Spring Forward in Happiness

There is an old expression that says, "April showers bring May flowers." Other than teaching that rain brings needed nourishment to seeds thus bringing forth blossoming flowers, this phrase teaches a great life lesson: No matter what dark and difficult times we may face we can be confident that, when endured well, the said trial will result in greater personal growth.

Springtime in the great state of Montana!

There are many people who simply look at Spring as 'the rainy three months before Summer starts'. It is true that it can get a little bit on the wet side of things but we shouldn't get down in the dumps about it. In fact, we should embrace the season and spring forward in happiness! This time of year is one of excited renewal.

Everyone faces tough times! They might stem from something trivial (like rain!) or from a much deeper and more personal issue. One thing that I know, without doubt, is that adversity comes to us for many reasons known to the Lord. Christ said to the prophet, Isaiah, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isaiah 55:8). No matter what we are struggling with we may be confident that "it shall accomplish that which [pleases the Lord]" (Isaiah 55:11).

Whenever I am faced with excessive suffering I often think of a talk given by Elder Robert D. Hales. It is called, "Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done". I recommend this beautiful talk to everyone! In it he shares a scripture that has changed my life! It reads, "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalms 30:5). No matter what garbage I might be going through I can always draw strength from these words. Sadness will enter our hearts but the Lord will make up for it a hundred fold!

Elder Robert D. Hales

When adversity is handled with faith the Lord will strengthen us. When Joseph Smith was wrongfully imprisoned in Liberty Jail he went through unimaginable hardships. However, he was promised that it was all for a more glorious purpose. The Lord said, "Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7). If we ever find ourselves in our own personal "Liberty Jail" we can remember the words of Paul: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Even when we feel hopeless at the end of our rope we can be confident that we will see Christ again and remember His words which said "your joy no man taketh from you" (John 16:22).

Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail

No one can take your joy from you but yourself! So, spring forward in happiness. Trust in God that "all things will work together for your good" and that joy will come in the morning. Retain your joy by reading scriptures, being charitable, being full of gratitude, and turning to God in prayer. Be happy!

I. Love. Easter.

The things that Christ taught on the earth are simple and everlasting. Everything that He lived for and taught is found in the scriptures and is embodied in the greatest act of service: the Atonement. Easter is meant to direct our thoughts and actions to this great sacrifice. Easter is a wonderful time of year where we have a special occasion to recognize and honor our Savior. The sacrifice that Jesus endured is the most important event ever to have occurred in the history of the world. He took upon Himself the physical, emotional, and spiritual pains, sufferings, sicknesses, confusions, etc. on behalf of you and me (Alma 7:11-12). His love is infinitely deep. He then proclaimed that "it is finished" when He died on the cross (John 19:30). His body remained in the tomb for three days before He was gloriously resurrected and the angel proclaimed "He is not here: for he is risen" (Matthew 28:6). How great is our Lord!

Resurrection

Christ, after His resurrection, ministered for forty days in Jerusalem where He taught and showed Himself to many of His disciples. Paul writes of these visits in his first epistle to the Corinthians.

"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: And after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain to this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain: but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:4-10).

These verses are particularly touching to me. Christ loves all of us. He will manifest that love to even those of us who have not followed Him as strictly as they ought to. I am one of those, like Paul, who proclaims that I am the least of all who deserve His divine help. Yet, I have tasted of the love and light of our Savior. I also declare that it is "by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain" and I will "[labour] more abundantly" to follow Him more closely (1 Corinthians 15:10).

I plead with all of you to labour more abundantly to follow the Messiah. No matter what we have done, "his hand is stretched out still" (Isaiah 9:17). Make this Easter special and give it to the Lord. Serve others. Pray. Repent. Love. I promise that as we more abundantly follow Him, He will more abundantly bless us.

Please watch this short video depicting some important events from Christ's ministry and his glorious atonement.

I. Love. Easter.

Inaudible Melodies

Life can get crazy. There are so many things going on in our day to day lives. At any time of the day we can easily get carried away with school, friends, relationships, appointments, sports, work, hobbies, eating, going to Barnes and Noble, going to Dairy Queen, getting Slurpees at 711, making cardboard armor and jousting, "testing" fire extinguishers, washing dishes, making sweet mix CDs, and so much more.

Slurpees. One of the many things we can fill our time with.

 It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of a busy life. We must be wary and do all things "in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order" (Mosiah 4:27). If we are not careful we will end up with having Too Much To Handle. We need to take care of the things that matter most first. When we prioritize our actions with what is in line with the will of Heavenly Father and the teachings of Jesus Christ we will be blessed greatly!

