What Happens When We Die?

Eventually all of us will pass from this life. Our bodies will die and remain on earth, and our spirits will leave and go to a place call the Spirit world. There are two divisions in the spirit world. "the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise...  the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness..." (Alma 40:12-14) So those who have faith, repent, are baptized, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end to get to Paradise. Those who were rebellious or didn't do these things will go to Spirit Prison. As I'm sure you can tell from the names, Paradise is a good place, and Spirit Prison is not so good. 

There are many people in this life who never have the opportunity to accept the gospel. Because God loves all of this children he provided a way for everyone to hear about and have the choice to accept it. For those who don't have that opportunity on earth, it is provided in the Spirit World. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;" (1 Pet 3: 18-19). After Christ's death, and before his resurrection he went to the Spirit World and sent missionaries to those who had never heard the gospel. They are then given that choice.

This is one of my favorite doctrines. Heavenly Father does love his children, and he is going to give everyone that chance to return to him.

Pray With Purpose

Missionaries say a lot of prayers. It is a great thing that helps bring us closer to God and the Holy Ghost. As we all know however, when you do something many times, it starts to become routine and less meaningful. Elder Huntsman and I were talking about this the other day. Whenever someone prays, who doesn't say a lot of prayers on their own, it is so sincere. You can feel the connection with our Father in Heaven, and you can feel his love.

We asked the question, "How do you keep your prayers from losing their meaning?" There could be many different answers for different people, but I have found one that really works for me. If we go to the Lord with something that is important to us, our prayers become more sincere. We can report on our progress each time we pray, and the connection becomes much stronger. It isn't always easy to do this, but I know that it has helped me.

Happiness - The John Tanner Story

Where does happiness come from? We can get many different answers from different sources. The world tells us that when we act on our immediate desires we gain happiness. This gives us pleasure, which can be a temporary substitute for lasting happiness. True happiness comes from following the plan that God has created for us. Who would know better than our Father what will make us happy?

The other day I watched a video about a man named John Tanner. He was a self-made wealthy man who was converted to the LDS faith in the early years of the church. The missionaries taught him, and he had a desire to be baptized. He couldn't however, because of a diseased leg that crippled him. The missionaries asked him if he had the faith to be healed. He did and the Lord healed him. He was baptized that evening.

Throughout the rest of his life he was called upon to help the church with its financial struggles. He willingly did so and over the course of his life gave 50,000 dollars to the church (we did the math and it came out to be around 2 million dollars in our money today). This cost him and his family a great deal. They had become poor and actually had to beg for food to survive. At the end of the film, he was called on a mission. Before he left he forgave the church all the debt they owed him. He then left his family to serve the Lord.

My feelings during this movie centered mostly on the great sacrifice of this man. To give all your money, and then watch your children go hungry would be a huge trial. I wondered at the great devotion and faith of this man. Then a thought hit me. Brother Tanner must have been happier during this trial of his life than at any time before. He knew the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he lived it! He accepted the Lords will for him, and did all he could to serve.

This emphasized the point that money does not bring happiness, living the gospel brings happiness. In 2 Nephi 2:27 it says, "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." The happiness from liberty and eternal life doesn't have to be just a future blessing. As we are obedient to the commandments now, we receive the blessings now.

The choices we make determine our happiness. Let us all choose to follow the Lord, choose to feel of his love, and choose to be happy at all times and in all places. As we do so, we will more fully become the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth

It has been interesting to see how I have changed over the course of my life, and especially the last year on my mission. In Alma 32 it talks about faith and how it grows and what it can become. At different times I felt like my faith was pretty strong in parts of the Gospel, and especially in the Gospel as a whole.

Just recently I have found a completely new perspective on things. Have you ever seen someone in denial about something. I used to hate it when the football or basketball team that I was rooting for lost. I would make excuses and blame it on other things. I conviced myself that they didn't really lose, they just got a bad deal from the refs, ect... But that doesn't change the truth that they did lose.

