The Gift of Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." We cannot save ourselves. Without Jesus Christ there is nothing we could do to return to live with our Father in Heaven.

Like the scripture says, salvation is a gift from God. And just like any gift we receive, in order to use it, we first have to open it. So how do we go about opening this gift of grace?

2 Samuel 22:21 reads, " The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me." In Hebrews 11 we read of many miracles that were wrought by faith and in James chapter 2 we are taught that faith without works is dead.

In order for us to partake of the mercy of God He has asked us to have faith in Him and to keep His commandments. Doing so will allow us to open up God's gift of grace for us.

Thanksgiving 2012

Well it's about that time of year where bloggers across the U.S. post about Thanksgiving. So I figure I better get my two cents in. So here goes...

This Thanksgiving has special meaning for me as I reflect on the past two years of my mission in Montana. It has been a pleasure and a great blessing. How grateful I am to the Lord for the opportunity to serve the people here and spread the gospel. I am thankful for each of the different missionaries I have been privileged of being paired up with and learning from them. They certainly taught me a lot. I'm thankful for each of the different cities I labored in and the people I met there. I could never number the lessons learned.

My family minus our newest addition

Back at home, my family is adopting a little boy whom I am excited to meet. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for wonderful parents and their example of selfless service and unconditional love. I'm grateful for a Father above who is ever mindful of us. Most of all, I am grateful for His Son, Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice He made so we can be clean and dwell in Their presence.

In Luke 17 we find the account of the ten lepers who were healed yet only one of them turned to thank the Lord. Let us be that one. Perhaps we can encourage our nine other friends to find something to thank the Lord about too.

Who Shall Ascend to the House of the Lord?

Many people have seen a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here's an example of what one looks like in case you are unfamiliar. This one is in Accra, Ghana:

In the temple, members:

• Learn eternal truths.
• Receive sacred ordinances, including those that bind husband and wife together for eternity, as well as join children and parents (Malachi 4:5-6).
• Provide ordinances such as baptism for those who have died without the opportunity to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:29); 1 Peter 4:6).

You might wonder why only some Mormons are allowed to go inside temples. The answer: the temple is a sacred place. Those who enter must be spiritually prepared as stated in Psalms 24. "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."

Everyone is invited to prepare themselves and come enjoy the blessings of the Holy Temple.

Forward or Froward?

Well, first thing. You might be wondering what the word "froward" even means. So let's just take a look at what a dictionary might say.

Froward: willfully contrary; not easily managed.

If you just switch the 'R' and the 'O' you've got the word: forward. Which means:

Forward: toward or at a place, point, or time in advance; onward; ahead.

So if you find yourself or your life not easily managed then just make a few minor adjustments. Set some goals and start moving forward instead of froward.

Come and See

Can you imagine what it must have been like to live in the days of the Savior and hear Him teach? Imagine the excitement of hearing prophecies fulfilled and seeing miracles performed. Philip, one of Christ's original 12 Aposltes, experienced the joy in discovering the long awaited Messiah. He exclaims to Nathanael, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Nathanael responds, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

Philip simply says, "Come and see." (See John 1:45-46)

Christ's gospel was lost but has been restored. To those that may say, "What good thing can come out from the Mormons??" we simply invite them to "come and see." Just click on the image below:

Oh (s)No it's Snowing

Snow. It's such an interesting thing. It fell this morning for the first time this Fall. I must admit, I had hoped that it would come later. However as it kept coming down and disappearing on contact with the concrete I thought to myself, "Say, this snow isn't so sad afterall."

Today it just came and went. But soon it will come to stay. Snow has some wonderful uses. It can be a source of water for summer months as it melts off the mountains and flows into the valley. It provides beautiful scenery, especially for a white Christmas. Plus, it can be a whole lot of fun. Jeremy Jones would attest to that.

The snow can also represent cleanness and purity. As in the case of Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Our Father in Heaven has given us many gifts. Scriptures, snow, and sins forgiven are all signs of His sincere solicitude. All He asks is that we be willing and obedient, then we shall eat of the good of the land (see Isaiah 1:19).

