Whenever You Wonder...

It'll Be Okay!

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all.

D&C 122:7-8

Merry Christmas

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Christ is speaking in this verse as a follow up to a question: How will one come to know of the Lord? He answers that it will be by and through the power of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. It is through that same Spirit that the peace Jesus talked about comes to us...

When He says, "Not as the world giveth, give I unto you", it makes me think of all the things we have here. The beauty and the joy to be had in this world... it's beyond exquisite, yes? Yet no matter all the amusement parks in the world, all the money in the banks, and all the serenity that nature has to offer (or whatever else floats your boat), it cannot hold a candle to the peace He offers. Even the greatest of all that is around us pales in comparison to its Master.


After All, He Created It In The First Place

Feeling The Spirit, Getting Answers

I had one of the most spiritual experiences of my life last night.

As we were teaching one of our investigators who has slowly but surely been progressing, I had the prompting that we needed to do something completely off script. As he was telling Elder Goodwin and I about how he wanted so desperately to get back to his happy self and to get back in touch with his Heavenly Father, I felt that we needed to go straight to the source to ask exactly step by step what God had in store for this man.

Serious Times Need Serious To-Do Lists... More Serious Then This One Anyways

The Holy Spirit had testified to me as this man was talking that he was ready to receive personal revelation.

As we kneeled in prayer, each of us offering a prayer for inspiration and guidance with our investigator speaking last, I learned so much in how I personally feel the Spirit. I can tell when the Spirit is present and when it is not, but sometimes I have trouble recognizing exactly what is going on or what is being whispered to me. This time, I got one of the most profound answers I've ever received through the absolute peace and stillness by which these answers were conveyed.

It took me back to the Missionary Training Center when I first started out as a missionary, a time when I things were still very rough. I had felt that I was somehow stalled in my progression and hit a plateau that I couldn't quite overcome. I had been beating myself up over it and it had been getting in the way of everything else, but then one of my instructors talked me down and told me I needed to go into an unused classroom to talk to my Heavenly Father.

In that brief moment of time, everything dissolved away. I had expected to feel the burning or tingle that I often associate with the Spirit. However, as I prayed and pleaded for help and an understanding of what was going on with me, that complete and total feeling of peace came upon me. It was so absolute that I couldn't help but feel everything would be alright.

I felt that same calm again last night as we talked and pleaded for help and guidance. We asked in faith, and I know that we all received inspired individual steps to help one of Gods children get his life in order. The Spirit testified this to me...

Where it goes from here with this story, I don't know yet. I just know that this man felt the Spirit just as strongly as I did, and I know that as he acts upon those things that he received that he will obtain all that his Father in Heaven has for him. I offer my solemn testimony that God lives and loves each of us and that He sent His Son to redeem all mankind because He loves us, and I know He loves us enough to hear every prayer we have ever had. Keep speaking, He hears you.

Time For A Cookie :]

I Need Some Sleep, It Can't Go On Like This

Who would have thought a simple reflex action could unveil so much to me? I realized something about myself last night as the clock struck 3:27am... that time of night had a pretty good thunderstorm directly overhead and it happened to wake all three of us Elders up with one particularly awesome roll of thunder.

As I woke up startled by the storm, I immediately slid out of bed onto my knees into the prayer position.

Now let me just say, some missionaries go their entire mission without effectively getting to the point where as soon as they wake up they automatically get into their morning prayer. Its a tough groove to get into! Last night though, just as soon as I woke up, BAM! onto the floor I went! I didn't recognize it at the time, but once I started to reflect upon it I realized what an accomplishment that was to wake up and hit the floor.

But still, the longer I pondered on last night and the more my mind started to penetrate the fog that shrouded the memory of it, the more profound I understood it to be. Unlike some mornings, I remember the actual prayer I offered last night. Where usually they can prove to be mundane or wrote or unimaginative, this time I had slid to my knees and prayed that we would be safe.

I had prayed that no harm or accident would befall any of my companions or people in the area who we knew. I prayed that I would be okay, and that everything would be okay. Shoot, I even got a little overdramatic at the time (we all know how crazy it is being between dreaming and waking) and asked to make sure no tornado's came and blew us all away!

