The Tunnel of Darkness!

In modern times when we relate to something hard in our life it always seems like we talk about darkness. Darkness in most situations is troublesome. Have you ever tried changing a tire in the dark? Its not easy and depending on the area can be very scary. There could be someone or something watching you and you would have no idea. Your sight is very limited and makes things more nerve wracking and uneasy to the stomach. I don't want to scare you, but to enlighten you from this point.

So when you hear the title "The Tunnel of Darkness", what do you think about? I commonly think about going in an underground tunnel. This tunnel could be very winding to seem there is no end. This tunnel may not be lit up very well or even at all. Thankfully with modern day technology we have electricity and lights which light up the world, but what happens when the power fails?

In life we go through many tunnels of hardships. Some may seem there is no end, others may just come and go frequently. Some may hardly ever see severe hardship. I have picked just a few hardships that we suffer day to day: 
1) Finances- To me the world seems like the items there in are getting more and more expensive but pay is staying close to the same. It causes trouble in families, relationships and even personal life
2) Relationship problems within couples/families- Pornography, Laziness, Selfishness, Adultery, Finances and Jealousy are all common problems in relationships. Tearing couples/families apart
3) Employment- Truthfully how many people today are unemployed. I have been unemployed for 6 weeks and it sucks. Thankfully I am single and not providing for a family. Jobs take spouses away from each other, fathers/mothers away from their children, moving from place to place for work

These are common problems in today's society. There are more than this, but I hit just a few points. Each of these can totally cripple a relationship with another or self. 

Lets looks at the tunnel of hardships todays younger generation goes through:
1) Peer Pressure- "Its cool, everyone does it" is said over and over to these young souls. Are we teaching them to run from inappropriate peer pressure, which I personally think covers it all
2) Abuse- So many kids today are abused physically and emotionally. They are bullied physically and mentally which changes their life, not for the best usually though, these kids become suicidal and reckless
3) Broken Families- Kids grow up without a parent who may have been able to guide them a little different that the other, different experiences change attitudes, single mothers working all the time to provide for her kids
4) Lazy Parents- Parents teach their kids to live on welfare and not to work. What economic problems does that create?
5) Early Sexual Experimenting/Rape- How many teen girls do you know who drop out of high school because they are pregnant? How many lives are taken by abortion because the mother or father are still in high school? Girls are taken advantage of. Obviously there are certain situations for abortion but that will be discussed later.
6) Drugs and Alcohol- Lives are destroyed by these things

I hate discussing such content but its the truth of what we go through today. I was in high school just a few years ago and I saw all that went on. Thankfully my parents raised me to always run for safety. Was I an angel? Absolutely not, but if I would have listened to my parents earlier in my life it would have been easier.

Now that we have discussed these horrible and sometimes endless seeming obstacles in life, how can we over come them? Every person is different and different things work for different people. Some parents think locking their children in the house will do. I can honestly say if anything it normally makes them way more experimental in their lives away from home. I personally believe it all starts from the time the kids are born. How do we raise our kids? Are they given everything they want? Are they taken care of and treated with respect or are they just a tax write off? You may be wondering how this ties in with tunnels of darkness but you will see.

Their futures depend on the training, love and discipline they are given during their first 18 years. Roughly at about age 14 they are experimenting behind their parents back. It may be serious or just minor but no matter what how we respond will change their outlook the next time. If we respond in hatred, you may never see your kid again as they will run away. If you respond with the greatest love you can give, it will make them think the next time or maybe even years down the road.

So in the time that they are being raised, hardship will come to both parents and children and will effect both. Children will see how their parents respond. If the parents just give up that is what the kids are being taught. If they are taught to persevere throughout whatever comes their way they will be stronger when life gets harder.
Example; My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was about 12 years old. My mom did not show much weakness to us kids. She seemed pretty upbeat about it. As we have gotten older and know more about it we can just imagine how hard it was for her to keep smiling, to press onward as if life was normal knowing it was definitely not. That took me years to actually understand how great of an example it was. I ran into different medical things in my life and my mom was continually giving support. It probably effected her more than me at the time but she didn't show it. I had a harsh attitude and wanted to give up. By her example though was I brought through that tunnel. 

