As One

I find power in the word One.  I don't look at it as just a number.  It is a symbol of Unity to me.  Acting as one unites a body of many to a unit of one.  I'll list you some examples.

• Soldiers work together to achieve ONE purpose: to accomplish their mission.
• A team of climbers work as ONE to reach the top of their mountain.
• Parents work together to raise a family as ONE.

Anyone working together to achieve a common purpose work as one.  They work in harmony so that the task at hand is done safely and effectively.  I really enjoy activities that involve teamwork.  Climbing, Repelling, or sports of any kind are activities that require a team effort.  The Savior taught, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." (Matt. 12:25.)  Could you imagine mountain climbing if your spotter suddenly ditch you?  If you were to fall, you wouldn't have your spotter their to catch you.  The same can be said with life itself.  We need to watch over each other and work together to achieve the same goal.

The thing that most often destroys Unity is Anger, or Contention.  When people become offended or irritated with someones actions, opinions, or decisions, any peace that was there, or could have been there, is gone.  In the Book of Mormon, the Savior told the Nephites that contention is the work of Satan and is the opposite of God's work.  Remember when you are about to get angry, know that you will create more problems than solutions.

One of the greatest examples of Unity is the Godhead.  The God head is: God the Father, Jesus Christ (the Son) and the Holy Ghost.  These are THREE distinct individuals with ONE purpose.  Their Purpose is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of Man."  Each have an important role to accomplish this work.  They work with love and in harmony to accomplish their goals.  As we try to become better men and women, follow the examples set by the Godhead to become unified in our work.  Sacrifices may have to be made, but if we are truly working for the benefit of the whole we can all find happiness together.

Following the Instructions

"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away." - 2 Nephi 2:13

Have you ever tried building a model airplane?  It's a fun activity that I tried once, when I was a teenager.  I built a UH-1 Helicopter that I received as a Christmas present one year.  I spent up to a week building it.  One thing I followed close attention to was the Building Manuel.  I did everything I could to make sure every piece was in the right place.  As I neared the completion of my model, I made a mistake.  I was so excited to complete my model that I accidentally put one of the few armaments, that was included, on the wrong way.  I put the nose mounted grenade launcher upside down.  When I realized the problem, the glue was already set and I could not fix the problem that had just happened.


We are going to experience many things in this life.  It's just like we are building a model plane.  Each of our choices effects the outcome of our life.  Our choices will also effect the people around us.  Not all choices are going to hurt someone.  But there are ones that will.  Dirty habits such as drinking, pornography and drugs damage important relationships that are needed in our life.  Families are broken, relationships are dashed, and friends are lost as a result of these poor choices.  God has revealed his word to the Prophets.  They then tell us what needs to be done.  They give us the basic building instructions for our lives. When we choose to disregard them as nonsense or unnecessary ideas for the time, we are ignoring the important building instructions needed for our development.  Their words are recorded in the Scriptures.  Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon hold the basic message revealed to the Prophets.

The Lord has said that there is a set law that was made before the earth was even created.  Through this law all blessings are based from.  If we do not keep the laws set down, by God, then we are no longer "entitled to those laws and the contract is void (D&C 130:20-21).  Just like that.  If we are not willing to follow the directions given, we cannot expect the happiness we are searching for.  Because it wasn't promised to look like a finished model.  Remember, by following God's commandments to us = Happiness.  Disregard to those commandments = misery.

When we obey God's commandments, and listen to the counsel given to us by the prophets, we will find lasting happiness grow in our lives.  We have the choice to choose between good and evil.  Please make the right choice.  God and Satan are competing for your attention.  Satan will lead us down to misery while God leads us to happiness.  Make the choices that will not harm you or others.  If you have ever done anything wrong, fix it.  And do it before the glue sets, and it becomes even harder to repair.  The finishing results that are most benificial come from following the basic instructions.  That is a promise.

Wealthy

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)

Hey let's talk money!  We all love money.  We all want money.  Money gets us everything we want in this world.  With out money we are lost in this world.  But I have some bad news for you.  To be rich you have to work for it.  Sorry, but life is not handed to you on a silver platter with your name in gold.

There are many different kinds of rich.  There are multiple ways to define wealth, some you might have never heard of.  But I want to focus on wealth in knowledge, primarily the wealth you can find in the Scriptures.  Have you ever thought there are hidden treasures in the Scriptures?  If you would have asked me that when I was a early teen, I would have laughed in your face.  But now I've discovered "gold mines", right inside the very pages of the Scriptures.  Now before you start laughing, I want to show you what I have done to reap from these "mines".

