That We Might "Not Shrink"

 “As we confront our own … trials and tribulations, we too can plead with the Father, just as Jesus did, that we ‘might not … shrink’—meaning to retreat or to recoil (D&C 19:18). Not shrinking is much more important than surviving! Moreover, partaking of a bitter cup without becoming bitter is likewise part of the emulation of Jesus" -Elder Maxwell
 

Many people in the world are going through tough trials right now, including many of my dear friends. So I wanted to focus this blog on the purpose of trials and how they help us to become molded and shaped into the person God wants us to be.

Probably one of the greatest lessons I have learned on my mission comes from the example of the Savior Jesus Christ and learning not to "shrink" when trials come, and submit my will to the will of the Father.

Sadly the World is growing more wicked, and our mortal bodies are subject to sickness and death. When we think about how we came to Earth to be tested and tried, maybe we didn't realize it would be so difficult!

Brothers and Sisters, I testify that we can do hard things.We are children of God. That is why we were sent here. When you find yourselves struggling to keep the faith through your hardships, I exhort all of you to Remember Him.

I read this scripture the other day and it became so much more profound to me. It made me realize my purpose and responsibility to follow the Savior in how I should handle my trials. Also, it teaches that He has given us the power to overcome hard things.

 "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, ^aremove this cup from me: nevertheless not my ^bwill, but thine, be done." Luke 22:42

This powerful scripture perfectly applies to how we, also being Children of God, should do the will of the Father even when it is hard. Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of that. One of my companions once told me, "The Savior suffered the will of the Father from the beginning. If we are here to become like Jesus Christ, we must also do His will." That has stuck with me ever since! It gives me hope when I am suffering, if I am staying faithful, I am becoming more like my Savior. It gives me the courage to say, "Father, not my will, but Thine be done."

When I was a brand-new missionary I remember sitting in my classroom in the Missionary Training Center. I had to learn Spanish in a very short amount of time, so we had classes for four hours, twice a day. This doesn't include the other classes and meetings we also had planned in our busy schedules. One day I was sitting in my classroom waiting for the second block of the four-hour class to start. I was feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, and exhausted. My eyes barely were open. I thought to myself, "Can I really do this for another 4 hours?" I was feeling a little hopeless and depressed.

 I learned a very important lesson that day from a wise teacher. The Spirit came so strongly as he testified how enduring our trials is part of representing the Savior.

I remember when he was impressed to say, "When you are tired, remember He was tired; and you can better represent Him."

Immediately I felt this surge of energy come into my body. I knew that The Savior Himself was standing by me, and with His strength I could do hard things, even serve a mission. After all, He was the Greatest Missionary to ever walk the Earth.

So Brothers and Sisters, I encourage you to remember when you are suffering, remember that He suffered, and you can better represent Him.

When you are tempted, remember He overcame temptation, and you can better represent Him.

All of these things that we go through in our lives that may seem hard, remember they are there to help us become like the Savior. All we have to do is choose to have faith in Him and follow the perfect example He gave.

"Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings.." Alma 26:12


“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” -John 16:33

It is so easy to forget the purpose of affliction when we can only see the problem that is right in front of us. As we take a step back and look at the Eternal Perspective, or see the big picture, our problems become only a small part of our lives.

Before we came to the Earth, we knew that it would be hard. We were told by our Heavenly Father that we would be tested and tried. But we rejoiced for the opportunity to come into mortality so that we could earn all the blessings of our Heavenly Father. He promised us them, if we proved faithful and obedient to His commandments. Notice the terms faithfulness and obedience--it would be impossible to live by those conditions if we didn't have opposing trials to test them.

So, here we are. We are in reality living our mortal mission. Has it been easy?
No!

But something I love about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He does not ask us to do anything that He hasn't done before. He suffered and even died so that we can overcome our trials with Him by our side, guiding us step by step.

I love to compare trials to the "refiner's fire". When you think of a diamond, it first started as a piece of coal. It was then thrown in to the fire, experienced lots of heat and lots of pressure, and then became a beautiful precious stone. We are here to become diamonds!

I am so grateful for the Lord allowing me to go through the refiner's fire of life. I am grateful for my trials and the things I have been taught and the knowledge that I have gained from each of them. I know we have trials because our Heavenly Father loves us. He is molding us into the children that He wants us to be. It is all worth it. We can do hard things. We can do the will of the Father.  It is all possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. All will be made right if we are faithful to His will.