Her example was that of the Savior. She continually tried to emulate His example towards us. Obviously yes we made her mad and she showed it on occasion, but for the most part she was so patient and loving when we made mistakes. We were able to learn from her testimony and strength when we didn't have our own understanding.

This is one of my favorite disney songs. It is called, "Go The Distance" from the movie Hercules. Hopefully you know the story of Hercules. He grew up a boy who was bullied and pushed around but with determination and incredible effort he became a hero to many. Its the same in our life. We may be having problems but with determination and effort our problems will be worked out and we will come to the end of the tunnel. The path may not be easy, but it will most definitely be worth it.

I challenge you to look(not dwell) at your problems, see what needs fixing, come up with a plan and then take that plan to God for help. As it states in Matthew 19:26 in the Bible, 

"... , but with God all things are possible." Let Him help you fight your hardship.  Let Him lead you to the light at the end of the tunnel. Let Him be the cornerstone and rock upon which your life is built. "He will help you avoid wells without water!"

May you always keep the eternal view is my prayer that you may not get distracted for the here and now moment.

The Tender Mercies of the Lord!

Lately I have been struggling soo much to the point that I have just wanted to give up. I have been hurt by others. It has been so hard! I have been throwing everything I have learned on my mission on the back burner. I have been falling day by day to a place that no man wants to go! In a way I will call it the "Highway to Hell". I have been so miserable. There is a famous scripture that says, "...power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2nd Nephi 2:27)

The adversary wants all of us to be miserable. He is so why not drag others down to hell! What we don't realize is how easy it is for him to get a hold of us. When we drop our shield(the protection given by God) we are all on our own. We are then in the hands of the devil.

How do we drop our shield? Let me tell you. We all know the very basics. Daily Prayer,  Scripture Study, going to ALL Church classes, etc.. These may seem so small but they make us so vulnerable to attack when we don't do them! Imagine being a sniper and when you took a shot at 1 mile. Now imagine you were one small degree off. Even though it is so small, the bullet is gonna be very off at 1 mile. So when we are off by just a bit it really makes us off by huge amounts in the end. Now imagine when you let your guard down to the bigger things in the world. Pornography, Word of Wisdom, Chastity, etc.. What is gonna happen when you are really off at this point. You are not going to be in a good situation. You not only let your shield down but you dropped it in the mud at this point. Now even though you have dropped it in the mud you can still pick it up and make it absolutely clean. That is the same for us. When we fall in the mud we get back up and after showering we are clean.

How do we pick our shield up? This principle is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is known as repentance. When we repent of our sins Christ cleans the mud off of us personally. He comes to you after the proper steps and says, "Thou art made clean." How do we know this? Christ continually invites us to become better in our lives. For example, in John 3:5, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." So in other words unless we come unto Christ and repent and wash off our sins we cannot enter into our Father's Kingdom! We cannot become clean without the Atonement of Christ! We need His help to become perfect! How great is this principle that if we repent we can become perfect!

So how do we keep our Shield up? I love how Christ says it in St. Matthew 11:28-30,

 "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

So as I have been sitting here watching a movie tonight I had some impressions come to me. "I will not live an average everyday life. I will live a life full of trials, hardships and maybe at times complete abandonment from others. I will live a life of service. There will be decisions that are gonna be tough, but I need to rely on the Lord for guidance in these decisions." Tears have been brought to my eyes because I have been able to feel of God's Perfect Love! It has been a remarkable experience. I have not had experiences like this since my mission. But like everyone else I need to pick up my scriptures, get on my knees and gain my personal relationship back with my Heavenly Father! I need to get back on track so that God can use me where I am needed! I am as guilty as anyone with this, maybe even more guilty.

