Our Faith Can Make Us Grow

I remember back when I was a boy, I would often go to the store with my mom and keep her company while she shopped.  I would always ask for a hundred things that we never needed, but for some reason she was always willing to let me get just a little something.  I used to love to get the magic grow animals.  These little toys just intrigued me; you just drop them in water and they would grow to be huge!  Although I lacked the patience to sit and watch them grow, I would find myself coming back to the glass to observe them and see how they grew.  I was always astonished at how long it would take for these animals to grow, but I knew that by the end they would reach their full potential. 

We, in many ways, are like these little animals.  Often times we may feel small or inadequate or as if we cannot measure up to the tasks that we sometimes face in life.  However, just like placing us these animals in water, we too must build up our faith and immerse our lives around that.  As we do so, we begin to see not only our faith, but we ourselves grow.  Our faith begins to become manifest in our daily lives (Alma 32:41).  Although we may not notice this growth over night, as we look back on our lives we will see that change has occurred, despite the slow process.  Like these animals, however hard things may get, we must not be removed from our reservoirs of faith, or we will ultimately shrink noticing our insecurities and inadequacies once again.  We must continue to grow, and we will if we but continue to immerse ourselves completely in our faith in Christ.

Stepping Stones

Lately, I have been thinking about how we overcome our struggles and change.  I have thought back on sports and how there was so much change for me, before I was really any good.  I swam for many years and enjoyed it, but it became very frustrating when I was not performing to the ability I felt I could.  As I struggled, practice after practice, trying to find out why I could not do better, I finally turned to coach, and asked him for help, because simply pushing through on my own was not doing the trick.  After having countless hours of stroke technique and changing the habitiual ways, I soon found myself slowing down and doing worse.  Discouragement set in and I thought it wasn't going to work.  But with the help of my coach, I learned that persistance in the change would bring the greatest outcome, and though it felt uncomfortable, it would not be long, until it became natural. 

This is a lot like living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We come to believe in Christ and try to change our lives to live how God wants us to.  But no matter how hard we try, we cannot make that change alone.  We cannot rely on our own strengths, or will power to get us through, we need the help of Jesus Christ.  Then, just like coach, He will shape us into who we need to be to return to Him, and achieve peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.  And though the way may be hard, it is not impossible, though the habits we must break seem too difficult, it can be done, and He will be there to help us every step of the way.  I know that change may take time, but it will become natrual and it will become who we are.

The Island Chill

Bula Vinaka! (Hello in the Islands of Fiji).  Just the other day, I was serving with my good friend and Fijian warrior, Elder Volavola.  As we were going through our day, we shared experiences on how the Gospel has brought peace to our lives and shaped us into who we are today.  We talked about some of the attributes the Savior has and has perfected; purity being one that our focus fell on.  There is an attraction and a joy that comes from being pure and seeing purity in others.  After all this, of course we found ourselves talking about Fiji water, which is the best and most pure water!

There is an island in Fiji that is surrounded by tropical forests.  Upon such, sits a waterfall that flows from the mountains, whose environment remains uninhabited by people.  This environment that is created has allowed for these waters to flow purely and remain perfectly untainted by unnatural and other unclean things.  Because of this, we get one of the best tasting waters in the world!  (If you don't believe us, try it.)  Just like the water that flows so freely and unaltered by man's hand, so too must our lives remain free from the tainted hands of the world.  We must keep our hearts and minds pure, so that the love of God can flow as freely and purely from us, as these waters do from the falls in Fiji. As we seek to become pure, even as the Savior, we will feel our lives drawing closer to His, (Moroni 7:47-48).

Just Like Playing Ball...




  Today's blog is coming to you from the best Canadian I know, my brother from another mother...Elder Bohnet! (That will also explain why he chose Steve Nash as the basketball player).  Have you ever been watching a basketball game and been like, man that guy is such a good shooter. I have played basketball a little and I think I'm a... decent shooter, and I know the work that goes into becoming a good shooter. When we are watching the game we only see the what that person has become, we don't always see how they got there. It takes a long time practicing, a lot of frustration, at times, and some excel quicker than others. Those who push through the rough days and keep going are the ones who become something great.

This is true in our own spirituality. I often look at others and think wow, that person is really spiritual. They didn't become like that overnight. I'm sure that it took hours of study and prayer. I'm sure sometimes they felt hopeless and that there prayers were not being answered. If we push through those hard times and diligently seek out our Father in Heaven the answers will come. A Book of Mormon prophet said, "And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall 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," (Alma 32:42). The key is to be patient, diligent, and have faith. If we do, we can come to know spiritual truths and feel the joy and satisfaction that comes from living the Gospel.

What Draws Me There?

This morning while I was looking at this picture, I thought of how bad I wanted to be there.  I think of good friends and missionaries that surround me, and I want to be with them.  I started to wonder, what is it that draws me to want to be with these people, or at this place?  One may suggest, because beauty.  Another, the bond or connection.  Another may say it is because of a neat, clean appearance.  Or it may be the atmosphere of love and comfort.  All of these give me a vision of what heaven may be.

I define draw, partly, as a means of pulling up or out of despair.  We know that everyone that is born with the light of Christ, (Moroni 7:16), and that this inward force drives us to do right and come to God.  To completely define draw, in this manner, it is an effect that causes us to be pulled out of despair and to move continuously towards God.  These things that draw me to Him, are places or people previously designed by the Lord to bless my life.  I know this applies to us all.  A scripture to help understand this, is found in Jeremiah 31:3.   "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." 

I am drawn to these places because of the love that I feel.  That love is everlasting.  That love is the perfect, and fills our souls with peace and joy.  May we draw close to Him as He draws close to us.

Power to Heal

Let The Children Come

Elder Bohnet and I just got done teaching one of our friends about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As we have reflected upon what that consists of; faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and enduring to the end, we thought of why we love talking about this so much.  We both decided it is because of Jesus Christ, and how he makes us feel!  

As I have come to know my Savior and older Brother, Jesus Christ, one thing I always marvel at is the power that he has to heal us.  I think of the mistakes that overwhelm our past, the worries that cloud our future, and the burdening guilt that once weighed down our hearts.  I think of that only for a moment.  I have come to accept, apply, and appreciate the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life.  I have felt the power he has to lift burdens and heavy hearts, diminish worries, and replace doubts with a bright hope.  He has all power to heal us physically, but there is a healing that takes a perfect love and patience, and that healing is spiritual healing.  I think of a scripture in the Book of Mormon, when the Savior appears to the people and tells them, "come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal [you]..."(3 Nephi 18:32).

I know that the Lord will heal all who come unto Him, with full purpose of heart.  I know that is because he has an unconditional and an everlasting love for us.  He can heal us. He can make us whole.

What Of My Testimony?

While studying the scriptures the other morning and Elder Bohnet and I began a discussion on the topic of  faith and our testimonies.  We read the account of Joseph Smith after he had seen a vision of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  He was persecuted for what he saw, and many people attempted to make him deny this heavenly witness.  But, Joseph Smith recorded, "I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true...I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, (Joseph Smith - History 1:25). "

I quote an Apostle of the Lord, Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "That was Joseph Smith’s testimony. What about ours? How can we come to know and testify that what he said was true? How does one gain what we call a testimony?"  I promise as you read this talk "Testimony" and ponder its meaning, you can come to know that what was spoken is true, and come to know, as I do, that Joseph Smith did see what he said he saw.  I promise if you do this, our Father in Heaven will answer you.