The greatest gift!

                                 We are each given gifts. 

                                           Each gift is:

                                              different size,

                                              different color,

                                              different weight,

                                              different bow,

                                              different wrapping

                                              paper. 

 There are several gifts we can recieve and give in life.  But as you probably have figured out, I am not talking about physical gifts.  But gifts that are given by our loving Heavenly Father.  Read through the list below, pick out 4 gifts that you would want in this life.

The gift of:

Love

A family forever

Sports

Religion

Scriptures
Prayer

Scrapbooking

A testimony
The Atonement
Sewing
Swimming
Reading
Knowledge
Memory
Cooking
Health

Popularity

The Holy Ghost

Atheletic

Now ponder in your minds those gifts that you picked out while you read this scripture.

Moroni 10:18 "And I would exhort you, my beloved brothren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ." 

Now, out of those gifts that you picked, which ones are eternal gifts?  Which of those gifts that you have selected are things that we are going to be able to continue to enjoy in the next life? 

We have to remember to always select good gifts.  Just a little bit later in Moroni 10 verse 30, we are reminded to "...lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing."  Now I am not saying that some of these gifts are evil, for we are told to develop our gifts and talents we are given in this life.  But, to remember those gifts that we have been given are good, but the better and best gifts are those that are spiritual.  We have to remember to give our spiritual gifts as much attention and detication as we do our physical, or temporal gifts.  If we strived everyday to grow and develop those spiritual gifts as much as we do our temporal gifts, we would be able to come closer to God and be strengthened by him. 

With all the gifts we can recieve, there is one gift that tops them all. 

Doctrine and Covenants 6:13

"If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation."

Prepare yourself each and everyday to be able to recieve this gift.  Study the scriptures, go to church, obey the prophets, pray, develop all the spiritual gifts our Father has given to you at this time.  I know that if we do these things, we will be able to recieve this great gift of salvation!

What are some spiritual as well as temporal gifts that you have been blessed with?

What the Book of Mormon means to us!

The Book of Mormon was translated by a prophet of God.  Joseph Smith, a called prophet in these latter-days was called by God to translate ancient records to bring back the fullness of the Gospel.  Here is a challenge the Book of Mormon gives to the world. 

 

1. Write a history of an ancient people convering a period from 2200 B.C. to 400 A.D.

2. Include the history of two distinct, separate nations along with histories of different conntemporary nations or groups of people. 

3. Describe their religious, economic, social, and political cultures and institutions.

4. Weave into their history the story of Jesus Christ and the pattern of Christian religion.
5. Consider yourself 23 years of age and without formal school education.
6. Write this record on about 520 pages, with 500 words to each page.
7. You must never make any absurd, impossible or contradictory statements.
8. You must finish this record within 90 days and make no changes in the text.  The first edition must last forever.
9. You must proclaim that this narrative is not fiction but true sacred history.
10. You must invite the ablest scholars and experts to examine the text with care, to expose any flaws in it.

11. You must write this history of the basis of what you know now.

12. You must publish it in every nation to every kindred, tongue and people declaring it to be the word of God.

13. You must include within the record a marvelous and unique promise, a way to prove the truthfulness of the book. (Moroni 10:4)

14. This record must fulfill Bible prophecies, even to the exact manner in which it shall come forth.  To whom it shall be given and its purpose and accomplishments.
15. Your descriptions of the cultures of these peoples are not known when you bring forth the record.
16. Many of the facts, ideas and statements given as true in your record must be entirely inconsistent and in direct opposition to the prevailing beliefs of the world.

17. Thorough investigation, scientific evedience and archelolgical discoveries for the next 125 years must verify its claims and prove its truthfulness even to the minutest detail.

18.  After 125 years of extensive analysis, no claim or statement in the book is disproven, but all are vindicated.  All theories and ideas opposing its origin rise only to fall., leaving your own claim as the only possible or plausible one.

19. Internal and exterrnal evidences and prophecies must be confirmed and fulfilled in the next 125 years.

20. Fair, honest and credible witnesses must testfy to the whole world that an angel from heaven appeared to them and showed them the records.  That they handled the records and felt the engravings there on.

21. You must cause the voice of the Redeemer to call out from Heaven to declare to these men that the record is true and for them to declare its truthfulnesss and message to the world, and cause these witnesses to do it.

22. They must bear this testimony, not for personal gain, but at great personal sacrifice and throught persecution, even to death.

23. Thousands of great scholars and intellectuals must subscribe discipleship to this record and its movements even to the point of laying down their lives.

24. Many other thousands must bear testimony that it is true because they have put the promise (Moroni 10:4) to the test and recieved a testimony of its truthfulness.

25. After 20 years of revilement and persecution, you must then be ready to give your own life as a testimony that the record is divine and true, and that its message of truth is from God.

The Book of Mormon is an amazing book!  It can answer all the questions we have, especially those of the soul.  This book has brought many of God's truth to the world again through a very humble man named Joseph Smith.  Joseph Smith was able to translate it through the power of God.  This book was meant for each of us to read, ponder, and pray to better our relationship with our families and our loving Heavenly Father!

What has the Book of Mormon meant to you?  What are some simple truths you have recieved by studying the Book of Mormon?

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What Heaven sees in You!