I am so grateful that even in these struggles and rebellion God has seen fit to give me guidance and direction. He has given me the opportunity once again to become better! He has let me feel His Spirit and let me tell you it is wonderful! I am so very thankful that I had a friend to talk to today that has helped me get through this! 

Since I have returned home off of my mission I have struggled and I believe the biggest reason why I have struggled is because, 1) I haven't opened my scriptures since then 2) I haven't gotten on my knees to talk to my Father in Heaven 3) I skip classes at Church and sometimes just skip Church completely;
This is a recipe for a DISASTER. This is why I have been so miserable I let Satan guide me through a miserable path.

One of the greatest things that have kept me going is communicating with missionaries from my mission, remembering my mission, and talking to those whom I have met on my mission. Seeing these young kids teach me in my hardship whom I taught. All of these have one thing in common. MY MISSION! My mission truly is everything to me! It is the best decision that I ever made in my life. Though it was extremely hard it was worth every second. I think about it and the people I met often! I just wish I was back there in Nashville.   I love my Heavenly Fathers plan even though it is so difficult, it is perfect! I am so thankful for each and every tender mercy the Lord gives unto me!

IN REMEMBRANCE OF 9/11

As we know 10 years ago tomorrow the US was hit with terrorist attacks which took thousands of lives. Not only did it take lives but it changed many lives. Families missing brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, etc.. This is heart breaking for those of us who did not lose family members as well. I wish I could have done something to prevent what had been done. I wish I could rewind and make those persons who crashed the planes not do it. This day will always be remembered as a day of sorrow and anger. The sorrow will be for those whose lives were lost and families separated. What we do know from the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that families are meant to be together eternally. It is not till death do we part.

I remember the day what I did on 9/11/2001. I was in 6th grade at school. I went home for lunch and all over the news was the planes hitting the twin towers. I went back to school and we had a low flying aircraft heading towards our school. I will be honest I was a little scared because of what I had just seen on the news. I figured the plane was just going to land. After I went home I watched the news for hours. I was just in astonishment of what had happened. I re-watched it time and time again. Until I came on my mission I watched the youtube clips of it. I have always wanted to be a federal agent and to help prevent things like this and still want to. When this happened it gave me a second witness that that was what I wanted to do for work. I feel like that is one of my callings in life. To protect and serve and I have the upmost desire to do so. I love serving others.

The images of what happened will be in my head forever. The sacrifice by those who helped protect and save lives will always be thought of. The firefighters and paramedics and police officers and soldiers who spent days looking for people need to always be remembered. Those who lost a loved one and friends always need to be remembered.  They are forever in my heart. May I ask that we all take a moment of silence for those whose lives were lost? Think of how truly great your life is. No matter how bad they are someone else is worse.


Please take time to remember and honor those who were affected.

Where Are Your Feet Planted?

As a little boy in primary at church where the little kids go to classes and be taught by music and other activities, I remember this one song. It is called "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man." I always remember talking about the two places we build your house. I would like to change it for this is where we stand. Do we stand on a strong rock or in the sinking sand? Do you know where you stand? I would encourage you to think about this.

The Rock- Jesus Christ
The Sinking Sand- The World

As we learn about planting our feet we learn that sinking sand is not good. Just imagine being sucked under to the point you think there is no hope. We see nothing around, as it is dark and dreary. Satan has us in his territory. Satan has his grasp upon all of the worldly things around us, that is how he caught us. He wants us to be focused on things that are not Godly. Things that will destroy us. When Moses was given the commandments saying, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). What does this mean? I see it as anything that would take our minds off of the Savior and push us away from Him. An examples is  seeking earthly possessions over eternal possessions as we have been commanded not to in Luke 12:31, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." "All these things" are applying to the things we NEED! Not the things we want but what we need, such as clothing, food, shelter, etc..When we focus on things that take away from the Spirit of the Lord that can be considered as false gods.

