Jesus Christ is the Light of the World!

At the beginning of the month the Prophet of the world and his two counselors spoke via satellite broadcast to the world about Christmas and preparing our hearts for this season of giving and rejoicing in the life of Jesus Christ!

CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL 2011



This is a touching video about looking to the LIGHT = Jesus this Christmas season

Jesus Christ, Our Savior

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. He is our Redeemer. The Holy Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ's mother was Mary, His father on earth was Joseph, that He was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, and labored with Joseph as a carpenter. When he turned 30, He began a three-year ministry of teaching, blessing, and healing the people of the Holy Land. He also organized His Church and gave His apostles "power and authority" (Luke 9:1) to assist in His work.

I learned from a young age that my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. Throughout my life I have had many faith building experiences to confirm this fact. I know of their love for me through the study of scriptures and prayer. I feel my Savior's love when I learn of His sacrifice for me and all mankind. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost that witnesses and testifies of His gospel and eternal truths.

In the New Testament, we learn about the "fruits of the spirit." They are the following:

Galatians 5:22-23:

22But the ^afruit of the ^bSpirit is ^clove, ^djoy, ^epeace, ^flongsuffering, ^ggentleness, goodness, ^hfaith,

23^aMeekness, ^btemperance: against such there is no law.

When we feel these types of feelings we can know for a fact that truth is being taught and the Holy Ghost is witnessing it to us.

In John 14:26, we learn that the Holy Ghost will teach us the truth of all things:
26But the ^aComforter, which is the ^bHoly Ghost, whom the Father will send in my ^cname, he shall ^dteach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


Through these two scriptures we learn that Heavenly Father speaks to us and teaches us through the Holy Ghost. We can learn of His plan and love for us if we but listen with our spiritual ears.
This is not always easy to do. In fact, it takes a lot of focus and desire. We must push aside the distractions of this world and tune in to the messages that are laid before us in Holy scriptures. We then must act in faith and pray unto our Heavenly Father to ask if what we read and ponder is true or not. I know from experience that this recipe works. I know that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ love me.

The video below shows some history past and present in preparation for the Savior's Second Coming. Doctrine and Covenants 45:24–38, The gospel will be restored, the times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, and a desolating sickness will cover the land; 39–47, Signs, wonders, and the Resurrection are to attend the Second Coming;

I am a Child of God

I am a Child of God and so ARE YOU! I love this beautiful rendition of this hymn. The creator of this catchy video did a great job designing it.
As I watched it tonight and thought about what it means to be a child of God, I pondered on the idea for awhile. My mind instantly turned to my own son who is just over a year old. I thought, He is a child and is a great example to me in many things. He is pure and innocent, full of loves and giggles, and is surely alive in Christ. Oft times, I know that I am full of pride and natural man tendencies. I believe we could all learn a great deal by observing children and remembering that no matter our age, we are each a child of God.

The scriptures teach us to be Christlike and also to humble ourselves and to be as children:

Mosiah 3:19 ~ The Book of Mormon
19For the ^anatural ^bman is an ^cenemy to God, and has been from the ^dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he ^eyields to the enticings of the Holy ^fSpirit, and ^gputteth off the ^hnatural man and becometh a ⁱsaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ^jchild, ^ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Book of Mormon Reaches Another Milestone: 150 Million and Counting

Atlanta LDS Temple Rededication~

Atlanta, Georgia LDS Temple

My family is soon to move to the Atlanta, Georgia area and we are super excited for the re-dedication and reopening of the Latter-day Saint Temple there. It is a beautiful temple and we will definitely be going there often to enjoy the peace and serenity that exists on the temple grounds. Here is a clip from the LDS Church newsroom:

Church President Thomas S. Monson Rededicates Atlanta Georgia Temple After Renovation

I am so grateful for the temple and the many blessings we receive by learning more about them. The temple is a sanctuary from the world, a holy place where we can learn more about the plan of happiness that our loving Heavenly Father has made for us. In the temples, we can be sealed as husband and wife for time and all eternity. We learn more about wh ere we came from, why we are here on this earth, and where we are going after this life. It gives meaning and purpose to life and is a wonderful blessing.