To read an inspiring story about "Not my will but Thine be done" click here.

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire”



If An Angel Came To Speak to You...

Hello everyone! So if an Angel of God came to visit you, how do you think he/she would speak to you?
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So recently I gave a training on learning the tongue of Angels. We as children of God have a great power in the way we use words. I think I realized that at a young age, because I have always made a conscious effort to not get into bad habits of saying crude phrases or bad words. I never liked the feeling that I felt when I heard or said those things. Words have such a deeper impact on us than many of us think! Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an Apostle of the Lord, realized this and was inspired to give a beautiful talk on "The Tongue of Angels".

When God created the World, He used words. He said, "Let there be light", and the light appeared. Elder Holland said, "Like all gifts 'which cometh from above' words are 'sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit.'" 

In the Bible, James explains how we can become "perfect" in this area of our lives. He said:

"For in many things we ^aoffend all. If any man ^boffend not in^cword, the same is a ^dperfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the ^agovernor listeth.

  Even so the tongue is a little member, and ^aboasteth great things. Behold, how great a ^bmatter a little fire kindleth!

 And the ^atongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell

 ...Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith ^acursewe men, which are made after the ^bsimilitude of God.

 Out of the same ^amouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

<sup>I love that. My brothers and sisters, these things ought not so to be! It is so true that what we say effects our spiritual and physical well being. I personally don't believe in the phrase "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me". Just like how words can be uplifting and loving, they can also be offensive and abusive. They can lead to joy and confidence if used to strengthen and bless, or they can lead to depression and hate if used to break down and curse. There is opposition in all things, even words.

I may not have been the best at this when I was in school, but now all I can say is how important it is to me now to be so respectful and kind to my family and my peers. I love my family and cherish them, and want to be with them forever. I also love and respect my friends and those whom I work with. We should show our loved ones what they mean to us by the way we speak to them.</sup>

To give an example of the importance of words, as missionaries, we are literally representing the Savior, Jesus Christ. We are serving the children of God and teaching them the Gospel. Think about how crucial it is for us to be Christlike in our speech, to be pure in thought and word. If we want to have the Spirit to speak the words of Salvation, we have to speak with the tongue of Angels. Thus it should be with all children of God!

<sup>Maybe one may not be so bad at saying inappropriate words, but another way we can misuse the power of words is by how we speak about ourselves and others. I can tend to complain when I'm having a rough day and I definitely am not nice to myself... I realize I am not perfect in this aspect, but I know I can control my tongue and choose not to verbalize my thoughts. If my thoughts are pure and positive, so will be my words! I notice when I am positive when I speak, my confidence is stronger. I am happier. I am at peace with everyone! However the opposite, when I am being negative I feel burdened and feel a loss of purpose; even I can become physically sick. I know the Lord is pleased when we chose to share the light that comes from uplifting and loving words, and it allows Him to bless us.

"Let thy abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy cconfidence wax strong in the dpresence of God.." -Doctrine and Covenants 121:45
So, I have made it a goal to refine my speech and to not say bad things about myself, especially the phrase "I'm so fat". :) It will be a process, but I know the Lord made it possible for us to become perfect, even in this area of our lives.

So my friends, what are you going to do to purify your speech this week?

Read or watch all of Elder Holland's Talk below! It's amazing--well worth your time! Have a great day!</sup>

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/the-tongue-of-angels

Our Purpose

Have you ever thought there must be something more to life than just living day to day? Let me tell ya-- there is. We all have a divine purpose. So I had another epiphany.

It hit me very recently, that my whole purpose in being a converted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is to always do the Lord's will. In the scriptures it says that the whole purpose of God is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". -Moses 1:39

I love that. The Almighty, All-knowing, All-seeing God is happy when we are happy. As our Spiritual Father, He knows exactly what's best for us. He knows what will make us have lasting happiness.

So, if God has a purpose, as His children, that must mean that we have a purpose to fulfill as well! This all just has been so fascinating to me. If we want to help our Heavenly Father to fulfill His purpose, we too have to fulfill ours. So as we fulfill our purpose in life, we are fulfilling God's purpose.

^"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:27

So let's talk about our purpose.