I want my feet planted upon the rock in the scriptures. In Helaman 5:12, Helaman declares, "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; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

In Doctrine and Covenants 6:34, the Lord declares, "Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail." How great is that? That is a promise that can help in any situation. If we always remember that what will destroy us? Nothing but our own desires. We need to read our scriptures, study the life of our Savior, pray earnestly without ceasing with all our heart, might, mind and strength. He will answer our prayers if we are willing to act upon the answer no matter what it is(real intent), have faith in Jesus Christ and sincere heart.

Let us stand tall upon the Rock of our Redeemer. Let us make a stand in the world we live for the things we believe and know to be true. Shall we not move forward in such a great cause? I declare we shall. I declare we need to focus our lives on our Savior and Repent if necessary to come into His fold. I know He lives. I know that we can come unto Him and receive help when the storms beat upon us. I know with all my heart that God is ready to calm your storms as you ask for the help. Pray unto teh Father will all your heart and He will give unto you power to calm the storm.

How can we most effectively prepare for the struggles of life?

I have pondered recently about how I can better prepare for the future. Oh no the future it is going to be wicked! Literally wicked! We are warned about earthquakes in divers places and different things to come. We are warned that even the very elect may be deceived in the last days, but we also know how we can get through this.
 There is a specific story in the Book of Mormon that shows us courage, strength, obedience, trust in God... In Alma 48 Captain Moroni is preparing his people to defend themselves against the wicked blood thirsty people. Moroni was the captain of the Nephites.
"And thus he(Amalickiah) did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far, yea, having been made king over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all the land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites.

 Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites.

 For he was determined, because of the greatness of the number of his people, to overpower the Nephites and to bring them into bondage.

 And thus he did appoint chief captains of the Zoramites, they being the most acquainted with the strength of the Nephites, and their places of resort, and the weakest parts of their cities; therefore he appointed them to be chief captains over his armies.

 And it came to pass that they took their camp, and moved forth toward the land of Zarahemla in the wilderness.

 Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.



Captain Moroni



 Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land.

 And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

 And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.

And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;

 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.

 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.

 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;

 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.

 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

As we notice in verse 7 while Amalickiah was obtaining power illegally Captain Moroni was preparing his army spiritually. He prepared the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God. Why this? Well here is a principle for life. If we truly prepare spiritually we will have nothing to worry about. If we will have faith and trust in God in all things and be living worthy of His protection and guidance, He will give it to us. That is a principle always to remember. He has so many blessings ready for us to have but we don't allow ourselves to receive them because of personal wickedness.

"Hope Ya Know We Had a Hard Time" Quentin L. Cook, An Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ

In the New Testament in Matthew 6:33 and Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 13:33 it states, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Here we have a promise that if we seek the Kingdom of Heaven there will be nothing to worry about. That means we have to humble ourselves, strip ourselves of pride, get rid of sin and trust wholly upon the merits of Christ. If we study the doctrine and continually strive to live perfectly we will have the blessings of Heaven.

In our day do we spend our time preparing for eternal life with God? Do we truly study the scriptures? Are we truly preparing for the return of our Savior Jesus Christ? If so good job!

Back to the question of preparing for struggles. So in life to prepare for the hard times whether it be financial, marital, physical or spiritual we need to first prepare spiritually. We need to know the scriptures truly know them. When we truly know them we won't question God why things happen the way they do, because we will already know it is part of His plan. Even in the busiest part of life we should give a certain amount of time everyday to focus our mind on studying the Gospel. This is what Paul (an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ) said to his son Timothy about studying. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
Do we truly prepare for our hectic lives by including God in them? Alma said to his son Helaman.
 "O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." (Alma 37:35-37)

Notice how this scripture says counsel with the Lord not counsel the Lord.

Well just remember when we keep His commandments He will take care of us. That is His promise to us. Remember when we follow Jesus Christ our lives are in our Heavenly Fathers hands.

This is a video about a family who was having infertility problems and how they got through such hard times.

Who are you hurting?

