Share It!

Have you ever taken the time to browse mormonchannel.org, mormon.org, or lds.org/youth and watched the incredible videos that the church produces? I am an extremely visual person, and my goodness, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does a fantastic job with their videos. Oh, they inspire me, they get me a little misty-eyed, and they make me want to be a better person.

Sigh...
How I love those videos. I think I should just keep them to myself and enjoy them, alone.

Think again! :)

Instead of just selfishly enjoying these videos, SHARE them. Its an amazing way to lift someone's spirits, and share the gospel in a friendly way. What amazing exposure, to see and feel for themselves what our church is all about.

Consider these videos, if your friend:

• Wants to know who the Savior is and how He lived, share “Christlike Attributes.”
• Suffers from the pain of losing a friend or loved one, share “He Will Give You Help.”
• Wonders if you’re a Christian, share “For God So Loved the World” (or any video at biblevideos.lds.org).
• Struggles with a health problem and wants to know how to stay happy, share “God Will Lift Us Up.”
• Would like to understand what the Book of Mormon is, share “Book of Mormon Introduction.”
• Wants to know how the gospel can help, share the story of how a homeless young man changed his life after learning about Jesus Christ in “Hi, I’m Paris. I’m a Mormon.”
• Is struggling with whether or not to remain sexually pure or wants to know why you are, share “I Choose to Be Pure.”
• Doesn’t understand exactly what you mean when you talk about “serving in your quorum” or “priesthood service” or your efforts in "relief society", or "elder's quorum"  share an example of what it means to look out for each other in “Dayton’s Legs.”
• Wants to know who we really are, why we’re here on earth, and where we’re going after this life, share “Our True Identity.”
• Has lost hope, share “The Power of Hope.”

http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-channel-daily/198?v=2176618422001

^^Here is one of my favorite videos from mormonchannel.org. ^^

I know that as we turn to our Heavenly Father in all our struggles and trials, that He will never, ever fail us. He will always be there, and He will help us to grow and make it through a better person.

I also know that this is Christ's church on the earth. I feel it, so extremely powerfully. I am happier than I have ever been in my life as I have completely embraced this gospel and all the teachings of the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the most wonderful, happy, peaceful message that we can share with others, and as we truly come to understand the atonement, we'll naturally have the desire to share our testimonies with those around us.

Will you do it this new year?

Will you share the message with one of Heavenly Father's children

Will you give them the opportunity to accept it?

Will you change someone's life for the better?

Holiness to the Lord

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has 141 operating temples worldwide. Here is just a glimpse of a few of those beautiful structures.

Salt Lake City, UT Temple

Logan, UT Temple (My hometown!)

Newport Beach, CA Temple

Bogota Colombia Temple

Boston, MA Temple

Brigham City, UT Temple

Campinas Brazil Temple

Mesa, AZ Temple

Orlando, FL Temple

Kansas City, MO Temple

Laie, HI Temple

In the temple, we are taught, we make covenants, and we are promised blessings. We receive ordinances that enable us to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. They are absolutely sacred.. :) The current prophet and president of the church (Thomas S. Monson) has stated, "I think there is no place in the world where I feel closer to the Lord than in one of His holy temples." I feel the same way! My parents were married and sealed together for time and for eternity in the Logan temple. Just like in Matthew 16:19, their marriage was bound on earth and in heaven that day, and my family will always be together. I love them so much, and I know that the family is CENTRAL to Heavenly Father's plan. The temple is a place where families cease to be separated, where they cannot be cut off by death. The temple is a beautiful place, the most peaceful and pure place I have ever been. I love my Heavenly Father and am so grateful for temples, for Jesus Christ, and for the FULLNESS of the gospel that is available today. I am so happy when I go there, and I know that those feelings are real. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and wants us to have every blessing. :) 

To learn more about temples go here.

To talk to people who can teach more about our church, go here.

and to find answers to questions of your soul, PRAY and then listen and HEAR.

Sacred Groves

I cry a lot. I admit it.

Its something I've come to accept :) I get a little misty and emotional when something touches my heart, when I feel the Holy Ghost whispering to me that something is true, and beautiful, and good. A family in my church got up and sang a song together one Sunday about how God has given us families to help us become what He wants us to be, and I was a mess. Sniffles, wiping tears, the whole nine yards. I can't help it.. I love LOVE! I love to feel the spirit. Its the most pure, joyful, and sweet experience.. Its difficult to adequately describe, but its this exhilarating  moment where you get hot flashes and the goosebumps all at one time and feel the most amazing peace, fulfillment, and JOY. I'm sure you've felt something to that effect in your life. That is the Holy Ghost that you are feeling, manifesting the truth and goodness of something to you, the existence of a Heavenly Father and Savior who know and love you. And if you have felt that unworldly sensation, even if it was for just a moment, I am sure you want to feel it again.

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He doesn't have a body like our Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ, and works in perfect unity with them. I love knowing that if I feel the Holy Ghost testify to me that the scriptures I read are true and good, I can trust that it comes from God. The Godhead are of one mind, and one purpose. God cannot lie and neither can the Holy Ghost. The only way that we receive pure testimonies of God, of Jesus Christ, or of any other truth that we desire is by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Everybody's got questions. Sometimes it takes us a little while to discover what our questions are, but we all have them. We don't know everything. We just can't. As earthly beings, we chose to come to this earth to walk by faith rather than by sight. But when we have those questions, we don't have to struggle and fail, ever-searching for finding peace. We can find peace and understanding, when we humble ourselves enough to ask and to seek through prayer, study, and application. We have to experiment on the commandments, on reading our scriptures and praying, on doing the things God has asked us to do to really know if the fruits are as sweet as they say.

But its us who has to make the choice to ASK. In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus tells us to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you." It WILL be opened up to us by the power of the Holy Ghost. But we have to ask our Heavenly Father those tough questions, and do the work to find the answers..

I love flowers. They are pretty :) They make me happy! So lets say I give you a daisy seed and say, "Hey! Here's a daisy seed! Plant this and if you nourish it, if you water it and give it sunlight, it will blossom into a beautiful flower." How will you know for yourself that it will bloom? How will you know that it is a good seed and that it can grow into a beautiful little daisy? You'll only find out if you plant it, if you give it water, and put it on a sunny windowsill. And then, when it grows, you will say, "Hey! She was right! Now I have a happy little daisy."

The same goes for our faith. If we plant those seeds and we EXPERIMENT on the commandments and the council we receive from prophets, missionaries, or scriptures, we will know for ourselves that the seeds are good and that we really are happier, more peaceful people with the fullness of the gospel in our lives. If we discard the seeds, if we don't plant them or give them a chance to grow, how will we ever really know if the Church of Jesus Christ is is true, if there really are prophets on the earth, or if the Book of Mormon is true.

Experiment today! If your testimony is lacking on some point, where can you experiment? Pray for guidance, ask for help, and I know that you will find those beautiful daisies in your life. And when you do, I know that you will "pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst." (excerpt from the Book of Mormon, Alma 32)