Greener on the Other Side

Healing the Wounded Soul

2012-03-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that family member or that friend who has had more than their fair share of trials and heartache? The one who you are amazed at everyday as they greet you with a smile and always has a listening ear when you need to vent a little? Or is it you that I am describing? Have you ever had to go through heartache and grief? Have you ever wondered if there was a way to root out the pain in your soul?

Well, lets look at the scriptures. There was a man named Jacob who was a prophet of The Book of Mormon. He had a lot of struggles in his life. First off, he was born in the wilderness (1 Nephi 18:7). Not the most convenient place on earth to begin your life. Then his family needed to cross the ocean, and while they were in the middle of their trip some of his older brothers decided they were going to harrass the other family members so much that it ended up bringing their parents "even upon their sickbeds. . . even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave."(v. 17-18) Thankfully all was amended on the voyage and the brothers had humbled themselves enough that they all arrived at the promised land (v. 23). Later, Jacob's father told him; "Thou art my first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of they brethren." (2 Nephi 2:1) Jacob did not have the best time growing up.

Despise all of this tribulation and trouble that he had to go through, Jacob never wavered in his faith. His faith was strong enough that he was able to see his Redeemer, just as Isaiah and his older brother Nephi had seen him. (2 Nephi 11:2-3) So having all this opposition, there has to be a secret that he had where he could be healed.

After Nephi had died it rested upon Jacob to be the Prophet. He had a very hard task ahead of him because he had to put some things in order. He felt bad that he had to bring up these sins that the people had committed because there were those in the audience who had not done the wrong, but were still affected severely because of actions others had taken. (Jacob 2:1-9) But he offers some advice to those who have been wounded by the actions of others and have come to listen to the Prophet speak: "And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul." (v. 8)

No matter what has happened in the past, it is in the scriptures that we can find the healing balm. They will tell us what we need to do (2 Nephi 32:3) and they will invite the spirit of God into our lives. They point us to Christ who is the master healer. They lead us to him so we can be healed through his atoning blood. "For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. 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." (2 Nephi 25:25-26)

May we always look unto Christ no matter how good or bad our situation seems!

Believe in God

2012-01-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." (Mosiah 4:9)

Where does our trust lie? In whom do we believe? How can we show more fully our willingness to obey God? Why does it always seem so hard?

When we are first asked to accomplish a seemingly hard task, our natural instinct is to run away. To duck our heads so we won't face the brutal opposition. Jonah was afraid enough that he boarded a ship in a desperate attempt to flee from the presence of the Lord. Many times we try to flee from the Lord as well. We may wake up late and convince ourselves that it is too late to go out now, that we'll be able to get to it next time. Or we may receive an invitation to go somewhere else when we know that the Lord would have us do his work. Whatever the case may be, it is up to us to muster up the Faith to do hard things.

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." (2 Nephi 2:11) Without opposition we would not survive. If the gravitational force of the Earth was not here, then we would all just float out into the deep dark vacuum of space. But thankfully, we have gravity to keep us all here with those we love. Thus, opposition is an important principle. If so, then overcoming opposition is even more important! Let us build our Faith in God that he has all power and that "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)

He knows each of us personally. He knows our weaknesses, and He knows how we can overcome them. "He will take upon him their infirmities, . . . That he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:12) "Come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation." (Omni 1:26)

You'll Never Walk Alone

2011-12-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that really annoying time when your surroundings changed suddenly and you felt all alone? The time when you moved to a new town, or changed jobs, or went to a new school and you weren't sure if you fit in or not? Whatever the case was, you were terrified and scared about what would happen to you and the ones that you loved.

Let me share with you a story from the Scriptures. A story of one who thought he was lost and never had a chance to come back. This is the story of the Prodigal Son.

