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.

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.

Power of the Spirit!

Check out the talk! "Serve with the Spirit" 

I came across this talk because one of our Sunday classes, taught by Greg Orr.  In this talk, is found many ways  that we can come closer to the Spirit and be guided by it in our lives.  President Henry B. Eyring gives us some wonderful words of advice and support as a prophet, seer, and revalator of our Heavenly Father.

One thing spoken seeemed to press on my heart and I felt the Spirit testify to me that these things are true:
"Our humility and our faith that invite spiritual gifts are increased by our reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures...when we ponder, we invite revelation by the Spirit. Pondering, to me, is the thinking and the praying I do after reading and studying in the scriptures carefully."