There are many people who wonder...Does God really exist? Does He really have a hand in my life? I know for myself that He does. I know this because of heartfelt prayer, study, and searching and He has manifested the truth and validity of Himself to me time and time again.
The only way to truly know if He is there is to read of Him and pray to Him. I have done this and each time that I do my faith in Him grows. This is the ONLY way that we can build a strong enough foundation to have a lasting testimony of our God. Once we have showed and proved our faith in Him through following His commandments, He allows us to witness or experience something miraculous.
In my life, these miracles have been blessings from God reminding me that He IS there and He is all powerful. These experiences were and are designed to strengthen faith in Him. These experiences do not define faith, rather, they REfine it, making it stronger and more steadfast.
Such an experience occurred the other day to some of the great people that my companion and I go see. Let's say that their names are Zak and Sara. They were watching a comedian on Zak's Smartphone and some of the comedian's jokes began to be a little sacrilegious. They then got much worse. Zak and Sara got more and more uncomfortable the worse the jokes got. At the start of another terrible joke the comedian said, "Ya know what? I don't think that God exists." Just before he could deliver the punchline the phone shut off! It had been completely charged and there was nothing "wrong" with the phone at all. God doesn't exist? I beg to differ. He knows all things and His hand is in all things.
Zak and Sara already had faith in God and what He can do but through this experience He let them know of His limitless reach. "I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6). Faith precedes the miracle. But when that miracle comes, you better pay attention!
I know that I can't solve everyone's problems. Throughout my life I have been the type of person who does all he can to help someone who is feeling down, in a fight, confused, depressed, lost, etc. Helping others helps me! BUT I have not always been successful. It is not up to me to "save everyone".
I have had many experiences where I try my best to help my own situation or to better the situation of someone else and then fall short. It's frustrating and disappointing and at times it has brought me down. Don't be like me and allow it to damage you.
"Fix You" by Coldplay is one of my favorite songs and it talks about trying to help those in need.
x&y album cover (which features "Fix You")
When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Coldplay
We must do all that we can to try to help others. But that does not mean that we are expected to save everyone around us. Ronald Reagan said, "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." What a true statement. I know, from experience, that it can get depressing trying to save everyone. We cannot do it alone.
However, with the help of Jesus Christ all things are possible. "And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me" (Moroni 10:23). Do you think that it is expedient in Christ to help others get out of depression? Of course it is! But we must recognize that we need His help in order to help and save those in need (including ourselves!).
I know that as we do our absolute best to "try to fix" the problems of a friend, loved one, or even ourselves Jesus Christ will step in and take care of the rest. Once we have given it our all, He will fill in the gaps. The power of His grace covers all pain, suffering, and despair. He desperately wants to help. In order to access His strength all we need to do is do our part and "try". When we do we, and those who we share it with, are "encircled about eternally in the arms of his love" (2 Nephi 1:15). Here in this perfect and infinite gospel of Christ we become and stay happy. Here, Christ will "fix" us and those we love. Let Him.
I am a changed person because of my Savior, Jesus Christ. He has helped me so many times in my life that I cannot even comprehend it. His love for me blows my mind. He is infinitely patient, caring, merciful, and powerful. Yet...He cares about you and me. This life meant to be hard. It is through Christ that we can overcome any of it. He wants us to endure our trials, grab His outstretched hand, and follow Him.
When we are striving to do what is right we are never going to be able to stop growing and becoming more. This life is meant for us to suffer challenges while accessing the help of Christ to learn. Then the process begins again. In the words of John Mayer, we are always going to be 'in repair'.
However, Satan wants us to feel like we aren't making any progress, like we are wasting our time, and that we are failures. Satan exerts his greatest efforts to tear us down when we are working our hardest to do what is right. He is afraid that we will succeed, become stronger, and join Jesus Christ in the fight for right.
When we are going through the process of repentance on the road to Forgiveness we experience change and growth. Christ is shaping us to be better. In many cases these changes for good might feel awkward, out-of-place, strange, and foreign. We feel these feelings because we are becoming more and are getting stronger! Satan will step in at this pivotal point in our process of "putting off the natural man" (Mosiah 3:19) and will try to twist things. He will do all that he can to make us believe that these good (though foreign at first) feelings of growth are feelings of guilt and shame thus leading us to believe that we are inadequate or unworthy of blessings. Do not let him do that! He is the father of all lies and will do all that he can to trick, and "lull [us] away into carnal security" in attempts to "leadeth [us] away carefully down to hell" (2 Nephi 28:21).
