A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.
Thomas S. Monson
Month: January 2014
“A prominent judge was asked what we, as citizens of the countries of the world, could do to reduce crime and disobedience to law and to bring peace and contentment into our lives and into our nations. He thoughtfully replied, ‘I would suggest a return to the old-fashioned practice of family prayer.'”
Thomas S. Monson
From the Mouth of a Child
Matthew 18:3 says, “…except ye be converted,and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God.”
One of my favorite things to hear while I’m on my mission, is a little kid pray. When children pray I truly understand what Christ meant when he told us to become as children. One young boy the other day began praying and he only said three sentences, but the one that stood out to me was so profound that I forgot he was only no older than five years old. This boy said, “Help us to be great members of the church and remember the true meaning of the gospel.”
This should be at the root of all of our prayers. This should be at the root of all of our lives. This should be HOW WE LIVE! This little boy gets it. We should be striving every day to be great members of Christ true church on the earth and remember the TRUE MEANING OF THE GOSPEL!
The main thing…is to keep the main thing…the main thing. Jesus Christ is the main thing. We must have faith in him, rely on his atonement in repentance daily, be baptized in his name and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and take the sacrament every Sunday in remembrance of the covenants that we made to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, and we must endure to the end.
Jesus Christ Wants YOU!
What do we know about the war in heaven? We know that Heavenly Father presented His plan of happiness to us, and He knew that we would need a savior. Two of our brethren stepped forward and said, “Here I am, send me.” One of these had a noble cause, the other had a greedy cause. Many fought valiantly for the plan they thought would be best, but only those who chose Jesus Christ as their savior got to continue on in Heavenly Father’s plan. There was one-third of all the hosts of heaven who chose Satan’s plan and were cast from heaven, never to receive bodies. That all sounds great, but have you ever just sat and thought about the role you played in that war? You are part of the two-thirds who fought for the right side of the plan. How valiantly did you fight? We all made the same decision, but we “were not all equally valiant, there being every degree of devotion to Christ and the father among” us, according to the bible dictionary. Jesus the Christ tells us that we “either fought with Michael, or at least refrained from active opposition.” I refuse to believe that I was sitting on the sideline quietly watching the game with a “go-winner” attitude.
I constantly find myself looking around and wondering what roles people around me played in the war in heaven. We know from the bible dictionary that “those who were most diligent were chosen to be rulers int he kingdom.” I think about those who are destined to be rulers in the kingdom. If we live the gospel–faith, repentance, baptism, receive the gift of the holy ghost, and endure to the end–then we are destined to be kings and queens in the kingdom of God.
Lastly, the Bible Dictionary tells us that “the same contestnats adn the same issues are doing battle, and the same salvation is at stake.” As a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am at battle for the salvation of souls. I am fighting for the same things I know I fought for before I came here. Am I fighting as valiantly as I was before? Are you?
Believe Him, Don’t Just Believe IN Him
Recently, at a small “conference” we had with the other sister missionaries in our zone a question was posed: How many of you believe you are going to make it to the celestial kingdom? In response about half of the sisters raised their hands. The sister asking the question was very upset. “How can you go out teaching everyday that people have to do certain things–have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end–in order to make it to the celestial kingdom, when you don’t believe it yourself?!” Often times, I find myself selling myself short. When I look at all of the things I need to do to make it to the celestial kingdom just as I’m promising others, I’m doing all of those things. What is it convincing me that I am not fit for that glory?
Satan!
In the April 1992 ensign there is a story by Stephen E. Robinson called Believing Christ that perfectly shows what I want to say here.
“I once counseled a man who said, “Bishop, I’m just not celestial material.” Well, I’d heard those words once too often, so I said, “You’re not celestial material? Welcome to the club. Not one of us is! Not one of us qualifies on our own for the presence of God. So why don’t you admit your real problem? Why don’t you admit that you don’t believe Christ can do what he says he can do?”
He got angry. “I have a testimony of Jesus!”
I said, “Yes, you believe in Christ. You simply do not believe Christ. He says that even though you are not celestial, he can make you celestial—but you don’t believe it.””
Satan will always have us believe that we are worthless, and we are, without the atonement of Christ. He can take us and make us worthy of that glory. It is not enough to say we believe in Christ, we must also believe that he CAN do what he says he can.
The LDS Church Oppressing Women?
I started out writing a whole rant about how women in the church are not oppressed (in response to the objection my companion and I keep facing), but I have decided that I will just leave a brief statement.
As a woman who has spent three years at an all women college, learning about feminism and considering myself one, I do not in any way feel oppressed as a woman in this church. In fact since joining this church I have felt more empowered and strong and beautiful and loved than I have ever felt.
The Lord is Laboring with Us
“And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and laborin the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.
And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things (Jacob 5:71-72).”
In the parable of the Lord’s vineyard I found it so inspiring that “the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them.” The work that I am doing now is the Lord’s work in His vineyard. This is the last time that He will send laborers out preparatory to the second coming of Christ. I am a laborer. This is not easy work and we (my fellow missionaries and I) are all laboring with our might to bring others unto Christ. We must remember that “the Lord of the vineyard” is laboring with us! I have seen miracles on my mission, and I’ve only been out for three months.
I know that I am doing the Lord’s work. I know that I was called and chosen to represent my Savior, Jesus Christ, and that Heavenly Father will not leave me alone in this work. This is His work.
Be of God
One of the first questions that we ask those investigating the LDS church is whether or not they believe that He is answering their prayers. There are many who feel that Heavenly Father does not answer their prayers. They look around and notice that He is clearly answering the prayers of others…but theirs go unanswered.
John 8:47 says, “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” The word “heareth” is used to mean understand. So we cannot understand the word of God if we are not of God. In other words, we cannot expect God to answer our questions if we are not living in a way that the Holy Ghost can dwell within us. Are we living worthy of the answers we seek?
How do we become “of God.” 1 John 4 (in The Holy Bible) talks a lot about becoming “of God.” It says that those who “knoweth God” can hear the words (which would infer that if they can hear them then they must be “of God”), and those that know love, know God. It also says that little children are of God, which agrees with Christ’s teaching in Matthew that, “Except ye…become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3).” 1 John also teaches that to be “of God” you must “[confess] that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.”
Likewise The Book of Mormon tells us how we can become “of God.” In Moroni 7 verse 13 says something that is of God is something “that which inviteth and enticeth to do good continually…and to love God, and to serve Him.” Much like the world around us, WE must invite and entice others to do good continually by our example and influence in others lives. Doctrine and Covenants says, “He that speaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and edifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances (52:16).” The Lord has given us ordinances that, if we follow and obey, will make us become men and women of God, and not men and women of the world.
It is hard to understand the answers that Heavenly Father is giving us if we aren’t living in a way that we cannot recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost–if we are not “of God.” We must be loving to everyone; we must invite and entice others to do good continually, to love God, and to serve him; we must be as little children; we must have a contrite spirit and language that is meek and edifying; we must obey His commandments, and confess that Jesus Christ is our savior and redeemer. We must know God. Do you know God?
A Representative of Christ 