Lord, I Believe.

As I have struggled in my life and in my mission, I have had to ask myself: What do I believe? In my personal study this morning I came across a talk called, "Lord, I Believe" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. This is what many of the people that I love need to hear. Many, if not all, of the people I am teaching need to hear this. Most importantly, I needed to hear this.

Holland starts off by telling the story in Mark 9:14-29. It is about a father who has an afflicted son who he desires to be healed. The account then goes as follows:

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Holland says about this, "This man’s initial conviction, by his own admission, is limited. But he has an urgent, emphatic desire in behalf of his only child. We are told that is good enough for a beginning. 'Even if ye can no more than desire to believe,' Alma declares, 'let this desire work in you, even until ye believe.' With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world, 'If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.'"

Throughout the rest of this talk, Holland talks of three observations he has made:
1. The wishing for more faith
2. Being true to the faith we DO have
3. Asking for help

Wishing For More Faith
"I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. It was of this very incident, this specific miracle, that Jesus said, '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; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.' The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."

I'm not sure I have ever met anyone who would say that they have sufficient faith. In fact, we all probably feel like we have in adequate faith. We can learn from this story in the scriptures that even if we don't have sufficient faith, the Lord will make up for the rest. That is what his atonement is about. If only we cry out to him, "Help thou my unbelief!"

Being True to Our Faith
"When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your 'unbelief.' That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle."

I LOVE this quote! I have watched as people close to me in my life have questioned things. Its OK to question. It takes courage to question things. But let me tell you, it takes MORE courage to take things on faith. Holland goes on to say, "You have more faith than you think you do." I can testify that this is true. You have more faith than you think you do.




Ask For Help
"When doubt or difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help. If we want it as humbly and honestly as this father did, we can get it. The scriptures phrase such earnest desire as being of 'real intent,' pursued 'with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God.' I testify that in response to that kind of importuning, God will send help from both sides of the veil to strengthen our belief."

Pride is the universal sin. It is often our pride that gets in our way of going to others for help. I would ask, if you are reading this and you have doubts, go search for help. Do not think that you can overcome these things alone. If they are small doubts, go to the Lord in prayer. If they are bigger, go to your priesthood leaders--especially your bishop. If you aren't sure if it is big or small, go to your bishop anyways. He would love to hear from you and help you.

---

To end my blog, I would like to quote Elder Holland one last time, "Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe."

Take some time tonight, this week, or next week to acknowledge your questions and concerns. Write them down. Then, fan the flame of your faith. ALL things become possible to those that believe. Remember President Uchtdorf's quote, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith!".

Heavenly Father is aware of you. He is aware of the questions you have. Turn to him, and he won't let you down.

Feelings of Guilt, Part 5: Endure to the END!

This is my final blog about feelings of guilt. I chose to blog about this because I know that everyone goes through trials. Everyone makes mistakes. It is only through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can feel relief from these feelings of guilt. Christ's gospel is simply faith in him and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and then enduring to the end.

One of my favorite verses on enduring to the end comes from 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"

What does it mean to endure to the end? It means to be faithful to our savior. It includes sincerely repenting of our sins. It is entering into the gate of baptism and partaking of the sacrament weekly. It's receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and then continuing to keep the commandments so that we may be worthy of his companionship. It is repeating these principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Personally for me, enduring to the end means knowing that my savior has paid the way for me. Because I understand that he knows EXACTLY how I feel. He knows what I'm going through and what I desire. It is because of his suffering in the garden of Gethsemane that made it possible for her him to understand everything I am going through. He knows not only me, but you too.

 Alma 7:11, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people."

Not once does it say your sins. Not once does it say your mistakes. It says your pains, afflictions, and temptations. It is for this life. It is for right NOW. He knows you. He will help you through everything. Fight a good fight. Keep the faith.

Feelings of Guilt, Part 4: The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can feel relief from feelings of guilt. Christ's gospel is simply faith in him and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and then enduring to the end.

First of all, what is the gift of the Holy Ghost? In the gospel principles manual, it says, "The gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege—given to people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, been baptized, and been confirmed as members of the Church—to receive continual guidance and inspiration from the Holy Ghost."

What are some blessings that we receive from the Holy Ghost? Mormon,org gives us this explanation:

"The Holy Ghost can bless your life in many ways. Christ promised His Apostles that the Holy Ghost would 'teach you all things' (John 14:26) and 'guide you into all truth' (John 16:13). He also said that the Holy Ghost 'shall testify of me' (John 15:26).

"Likewise, the Holy Ghost can help you. Through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, you can recognize and understand truth and make right choices and inspired decisions.

"The Holy Ghost can inspire you with thoughts and ideas, warn you, and comfort you in times of sorrow.

