The Parable of the Soccer Coach

A parable of sorts:

A soccer coach by the name of Coach Shepard was looking forward to a start of a new season. His team, the Rams, recently had tryouts and things were looking good. Coach Shepard posted the results and talked to each member of his team. He complimented them on their hard work and dedication. He advised them that they were now on his team and would be required to play only for him and no one else. Some might think this unfair or maybe too controlling of Coach Shepard but he understood the importance of keeping his team unified and separate from any outside sources.

See Alma 5:57

Walls, Doors, and Windows

Life is like a big building. We travel from room to room until we make our exit. Behind each door of decision lies a consequence, for the good or the bad. The walls of the world hide these consequences. However, the Lord has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost which acts as a window. Through the Holy Ghost, the window of opportunity, we can better see the results of our actions and choices. So how do we get this gift?

In the Book of Acts we read that it must be conferred upon us, after baptism, by the laying on of hands by someone who holds the priesthood. Neither the priesthood nor the gift of the Holy Ghost can be bought with money as Peter teaches in the 8th chapter of Acts. Rather, it must be given from God (See Hebrews 5:4).

Once we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost we are promised that if we live worthily we will have that companionship always. When this is the case we can look through the windows of the building of life into the next room and thus make better decisions. Let us each strive to gain and retain this gift.

Go With Him Twain

Matthew 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

The Doctrine of Christ

The following is a talk that I wrote for the Kalispell 3rd Ward's Sacrament Meeting about a month ago. I didn't get to share it all so I figured I would just put it on here. Sorry, but it'll just be in bullet point format. Here goes:

"Strengthening their understanding of the doctrine of Christ will do more to . . . build their excitement to do missionary work than anything else you can do." -Preach My Gospel pg. 161
What is the Doctrine of Christ?
2 Nephi 31:17-21 Note: Unshaken faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, Endure to the End.

Faith
Bible Dictionary: "Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true, and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation."
Pray with faith to be able to assist the Lord in this great work.
See Alma 31:26, 35. Note the difference from the beginning of Alma's prayer to the end? What was the turning point? Vs. 31 - "comfort my soul in Christ."

Repentance
"Our faith in Christ and our love for Him lead us to repent, or to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with His will." Preach My Gospel pg. 62

Baptism
When we are baptized we covenant to:
-Mourn with those that mourn
-Comfort those that stand in need of comfort
-Stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things, and in all places
In L. Tom Perry's talk, Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear, he says, "There are a number of things that we can do - that you can do - to advance an understanding of the Church." Some of those things include:
1. Be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ
2. Be righteous examples to others
3. Speak up about the Church

Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost will help us do missionary work. "If we listen with love, we won't need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us - by the Spirit and by our friends." -Elder Holland
John 14:26-27 Speaks about the Holy Ghost bringing things to our remembrance an and also bringing us peace.

Endure to the End
After doing all of this it is important that we don't stop. We must keep pressing forward looking toward Christ (2 Nephi 31:20). If we will continue on this path then we will have eternal life.

Ultimate: the Ultimate Game

Ultimate frisbee is one of my all-time favorite sports. We played it a lot during my high school years. I was never the best at throwing the disc, but I could catch it decent enough. However, there were others on the team that could throw it really well, but maybe weren't the best at catching.

The same goes for life. Nobody is the best at everything. Rather, we depend on each other to accomplish things we can't do on our own. I heard a quote recently that goes like this, "Everyone is your superior in at least one way." I believe that was attributed to Austin Goff, by the way. But I really like that. Each one of us has strengths and weaknesses and if we will work together we can accomplish great things.

Check out President Uchtdorf's talk on the subject by clicking right here.

Footprints

Many people are familiar with the poem, "Footprints in the Sand." It is a great poem illustrating how much we rely on the Savior in our lives.

Sometimes we think that we do not need the Savior's help. Sometimes we think we can make it without Him. While it is important to do our best and do many of things of our "own free will"1 we should always recognize our need for the Lord. As King Benjamin taught, God supports us each day "by lending [us] breath..."2 We depend so much on Him. Take a look at the poem and see what you think. Just click on the picture below.