Enjoy this short video on temples:

Mormon Temples: The Blessings of the Temple

Washington D.C. LDS Temple

Agency

Today in church, I led our gospel principles class as the Holy Ghost taught and testified of the following truths from the holy scriptures:

• Moses 7:32

  The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

• 2 Nephi 2:27

  Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who gives us agency to choose right from wrong and learn for ourselves. We are here upon the earth to be tested. As we are tested, we are faced with much opposition in all things. In the book of Nephi we learn that opposition is necessary to the plan of salvation.

• 2 Nephi 2:11

  For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Each of us on earth have this gift of agency. We are the only ones who can halt our progression by allowing bad influences/choices to creep into our lives. We have been given the gift of agency to exercise faith unto repentance and to seek the Savior, Jesus Christ's path and teachings.

May you have a great week and choose the right when the choice is placed before you!

C. Poulsen ~

Apostles ~ Christ's church is founded upon this quorum.

Christ ordaining His original Apostles

During Christ's time on the earth, He established his church and called 12 Apostles to stand as special witnesses of Him and to be the foundation of His church. It is no different today in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church has been restored to the earth in its fullness and these 12 brothers have been called and given the proper keys and authority of the priesthood to administer the affairs of Christ's church.

Quorum of the 12 Apostles 2011

Yesterday I witnessed two baptisms. Following the baptisms the two newest members of Christ's church were confirmed and given the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by worthy Melchezidek Priesthood holders. The priesthood has been restored to the earth to allow the people of all nations to receive these essential, saving ordinances.

Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith the Prophet.

Restoration of the Melchezidek Priesthood to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I am so grateful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the "Mormon" church. It has blessed me abundantly with a greater understanding of the love my Heavenly Father has for each of us, His children. I know more about his eternal plan of salvation and happiness. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost that whispers this to my heart and teaches me by these feelings:

• Galatians 5:22

  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, ^btemperance: against such there is no law.

Whenever we experience these types of feelings we can know with certainty that the Holy Ghost is teaching us truth from our Father in Heaven.

• John 14:26

  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Have a blessed Sabbath Day today. If you're unfamiliar with what I have shared today, I invite you to pray to God about it and ask Him if it's true? For God is the source of all truth.

Baptism

Baptism is an essential ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone who holds the proper priesthood authority.

Baptism is known as the gateway to salvation. We first must exercise faith unto repentance. Once we have faith in Christ and are willing to repent of our sins and mistakes, the Savior invites us to "Come Follow Me." The way we show the Savior and others our willingness to follow Him, we take upon us his name by being baptized.

2 Nephi: Chapter 31

Nephi tells why Christ was baptized—Men must follow Christ, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end to be saved—Repentance and baptism are the gate to the strait and narrow path—Eternal life comes to those who keep the commandments after baptism. About 559–545 B.C.

Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of new life just as the Savior died and rose again.

Christ taught us to repent and enter in at the straight and narrow gate that leads to eternal life.

3 Nephi 27:20,33
20Now this is the commandment: ^aRepent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be ^bbaptized in my name, that ye may be ^csanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand ^dspotless before me at the last day.

Enter ye in at the ^astrait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein

The first principles and ordinances of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are:

1. Faith in Jesus Christ
2. Repentance for the remission of sins
3. Baptism by immersion
4. Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost

This coming week I will get to witness a couple of baptisms. My nephew will be baptized at the age of 8 and a friend of 25 years old will be baptized along with her son who just turned 8. As the Ward Mission Leader for my ward, I will be attending the baptism of Judith and Terrence Joe.

Gratitude

Gratitude - today in our Elder's quorum we discussed this topic and I have been contemplating it all today. A few of the main reasons we tend to lack gratitude is because our pride and ego get in the way. Often we take life for granted along with the many blessings we've been offered. We also discussed that many of us feel entitlement for that new car or house or keeping up with the neighbors and always "wanting" more...never satisfied with what we've been given. It was a great lesson that made me ponder all that I am grateful for.