"A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

"And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15:11-24)

Sometimes we may not be able to go back to our former life and our former situations, but there will always be people who are on the lookout for you just as the father was for his son who went away. Your influence in others' lives is very dramatic, and even if you don't feel like you make a difference, you do. Remember that as you follow His guiding voice you will always be where God needs you. You may not know why at the first, but He needs you to preform His work on earth. He loves you, He wants you to be happy, and He knows how that can happen. "And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according the thier infirmities." (Alma 7:12)

Remember, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Whom Dost Thou Seek?

2011-11-30T08:03:00.001-08:00

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. . . And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother,and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matt. 2:1-2, 11)

The story of the wise men is one of my favorite Christmas stories! The story isn't very detailed, or long, but it carries a powerful message with it. We don't know who these men were, exactly where they came from, or how they knew about Christ, but they were willing to leave and to set out on a journey to find just a small child.

Even as a child the true worshipers of God understood who Jesus was and who he was going to become, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. There is a song by Kenny Chesney that helps me understand just how it was when that baby boy came into the world some 2000 years ago.

Just a Kid
Kenny Chesney

Well the news spread through Jerusalem,
tonight a child is born
There are shepherds fallin' to their knees,
and Angels blowin' horns
But in their golden halls the Pharisees
Scoffed and drank their wine
They said it's only Hebrew prophesy

We don't care and besides
He's just a kid
That's all He is
One more pebble in the gravel,
One more rumor in the rabble.
How can He be king?
He's just a kid.

Well in no time it seemed
the world was knockin' on His door
Performing miracles and wonders
they had never see before
Soon the Pharisees stopped laughing
The silver sum was paid
And near the end He knelt down
in the garden and He prayed:

I'm just a kid
That's all I am
I'll need Your strength to see me through it
If it is Your will I'll do it
But how can I be king
I'm just a kid?

Now I think about the Baby
and the Man at Christmas time
Of mothers, sons and fathers
and children just like mine
About the power in unselfishness,
love and sacrifice
The Gift that we were given and the price.

And how the news spread through Jerusalem,
tonight a child is born
There are shepherds falling to their knees,
and angels blowin' horns
I wonder how on Earth the Pharisees
could scoff and drink their wine
And say "He's only Hebrew prophesy
We don't care and besides He's just a kid
That's all He is
One more pebble in the gravel
One more rumor in the rabble
And how can He be king? He's just a kid"

Oh how can He be king?
He's just a kid.

Let us remember who our true King is this Christmas season! Merry Christmas everyone!

THANKSGIVEN!!!!

2011-11-22T08:41:00.001-08:00

This is one of my most favorite times of year!! The time when it is dignified to stuff yourself beyond belief with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pie. I can't think of a better combination. But amidst all of the cranberries, biscuits, and yams, it is a time to ponder on the things of our lives that our Father in Heaven has blessed us with. It is a time to think of what matters most in our lives. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High" (Psalm 92:1) So this year, enjoy the food, but most of all remember what THANKS we owe to the Lord for what he has GIVEN us.

http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#moments-that-matter-most

What is a "RESTORATION"?

2011-10-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Restoration, a word used quite a bit among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that has the potential to confuse a lot of people. Some hear the word and may think of old antique furniture, or an old colonial home, or if you're a gear head like me, you may think about a car. All of these are good comparisons to the idea of The Restoration. Since I have no idea how to restore furniture, and even less of an idea about colonial houses, we'll roll with the idea of the car, how about a 1953 Diamond T?

In order for a Restoration to happen, you first have to have an original object. This is an example of what my truck would have looked like back in the day of 1953. We will compare this to the original church that Jesus Christ set up when he was on the Earth. "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" (Ephesians 4:11) He set up an organization that would help bring everyone in unity, an organization "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets:" (Ephesians 2:20)

But as we all know, over time things tend to get roughed up a lot. Dents and dings form in the body, and if they are not taken care of then rust can come along and start to make a big mess of things. Equipment breaks, and pieces go missing. Sadly, the same happened to the Church of Jesus Christ. "I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world. And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb." (1 Nephi 11:32-34) The church was in disarray. The apostles were killed off, and soon there was no priesthood authority on the earth to guide and lead the church by revelation. Soon, when once there was one church, there were many churches teaching different doctrines.

