One Way

 

What makes temples so important? Isn't it just like any other church building? Well temples are sort of like churches but in a more sacred way. We go there to receive blessings and guidance from a loving Father in Heaven. Like the people of King Benjamin, in the Book of Mormon, we find that they all gathered around the temple to hear the word of God from a prophet.Mosiah 2:6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them. We too can receive guidance in our lives as we look towards the temple. Our Heavenly Father wants to bless us and give us the direction that we need in our lives to return back to him. This is all part of the plan that he has set up for us. In the temple, worthy members of the Church receive the greatest blessings anyone can aspire to as we make sacred covenants [or promises] with God. (Sylvia H. Allred) It is a sacred place where we can be grow closer to God, after all it is His Holy house. The first time that I went the temple I could feel the spirit of God so strong in my life. It is a place that I can go and feel loved by my Heavenly Father and receive answers to problems and struggles in my life. The temple will always hold a special place in my heart.  The temple is the ONE WAY to return to God.

The 7 Up's of Life

1) Wake Up
          -Decide to have a good day. Today is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him" (Revelations 19:7)

2) Dress up
          -The best way to improve your looks is to dress up. " the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

3) Quiet up
          -Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so he must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction." (Proverbs 13:3)

4) Stand Up

         -Stand up for what you believe in. Stand for something or you fall for anything. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:9-10)

5) Look up

        -Look up to the Lord. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)

6) Reach up

       -Reach up for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

7) Lift Up

       -Lift up your prayers. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Another Day Closer In Poplar

Just about every week I cross paths with a man who walks around Poplar. He always says to me "Another day closer, another day closer!" He is completely right. It is another day closer to our Lord Jesus Christ's coming. Are we ready? How do we know when he will come?

The Lord told his Apostles "But of that day, and hour, no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36) How are we supposed to know when he will come if he says that "no one knoweth"?

Christ has given us signs. Like the signs on a road that help us reach our destination, the signs that Christ has given us in the scriptures help us to know when he will come again. They guide us to how we can be prepared for things to come. Some of the signs can be pretty scary. Like "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken." (Matthew 24:29) But Christ promises us that as we follow his commandments and live a righteous life we will be protected and have no need to fear the coming of Christ. I look forward to the day that Christ will majestically come again to the world. I know that Christ loves all of us and wants us all to be happy in this life and prepared for his coming. Just always remember "Another day closer, another day closer!"

Turn to the Sun

"Turn to the sun and let the shadows fall behind you" -Maori proverb.

       People make many mistakes in life and I have had my fair share of them. It was hard to try and fix those things that I did wrong. I struggled and struggled to make my life better but the mistakes just kept coming. What was I doing wrong? Why couldn't I make myself a better person? The answer came as I was reading the Book of Mormon. The story of Alma the younger hit me as hard as a rock. I needed to repent. I thought that just changing those things that I did was considered repentance. But as I studied and learned from others, repentance is more than that.

      The Hebrew word for repentance is "shub", which literally means to turn from and to turn to. In order for me to receive that forgiveness and help that I was in need of, I needed to do just what the word shub means. Turn from my old ways of life and turn to the Son of God, even Jesus Christ. He is the only way. Only through him can we receive peace and forgiveness that we want in our lives. As i turned to Christ I cast my burdens on him and the shadows that so often haunted me have been cast behind me as I have turned to the Son.

Practice Feasting

Don't you just wish you could pick up an instrument and be able to start playing it amazingly? I sure do. It would have saved me four years of painstaking practice, practice and some more practice. But of course it isn't that easy. Learning guitar wasn't something that was at the top of my list of things to do. But with diligence and strong perseverance and because of the thought that my grade in my guitar class would go down, I knew I had to practice. In the end it helped me alot to have that motivation because now playing the guitar is my favorite thing to do. Its the same way with the scriptures. Reading the scriptures wasn't something I desired to do in my free time. With the help of my family and those around me I grew to love the scriptures and the messages it has for me. I began to "feast upon the words of Christ" as Nephi puts it in 2 Nephi 32:3. I found those things in the Bible and Book of Mormon that helped me through my day and helped me become a better person on the inside and out. I know that with diligent study and "feasting" we can have a better life and when those hard time comes we will be ready for them.

Staying in Tune

Music has been a big part of my life. I grew up listening to my aunts and uncles playing music on stage and at county fairs. As i've grown up listening to many different styles of music and making some of my own music, i've noticed how music has an effect on our lives more than we think. When i would have a down day I would sit down with my guitar and play a good song. Music uplifts my spirits and help me think straight. Staying in tune is important in our lives, just as staying in tune while playing music is. As we stay in tune with our morals and our actions, it will be easier to listen to the spirit of God and make good righteous decisions (or in music terms, create a song that will be #1 on the billboards).

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

As a missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ I see alot of people who have a sincere desire to change their lives and follow Christ. They struggle and search hard for the way he wants them to live their lives. As I help them come closer to Christ the story of the rich young ruler comes to mind. The young ruler followed the commandments with exactness. Yet he lacked one thing which the Savior pointed out to him. That was giving all the he has to serve others and help his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The young ruler was so concerned for his riches and status in life he blindly took in the words of Christ which say "...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."- Matthew 6:3. I like to imagine how that young ruler's life would have been if only he would of given everything he had to the poor and needy. He could have been a great instrument in the hands of God. It is hard to give everything you have to those who have nothing and think that you yourself will be okay in the end. But like Christ promises "...all things shall be added unto [us]." God knows our needs. He knows and promises that as we serve his children, he will provide for us and pour out his many blessings upon us. Remember that God loves us and cares for each one of us. In my life I have seen the blessings of giving your all to serve others and seeking after the kingdom of God. It is real. It is worth it. It is God's promise to us.