Obviously we weren't sent here to Earth to be rocks. We are here to experience, feel, love, learn and reach our divine potential. I love this scripture in the Book of Mormon which states our purpose very simply:

"For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors." -Alma 34:32

So we have a work to do! Our faith should lead us to action. The Savior taught us by example what exactly we need to do to fulfill our purpose as heirs to the Kingdom of God. Our purpose in life is to keep His commandments, so that we can be worthy to return to live with Heavenly Father after we die.

As missionaries, our purpose is to, "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end."

So basically our purpose is to help others fulfill their purpose, which in return fulfills God's purpose. So simple, but it has seriously blown my mind! I hope you can feel the power of purpose.

Mormon.org says:

"God, your Heavenly Father, has prepared a marvelous plan for your happiness. When you realize that God has a plan for you, it is easier to understand why you are on this earth. God wants all of His children to progress and become more like Him. This time on Earth provides opportunities for you to grow and progress. Coming here allows you to:

• Receive a physical body.
• Exercise agency and learn to choose between good and evil.
• Learn and gain experience that will help you become more like your Heavenly Father.
• Form family relationships that may become eternal.

By following our Heavenly Father’s plan, you—like all of His children—can someday return to live with Him and with your loved ones. You can have greater peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come."

Brothers and Sisters, Life is GOOD. Heavenly Father loves us. Jesus Christ loves us. They are standing with us to accomplish our purpose in this life on Earth. Let's strive to become more like the Savior. Rejoice that we have the gift of Repentance, so that we can continually be fixed on fulfilling our divine purpose. To end, here are the lyrics to one of my favorite Hymns, "More Holiness Give Me":

1. 1.More holiness give me,
   More strivings within,
   More patience in suff'ring,
   More sorrow for sin,
   More faith in my Savior,
   More sense of his care,
   More joy in his service,
   More purpose in prayer.
2. 2. More gratitude give me,
   More trust in the Lord,
   More pride in his glory,
   More hope in his word,
   More tears for his sorrows,
   More pain at his grief,
   More meekness in trial,
   More praise for relief.
3. 3. More purity give me,
   More strength to o'ercome,
   More freedom from earth-stains,
   More longing for home.
   More fit for the kingdom,
   More used would I be,
   More blessed and holy--
   More, Savior, like thee.

Have A Great Purpose Filled Day!

Becoming your best YOU.

So recently we got a new Mission President and Mission Mom, President and Sister Andersen! They are so great. They inspire me with their humility and genuine love for the Lord and for us missionaries. We just had a meeting last week with the leaders of the mission, and they made this comment that made an impact on me. They said:

"We thought we came out on a mission because we love the Lord. But by being here we now realize we are having this experience because He loves us." 

Like I have mentioned in other posts, we are all on a mission here on Earth as divine children of Heavenly Father. We have purpose and limitless potential. And believe it or not, we are having this life experience because He loves us. It all makes perfect sense! President Uchtdorf, First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once said, "Love is the grand motive of the Plan of Salvation". I have learned that the Plan of Salvation is a plan made for each of us to reach our full, divine potential.

On our life missions we are here to experience and to grow. That includes learning from trials and opposition; and if we are sent to grow, that requires having experiences that stretch us. Life isn't as easy as we may have thought, but it wasn't supposed to be. We are promised that it will all be worth it. Heavenly Father sent us here so we could learn eternal happiness and become who He wants us to be. 

Knowing that we would not be able to reach our full potential by ourselves in mortality, Heavenly Father saw the need for a Savior, to come and to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Our older brother, Jesus Christ, volunteered to perform an infinite atonement so that we could progress eternally so that we could reach our potential. It would have been impossible without Him, and He did it because He loved the Father and He loved us.

"He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw call men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation." -2 Nephi 26:24

So brothers and sisters, what are your goals in life? 

A very wise teacher promised us that on conditions of righteous living and obedience to God's commandments, we would achieve all of the righteous desires of our hearts. He said, "Whatever your goals may be, I promise you will surpass those goals. God has much greater goals for you that you will achieve. I hope you have high goals, because you will exceed those too."

We have no idea the great blessings that the Lord has ordered for us. The promise of those blessings is in obedience. 

I think that obedience paired with charity is key to reaching our divine potential. It is no wonder why the first and greatest commandment is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." -Matt. 22:37

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." -Matt. 22:39

A very wise missionary once taught us, "you cannot fully develop any spiritual gift, without charity."

