The Holy Ghost as Your Companion

Today I had the privilege and opportunity to speak in Sacrament Meeting.  I was given the topic, "The Holy Ghost as Your Companion," by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  His full General Conference talk is in the video above.  Sacrament meeting is our main meeting of worship on the Sabbath where we congregate as a ward family based on a geographical demographic.  There are wards throughout the world and most likely one near you...Check and C4yourself as we welcome visitors warmly.  Each week a member of the bishopric calls upon two - three speakers to speak the following week on various gospel topics.  We do not have a pastor or preacher or any paid clergy.  I spoke with a recently returned missionary, Elder Gomez, who served the past two years in the Milan, Italy mission.  He first spoke about being a witness of Jesus Christ unto others.

I wanted to share some thoughts from my message today:

Have you ever felt lost before? Lonely? In despair?

Our loving Heavenly Father designed a perfect plan of happiness and progression for each of us to grow and gain experience.  He has given us certain gifts to help us progress in this life.  The following are some of the gifts we have been given and can yet obtain:

1. Free Agency - Each of us chose to follow the Savior, Jesus Christ's plan in the pre-mortal existence and therefore progressed to come into this earth life and receive a mortal body.

 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.

2. Gift of Mortal body/Fallen world - Testing of our faith/probationary state

 Alma 34:32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

2 Nephi 2:11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things... 

Mosiah 3:19  For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, 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.

3. Gift of baptism/Gift of Holy Ghost -  Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.

This is a two way covenant (promise) when we choose to exercise faith unto repentance and get baptized in Jesus Christ's name.  We promise to take upon ourselves His name and to follow Him and His teachings in this life.  In return, our loving Heavenly Father blesses us with the Gift of the Holy Ghost to help lead and guide us safely through this life.

Being "born of water and of the Holy Ghost" are the first steps we take on the road to eternal life.

One of the purposes of baptism is to symbolically wash away our sins, but even Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, was baptized. Jesus was baptized because it is a commandment and he wanted to provide a perfect example of obedience to Heavenly Father’s divine guidance.

Each Sunday we have the opportunity to return to church and partake of the sacrament in remembrance of the Savior's life and sacrifice in our behalf.  During this meeting we renew our baptismal covenant so we may ALWAYS have HIS SPIRIT to be with us.

"During our confirmation we heard these words: “Receive the Holy Ghost.”¹ From that moment, our lives changed forever.

We can, if we live worthy of it, have the blessing of the Spirit to be with us, not only now and then, as in such remarkable experiences as we’ve had today, but always. You know from the words of the sacrament prayer how that promise is fulfilled: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them.”

And then comes the glorious promise: “That they may always have his Spirit to be with them” (D&C 20:77) -President Henry B. Eyring, The Holy Ghost as Your Companion

Having the gift of the Holy Ghost with us always brings the following blessings:

a) Warns of danger - to resist temptation to do evil

b) Discern truth from falsehood

c) Truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ verified

d) Confirms light and truth - D&C 50:24-25

e) Comforts during loss or times of struggle

f) Guides and teaches the truth of all things - Moroni 10:5

Galatians 5:22-23 - Fruits of the spirit

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

4. Gifts of the spirit - Corinthians 12  
Doctrine and Covenants 46:11  For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

5. Gift of Temple Endowment - In a general sense, a gift of power from God. Worthy members of the Church can receive a gift of power through ordinances in the temple that gives them the instruction and covenants of the Holy Priesthood that they need in order to attain exaltation. The endowment includes instruction about the plan of salvation.

6. Eternal Marriage/Gift of Sealing - Doctrine and Covenants 132:15 Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.

7. Gift of Eternal Life -  Doctrine and Covenants 14:7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

A PROMISE to each of us...

Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-13

 12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;

I am so grateful for the witness of the Holy Ghost which has testified and continues to witness to me the truthfulness of these things.  Throughout my life, He has led and guided me, comforted me, warned me of dangers, and continues to teach me daily.  He helps me to grow by increasing in light and truth of our Savior's restored gospel line upon line, and precept upon precept.   I know that the Savior, Jesus Christ, lives and that He is the head of His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am so thankful to be a member and on this path of progression and happiness.  My heart is full of joy and gratitude this day.  ~ C.J. Poulsen

Ten Ideas to Increase Your Spirituality

By Elder Joe J. Christensen

Of the Presidency of the Seventy

1. Do I read scriptures daily?

2. Do I really pray and not just say prayers?

3. Is my fasting meaningful?

4. Do I go to bed early and get up early?

5. Am I essentially a happy person?

6. Do I work hard?

7. Am I more concerned about how than where I serve?

8. Do I love everyone—even enemies—and keep romantic feelings in their proper perspective?

9. Do I strive for oneness with others as well as within myself, between my ideal and actual self?

10. Do I share my testimony with others?

If Ye are Prepared Ye Shall not Fear

 Doctrine and Covenants 38:30

 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, ^atreasure up ^bwisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

I have been studying and pondering a lot this past year about our current state of affairs as a society and throughout the world.  The evidence of scriptural prophecies being fulfilled before us is somewhat overwhelming but also very exciting.  I know that we are living in the final days prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and this excites me.  As I open the scriptures for comfort and counsel in a troubled world I find peace and solace in the prophecies of Christ's return to the earth.  From the beginning of the Old Testament to revelations given to God's prophet just 185 years ago recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, we have solid scriptural writings/evidence to prepare our hearts and minds for His return.   What are you doing to prepare yourself?

There has always been a war waging between good and evil, God and the devil,  from the beginning of time until now, in our day.  God knew this would occur and has never left us alone.  In Amos 3:7 we learn that God does nothing without revealing His will to His chosen prophets: (7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, ^abut he ^brevealeth his ^csecret unto his servants the ^dprophets.)

Prophets are called to give counsel, direction, and warnings.  In every dispensation our loving Heavenly Father has revealed more of His word to the children of the earth to help them progress and overcome Satan and his influences.  It appears that the sifting between righteousness and wickedness is progressing at a more rapid pace than ever before.   As the world (Babylon) continues to decline and become more wicked, Satan continues to rule and reign in this world. He continues to blind many hearts and minds with his lies and deceit.  His goal is to make us miserable like unto him.  However, the Savior, Jesus Christ's plan is much different.  He wants us to progress, to be free, full of joy and happiness.   We are taught that those who have eyes to see and ears to hear will hear the call of the Master and turn unto Him.                 
I know that if we turn unto the Savior, Jesus Christ and follow His teachings and chosen servants in these Latter-days we can find safety and refuge from the great division taking place.  Which side do you want to be found on when the Savior returns?  I know which side I want to be found on.  I am striving daily to strengthen my faith by acting upon good things.  God loves each of us equally and wants us to be found on the right hand of the Savior when He returns.  We MUST act in faith.  This Faith to Act comes through diligent prayer, putting our trust in God, and acting...

Articles of Faith

An open canon of scripture:
Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price

Old Testament Teachings:

The book of Zechariah

The book is noted for its prophecies of Christ’s mortal ministry and his second coming (Zech. 9:9; 11:12–13; 12:10; 13:6). Chapters 1–8 contain a series of visions of the future of God’s people. Chapters 9–14 contain visions about the Messiah, the last days, the gathering of Israel, the final great war, and the Second Coming.

New Testament Teachings:

Second epistle of Peter

Chapter 1 exhorts the Saints to make their calling and election sure. Chapter 2 warns against false teachers. Chapter 3 speaks of the latter days and Christ’s second coming.

Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ Teachings:

 The Book of Mosiah ~ Mosiah 5:5, 7-9 

 5 And we are willing to enter into a ^acovenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a ^bnever-ending torment, as has been spoken by the ^cangel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.

 7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the ^achildren of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are ^bchanged through faith on his name; therefore, ye are ^cborn of him and have become his ^dsons and his daughters.

 8 And under this head ye are made ^afree, and there is ^bno other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other ^cname given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should ^dtake upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

 9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.

 10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some ^aother name; therefore, he findeth himself on the ^bleft hand of God.

Doctrine and Covenants Teachings:

Revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith

Doctrine and Covenants 34:6

6 To lift up your voice as with the sound of a ^atrump, both long and loud, and ^bcry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, ^cpreparing the way of the Lord for his ^dsecond coming.