 I always knew that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints was true for me and other mebers, but didn't understand that it is just as true to everyone else. It is as true to those who don't believe it yet as it is to me. Sometimes we try to tell ourselves that a certain situation changes things (ie: bad calls by refs), but no matter the justification truth doesn't change because someone doesn't want it to be true.

When you can accept truth, no matter what it means, and be happy about it; it will change your life. You will find greater peace, happiness, and self assurance. The truth (especially of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Plan of Salvation) gives us something solid to hold to our whole life. There is nothing better than the assurance that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is watching over us, and the knowledge that if we obey, we will return to live with him and our families!

I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, and we have prophets speaking to us today. I know the Book of Mormon is true. It is true for us all. Let us continue to share this great truth with everyone!

Who Am I?

A couple of days ago, I read a story about a lady who spent about half of her life looking for an answer that nobody could give her. Betty had always wondered "Where did I come from?" She knew that she had lived before this life, but anytime she asked someone about it they told her she shouldn't be thinking about such things and she might want to see a psychiatrist. Her requirement for anyone to teach her about religion was that first they had to answer that question.

I feel like this question can be determined when we look at who we are right now. In Romans 8:16-17 it says,
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

 

We lived with our Heavenly Father before we came to earth. We were his spirit children there, and we are still his children here. The last part of this scripture tells us a little about where we can be, because we were, and are, children of god. It says that we are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." An heir by definition is:

a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another.

If we are a joint heir with Christ to the estate of God, we have great purpose in life! We can become like our Heavenly Father and brother Jesus Christ through His atonement! We can and will recieve all the blessings of our Father's "estate" if we do as he has asked. I know this to be true!

The Book of Mormon

There are many who claim to be a prophet. Christ even told us in the Bible that false prophets would come. He said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt 7: 15). With this warning, how are we to know what to believe? Christ gives us the answer later on in this chapter, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

One of the fruits that we have from Joseph Smith, so we can know that he was a true prophet, is the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is an ancient record of the dealings of God with the people in the America's. It is a history that begins in Jerusalem about 600 B.C. A prophet named Lehi is commanded by God to leave Jerusalem and he would be led to a promised land. They leave, cross the ocean, and eventually come to the land promised to them. Time passes, people listen to and learn of God. Many also reject the teachings of Christ. Prophets were called of God to teach the people and guide them to salvation. These prophets all testified that the Son of God would come and suffer the sins of all mankind. They also promised these people that Christ would show himself to him and visit them.

While Christ was on the earth he told the people in Jerusalem, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."  (John 10: 16) After his resurrection Christ came to these people in America, he taught them his gospel, he established his church among them. They had peace and prosperity for hundreds of years.

Eventually the people began to reject Christ's teachings again. They became wicked and killed Christ's followers. One last prophet named Moroni had the records of these people, written on gold plates. He buried these plates with the promise from God that they would be revealed to the world in the future.

Joseph Smith was shown by an angel where these plates were buried. He was able to translate them by the gift and power of God. It became evidence that God had called Joseph to be a prophet, to restore Christ's church on the earth today, and to lead all of God's children!

There is a promise in the Book of Mormon. Moroni tells us, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort 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" (Moroni 10:4).

I can promise you the same, if you want to know if Joseph Smith is a true prophet, pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true. You will receive the answer that it is. I know it is true. Our loving God has reached out to us once again. He leads us with a prophet that he has chosen. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is his church on the earth today!

Letting the Lord Teach Us

This is a topic that has been on my mind for quite a while. I think humility plays a large part in being "teachable."  The more I learn about pride and humility, the more I realize how easily pride can creep into our lives, and how quickly humility vanishes. In Helaman 3: 36 it says, "And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day.This story is shown many times in the Book of Mormon. People are righteous and they prosper, but they take the glory upon themselves and say in their hearts, "look what I have done!"

I wondered why this is. As I examine my own life, I often find myself resisting change for the better. It was a mystery why I did this because I want to become better and grow closer to the Lord. When I searched deeper I realized that I don't want to be wrong, and  changing would somehow (in my mind) show that I was wrong. It would seem to render everything that I had done previously of no worth.

