A Tribute to Mothers

THE FOLLOWING IS A POEM AS RECITED BY THOMAS S. MONSON

The holiest words my tongue can frame,

The noblest thoughts my soul can claim,

Unworthy are to praise the name

More precious than all other.

An infant, when her love first came,

A man, I find it still the same,

Reverently I breathe her name,

The blessed name of mother.

Mother's Day is fast approaching. It's one of the greatest days of the year. Don't forget to wish moms, grandmas and those women who are mothers to those who aren't their own a Happy Mother's DAY.

Forks in the River

“There are always two choices.

Two paths to take. One is easy.

And its only reward is that it's easy." -Anonymous

Forks in the river happen frequently. Especially in the mountains. When forks occur the river is divided into two or more directions and sometimes the forks never meet up again. The fork that we choose to follow many times is permanent. The current can be swift enough that it's difficult too change your course after you've already made the choice to follow it. 

Different choices lead to different locations just as choices we make in life take us to different places. Some lead to happiness and contentment, others lead to difficulty and sadness.

The ability to choose was given to us by our Father in Heaven. We have choices to make all the time. Some have little consequence and some have eternal consequence.  He wants us to choose wisely. We need to know that there is a right and a wrong. Most of the time the easiest path in life seems to be the one that is wrong. For example many teens are peer pressured into doing things that they know aren't right. Sometimes it's easier to give in  to the pressure opposed to not and making a scene.

The great thing is that our Father in Heaven will always prepare the way so that we can choose the right. It may be difficult, but he'll always support us as we stick to our guns and follow the path that He would want us to, the path that Jesus Christ walked before us.

Remember that through the atonement of Christ we can change our paths. We can change and repent even if we feel there is no hope. It takes extra work, but it can be done through his love and grace.

This very day I'd like to Invite You to Choose the Right.

In the long run I promise you'll never regret it.

-Thanks for Reading

Living Water

WATER: The liquid that descends from clouds and forms rivers, lakes and streams. Water is essential to sustain physical life. We can go without food for days and even weeks. If we go without water for more than a few days we die of dehydration. Two thirds of our bodies are composed of water. Water is also great for cooking, cleaning, and many other things like recreation.

There is someone (I'm not going to mention any names) in my current area of service that is convinced that they are allergic to water. This is really funny because that's just not possible. Water is necessary for everything.

Much like water is essential for all physical life the Savior and his teachings (living water) are essential for eternal life.

In the New Testament, in John 4:13-14, Jesus Christ teaches a Samaritan woman at a well about living water.

 “Whosoever drinketh of this water (the water from the well) shall thirst again:

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”

Living water is the 'good news' of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ's teachings and Gospel. We are promised Eternal Life and happiness as we tap into this living water and live Christ's Gospel teachings.

Water nourishes and supports growth. Why do deserts seem to be more void of life than any other places on earth? It's due to their lack of water. The same principle can be applied to our lives. If we use the living water, we are nourished and grow. We form a closer relationship with our Father in Heaven.

Just as water is used to wash our cars living water heals and cleans us. The Gospel can ease burdens of guilt that come from sinning. Jesus Christ can heal us as we let Him into our lives.

Last but not least Living Water brings joy and peace. It brings Eternal Life and true happiness. Also it brings that happily ever after that everyone wants.

Thanks for reading! Sorry I put a funky background on the text I couldn't figure it out...

 

Wear Your Life Jacket

When I was in grade school almost every summer I attended swimming

 lessons. At the beginning of every swimming season we went over the rules of swimming as a class. One rule that is a little catchy and has stuck with me is, "Don't just pack it, wear your life jacket."

Wearing a life jacket significantly increases your chance of having a safe, fun filled day on the water. They float, keeping you on top of the water. Having a life jacket on when the river gets rough could make all the difference in preventing a disaster. From my experience wearing a life jacket sometimes has felt a little constricting. Sometimes I feel like I'd rather be more comfortable and not wear one, but it's also my experience that wearing a life jacket gives me much more freedom on the river. Freedom from worry that I may drown and also makes me feel free to navigate the river as I choose.

Many principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be applied to wearing a life jacket, the commandments especially. Just as I sometimes viewed wearing a life jacket as constricting and not as fun, we sometimes view the commandments that have been given to us by our Prophets as being the same. In reality the commandments give us true freedom, freedom from worry, guilt and shame. Keeping the 

commandments keeps us happy, safe and free to navigate life with the help of our Father in Heaven.

