You See It Everywhere

      As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we have a very deep understanding of the gospel, or doctrine of Jesus Christ (or at least we should). When we say the "gospel" do we really know what that means? The Gospel of Jesus Christ has 5 components: faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost and enduring to the end. 
    First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything starts with faith. When we say we have faith in Christ, we are saying we follow His teachings and trust in Him and His Atonement. Because we have faith, we come to church. Because we have faith we read our scriptures and pray. If a farmer didn't have faith that the seeds that he planted would grow into crops, would he plant seeds in the first place? No. Faith "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). Faith brings that hope that keeps us going. It all starts with faith. Faith leads us to change to be more like Christ.
   Second, repentance. Repentance is changing our lives in a way that will bring us closer to God. We all sin. We are all imperfect.  Repentance brings a peace and joy and freedom from the bondage of our sins. In 3 Nephi 7:24, it says, "Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water." So in order to fully repent, one must be baptized for the remission of sins.
   Third, baptism. Baptism is a commandment of God. But the important thing is to do it by the proper authority. In the book of Matthew, we read that Jesus sought out John the Baptist to baptize him. Jesus knew that John had the proper authority to baptize. He couldn't just walk up to any man and ask him to baptize him. We also know that one must be baptized by immersion. In Matthew 3:16, it says that when Jesus was baptized, he "went up staightway out of the water.." (see Matt. 3:16).
   Fourth, the gift of the Holy Ghost. In John, Jesus says that a man must be born of water "and of the spirit" to inherit the kingdom of God. To be born of the Spirit means to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift completes the baptism. The baptism of water and the spirit go hand in hand, one cannot be without the other. The Holy Ghost is given to be a companion, a guide and an influence in our lives. The Holy Ghost testifies of truth, it teaches us through our feelings and thoughts.
  Fifth, enduring to the end. In 2 Nephi 31:14-15, it says:

  

 "But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

  And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." 

In order to be saved in the kingdom of God, we must endure to the end. Which means coming to church and participating in the sacrament, reading our scriptures, praying sincerely, and repenting constantly. If we do the first 4 steps and don't endure, our journey is meaningless.

   You see these 5 steps prominently in the scriptures. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a pattern of living. It's not a one time thing. Be aware of these 5 components of the gospel as you read the scriptures and learn and grow in the church. You see it everywhere.

Raining Blessings

   Summer is almost here. The thermometer looks awfully red here in Ridgeland. As we approach the summer months, it is starting to rain a lot more here in the South. I have never seen it rain like it rains here. The rain drops are like water balloons. They are so big and you get instantly soaked! During a storm, it seems that the heavens open and buckets of water poor on unsuspecting missionaries on bikes. But let me tell you just how the heavens can open unto us spiritually. We don't get soaked in this kind of "rain."

   In the Old Testament, the Lord told the prophet Malachi:

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (see Malachi 3:8-10). 

    We must "bring [our] tithes into the storehouse..." Tithing has been a principle since the Old Testament. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are asked by God to pay 10% of our income to the church to build up the kingdom of God. No one in our church gets paid for their services in the church. It is all voluntary. Not even the prophet himself sees a dime. It all goes to the building of temples, church buildings, missionary work and much more.

   Some people think it is a big sacrifice to give the church 10% of their money. But think of it this way...isn't everything we own God's anyway? Everything we "own" has been given to us as a blessing from God. Everything is His. How merciful then, is it to only ask for 10% back after He gave us everything? The blessing outweighs the sacrifice. The Lord promises us that He will pour out blessings upon us and He will "open the windows of heaven." It will rain down blessings upon us like a summer storm in the South. That's a promise from the Lord Himself. 

   I am a living witness of this promise. I was in college, attending Dixie State College in St. George, UT. It was my first semester of college and I realized that it was in my best interest to transfer to BYU-Idaho that next semester. In order to do that, I had to pay fees and also sell my housing contract for the apartment I was currently living in. So I had to sell my contract or I would be on the hook for $1000 for an apartment I wasn't even living in. I had less than $500 to my name. Then, to make matters worse, as I was searching for a place to stay in Rexburg, ID, where BYU-Idaho is, I erroneously signed up for a contract there too. I didn't mean to sign up for that one. So I was told I had to sell that one as well. So now I was left with 2 housing contracts for places I wasn't going to live, the total on my head was about $2000 if I didn't sell them. I needed a miracle. I called the person who I knew wouldn't think I was a complete idiot, and who could help me...my mom. She talked to me and asked me if I had paid my tithing recently. I admitted that it had been months since I had done so. It was long overdue. However, I pleaded my case with my mom, saying if I paid the tithing I owed, I would be left with far less money than I needed to pay off these contracts if I didn't sell them. I would be over $1500 short. She encouraged me to pay it anyway and try the Lord on His promise. So I did. I paid my tithing to the bishop in St. George. I felt better about my decision but the possibility of needing to pay $2000 loomed ominously in the distance. I had been trying to sell those contracts for a month. After I paid my tithing, not a week later, I received phone calls from people wanting my contracts for both places! I sold both of my contracts in less than a week! I didn't have to pay for them myself. I left there debt-free with the universities and also debt-free with God. I know I was blessed because I paid my tithing.

