Restoration of Christ's gospel

My Sabbath day has been rich in spirit and I have learned much today. I was reminded of and learned many things that will assist me in my path of spiritual progression. The particular message I want to share on my weekly blog update today is the message of the Restoration of Christ's gospel and priesthood to the earth. The video above illustrates clearly the vision that young Joseph Smith had to open this last dispensation and bring the fullness of the truth back to the earth.

In the Holy Bible we learn that an apostasy (falling away from truth) must occur and that a restitution of all things would happen.

19 ¶^aRepent ye therefore, and be ^bconverted, that your sins may be ^cblotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the ^dpresence of the Lord;

20 And he shall send ^aJesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:^b

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of ^arestitution of all things, which God hath ^bspoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

ACTS 3:19-21

I am grateful for the restoration of Christ's gospel and priesthood that enable all people everywhere to come unto Christ and partake of His many blessings. Through the restored gospel we learn about the plan of salvation and what each of us must do to return to live with our Heavenly Father some day.

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When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established His Church among His followers. After His Crucifixion and the deaths of His Apostles, the fulness of the gospel was taken from the earth because of widespread apostasy. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ restored the fulness of the gospel. The true Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again. Because of the Restoration, the teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation are available to all people. ~ lds.org

To learn more for yourself about Christ's Church being restored please read one of my favorite sermons on the restoration. It was given by an apostle of Jesus Christ, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: THE WONDROUS RESTORATION

~ C. Poulsen

Sabbath Day and Service

Ever had a fork in the road?

Today was a neat day for me. We woke up to 2-3 inches of fresh snow and the sun glimmering through the window which was beautiful...but it did take a few minutes longer to roll out of bed. I tweaked my lower back playing church basketball yesterday and have been in stiff pain for the past 24 hours. After many phone calls yesterday in search of a chiropractor who works on Saturdays I found someone who could meet and adjust me last evening around 5:30. I was thankful for the relief the treatment gave me and the stretches/exercises he gave me to get healed back to normal quicker.

OK, so today was a neat day because I had the opportunity to go to the Legacy Retirement Home here in Logan and bless and pass the sacrament and speak to a roomful of elderly people whose highlight each week is church and Utah Jazz basketball games on television.

As I prepared my thoughts to share with them, I spoke about my testimony of The Book of Mormon and the gifts that Heavenly Father has given us to endure through the challenges that arise in this mortal life by relying on the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

I shared bits and pieces of a talk given by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the October 2010 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titled, Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life

I also outlined the five main gifts that we are privileged to as followers of Jesus Christ and a few of my favorite scriptures. The five gifts I outlined were as follows and are essential to aid us in progressing to return and live with our Father in Heaven:

1. Gift of Agency - 27 Wherefore, men are ^afree according to the ^bflesh; and ^call things are ^dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to ^echoose ^fliberty and eternal ^glife, 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 ^hmiserable like unto himself.

2. Gift of mortal body - 9 In the ^aimage of his own ^bbody, male and female, ^ccreated he them, and blessed them, and called their ^dname Adam, in the day when they were created and became living ^esouls in the land upon the ^ffootstool of God.

3. Gift of baptism/Holy Ghost -4 We believe that the first principles and ^aordinances of the Gospel are: first, ^bFaith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, ^cRepentance; third, ^dBaptism by ^eimmersion for the ^fremission of sins; fourth, Laying on of ^ghands for the ^hgift of the Holy Ghost.

4. Gift of Temple ordinances - Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey his word, they have been commanded to build temples in which the ordinances of the gospel and other spiritual manifestations that pertain to exaltation and eternal life may be administered. In cases of extreme poverty or emergency, these ordinances may sometimes be done on a mountaintop (see D&C 124:37–55). This may be the case with Mount Sinai and the Mount of Transfiguration. The tabernacle erected by Moses was a type of portable temple, since the Israelites were traveling in the wilderness.

5. Gift of Eternal Life - 25 And this is the ^apromise that he hath promised us, even ^beternal life.

I also shared a few of my favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon and how we should build our lives upon the foundation of Christ and endure to the end. This life literally is a time to prepare to meet God.

Helaman 5:12 - Build your life upon the Rock of Salvation
2 Nephi 31:20 - Press forward and endure to the end
Alma 34:32-34 - This life is a time for man to prepare to meet God

Church was great today and I loved mingling with the older folks...and, my lower back pain caused me to be more sympathetic for those in my presence as many suggested they were in pain.

This evening I had two sick members in my ward call and ask if I could come by and administer a priesthood blessing. I agreed and it has ended my day with my heart full of much gratitude. The service has made me happy and I feel very blessed for the opportunities to learn and grow today.