I always begin my study with prayer.  There are going to be things I am not going to understand while I am reading.  I can have a dictionary, a computer with Internet, or my parents with me to tell me the answers.  But it will not mean so much to me if someone else told me how it worked.  Often times it may take years to understand one part.  As I am studying, other things that I have learned in all my years will sometimes come back to memory, some that I have not looked at in a long time.  (2 Nephi 28:30.)



A Gold mine from God



Having a study journal helps in our study.  Just like you need a place to store your money in, you should very well have a place to store your thoughts.  Your brain is not enough.  Writing down what you learn, and what your thoughts are, will not only help you learn something, but will help you remember everything.  Thinking about what you are studying helps to.  When you think over it, your able to piece together how it works and what it is used for.  It also increases understanding.  The most important thing is time.  You have to be patient with yourself and what you want.  No one is given knowledge.  It is obtained through hard work.  It's going to be a challenge, but it is most rewarding. Thomas Fuller said, "All things are difficult before they are easy."  You don't know everything yet, but that can all change.  You can be opened to ALL the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  Just have faith in God and he will grant you your wish according to your desires, as he sees fit.

As you continue to study you'll understand more and be able to tackle bigger questions.  But it all begins with a desire and putting in the effort.  God is not going to give us an understanding right there.  We need to meet him half way and do our part.  I promise that as you diligently study, the doctrine of the kingdom will fall on you like rain.

Bourn into Adversity, Raised a Hero

Have you ever heard of a "Smoke Jumper"?  Smoke Jumpers are firefighters who jump out of airplanes right next to forest fires to put them out.  Their job is very dangerous, but they understand what their job is and are willing to do it.  They'll do everything they can to help stop the fire from spreading, and when the job gets too dangerous they are airlifted out.  They are right in the heat of the fire.  There must be a lot of stress in the job.

Sometimes you may feel like you were purposely placed where you are meant to suffer.  Not true.  We were born into this earth to gain experience.  Those experiences may be hard, but they are here to teach you things you will need to become great.  Before this earth was created you were told of the experiences you would have in this life, but you were promised that if you would be diligent and have faith in Jesus Christ, your reward in heaven would be great.  Smoke Jumpers don't simply walk into a plane and just jump out.  Before they are loaded into the plane, they are briefed over what is going on and are given the equipment they need to complete the job.  They are then loaded into the plane and flown to where they need to be.  Once they are at the drop point they jump out.  They are confident in the training they received before they made their first jump.  You don't remember your life before this one.  If we did we wouldn't learn anything in this life.  We have to go through this life by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:6-9).  We were prepared before the world was created for this life.  We understood the task at hand and were willing to do so.

God didn't leave us to just go about trying to be good all by ourselves.  He gave us commandments to follow to lessen the many bruises we may receive on earth.  Smoke Jumpers are given orders what they need to do, and we have commandments so that we know what to do.  Communication is something else we are not left without either.  Smoke Jumpers will carry radios with them so that if the situation gets too dangerous, they can be rescued.  When we pray to God, we establish a line of communication with him and make it possible to receive help.  Even though God knows what we need, he wants us to learn what we need.  Prayer helps us see what we need so that it is possible for us to learn and grow.

It may seem at times that you are right in the heat of everything.  I've felt that way too.  But I was taught that before I reached my adult age, I was being prepared for my mission in life.  Every hard moment, every struggle, and every time I felt pain was not to treat me like trash.  It was to prepare me for the purpose God had for me.  I have always found comfort in D&C 121:7-8 where the Lord comforts the Prophet Joseph amid a great and trying time in his life.  Joseph in despair cried, "My God, where art thou!"  The Lord's response was to take heart, and do not despair, the hard times are soon to end.  AND if he endured to the very end, God will reward him a Hero's reward.  In D&C 122:7 he said all our trials are for our good, so that we may be ready to carry out the work God has need for us to do.

The Savior has felt the pain of the Whole World and is ready to give you aid when you fell like you can go no further.  He has suffered more than any man alive.  I've seen the how my hard times have trained me for the task I have been and soon will be entrusted with.  So when you have a time where you feel like you can't go on, remember this: you are the hero in your own personal study.  You are a vital key in God's work and he needs YOU.  Remember that you are important and there is no one on this earth that can take your place.

Replenishing our Shields

Let's talk video games.  In case you are not familiar with the game "Halo", I'll give you a quick overview on what you do.  The "Halo" video game involves special super soldiers nicknamed "Spartans" that are sent against a Alien nation bent on destroying all Humans.  This first person shooter game puts you right into the heat of the fight.  Now before I start advertising the game let me get to the point.

Your "Spartan" is protected by a simple shield (that isn't seen) that surrounds your Spartan.  This shield allows you to take huge amounts of small arms fire before your Spartan is no longer safe.  When the shield is depleted you must find protection, otherwise your Spartan will be killed in action.  Once the shield has been replenished, you are ready to go right into combat.  However just because you have a shield does not make your Spartan invincible.  Getting hit by vehicles, explosions, and certain melee weapons will kill your Spartan.

