Tender Mercies

In the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 1:20 it reads, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

This scripture has really hit me hard recently on my mission - I have been a witness to many tender mercies of the Lord which have given me strength, comfort, love, hope, peace, courage, and guidance.  Whether it is a much needed letter that arrives from home saying what I needed to hear at the exact moment I needed it, a random chapter I open to in the Book of Mormon that is exactly what I needed to read to help me continue on, a message from someone we teach helping me know it will all be okay, a thought that pops into my head from the Holy Ghost that is an answer to prayer in knowing what my next step should be, or so much more.  All these experiences have helped me know that Heavenly Father is there and He is listening and He does truly care about me and if I follow Him everything will be okay.  I know tender mercies are available to everyone as we all strive to do what is right and follow the example Jesus Christ has set for us.

I know tender mercies are real, but I also know that we can miss them.  It is so important to look for and notice all the many tender mercies and evidences of the Lord's hand in our lives that are all around us.  It is so interesting what happens - as we look for the Lord's hand in our lives we will see more of it.  As we stop, look, and express gratitude to Heavenly Father for the many tender mercies He blesses us with, we will see even more.  I know the Lord loves us.  I know He watches over us and hears our prayers.  I know He knows our needs, concerns, and desires.  I know He cares.  And I know He will bless all those who do their best, despite the mistakes they make, to change and use the Atonement, get up, and continue on in following the example of Jesus Christ each and every day.

Like the Shepherds

I love Christmas!  And I love the Christmas season and being able to focus even more on the Savior and His birth.  One story that has recently really inspired me was the story of the shepherds and their involvement in the story of the birth of the Savior.      

In the New Testament in Luke 2 it talks about the shepherds.
" 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. "

These good tidings of Jesus Christ's birth is really a message of great joy.  Jesus Christ is born who is the Savior of the World, the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, and the Prince of Peace.  

In the Book of Mormon in Alma 11:40 it talks about Christ and says, 

"40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else."  

Jesus Christ's birth in Bethlehem is "good tidings of great joy" for all of us because it is only through Jesus Christ that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again.  Jesus Christ's birth, His life, His ministry, His Atonement, His death, and His resurrection were all for us to make the way possible for us to become clean and for us to return to live with Heavenly Father again.  That should bring all of us great joy!  

After the shepherds heard this announcement from the angel, it says, 

"15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. "

I love the part where it says the shepherds "came with haste" in their search for Christ.  They diligently sought after Jesus Christ.  Do we diligently seek Christ during the Christmas season and everyday of our lives?  I hope we can be like the shepherds and search for Him.  And then it says the shepherds "found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."  The shepherds found Christ in a manger; where can we find Christ?  We can find Him in the scriptures, in prayer, in service, in forgiveness, in love, in charity, in church.

In the Bible in Jeremiah 29:13 it says, 

"13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. "

We all can be like the shepherds and find Jesus Christ if we but diligently search for Him with all our heart.  He is always there, but it is our responsibility to go to Him.  I hope we can find Jesus Christ in our hearts this Christmas season and always. 

And finally, after the shepherds found Jesus Christ, it says, 

"17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds."

After the shepherds found and gained their testimony of Jesus Christ, they helped others come to know about these good tidings as well.  They spread the Christmas message to all who would hear.  That is our responsibility too, to help others come to know about and find Jesus Christ.  Let us all spread the true spirit of Christmas to all others and help them find Jesus Christ too.  

I love the Christmas season and I love the story of the shepherds and how they sought and found Jesus Christ.  I hope we can all diligently seek and find Jesus Christ this Christmas season and throughout our lives and help others to do the same, just like the shepherds.

Bringing Others Closer to Christ

There is a quote I just read from Elder Ballard's recent conference talk.  It is by Clayton Christensen and it says, "Every time you take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves the person whose hand is in yours."  The longer I have been on my mission the more and more I have realized this.

