Love for the Sacrament

I have been having some really great experiences at church every week. And I am truly blessed to have that opportunity to go each week to partake of the sacrament, feel of the Spirit, learn of the gospel, and most of all be touched by God's love. My love and appreciation for the Sacrament is so much deeper now because I have come to understand it's true meaning and purpose. Another great blessing that I've received since being on my mission.


Recently my companion shared a great analogy with me that helped me to view the sacrament in a totally different perspective. I would always open my scriptures to the twenty-second chapter of Luke and read of Christ instituting the sacrament, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His betrayal. What he went through is incomprehensible, but the selfless act of love He did for us brings so much peace and comfort to my heart. When my companion shared her analogy of how when the sacrament is being prepared, the priesthood young men breaking the bread is as if they are breaking the Savior's actual body. The Savior is still sacrificing for us and on our behalf every Sunday during sacrament meeting when the bread and water are being blessed. I went to church that Sunday with this analogy in my mind. As the hymn, "As Now We Take the Sacrament" my heart was filled with compassion to my Savior that I began to cry. The sacrament took on a new meaning to me that day. As I watched the tray go up and down the rows of the members of the Church, I noticed that not everyone approached the sacrament with the same attitude. There were those who seemed to partake of the sacrament just as a matter of routine, but there were many, many who accepted the sacrament with great reverence.

Partaking of the sacrament provides us with a sacred moment in a holy place. We do it in accordance with the commandment the Lord gave us in section 59 of the Doctrine and Covenants: “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day” (D&C 59:9). Just as the Savior instructed His disciples to go to an upper room for Him to institute the sacrament, He invites us all to go to church each week to partake of this same blessing. I have come to realize that He did this to get away from the distractions of the world so that we can feel of the spirit and recognize His love for us in the spirit of reverence. The sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances in the Church. Partaking of the sacrament worthily gives us an opportunity for spiritual growth. When we partake of the sacrament worthily, we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, that He gave up His life and took upon Himself the sins of the world that we may have the blessing of immortality. May we instill in us an increased reverence for the Sabbath, especially in partaking of the sacrament. May we come to fully realize the special blessing that comes from being able to partake of the sacrament and its significance in our lives. May we always remember Him and keep His commandments, which He has given us to fulfill the purpose of life and the hope of the eternities that are to come. This is the Lord’s work in which we are engaged. God lives. Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. We’re permitted to be part of this great gospel plan, of which the sacrament is such a vital part. May we accept His invitation and Come Unto Him, and partake of His blessing is my prayer, in Christ's name. Amen.

Weaknesses Are Temporary

So I have not written for a while. Life has been crazy busy, but it has been filled with so many blessings, miracles, and great experiences that I have grown so much from. Three weeks ago, transfer calls came in and I killed my companion and gave birth to a new one. And since then I have been blessed with an opportunity to learn and become better. My companion is from Boise, Idaho and from what I have heard from her thus far is that they have an 'Amazing Blue Football Field.' So that is all I know about Boise and I would love to visit this football field someday. She is a hard working, dedicated, spiritual giant that loves her Heavenly Father, the Savior, and their gospel. Her desire to be here motivates me to work even harder. To know more about her, you should check out her blog at www.growingbrighter.blogspot.com.


Well folks, I have a plan and I hope I can fulfill this new vision that I have for my blog. I am planning on writing as much as I can for these last remaining weeks as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have a goal of writing about something new that I learn each day about the gospel and hopefully it will help you as a reader too. Lately, I have been soaking up doctrines, swallowing up scripture verses, and obtaining so much knowledge and wisdom that I feel I should share so we can all help one another to reach our greatest potentials. This morning for companionship study, I learned tons and tons of cool stuff. With the help of my companion, I was able to receive inspirations that helped me understand the gospel more and Heavenly Father's perfect plan for us. We read from the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 4 and we ended up discussing Nephi's sincere and pure prayer to Heavenly Father that led us to fully understand why we have weaknesses in our individual lives. My companion was pointing out some of the things Nephi was praying about and they were all things he was struggling with. I came to a realization this morning that weaknesses are only temporary, they are not and will NEVER be permanent. If we did not have weaknesses, we would not be dependent upon our Heavenly Father, the Savior, or those we come in contact with. Then there wouldn't be a point in us coming here to earth or have a family to help teach us what we need to know. Heavenly Father's plan would not matter and there would not be any progression or real growth here in this life. Through these weaknesses that we have, we will be made strong as we like Nephi, put our trust in the Lord, and Him only.
I know that my weaknesses are temporary. And it will be so much easier if I live the gospel and follow my Savior. I know that as I am faithful and humble, those weaknesses will not only become my strengths, but they will disappear and I will be a step closer to my Heavenly Father and in reaching my greatest potential. What a blessing it is that we can receive our own personal revelations for our own growth. As the Lord our God has said, "I will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept.' I know that the Lord will reveal unto us knowledge and wisdom if we 'seek learning, even by study and also by faith.' I love my Heavenly Father and the Savior. I have come to enjoy these short periods of time in my mission immersing myself in the scripture and seeing the mysteries of the Lord being unfolded unto me. The scriptures has become my best friend. As Elder Richard G. Scott counseled us this last General Conference, he assured us that, "The scriptures can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost. Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world." May we all take advantage of these great tools and blessings that Heavenly Father has provided for us for own good. It is my prayer that we will not look at our weaknesses as stumbling blocks, but a great blessing to help us be the person our Heavenly Father wants us to become.