"You may have already felt His influence at times in your life. That influence includes 'love, joy, [and] peace' (Galatians 5:22).]

"Almost everyone has felt the Holy Ghost at some time. But there is a difference between experiencing the occasional influence of the Holy Ghost and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Although the Holy Ghost may temporarily comfort someone or reveal truth to them, the gift of the Holy Ghost is reserved for those who have been baptized and confirmed into Christ’s Church. This gift is the privilege of enjoying the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost conditional upon keeping the commandments.

"The gift of the Holy Ghost is given when a person is confirmed a member of the Church after baptism by someone having priesthood authority from God. It is given by the person having authority laying their hands upon the head of the person who was baptized and giving them a blessing to receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:14-18). Whether or not we then receive this great gift depends on our keeping the commandments of God."

I think my favorite part of having the gift of the Holy Ghost is the promise found in not only John 14:26, but in 2 Nephi 32:5. Its says:

5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wish life came with instructions!" Well, I can tell you--what you are hoping for is the gift of the Holy Ghost! It has been such a blessing in my life. I have personally had experiences where the Holy Ghost has taught me, warned me, and gave me subtle impressions. Its how I knew where to go to college, if/when I should go on a mission, and many more things. I am so grateful to have this gift from my Heavenly Father. Through this gift, I have come to know of God's will for me. It has blessed me so much!

Not only is having the gift of the Holy Ghost been a blessing in my life, but it is the key to salvation. The Holy Ghost is what teaches us the way to get back to Heavenly Father. He is what testifies of truth. He shows us Heavenly Father's plan for us. This is what we desire most. We desire to know of things eternal. This knowledge only comes through the Holy Ghost.

I can testify of the reality of the gift of the Holy Ghost. He is real. He wants to help us. By taking the steps of the gospel (faith, repentance, and baptism), you can prepare to receive this gift from our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful to have this gift. I know that we are all loved by our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to draw near to him. If you have any more questions, message me on facebook, email, or write me. You can find my contact info on the right hand side of this page. Or contact your local missionaries by clicking here.

Feelings of Guilt, Part 3: Baptism

I will say again, as I have said before, we all need relief from feelings of guilt that come as a result of mistakes and sins. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the way that we can feel relief from these feelings of guilt. Christ's gospel is simply faith in him and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and then enduring to the end.

In my previous post, Feelings of Guilt, Part 1: The Foundation of Faith I shared the account of Joseph Smith and how this is the foundation of our Faith. In my second blog post in this series, Feelings of Guilt, Part 2: Repentance I talked about how we must rely on the Atonement in order to feel sorrow enough to repent so we can be cleansed from sin. In this third part, I would like to talk about the action that we now take in order to be cleansed from sin. This first action that we take is by being baptized.

Baptism is an ordinance. In fact, it is a saving ordinance. If you go to Mormon.org, you will find the following: "Baptism in water is an ordinance essential to our salvation. By being baptized, we show God that we are willing to be obedient to His commandments. Jesus set the example for us by being baptized, even though He was without sin (see Mosiah 18:8-10). The Savior revealed the proper method of baptism to the Prophet Joseph Smith, making clear that the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority and that it be done by immersion (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:72-74)."

We know that authority to baptize is very important to our Heavenly Father. Again, on Mormon.org, it has the following: "Throughout time, God has given His servants, the prophets, the authority to act in His name. This authority is called the priesthood. Jesus Christ gave the priesthood to His original Twelve Apostles by ordination (see John 15:16), and they directed the work of His Church after Jesus ascended to heaven. But after the Apostles were killed, the priesthood gradually disappeared from the earth."

"In 1829 Joseph Smith received the priesthood authority to organize Christ’s Church from Heavenly Messengers who had held this authority anciently including the prophet John the Baptist and apostles Peter, James, and John. In 1830 the same Church of Jesus Christ that existed centuries ago was organized and restored to the earth."

I can testify that I know that the priesthood was restored to the Prophet, Joseph Smith. I know that the authority to baptize is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Holland, a modern day apostle, put it perfectly when he said, "I bear witness of that gospel and that Church, with a particular witness of restored priesthood keys which unlock the power and efficacy of saving ordinances. I am more certain that those keys have been restored and that those ordinances are once again available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than I am certain I stand before you at this pulpit and you sit before me in this conference." I know that the authority was restored! We are so blessed to have it on the earth today.

Christ himself showed us by example the need to be baptized. What may be most significant, is the fact that he went to John the Baptist. Why did he go to John the Baptist? Because he had the authority to do so. Christ knew who had the authority to baptize. If Christ knew who had the authority to baptize then, he would know now. You can ask him in prayer about the need for authority.

