He Is Risen...He LIVES!!!

President Monson gave a great Easter message on April 2010 General Conference. He talked about Job and how he had this question in his mind that we may all have pondered about some time in our lives. "If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 4:14) A question that I have once asked myself before. Heavenly Father has a great plan for each and everyone of us and central to that plan is our Savior, Jesus Christ. And through Him we can live again. Jesus Christ came and accomplished the great Atonement. He laid down His life for our transgressions, iniquities, and even "breaketh the bands of death." (Mosiah 15:8)

"No words in Christendom mean more to me than those spoken by the angel to the weeping Mary Magdalene and the other Mary when, on the first day of the week, they approached the tomb to care for the body of their Lord. Spoke the angel:
“Why seek ye the living among the dead?
“He is not here, but is risen.” 12
Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed." (President Monson)

"That empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job's question, "'If a man die, shall he live again?'" After Christ was crucified and killed, his body was taken by Joseph wrapped with linen and laid in a sepulchre. Three days, later Christ was risen from the death and was a resurrected glorified being. His spirit and body were once reunited again and perfected. And through Him we can all live again. Loosing a loved one is challenging. I have had a personal experience of loosing someone very special and dear to me, my father. A year and a half ago my dad was really ill and had to fly to Hawaii for medical care. They came to find out that half of his organs had failed and he had only six months to live. With this heart breaking news, I had to fly there to visit him. I got my trip all situated and was all set and ready to see my father, whom I hadn't seen for about two years. A day before my trip, I received the most devastating news of my entire life. My dad was taken back home to where he belonged. And that his last dying words were, "I want all my kids to seek God and come closer to Him so we could all be together again" is a great testimony that motivated me to be where I am today. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and because he lives all of us, including my father, will live again. A verse that brought me peace and comfort is found in Revelations 21:4, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." I know this to be true. Christ did His part and if I come unto Him and obey His commandments, I can live with Him and my family again and forever. In the hour of our deepest sorrow, we can find hope from these two verses found in the Bible, "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be mad alive." (1Corinthian 15:21-22) Christ lives, He is Risen!

Come Unto Me...

I was reading this morning in Luke 13 and the last two verses really stood out to me. It says:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not.

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

The Lord has been trying to gather all of His children just like a hen would. He loves each and everyone of us so much and yearns for us to return to Him again. Through His gospel and Jesus Christ we can be with Him again. His love is infinite and only through Him we can find true joy and happiness. He says come unto me and "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)

Why is LOVE for the Lord and others so important?

This week for our District Meeting Counsel, I was asked to do a discussion about this particular question..."Why is LOVE for the Lord and for those you teach important?" As I studied it out, instead of just focusing on the people I teach, it was EVERYONE. (Why is LOVE for the Lord and others so important?)

Well, it starts off by reading the scripture. In Matthew 22:37-39 it says,

37"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

We LOVE the Lord and everyone else because it is a commandment. We show our LOVE to our Heavenly Father by obeying His commandments, serving Him, and standing as His witness at all times and in all places. We listen to Him, we follow Him, and we respect Him as our father. But how about loving others? How do we show our love to others? We can show our love to others in many ways: being kind, listening to them, mourn with them, serve them, pray for them, be a friend, and or share the gospel. It may be hard to do these things at times. But in the Book of Mormon, a prophet has showed us how we can develop Love, or Charity--the pure love of Christ. Moroni taught, "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with his love..." (Moroni 7:48) Praying and asking Heavenly Father for this precious gift, He will bless us with it. Our love for those around us also increases when we remember that we are all children of God--that we are brothers and sisters.

I am grateful for a great gift that we can all be blessed with as we ask for it in prayer. God is a loving Heavenly Father that knows and loves us individually. We all have that love of Christ within us that we can share it with others as we serve one another. Heber J. Grant once said, "I know of nothing which gives us a greater love of all that is good, than teaching this Gospel of Jesus Christ." I too testify that as we serve others, by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ...our love will grow and Heavenly Father will continually bless us with the gift of Charity.

Cycle to Eternal Life

As I was reading my scriptures this morning, I came to Mormon 9 and after reading a few verses I ended up with this drawing. How cool is that?! In Mormon 9:12-13 it explains it really well how we are all here with a purpose. That through this plan, we can be with our Heavenly Father again. It says,

"Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ; even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.

And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death."

We can all be with our Heavenly Father again after this life. And that God will never cease, for "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever..." (Mormon 9:9) I know that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and yearns for us to come unto Him. I know as we "...doubt not, but be believing, and begin in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all [our] hearts, and work out [our] own salvation with fear trembling before him," (Mormon 9:27) we can be brought back to Him. He wants us to partake of this great plan that He has prepared for us, even His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. That through Him, and this great plan of happiness we will be full of joy!