This isn't how it works though. When we are able to trust in the Lord and do what he wants, we build upon what we already have. It doesn't make what we already know or do useless, it just adds to it and makes it better. I try to examine my life every day to see all the things that I did right, but then I look to see the ways the Lord has shown me I can improve. Let us all realize more the things that we have done well, and the things the Lord has already done for us. Then look forward to the things we might not know, the things we aren't sure about, and take a step of faith to let the Lord teach us.

The Restoration

I mentioned in my last post that the Lord promised us that even though there would be an apostasy, he promises a restoration in the "Dispensation of the Fullness of Times."(Ephesians 1:10) In the year 1820 this happened.

At the age of 14 a young boy named Joseph Smith lived at a time of "unusual excitement on the subject of religion" (Joseph Smith History). There were many faiths who contended with one another over converts. During this time of confusion, Joseph Smith wondered which of all the churches was right. He wondered which was the "one Lord, one faith, one baptism," that Paul talks about in Eph 4: 5.

Because of the difference in opinion, Joseph couldn't decide which church to join. He says, "the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (JSH). In his search for the truth he came across the scripture in James 1: 5 that says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." This scripture "seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of [his] heart.[He] reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, [He] did; for how to act [He] did not know..."

Joseph determined that he must ask God which church is true. So one spring morning, he went to a grove of trees and knelt down and prayed. In an answer to his prayer he received a vision from God and Jesus Christ! He says, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me... When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"

His prayer was answered an he was told that while each church had truth in them, none of them had the whole truth. After centuries of being lost, the Lord's gospel would once again be revealed to his children. He was also told how he would be the Lord's servant in this work, he had been called by God to be a prophet. He was given the authority to restore Christ's church to the earth today.

This event has a great importance for the world! Christ's church is back! We have a prophet on the earth speaking the Lord's will to us today! I know this is true and you can as well!

Purpose of Scripture: New Testament

Why is the New Testament important to us? What does it tell us, and why does it matter what people wrote about 2000 years ago?

The New Testament is one of the greatest messages we have from our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. It gives us hope, knowledge, and direction.  It builds the faith of anyone who will read it that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

The four Gospels tell us of the life and teachings of Christ. These are very important so we can grow closer to Christ through knowing what he was like, and following his example. After the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; we have many books that were written by some of the closest followers of Christ, his Apostles. They detail some of their journeys, their teachings, and the testimonies they have the Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

One of the greatest things that we learn from the New Testament is about Christ's Church. Not buildings, but the people of His church. Probably the most important thing that we learn, is how his church works. In John Christ says to his Apostles, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you..." (John 15: 16). We learn from this that the Lord chooses who the leaders of his church are, and he gives them the authority to act in his name and lead his church.

We also learn of the organization of his church. The officers in Christ's church are told to us in Ephesians:
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

   For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

   Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:11-14)

The reason Christ needed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is so his church would have a "unity of the faith." Or in other words, so that everyone was teaching the same things. So Christ's doctrine wasn't replaced by man's ideas. So that every member of his church know's what they need to do to gain salvation.

Who is better qualified to set up an organization of a church than the person who churches are designed to follow, Jesus Christ himself? Without this perfect organization, people become lost. Without authority from Christ, it isn't his church.

I'm so grateful for the teachings of Christ. For the whole Bible, and especially the New Testament. The things that we learn in it are a blessing. I know this is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Prophets: Our Guide to Christ

What are prophets? What are they supposed to do? Why does the world need them?

The Lord has always called prophets. "As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began" (Luke 1:70). Throughout the Old Testament we read of the lives of many prophets. They are Gods messengers to his children here on earth. Prophets are leaders of the people who desire to follow god. They reveal to us the will of God. We recieve commandments from them, encouragement, and guidance. They perform miracles, see visions, and make prophecies about the future. But the main purposes of a prophet are to build the Lord's Church on the earth and to testify of Christ. To tell the world of his coming, that through him is the only way that man may be saved. Without prophets, we never would have known about Christ, and we would not know the things that we need to to in order to return to live with him and our Heavenly Father.

