Boogers or Kit-Kats?

We had the opportunity to teach Elder's Quorum this last Sunday and with it had an object lesson.

We had two volunteers and two cups with different candies in it. The first was a candy that looked like boogers:

 and the second was a Kit-Kat bar:

We gave the one volunteer the first cup with the boogers in it and told him to convince the other volunteer to eat whatever is in that cup. As he struggled to describe the "boogers" in the cup he managed to convince him enough that the other volunteer ate whatever was in the cup without even looking at it!

We gave him the second cup and he convinced him to eat it with ease. It was chocolate with a crisp cookie on the inside!

What was the difference between the two?

He knew what a Kit-Kat bar was and had tasted it himself and could easily explain without restraint how good the Kit-Kat bar actually was! The boogers was another story.

As we feel the joy through the gospel we can easily express that joy to others. When we know the gospel and have strong emotions about it, we can more powerfully convey a love for the gospel and touch people's hearts that no one else can.

But it all starts with your own conversion.

Ask what the prophet Alma directs: Can ye feel so now?

Feel so now.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Things Unseen

When I was attending BYU-Idaho, I had the privilege to have my brother come out and visit me!

He came right after a snowfall so we decided to go sledding on the sand dunes (which were bigger than any hill we had in Wisconsin.)

Finding a well trodden path we jumped on the sled. I watched them go down and glanced over my shoulder to see a completely untouched side of the dune. I set my sled in the snow, pushed off, and flew down the hill.

I eventually reached the bottom and stood up calling my brother to follow me down stating how "epicly awesome" it was.

I glanced up at the hill and called for him to stop. I realized looking from the top down it was impossible to see the rock faces that jutted out of the sand creating mini cliffs. I had managed to make it to the bottom avoiding every rock face. However my brother was not as lucky!

He made it to the bottom in quite a bit more pain and looking back he realized the rock faces in which he hit nearly every one.

Yes, we can make it through this life as we hold on to the scriptures and prayer. However we can make it through our lives with a lot less pain as we listen to those whom have gone before us.

"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land."-1 Nephi 17:55

We have had role models put into our lives to follow, seek their counsel and be humble enough to follow what they council you.

They are at the bottom of the hill and can see the masked dangers. They themselves have hit the "rock-faces" on their sled ride and they know how to avoid them much better than the one sitting at the top of the hill.

Follow the counsel we are so blessed to receive

Especially the counsel received from our Savior.

In the name of our savior, counselor, and brother, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

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Can I See Your Permit?

Walking through a town we saw a man whom we had taught before. We sat down and were helping him understand some verses in the Bible since he had trouble comprehending.

As we sat there the man who owned the house walked up and asked if we had a permit. Confused I asked what he meant? He explained that in this town we had to have a permit to do things like we were doing...

Realizing that I had a certificate in my pocket I pulled it out and showed him it.

After studying it he asked, who signed it?

The president of our Church, I responded.

Laughing he took a step back and through a very long explanation ended with saying that "Jesus doesn't give permits out, that we needed one from the city."

Recognizing he wanted us to leave I politely apologized and we excused ourselves. Still excited over the opportunity we had to show our "badges" I thought about what he had said.

"Jesus doesn't give permits out..."

I recognized what he meant but isn't that exactly where we want to have our teachers get the permit?

Isn't that the most important permit that anybody could recieve?

The priesthood power, the power of God, was restored through a prophet called of God, that's the ultimate permit!

That is why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only church with a true "permit" given from God.

Listen to the comforter in whom's influence can be felt by all.

As members of the church we are all given a permit to share the gospel, may we ever live up to the responsibility to share the gospel!

And experience the Joy that is promised to all who are faithful.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Blessings in Disguise (Part 2)

For those of you who haven't read part 1, click here.

My body immediately went into shock so I don't know if the stick broke off or if I broke it off,

but nonetheless, there was a stick stuck up my nose.

I immediately called out for my brother and he came rushing back.

I didn't know who was freaking out more, him or I!

After making a phone call to my Mom and trying to explain the situation, she said she would meet us there.

