Testimony of Christ

I just thought I'd share a little segment of a talk that I have been thinking a lot about lately. I have been spending a lot of time trying to better understand and apply the sacrifice of Christ. As I have done so, I have seen my personal testimony and love for the Savior strengthen. The following teaching is the latter part of Elder Bruce R. McConkie's last talk given in mortality. He bears a strong and sure witness of Christ and His Atonement. Put your seatbelts on! Along with Elder McConkie I invite us all to deepen our understanding and relationship of the Savior. "Now, the Atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the Gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith as Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived. May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement. We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation. And now as pertaining to this perfect Atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God-- I testify that it took place at Gethsamne and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God who was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his Witnesses, and in the coming day I will feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God's almighty Son, that he is our Saviour and Redeemer, and that Salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way. God grant that all of us may walk in the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to his promises, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen." Click here to watch Elder McConkie's last testimony.

You Will Be Freed

WATCH THIS VIDEO!!! Amazing video on the true power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Click here.

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
- Helaman

Having a bad day?

Do you ever just have a tough day? Yeah, me too. Sometimes it seems that life and it's many trials like to come at you all at once. Maybe all in one day, or a week, or a year of your life. A lot of the trials are unexpected and some take the form of perceived weaknesses. Some may seem silly to some people, but they are all real to us. I learned a great lesson this week about trials.
"It is not the design of heaven that we be rescued from all difficult situations. Rather, it is the Lord's will that we learn to handle them." (McConkie, "Finding Answers" Ensign. Feb. 2011) The purpose of this life is not just to pass a test. It is to become like our Heavenly examples. The Lord gives us hard times not only that we overcome them, but that we become greater because of them. The Lord was also kind enough to show us how we can use trials to help us become better.... "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes." (Alma 37:6-7) Because of Christ and His atonement, we can use His strength to become better one step at a time. So even though today might be a tough day, we can thank God that we can become better because of it!

"Laying hold upon every good thing" Moroni 7

Take a minute and think about all of the good things that you have experienced in your lives. EVERY good thing. So many things come to mind when I do this.... Family, love, athletics, scriptures, happiness, friends, peace, nature, music... Now think about all of the good things that you have and how they can still get better or that you still want to have.... way too many things to make a complete list, right? In the scriptures Mormon asks an incredible question, "And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold on every good thing?" (Moroni 7:20) What a question! Mormon then gives the answer to his question, "I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing. For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing... and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them." (Moroni 7:21-24) All good things, all blessings, come because of the life, love, and sacrafice of Jesus Christ. And every good thing in life will be improved by following him more completely. Our families will be more connected, our love will grow deeper, athletics will have a new perspective, the scriptures will become more real, we will experience real joy, friendships will strengthen, peace will come in times of need, the beauty of creation and nature will inspire us even more, and music will be a means for revelation. Every good thing is available to us because of Christ, and we can obtain these blessings by following Mormon's last bit of counsel. "Men exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing." (Moroni7:25) Let us all serve to strengthen our Faith in Christ and follow him more completely so that we too may lay hold upon every good thing.