From time to time we seem to ponder. What you ponder I know not. What I ponder you know not. But what I do know is that our Savior and Heavenly Father knows what we ponder. Are the things you ponder virtuous? Are your thoughts morally clean? The Lord expressed the doctrine very clearly by stating, "But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh upon a woman, to lust after her hath committed adultery already in his heart." (3 Nephi 12:28)

We are all human so Satan is gonna try to persuade us to do bad. That is not an excuse to think about them though. With these thoughts you need to ask yourself, Are you hurting your marriage? Are you hurting your family? Are you hurting yourself? Are you hurting your Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need help. This help may be from your Heavenly Father. In some cases this help may be a priesthood leader or a professional counselor. Whatever may be your problem know you are not alone. There are thousands in the world that are dealing with the same problem. Your Savior Jesus Christ has already suffered for these so He knows how to help. He stands knocking on your door and waiting for you to open it. But remember you have to open the door for Him.

You can have complete control of the things that you ponder. You can can kick innapropriate thoughts out of your head. You can eliminate the disgusting thoughts that go through your head whether they be thoughts of immorality, judging or just thoughts that you don't want anybody to know about. Know that there is help. Know there is a solution away from this sin.

First thing you must ask yourself is, "What am I willing to do to change?" After deciding what you need to do to change and become closer to your Savior, then ask yourself, "Can I do this alone?" Absolutely not. You need help from your Heavenly Father. It will only be through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can be freed from sin.

Do you have a desire to turn away from sin to come to know your Savior? In the Book of Mormon there is a story of a king. Aaron had just told the king that there is a God and the king prays and says, "O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make it known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee..." (Alma 22:18 ) Do you have such a desire to know God to give away all your sins? The Lord said, " And if men come unto me I will show them their weakness, that I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)

To receive the cleansing power of the Atonement we must come unto Him "with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Jesus Christ." (2 Nephi 31:13)

After you have "come forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that you truly repented of all your sins. And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determintation to serve him to the end." (Moroni 6:2-3)

The cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. You can find strength to overcome addiction whether it be pornography or any other immoral problems, word of wisdom issues (Tobacco, Coffee, Tea, Illegal Drugs, Alcohol or any other addictive substances) or anything else. There is infinite strength in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. "But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." (Mosiah 7:33)

"And now, my brethren, I wish from the innermost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on His holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be lead by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and long suffering;

Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest." (Alma 13:27-29)

Addictions do not only cause you pain but it causes pain to family and friends. If you are married it will make your spouse feel like they are not good enough. Don't let yourself fall into this trap. Don't give into the lusts of the flesh. I TESTIFY THAT IT WILL DESTROY YOUR MARRIAGE, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND IT WILL DESTROY YOU!  Don't you dare think that there is no help. If you think that, you doubt the Saviors suffering and you lack extreme faith in Jesus Christ. Satan wants you to feel like you are no good. You were created by a God who loves you infinitely. You are part of His plan. So take part of this Atonement and become free from sin and sorrow. Come and feel of God's love for you. Come and be healed by Him the Master Physician.

When you feel so bad and down look at this scripture and remember the promise which God has given unto you, "Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)

Finding Peace in Troubled Times!

Today is a day where freedom and peace are hard to find. We are in an ever busy world where things whether good or bad are always happening around us. Some are running to avoid the tendencies of the world. Some are just so consumed in the day to day life that hold them bound. In all of this confusion how can we find peace? Is there a place to go to get away from the evils of the world? These are all questions I have pondered and I have been asked. These questions truly make you think. There are basic answers but we got to think deeper. That is what I have been doing.

