Prophets, What Good Are They?

There is a great thing that is happening this weekend.  The whole world will be able to sit down and listen to a Prophet of God give us guidance, direction, and support for all of us!  But, there is just one problem, not everyone in the world will be listening with open ears and open hearts.  Many will be going about their lives as usual.  This is sad, because there is a story in the old testament of people who didn't listen to a Prophets voice.

Anybody remember anything about Noah?  Yes, that is right.  He was the one with the big boat.  Well, lets get the whole story.  Prophets told the people that they needed to follow God's commandments and live like they should or they would get punished.  Well, they didn't listen so well, so God decided to punish them.  And what did they win?  Destruction by a giant flood.

Ok, so that one didn't pan out very well.  Lets look at another story to see how it turned out.  In The Book of Mormon a man by the name of Samuel was told by God to tell a wicked people that "nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ," and that "four hundred years shall not pass away before I will cause that they shall be smitten: yea, I will visit them with the sword and with famine and with pestilence." (Helaman 13:6, 9)  Wow, doesn't sound too pretty does it?  Samuel also prophesied of many other signs and wonders, all of which came to pass.

Now fast forward 400 years.  We now look at the account written by Mormon, who was the chief captain over the armies of the people that Samuel visited.  And wouldn't you know it, the people were not following what God wanted them to do.  Mormon says that "the Nephites repented not of the evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually." (Mormon 4:10)  What a shame.  They also gained a reward.  A giant battle where their whole nation was destroyed.  "And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people." (Mormon 6:11)

In conclusion, the people in both accounts did not follow the heeding of the prophets and did not follow the commandments of God.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)  Let us all keep the commandments of God and listen to what counsel His prophets have to give us.

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I Would Exhort You

When one first picks up the Book of Mormon, one of the first things that you read is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ," and it is truly so.  Nephi explains that "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."  (see 2 Nephi 25:26)  As we search and as we ponder the words of the prophets, both prophets of old and our latter-day prophets, we are led and directed to our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Easy for me to say though right?  I was raised in the faith and have had almost 19 years of study and guidance to the truth, but I had to come  know for myself that what I'm saying now is true.  He has laid a plan for us, and he has given us to tools whereby we can find the truth.  Ask Him who is the source of all truth!  Take the challenge that Moroni gave all of us in Moroni 10:3-5 and "ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true."  Even if you have already asked, try it again!!  It will only strengthen your testimony and your knowledge.  I know that the Book of Mormon is a true testament of Jesus Christ.  If you have any questions at all, PLEASE, visit http://www.mormon.org/ invite the missionaries into your home, and feel of the witness that comes only through the Holy Ghost!

Who We Truly Are

Over the last six months I have come to know who we truly are.  I was staring at my name tag the other day right before I put it on and thought long and hard about the names on the tag.  The top one is my name, but just below in just as big of letters is the name of our savior Jesus Christ.  I then remembered a scripture in 3 Nephi 27:27.  Christ tells his disciples that they are to be even as he is.  This seems like a pretty steep proposition!  But when we understand who we truly are and that we are truly "joint-heirs with Christ" (see Romans 8:17) then we will be able to see ourselves in a new light.  We will be able to see us as God sees us.  President Uchtdorf gives new light on the classic tale of "The Ugly Duckling."

Our Heavenly Father loves us!  All of us!  Don't turn away from Him.  His arms are always stretched out towards you.  No matter what pain you have or what you have done in your past, let his unfailing love and comfort surround you and give you peace!

Things are Becoming Green!!

One of my favorite scriptures that I absolutely love is found in Alma 30:44.  In this scripture, Alma is talking to a man named Korihor about the existence of God.  Korihor states that he does not believe that there is a God and unless Alma shows him a sign he will not believe otherwise.  Then Alma states that "all things denote there is a God."  I echo what Alma says.  All things are a witness that God lives and that he loves us!

One of the greatest witnesses that we have is the seasons.  Since a lot of us are experiencing the start of the change of seasons, I thought that this would be a good topic. 

The seasons can be mirrored to Christ's life.  At the spring, all things begin to grow and seeds are planted and then sprout into plants.  During the summer the plants grow into full maturity.  This is similar to Christ's birth, and life.  Christ came into the world not in great garb or royal majesty, but in the lowliness of a manger.

Then comes the Fall.  The time when all things begin to die and to prepare for the winter.  This is similar to Christ's death.  "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him." (see Isaiah 53:5)  Christ paid the ultimate price for us.  He lived a perfect life, and thus was able to pay the price for our sins.

The deathly winds of winter mirror the grief and pain the disciples of Christ had during the three days after His death.  I wonder what was going through their minds at this time?  Were they looking forward to the day that He would come again as He had prophesied?  Or were they dumbfounded because their Lord and King had just been killed?  Whatever may have been going through their minds, they still would not be able to erase all of the pain.  But just as a tiny bud on a tree or the blossom of a flower fights its way into existence at the start of spring, Christ came back and ministered unto his disciples!  He had overcome the barriers of death!  "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  (1 Corinthians 15:22)

I know that Christ lives.  And because He lives, we too will live one day!!  This is not all that there is!  There is more than just this mortal existance!  I solmely declare in the name of Jesus Christ!!!