~C. Poulsen

The beauty of MUSIC ~

*Please turn off music player on right column to view music videos in this post!

I love to hear good music and have many favorite songs and hymns. Music is very powerful and has the ability to lift us up and touch our lives for good. . . But, it can also be degrading and tear down one's peace of mind, thus leading us farther away from the spirit of the Lord.

I am grateful, however, for good, wholesome music that is uplifting and inspires the soul. I appreciate all 'good' music and the talent behind the composer and/or artist. My focus today will be on good gospel music that is centered around Jesus Christ and has the power to heal one's soul. Music can turn the night to day and lift an individual who is feeling down.

Each week that I attend church I am so thankful for the hymns that we sing in praise to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, our elder brother. Many hymns move me in a positive way and I am humbled when I sing or listen to them. Often I get a bit teary-eyed and choked up while singing. It makes me feel closer to my Heavenly Father. There is so much power and emotion behind a beautiful hymn or song.

Although I have many favorites, these are a few of my top picks:

I Stand All Amazed: I truly do each day!


The Holy scriptures teach us to praise the Lord with music:
28 If thou art ^amerry, ^bpraise the Lord with singing, with music, with ^cdancing, and with a ^dprayer of praise and ^ethanksgiving. D&C 136:28

In honor and recognition of the talent portrayed by many in the Grammy music awards:
Grammy-Nominated Artist Shares Testimony through Music


I Need Thee Every Hour - We ALL DO!


How Great Thou Art - One of my favorite renditions...

Freedom and Liberty in America?

*Jon McNaughton is a great artist in the Utah area.

Happy Sunday! I hope you are enjoying your Sabbath day and trying to focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ and all He has done for us. Thank you for stopping by to read my blog!

Today my thoughts are turned to this great land of America. My great, great grandfather came to the United States from Denmark in the late 1800's and my family has been here ever since. I am so grateful for he and his family and sacrifices to come here and settle.
As we study the history both inside and outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it is easy to recognize that all people that live here, in America, have roots that originated in another country. We all have connections (ancestors) of first, second, third, or more generations who immigrated to this nation from another land.

Recently I have been following the Republican GOP candidates campaign and debate throughout the country in different states. It's interesting to watch them claim to be conservative and by the "Constitution." The GOP nominee is hoping to win during the voting and election process this Fall to overturn our current President from the Democratic side. Politics are politics so may the best man to lead our country WIN!

My thoughts are not to support or side with one person over another but rather to discuss the importance of this great nation that was founded by enduring principles and the Constitution. Our Founding Fathers most definitely were inspired of God and led by His guiding hand to establish the laws and governing principles of the United States of America.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD

This is some of my favorite artwork. The artist lives next to my wife's grandparents.

A companion book of scripture to the Holy Bible also speaks of these latter-days and what to watch for within our society...

The Book of Mormon speaks of the "promised land" and how anyone brought here shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. There is a promise that if we, the people of this land, obey and keep His commandments it shall be a FREE land unto us. Unfortunately there are those who are trying to destroy our freedoms and liberties.

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall ^anone come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this ^aland is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of ^bliberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound ^ccursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be ^akept as yet from the knowledge of other ^bnations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a ^apromise, that ^binasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall ^cprosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall ^dkeep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their ^einheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.

~ 2 Nephi 1:6-9

~ PEACE IS COMING ~

To view who the people are in these illustrations, simply click on the photo!

I am so grateful for The Book of Mormon that was brought forth in the early 1800's by the young Prophet, Joseph Smith. IT is a guide and road map for all who will read and study from its pages. I have read from it numerous times and am always filled with the spirit of God when I read from it. My life seems more easy to navigate day-by-day and I feel an added strength and protection from our Heavenly Father.
I am also grateful for our Founding Fathers who were inspired to write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America as a guide for the governing laws and enduring principles to protect the people and our rights and freedoms of this great nation under God.

In 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence declared that all men are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that "among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

As we move forward in 2012 and will be electing new government officials and a President of the United States, my challenge to you is to vote for the best candidates that will uphold our moral values, freedoms, and liberties of this great country so that God may continue to bless and prosper us as a people. Our country is too great to become corrupted by people of 'power.'

May you have a great Sunday and week ahead of you!

~ C. Poulsen

*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not have a political agenda and stands neutral on this topic. Each individual member of the church is encouraged to support and vote for those they feel will best represent our country, its people, and our freedoms. The above is my thoughts and opinions. Thanks for reading!