I have been listening to this song a lot lately called "What heaven sees in You" by Doug and Sherry Walker.  My favorite section states:

"And the Father looked down

And the angels surrounded that place

They knew the truth, all that you could do

And you will, too, if you have eyes to see

What heaven sees in you"

This Chorus has been running through my mind a lot lately.  Why is it so hard to sometimes see what Heaven can see in us.  We start to feel like the ugly duckling and think that we are not good enough.  But when we open our eyes and see what we are in God's eyes, We can rise to our potential and become the gorgeous swan that we were meant to be.  The Ugly Duckling thought he was suppose to be a duck and he quickly realized he was different.  But excepting that he was different than the others and could never become anything was a choice that brought him down.  When he saw who he could be and became a swan, he was the best swan on the lake!  A lot of times I feel like the ugly duckling!  But when we see ourselves through Heavens eyes, we have no need to. 





 Watch this video and contemplate what our Heavenly Father sees in each of us. 

 

 

 

We are Sons and Daughters of a Heavenly Father.  We are precious and loved deeply.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he trusted us to come to this earth so that we could progess and then return and live with Him.  He wants us back.  He sees goodness, talents, gifts, love, loyalty, knowledge, and a worthy person to help all of God's other children on this earth!  You were sent to earth at this time, for a special reason.  Never believe that you are not worth EVERYTHING our Heavenly Father gives you.  You are worth it!  He believes in you.  Believe in Yourself!

 

Sister Powell

"Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy"

In a talk given by Elder Angel Abrea called "The 'little things' and Eternal Life" Elder Abrea states this about Sabbath attendance:

"Have we thought about the tremendous spiritual deterioration that results from not keeping the Sabbath day holy? This commandment involves much more than just resting from our labors. Keeping the Sabbath day holy inherently builds spiritual character and prepares us for what is to come. By observing this commandment, we will have power over evil; we will be more capable of keeping the commandments of the Lord and maintaining ourselves unspotted from the sins of the world. (See D&C 59:9.)

More specifically, speaking about the Sabbath day, have we thought about the spiritual malnourishment that results from not attending our sacrament meetings, or attending them with a wrong attitude? The sacred covenant made by the members of the Church at baptism should be the prevailing thought and feeling in our hearts and minds as we partake of the sacrament. If we can achieve this, we will always have the Spirit of the Lord with us.

No member of the Church can ignore or simply put aside the weekly renewal of this covenant and pretend to maintain the Spirit. If we really understand the purpose of our sacrament meetings, we will attend them not just to hear someone speak, which is of course important, but to renew the sacred covenants made with our Father in Heaven in the name of his son, Jesus Christ. Those who make a habit of not attending this weekly service, and fail to repent, put in great danger their spiritual stability and welfare."

I know that it is through our Sunday worship and willingness to keep the Sabbath Day holy that our Heavenly Father will bless us and help us have the strength to remain "unspotted from the world." (D&C 59:9)  If we are struggling with anything in life, it is through our willingness to give one day to the Lord that He will be more willing to bless and help us overcome anything in our lives.  Our loving Heavenly Father sees it as such importance for our welfare on this earth that He made it a Commandment.  I know keeping the Sabbath Day holy is important and we will be blessed for keeping this commandment!

Sister Powell

His Hands

"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."  2 Nephi 19:12, 17, 21

Three times is this chapter states that Christ's hand is still stretched out.  This chapter talks about all the wickedness and bad things that the people are going to do while on this earth.  Yet three different times Isaiah restates that Jesus Christ leaves His hand stretched out for the people.

The story of Peter getting out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water reminds me of His hand being stretched out still.  In Matthew 14:30-31 it states:
                           "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying Lord, save me.
                           And immediately, Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  

Yes, Jesus got frustrated that Peter doubted, but he didn't wait for Peter to go under completely or waited until he learned his lesson as he tried to swim.  Jesus Christ is not that way.  He IMMEDIATELY stretched forth His hand.  Christ won't wait until we have fallen to our lowest state before he is willing to save us.  His hand is stretched out always.

It is Christ's "work and Glory-to bring to past the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39).  Christ is always doing everything He can to help us to be able to return to our Father in Heaven.
Jacob 5:47 "But what could I have done more in my vineyard?  Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it?  Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth night.  And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned...."  We are just like trees in the vineyard.  We need to be pruned and digged so that we might more fully prosper and produce the best fruit.  Through the different trials, Christ prunes us and helps us reach our full potential.  He works dilegently in the vineyard, all day long!  Trials will allow us to come closer to God or drive us away.  They drive us away because when trials hit, we aren't using our spiritual eyes and seeing the pruning that is taking place.  We cannot allow ourselves to be hardened when trials hit.  Hardening our hearts is not the intent of our personal pruning, or trials, coming closer to God is the purpose.  In Jacob 6:4, "...but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God." 
The fall of people is not due to the fact that Christ hasn't helped them or he has forsaken them, for His hands have labored and done everything possible to save them.  We are the ones that have to reach up and grab His hand and call upon our Savior, Jesus Christ, to help us.  Repentance is hard because we are being pruned.  Its hard to change and become something different.  Repenting is allowing Christ's outstretched hand to catch us.  We are exercising faith when we grab his hand and allow him to work in our lives.  His hand is always there.  Isaiah 9:12 in the footnote for the word hand states: " In spite of all, the LORD is available if they will turn to him."  When we reach for that hand, we are given access to God (Isaiah 9:12 footnote e).


I know that out-stretched hand is for each of us.  Because of the Atonement Christ can support us during any pains, sorrows, guilt, and temptations that this world gives us.  Believe that Jesus Christ is mighty "to save and to cleanse (Alma 7:14).