"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the new year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied: "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way."
I am looking forward to the coming winter season, esspecially Christmas. Here in Rhode Island we have yet to receive a blanket of snow. When I think of the winter season I can't help but Think of Isaiah 1:18 which reads, Come now, and lest us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. What a good reminder the snow can be to us that through Christ we can be made clean and white even though we are stained with sin.
Do you ever get sick of being good? Keeping the commandments is too hard. All these rules and relations that prohibit me from having fun. Why do we have to follow all these commandments and why does God give them to us? Sometimes it might seem too difficult. Growing up I loved to fly kites and I have come to find out that my missionary companion Elder Meira was practically a professional kite flier. A kite in a heavy wind is kept secure by the tight string of the person holding it. The string keeps the kite from flying away and keeps it steady in the sometimes violent wind. Without the string the kite is lost and tossed around in the wind to go in ever direction it blows. In our own lives we are going to face many violent winds and the commandments are much like that sting that hold us to God when trials and temptation might blow our way. Without the string we too are lost. In 2 Nephi 1:20 it reads,"Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." I know that as we keep the commandments of God we like a kite in a heavy wind can stay secure in difficult circumstances. Let the commandments be a blessing rather than a burden in your life.
Life is full of goodbyes. Sending off a son to war, or off into mission service, saying goodbye at death and just for someone leaving town. On the mission it has always been hard for me personal to say goodbye to a place in which I have worked so hard and love. I cannot help but think of how hard it was to say goodbye as we left the presence of our Father in Heaven. I wonder what he said, what were his last words of advice before we came to earth? Our purpose in life is to prepare to meet him again (Alma 34:32). We are birds who have left the nest to prove we will be obedient to the Father. I love the hymn O My Father, it truly speaks to the soul as to where we came from. I am so grateful to know that I once lived in the presence of my Father in Heaven. I am also grateful to know why we are here and where we are going, thanks to the Plan of Salvation.
A neck tie is a very precious part of a missionaries life. It is one of the only ways in which Mormon missionaries can show their personality. Some missionaries trade while others just collect. Some are skinny while others look like my Grandmother's sofa. Personally I've ruined about every tie I own with spills and accidents; I'm kind of notorious for it. But I'd never tell my mom or she'd stop sending them. The other day I spilled butter down one of my favorite silk ties. Yes, it was a bit depressing but I got over it because it's just a tie. After thumbing over the experience I was reminded how I too am stained. I to am covered in sin, however I'm grateful my stains can be washed clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, unlike my tie. I love the verse in Isaiah that reads, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."Isaiah 1:18
The world moves fast and it seems that there is a lot that we could and should do. Where do we put our priorities with the many distractions of life? Since I have started to use the computer after a long absence of time, I have come to realise how time flies while on it. With the television, sports, the computer, families, work and the gospel how do we know what to put first? I do not have an answer or good advice. But I have always been taught the slogan Good, Better, Best. Elder Scott gives a wonderful talk on the subject on where we should spend our time entitled, First Things First. I think I often need to reevaluate what really matters in life and how does the time I spend correspond to it. Sometimes as a missionary it seems there is not enough time in the day to fit in all the things that needed to be done. I can't imagine having a family a job and everything in between. How do you manage your time?
As of lately my mind has been focused on the principle of gratitude. In general conference we heard great talks from our Prophet Thomas S. Monson (The Divine Gift of Gratitude) and also the apostles, such as Elder Holland, on this very subject. I too am so grateful for my many blessings; there is so much to be thankful for. I am grateful for my family, my companion, the people of Providence, the beautiful fall colors and especially my Savior Jesus Christ, to name a few. I love the hymn Count Your Blessings - #241 and I too need thank the Lord for all I have been given. Like the Leper I hope I will return and thank the Lord for healing me.
The roads in New England and especially Providence are a mess. Sometimes I wonder if the founder throw some spaghetti on a map a declared that's where our streets shall be. Because of the confusing roads many people seem to use the GPS; but personal for my own reasons I'm a map kind of guy.Anyway while on my mission I was told a great analogy with a GPS and the gospel that has stuck with me. When you plug in the location of where you are heading on the GPS it creates an arrow leading you on the path to get to your destination or home. But if you stray from this arrow the kind voice on the GPS will then say "recalculating route." The GPS then quick tries to figure out the shortest way to get you back on the path. It is much the same with our Savior Jesus Christ; when we have strayed from that strait and narrow path he always is there to help us find the pathway home.InDoctrine and Covenants 78:18 it reads, "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along." So no matter how far we have ventured off the path Christ will always recalculate our route to get home to our Heavenly Father.
Change is in the air, and there is no better place to be than New England. Though there are not too many trees in Providence, driving around and through the surrounding areas you can see the beauty of this wonderful season. Like this beautiful season of change I am reminded of the change that our Savior Jesus Christ can make inside ourselves. The change is not so much physical but through His atonement He can change us spiritual. I am so grateful for the change he makes in my life every time I repent. I am not turning yellow or red but I am turning into his friend. While walking around I collect these beautiful leaves to remind myself of the change He makes in my life.
Why do we have the book of Mormon? We have the Bible, is that not good enough? These are just a few of the questions that I get asked daily when introducing the Book of Mormon to others. These are legitimate questions and can all be answered with this amazing book of scripture. So does God have more scripture than the Bible? In 2Nephi 29:7 it answers these important questions. It reads, “Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?” Then in verse 9 God answers our question, “And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.”
God loves all his children no bias to time or location. I know the book was specifically written for me and also you. Through the Book of Mormon we can truly find the fullness of the everlasting gospel and know that it has been restored upon the earth. One thing that stands out to me is how the Book of Mormon answers our questions. You give me any question and I promise you I can answer it with this book. I dare you! I know the Book of Mormon to be true through the witness of the Holy Ghost; for there is no greater witness. And you too can know this same truth by getting on your knees and asking God.
What makes us happy in life? In a world full of activity and excitement it's hard to find for ourselves true inner peace and happiness. For me true happiness comes in my family and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is where I feel God's love and know I can turn in all times. I will not lie the world can bring us happiness but it is fleeting. Instant gratification is at our finger tips with the Internet, fast food and the world in which we live. The Lord has a plan for all of his children to be happy, it's called the Plan of Happiness (go figure). In the Book of Mormon it tells us, "Behold I say unto you wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10). I know that if we follow God's plan with exactness we can all find the happiness that God waits to bless us with. Check out God's secret to true happiness at: http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/#the-secret-of-happiness
Starting a Blog is a lot harder than I imagined. I thought I was up with technology but I was wrong. I am sure I will figure this all eventually. Pray for me.