The time and setting eventually came along and our loving Heavenly Father was able to reach out in love to his children. In the early 1800's God the Father and his son Jesus Christ came to a boy named Joseph Smith in answer to his earnest prayer. They called Joseph to be a prophet, and through him they would restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Soon you see that old clunker out in the driveway as more than a paperweight, but you see a potential for something amazing!

Of course you can't just wake up one morning and know exactly how to restore a vehicle, let alone the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Three years after the visitation of God the Father and Jesus Christ, Joseph was visited by a heavenly being by the name of Moroni. He was directed by Moroni to a hill where a record of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas was deposited. Joseph received instruction from Moroni for four years before he could take the record and translate it into The Book of Mormon. Other key events that made it possible for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored were; restoration of the priesthood (both Aaronic and Melchizedek), the coming forth of The Book of Mormon, and the final organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830.

Piece by piece the restoration happens. The final product is the same as the original, but now it is alive and working! The Gospel works. I know the the original church that Christ established when he was here in the flesh is back on the earth. If you have any questions or for more information visit http://www.mormon.org/.

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things."

2011-09-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Opposition, usually is never a word that someone wants to hear. Opposition can come in many forms, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Sometimes this opposition can be very painful, while other times it doesn't seem painful at all, in fact we are so used to it that we don't even notice it.

Some painful opposition might come because of someone elses choice, which could result in injury or death. This is something that happened to my family, and for the whole story look on my post about Jeremy Kunz. Or it may come because of something someone said that was very hurtful. Just walk down a hall at your local High School to see this happen. While other opposition can come because we made a mistake, and the road back seems hard and painful. And that little voice in your head tells you that you can never make it and that you are a failure and you'll never amount to anything. So why so much opposition?

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, . . . righteousness could not be brought to pass." (2 Nephi 2:11). There has to be an opposite in all things. It's like two sides of a stick, you try and pick one end up, and the other follows. We are here in this life to grow and to become like our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. They know our potential, and have commanded to achieve that potential. I loved this post by one of my friends, he compares this idea to growing jalapenos. One more thought, is that opposition can be helpful! Think of gravity. Our bodies want to be in motion. They want to go and go and go. But, there is an opposing force to our bodies just going. The gravitational force of the earth keeps us down on our feet and in out chairs and in our beds. If we didn't have this oppostion, then our bodies would just float away! That would be kind of scary if you ask me!!

Opposition is a true reality. We cannot run from it, we cannot hide from it, but we are not alone in our battle. Alma told the people of Gideon about Christ, and that "he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictons and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. . . . and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12) Christ knows us, he knows everything we go through, and he knows what we need so we can obtain our potential. Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained this well in his April 2011 Conference address. I know Christ lives and loves each one of us.

Newsies and the Gospel

2011-09-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Once again we take another walk down memory lane as we look at another one of my favorite movies, Newsies. Yeah that's the one with Christian Bale when he was really young and they called him "Cowboy." This movie is great! Tons of singing and dancing for the more artsy folk, it has a nice love story for the romantic, a little bit of rebellion and fist fights for action guy, and for those who like to think while watching a movie, a story of a young man trying to find his place in life.

Cowboy is an orphan who is tying to make his way in life as a paperboy. There is a lot of opposition for this young man. His main goal is to make it to Sante Fe. If he can just make it out there then he will be set!! But in the end he realizes something, everything that could make him truly happy in life is right around him! The friends that he has made have become his family and that is what made him truly happy.

We are a lot like Cowboy. We feel like there is a goal that if we reach then we have made it! Whether that is that highend executive job, that 6 figure payment, that house on a private beach, or that magnificent ranch out in Idaho. But there is an easier path to true happiness. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is there for all to partake of. He invites us all to come unto him to have rest (Matt. 11:28). I know that he can bring true happiness into our lives! (Mosiah 2:41)

Let Us Take a Vote

2011-08-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have pondered and thought about what I could share next. I have a few ideas but I want to know what you veiwers would like to read or learn about!! So let me know and we'll see what happens!

