Resurrection?

Today I was reminded of the glorious blessing of the resurrection that will one day happen for everyone who was born into this life. As I was out working I came across a 79 year-old man sitting on his porch sipping a glass of wine and smoking a cigarette. He didn't seem very happy with life and looked very discontented. I began talking to him and listening with sincere interest because I knew he needed a friend and someone to talk with.

We began talking about 'life' and what its for. He told me as a young child his father would drag him along to a baptist church in West Virginia but thats all he really remembers about God and Christ. Since then he has had no interest in spiritual things. He explained how he hopes to be cremated when he dies and could pass on gladly any day now. At this point I was feeling deep gratitude for my new friend and listened intently as he explained to me his wife's condition who had been diagnosed with colon and breast cancer ten years ago and is still battling it everyday with chemo and radiation treatments. The guy seemed saddened but acted as if he didn't care really, that once we die that's the end of it.

I then had the chance to share with him my beliefs about Jesus Christ and Christianity and how we will all be resurrected one day because of the Savior's sacrifice in our behalf. He seemed intrigued by the idea as he looked up at me with a grin putting his cigarette out. He then stated that I had given him some new hope, something to look forward to, but only as long as it was better than his life had been here on earth. He said I don't want to live again if it's like this life. He then told me about the war he was a part of in Korea.

We had a good chat for about 40 minutes or so and then I wished him well and he told me to take care and that he'd never forget me for the time I spent talking with him and thanked me with a smile.
2 Nephi 9:6,12, 22
6 For as ^adeath hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful ^bplan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of ^cresurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the ^dfall; and the fall came by reason of ^etransgression; and because man became fallen they were ^fcut off from the ^gpresence of the Lord.

• • •

12 And this ^adeath of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is ^bhell; wherefore, death and hell must ^cdeliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its ^dcaptive ^espirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive ^fbodies, and the bodies and the ^gspirits of men will be ^hrestored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.

• • •

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

I am so grateful for the neat experiences I have everyday that teach me lessons along my way. That help me stretch and grow, remind me of Jesus and what I know. The Savior has paved the path, so that you and I may one day have all He hath. Glorious blessings from up above encourage each of us to show kindness and love. The gospel is true and brings much joy through and through for each girl and boy! - CJP

Priesthood Restored!

How grateful I am for the knowledge of priesthood power, authority, and its many blessings. Soon after the Prophet Joseph Smith had the 1st vision, John the Baptist returned unto the earth to give him the Aaronic Priesthood. Then Peter, James, and John returned and conferred upon him the Melchezidek Priesthood.

"I have lived to see my father baptized into the true church of Jesus Christ!" Joseph Smith exclaimed as his father came out of the waters of baptism the day the Church was organized, April 6, 1830.1

A year earlier, May 15, 1829, while Joseph translated passages of the Book of Mormon about the necessity of baptism, he and Oliver Cowdery had asked the Lord who had authority to baptize in His name. "The voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us," Oliver later wrote, and a heavenly messenger, John the Baptist, "came down clothed with glory."2 He conferred upon the two men the Aaronic Priesthood, which holds the priesthood keys "of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins."3

John the Baptist directed the two men to baptize each other, and they soon also baptized others converted to the restored gospel. Through priesthood ordination they authorized others to perform baptism by immersion. From that small beginning, many millions of people worldwide have been baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels,"1 the ancient prophet John the Baptist announced on May 15, 1829, when sent by God to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery at Harmony, Pennsylvania.

Weeks later, Peter, James, and John, who possess "the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times,"2 appeared to Joseph and Oliver and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. Now the fulness of the gospel could be restored, the Church of Jesus Christ could be organized to "roll forth,"3 and all the ordinances necessary for the salvation of God's children could be performed—including bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Because priesthood keys were restored to Joseph Smith, all of God's children can receive the ordinances of salvation such as baptism administered by those called of God to act and speak in His name. -www.josephsmith.net

Missionary Work!

1 Now behold, a ^amarvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the ^aservice of God, see that ye ^bserve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand ^cblameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are ^acalled to the work;

4 For behold the ^afield is white already to ^bharvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in ^cstore that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5 And ^afaith, ^bhope, ^ccharity and ^dlove, with an ^eeye single to the ^fglory of God, ^gqualify him for the work.