Is there a place to go where we can get away from the evils of the world? Lets start by answering this question. I think there definitely is a place where we can get away from the evils of the world. Where we can block all of the things out of our minds. First of all I believe the home can be a place of safety and refuge from the world. You can make your home a sacred place. You do not have to let the evils of the world into your home. You can close the door if you so desire. What are some of these evils? These evils can include pornography, immorality, filthy language and thoughts, unrighteous dominion, selfishness, and the list goes on. I do not know about you but I sure do not want this in my home. I want my home to be a place of peace. A place of where the Spirit of God can dwell in abundance. I want my home to be one that stands out. Here is what Christ said about the foundation of the home, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119)

"Where could any of us locate a more suitable blueprint whereby he could wisely and properly build? Such a house would meet the building code outlined in Matthew, even a house built “upon a rock” (Matt. 7:24, 25; see also Luke 6:48; 3 Ne. 14:24, 25), a house capable of withstanding the rains of adversity, the floods of opposition, and the winds of doubt everywhere present in our changing and challenging world." (President Thomas S. Monson) Here is a recipe of building a home where the spirit can dwell, where it can truly be a place of safety from the world. Another place where we can be away from the dangers of the world is at the Church. When you go to church do you go in a sense of spiritual learning or do you go in a sense of wordly pleasure? Meaning do you go wanting to set your life a side for the things of a better or do you go putting your life first? God counsels us, "And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better." (Doctrine and Covenants 25:10) So we NEED to build Christ as the foundation of our homes. President Thomas S. Monson said,

"A home is much more than a house built of lumber, brick, or stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect. We are responsible for the homes we build. We must build wisely, for eternity is not a short voyage. There will be calm and wind, sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow. But if we really try, our home can be a bit of heaven here on earth. The thoughts we think, the deeds we do, the lives we live not only influence the success of our earthly journey, they also mark the way to our eternal goals. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions."

Our homes can be that place of safety that we are all looking for in this troubled world. In all of this confusion how can we find peace? Well when we build our homes around Christ His Spirit will dwell there and the promise He gave, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:26-27) He promises us the spirit to bring peace unto us. He promises that the Spirit will teach us ALL things. This is why you need the Spirit in your home. You need this peace He promises. In your home you teach your children and when truths are taught by the Spirit, your kids will remember them much better. This is one of the greatest gifts our Heavenly Father can give us. A gift that we should not take for granted. When we receive this gift we will desire to share it with others because of the joy and happiness it brings. Another principle we need to know is LOVE! YES LOVE in the home is so important. LOVE is what Christ has shown to us. LOVE is how our families can become more united. LOVE also needs to be shown in the home with meaning. Do you just tell your family you LOVE them or do you truly deep in your heart LOVE them? I know the LOVE of God, for I have felt it. I know you too can feel that LOVE in your life and in your homes. Your homes will be strengthened against the powers of the Adversary if you follow the counsel given. We can find peace today if we slow down and take a breath and as God said, "For all flesh is in mine hands, be still and know that I am God." (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16)

DON'T GIVE UP

Have you ever felt that there was just no hope in life? Have you ever felt that you are not worth anything? Have you ever felt you are inadequate for life and the choices we make? Well if you have ever felt like this before just know you are not alone.Some of you may be feeling like that right now at this instant. This is Satan just trying to tear you apart. Know that there is always someone there for you. Let us reflect back on such a humbling and sacred gift of LOVE. Lets take a minute and think about the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Would He suffer beyond our comprehension if we meant nothing to Him? Do you believe God makes garbage? Would He look at you or I as a nobody? I am here to tell you NO! We are all very important. We are all part of our Heavenly Fathers plan. This plan is huge and eternal which means you and I are also. In the Doctrine and Covenants Section 18:10 it states, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." Every human being ever to walk the face of earth is so important to our Heavenly Father. Satan wants us to feel like garbage because that is exactly how he feels. He is jealous of you and I because we gained mortal bodies and progressed further than he did.

"No matter what our circumstances, or appearance, or social status, our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to recognize our self-worth. Furthermore, the Lord values his children for reasons far different from the world’s, for he “seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7.)