I managed to walk to the road and sat down against a tree waiting for my mom to come.

I was cracking jokes trying to lighten the situation but my brother wasn't really having any of it.

We ended up going to the emergency room and they took a picture of the nasal passage, which is the picture above.

You can see the stick on the left of the picture, it was 1 mm from my brain and managed to go all the way up without breaking any bones.

How miraculous is that!

Yes, I was in the hospital for quite a few hours before it was taken out, and yes it was incredibly painful, and yes, I couldn't quite get myself to ride a bike for a few more months, but look at how perfectly it happened!

How many times do we miss the blessings in life because they are coated by the fact that theres a "stick up our nose."

Bad things happen, yes. People have their agency. But because of the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ he allows those rays of light to be with us the whole way, not just the small speck of light at the end of the tunnel.

Pray to see the miracles even among the mud that you feel you are wading through.

It is possible, and his grace is always sufficient to all who come unto him.

Find those miracles, they are always there, even if sometimes the adversary likes to camouflage them.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Don't Even Go There (Part 1)

Any story that starts out with my brother and I can never be good, but here it goes!


My brother and I were biking through the woods at a nearby park. We got to this huge hill and we both just went for it. At the bottom of the hill it curved off to the right and we both barely made the turn and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

So we did it again.

I got to the top of the hill and decided there's no way I was going to try that again. I watched my brother go down and waited until he was out of sight, then I walked my bike half way down the hill.

I still didn't feel like it was a good idea but I did it before, and I was half way down this hill so it would be easier and safer!

I jumped on my bike and as I got to the bottom I realized I wasn't going to make the turn.

I went into the forest and cringed as I saw a downed log right in front of me.

I prepared myself, my bike hit the long, and I supermanned over the handle bars of my bike landing on my hands and knees.

I didn't get one scratch, except...

A stick went straight up my nose.

The rest of the story is going to be told in the next post ;)

I knew that going down that hill wasn't a good idea. However I ignored that feeling as I watched my brother do it.

I still didn't just go crazy after that, I did a little part to make it safer, and then went down the hill anyways.

I knew I shouldn't have done it and I found out why!

When we feel something in life and we receive the prompting to not do it, then DON'T!

Even if you feel you can make it through, or make it a bit "safer."

Satan is the king of rationalizing. Don't rationalize.

Just don't do it.

Be in tune enough to receive the promptings and have the courage to follow them to the letter.

Seek, Knock, Ask

and then Act.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

(Stay tuned for part 2 :D)

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Seeing things as they really are

It was a beautiful day outside and we had the chance to teach a lesson out on the lawn.

Mason had his dog running around and I couldn't help but smile as it spazzed out and ran in circles like dogs do.

The dog finally chilled out so I averted my attention from the dog to the lesson.

Mason starts laughing and I look at my companion who has a huge smile on his face, I looked down and saw that my bag was wet.

I laughed and asked if the dog licked my bag. My companion didn't say anything, at that moment I realized that it wasn't drool and my backpack wasn't as water proof as I thought.

I quickly adverted disaster and removed my scriptures. I threw the bag in the back of our truck to avoid the very distinct smell of urine.

Yes, the dog peed on my backpack.

I still remember that moment when I realized what it was. A flash of anger came but quickly diminished as I took a step back and realized how ridiculously funny this situation was!

When we look at situations in life, and how they really are,  life is pretty awesome.

We know why we are here.

We know what tools we need to get through hard times.

And when we don't allow satan to skew our view on reality, we truly can be happy as we come unto the Lord!

I had a choice, to dwell on the fact that I was going to have to pay to wash my bag in the washer when I got back and would have to make do with just my scripture case,

Or

Focus on the fact that a dog really just did urinate on my backpack out of nowhere and that it'll be a pretty epic story to tell later!

Laugh at the frustrating times and always allow the spirit to bring things back into view of how they truly are.

It's the Adversary who wants our vision to blur.

Keep a clear course, read the scriptures, pray, and partake of the sacrament.

Keep the Savior and his atonement in clear sight.

Always have a clear vision of where you and your Heavenly Father want you to be.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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