True Friend

2011-08-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is a shout out to all the people that I'm not related to but I still love! Yes this is about our dear friends!! I have lots of pictures here of me with my friends, people that I would do about anything for. So why are friends so important? If I may, let me share a story!

"And again he (Jesus Christ) entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
"And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
"And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
"And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
(Mark 2:2-5)

Wow!! How cool is that! This guy was so sick that he couldn't get off his bed. But his friends loved him and had faith that Christ could heal him that they carried him all the way to where Christ was. But the place where Christ was at was so crowded that no one could get inside because of the huge mob. But this didn't deter these faithful friends! They climbed on top of the house, cut a hole in the roof, and lowered their dear friend next to Christ. What love! How many of us would do that for our friends?

Well, let's look at another story. Let's look at Christ. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Christ laid down his life for us, his "friends." How many of us would do that for our friends? How many of us would carry our friends to Christ? We all know that he can heal us, and we know that he has all power, so let us all be a friend and help out our friends!

Love, true Love

2011-07-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

You may remember one of my personal favorite movies, "The Princess Bride"? I will be talking about three of the main characters, Prince Humperdinck, Princess Buttercup, and Westley. First off lets think about a classic scene from the movie, the one where the clergyman can't pronounce his "R"s and thus talks really funny. Remember that one? Well if you don't, then that is OK. All that really matters is that he talks about true love. And in the movie Prince Humperdinck is not Princess Buttercup's true love. Her true love is the farm boy Westley, who can hardly make a living for himself. So why is he her true love?

In 1 Nephi 11:22 we are taught that the love of God "is the most desirable above all things." Love is a very strong emotion. What we truly love is what we will work for. Think for a moment about last week. What are the prominent memories that come to mind? What were your desires for that week? The things that we truly love are things that we will desire the most. Christ has said that the greatest commandment is to "love the lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matt. 22:37) And how do we show our God that we love him? Again Christ said that "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)

Alright, so back to the movie. At the beginning of the movie we see Buttercup ordering Westley around, and all he would ever say is "As you wish." Wow, that shows some love! Are we always that submissive to the things that our Father in Heaven gives, or doesn't, give us? Buttercup comes to realize exactly how much love Westley has for her, and she in turn falls in love with him.

So what is it that we truly love? Are we showing our love to that person or that thing? We all show our love in different ways, but Christ has said that "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." (John 15:10) I would challenge each of us to abide in the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by obeying them. Then once we have that relationship established, show our love to the important things. I know that you will see an increase of peace and joy in all of your lives if you follow this council.

BTW, this is my family, I love them all dearly. Some of them are no longer with us and there are some additions to the group, but I love them and miss being with them. I also love my Heavenly Father, that is why I am spending 2 years away from my family to be his full time servant because he asked me to!!

Peace I Leave With You

2011-07-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

We live in a world full of commotion!! Where everything has to be done ten minutes ago and we seem to always be behind. Everyday the news reports have some new disaster, tragedy, or war. Some of which are in far off places that you may have never heard of before, but others seem to hit a little too close to home, or right on top of it.

Amidst all of this turmoil, how can we gain peace? Where can we turn? The Savior told his disciples that another name for the Holy Ghost is the Comforter. "..the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name.." (John 14:26) What a special gift! Preach My Gospel (a manual that missionaries use) says that "The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of our Heavenly Father's most precious gifts. . . He comforts us during times of trial or sorrow." (Preach My Gospel p. 65) And this gift is one that Heavenly Father is willing to give to all of his children!! We may feel the influence of the Holy Ghost at one time or another, but we have to be baptized and then have hands laid on our heads by someone holding the priesthood authority of God to be able to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 8:18) Then we can qualify to have his companionship at all times!!