No Pain, No Gain

I think it's safe to say that most everyone has heard the phrase, "No pain, no gain." And what a true principle it is. In athletics of almost any kind pain is involved in getting better. In order to get stronger you've got to literally tear your muscles. It hurts. Life hurts.

In the Book of Mormon a father says to his son, "Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain (See 2 Nephi 2:2)." Lehi,  the father here, is teaching his son Jacob that with the Lord on his side, his trials in life will work for his own betterment.

It's easy to talk about having a perspective like that but it's a different story to actually maintain that outlook. So how can we remember that the Lord is willing to help us turn our sorrows into strength??

1. Consistent study of the scriptures. When we read the scriptures we come across verses like the one above that remind us of His ever willingness to help.

2. Consistent prayer. As we communicate often with our Heavenly Father we are able to further develop our relationship with him. As we do so it will become easier to turn to Him instead of trying to shoulder the  burden alone.

3. Serving others. It provides a wonderful perspective to help lift others. In doing so, we are able to be a tool in the hand of God in assisting His children.

I know that as we do those three things we will be strengthened by our hardships and the Lord will consecrate our afflictions for our gain.

Just Keep Shootin'

The clock is continuing to count down. The ball is being bounced around. There's not a noise from the the crowd. The shot goes up... no luck. There is just enough time for one more attempt. He puts it up again from outside the three-line and... same result. 

The Kaysville 14th ward church ball team lost in the semi-finals of the annual regional tournament that year. What a disappointment. One of the players had been given two chances to win the game in those final seconds. Too bad for him; he missed his opportunity. 

Well, as I am sure you can guess, that certain player was me. Bummer, I know. I had a good friend on the team who was open. I probably should have passed it to him. But who knows what would've happened. However, I did learn a valuable lesson. Sometimes it takes failing a few times, or maybe a few hundred times, before we can get it right. But the end result can, and always, will be better if we keep at it. I like this quote from Michael Jordan:

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

A lot of times in life we may feel like we've been entrusted to take the game winning shot and then dropped the ball. We may be disappointed but we need not be too hard on ourselves. "When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves." So if you feel like you fallen short, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep your chin up. The game of life is full of opportunities to make baskets. Just keep shootin'.

What's A Mormon??

What's a Mormon?

Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was organized in 1830. The name ‘Mormon’ is a nickname because of the Church’s belief in the Book of Mormon 1

So who is Mormon and what is the Book of Mormon?

Mormon was an actual historical figure in the Book of Mormon. He was a prophet, military general, and record keeper who lived about A.D. 311-385 on the American Continent. After recording the history of his own lifetime, he compiled and abridged the records, engraved on plates of gold, of previous prophets. These plates were part of the record from which the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon in the early 19th century. 2

Some may ask if Mormons believe in Christ. The answer is a resounding yes! Gordon Hinckley, past president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said this, " We, of course, accept Jesus Christ as our Leader, our King, our Savior...the dominant figure in the history of the world, the only perfect Man who ever walked the earth, the living Son of the living God. He is our Savior and our Redeemer through whose atoning sacrifice has come the opportunity of eternal life. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pray and worship in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith and the head of our Church. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ and witnesses of His divinity, His life, and His Atonement.”3

Hopefully, after reading this you will have a better understanding of what a Mormon is. Please visit the following links for more:

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By Governing the Tongue, We Gain Perfection

Our mouths can sure get us into a lot of trouble if we are not careful.. But they can also enable us to lift, inspire, and express our love toward others. I hope that we choose the latter.

James 3:4 reads "Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth." Just as a boat can be turned by a small part so can our words significantly effect our lives and the lives of others.

In the same chapter of James in verse 5 it says, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" Fire is another great analogy for our mouths. Just a small flame can start the biggest forest fire. I'm sure we've all seen this happen before. Just look at what gossip can do...

Another part of speaking doesn't necessarily have to do with what is said, but how it is said. I would encourage you to read a talk by President Thomas S. Monson entitled, "School Thy Feelings, O My Brother." It's subtitle reads: If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry.

I am grateful for the words of and voices of many people. I'm especially thankful for the words of prophets that show us the way.