You wouldn't want to run a river without a life jacket and you shouldn't want to live life without the blessings of keeping the commandments. 

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

We all have weaknesses, but the Lord promises us here that they can become our strengths through his help. There is always hope. I know that as we do our best and focus on living the commandments, and not just knowing them, we will receive Heavenly Help and gain the added power we need to change. Living the commandments brings blessings in this life and in the next. Don't give up and keep pushing forward!

The Infinite Power of Hope

I love this video. Always remember that there is hope. We have a Father who loves us and doesn't want us to forget it! He wants what's best for us. He wants us to be happy and has prepared the way for us to be happy through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's Gospel has been restored to the earth. Please feel free to ask questions about this restored church.

-Thanks for Reading!

Which Jersey Are You Wearing?

"The FUTURE of this world has long been DECLARED; the final outcome between GOOD and evil is already KNOWN. There is absolutely no question as to who WINS because the VICTORY has already been posted on the SCOREBOARD. The only really strange thing is that we are still down here on the FIELD trying to decide which TEAM’S JERSEY we want to wear!"
                           --Jeffery R. Holland

WHICH JERSEY ARE YOU WEARING? 

Lost and Found in the High Uintahs

My favorite time of the year is the fall. It's just after the summer and the colors start to change from greens into brilliant reds, oranges and yellows. The breeze brings the first chills of the upcoming winter as the powerful elk bugles echo through the mountains. I love the beauties that can be seen and heard all around, but the fall season for my family is also time for hunting. It's a family tradition to hunt and something that always has brought my family together.

A couple of years ago my father and I were hunting in the Uintah Mountains in northeastern Utah when I got very lost and got very cold. I'd like to share the story of losing my way in the mountains, but eventually being found.

My father and I awoke very early one October morning to a couple of inches of snow. We prepared for the
day and jumped into my dad's truck excitedly as we began to ascend up into the mountains. It was snowing like crazy. We could barely see the road in front of us. Both of us knew that it was going to be a cold one, but that didn't stop us.

As we reached the end of a road and began to hike a faint glow could be seen above and we knew that the sun was trying to come up, but the blizzard was still raging. We began hiking and were doing okay. The trail that we were following was normally a difficult one to notice amongst all the rocks and fallen trees, but with the added difficulty of spotting it with almost a foot of fresh snow, it almost made it impossible. So I tried to keep close to my father who knew the way, but with the wind and snow blowing in our faces I got separated from my dad and lost my way.

We were attempting to make it to a beautiful park on top of a mountain so I decided to continue to climb up and wasn't afraid. As I went I got more and more lost. I eventually found a mountain peak that I was hoping to be able to pear off of and see some familiar landmarks. The snow was too difficult to see through. So I continued to walk and got chillier and chillier. Then fear began to set in. Where was I? Which way did I need to go? It was then that I decided to pray. After my prayer I thought that I'd heard an elk bugle a few hundred yards away so I went to where I'd heard the sound. It led me to a clear cut in the trees where I waited for a while and got colder.

Then that was when my dad came walking in behind me. There was no one else that I would have rather seen. My dad knows his way in the mountains. Immediately I felt relieved. He built a fire despite the blizzard and frigid temperatures around us and we warmed up for a bit before we walked the miles back to the truck. This time I followed my dad as close as I could.

We made it home safely and I sure was grateful for my father. I was also very thankful for my Heavenly Father and his answer to my prayer.

Just as I was lost and felt hopeless, many get lost in life and feel downtrodden and alone. Sometimes as people we look for happiness in all the wrong places and want more, but don't know where to find it. Whatever our walk in life may be, no matter how lost we feel, we need to remember that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us. We are His sons and daughters and He has great things in store for us. We have an amazing tool to communicate with him called prayer. The creator of the universe who is all powerful and has many children always has time for each and every one of us. In fact, he wants us to come to Him and communicate with Him often. He's given us commandments to keep us happy and safe. He loves us so much that He sent his perfect son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for us so that we could return to Him. He has called prophets to lead and guide us. He's given us holy scriptures, the Book of Mormon and the Bible to read His words. If you're feeling lost, alone, or have no one to talk to, then pray. Give it a try. He will answer your prayer.
Thanks for Reading!