long way to go but, little by little. When we trust in God, we can see miracles. And this can apply to anything. Any struggle we have, God can help us if we are willing to do it in His way and His timing. I love a quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell that says, 

"But our faith in God includes faith in God's timing, enough to be able to say, in effect, 'Thy timing  be done.'" 

How many more blessings we can receive when we turn everything over to the Lord and let Him help us. That is when life is for the best. It may not be easy but, it is always worth it. 

Got Confidence?

Alright- I have hinted this a little bit but, today I am going to talk a little bit about something I really struggle with-

I am extremely shy.

There you have it. I might be able to type a lot online but, it has always been extremely hard for me to talk to people, especially strangers. Obviously, that makes mission life difficult when you mostly only talk to people that are strangers. 

"Confidence" from my brother

Recently, however, I was re-reading a letter I received from my brother (who is now on a mission) from a few months ago. At the end of the letter he brought up one of his favorite topics (as many of his friends from high school would agree to) and that is-

confidence.

After sharing Doctrine and Covenants 121:45 that says, "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven," my brother said that truly confident people:

1. Take a stand not because they think they are always right but because they are not afraid to be wrong

2. They listen 10x more than they speak

3. They freely ask for help

4. They don't put down other people

5. They only seek approval from the people who really matter. They only seek the Lord's approval, that's all that matters. 

As I was reading those points, it made me realize that I do not have to be super outgoing to be a super successful missionary but, just try my best to have confidence and rely on the Holy Ghost to lead and guide me. 

Everyone can have strength from God as long as you are willing  to try a little more to be a little better. 

Victory... Miracle of the Day

Awhile ago, I had a friend suggest looking for your "Victory of the Day" or something you accomplished every day. It is a great way to feel accomplished when sometimes things do not go the way we wanted. Maybe you did not get the laundry done, or did not finish that book you wanted to, or any number of things but, we can look for what we did do. Maybe we washed all the dishes in the sink or we took out some huge bush out of the yard, or maybe we simply sorted that laundry. I know when I look for the positive I feel better about my day and know, maybe I did not finish what I wanted to but, I did get done something else.

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Today, however, I would like to take that one step further. I would like to talk about looking for a "Miracle of the Day." Maybe there was a rainbow when we felt like no one was there to help. Maybe we found a scripture that answered our question. Maybe we heard from a friend that we thought we would never hear from again. Whatever it may be, it can help us see the hand of God in our life and help us draw closer to Him.

Around Christmas, we, as missionaries, were encouraged to do this. I decided "why not?" So, each night, I would write one miracle I had seen in my life and it made me really appreciate what I had. It helped me see, more clearly, that God loves me individually. I also was able to see how much he loved those around me one by one.

I can promise you, if you look for a "Miracle of the Day," you will see God's hand in your life and be more grateful for what you have. You will have more peace and feel the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, more, leading you through your path. God loves us so much and wants the best for us but, we need to show Him we want to follow His will. Just try it. Start tonight and reflect on when you saw God's hand in your life today.

The Answer Key

Today I would like to talk about one of my favorite books. It is, oddly enough, a nonfiction book. Usually my favorite books deal with fairies and dragons and adventure in a land far, far, away but, this one is different. It takes place in the America's many years ago. It begins in 600 B.C. and ends about 1000 years later. It tells the stories of war heroes and people who completely change their life around. It tells of families that leave their homes and enter ships without light because of a dream. It can be related to our day by the struggles people have with their families and friends, being picked on for their beliefs, or when people tell lies about another person.

What is this book you ask? I will tell you. It is...

The Book of Mormon:

Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Like the Bible, it has the words of prophets that testify of Jesus Christ and tell of their lives in a way we can relate to. It begins with a family in Jerusalem that, during the reign of Zedekiah (a king during the time that the Jews were carried into Babylon), leaves because the father, Lehi, has a dream of Jerusalem being destroyed for their wickedness. They travel in the wilderness with a set of scriptures and build a boat to carry them across the seas to the American Continent. There, they experience lots of hardships within their family which leads to two separate groups: the Nephites and the Lamanites. These two groups constantly switch sides of who is righteous (or the "good guys") and who is wicked (the "bad guys"). Much later, after Christ's death in Jerusalem, He comes to visit the Americas and teaches them His gospel and how they can be saved. These same teachings were taught while Christ was ministering among the Jews. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. However, like the Jews, there comes a time when people reject the teaching of Christ and many things are lost or corrupted but, prophets continued to write the truth that make up the pages of this book. And I won't spoil the ending. You will have to read it yourself and find out if you believe it is true!

Each time I read this book, it has a different story to tell. Before my mission, it was all about my family and related to that. Now, as a missionary, it is all about missionary work and the people I am teaching. The words do not change but, the meaning, and how you read them, changes every time. This book has touched my life numberless times and has helped me become who I am. I'd love to invite all of you to read it and look for how it can apply to you and how you can increase your relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can get a free copy here! 

Questions? Go above to my facebook page and shoot me a message or, you can comment below and I will try to help answer any questions the best I can. You can also go to mormon.org or lds.org for more answers. 

Family: A Forever Concept

What does your family mean to you? What is so great about families? Today, as a zone [area of the mission], we talked about The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Each time I read this document, something else stands out. There are so many answers to questions about hot topics in today's world. It tells us about where we came from, the role of the family, gender roles, and how we can find happiness in this life. It's not a super long document so, I would like to invite you all to read it and, to make it easier, here it is:

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WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of t he Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Chrsit of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

ALL HUMAN BEINGS- male and female- are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

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IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.


THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

WE DECLARE that means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and its importance in God's eternal plan.

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives- mothers and fathers- will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of live and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, father and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

my family

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

-First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, read September 23rd, 1995

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I am so grateful for this document and the knowledge it gives me that my family is eternal. Even though I am in Ogden, Utah and my brother will soon be in Brazil, we will be united with our family again. There is a saying that says that missionaries are people who leave their family for a short time so that other families can be together forever. I know that families can be forever and that they are ordained of God. I know this document, although read in 1995, is applicable today. It was written by a prophet of God as revelation to help us. God does speak to His children today, through personal revelation and through prophets. If we heed their council, we will be blessed.