Go forth with faith

 in Moroni chapter 9, Mormon is writing an epistle to his son Moroni and he is telling him of all the calamity that is going on between the nephites and the lamanintes. there is a lot of bad things going on and Mormon begins to tell his son in verses 3 and 4, "... for they do not repent, and Satan stirreth the up continually to anger one with another." " Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when i speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when i use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, i fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them."
  Mormon is having a hard time teaching the people because they are not willing to listen. there are times that i definitely feel this way, that no one is listening. it can be hard to share the gospel at times, but we are promised that as we do we will be blessed and we will be able to conquer that Satan, we can not give up or give in.
  Mormon continues to tell Moroni in verse 6, "And now, my beloved son, not withstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God."
   GO FORTH WITH FAITH!!!!!!!!!!! just as the hymn says to go and "tell the world of Jesus Christ the Lord. Bear witness that he is God's own son; proclaim his wondrous word. GO FORTH WITH HOPE and courage strong to spread the word abroad that people of all nations are children of or God (psalms 82:6). GO FORTH WITH LOVE to tell the world the joy of families. that we may be with those we love through all eternity, GO FORTH TO SERVE and do your best with no thought of reward. then you shall know the boundless joy of serving Christ, the Lord. GO FORTH WITH POW'R to tell the world the gospel is restored, that all may gain eternal life thru Jesus Christ, the Lord. GO FORTH TO PREACH his glorious truths of peace, of joy, and love, that all who heed his holy word may praise the Lord above."
    even when times do get hard and we feel that no one is listening this is when we need to send out that rallying cry that President Eyring speaks of "REMEMBER HIM!" ( general conference address april 2010 in the preisthood session). this is why i am here on a mission is to invite others to come unto Christ. it can be hard but as i REMEMBER HIM and GO FORTH FAITH i have the courage to stand against the enemy of all righteousness.
   lets all follow the counsel that has been given to us Mormon and also President Eyring to go out and to the best that we can to share the gospel to all of God's children!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

i was studying in Alma 43 and 44 when Moroni becomes the chief captain of the Nephite armies and leads them into battle against the Lamanites.
  the Lamanites are not very good men and they are out to destroy the Nephites, to put them into bondage. now the Nephites do not necessarily want to fight, but they know that they must protect their homes, liberties, families and religion.
   reading about how Moroni prepared his men for battle and the strategies that went behind all the attacks amazed me. Moroni was definitely a man that was led by God to preserve a nation.
   as i read these two chapters in the Book of Mormon it made me reflect a lot about those who fight in the armed forces now. i have quite a few friends that we actually a part of the armed forces. i even know of a few men and women who are out fighting now. i actually really started to think about one my best friends whose husband is in Afghanistan right now. i thought a lot about the sacrifice that he is making to fight for our country and those that are with him as well. i also though about my best friend who is at home without a husband or father and the courage that she has as well. when i pondered about this i realized that they are both fighting for our freedoms, homes, liberties, religion  and children. how grateful i am for all of the sacrifices that they make for an entire nation. i thank you!
   how blessed we are to live in a country that we may worship how where or what we may. how grateful i am for such a privilege to be able to support the country and those who fight for it. i am thankful for every person who goes out to defend their country.
   later in Alma 46:12  Moroni hoist the title of liberty which states, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children". now this is something worth fighting for. we can also be defensive in other ways as well, by being steadfast and immovable and always abounding in good works. we can be true folloers of Jesus Christ and do as he would do. we can be an example of the believers. we can stand for truth and righteouness. we can be more Christ like in words, actions and deeds.
   as we go forth in faith the Lord will bless us and keep us safe. i encourage all to hoist their title of liberty and to defend God!
 

" tree of life "