The world would like us to believe that the requirements for self-worth are beauty, youth, wealth, and success. But as Patricia Holland, former counselor in the Young Women general presidency, counseled women college students “[we are] becoming so concerned about having perfect figures, or straight A’s, or professional status, or even absolute motherly success that we are being torn from our true selves. We often worry so much about pleasing and performing for others that we lose our own uniqueness, that full and relaxed acceptance of ourselves as a person of worth and individuality.” (Ensign, September 1989)

"Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. My declaration is that that is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need." (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)
We are all worth the same whether we are sinners or righteous living people. We need to remember that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is there to make us free from these awful chains of hell which hold us bound.

"Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”
"My other plea at Easter time is that these scenes of Christ’s lonely sacrifice, laced with moments of denial and abandonment and, at least once, outright betrayal, must never be reenacted by us. He has walked alone once. Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me along His Via Dolorosa in our present day. As we approach this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,” for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone." (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, None Were With Him)

As Elder Holland said, "May we stand by Jesus Christ." I know that as we do stand by Jesus Christ than a power from Heaven will come into your life to help you. It will come when you feel down and hopeless about ready so sink into despair. As Christ tells us in the New Testament in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." In John 16:33 Christ again comforts us by saying, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in my ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Brethren and Sister who wants that peace? Who wants the precious gift that has been offered to us?

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38) How is it we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost? In Acts 8:15-18 it states,
"Who when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptizd in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given.."

Here from the King James Version of the Bible we learn that it is only through the laying on of hands by those who hold the Priesthood of God the Holy Ghost is given. That is the only way. After the apostles were all killed that priesthood was not passed on and so it was lost until John the Baptist came and gave Joseph Smith the authority to baptize or the lesser priesthood. Then Peter, James and John came and confered upon them the higher priesthood at which point they could confer the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. That priesthood was given to Joseph Smith so therefore it is to be found only in THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.  As an ambassador and representative of the Lord Jesus Christ I testify that God loves each one of us and will always be there for us. I testify you are not alone. Get on your knees and ask if God if he is there and He shall manifest it by the power of the Spirit. I testify that this Priesthood is given to worthy male members of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. In the Sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Learn more at http://www.mormon.org/

Purpose of Life

As missionaries we go out to teach the children of God the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As members of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS we have covenanted to stand as witnesses in all times and in all places. Members not of our faith desire to walk in Christ's Footsteps also. They desire to follow Him and keep His commandments. What so each one of these groups of people have in common. Well it covers the whole world population. We are all spirit sons and daughters of God. We all need to follow our Saviors example in order to return to live with our Heavenly Father.We need to have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether we believe the same or not we are all here on earth for the same purpose. 
What is that purpose of being here on earth and struggling?

God’s plan for you is beautiful and simple. He wants you to have joy and to become more like Him.

That doesn’t mean He expects you to be perfect. He knows you won’t be. But He does expect that while you’re here on earth you try to the best of your ability to be more like Him and that you learn and grow from your mistakes. Each time you make a poor choice with painful consequences, that decision leads to unhappiness—sometimes immediately, sometimes much later. Likewise, choosing good eventually leads to happiness and helps you become more like Heavenly Father.

Just as God created the earth as a place for you to live and gain experience, He created you. And gave you a body of flesh and blood in the likeness of His glorified body. In the Old Testament God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Jacob declared that he had seen God “face to face” (Genesis 32:30). Moses also spoke with God “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exodus 33:11). In the New Testament, when the resurrected Christ appeared to His Apostles, He told them, “Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).

When Bad Things Happen

Sometimes bad things happen–even when we make good choices.

We get sick. Loved ones die. We lose our job or home. Our spouse is unfaithful. It’s hard not to ask why God allows us to suffer so much. Know that while God takes no pleasure in your suffering, your difficulties, regardless of their cause, can bring you closer to Him and even make you stronger if you endure faithfully (2 Nephi 2:2, Revelation 3:19).

It’s comforting to know that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, suffered all things. He understands your pain and can help you through your trials. When you have faith in God and His plan, you can be assured that there’s a purpose to all that happens to you here on earth. Our time here is short compared to our eternal life. As the Lord told Joseph Smith during a period of intense suffering:

“Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy o we go after we die? Stay tuned for next time.