The more I sit in people's living rooms, on a park bench, in a hospital room, or in the church and talk with and teach others more about Jesus Christ and His gospel, the more I come to love them and see God's love for them.  We are all sons and daughters of God.  And the more I am with someone, hearing their experiences and testimony and sharing with them mine, the more I see how each of us are unique and special in God's eyes.  He loves all of us and He blesses all His children.  I have the privilege of seeing and hearing daily how Heavenly Father loves all His children, answers their prayers, and gives them miracles to increase their faith, to give them hope, and to lead them to the path they need to be to find His gospel and the true happiness it brings.  

And for me, the more I teach others about Jesus Christ the more I feel God's love for me.  The more I see His blessings in my own life and His hand directing me to where I need to be and helping me become who He needs me to be.  One such blessing He gives me is the honor of meeting and knowing so many amazing people here in New York.  I love all the people here and all those I am teaching.  I know that every time we teach and introduce others about Jesus Christ we will feel more love and charity for that person and we will feel the Savior's love for us more.          

Have Faith...God Loves Us!

 One of the most important, essential, amazing truths we all need to know and believe is that God, our loving Heavenly Father, loves us!  He is our Father and we are literally His children.  This one fundamental truth is the light we need to combat the dark clouds of discouragement around us.  Because of this love we don't ever need to feel alone or lost.  His love can and will guide us and give us hope.  Trust Him!

How do I know He loves us?  He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth to make is possible for all of us to return to live with Him again.  In the New Testament in John 3:16-17 it reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  Heavenly Father loves each of us and so that is why He sent Jesus Christ.  He knew we would all make mistakes and He knew we would need help so He sent Jesus Christ to earth to atone for our sins.  Christ took our sins upon Him and paid for them so that we can be given mercy, be forgiven of those sins and have our guilt and shame wash away, and become clean and worthy to enter into the presence of God.  That is Heavenly Father's ultimate goal for all of us: return to Him.  Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement we can return to live with God and our families forever! 

I know my Heavenly Father loves me and I know He loves everyone in this world.  Have faith.  Believe in this amazing universal truth.  He loves us more than we can ever imagine.  Trust Him.  Have faith in Him.  Show your love for Him by following Him.  If we do this we can experience true, lasting happiness in this life and after when we will be worthy to return home to Heavenly Father and live with Him and our families in eternal happiness.  God loves us! 

The Source

 

Jesus Christ is the source and the light.  He is the source we need to look to to become clean from sin and guilt.  He is the source we need to look to find answers to all our questions.  He is the source of all happiness, peace, hope, and joy.  He is the light of this world.   He is the light that banishes the darkness of uncertainty, doubt, loneliness, despair, and heartache.  He is the light that illuminates the path and the source we need to look to in order to return home to our loving Heavenly Father.  He is the source and light of life.

In the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 25:26 it reads, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

Only through Jesus Christ and His Atonement can we be forgiven of all our sins and our guilt and shame for past mistakes we have made can be swept away.  He is the source of forgiveness and through Him our burdens can be lightened.  It is so important to always focus on Christ because it is only through Him than we can become clean and worthy to live with Heavenly Father and our families for eternity.

And in 3 Nephi 15:9 it reads, "Behold, I am the law, and the light.  Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life."

Jesus Christ is also  the light.  Through Him we can truly see ourselves and others.  With His help we can see through the darkness of the world around us and see the path we need to take to return home to God.  He is the source of light, hope, love, faith, strength, and confidence that we need in order to navigate this world back to Heavenly Father.  I am so grateful to our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, who has lighted the way we must go to find true happiness in this life.  

Missions!

My companion, Sister Carlson, told me an amazing saying about missions.  She said, "Missions are not the best two years OF your life, they are the best two years FOR your life."  Or in my case, substitute "two years" for "eighteen months."  How true this is.  

Missions are so amazing because they prepare you for life and eternal life.  We dedicate eighteen months or two years of our life serving others and inviting them to come closer to Christ.  We do this by teaching them and helping them understand how to follow Jesus Christ and how to return to live with Heavenly Father.  Our purpose as missionaries is "to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."  By helping others with this purpose, we ourselves become more converted to the Lord and more converted to this gospel.  