In life there are things that are good, things that are better, and things that are best (see talk "Good, Better, Best" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks). When we choose the things that are "best" we please God and He blesses us. We should never sacrifice scripture study, church, prayer, integrity, virtue, honesty, family and all things "best" for the evils in the world nor should we for even the things that are "good". The "best" things in life fill spiritual holes with everlasting joy. Once we have taken care of the most important things in life we are left with time to ourselves for our own personal enjoyment.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

I know, from personal experience, that there must be a balance in life! When I get overwhelmed with church, school, or work I need some time to relax!  I need some time for running around with friends on a weekend night, listening to sweet jams while getting delicious Slurpees. Even though this will not fill my spiritual hole in need of everlasting joy it is most definitely harmless fun. But if we get careless we will endanger ourselves to laziness, pleasure-seeking, and transgression. Remember, all things must be done "in wisdom and order" (Mosiah 4:17).

One of my favorite songs is by Jack Johnson and it is all about slowing down and realizing the beauty in the things that surround us. It is called "Inaudible Melodies" from his "Brushfire Fairytales" album and here are some of the lyrics! Enjoy!

But in the long run we have found
Silent Films are full of sound
Inaudibly free

Slow down everyone
You're moving to fast
Frames can't catch you when
You're moving like that

Inaudible melodies

Serve narrational strategies

Unobtrusive tones

Help to notice nothing but the zone

Of visual relevancy

Frame-lines tell me what to see

Chopping like an axe

Or maybe Einstein should just relax

Jack Johnson

 Pure joy can only be found through the source of pure joy: Jesus Christ. BUT we don't need to be robots in order to achieve this. Slow down! You're moving too fast! Recognize that even the "silent films" are "full of sound" and beauty. We all need to "just relax" and not get caught up in over scheduled lives. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." So, have a balance of both the joy that comes from church, scriptures and prayer and the joy that comes through sports, music, or school. I assure you that all goodness is from Christ (Ether 4:12). Soak it up while keeping a balance of things that are good, better, and best. 

One scripture that gives me hope is found in the Book of Mormon. It says, "Ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual" (Mosiah 2:17).

Hold onto those inaudible melodies. Follow the teachings of Christ. Have fun. You will be blessed in all aspects of your lives and you will be happy.

Linsane Adaptation

Life is full of problems. Some trivial and some much more serious. There are always things in our way to potentially slow us down and hinder our progress. These trials are things that we need in order to become who God has planned for us to be. Many times we are faced with trials not because of things that we are necessarily doing wrong but simply because they are essential to lift us to new heights of progression.

We have a simple choice when we are faced with these trials. 1) Trust in the world and give up. 2) Trust in Jesus Christ and adapt to our situations. 

To trust in the world would be to give into temptation. To trust in the world would be to put things of the world above the things of God. It would be passiveness in a time where we must stand for what we believe in. It would be to give up when we feel that we've 'had enough trials'.

We must choose to trust in Christ. To do so is to keep going. To keep standing up and being assertive in the ways of righteousness. We must "push forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men" (2 Nephi 31:20). We cannot give up. This principle of not giving up is universal and can be applied in all that we do. 

I am a huge fan of basketball. Sue me. Because of my service as a missionary I am unable to watch or follow the NCAA or the NBA like I did at home. However, I have heard a thing or two through letters from home about a certain player named Jeremy Lin. 

Jeremy Lin

Lin in the NBA Summer League of 2010

The first time that I heard about Jeremy Lin was during the 2010-2011 Summer League of the NBA. I received a letter from my friend telling me about an amazing point guard from Harvard that was tearing it up  for the Dallas Mavericks summer ball team. I asked my friend some follow-up questions in a letter and then in my friend's response he said that Lin made it through the Summer League and then was signed by the Golden State Warriors and got to play in a couple of regular season games. Sadly his spark died out a bit and then the team wasn't able to keep him because of salary and roster problems. He was cut shortly thereafter.

Over a year later I receive word that he is back and is doing amazing things for the New York Knicks. After being cut by the Warriors last year he kept trying and was signed by the Houston Rockets at the start of this year. Because of roster issues (again) he was cut from the team. The New York Knicks picked him up and he got limited playing time until some injuries and roster changes happened. Lin was given a chance in a losing game against the Celtics where he proved himself to get some more playing time.