6 Remember faith, ^avirtue, knowledge, ^btemperance, ^cpatience, ^dbrotherly ^ekindness, ^fgodliness, charity, ^ghumility, ^hdiligence.

7 ^aAsk, and ye shall receive; ^bknock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

Missionary Work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is crucial for spreading the message of the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Since the death of Christ and the falling of His church and gospel there have been many different ideas of how Christ's church should be organized, ran, and operated. Today there are over 2,500 different christian denominations in the U.S alone.
This can be very confusing for many as they search for the fullness of the truth and God's plan for them.
Tonight on my drive home from work, I saw two LDS missionaries on the corner at a stop light on their bikes. I honked, waived and went on my way. I am grateful for their example and the light they hold up to the world.
I was once a full-time missionary also in California Sacramento area. It was one of the greatest blessings of my life. Proclaiming the gospel is part of the three-fold mission of the church and we feel it is very important for all to come to a knowledge of ancient and modern day prophets. To share with everyone the vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the bringing forth of The Book of Mormon.

1. D&C 31: 3
   3 Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare ^aglad tidings of great joy unto this generation.

Word of Wisdom!

I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who has opened the heavens in our day. The gospel of Jesus Christ is alive and well. God knows all things and the outcome of what will come upon us before the return of His son, Jesus Christ for the Second Coming.

A topic that has been on my mind today is the Word of Wisdom. This revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1833. "As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result."

I am very grateful for the wisdom rendered in our behalf and the blessings and promises for those who choose to live this law.
From Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants:

no- not good for the use of man
4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of ^aevils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of ^bconspiring men in the last days, I have ^cwarned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—
7 And, again, ^astrong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.

8 And again, tobacco is not for the ^abody, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.

yes- good for the use of man and acceptable of the Lord.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome ^aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with ^aprudence and ^bthanksgiving. 16 All grain is good for the ^afood of man; as also the ^bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—

And these are our promises from the Lord:

18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ^ashall receive ^bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;

19 And shall ^afind ^bwisdom and great ^ctreasures of ^dknowledge, even hidden treasures;

20 And shall ^arun and not be ^bweary, and shall walk and not faint.

21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the ^adestroying angel shall ^bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

These promises are available to all who accept Christ's restored gospel and live the teachings and laws he has prescribed for us. Blessings in your health, nutrition, and wellness!

Warfare from the beginning!

In honor of all the Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, thank you for your service to our country and families of America.
War is not new to life on earth. In fact, before this world was there was a war in heaven between Christ and Lucifer. Lucifer, the devil wanted to force everyone to be saved no matter what and halt the gift of agency-"ability to choose for one's self." He wanted all the glory unto himself for doing so. Christ on the other hand said he would come to earth and sacrifice himself to atone for the sins of the world and all glory would go unto the Father. Each follower of Christ was able to progress, you and I and receive a mortal body. Now that we are born here upon the earth we have the freedom to choose good or bad, righteousness or evil. However, we shall be judged according to our choices we make. Consequences always follow our decisions. War is nothing new to earth life, its happened ever since the beginning of time and through the ages.

Rev. 12: 7 7 And there was ^awar in heaven: ^bMichael and his ^cangels fought against the dragon; and the ^ddragon fought and his angels,

Rev 12:9

9 And the great dragon was ^acast out, that old serpent, called the ^bDevil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Moses 4:3
3 Wherefore, because that ^aSatan ^brebelled against me, and sought to destroy the ^cagency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be ^dcast down;

In a revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio March 07, 1831. He counseled the Saints that wars and rumors of wars would be happening in the final wrap up stages before the Savior's second coming. We see this prophecy being fulfilled everywhere, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, etc.

D&C 45:26, 63

26 And in ^athat day shall be heard of ^bwars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall ^cfail them, and they shall say that Christ ^ddelayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

• • •

63 Ye hear of ^awars in foreign lands; but, behold, I say unto you, they are nigh, even at your ^bdoors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands.
Many have fought to preserve our freedoms here in the United States. The Book of Mormon speaks about this land being the promised and chosen land in the last days. But, we do see the prophecies being fulfilled and many wars are amongst our own people in our own land. Turn on the news and you'll see it happening everywhere in many different facets of life. Just watching America war back and forth in deciding on a new President is evidence enough how easily fired up we can get.