Go Forward with Faith

As we study the scriptures and come to know the steps to eternal life we learn how we must have Faith. In THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS we believe in the Articles of Faith from modern revelation. The fourth Article of Faith states, "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost." As it states here that we must have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does having Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ mean?

"Having faith in Christ includes having a

firm belief that He is the Only Begotten Son of God and

the Savior and Redeemer of the world. We recognize

that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father

only by relying on His Son’s grace and mercy. When

we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His

Atonement and His teachings. We trust Him and what

He says. We know that He has the power to keep His

promises. Heavenly Father blesses those who have

faith to obey His Son.

Faith in Christ leads to action. It leads to sincere and

lasting repentance. Having faith causes us to try as

hard as we can to learn about and become more like our Savior. We want to learn what

His commandments are and then obey them. Even though we will still make mistakes, we

show our love for Him by striving to keep His commandments and avoid sin.

We believe in Christ, and we believe that He wants us to keep all His commandments.

We want to show our faith by obeying Him. We pray in faith for strength to conquer

temptation. We can also develop faith in a particular principle, such as the Word of Wisdom

or tithing, by first believing in Jesus Christ strongly enough to obey His commandments.

As we live a specific commandment, we learn the truthfulness of it by experience (see

John 7:17). We also grow in faith by hearing the word of God (see Romans 10:17) and by

reading the word of God (see Helaman 15:7–8).

As we obey God, He blesses us. He gives us power to meet life’s challenges. He helps

us change the desires of our hearts. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, He can heal us,

both physically and spiritually.' (Preach My Gospel, pgs. 61, 62)

Faith has to be nurtured just as a flower. If we just buy a seed from the store will it grow? NO we have to plant it into the ground. We have to water it. We have to make sure it gets adacuate sun. There is more than you think necessary. With faith we need to be continually repenting. We need to continually studying the Gospel and learning more. We need to work to get our faith and increase it. We need to pray for faith. After we gain that faith we need to exercise it and trust in God. Once that flower is planted and starting to come up you need to continue helping it grow. It is a continual process. Never ending.

'Each individual will make his or her way in a constantly changing world—a world of competing ideologies. The forces of evil will ever be in opposition to the forces of good. Satan constantly strives to influence us to follow his ways and make us miserable, even as he is. And the normal risks of life, such as illness, injury, and accident, will ever be present.

We live in a time of turmoil. Earthquakes and tsunamis wreak devastation, governments collapse, economic stresses are severe, the family is under attack, and divorce rates are rising. We have great cause for concern. But we do not need to let our fears displace our faith. We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith.

Start with your children. You parents bear the primary responsibility to strengthen their faith. Let them feel your faith, even when sore trials come upon you. Let your faith be focused on our loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach that faith with deep conviction. Teach each precious boy or girl that he or she is a child of God, created in His image, with a sacred purpose and potential. Each is born with challenges to overcome and faith to be developed.

Teach of faith to know that obedience to the commandments of God will provide physical and spiritual protection. And remember, God’s holy angels are ever on call to help us. The Lord so declared: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” What a promise! When we are faithful, He and His angels will help us.

Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution.” That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.

How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. The Lord has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that you are lawful heirs, that you have been reserved in heaven for your specific time and place to be born, to grow and become His standard bearers and covenant people. As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people." (Elder Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

When Jesus Christ was on the earth the miracles He performed was because of the faith of those. An example is the woman who said, "Just if I can touch His clothes I will be healed." And surely she was healed. Jesus Christ told her that because of her faith she was made whole. Faith is an important principle in life. We must have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must exercise Faith in His Atonement and repent.

I know that when we trust in God and act in Faith doing everything we can, He will help us. We can accomplish the righteous desires of our heart. God wants us to be happy. We just need to let Him help us, because true happiness comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and living its teachings.

 For a free copy of Finding Faith in Christ call 1(800) 443-9911. It contains the life and ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ founded in the New Testament.