Linsane

Soon after that he started playing even better and he was putting up amazing numbers. It was noticed by all-star teammate, Carmelo Anthony, who asked Coach Mike D'Antoni to give Lin even more minutes and opportunities to play and prove himself. He did and he earned himself a starting spot. Ever since Lin has been playing a significant amount of minutes the Knicks have had a 9-3 record. He also has averaged over 20 points and over 8 assists in his first 10 games as a starter (the first player to do that since the ABA). 

He has only been able to accomplish this because of his hard work, perseverance, determination, and hope for a brighter future. It would have been so easy for him to accept defeat or work only half as hard because of previous failures but because of his diligence and his ability to adapt to difficult circumstances he has pulled off some amazing things. 

When we are struggling with work, school, family, friends, and life in general it can get tiring. Satan wants us to throw our hands up and say, 'I don't care anymore. I give up.' The Lord wants us to put our hands to work, harder than ever before, and recognize what we can do differently or what we can improve. He wants us to say, 'What more can I do to get where I need to be?' The Lord provides us with challenges to see how we handle ourselves. Will we choose to rely on Him and succeed or will we choose to be passive and be defeated?

Jeremy Lin kept trying even when it seemed he could go no further. He was then given another small opportunity with the Knicks and he made the most of it to the point that Carmelo Anthony recognized his talents and talked to the coach and it resulted in being given an even bigger opportunity. Now he is a starting point guard for a high-caliber team in the NBA and they are playing at a level above that they were playing before.

I promise that as we strive in our own lives to adapt to our individual struggles and simply keep working forward we will see miracles. The Lord's hand is in all things and He wants to reward us with blessings. These miracles may be small and they may be big. Sometimes it takes a very long time to see the rewards of our faith and work but the Lord promises us that we will be rewarded. As we strive in Linsane adaptation and push forward "rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12) we will see the rewards of our faith.

It's All Relative

I often wonder why people do the things they do. Why did he say that? Why did she act that way? Why does he live like that? Why does she always find herself in the same bad situation? Why is he continually allowing himself to be treated like that? Etc. Before I came on my mission, whenever I would get into this ponderous mood I would often get on my computer or pull out my iPod/CDs and listen to music. I like most types of music but what I really love is something that will help me calm down and think.

I really enjoy to listen, sit back, and contemplate to music. One of my favorite musicians to help me do this is Jack Johnson. In his lyrics to the song, "It's All Understood" he teaches us that in today's society morals have become a thing of the past. The world used to revolve around what was right and what was wrong. Good and bad. Now, everything is in the grey area. It's all relative.

Jack Johnson

Here is a portion of "It's All Understood":

And fact is only what you believe
And fact and fiction work as a team
It's almost always fiction in the end
That content begins to bend
When context is never the same

I was reading a book
Or maybe it was a magazine
Suggestions on where to place faith
Suggestions on what to believe
But I read somewhere
That you've got to beware
You can't believe anything you read
But the good Book is good
And that's well understood
So don't even question
If you know what I mean

(Chorus)
But it's all relative
Even if you don't understand
Well it's all understood
Especially when you don't understand
And it's all just because
Even if we don't understand
Then lets all just believe

Jack is talking about a very serious and real issue in this song. He is addressing the reality of the struggle between personality and complacency. We are created as equal individuals and the trial of this life is to align our will with God's. Heavenly Father has given us one precious thing that is truly ours: Choice. But just because we own our choices does not mean that we should do anything and everything that we want.

This is what Satan wants us to think and it has become one of the his biggest tools against us. He has much of the the world convinced that the right and wrong of morality is up to the individual. This is false. God's laws and morals have been established "since the foundations of this world" (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20). When someone or something goes against those laws they are at fault. We as a society will never outgrow these morals. To believe such is to think that we can outgrow God. His laws will never change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (2 Nephi 29:9).

In a talk called, "Cleansing the Inner Vessel" given by President Boyd K. Packer a story is told of a grade school class where one of the students brought a kitten for 'show and tell'. One of the students raised his hand and asked if it was a boy kitty or a girl kitty. After some confusion and chaos (and I'm sure nervousness for the teacher) one boy raised his hand and said, "I know how you can tell....you can vote on it!" Funny story, I know, but it holds a lot of truth to the way that our society has become! President Packer then said,

"If we are not alert, there are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God's laws and nature. A law against nature would be impossible to enforce. For instance, what good would a vote against the law of gravity do?

"There are both moral and physical laws...History demonstrates over and over again that moral standards cannot be changed by battle and connot be changed by ballot. To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night follows day."