If we practice Charity in our lives, then we will want to be obedient. Which in return will help us develop and become who the Lord wants us to be. Just like the Savior taught, which links Charity and Obedience together, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." -John 14:15

Think about this- Imagine looking back on your life when your mortal mission is over, what things will you want to look back on or remember? What lessons will you have learned? 

So let us enjoy life! (Not just endure it.) Let's serve those around us, and find the peace and happiness that comes from righteously living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's improve ourselves by setting goals to be better every day, and let's keep our faith and trust in the Plan that our loving Father has made for us. I know that we can live happy lives and reach our highest potential, which is Celestial Glory in the Kingdom of God, as we apply and follow the example that the Savior has set. 

Reach high!!

Be Mormon. Be Happy.

There has been a lot of talk about the Mormons lately...What's the big deal? 

Well, here's a little news update! 

Today, there are over 75,000 missionaries all over the world sharing the same message. There are 141 current Latter-Day Saint Temples and more are being built and dedicated all over the World. In December 2009 there were 28,424 church buildings all over the world....I'm pretty positive that the number has grown since then. If anybody knows the accurate number feel free to comment! 

The church is growing faster than ever, and each year Mormonism receives more and more attention from the media.

Why?

GREAT question.

Maybe to make things more specific is, what makes Mormons different? 
mormon.org is the Church's official site, and explains perfectly what we believe. That site is just too good, there is more than enough resources to learn all about the church of Jesus Christ. 

 So, my parents are converts, so the blessings of the Gospel have been a part of my life since I was born! But that doesn't mean I knew for myself that the Mormon Church was true right away. Here's my experience:

All the years of growing up I was taught the Gospel. Countless times my parents and teachers taught me the story about the Prophet Joseph Smith and how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ restored their church. (not so familiar with the story? click here )
I remember singing "Families can be together Forever" through God's special plan for His children. (what is His Plan exactly? learn more here)
 I grew up reading the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, which gives us a unique testimony of the Savior and perfectly supports the Bible. 

It came to the point when I was in high school where I needed to know if the faith of my parents was true. I thought about the beliefs that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had; I'll honestly admit that I thought some of them seemed a little unusual.

After being in a Seminary class one day, I finally determined to pray and ask God if the Mormon Church was true. I remember I was sitting on my bed, reading the Book of Mormon. I knew what I was going to do, and I was scared. It was the first time I had sincerely prayed with a deep desire to my Heavenly Father, to communicate with Him and ask Him what He thought. I got down on my knees next to my bed, and received the courage to pray and ask if what I had been taught was true.

Without a doubt, I received my Heavenly answer. I remember feeling the Spirit so strongly, it felt like someone was giving me a warm hug. Instantly when I felt that I started to cry. I knew it was all true. I knew that God heard my prayer, and He loved me enough to give me a personal answer.  

Brothers and Sisters, I know that this is the truth! You can have the happiness that comes from the fullness of the Gospel. I have a testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Commandments are given to us so that we can live joyously. When I pondered about my life and the safety and peace that it had, I knew it was all because I chose to be obedient and follow the teachings of the Prophets. Also, I recognized when I chose to not live the Gospel Standards, the peace and safety I felt would leave me. 
Heavenly Father was very literal when He said that His Gospel is a gospel of happiness!

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." -Mosiah 2:41

Here is the Good News.

When our Savior came to the Earth, He taught us HIS way. He established His perfect church as well, and taught His Apostles how to maintain it after He would leave them. So we know that after Christ had left, the people persecuted and rejected the Apostles. With their deaths, the Authority that Christ gave them was lost. 

So, our message is that our loving Father in Heaven has once again called another Prophet today, and has given him the Holy Priesthood to run His church. The FULLNESS of the Gospel is now here. 

What does that really mean? Jesus Christ really restored His Church? Could it really be possible? 

YES!
Because you are a child of God, this message specifically applies to you and your family. Your Heavenly Father wants you to be happy, and has given you everything that you need to be successful here in mortality. Living the true Gospel of Jesus Christ will permit you and your family to have Exaltation, or Eternal happiness, in God's Kingdom. 