I wanted to illustrate what I have been thinking today with the following acronym:

G - Gospel, I am extremely grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and my understanding and testimony of it. I feel very blessed to have the fullness of the gospel at my fingertips each new day when I get up. I hope and pray more people may discover the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ this year of 2011! WHY become a Mormon?

R - Repentance, Jesus Christ has made it possible for each of us to overcome sins through repentance. The ABC's of Repentance are 1. Admit you've done something wrong, 2. Be SORRY, 3. Correct the problem, 4. Don't do it again!

2 Nephi 31:17
17Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and ^abaptism by water; and then cometh a ^bremission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

A - (At - one) - ment, The Atonement of Christ enables each individual to repent, be cleansed and become at one with Christ. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have been granted to improve and work at overcoming my weaknesses.

T - Testimony, I am grateful that I have a testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am also very thankful for the testimonies of the living prophet and apostles.
I - am a Mormon. My heart is full of gratitude for the privilege it is of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

T - Temple, I love to see the temple and go there as often as I can. It is a special place of holiness where one can learn the mysteries of God such as where we came from, why are we here, and where are we going after this life.

U - Understanding, I am grateful for my understanding of the Plan of Happiness our Heavenly Father has laid out and revealed to us through scriptures and living prophets and apostles.

D - Discipleship, I am grateful that I get to stand as a witness of Christ each day and strive to live my life by example. Being a follower of Christ is a huge blessing with many benefits.

E - Eternal Perspective, As I ponder all of these things I gain an eternal perspective of what I have been given and blessed with throughout my life. I know that where much is given much is required. I hope to teach my family about gratitude and to become more grateful this year.

Happy New Years ~ Goals for 2011

Another year has come and gone; 2010 was a great year and 2011 will bring many new and exciting experiences. I love the fresh start of a new year, new month, new week, and new day.

My family experienced many new things this past year, but the best part of our year was that we added a little one to our family. It was the highlight of the year for sure. Becoming a parent is a great blessing. It is a privilege to be entrusted a little baby to raise, train, and teach. I am so grateful to be a new daddy.

In 2010, I also began a graduate study program in Human Resources and business management at Utah State University. So far it has been a lot of work but a great experience. I have met many new friends and colleagues.

Today, my wife and I were asked to speak in church. Our topic was priorities and goals.

My beautiful wife gave a great talk on making relationships a top priority this year. She gave great insights on how to enrich our current relationships with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, our spouse and family members, as well as friends and colleagues. Due to time restraints, she was not able to speak about developing new relationships which is also important.
My talk leaned more towards setting goals, especially spiritual goals.

I decided to break up the word GOALS and focus on some key ideas and suggestions for spiritual growth in the New Year.

G ospel, Get to work, Go to the temple. Sharing the gospel and our testimonies of it will help strengthen us and those around us. Get to work - by being anxiously engaged in a good cause.

27Verily I say, men should be ^aanxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

Go to the temple - here we can learn about the plan of salvation with lessons of where did we come from, why are we here, and where are we going after this life.

O bedience - Jesus Christ is our perfect example of obedience unto God the Father. He gave His will unto the Father in all things and lived a sinless life. We should obey the commandments and learn to follow Him.

A t-one-ment - When we develop a personal relationship with Christ, we can become At-One with Him. By repenting of our sins and applying the Savior's atonement for us, we can be forgiven and progress spiritually.

L ove - We should love our neighbors as ourselves. We should love our spouse and children. And we should love life! Charity is the pure love of Christ. In the Book of Mormon we learn more about this. REPLACE the word charity with Christ . This is a true principle for everyone.

46Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47But ^acharity is the pure ^blove of Christ, and it endureth ^cforever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^apray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true ^bfollowers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall ^cbe like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be ^dpurified even as he is pure. Amen.

S acrifice, Service, Spirit, Savior - These all go hand in hand. As we sacrifice our time and talents to serve others we are following the Savior's example and allowing the spirit to be our guide.

With my ideas and suggestions, perhaps we can set some new goals to improve in any one of these areas.

In 2011, I hope to work on going to the temple once per week and developing a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, scripture study, and temple worship.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year's: Look Not behind Thee