When we are baptized, we make covenants or promises with God. Some of the promises that you make is to take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end. In return, he promises that his spirit will always be with us, he will forgive our sins, and give eternal life.

In the Gospel Principles book, in chapter 20, it talks about baptism. I loved the following: "There is only one correct mode of baptism. Jesus revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that a person having the proper priesthood authority to baptize “shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism. … Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water” (D&C 20:73–74). The Apostle Paul taught that being immersed in water and coming out again is symbolic of death, burial, and resurrection. After baptism we start a new life. Paul said:

'Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

 

'Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

'For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection' (Romans 6:3–5).

 

"Baptism by immersion by a person having the proper authority is the only acceptable way of being baptized."

 

My favorite way to look at baptism is as a fresh start. Just like I said in the beginning of my post, we all have feelings of guilt and shame. We have been given the way to feel cleansed from these sins. Why would we not want to have a fresh start?

 

I know that baptism by proper authority is essential for salvation. More than that, I know that it can save us from feelings of guilt and shame. I know that we can rely on our savior and his atonement and feel free from sin. If you have these feelings in your life, go to the missionaries. Go to your bishop. They can help you. Christ has already suffered for you. Rely on him, and I promise you, you will feel free from your sins.

 

 

Feelings of Guilt, Part 2: Repentance

Like I said in my previous post, we all need relief from feelings of guilt that come as a result of mistakes and sins. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the way that we can feel relief from these feelings of guilt. Christ's gospel is simply faith in him and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and then enduring to the end.

Mormon.org has the following to teach us about seeking repentance so that we can relieve those feelings of guilt:

"Having faith in Jesus Christ makes us want to live good lives. When we sin and seek to repent, we recognize and feel deep and sincere sorrow for what we’ve done wrong. God understood when He created the earth that we wouldn’t be perfect, so He provided a way for us to overcome our sins. The ability to repent is truly one of our greatest blessings.

"To repent we need to recognize and feel sorry for what we’ve done wrong, do whatever is possible to repair the damage it may have caused, and to leave our sinful behavior behind. Repentance can be difficult and requires a lot of honesty, but the joy and freedom we feel when we turn away from our sins are well worth the effort. Because Christ suffered for our sins, we can be forgiven when we repent. That’s why the Atonement is so important to all of us.

"We believe Christ's Atonement gives us the ability to repent and become clean from sin. To say we have to repent for our sins may sound like a punishment, but the real punishment is the guilt, sorrow, and disappointment we feel when we sin. Repentance is the opposite of punishment, then, because it allows us to become clean in God’s eyes and remove the feelings of guilt that follow our bad choices."

In Alma 34, it says:

 14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

 15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

 16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

 17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

 

It is my testimony that our faith in our Savior leads us to want to repent. When we fully have faith in our savior, we recognize that it is only through him that we will be able to return to our Heavenly Father. This then leads us to realize that we must be willing to repent so that we may feel clean from sin. This is an amazing gift Jesus Christ has given us. I know that if we humbly repent, our Heavenly Father forgives us. I am so grateful to have felt of the cleansing power of the atonement! It is real, and you can know for yourself!

 

 

Feelings of Guilt, Part 1: The Foundation of Faith

We all need relief from feelings of guilt that come as a result of mistakes and sins. It is a true fact. The message that we have to share is that we know the path to take in order to feel clean from these mistakes. This message is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ's gospel is simply faith in him and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and then enduring to the end.

Preach My Gospel says, "Individuals and families begin to follow Christ as they exercise faith in Him and repent of their sins. They receive a remission of sins through baptism and by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost from one who has authority from God to perform these ordinances. They then endure to the end, or, in other words, they continue throughout their lives in exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, and renewing the covenants they have made. These are not just steps that they experience once in their lives; rather, when repeated throughout life these principles become an increasingly rewarding pattern of living. In fact, it is the only way of living that will bring peace of conscience and enable Heavenly Father’s children to return to live in His presence."

