Friday, July 5, 2013

Testimony and Faith

 "Verily, verily I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than
from God?
And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you
not received a witness?"
D&C 6:22-24

 A week before I got home and since I have been home I have been questioning my faith and my testimony of this Gospel and of this Church. I have been feeling empty and alone. I felt like my faith was diminishing and my testimony was falling fast. I have been reading and praying but it doesn't seem to help the feelings I had.
   Last night I looked for help from a couple of friends. One of them gave me a couple of scriptures from Doctrine and Covenants and it says:
"But behold you must study it out in your mind, then you must ask me if it be right, and if it be right I will cause your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
But if it be not right you will have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me."
D&C 9:8-9
She said after I read this I should pray vocally to our Father in Heaven all of my concerns, worries and doubts and let him help me. So after I read those verses I prayed and I prayed for about a good half hour asking him if this is true. What I was teaching and what I was taught it true. I went to bed. Today I woke up and went on Facebook to find a talk from my friend's boyfriend. It was a talk given by Elder Holland titled "Come unto me" I felt like that talk was for me. After I listened to the talk I got on the phone and was texting a really good friend of mine from my mission and was asking him if this ever happened to him. He said yes and he gave me the scriptures that is the beginning of this note and he told me to pray to God before and after reading those verses and then just listen so I did. After I prayed the second time I opened my eyes to this verse.
"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto my own and my own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."
D&C 6:21
Now I cannot write what my experience was because it is sacred to me and it is from God but I can tell you this:
I know that this Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the true and living Gospel. I know that this is the ONLY true and living Church of Jesus Christ that is on the earth today. I know that the Book Of Mormon is true with all of my heart. I know that we have a literal Father in Heaven that is willing and ready to help us in any way we need it and I also know that we have a Savior that has redeemed us all so we can have a chance to live with him and God again. I know that what I have been teaching for the past 8 months is true without a shadow of a doubt. I know that Joseph Smith Jr. was the ONLY person who could unlock this last dispensation and bring forth the fullness of the everlasting Gospel. I also know that we have a living Prophet and his name is Thomas Spencer Monson and he receives direct revelation for us from our father in heaven. I know that these things are true and I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

My Mission

Here it is 8pm coming in from a long day of discouragement
and heartache
door after door slammed in our faces for weeks and one
door apologized for me joining the wrong church
my knuckles are red and sore and I don't even want to check
what's under my socks
my back is hurting from carrying my backpack all day I don't
know if I can stay up any longer
I get a text and my heart sinks to my stomach of what it says.
I was with him for 3 months and this is what he does.
We get a call and I go to my knees in tears. I thought we taught
him good enough.
We plan and I throw the phone to my companion and go to
the bedroom and slam the door.
It's 9pm. I shut the lights off in shame. I drop down to the
edge of my bed to pray.
Father why are you putting me through this? Why doesn't
anyone want to hear our message?
Why did you put me with that person for three months? Why doesn't
this person live what we teach him?
I want to keep a smile on my face but it is so dang hard to do that
when you put me through this.
I feel like giving up. Going home throwing in the towel. This isn't for
me. It never was. Amen.
I crawl into bed. It is 1030pm the alarm is set for 630am. I fall asleep
right away.
I find myself underneath a tall oak tree with the sun shining on me. A
Tall man comes up and sits next to me.
He tells me he is Jesus Christ. He goes on and tells me this. "So you feel
discouraged and lots of heartache.
I felt like that when my people wanted to crucify me. So your knuckles
are sore. My hands were sore when they put nails through my hands.
I see that your back hurts from your backpack. My back was in excruciating
pain when I had to carry my cross up to Calvary.
So you had a companion that didn't do what he was supposed to do. I had a
companion that sold my life for 20 pieces of silver.
So you have a person that isn't following everything that you have taught
them. I had disciples that went back to there fishing when I died.
You feel like you wanna give up and quit. I wanted to do that so badly
but I stuck through it because I had a mission to fulfill."
I bowed my head and I started crying. He puts his arm around me and crys
with me.
I looked up at him and asked him "Why did you go through with it?"
He told me "I did it because I love you."
Then I woke up. It was 630 already. I jumped out of bed with a smile on
my face and ready to go out and finish my mission.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Lehi's dream....was he dreaming of the HIGHLINE TRAIL!?!?!??

OK so yesterday Natalie C, a few missionaries and I went up to Glacier National Park and we drove up to the Sun road. Well at the top of the sun road there is this trail called "The High Lin Trail." So we decided we would hike the trail. It was going great until we hit the VERY narrow path on the side of the cliff where you had to grab the rope on the side. Like this


As you can see it very narrow and that's the ONLY thing that you had to hold on cause one wrong step you would be falling a long way down. Well when we were coming back I started thinking of Lehi's dream about the Iron rod and how there were 4 groups that were clinging to the iron rod but some of them let go and went to the spacious building but what really got me was the last group. They held onto the iron rod to the end and they made it to the tree and part took of the fruit and the other people were mocking them but it did not phase them cause they knew what was right. So looking back at yesterday and at that rope.         
If any of us took a wrong step and let go of that rope (Iron Rod) We would not be coming back. So brothers and sisters cling to the Iron Rod to the end and you will be richly blessed and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

SATAN! A sneaky little bugger?