Now, let's face reality here.  You are living life day by day, week by week. It can get tiring at times and stressful.  Sometimes it seems like you are under intense fire, just like the Spartans in Halo.  How can you get "shields" for you regular life?  I find that weekly church attendance, and keeping the Sabbath day Holy, is a great way to give us a shield for the week. 

By Church attendance we allow the Holy Ghost to teach us the doctrine of God and strengthen us for the week.  Sabbath day worship has been a commandment of God since the dawn of time (Exodus 20:8-11).  God didn't command this just so we could be "enslaved".  He wants us to able to withstand our trials standing strong.  Church provides me, and others, a recharge for the week.  I don't feel as strong without it.  Another part of the the Sabbath day, is the partaking of the sacrament.  The Sacrament is a renewal of the covenants (promises) we made with God from baptism.  It is also a way of remembering the sacrifice the Savior made for us.

There are activities you should do on the Sabbath.  The "Strength of Youth" pamphlet says, "Many uplifting activities are appropriate for the Sabbath. Worship the Lord, attend church, spend quiet time with your family, study the gospel, write letters, write in your journal, do family history work, and visit the sick or home bound. Your dress before, during, and after church meetings should show respect for the Sabbath . . . Sunday is not a holiday or a day for recreation or athletic events. Do not seek entertainment or spend money on this day." 

Sunday is a day of rest, from the world.  But that doesn't give you the excuse to go ahead and play video games, watch the new popular movies or play sports.  Spending relaxing time with family, or visiting those who are ill are examples of activities we can and should do on the Sabbath.  This is our time to reconnect with the Lord (Mark 2:27).  Do anything contrary to that. It would be like staying exposed to enemy fire too long or going against an enemy ten times your size.

Just because you also got a recharge for the week, doesn't mean you can do what ever you want for the rest of the week.  You still have to keep the commandments and stay away from activities and places that would damage your shield.  Daily scripture study, praying, and keeping the commandments can help keep you "shield" where it needs to be everyday, but Church attendance makes it stronger (D&C 59: 8-11).  By doing these things you are able to withstand the trials of the week and come out stronger.

To see what the "Strength of Youth" pamphlet says about the Sabbath go to: http://www.lds.org/manual/for-the-strength-of-youth-fulfilling-our-duty-to-god/sabbath-day-observance?lang=eng

Baited Hooks

In the Disney, Pixar film, "Finding Nemo", there is a scene where Marlin and Dory are in a dark ravine.  While in the cavern Marlin and Dory find a light.  They don't know what it is our where it's coming from but go to check it out.  As they move closer Dory, in utter fascination, touches it and the light began to move away.  Marlin and Dory follow the light in innocent bliss.  Then they discover where it was coming from . . . it was from an Angler Fish.  And it was hungry.  They were lured into a trap.  Once they realized what it was they turned tail, and made a break for it.  Good thing they made it out alive, or the movie would have been over a bit early.

There are plenty of things in this world that may seem innocent and harmless.  But in reality they do more damage than we may realize.  They may give us that temporary satisfaction for the moment, but it will not give you lasting happiness.  These vices are often disguised as innocent and exciting activities, but it is in reality a baited hook.  To add an extra glitter, Satan will make us think that once won't kill us.  That is only half true.  It may not kill you then.  Notice I said 'may', you are not guaranteed to make it out.  But you will get hooked and dragged closer and closer to your doom and misery if you persist in dangerous behavior.

Just like a fish knows when it has been hooked by a fisherman, we can tell if we had been hooked by a temptation.  It hurts to get a hook in your mouth, and it doesn't feel very comforting when you do something wrong.  When you know it's wrong, and you do it, you are never going to feel happy.  The Prophet Alma told his son, "Wickedness was never happiness" (Alma 41:10).  When a fish is hooked it is not going to let the fisherman just bring him in.  It's going to fight to get loose.  That is what you need to do once you have commit a sinful (wrong) act.  It will only bring you pain and misery if you continue in such degrading behavior.  Some many also try to make excusses to do something wrong.  If it doesn't seem right, or you have a bad feeling about it, it is best that you don't do it.  Your peers may redicule you for it, but your happiness is not worth the loss of a few friends.  You are garenteed to find better ones if the ones you have are not any good.

If you ever broken any of God's laws, you need to stop the behavior immediately.  Remove the vice from your life and break free of your bad habits.  This is Repentance.  Once you have fully repented of your sins, you will find freedom and happiness beyond comprehension.  I can promise you that obedience to God, is joy and freedom forever.