Our Father's Plan

Have any of you ever wondered "what is the purpose in life" or "why am I here"? Well you wouldn't be alone if you have. People throughout all time have asked themselves those questions. It is a question that some think may just not be possible to answer, but that is not the truth the truth is that God has revealed those answers and many more through modern day prophets on the earth. That is the great message that we as Latter- Day Saints share that there is a living prophet on the earth today and that God restored His authority to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith in these latter days. So that may make you wonder what is the answer to that question? Well I will refer that answer to a Prophet from the Book of Mormon named Alma he said "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32) The Prophet Nephi also wrote"And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents." (2Nephi 2:21) This life is our time to prepare to meet God and do things that will help us to progress and become more like Him. He has given us a time in which we can repent and change and we can overcome our natural man and one day live with him again. That is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ to come to this earth and atone for our sins. This life isn't a predestined vacation in which our choices have no effect on our eternal salvation. We have the ability to make choices to choose between good and evil, right and wrong. Why not take this precious opportunity that our Loving Father In Heaven has given us to do what we were sent here to do. He has given us this opportunity to learn and grow and we do that by following His will for us and keeping His commandments. Does that mean that we are all going to be perfect? No, we all make mistakes that is what the Atonement is for. We can be cleansed through faith on Jesus Christ and repentance and then we become stronger. Our Father In Heaven's plan for all of us is perfect and He wants all of us to return and live with Him someday and it is possible. May all those who have doubts or may be in despair know that God does have a plan for each and every one of you and He loves you and desires your happiness. I will close with the lyrics to a hymn that very much apply "I am a child of God, And he has sent me here, Has given me an earthly home With parents kind and dear, Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do To live with him someday." (Hymns, no. 301)

The Resolution To Come Unto Christ

Can you believe that 2010 is already over!? Where did the time go this year? Well with the days flying by and Christmas behind us 2011 is moments away and the question may come up "What is my new years resolution"? I think each of us could make the best New Years Resolution that we have ever made by deciding now to come unto Christ. The Good Shepherd calls for each of us to first listen and then to follow Him and the example that He set for each of us.(see John 10:27) We all would do well to first listen and then follow our Savior Jesus Christ in our lives. You may ask how can I listen to and follow Jesus Christ in my life? Well there are a few ways do that, first you can heed the words of the latter day Prophets and Apostles. It was revealed through Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all  be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." The Lord is saying that when the Prophet or Apostles speak it is as if He is speaking Himself. That is one of the many great blessings that come from membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is knowing that there is a Prophet on the earth today and that there are also Twelve Apostles on the earth just as in times of old. We can listen to and follow the messages that they have to share with us and in so doing we are following the voice of the Good Shepherd. The next thing we can do is read from the scriptures and follow their teachings. The same scripture applies to this principle, but in the scriptures we can also read the words of our Savior directly and heed His message. A Prophet by the name of Nephi wrote the purpose of scriptures saying "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." The scriptures are here for our benefit to help us to come unto Christ and receive a  remission of our sins. The last way that I wanted to talk about that we can come unto Christ is through prayer. Prayer is an amazing blessing that our Father In Heaven has blessed us with. He has given us a way that we can communicate with him and have access to His Son's Atonement. What a personal and amazing way that we all can come unto Christ and be cleansed by His Atonement. Through prayer our will can be turned to God's will which we know is also Jesus Christ's will as they are one in purpose. Prayer is an amazing blessing and it is a tool that our Heavenly Father has given us to ask for blessings, give Him thanks, and to repent of our sins. Through this great and wonderful gift the joy and peace of the Savior's Atonement can be felt in our lives. Our Heavenly Father loves each of us individual and knows us by name and so does His son Jesus Christ, they want all of us to be happy and I can testify of the happiness that comes when we truly Come Unto Christ! I invite everyone to make it their New Year's Resolution to Come Unto Christ. May each of us Come Unto Christ and be perfected in Him!

When Times Get Tough

I think we have all had times where it just feels like we just can't do it anymore, we just can't take the stress and the trials any longer. If you haven't had this happen to you I definitely have much respect for you because I know in my own life that I have had these moments where it just feels like you can't go any further. At these moments in time it feels like we have the world on our shoulders and the weight is too much for us to bear. While yes life does throw us curve balls and can make us feel overwhelmed, there is a way for everyone on this Earth to be able to overcome those times of trial. Christ says "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) As we "Come Unto Christ" he will make our burdens light and we can overcome those trials and come out from them better than we were before. Our trials in life are there to make us better and so we can learn certain things that we couldn't have learned otherwise. Every time we go through a rough time in our lives our faith is tried. Will we endure and come unto Christ or we will fall in the face of adversity? To that question I would refer to a scripture in Ether 12:6 which says "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."  Notice that it is only until after the trial of our faith that we receive a witness of our faith. Our faith needs to be tried for us to learn and grow in our lives. Opposition often brings the greatest triumphs and growths that we have in our lives. Much like a coal when under extreme heat and pressure can turn into a diamond we to when under conditions of stress and trial can become stronger and better than we were before. Does that mean that those trials are any easier? No it does not, but when we have the perspective that they are for our growth and that we have our Savior Jesus Christ there to help us overcome them we will find that our trials will be much easier to bear. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and he invites us all to come and partake in the sweet peace and joy that it brings. May we all "Come Unto Christ" and feel the love, peace, and happiness that the Atonement can bring to each of us.

'Tis The Season!

It seems like in today's world and especially around this time of year we all seem to be so busy. Around Christmas time everyone is running around trying to get things done for the Holiday Season. Last minute shopping and fine dining sometimes take the place of what really matters the most. The Christmas season is a time to remember the birth of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I think if we look into the scriptures we can see evidence that this is not just in out time but also happened at the time of the Savior. If you think back you may be able to remember the story of Mary and Martha (see Luke 10:38-42). A story of two sisters one chose to sit at the Savior's feet and listen to his great teaching while the other, whom I am sure had great intentions in mind, chose to make herself busy with other things. I think we all could do well to stop and take a look in our own lives and ask ourselves "Am I putting other things before the Savior?" I think as we ask ourselves this question we will truly see an remember how thankful we all should be that Jesus Christ came to this earth and died for our sins that we all me be free from sin (See Helaman 5:11). I personally am so grateful for the Savior and the influence He has had in my life. I am also very grateful that we have the Christmas season that we all may have that little reminder of what Christ has done for all of us. May we all take time to remember the Savior more fully in our lives and allow His atoning power to have effect in our lives. I know that as we do this our love and appreciation for the Savior will grow and we can have a personal relationship with him. Even at this time of year I say "What more could you ask for?"