We cannot change the laws or designs of God. Anything but His will is counterfeit. Don't get me wrong, we all have our own personalities, likes and dislikes. I am not saying that we must conform to the will of a friend or a corporation. But we must try our best to bring our lives into alignment with the teachings of Christ.

There are certain things that are relative to the individual but I assure you that the way that we follow God and His servants is not one of them. Times, styles, and fashions may change but God will not. Just like Jack Johnson said, "The good Book is good and that's well understood. So don't even question, if you know what I mean." Even in the chaos of our lives we can be certain of one thing. God is with you. He is constant and He loves you more than you know. Follow Him, no matter what the world is saying or doing, and you will be blessed evermore.

Truth of Christmas

I love this special time of year. I love this season because I am able to walk around munchin' on candy canes and NOT look like a weirdo, hot chocolate is in high demand, Christmas tunes are being sung, Christmas lights are up, good times are being had! But there is something much more. The Grinch went through a big change when he saw that Christmas came even after he tried to steal it. He said, "It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...means a little bit more". Wise words Mr. Grinch!

The Grinch!

BUT what is it that makes this season so special? People tend to get caught up in the commercialism and hype of the season and they soon lose sight of the "reason for the season". Sure, we give and receive gifts around Christmastime. We also listen to inspiring music, watch good family-oriented movies, and have good food! But the special spirit that is felt is not a product of these things! The Grinch is right when he said that it must mean a little bit more.

It is the Spirit of Christ. Jesus Christ was born into the world so that He could live perfectly while setting up His Church, suffer our individual pains, sins, and infirmities to save us from spiritual death, and then die and be resurrected to save us from physical death. This is called the Atonement and it is the ultimate sign of His love.

At Christmastime we recognize His birth to commemorate all that He did for us. Without the Atonement His birth would have been just another baby coming into the world. But he fulfilled prophecies in the way that He lived and He made it possible for us to return to Him. This year, let us celebrate the birth and life of our only true King, Jesus Christ.

Birth of Christ by Carl Heinrich Bloch

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church that I represent as a full-time missionary, has produced and released Bible Videos that depict scenes directly from the bible. These videos are simply beautiful and they are completely true to the truth of the bible. Below I have posted a few of these videos because they teach about the birth of Christ in a way that that has touched me. As a full-time missionary I am away from my family and am unable to participate in some of the traditions that I would normally take part in if I was at home (like watching The Grinch!). At times, it is hard to even realize that it's almost Christmas. I am so grateful for these videos because they have helped me to recognize and capture the true spirit of Christmas. I know that they will do the same for you.

 

Don't you feel the Spirit of Christmas? These videos bring the scriptures to life. Let us let them live in us. Share the Spirit of Christmas with your friends, neighbors, families, and strangers. You will be happier and you will be helping someone else too. That is the spirit of Christmas. I know that my Savior lives and I know that He loves you and me. Merry Christmas!

Sunset in July...in December

A little while back I wrote a blog called, "Christmas in July" where I tried to help everyone to always remember Christ. No matter what time of year it is!

NOW...it is that special time of year. Christmas spirit is in the air and happiness is all around! I love it.

Christmas is meant to bring our minds to the birth of Christ and help us be happy. Satan doesn't want this at all! He will do all he can to bring us down and he often twists things that are great to tear us apart. There are so many people who are away from home, don't have friends and family around, or don't have family at all. It can be a big burden financially, spiritually, and emotionally. If we go about the season with the wrong attitude then we can get caught up in sadness and depression. Also, the cold winter weather can be a bit draining as well. This can be the best or the worst time of year.

I feel that sometimes, we just need to be reminded of the happiness and contentment of summer. One of my favorite bands is 311 and they have a song that helps me remember just that! It's called "Sunset in July" and it says:

January, February, March into May. Here's June with a tune just to brighten my day. Sunsetting in July I'm gonna fade 'em away 'cause time is sliding, time is sliding on hear what I say. If you believe that, believe that. Back-up, back-up you need that, need that. Space and time and time and space is my way. I'm forever in existence I'm forever okay.

When we recognize that we are "forever in existence" and that "time is sliding on" we can "slide" into contentment and just smile our problems away.

A Montana sunset...in July!

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Recognize the happiness in the air and hold onto it. Always remember that we are never alone. Ever. We just need to reach to the Lord who said, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you (John 14:18). Christmas is a great time to come closer tot he Lord. 'Tis the season!