Its good that I'm in the groove to get outta bed... but that's not what really caught me offguard. I'm one of those people who sometimes feels his prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, and plenty of times I look for guidance and feel as if I somehow come up short or didn't receive an answer in any measurable way. But last night as I kneeled somewhere between awake and dreaming, I knew without a doubt that every thing was going to be alright. I just felt warm all of a sudden, like somebody had thrown a fleece blanket straight from the dryer onto me. I recieved in a very real way the comfort that I had prayed for as I awoke like a little child scared of the big bad storm in the night.

It has surprised me as I started looking on how much I've come to rely on God and the Savior in just this short time ive been out here. My first response to being scared was turning to prayer, calling for my Shepherd. Now don't get me wrong... I still got a long way to go (im hard headed), but I would like to think im slowly gaining ground on, "becoming as a little child" as Jesus talks about in Matthew 18:3-4. Maybe its going to take a couple more storms for me to really get it, but im hoping sooner rather then later.

Following the Spirit

All people (missionaries included) can use as much help as they can get. So often we have heard wonderful and inspiring messages from across the world in regards to stories where someone followed a, "whispering" or simply knew that, "there was something they needed to do" to avoid disaster or help someone in need. I can personally testify to the power of the spirit and the blessings that come to those who heed the gentle call from the spirit, as well as the great benefit that it can be to those people with whom they come into contact with.

We read in Kings that the spirit is not loud, but we are promised that who ever qualifies for the spirit will feel of its presence and be guided and led at all times and in all places. Granted, the spirit will not dwell in places where it is not invited or would be offended, so it is a continual effort on all of our parts to be living our lives in accordance to a way that would keep the spirit close to us.

We must also be willing to listen. How often would you be willing to give advice or try to help someone who just isn’t getting the message? Same thing here... the spirit can and will strive with anyone who will strive with it no matter who that person is or what their understanding of the spirit is, "for he speaketh unto men according to their language unto their understanding."

We can all feel of the Holy Spirit according to its power as we live our lives in a way that is in line and in tune with the spirit of god. To gain the Gift of the Holy Ghost (in which we always have that spirit to be with us as we live faithfully and righteously), we must receive it through the laying on of hands after baptism by one holding the proper priesthood authority of god. Still, that spirit, though not always with us fully until we personally receive it after confirmation, has touched all of our lives at one point or another. Many who have not received it still can recognize it and be led, guided, and comforted through the hardships and trials of life because of the wonderful love that god has for all of his children.

I invite everyone to personally consider the times in their lives where they have been influenced by the Holy Spirit and remember that experience as vividly as possible. Like any good golfers swing, bask in that moment to allow yourself to further get in touch with what it is and how it feels. As we follow the promptings and whisperings of the Holy Ghost, I can promise great blessings from listening to the guidance we are all provided.

The Comforter

Our Father in heaven loves each and everyone of his children dearly, so dearly that he always is standing with his arms outstretched and at the ready to pour out blessings upon us. One of these great blessings we can receive is the Gift of the Holy Ghost that comes upon us after baptism by someone holding the priesthood or the authority of god. Though we will always have trials in our life, the Spirit gives us guidance and comfort and strength as we remember god and the promises we make at baptism, to take upon ourselves the name of Christ in all the things that we do. This blessing of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is beyond value!

I have personally witnessed the ability of the Spirit of God to bless and uplift those who receive it. Though it helps with everyday struggles as well, it is most apparent in times of crisis... a father losing his job, a mother finding herself in illness, then the loss of their child. I cannot pretend to know exactly what happened in this situation or how deeply the spirit really did impact the lives of that family, but I know through listening to the prayers of gratitude that the family shared afterwords and through the ability they had to press forward in faith that their comfort came from the Spirit.

To continually bless you, the gift of peace that the Holy Ghost brings has to be given to you. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). While the spirit can and does touch the lives of all mankind throughout their mortal existence, having the comforter there always must be given through the laying on of hands. As we then receive that gift and welcome it through reverence and prayer, we can all come to know firsthand the blessings that come from having someone who brings peace continually and brings happiness and light into our lives.

The influence is undeniable. The blessings are real. The Comforter is willing, so long as we are willing as well to be healed and take peace.

Additional Link:
Christ Asks Us to Come Unto Him and Be Healed
3 Nephi 9:13-14