I absolutely love music!! And so I would like to share with you one of my favorite Hymns!!

Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When, with a wounded heart, anger, or malice
I draw myself apart searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows?
Where, when I languish?
Where, in my need to know?
Where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

He answers privately.
Reaches my reaching.
In my Gethsemane, Savior, and friend.

Where Can I Turn for Peace? Click to hear song.

I know that it is through our Savior Jesus Christ that we can return to our Father in Heaven. He has a special gift for every one, so "Men and brethren, what shall we do?. . . 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 2:37-38)

Christ Set the Terms

2011-06-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ. When we think of him what runs through our minds? Words that run through my mind are advocate (1 John 2:1), savior (1 Nephi 13:40), mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), and redeemer (Alma 5:15). Wow, what a list! This is not all, the list of the attributes and importance of Jesus Christ is endless.

We are commanded to have these perfect attributes, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48) How is this possible? How can we go back to Father? Thomas had this same question. Lets see what his answer was. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) So by the perfect life that Christ led, his suffering in the Garden and on the Cross, and then by his resurrection (all of this constitutes the Atonement) then we can be made clean!

So what's the catch? Well, because Christ has now become our mediator with the Father, he sets the terms of the Deal. Christ asks each of us to believe in him, or have faith (John 10:36-38), to give up our sins and to follow him, or repent (Alma 39:9), to be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, (3 Nephi 11:33-35; 19:9-13), and finally to endure to the end, (Matt. 10:22). These are the terms that we must fill. The concept of a mediator is explained very well by the video this link goes to.

http://lds.org/media-library/video/book-of-mormon-presentations?lang=eng&query=video+mediator#2010-06-05-the-mediator

This is the doctrine of Christ. He is our Savior, and I know that we can have eternal happiness with our Father in Heaven and our families if we live what Christ has taught us!!

"Left Their Nets and Followed HIm."

2011-05-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

It is always interesting to see people's reactions when we tell them about the guidelines that we as missionaries are to follow. They feel that we are extremely restricted in our activities and in our daily lives. Having to be home by 9:00 pm, getting up at 6:30 am, having study time, no television, and various other things. But if you ask a missionary how much they wish they could do something else, most of them would say that they have never been happier!! I know I can say that. So why is it that we find joy when we are so restricted?

Thinking about this makes me think of Christ when he called the 12 Apostles. He said to "Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother . . Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." (Matthew 4:18-20) It always amazes me how quickly Peter and Andrew obeyed the voice of Jesus as he asked them to sacrifice. Well, he asks the same of us. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) Those who "putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord" (Mosiah 3:19) will find that leaving their nets is the best thing that they will do.

So, does this mean that you have to serve a full time mission to qualify as someone who has "Left their nets"? No. "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." (3 Nephi 27:19) And when we are baptized we say that we are willing "to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in." (Mosiah 18:9) So by following the commandments, being baptized and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and fulfilling our baptismal covenant, then we show that we have put off our nets.

Well now your all set!! But oops, you made a mistake. You said as Peter said, "I go a fishing." (John 21:3) You went back to your nets for a time. You are no longer spotless. But, there is still hope. With a lot of faith and repentance, you can "Leave your Nets" once again and become perfected through the atonement of Christ. "There is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Nephi 31:21)

It may be difficult to do all that God has asked of us. But I promise that as we faithfully endure "and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon" (Mosiah 3:19) us, then we can be as "those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end." (3 Nephi 27:19)

Jeremy Kunz

2011-05-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

There is a man by the name of Jeremy Kunz. He is a great guy! Everyone that comes in contact with him knows right away that he is one of a kind. His smile, his sense of humor, and especially his love for his family makes him grand!! He loves the outdoors; running, hiking, rock climbing, you name it, he enjoys it. But out of everything he has, his family is number one. Anyone who comes in contact with him knows that his wife and three kids are his top priority. There are many other things that make Jeremy the amazing role model that he is, but there is not enough room on the internet to fit it all in!!