Who is your Hero?

I read this article in an Ensign magazine this morning that really made me think of the question; "Who is my Hero?"

So here is the story:
I grew up in Illinois in a small farming community on the main road to Nauvoo. Although I was raised in the Church, I was a somewhat rebellious teenager, struggling with my identity and my relationship with my father. He wasn’t a bad person; in fact, everyone seemed to like him. It’s just that I felt a little embarrassed by him because he was a farmer who had not finished eighth grade. Besides that, my dad was always serving other people. For me, that was the problem: he was always helping others, and I hated it because he took me along.
We were the only members of the branch for many miles. Since my dad was a mechanic, the branch president often called to ask him to assist stranded Church members whose cars had broken down. Many times my dad would get me out of bed late at night, grab his tools, extra gas, blankets, and even food to go help the weary travelers.
I resented these late night trips because I just wanted to sleep. I’d even sleep in the car on the way there. When we arrived, I reluctantly gave up my warm seat so the tired but grateful family could get warm. My dad always managed to fix these cars, some of which I thought shouldn’t even be allowed on the road. Sometimes Dad had to work for hours before the cars would run, but he never complained. Even though I grumbled a lot, he just listened and nodded his head and smiled.
I remember one cold, windy January night quite clearly. It was so cold that before we went to bed we had plugged an electric heater on the car engine so that it would start in the morning. I was snug in my warm bed when the phone rang. It was the branch president asking my dad to help another family from out of town whose car had broken down. I just lay in bed, hoping it was a bad dream. Just once I wanted my dad to say, “Sorry, President, but my kids are sleeping and I am in my warm house. Could you find someone else?” Instead, he said, “Of course we will help, President.”
Well, my dad got me out of bed, we gathered our things, unplugged the heater, and set out. Dad drove while I slept most of the way. Inside the car it was warm; outside the temperature was below zero and the roads were covered with snow. When we found the stranded car, a woman got out and walked towards us. She told us how she and her three children were traveling to see her parents in Nauvoo. I remember thinking that she was crazy to be out on the road with small children in such bad weather.
My dad immediately went to work on the car while I stood there complaining about having to be outside in the cold when all I wanted to do was sleep. The family sat in our warm car while we froze. After about four hours the woman’s car finally sputtered to life and began to run well enough that it could finish the trip. The sun was rising when we woke the mother and her children. She expressed her gratitude to my father, and then she and her children went on their way. We went home, and I didn’t think much about it for a long time.
Two years later I started turning my life around and became more active in the Church. I attended a youth conference at the University of Illinois, where the keynote speaker talked about the heroes in our lives. She explained that our society would have us believe that movie stars, athletes, and musicians are the heroes of our day because of their fame and greatness. But the truth, she argued, is that making a lot of money and being famous do not make them heroes. The true heroes in our lives are the people around us who truly serve one another.
Next she told the story of how once she was traveling with her family when her car broke down. She didn’t have the ability to get the car fixed. She was scared. After offering a prayer, she called the local branch president, who sent out help.
She then talked about her hero. He was a person who had left his family and his warm bed on a cold night to serve someone he didn’t even know. Her hero had saved her family that night. Then she gave his name. It was my father.
I was stunned as tears ran down my face, and I realized she was right; my dad was a hero. He was a man who constantly helped others, even at great personal sacrifice. The service he offered made a big difference in other people’s lives. Suddenly I was really proud of my dad. That night my dad became my hero too.
Years have passed. I have gained some of the things that were important to me in my youth: an education and the respect of my peers. But I have also gained something I didn’t expect when I was young: a desire to serve my fellowmen. That came from my hero, my dad. (Greg Hudnall Ensign, September 2008)

I really like the example this father showed to his son. The service he offers to everyone that needs help no matter when, where, or what time of the day it is...he is there to help. Just like Jesus Christ he served everyone...in Jerusalem and in the Americas. "And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching." (Mark 6:5-6) A great service and example our Savior gave us, was that he taught us how to be like Him. By putting our trust in the Lord, being diligent unto His words, keeping His commandments, and following His example...we too can be an example and a hero to others.

What to Become...?

I was reading from the church children magazine called the "Friend" and came to the General Conference spotlight. It had quotes from the prophets, apostles, and general authorities that was taught during the General Conference. And one particular quote that really stood out to me and one that I would want to talk about is a quote by Elder Richard G. Scott. He says, "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." We all want to be happy, to live a better life, to stay on the right path, to accomplish our goals, and many other things we want to do in life. And sometimes life becomes too hard for us to deal with and feel like we want to give up. One thing we need to remember is, God can strengthen us and will always be there to pick us up if we put our faith and trust in Him. "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." (Psalm 18:32) This verse gives me comfort whenever I read it. That through all the things I go through in life, God will make it possible for me...only if I put my trust in Him and have faith that He will provide a way.