The Foundation of Faith
The unique message that we have to share with the world is that we have a living a prophet on the earth today. Yes--a LIVING PROPHET! Just like prophets in the Old Testament like Abraham, Moses, and Noah. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has from the beginning of time given the children on men prophets to help lead and guide us so that we may return to live with him again someday. These prophets have always had God's authority (priesthood power) and have had the necessary keys (permission) to lead and help us. We see a pattern repeated through time where God will call a prophet; the people will listen for a time, and then, out of wickedness, the people reject the prophet. When the people reject the prophets it is called an apostasy. At the end of each of these apostasies, God has revoked that authority, or priesthood. Therefore, the people are left in darkness with no guidance. Out of love, our Heavenly Father has repeatedly called prophets to try and help us return to him. Every time a prophet is called, this is the beginning of a new dispensation. This pattern continues and ultimately leads up to our Savior himself coming.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to the earth and established his gospel. He taught us how to have faith, repent, showed us by example how to be baptized, receive the holy ghost, and endure to the end. Everything he taught us is based off of one of these basic principles or ordinances. Our Heavenly Father sent his son Jesus Christ to overcome physical and spiritual death for us. He was able to do so by completing the atonement for us. The atonement consisted of his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffering and death on the cross, and his triumphant resurrection. Before his death, Christ called twelve apostles and gave them his authority, or priesthood power, so that they could teach his gospel, perform ordinances like baptism, and continue to establish his church throughout the world.

We know that after a time, the people ultimately rejected his apostles also. With the death of the apostles, that authority was taken from the earth. Without this authority, false ideas came about in Christ's church. Doctrine became corrupted. Unauthorized changes to Christ's church were made. The people fell into what is called the Great Apostasy. This apostasy led to many new churches being established. There were many great people who noticed that they had been falling away from Christ's teachings so they sought to reform the church.  These reformations led to increased religious freedom, which opened the way for a restoration. The apostles foretold of a need for a restoration in the last days.

If you fast forward a little bit, the United States was busy with religious excitement. Mormon.org gives this overview: "The western part of New York State in the early 1800s was known as the 'Burned Over District.' The fervor over religion was intense. Many religions sent ministers seeking converts to their flock. So much so that no one, it was supposed, was left to convert. It was a time and a place of theological turmoil.

 

"This is the setting into which Joseph Smith, Jr., son of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, was born. His large family found themselves in the heart of this religious revival, wanting to live good lives but not sure which of the competing churches was the right one to join. Members of Joseph's family leaned toward different religions, but none felt certain that theirs was the true Church of Christ."

 

It continues on to say, "As a young man of fourteen years, Joseph already had a desire to find the truth. Like the rest of his family, he was deeply religious, and when the time came for him to be baptized, Joseph had to decide which of the many Christian denominations to join. After careful study, he still felt confused. He later wrote,'So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was [ … ] to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong [ … ] In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?' (Joseph Smith-History 1:8, 10).

Joseph turned to the Bible for guidance. He read,

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him"

(James 1:5).

 

"This verse deeply impressed him. He decided to pray about what he should do, with simple faith that God would hear and answer him."

And that is exactly what he did. He prayed to Heavenly Father and he got his answer. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. In his words, he describes the event as follows:

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me [ … ] When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other-This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"

Joseph Smith truly saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He was told at that time that none of the churches were true and that he should not join any of them. Over time, he was chosen to restore Christ's church on the earth again. Through Joseph Smith, the priesthood (God's authority) was restored again to the earth. That same authority that Christ gave his apostles, was back on the earth again.

Heavenly Father knew that we would need convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet, so he provided The Book of Mormon. I have been blogging a lot about The Book of Mormon lately. The reason why, is because I know that everything hinges on it. The bottom line: Our message is true or its not. The only way to find out is to read and pray about The Book of Mormon. Just like I have promised many times in my last posts, as you read and pray about it, you can know for yourself that it is true. (For more information on how to know if The Book of Mormon is true, click here.)

The message of the Restoration is the very foundation of our faith. I know that it is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He was truly called to do a marvelous work. I know this because I know The Book of Mormon is true. You can know its true too!

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. FINISHED!

If you have been following my blog, you know that about just over a month ago, the Washington Vancouver Mission was challenged to read The Book of Mormon before June 11th. I am proud to report that I finished it this morning in my personal study! In two of my previous posts, I forwarded the challenge that is found at the end of The Book of Mormon in chapter 10 in the book of Moroni. It says:

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.

 

In my post The Book of Mormon: A Challenge, I talked about renewing this challenge each, and every time we read The Book of Mormon. As I have read, I have prayed to have it confirmed in my heart that The Book of Mormon is true. Each day as I read, I was able to feel peaceful and happy. Through subtle feelings, I came to know all over again that The Book of Mormon is true. I am so grateful for the spirit and the opportunity that he gives me to know "the truth of ALL things." You too can receive an answer through the Holy Ghost.

I know that The Book of Mormon is true. It is the convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet. Because I know this, I know that Christ's gospel has been restored on the earth again. I am grateful for the prophets who wrote The Book of Mormon. I know that they were inspired men of God. I am amazed at the love Jesus offers us. I know that he lives. He has provided many ways to help us return to him. I am so grateful for that.

Read The Book of Mormon. Pray about it. Then allow the Holy Ghost to testify of its truthfulness.