As we trust in Christ and lean on Him we will receive the help that we need. Not all of our problems will be solved in an instant. We will grow little by little and will be strengthened each day as we hearken to the teachings of Christ. Do not fall prey to Satan's lies to give us feelings of inadequacy. Christ's love for you and me is endless. We may not be perfect but when we look to He who is perfect, we will receive strength.
We cannot allow ourselves to be like John Mayer in his amazing song, "In Repair". He says,
Stood on the corner for a while
To wait for the wind to blow down on me
Hoping it takes with it my old ways
And brings some brand new luck upon me
Oh it's taking so long I could be wrong, I could be ready
Oh but if I take my heart's advice
I should assume it's still unsteady
I am in repair, I am in repair
Satan would love to have this kind of hold on all of us. Don't let it happen! Trust in God instead of feeling that we "could be ready" but are "still unsteady". We are always going to be "in repair" but don't make it an excuse and take a backseat to change and repentance. Embrace the love of Jesus Christ.
I absolutely love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I know that anything is possible with His divine help. Let Him repair you.
A prophet is a man chosen by God to as voice for God to tell the people what God's will is. Throughout the Old Testament there is a cycle, beginning with Adam, of God calling a prophet, the people prospering as they follow that prophet (such a period of time is referred to as a dispensation), and then the people rejecting the prophet and falling away from God (such a period of time is referred to as an apostasy). There are many dispensations throughout throughout the Old Testament led by prophets such as: Adam, Noah, Moses, Isaiah, Abraham, and Ezekiel. They all held what is called the Priesthood; which God has given to worthy men to act in His name. They all held a sacred responsibility to lead God's children to Him and to prepare the way for Christ to come to the earth.
After Christ's Crucifixion His Apostles continued the work of the ministry. However, they too were rejected and killed. The world then entered another cycle of apostasy and we were in this state until God called Joseph Smith Jr. to be His prophet in the early 1800s. (For more on this please look at my post Lockout.)
After Joseph Smith was killed, Brigham Young was called to be the president and prophet of the Lord's Church. After Brigham Young passed away, John Taylor succeeded him. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today. The following is a picture of the modern-day prophets that God has chosen:
Latter-day Prophets
Every first weekend in the months of April and October we have the great opportunity to hear the words of a living prophet. His name is President Thomas S. Monson. It is amazing that we have a prophet on the earth today. He is God's servant called to guide and direct us in the craziness of today's society. Here are some of his words from this past General Conference in early October of 2011:
We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).
What great words! Isn't it amazing to have a prophet alive on the earth today? HERE are many more of his words. I assure you that they are the words of God.
President Thomas S. Monson
I know that God loves us so much. He lives. He sends living prophets to lead living people in His living church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is comprised of apostles and prophets just like the church in Christ's time. HERE are their words from this past conference.
The First Presidency
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
It is a blessing beyond imagination that we have these prophets on the earth today. We are truly in the dispensation of the "fullness of times" (Ephesians 1:10).
People who know me know that I absolutely love my Family. People who know my family know that they are the bomb (seriously...best family ever). I've got two top-notch parents and two amazing brothers and three fantastic sisters (plus all of their stellar spouses). There's about a four year gap between the first four and my brother and me. I'm the youngest of the family. My brother, Brett, and I are only two years apart and we are super close. Best friends. We've played basketball together, had life-changing experiences together (see my post: A Refining Experience), gotten Slurpees together, listened to tunes together, played pool together, and everything in between. What can I say...he's a good egg. I'm way close with every single one of my siblings but Brett and I have simply been through a lot together.
This past Saturday my brother, Brett, was married to a gem of a lady, Robyn, in the Spokane Washington Temple. My whole family was gathered together to celebrate the great event...except for me. I was here, in Dillon, Montana as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I am as happy as can be! Why am I so happy if I missed out on the wedding of a life-time? Because I know that I am where I need to be.
RobynBig. Happy. Huzzah!
Spokane Washington Temple
It has always been a desire of mine to attend Brett's wedding and when I first came on my mission a fear of mine was...what if Brett gets married while I am away? I really wanted to be there! But as I have served the Lord I have come closer to Him. I have been able to develop more faith and understanding in the way that He does things. We need to remember when the Lord said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). Christ knows that timing is everything and let me tell ya...he's got it down to a "T". But sometimes...we think that we know more than He does. No good! True faith in God is to trust in Him AND His timing. When we allow our will to align with His, miracles happen.