Jeremy loves to do that which pushes him to new limits. Things that make him stretch and that he has to give his all for. Because of that, he became a long distance runner. Jeremy was never one to do things alone. He loves to do things with other people that he is close to, so thus he doesn't particularly enjoy the usual marathons, he would rather run in a relay team made up of close friends and family. There was one relay in particular that he really enjoys, and spends much of his running time preparing for, the Wasatch Back. This is one of many relay races that the Ragnar Relay Series has available. It is a grueling race of 189 miles through the Wasatch Mountain Range located in northern Utah.

In 2009, Jeremy and his team decided that they would try another one of these magnificent races. The Las Vegas relay. Another rough race through the hot desert of Nevada. The race was going well. All the teammates were making good time, and it was a joyous time! He was even able to enjoy the race with his wife, Melinda. Even though she was in the team's other van, they kept in contact with one another through phone calls.

Early in the morning, during the race, on Saturday, October 10, 2009, Jeremy was hit by a drunk driver and killed.

Wow, that's pretty crazy. Some of you may be wondering why I would put such a depressing story on my blog? Well, let me tell you a not so secret. Melinda Kunz, Jeremy's wife, is my sister. Jeremy has been a part of my family for most of my life. I don't really remember a time when he wasn't in it. And even now, though his physical body is no longer present, he is still a big part of my family.

If you'll notice, I didn't use past tense verbs when I wrote the description of Jeremy. That is because the most important part of Jeremy, the part that makes him who he is, is not gone. "The spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed form this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." (Alma 40:11) But that isn't the end, "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body."(Alma 40:23) So this life isn't all there is. There will be a time when I can once again see not only Jeremy but all of my family!! How grateful I am for that knowledge!

Now what is my purpose in all of this? I just want you, not everyone else who is reading this, but you who at this time, right now, is reading these words. I want you to know that trials are hard. There is pain in life but there is also overwhelming joy. Joy in the plain truth that Jesus Christ lives. That he loves us. That we can become clean through his atoning sacrifice if we but follow his commands.

If you want to know more of the Plan that our loving Father in Heaven created for us, please visit mormon.org.

Insights From the Seat of a Tractor

2011-04-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Growing up on a farm is interesting. For the most part, there is a lot of time to ponder on the creations and works of our loving Heavenly Father. Hours upon hours spent going back and forth through the field as the machinery does it's magic.

I remember when I was a young teenager that I was challenged by my bishop to take the time that I have while I am in the tractor, to concentrate on Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, and the many creations that they have given to us. I gladly accepted the challenge.

There was a lot that I learned while I did that. The most important thing that I learned, however, was the love that our Heavenly Father has for each one of us. My thoughts were led to 3 Nephi 13:28-34. One of my favorite phrases from this scripture is "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (v. 28-29) If our Heavenly Father cares so much for the grass, then why would he not care for His children? Thus let us look to Him, let us seek Him and His omnipotent hand. I know that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father live. I know that they are there for each of us and that they want us to grow and to succeed.

Here is the Hard Part

2011-04-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, that is all I can say about the amazing General Conference that we just had! I love listening to the voices of Heavenly Father's servants as they speak to us for our day! But after that comes the hard part. We can listen to the prophets all day long, but do we really hear what they say?

I had a calculus class in High School that was right after lunch. What a bad combination! There were many times when I would enjoy a nap instead of hearing what the teacher had to say. That was really fun in the moment, then came time to apply what the teacher had just talked about. As you can guess I had a hard time doing the homework because I was asleep when the teacher was explaining how to best do it. So I would then have to spend a lot of time learning by trial and error when it would be a lot easier to just listen closely to what the teacher had to say in the first place.

Then again, that is only half of the puzzle. We can listen closely to the counsel that Heavenly Father has for us but it isn't worth a lick if we don't apply what we learn. Jacob explains this very eloquently in 2 Nephi 9:28-29. In verse 29 he says that "to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God." We have just received a weekend full of the counsels of God. Now we just need to "hearken."