What makes a prophet? Do men just decide one day that they are going to be one? Christ told his apostles, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15: 16). God chooses who his prophets are and calls and ordains them. He gives them authority, or the power to act in his name (the priesthood). This is important because if a prophet is not "called of God," he is not a true prophet. Moses was called to be a prophet when he saw God in the burning bush. He became the leader of the Children of Isreal, and he directed them in the ways the Lord wanted them to go. Whenever the Lord calls a prophet to build His church on the earth it is called a Dispensation.

The reason the God calls prophets is that he loves us, his children. He wants us to know of him, and to learn what we need to do so we can return to live with him. Whenever prophets have been called, we see that people begin to listen to them. They are humble and are willing to be directed by the Lord. When people listen to the Lord, he blesses them, "And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you;" (Mosiah 2: 24). When this happens people tend to get prideful, and instead of saying, "Look what the Lord has done for me..." they say, "Look what I have done." There is no better exampe of this than when Moses comes down from the mountain with the commandments from God, and the Children of Isreal were worshipping a golden calf! We see this with every prophet. The people the prophet serves become wicked, and they reject his teachings.

If you were to give a baby a stack of 100 dollar bills what would the baby do with it? Probably slobber on it, eat it, and tear it up. The reason for this is even though we know that money is worth a lot, especially that much money, the baby doesn't. Our response to this dilemma would probably be to take the money away and let the child play with something more appropriate. The Lord does the same thing when people don't treat His prophet, and His gospel how he knows it should be treated, he takes them away. When this happens, His church is no longer on the earth and there comes a condition of Apostasy.

We see this happen many times throught the Old testament. The Lord calls a prophet and a new dispensation begins. The people listen for a period of time, but inevitably they become prideful and rebel. The Lord takes away the Authority to have his church on the earth, or the Priesthood, and Apostasy prevails. But because the Lord does love us, he always calls another prophet when the people are humble and ready once again to listen to him.

I am so grateful for the love the Lord has for us, the love so great the he calls prophets to lead and guide us. I know that he does call prophets, and they do have His Priesthood power. I know this is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

For more information about prophets, visit http://mormon.org/

Christ and Families

Families are central to God's plan for us. We are his children and so we are all brothers and sisters. When we love the Lord, we begin to love our families more and more, our heavenly family as well as our families on earth. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments (1 John 5: 1-2).

So how is it that when we "love him that begat," we "[love] him also that is begotten"? What is it about keeping our Lords commandments that brings us closer as sons and daughters of God? How can we make our marriages and families stronger? When we follow Jesus Christ's teachings it means that we acquire traits such as; honesty, unselfishness, loyalty, or "charity, which is the greatest of all" (Moroni 7: 46). When we gain these attributes we help those around us just as Christ did. We learn to love others as Christ did, and when everyone loves like that, we all grow together in unity! How great is the Love of Christ, which I strive for. The occasions that I have felt that love have been the happiest of my life. I know that if we can all learn to love as Christ did, our families will be strengthened as well as our love for our fellow man.

You can learn more about this at http://mormon.org/family/

Video of how the Gospel has blessed Daisy's family

God, Our Heavenly Father, Loves Us

 

 

As a missionary, I walk around and meet a lot of people. Their beliefs vary, but one in particular has stuck out to me lately. Some people I have talked to don't believe in God, and others don't believe that he even cares about us. I'm here to testify that we do have a Heavenly Father, and he loves us more than any one of us can even comprehend.

 

In the Bible, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7 verses 9-11 it says this:
  9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask ^abread, will he give him a stone?

 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

 11 If ye then, ^abeing evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Our Heavenly Father wants to give us things that will make us happy, I know this because he answers my prayers. I have received countless answers to my prayers and continue to receive them. Often it is in times of trial that I notice his help the most. When I am alone, he is there to comfort me. When I am uncertain, he is there to guide me. But more importantly, when I am happy, he rejoices with me! Pray always to our Heavenly Father and look for his answer, it will come. I promise you this, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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