It is God's will that Brett and Robyn are sealed for time and eternity and on September 24th, 2011 that happened. I know that he and his wife are now married forever. Not just until death. Their marriage is eternal. In a holy house of the Lord (the Spokane Washington Temple), they made an eternal convenant (or promise) with God. That is so happy and good! Eternal marriage means everything to the Lord. "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 10:11).
Here is a great video about eternal marriage and the blessings from it.
This is why I am as happy as can be even though I just missed out on my brother's wedding. I know that the wedding happened in the time that it needed to happen. I also know that I have my own obligations to attend to here in Dillon. I am needed here. My family is needed there. But the beauty of it all is that God is everywhere and He is looking out for each and every one of us. He takes care of everything in His own way and in His own time. I would have loved to be at the wedding...but I don't want to be anywhere but right here, right now.
God is eternal and He has it all figured out. I know that I am where He needs me to be and I know that Brett and Robyn Lee are where they need to be. And we are happy.
The National Basketball Association is currently in lockout mode. Millionaires are fighting with billionaires. Lame! This means that the league is at odds and all things are at a hault for...who knows how long! Things need to be settled before any moves can be made and before any games can be played. Those who are fans of the NBA will have to wait for the conflicts to be resolved before there is any action. The offseason is always an exciting time for teams to pick up new players, hire new coaches, etc. Now that things are at a stand-still there are many questions that arise. Some questions that I have are: Will the Mavericks compete like they did last year? Will Jimmer Fredette play like he did at BYU? Will Greg Oden hurt his knees so badly that he'll be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life (THAT is unlikely but chances are that he'll get hurt to some degree)? Will LeBron and the Heat put it together and play to the caliber that their roster shows? Will the Jazz trade one of their big men to get a more reliable guard? Yikes! The questions are endless.
If this continued confusion would be rampant and things would get hostile. Some people would try their best to keep the NBA going but they wouldn't quite understand everything and things would be changed. Some people would try to reform the league or start their own. Before ya know it, there would be a ton of different leagues all claiming to be the original one or the best one but they all would be a little bit off. Something (a miracle or, dare I say, a restoration) would have to happen to bring it back! Then we all could enjoy the pleasures of the real NBA that Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and Julius Erving enjoyed!
John Stockton: Short shorts and laser passes. Now THAT'S a basketball player.
This situation of the NBA lockout is strikingly similar to a huge event known as the great apostasy. Jesus Christ ministered on the earth at Jerusalem for 3 years. During this time many heeded His famous call, "Follow me" (Matthew 4:19)and became disciples (followers). He chose twelve to be Apostles (special witnesses), and He gave them (Peter, James, John, etc.) what is called the Priesthood authority. The Priesthood is God's power given to men to perform things in His name like baptism (Matthew 3:11, 13-17), giving blessings to the sick and afflicted (Acts 3:2-9), preparing, blessing, and passing the sacrament (Matthew 26:26-29), etc. Christ's earthly ministry ended at His Crucifixion but His work continued through His Apostles and disciples.
The Apostles spread out and did missionary work (what much of the New Testament is about) but they were rejected, kicked out of cities, and killed. This solidified the "falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) from the truth of the Gospel. The prophet Amos of the Old Testament prophesies of this great apostasy as well. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it" (Amos 8:11-12). There was a famine of truth!
For a very long time, the world was in "lockout" of the fulness of the Gospel of Christ. His Church was changed, distorted, and divided. That is why there are now SO many churches that scatter the earth. People have been wandering the land, looking for truth but have only been able to find a portion of it.
As a representative of Jesus Christ, I am called to proclaim the truth of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His church has been restored to the earth through a prophet named Joseph Smith Jr. At the age of 14 in the year of 1820 Joseph Smith was confused. He knew that the churches that he was attending were not the same church that Christ established with prophets and apostles. He knew that there should be "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). As he was studying in the Bible he came across a scripture in the book of James that states, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). Joseph lacked wisdom and he knew that if he asked of God, he would receive an answer. Joseph took these words to heart and he heeded the counsel that he received.
Joseph went out into a grove of trees outside his home in Palmyra, New York and he knelt in prayer to offer up his heart to God. He received an answer. He has recorded his experience as such:
I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other - This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him!
The following is a video about the Restoration of the Gospel. It has clips from a film called, "The Restoration" and it contatins words of one of our living apostles (yep, just like Peter, James and John) named L. Tom Perry.