Thanks again to all the soldiers who have served and to our public law enforcement and authorities who work hard to keep America safe and preserve our freedoms. Blessings to each of you!

SMILE!

1. 2 Ne. 9: 39
   39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in ^atransgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that ^bcunning one. Remember, to be ^ccarnally-minded is ^ddeath, and to be ^espiritually-minded is ^flife ^geternal.

S- piritually
M- inded
I- s
L- ife
E- ternal

This is one of my favorite scriptures of all. It is pretty cut and dry on how we should live and lead our lives. Satan is real and wants to destroy our happiness and spirit. He tempts us daily to follow the ways of the world and walk after the flesh. I am reminded often of this scripture whenever I'm feeling down or tempted by something of a carnal "natural" nature. In Romans we learn that "carnal" is enmity against God or an enemy against his laws and teachings.

1. Rom. 8: 6
   6 For to be ^acarnally minded is ^bdeath; but to be ^cspiritually minded is life and ^dpeace.
   
2. 7 Because the ^acarnal mind is ^benmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

We are a fallen people in this earth life and must rely on the atoning powers of Jesus Christ to overcome sin and evil. We are walking through life being tempted everyday. We all want to walk after our own understanding, but must remember we are nothing without God.

27. Moses 6: 49
    49 Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and ^atempteth them to ^bworship him; and men have become ^ccarnal, ^dsensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the ^epresence of God.

Mosiah 16:3, 5
3 For they are ^acarnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did ^bbeguile our first parents, which was the ^ccause of their fall; which was the cause of ^dall mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, ^eknowing evil from good, ^fsubjecting themselves to the devil.

• • •

5 But remember that he that persists in his own ^acarnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the ^bdevil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no ^credemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the ^ddevil an enemy to God.

So, what should we do? Exercise faith in Christ and repent of our sins. . . "Daily!" His promises for us...

1. Mosiah 4: 2
   2 And they had ^aviewed themselves in their own ^bcarnal state, even ^cless than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the ^datoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be ^epurified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who ^fcreated heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

D&C 67: 10, 12

10 And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a ^apromise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you ^bstrip yourselves from ^cjealousies and ^dfears, and ^ehumble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the ^fveil shall be rent and you shall ^gsee me and know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual.


One last thought for the night, until tomorrow...

Galatians 5:16
16 This I say then, ^aWalk in the ^bSpirit, and ye shall not fulfil the ^clust of the flesh.

SMILE...Enjoy the tulips!

Prophecy Fulfilled?

Today in church a young father stood up and bore his testimony of Lehi's dream recorded in The Book of Mormon. The dream or vision is a warning to members of God's church that many shall follow the ways of the world and be lost in sin and transgression and few will enter in at the gate and hold to the iron rod which leads to the tree of life. He asked the congregation, "Could this literally be happening right now with the passing of prop 8 and all the protesters pointing fingers of scorn towards our Holy Temples... a beacon of life and light to the world. A symbol of freedom and Christ's work on the earth. Hmm...he could be speaking of a prophecy being fulfilled in a literal sense. What do you think? Feel free to comment below.
I'll share parts of Lehi's vision below found in The Book of Mormon.

1 Nephi 8---Lehi's Vision of the Tree of Life in the Latter-days!

2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have ^adreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have ^bseen a ^cvision.

5 And it came to pass that I saw a ^aman, and he was dressed in a white ^brobe; and he came and stood before me.

6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have ^amercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious ^afield.

10 And it came to pass that I beheld a ^atree, whose ^bfruit was desirable to make one ^chappy.

11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the ^afruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the ^bwhiteness that I had ever seen.

13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a ^ariver of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.

19 And I beheld a ^arod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

20 And I also beheld a ^astrait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a ^bworld.

21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were ^apressing forward, that they might obtain the ^bpath which led unto the tree by which I stood.

22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.

23 And it came to pass that there arose a ^amist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were ^blost.

26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the ^aother side of the river of water, a great and ^bspacious building; and it stood as it were in the ^cair, high above the earth.

27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the ^aattitude of ^bmocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.

31 And he also saw other ^amultitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.

32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the ^adepths of the ^bfountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.

33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of ^ascorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/8