Jesus Loves You

Many people have struggles, trials, and hard times in their lives. We all have times of doubt and distress. So if we have these, how are we supposed to overcome them? With all the confusion and just plain hypocrisy that goes on today there aren't many people we can all trust in.

But God is always there to hear our prayers and to comfort us when we are going through hard times. God loves us. He is our Heavenly Father and wants to bless us. And the most significant way He has blessed us is through His Son Jesus Christ. Do you remember what it was that Jesus did for us all? I am not talking about helping old ladies cross the road, or picking up someones papers that they had just dropped. No, I am talking about a gift that Christ gave to each and every one of us, something that we can use in our lives, this is called the Atonement.

When Christ performed the Atonement he not only died on the cross for us, but suffered for all the pains and trials we would go through. He knows the hurt we feel and the guilt we all carry around with us. But it is up to us to take those feelings and seek His help in overcoming them. He wants us to come to Him and be freed from those burdens. I know that God loves us, He loves us enough to send His own son to die for us. And I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and that His sacrifice for us is real.



Angels are all around us.




First off I have to say that this is probably one of the coolest pictures I have ever seen. But getting to my point. While we may not see angels that look like this in our everyday lives, that does not mean that we are left alone.  I know that everyone of us can be an angel for someone else. As we go about our lives, as busy as they may seem, take the time to look around you and see who is in need of help. I know that as we do this we can not only do good for others, but we will also be doing good for ourselves. Show your love to others. As we do this, we will  feel the love that our Savior has for each and every one of us more abundantly. Spring is finally hear, that means lots of hard chores and things to do around the house. Take the opportunity to be someones angel.

You have the courage!







 

  The story of the sons of Mosiah has always been one of my favorite stories to read in the Book of Mormon. It is a story of faith, courage, and valiance. But if you know the history of these men, you would understand who they really were. Before their conversion they used to run around stealing from, and mocking those who believed in the Messiah. They rejected the teachings of their father and the church and wanted nothing to do with it. But after the conversion of their friend Alma (the younger), they realized the blessings that came from living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they started sharing it with everyone around them.

 And that is were their story starts. They went on many missions, all over the country and to many different people. The lamanites were one of those groups of people they taught. In the Book of Alma it describes just what these people were like,

 "And assuredly it was great, for they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a ^awild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

 Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the ^acurse of God had fallen upon them because of the ^btraditions of their fathers..."

  Not exactly the kind of people I would like to run into while tracting in Wyoming. But Ammon and his brothers willingly went into the lands of the Lamanites to share this great message with them. They knew that it had changed their hearts, and they knew that it could change the lamanite people's too.

The world is a tough place, no matter where you are. All of us face challenges and hardships that test our faith. If we are mocked, cheated, robbed or hurt for what we believe in, is that going to stop us from living a good life? I don't think these men are the only ones who have the ability to gain the courage that they had. We all need to trust in the knowledge of our Savior, and know that he is with us. If we are doing the things He wants us to do, then He has promised to help us. So go out, remember who you are and keep fighting a good fight. You have the courage!

Read more about these amazing missionaries here. Alma 17-19

The Wise Man

  There is a popular children's song that is well known to church members around the world, called "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man". In the song it describes two men and their efforts to build their houses. The wise man builds his house a rock, and the foolish man builds his on the sand. All seems well until a storm comes, and it starts to flood. Now those of you from coastal areas of the world know that it is not a good idea to build a house right on the beach, because you have the possibility of water damage. The story goes on to describe how the wise man's house is immovable through all of this rain and flooding because of the rock it is built on, while the foolish man's house is washed away and lost.

This story is not only entertaining but also has some deep morals.  In The Book of Mormon there is a prophet named Helaman who talks about this. He talks about building our house on Christ because He is that sure foundation. He also says that doing this will help us withstand the "hail and mighty storms" of the devil. Think of the sand that the other man built his house on. It was not sturdy, it was ever changing like the world around us. How many of us get our feet knocked out from underneath us everyday because we have nothing to cling to that is strong and immovable?

This is a simple story like I said, but there is something to be learned from it. Compare yourself to these two men, which one are you? Are you building your life on Christ, our sure foundation, or are you following the world and getting thrown around by all the confusion that exists today? I know that by following Christs example and striving to do our best to follow Him, that we will be blessed. We can experience greater peace and happiness by following the council of a modern day prophet and apostles, and by studying the teachings of those in the past. "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation" - Helaman 5: 12

Read Helaman here: http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/5.12?lang=eng#11http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/5.12?lang=eng#11

Sing the complete song here:  http://lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=281&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=281&searchsubseqend=ZZZ

The Portrait of Our Lord

Take a look at these paintings of Christ, and as you look at them, think of Him, and of His purpose.

Art By Walter Rane

Jehova Creates

 

Behold The Lamb

 

And The Child Grew And Waxed Strong In Spirit

 Mary Heard His Word

 

Whom Say Ye That I Am

He Anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man

These Twelve Jesus Sent Forth

In Remembrance

The Triumphal Entry Of Christ

Portrait Of Christ

He Is Not Here

Christ Visits The New World

Christ In America

 

  Resurrected Christ

I am so thankful for all that our Savior does for us. His Atonement has played a very important role in my life, and I am learning every day how to apply it more fully to the things I do. As you go about your day, and experience your normal everyday troubles and stresses, remember that it has all been taken care of. Your Father in Heaven loves you and cares for you. Enough to send His own son to die for you. Remember that and follow Christ's example in all things.

The Atonment of Christ

  Because of the season coming up, Christ has been a focal point for me the last few weeks. While following the study program I talked about earlier, I started reading about Christ and the sacrifices he made for us. While I was doing this, I remembered one of my favorite scriptures and a quote that goes along with them. The scripture is Alma 7: 11-12. This scripture talks about what the Atonement is and what was done for us. The quote does the same, but I think it brings to light a few things that we could sometimes forget. Bruce C. Hafen once said, " Some Church members feel weighed down with discouragement about the circumstances of their personal lives, even when they are making sustained and admirable efforts. Frequently, these feelings of self-disappointment come not from wrongdoing, but from stresses and troubles for which we may not be fully to blame. The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life. The Savior can wipe away all of our tears, after all we can do... The Savior’s atonement is thus portrayed as the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The Atonement is not just for sinners." I think that in our normal everyday lives we sometimes forget that the Atonement is for all of us. It does not matter what we do wrong, and we do not even have to do anything wrong to make it have effect in our lives. All of our stresses, troubles, discouragements, inadequacies, and unfortunate circumstances were suffered for. Christ has already paid the price for them. All we have to do is follow Christ's example and endure to the end.

To read the full article you can go to: http://lds.org/ensign/1990/04/beauty-for-ashes-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

Finding a More Christ Centered Christmas

As missionaries we have been asked to follow a sort of study program for this holiday. But this is a great thing for everyone to do so I wanted to share it. Turn to your topical guide or Bible concordance, there you will find about 18 pages and referances about the life, role, and mission of Jesus Christ. Our challenge to you is to go through these, each day choosing a differant topic. Such as the birth of Christ, or the Atonement of Christ, or anything having to do with Jesus Christ. Take about 10-15 minutes a day to learn more about our Savior. Christ is the reason for this upcoming season, so we should be focusing on him. Doing this will not only give you added knowledge of Jesus Christ, but your spiritual wittness of him will be strengthened as well. I've only been doing this for a couple of weeks and I have had an increase in both. And share it with your friends.