I know that the world was once like the NBA currently is...in "lockout". But through the love of God a prophet was called to the earth once again to restore the truth in its fullness. God has provided us with the Book of Mormon so we can know that Christ loves us and called Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the restoration. He also has appointed a prophet for us in our day named Thomas S. Monson. I plead with you to heed his words for they are the words of God. We will never go astray if we follow the word of God. We will never have a "lockout" again.
Guster is one of my favorite bands. They are a bit of an unknown band and I like them a ton (if you are a fan of them then I am a fan of you). They were formed in 1991 (the year of my birth...odd) in Boston, Massachusetts. Lately, I have been thinking about one of their songs called, "What You Wish For". The following is the very beginning of the song:
Woke up today to everything grey
And all that I saw just kept goin' on and on
Sweep all the pieces under the bed
Close all the curtains and cover my head
And what you wish for won't come true
Guster.
I love this song for a lot of reasons. Guster is just good all the way around. But one thing that I feel from this song is how badly I want to help this guy out! The singer of this song JUST woke up and he hasn't even given the day a chance yet. He is feeling so down in the dumps for some reason and he needs someone or something to get him out of his depression. He feels the urge to close the curtains, crawl into bed, and escape from the dull, grey world.
All of us have felt a little blue at times. I know, from experience, that the best way to fight these depressing feelings is to think positively. Many people think that they have nothing to be positive about. We must do our absolute best to help those who are low. It is our responsibility to help others. A wise man once said, "If you have nothing left, fool everyone with a smile." Smiling goes a loooooong way. If I am ever feeling low and someone gives me smile or helps me smile I feel instant happiness. It is so great!
But unless this happy moment is nourished it will flee away. A short smile lasts only a short while. What is to be done?
There are so many amazing groups and causes out in the world that give aid to those who suffer from famine, genocide, and poverty. They provide food, water, and protection to those in need. Some of these problems that I have just mentioned are far away from us and through donations we can assist these groups and causes. But there are so many people in our communities, towns, and homes who suffer from lack of hope and happiness. It is in the hands of friends AND strangers to help these souls in need. We, as brothers and sisters and fellow children of God must do our part to strengthen and nourish those around us. Especially those of us who are filled with hope.
Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason, have “moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). Let us reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down.
We can do this. We can help those in need. As I said earlier, a simple smile goes a long way. But that is only one of the many things that we can do. As I have served the Lord as a missionary I have been able to see the great effects of smiling and waving. It is pleasant, kind, and extremely easy to do. The effects of a simple smile only last a short while (that rhymed...unintentional). One other thing that I have seen produce true miracles is simple conversation. First, ask someone how he or she is doing. Then (this part is extremely important) listen to what they have to say! Truly listen to how they feel. As you do this you will see a brighter light in their eyes and you will realize how much they mean to you and how much you mean to them. Because of this simple (yet deeply meaningful) experience a friendship has begun to grow. And from this lasting friendship comes lasting happiness. More smiling and waving, too. The cycle will then repeat itself. One soul will save another, and another, and another...
Miraculous.
As I have seen and experienced this my heart has grown immensely. I have a greater appreciation for those individuals in my life who have been there for me. I also have grown closer to my Savior than I ever would have in any other way. I owe my life to my friends and family have have influenced me to serve a mission because with the experience that I have had as a representative of Christ I have come to know Him more intimately and personally. This is priceless!
Christ's Image, by Heinrich Hoffman
Such experience is priceless because it is something that is timeless and limitless. I can apply the simply beautiful lessons of smiling, waving, and conversing as often as I can throughout my entire existence. I plan on it and I hope that you do too.
Now I would like to go back to "What You Wish For" by Guster. The singer must have hope in order to survive his depression. Without hope even all of these smiles, waves, and conversations aren't going to get anywhere. What must we instill in these individuals? Hope. "And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise" (Moroni 7:41). The surest thing to have hope for is Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. Whatever trial we have faced He has been there and He has overcome because of the miracle of the Atonement. He is our King. His love for us is infinite. When we trust in Him all things are enjoyable and we will be confident that all things will work together for our good. "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting upon the word of Christ and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement 2 Nephi 31:20). The Lord promises us that when we do our best and help others we will live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.
The Savior has entrusted us to help and strengthen others through our faith and our kindness. I trust that with these blessings at our fingertips no day has to be a grey day. What we wish for (a perfect hope for eternal life) WILL come true.