At times we forget that our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ, our Savior can help us through all the things we go through...whether it be big or small. We just have to constantly remind ourselves that there's no other way we can go through life without the help of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is hard to swallow up our prides and rely on the Lord sometimes, but "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19) If we become like little children, with pure hearts and the willingness to submit to the Lord's will, we can physically and spiritually be strengthened to overcome whatever we go through. Even when it is not what you expect to receive, but just express gratitude to Heavenly Father and have the confidence in the Lord to accept His will, because He knows whats best for us.

I know that the Lord will help us be what we want to become, if we consistently work for it each day. And if we put off the natural man that's within us and rely on Him more, having faith that He will provide...everything is POSSIBLE! I too am working hard on trying to constantly remind myself that the Lord is there to help me be what I want to become. And as long as I become a child relying on Him as my Father, He will strengthen me and I can be what I want to become.

The Joy of Giving

Meet Jean Brazil--a cute lady from Napa, California. She is a great lady, full of faith, compassion and kindness. She enjoys learning more about Christ, loves to write, and is a good dancer. I admire her how courageous she is. She is such a strong lady.

This Christmas I received gifts from our Mission President's wife, Sister Bunker. And I couldn't wait...so I opened them all:) It was so much fun. I received a lot of good gifts and I had a few that were the same. I felt like I didn't need to have 3 pairs of gloves. I was inspired to give away some of my gifts that I don't need. Jean came to mind. She loves gloves, scarfs, boots, and beanies. I wrapped her a pair of gloves and gave it to her the next day. Later on that night I called her to see if she was still coming to the ward activity. The first thing she said, in a shaky voice, "I really loved the gloves...thank you so much!" Just listening to her voice, my heart was full of joy. President Eyring said, "That is a wonderful assurance that God knows all of our needs and counts on us to fill the needs of others around us." Heavenly Father knows us more than we know ourselves. And He has given us that gift so we can help the ones around us. Because "when we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God." (Mosiah 2:17)

I have come to learn a lot about service. A friend once told me, "A service is not a service when you are expecting something from it." And I have come to learn that a lot as I am out serving the Lord. Just think of Jesus and the great example that He showed while He was here serving our Heavenly Father. One of the great attributes that Christ had was generosity. "This Christmas season gives us the encouragement to remember Him and His infinite generosity. Remembering His generosity will help us feel and respond to the inspiration that there is someone who needs our help, and it will let us see the hand of God reaching to us when He sends someone to succor us, as He so often does. There is joy in giving and receiving the generosity that God inspires, especially in Christmas." (President Eyring)

Giving Jean the gift was an inspiration I got from my Father in heaven. He leads and guides us to the ones around us that we can help. I know that there are many of His children out there that are waiting for us to be lead to them. Just tonight, after dinner we went to K-Mart to get some cough drops for me. As we were driving away there was a home-less guy just sitting by the building. My companion flipped over and said she wanted to give the man McDonald gift cards that she got as a gift. Just the look on the man's face, Josh was his name...my heart was so full of joy. Serving and being generous to others not only helps the ones in need, but helps you as your serving too. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ's example and how we all have those attributes that we can share with others.

Compassion

As I was doing my personal study this morning, I read in the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 17. And the first few verses really stood out to me. How compassionate Jesus Christ was! It reminded me of a quote from President Monsoon on one of his talks titled "The Gift of Compassion," and he says:

“Those who grieve frequently find themselves alone. Missed is the laughter of children, the commotion of teenagers, and the tender, loving concern of a departed companion. The clock ticks more loudly, time passes more slowly, and four walls can indeed a prison make. I extol those who, with loving care and compassionate concern, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless. He who notes the sparrow’s fall will not be unmindful of such service.” -President Thomas S. Monsoon

As I was reading this chapter in the Book of Mormon, Jesus said in the first verse that His time is at hand. He needed to go back to the Father. But He said, "my bowels are filled with compassion towards you." (Verse 6) He healed the sick, the blind, and the afflicted because of their faith. And when we do the things that He has commanded us because the Father has said so, our faith will grow. And he will bless us because of our faith and when we have faith in Him, he is full of joy. (Verse 20)

This quote and this chapter in the Book of Mormon taught me a lot about how being compassionate to the ones around us while serving can help us in many ways. The clock is really ticking...just like Jesus' time was at hand...ours is too! By fulfilling the promises that we made with our Father in heaven through the example of our dear Savior, we can be full of love towards our brothers and sisters. And I know as we do this, our Father in heaven is happy and his heart is full of joy!