I know that God is the same as He was from the beginning. He is a God of Miracles. It doesn't surprise me at all that He would reach out to us in love by calling a Prophet to teach us His perfect plan, and make it possible to return back. 

This is REAL life! I hope that you will show God your faith, by contacting the missionaries, going to Christ's original church, and reading the Book of Mormon. Please don't forget to pray! :)

I KNOW that understanding the message to you personally will bless you more than you can imagine. I challenge you to see the peace and happiness that will come into your life by living the Restored Gospel. It is a Gospel of HAPPINESS. You will find more peace, joy, and clarity by coming to know the Savior, by being a part of His church today.



"Regardless of what you do or don’t have in this life, your deepest, most lasting happiness will come from knowing God’s plan and following it."

 

“Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven”

I love this definition of forgiveness from www.lds.org: "To forgive is a divine attribute. It is to pardon or excuse someone from blame for an offense or misdeed. The scriptures refer to forgiveness in two ways. The Lord commands us to repent of our sins and seek His forgiveness. He also commands us to forgive those who offend or hurt us."

We are here on the Earth to prepare to return back to Our God. He sent us here, so that we could experience mortal life and gain wisdom through trials. He made it possible for us to return by sending us His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins and shortcomings and to die for us so that we may live. 

Our Heavenly Father wants us to look to The Savior to know how to live correctly in life! When He came to the Earth He 
gave the perfect example, a sinless life, and was strictly 
obedient to the Will of The Father. As children of God we
 should look to Christ and live our lives likewise. Jesus Christ taught us by EXAMPLE and as a result we have the Christlike Attributes to look up to. Neat. It's not so hard to learn how we need to be, thanks to our Perfect Master for showing us the Way. One of those Christlike Attributes was His ability to be perfectly forgiving. 

"For God ^asent not his Son into the world to ^bcondemn the world; but that the world through him might be ^csaved. John 3:17"

I love that attribute of the Savior. He is so merciful! Not only does He offer forgiveness for sin, but forgives when betrayed and rejected. I love this scripture in The Book of Mormon that explains just the tiniest fraction of His suffering caused by His people: 

  "He is ^adespised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 Surely he has ^aborne our ^bgriefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 But he was ^awounded for our ^btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are ^chealed." -Mosiah 14:3-5

Although He was beaten and nailed to a cross, while he suffered there He prayed to the Father, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

How incredible is that. How can we be so quick to blame when the One who descended beneath it ALL forgave so easily?

 I have come to know that one who holds on to the burden caused by sin or by anger from someone else's wrongdoing, stops their progression spiritually and could potentially destroy their life. Just like how we yearn to be forgiven of our sins and weaknesses so that we can reach peace and happiness in this life and Eternal Life in the next, so must we forgive others. Just how we want to be judged righteously, so must we judge our fellowmen righteously. Just how like the Savior gives Mercy to us all, we must as well show mercy to others. 

A little example that I learned in high-school: A monkey and a peanut. I was sitting in a class called Seminary, where we studied the scriptures and learned the principles of the Gospel. My teacher gave this analogy, and explained how people in Africa trapped monkeys. The Monkeys would hide in the trees and made it near impossible to catch them, so the "hunters" came up with this successful strategy. They would get a box with a peanut inside, and cut a hole just big enough for the monkey to fit his or her hand inside. (If you didn't know, monkeys are very persistent.)
 So, the hunters would leave the box on the ground next to the trees, and leave! While they were gone, a monkey would come by and stick his or her hand in the hole and grab the peanut. But, to their great dismay, once they had their hand in a fist they couldn't pull their hand back out of the box...without letting go of the peanut first.
If the monkey's persistence and pride chose to hold onto that peanut, the hunters would come back and capture the monkey, thus ending it's life. All for one tiny peanut.

Was it really worth it?

So, the moral of the story. When we are stuck in the box of resentment, the only way to free ourselves from the heavy burden on our hands and, even potential death, is to LET IT GO. 

When it comes to forgiving others, how can we start to relax our fists and let the peanut go?

All it takes to start to forgive is to TRUST in the Lord and exercise faith in Him. With God, ALL things are possible.We are all here on missions as children of God, and the Savior is here to be our guide. 

Sometimes we may think things like, "Why did this happen? It's not fair! Why does this have to be so hard? Why isn't it getting better? 


One of my most favorite talks from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles came to my mind.