   God encourages us to try Him in this promise. I did, and I was blessed. Let us all pay our tithing honestly. God doesn't need our money. This is an issue of faith. Let us show our faith in Him and see if he won't "open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

A Mother's Love

   In light of this weekend being Mother's Day, I would like to dedicate this blog to mothers, especially mine. A mother's love is so unconditional. Proverbs 1:8 tells us we are to not forsake the "law of thy mother." (see Proverbs 1:8). Unfortunately,  I did this all too often as a teenager (that makes me sound old). I always ended up regretting it. But you know what? She loves me anyway. No matter how many times I fall or mess up, she is right there to comfort me and love me. My mom, Angela, is the best mom in the world. To this day I do not know how she is not in an insane asylum with how me and my 4 younger siblings act sometimes.
    In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni talks about charity:
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (Moroni 7:45).
   These is the easiest way I can explain how my mother is. She "suffereth long" because she has 5 kids and we all drive her crazy sometimes. She has unparalleled patience with us. My mother is one of the kindest people I know. She is not envious or puffed up. She is very humble. She never seeks "her own." I always see her doing something for someone else: laundry, making dinner, cleaning, driving kids to school, relief society projects, all these things and never a second to herself. She is definitely not easily provoked. Sometimes I don't know how she doesn't beat me and my siblings. She shows us love and when it is time for discipline, it is done in a loving, constructive manner. My mom is very sensitive to the Spirit. She "thinketh no evil." The Spirit is ever present in our home. She never rejoices in iniquity. I always have seen her doing good for other people. She is a huge reason why our family has a strong Christian foundation. She rejoices in truth. My mom taught us to tell the truth. She showed us the truth by taking us to church and teaching us God's way. She "beareth all things." My mom has endured so much. But she keeps going. No rest for the weary. If she gets 2 hours of sleep, she gets through it. There are mouths to feed, people to take to school/practice, meals to cook. She has superhuman abilities to get through the day, with zero complaints. She "believeth all things." She raised us in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She believes in Christ. She believes in our Heavenly Father and His plan. And she has taught that to us. She "hopeth all things." She has such a bright hope for all of us, her children. She sees the good in everyone. My mom "endureth all things." After all that me and my siblings have put her through, she still loves us. Unconditionally. Sometimes I wonder how in the world she is still walking and not sleeping. My mother is a great example of endurance and love. She is a wonderful exemplar of the Savior's love.
   So if my mom loves me so much after all I have put her through, wow... I can't even comprehend the love my Heavenly Father has for me. If you were lucky enough to grow up with a mother like mine, pray to your Heavenly Father tonight and thank Him profusely for such a great blessing. If perhaps you did not, there is one who will always love you unconditionally and will always have arms wide open for you. Your Heavenly Father. He loves you. His love is perfect. And it's perfect for you. It's perfect for me.

Let God Help

   I have been very blessed to see a lot of success in Ridgeland, SC. The miracles seem to pour in unceasingly. Every time I see someone get baptized, it strengthens my testimony of the reality of this gospel. This past Sunday, Melissa was baptized. She is a great example of faith. I have never seen anyone who wanted a remission of their sins as badly as she did. She left so much behind and left so much at the mercy of the Lord. She truly trusts in her Heavenly Father. I have never seen anything quite like it.
   Trusting in our Heavenly Father is something we can all do more. How much do we rely on ourselves? Nephi in the Book of Mormon teaches us that it's better to trust the Lord than the "arm of the flesh" (see 2 Nephi 4:34-35). We as humans are very prone to only trust ourselves and in our own  abilities. This is especially true in men. We tell ourselves "I don't need help. I'm fine. I can handle this on my own." Don't lie to yourself. Be humble enough to get on your knees and ask your Almighty Father for help. He will help us. He is so willing and ready to help us...but we need to ask Him.
    We need to trust in Him even when it seems all is working against us. Think of the story of Job. He lost his house, his family was killed, he was afflicted with all sorts of physical ailments, and he lost his property. Yet he said  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." (Job 13:15). We can talk to Him about anything. Our prayers are supposed to be sincere and from the heart, not anything memorized or without feeling. Talk to Him as you would talk to your best friend about your problems. He will listen. He wants to help. All you have to do is let Him...
   Prayer is an amazing gift from our Heavenly Father. It is a direct communication with Him, there is no middle man, you don't have to wait to get signal. You always have signal with Heavenly Father. You are never roaming alone. All you have to do is ask the Father in the name of Christ in faith, and "whatsoever ye shall ask...it shall be given unto you." (3 Nephi 18:20). Let God help, ask Him in prayer for anything. He always answers, He never rejects or ignores your call. He listens. He knows you, He loves you, and He wants to help. Let Him.