I know its been a while since I have posted last but I have been busy with work and preparing to go on a mission to Cleveland Ohio and all. ;-) but anyways In Sunday school today I heard a really cool and really true story.

"If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water the frog will just jump out. Now if you put the frog in the pot of cold water and just warm the water a little at a time the frog will like it and soon enough he will jump out or die in there."
--Elder Seth Floyd Hanson

SO TRUE! That is how Satan works in our lives. He doesn't go full blast on us. He slowly works on us until we break and follow him. I will like to share another story with you and this happen.

I got my mission call on June 29th and I was called to the Cleveland Ohio. I was so excited that night after I opened it but that split second that I doubted myself SATAN CAME! The next few weeks after that I would think of going on my mission then again that split second of doubting he would come. I felt like nothing worked. I prayed at at least 3 times a day, read my scriptures every chance I got and it didn't help. So this past week I was so pumped I hit 5 more weeks till I leave for Cleveland I was thinking of what I was going to do on my mission how I was going to teach I was even practicing my door approaches. I wasn't even doubting this time and when I fell asleep not even 20 mins later I felt a hand that was literally burning my leg. I immediately jumped and I saw him. SATAN was at the end of my bed and I stared at him for what felt like an eternity but for only an hour. It was the longest hour ever. I felt like Heavenly father was not with me anymore and I felt like my shield was gone that night. So the next day I called the Elders in my area Elder Hanson and Elder Walch and I told everything to Elder Hanson and both of them gave me a priesthood blessing and that night I went home and I laid in my bed and right beside my bed I have the poem "Footsteps" and at the end of that poem it says "When you saw one set of footprints that was when I was carrying you." That night I felt Heavenly Father's arm engulf me and I felt like I had my shield back again.

I share this with you because it brings me back to the frog story. I was the frog to Satan and each experience    got more and more stronger like the water got hotter and hotter. Then the last experience I had was the boiling point of the water.

Brother's and sisters I want to bear you my testimony that SATAN is REAL and is around us every day trying to tempt us and persuade us to go his direction and not Heavenly Father's direction. I KNOW this church is true with all my heart and I KNOW that we have a living prophet who is Thomas S. Monson who leads us and guides us every step of the way. I KNOW this Gospel is TRUE and I am so excited to preach it to the people of Cleveland Ohio. I say these things in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The continuous Atonement!

‎" I'll never do it again," we say--and then we do it. In a work full of challenges, temptations, and even addictions, it is easy to lose hope for ourselves and those we love. During times of discouragement, we must remember that the purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is not just not cleanse and console, but also to transform--and that takes time. Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done "all we can do." He is with us every step of the way, and his atonement will be available as long as the perfecting process takes--continually.


This is the first paragraph of this book I read when I was flying back from Utah. The person that sat by me said "What did he ever do for you." She was asking what Jesus did for me and I said "He performed the ultimate sacrifice so I can return to him again. The Atonement, the continuous Atonement." She was sitting there and asked "What is the atonement?" and right there while I was wearing Reuben Miner's name tag I felt like I was a missionary so the next hour I was teaching her the atonement and how Heavenly Father gave his only begotten son to die for us and take our sins upon him so when we came down to earth we would have a chance to repent when we sin and be able to come back and live with our heavenly Father and our older brother Jesus Christ. I also told her through the atonement we can become one step closer to perfection. When we got into Kalispell knowing I always have a copy of the Book of Mormon and when we got off the plane i gave it to her and wrote down the scriptures of the atonement and about Jesus Christ. She had the biggest smile on her face when she left. I do know that Heavenly Father lives and Jesus Christ did the ultimate price for me and you and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.  

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

He will ALWAYS love you no matter what!

"I am the thorn in Your crown but You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow but You love me anyway

I am the nail in Your wrist but You love me anyway
I am Judas' kiss but You love me anyway"





For the people that are following my blog I like singing and making music. Well me and a friend took bridge from another song and made it ours and when I always sing this part I ALWAYS feel a sense of comfort and security that he loves me for who I am. Jesus Christ came down in Flesh and bone and walked with us on earth and he died for us. We were that thorn, we were that sweat from his brow, we were that nail in his wrist, we were that kiss Judas gave to Jesus BUT he STILL love us. NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

NEVER judge anyone!!!!

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call ASAP, changed his clothes and went directly to the surgery block.
He found the boy’s father going and coming in the hall waiting for the doctor. Once seeing him, the dad yelled:
“Why did you take all this time to come? Don’t you know that my son’s life is in danger? Don’t you have the sense of responsibility?”

The doctor smiled and said:
“I am sorry, I wasn’t in the hospital and I came the fastest I could after receiving the call…… And now, I wish you’d calm down so that I can do my work”

“Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??” said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again and replied: “I will say what Job said in the Holy Bible “From dust we came and to dust we return, blessed be the name of God”. Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go and intercede for your son, we will do our best by God’s grace”

“Giving advice when we’re not concerned is so easy” Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, “Thank God! Your son is saved!”

And without waiting for the father’s reply he carried on his way running. “If you have any question, ask the nurse!!”

“Why is he so arrogant? He couldn’t wait some minutes so that I ask about my son’s state” Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: “His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son’s surgery. And now that he saved your son’s life, he left running to finish his son’s burial.”

NEVER JUDGE ANYONE because you never know how their life is and as to what is happening or what they’re going through.