 in Alma 32 it talks about faith and how it is like a seed, that if planted and nourished that it will grow.
  in verse 28 it reads,
    Now, we will compare the word unto a ssed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
   this scripture made me think of the tree of life, which represents eternal life, that is spoken of in 1 Nephi 8 and 11, when Lehi has a dream about the tree of life and when Nephi wants to understand the dream that his father had.
   the seed that we plant and nourish can spring up to this tree. this tree is what we know to be the love of God. which we can read in 1 Nephi 11: 21-22, " And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things." we we plant the seed within us and nourish it, we begin to feel so much more of the love of God.
   so how do we nourish this seed? by reading the scriptures, praying continually, going to church, serving others, attending the temple regularly, fulfilling our church callings, consecrating our all, being Christlike, putting off the natural man, following the prophet, heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost and by loving others. there are so many other things that we can be doing as well. i know that as we strive to be like Jesus that we can be filled with the love of God.
   it is amazing to me that every time i open the scriptures and when i listen to the counsels of Heavenly Father, whether it be through the Holy Ghost or the mouth of His prophet, my testimony in the gospel is strengthened ten fold. this past weekend when i was listening to general conference i kept hearing the apostles and the prophet talk about faith and planting the seed of faith and how it can grow into an everlasting tree. it dawned on me that this is what i wanted to blog about. it is what i have been studying and pondering about for the last little while. the church is so true!
  as we all plant that seed of faith in our lives and nourish it with the good word of Christ, i promise you that you will be filled with the love of God.
   now what if we do not have the faith strong enough to nourish the seed? in Alma 32:27 it reads, "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." i love this scripture because it puts it so plainly and well, that we can "experiment" and "let the desire work inside of us". when we do as we are asked to do then we are promised that we will be blessed. our tree will grow and we will be able to have a portion of his words.
  i am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who shows unto us the things that we must do to return to live with Him. He truly is our loving Heavenly Father. i am so thankful to be apart of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints, for i kow that it the one true church on the earth today
   i encourage all of you to take this challenge that Alma has put forth, to plant a seed of faith and to nourish it, and watch it begin to grow. will you plant your seed of faith?
  .

it is that wonderful time of year....

come one and come all..... it is conference time again. what is conference, some of you may be asking? well every six months, april and october, we get to hear from the prophet (Thomas S. Monson) and the apostles as well as other general authorities from the church. it truly is a great time of year.

   being able to get counsel from the prophet and other authorities is such a  blessing. they truly do strengthen us and help to come closer to our Heavenly Father.

  for me it the best way to start off the holiday season and helps me to remember the Savior through it all.

  i encourage you all to watch it and put your spiritual ears on and be ready to receive answers to prayer. i know that as you listen with an open heart and mind and a desire to learn that you will feel of Heavenly Father's love for you.

   it is this saturday, 2 October 2010 and sunday, 3 October 2010. the times vary to where you live. in Utah the sessions are from 10-12 pm and then again from 2-4 pm. so if you go off that you can find what time it starts in your area. it is a broadcast and can be found on BYU TV or at your local LDS church, you can also mainstream from the internet on lds.org . now each session is different in both topic and speakers.

  during the april conference President Thomas S. Monson left us with a prophetic blessing, "

Now, as we come to the final moments of this conference, my heart is full and my feelings tender. I express my love and gratitude to you. Thank you for your prayers in my behalf and in behalf of all of the General Authorities of the Church. The Lord hears your prayers and blesses us and directs us in the affairs of His kingdom here upon the earth. For this we are deeply grateful.
As we leave this conference, I invoke the blessings of heaven upon each of you. As you return to your homes around the world, I pray our Heavenly Father will bless you and your families. May the messages and spirit of this conference find expression in all that you do—in your homes, in your work, in your meetings, and in all your comings and goings.
I love you. I pray for you. May God bless you. May His promised peace be with you now and always, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
  what a man of great counsel and love. i am so excited to be able to listen and learn from our leaders of the church. how greatful i am for thier time and their concern for us.

  i hope all can watch. what a great privilege it is that we get to hear from the prophet of GOD.

    

by small and simple things

lately i have realized that Heavenly Father really does work by small and simple things. the down side to it is that so does satan. this is when life gets tricky.
  by the small and simple things do great things come to pass (Alma 37:6). it is those small instances, the small promptings, the small things that bring such great joy. have you ever sat and wondered how you got to be where you are today? i have, and i know that it by the smallest acts that i am where i am today. by following those smal promptings and doing the small acts of service and simply by believing in the small things. all things really do add up and that is what brings about the greateness in us all.
 one thing that i have really come to understand is that the church is true. how? well by the smallest things that the church does. by the principles that are taught and by the doctrine that the gospel is founded upon. it is those small things that i partake in everyday, and i realize that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.
  the small things in life really are there for us to learn and to grow. it is also by the simple things that we come to understand.
  then the question becomes are we paying attention to the small and simple things or are we letting them pass by hoping for the big sign and big answer?
  i have a dear friend that once told me a great one liner, "they both know you but only one loves you, so who are going to follow?" it is quite clear when it comes down to it. Heavenly Father is the one that will lead you safely home while on the other side is total destruction and turmoil. the blessings and the love definitely outweigh the heartache and pain.
   so where do we turn and where do we look? remember that is by the small things that  great things are brought to pass, wether they be good or bad. we need to do all that we can to follow the one that loves us.
   i am so grateful to have such a loving Heavenly Father. i know that He loves me! i know that loves us all!
  