I love serving others!  As it says in the Book of Mormon, "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).  I know that as we serve others we truly are serving God.  Not only will serving others bring us so much joy, but it also makes Heavenly Father proud of us and He will bless us.  I have never felt so happy as I have while I have been out on a mission serving others everyday all day.  Serving and sharing this gospel with others is how we can find true happiness in this life.

Mission are the best two years (or eighteen months) for your life because they teach you how to follow Christ, what truly matters, how to serve others, how to pray, how to keep the faith in hard times, and they strengthen your testimony and your conversion to this gospel.  If you are thinking about going on a mission...GO!  This has been the best decision I have made so far in my life.  Missionary work is hard but SO worth it!       

Joseph Smith - His Story

I took this picture in one of the most sacred places in the world.  I am so grateful to be on a mission and to be able to testify, to everyone who can hear my voice, of the sacred events that happened here.  This is the Sacred Grove and is located in New York.  This is where Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  This is where he was called to be a prophet and was called to restore Christ's true church again upon the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am so lucky because I have been called by a prophet of God to serve my mission where this amazing event took place.  I would like to talk about Joseph Smith and the significance of this event to our Church and to the world.    

When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he was living with his family near Palmyra, New York.  During this time in New York there was "an unusual excitement on the subject of religion."  There was so many churches and so many preachers declaring their church was right.  Joseph, although only a young man, was very concerned at which church was true.  That is so much like today.  There are so many different churches all professing to be the true church but all their doctrines were contradictory.  How do we know which church is the right one?  Joseph said that "so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong."  He wanted to find the true church so he could follow Jesus Christ but he was unsure at which church it was and how he could find out. 

One day, Joseph was reading the Bible, trying to find his answer.  How amazing this action of Joseph's was.  If we have a question, turn to the scriptures.  Read, search, and ponder the scriptures, both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, to answers the questions of our souls.  Because when he searched the scriptures he found his answer.  He read James 1:5 which states, "If any of you lack wisdom, let his ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  If we lack wisdom, or have a question, we need to ask God in prayer with faith and He WILL answer us.  Joseph realized "that [he] must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else [he] must do as James directs, that is, ask of God." The only source of truth is Heavenly Father.  To find an answer to a question or to find truth, we need to ask God in sincere prayer.  Joseph Smith decided to do just this and to ask God which church was true and which he should join.         

In the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith headed out into a grove of trees behind his home.  He then kneeled down and uttered a sincere, heartfelt, and vocal prayer in which he prayed to Heavenly Father and asked Him his question: which church was true.  In response to his prayer, Joseph Smith recounts, "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!"  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in answer to his prayer.  Joseph asked Them which church was right so he could join them.  His question was answered "that [he] must join none of them, for they were all wrong."  Joseph was told that none of the churches on the earth were the correct church of Christ. 

At this time, Joseph Smith was called to be the new prophet in our days and was called to restore the true church of Christ back upon the earth.  Just as in times of old when prophets were called upon the earth, God again called another prophet in our times.  He was called to restore the church that Christ established while He was on the earth.  In the ensuing years, Joseph fulfilled his calling by bringing forth the Book of Mormon and restoring Christ's true church again upon the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

Why is my picture significant?  Because it was taken in the same place where Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  It is the place where Joseph had his prayer answered and where he was called to be a prophet and to restore the true church again upon the earth.  This place, the Sacred Grove, is so amazing and I love going into it.  Whenever I enter the Grove, I feel peace, comfort, and tranquility.  I know this is because this forest is special.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have been there.  I know this is true.  I know Joseph Smith is a prophet.  I am so grateful for him and all he has done to bring forth and restore the church of Christ.  All who can come to the Sacred Grove!  It is one of the most amazing places in the world!  It is in Palmyra, New York and I know if you come with an open and sincere heart, you will be able feel the amazing spirit that is here.  COME TO THE SACRED GROVE!!!!  I also know that if we pray to God in sincerity and faith and ask Him a question, He will answer us just as He answered Joseph Smith's humble prayer.  I am so grateful to be serving my mission here where I get to be by the Sacred Grove for 18 months of my life!