My dear brothers and sisters, God loves us all so much!! He wants true and everlasting happiness for us! We may think that at times we are constrained and our freedom is limited by following the commandments, but I promise that as we do follow the commands of God, and as we hearken to the counsels of his authorized servants in these days, that we will find "liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men," and be able to escape "captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)

www.lds.org

Prophets, What Good Are They?

2011-03-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

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.

Visit www.lds.org for more information on times and where you can watch.

I Would Exhort You

2011-03-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

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!!

2011-03-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

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!!!

How in the World did a Farm Boy End Up in the Middle of Western New York?

2011-02-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

One question that I get a lot while I am talking to people here in New York is, "How in the world did you end up here?" Well, there can be a couple of answers to this question, one is very simple and precise. "I have been called to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ by a Prophet of God." Straight forward, to the point, and easy to understand. I like it!! Yet there is a little more to this simple phrase than meets the eye. Let's break it down, shall we?

"I have been called." Was this over the phone? No, not exactly, but it works in the same kind of way. When someone calls you, you have to make the effort to answer the phone, and then you have the choice of when to hang up and cut off the communication. In John 15:16, Christ tells his Apostles "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you." Christ chose his Apostles, but they still had the freedom to choose whether to accept or reject Christ. The same thing happened to me. Christ chose me to come to Western New York. And because of my love for Christ and for our Heavenly Father, and all of my brothers and sisters, I accepted the call. I am here in New York serving as a representative of Jesus Christ.

"To serve as a representative of Jesus Christ." This is a pretty east one to explain. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you," (John 13:35) that is why I am doing what I am doing every day, I love everyone. I know the joy that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has given me and I want that same joy for everyone!!

"By a Prophet of God." Since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Mormon 9:9 in the Book of Mormon) it would make sense that He would have a Prophet on the Earth if the fulness of His gospel was on the Earth. Well, He does have a Prophet on the Earth. He first called Joseph Smith to be His Prophet in the latter days, and He still has a Prophet on Earth. President Thomas S. Monson leads and guides the Church today under the direction of Jesus Christ. Since God will do nothing until he reveals it unto his servant the Prophet (see Amos 3:7), thus by the distributive property (meaning if A=B and B=C then A=C) when the Prophet asks us to do something, then it is Jesus Christ who is asking us.

I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God. I know that I have been called to be here in New York by one having the authority from God. If you have any questions, please go to mormon.org and find out for yourself if these things are true!

The "Fence"

2011-02-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Now I can imagine that some of you are scratching your heads at the title of my blog. Well, now is the time that I get to explain. I grew up on a family farm with cattle. So I got to spend a lot of time with these animals. One thing that always struck me was how stubborn these animals became when they wanted to get out of a pen. Now matter many times you would chase them away from the open gate while you were trying to pull the tractor in to feed them, they would run right back so they could get out. Or, they would stretch their necks way out across the fence line, they always thought that the grass was greener on the other side.

Now, look at our lives. We see our shabby car, our house that is too small, and the pair of shoes that have been worn way too many times. Then we look at our neighbor down the street who just bought a brand new truck, their big spacious house, and we may say to ourselves, "Wow, what would it be like to be able to afford that." But what we don't see, usually, is the struggles that they are going through as well. We may get that, "Greener on the other side of the fence" mentality. We just need to remember the promise that the Lord made to Moroni in Ether 12:27 in the Book of Mormon, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. 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."

The Lord knows each one of us. He has given us those things that will make us stronger. We may only be able to see the weakness of ourselves right now, but if we put our trust in Jesus Christ and come before him in sincere prayer and scripture study, then we will be able to see those "weak things become strong."

Greener on the Other Side

2011-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

So this blog is focused on Jesus Christ. How he can heal us, and how we can let him into our lives. I am excited to be on this journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ serving in New York. I hope you will enjoy the journey also. I know that together we can grow and become better followers of Jesus Christ!!