Doctrine and Covenants 45

The Second Coming of Christ

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to the Church, at Kirtland, Ohio, March 7, 1831

• Doctrine and Covenants 86:3

  3 And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness.
  

• Doctrine and Covenants 101:65

  65 Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father to reward every man according  as his work shall be;  
   
  
  

Pearl of Great Price Teachings:

BOOK OF MOSES

Chapter 7 
Enoch foresees the Restoration, the Gathering, the Second Coming, and the return of Zion.
 

 65 And it came to pass that Enoch saw the ^aday of the ^bcoming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years;

 66 But before that day he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men’s hearts ^afailing them, looking forth with fear for the ^bjudgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked.

~ C. J. Poulsen 

The Ten Commandments

"Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws."

"One way to measure ourselves and compare us to previous generations is by one of the oldest standards known to man—the Ten Commandments. For much of the civilized world, particularly the Judeo-Christian world, the Ten Commandments have been the most accepted and enduring delineation between good and evil.

In my judgment, four of the Ten Commandments are taken as seriously today as ever. As a culture, we disdain and condemn murder, stealing, and lying, and we still believe in the responsibility of children to their parents.

But as a larger society, we routinely dismiss the other six commandments:

•  If worldly priorities are any indication, we certainly have “other gods” we put before the true God.
  
• We make idols of celebrities, of lifestyles, of wealth, and yes, sometimes of graven images or objects.
  
• We use the name of God in all kinds of profane ways, including our exclamations and our swearing.
  
• We use the Sabbath day for our biggest games, our most serious recreation, our heaviest shopping, and virtually everything else but worship.
  
• We treat sexual relations outside marriage as recreation and entertainment.
  
• And coveting has become a far too common way of life. (See Exodus 20:3–17.)

Elder L. Tom Perry 

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 

Romans 6:1

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

I know that obedience to the ten commandments gives us a foundation upon which to build our lives.  In an increasing dark world may we look the Savior, Jesus Christ and LIVE.  His voice is always calling us to Come Unto Him.  Even though it is very challenging to always be obedient it is worth it. If we love God, we will keep His commandments.  I know that when I keep the commandments and strive to live righteously I am blessed beyond measure.  I fall short often but am so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ which allows me to repent and get up and try again. I am indebted to our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ for all they do for me each day.  I am so grateful for their word and its guiding light in my life.  It is the only constant amid everything else always changing.

~ C. J. Poulsen 

What is the Book of Mormon?

What is the Book of Mormon?

An Old Testament Prophecy Fulfilled

Ezekiel 37:16-19

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

 18 ¶And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

A New Testament Prophecy Fulfilled 

John 10:16

 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.


3 Nephi 15:21
 
21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

I have read and studied all three testaments of scripture that our loving Heavenly Father has revealed to us for our profit and learning.  If you have already gained a witness of the truthfulness of God's word in the Old and New Testaments, I invite you to act in faith and claim a FREE copy of The Book of Mormon. 
In the same manner that you have come to learn of God's word in the Holy Bible and believe in it and claim it to be true, you can also take the challenge of Moroni's promise and come to KNOW that The Book of Mormon is also God's word.  I have applied the promise below and have come to learn for myself by the same spirit that testifies of the truthfulness of the Holy Bible that The Book of Mormon is true.  I invite you to find out for yourself.  It is between you and God in prayer that you will come to know for yourself. 

Moroni's Promise

Moroni 10:3-5

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Happy reading and praying!

~ C.J. Poulsen

Inside the Provo City Center LDS Temple and Open House

Latter-day Saint Provo City Center Temple

Provo, Utah —  A public open house for the Provo City Center Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints begins on January 15, 2016, following a five-year renovation of the former Provo Tabernacle. The tabernacle was a more than century-old icon located in the central Utah community of Provo.

 - Originally posted from Mormon Newsroom

 News and Updates

Open house reservations will be available to the general public beginning Monday, January 4, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. Please use the following link: https://templeopenhouse.lds.org/ to reserve online. Please call 855-537-2000 to reserve by telephone call.

I am very excited to go to Utah to visit the Provo City Center LDS temple!  If you're close by there you have to go to the open house.  It will be a fantastic experience.

~C.J. Poulsen

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.