" ...I cannot say the smallest part of what i feel"

this morning in my studies i read Alma 26 when Ammon is speaking to his brothers and boasting of God and all of his power. it really is such a great chapter to read. it helped me to recognize how much Heavenly Father's hand really is in my life. He has blessed me so much and anything and everything i have is become of Him.
   in verse 16 it reads, " Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, i say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."
   this verse really does say it all. who could ever say too much of the Lord? who could ever glory too much in the Lord? i think that we all need to say more and do more for the Lord. He has done so much for us. Heavenly Father gave us an opportunity to come down to earth, to gain physical bodies and to go through what we are so that we can be with Him again. He sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. Christ gave of his life for us. he was beaten, spit upon and hung all for us. he did it so that we can be with our Father in heaven again. he did it because he loves us. what an amazing blessing. do we not owe them respect and our love and our glory? WE DO! we owe them all we have. it is because of our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ that we have what have and are able to do what we do.
   i know that there is still so much to learn and to do here on this earth. i thank my Heavenly Father everyday for all that He has given me. I know that i would not be here today if it was not for Him and His love. how grateful i am for such a wonderful and loving Heavenly Father who has blessed me in so many ways. i know that he loves every single one of His children and He wants them to return to Him.
   Alma 26 is such a great chapter. it really did help remind me of the love that our Heavenly Father has for all of His children. i encourage all to read it and ponder it. it definitely is one that will awaken your remembrance of why we are here and the importance of our duty.

Anti-Nephi-Lehies are my heros

this morning i was reading about the anti-nephi-lehies and all that they went through. they truly were a people that were converted to the lord and they knew what they wanted. here they are covenanting (promising) with the Lord that they would no longer shed the blood of their brethren, so they "...bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day..." (Alma 24:16). now because of this covenant that they have made they will wage war nor fight against those that come against them. when the lamanites did come against them they "...prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord;..." (Alma 24:21). the anti-nephi-lehies really were being steadfast and immovable in the covenant that they made with Heavenly Father. they knew that they would be saved "...for we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved." (Alma 24:26). now because of this there were many lamanites that were converted. their hearts became swollen within them and they threw their weapons of war down, and they would not take them up again. it is great because there were more lamanites that had joined the people of God, the anti-nephi-lehies, than the number of those that they had slain. "...thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people." (Alma 24:27)
    i really do love the anti-nephi-lehi people. they are a people of God. they gave of so much and taught so much that they have become my hero's.
   we had a great lesson once that was based off the story of the anti-nephi-lehi people. because the anti-nephi-lehies buried their weapons of war as a covenant and testimony to the Lord, they gave of something and truly repented for their sins and had forsaken them, gave up completely and to never return back to, what caused them to sin. so in our lesson we did just that. we were given little pieces of paper where we drew a sword on one side and then wrote down something that was an affliction in our lives, our something that we needed to change on the other side. after we did this we buried our "weapons of war, for peace." (Alma 24:19). it really was a great lesson. i learned that day that when we give up that which we have been holding to is a call for repentance, a call and time to change.
  the anti-nephi-lehies not only teach us about courage and diligence, but they teach us about repentance. i have asked myself many times before, " am i truly sorry for what i have done?", "am i willing to give it up completely and never return?" . repentance can definitely be a hard thing to do. however, life is not meant to be perfect but to be a continual process. repentance helps us to get one step closer to our Heavenly Father. it is all because of Jesus Christ that we have the opportunity to be with our Heavenly Father again and we can become perfect "...even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt 5:48).
   i am so grateful to have such a loving and merciful Heavenly Father. we truly can become like Him. i know that He sent His only begotten son down for us so that we can live with Him again. Christ died for us and he loves today. He will help us, we are not alone. always remember that prayer is the answer to everything.