"You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought
 about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am 
convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? …

“… When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions” 

When you are dealing with a load of heartache and sorrow, please, REMEMBER HIM. He understands us. He suffered it all so that we don't have to do it alone. Have faith that He will help us to overcome our trials, just like how HE overcame the World. I know this is possible. I have a testimony of forgiveness, and that through our faith we can be forgiven, as well as forgive others. 

After all, "I, the Lord, will ^aforgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to ^bforgive all men." Doctrine and Covenants 64:10

The First Principle of the Gospel: Faith

"Obedience is the first law of heaven. It is an act of faith. You may sometimes be required to do things you do not completely understand. As you obey, you increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection, and freedom." -Preach My Gospel

Throughout my life, I have progressively learned  WHY we need to be obedient. Obedience brings blessings. Even from when we were little kids, we were taught to obey our parents. We went to school where obedience was enforced, and obedience of doing your homework brought you desired results in test scores. When we work, we must be obedient to the rules and customs of the business owner. As citizens, we obey the laws of the land.

So, my last blog entry talks more about this obedience, and how we are blessed and prospered when we are obedient. A while ago on facebook I posted this quote:

“Latter-day Saints are not obedient because they are compelled to be obedient. They are obedient because they know certain spiritual truths and have decided, as an expression of their own individual agency, to obey the commandments of God. … We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see” 

I have learned this priceless lesson in my life, and it has been enhanced through my full-time missionary service. I can SEE the Eternal perspective when I choose to be obedient to God's will. I have seen others that I love experience a mighty change of heart, because they tasted of the goodness and joy that comes from obeying the commandments of God. No matter how difficult they may seem. 

What makes us choose to be obedient?

I have come to learn that there is a POWER that is the foundation of righteous action. It is the key to obedience, and the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Before we do anything, we must have FAITH. Whenever you work towards a worthy goal, you exercise faith. We have faith that the sun will rise, or faith that if we turn on a switch it will give light to a room.

mormon.org says:

"To have faith is to “hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (see Book of Mormon, Alma 32:21 and Hebrews 11:1). Each day you act upon things you hope for, even before you see the end result. This is similar to faith.

Faith in God is more than a theoretical belief in Him. To have faith in God is to trust Him, to have confidence in Him, and to be willing to act on your belief in Him. It is a principle of action and power.

The Book of Mormon prophet Alma compared faith to a seed. If you plant a seed and nourish it, if it is a good seed it will grow and eventually bear fruit (Alma 32:28-43). It is the same with faith. If you are obedient to God’s commandments, study His word, and have a desire to believe in Christ, faith will grow inside of you."

I love that. Our faith in Jesus Christ leads to action. Sometimes we are required to take a step in the dark before we can see the light. This is the only way we can know spiritual truth, by acting. Not only is faith a power, faith is also a choice. 

One of my many favorite talks is called "Faith- the Choice is Yours" by Richard C. Edgley. He brilliantly stated, 

"Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today’s world, I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28) and “Knock, and it shall be [given] you” (Matthew 7:7). These are action verbs—come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism."

I know that our faith will increase as we chose to do righteous actions. Prayer, scripture study, and church attendance are great sources to spiritually feed the power of our faith in the Savior. Then the light will come on, and we will See. 

Another quote that I love by Edgley:

"When the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast a devil out as they had just witnessed the Savior do, Jesus answered, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove” (Matthew 17:20). I have never witnessed the removal of an actual mountain. But because of faith I have seen a mountain of doubt and despair removed and replaced with hope and optimism. Because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness. And because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude. Yes, I have seen mountains removed."

 I testify that FAITH and OBEDIENCE are the keys to Eternal Salvation. I know I am happier than ever when I am honest with myself and the Lord, and try my best every day to keep my covenants and the commandments. It brings peace to my heart to know that the Lord is pleased with me and I am at peace with Him. I am so grateful for my strong faith in the Savior, and that it has never wavered. I know that He can do miracles in our own lives through our faith. I have learned that it is a BLESSING to be OBEDIENT. And it takes a leap of faith! I promise you, it is worth it. 

"And Christ hath said: ^aIf ye will have ^bfaith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is ^cexpedient in me." -Moroni 7:33

"But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with^apatience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree ^bspringing up unto everlasting life." Alma 32:41