Right Time, Right Place

The Lord is always aware of where we are and what we need.

Driving home from playing ultimate frisbee

we hit traffic and slowly rolled passed an accident.

The accident had happened not too long before.

Passing the man who was directing traffic I hit the gas pedal and went on our way home.

Then a voice comes from the backseat saying that we know those people that were in that accident!

I turned into the next parking lot and flipped around.

We got out and walked over to the car.

They were fine physically but definitely shaken up.

Even though we were in t-shirt and gym shorts we asked if they needed a Priesthood blessing

and gladly gave them one.

Being blessed to be the one voicing the blessing,

I couldn't help but feel a strong feeling that God was very much aware of this person.

Closing the blessing, and making sure there was help coming,

we jumped back into our car and left just as the police arrived.

It was not by chance that we were there at that time.

God works miracles through us.

He has blessed us with the means to work miracles in other's lives.

Your Heavenly Father is aware of you.

He knows your needs, wants, desires, deepest sorrows, and your most joyful moments.

Your Father in Heaven knows you perfectly.

Just like he put us,

four imperfect young adults,

in the path to be his instrument and hands in blessing the lives of those in need,

He will always send someone at the right time, and at the right place.

Never doubt that His hand is in your life,

because through His Son, nothing is impossible to Him in this world.

Seek him out.

Feel His loving embrace pour into the seemingly empty voids of a sorrowful soul,

and amplify the powerful emotions felt in the Joyous soul. 

 

In the name of our Savior and Elder Brother, Jesus the Christ, Amen.

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Feeling the Spirit-Through the Priesthood

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have the blessing of holding the Priesthood.

What's the Priesthood?

Priesthood: the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children.

It is the power that God gives for us, his children, to do all things necessary for salvation.

Jamie (name has been changed) is somebody who hasn't heard of the Priesthood before.

She recently needed help painting her house.

She was blessed to get ahold of four missionaries to come help her.

Coincidence? of course not.

While painting she shared something with us.

She told us that she was starting new treatments soon in hope of improving her health.

The concern was very apparent as we were told what she would be going through.

We relayed to her the fact of the restoration of the priesthood,

the eternal truth of her divinity as a daughter of God,

knowledge of the awareness that Christ has in all of our lives,

and the profound non-coincidental event that brought us into her life right at this time.

Something stirred,

we could see her comforted as the Holy Ghost bore truth of what we taught.

The sister missionaries continued to teach her and we received a call that she wanted a Priesthood blessing.

Excited we hurried over to her house.

As I layed my hands upon her head and spoke the words that I knew Heavenly Father was putting there,

I couldn't help but feel the spirit stir inside of me.

Concluding, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen,"

I took a step back and watched as tears streamed from her eyes.

She knew that the priesthood was working miracles in her.

She knew that her Father in Heaven loved her dearly.

She knew that He was reaching out to her once more.

Miracles happen every day.

Our Heavenly Father is a God of miracles.

Just like in time of old he continues to miraculously bless our lives.

He knows you.

and He works in your life daily.

I know this to be true.

Christ truly is your Savior, He is the only way to salvation.

And the only way back to our Heavenly Father's presence to live with Him for eternity.

Seek the  Priesthood in your life and I promise the Spirit will fill you abundantly,

and most importantly,

tell you of the simple truths that make life as Joyous as God meant it to be.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

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Is this Non-Fiction?

We were at a family's house watching the restoration DVD and their son (who is in kindergarten) was sitting right next to me.

It began to portray Joseph Smith seeking out answers to his questions in the Bible.

And then, making that decision that changed the world, knelt down in a grove of trees and asked his Heavenly Father what his soul pondered.

Their son turned to me and asked if the movie was non-fiction.

With a smile I told him that everything that was on the movie actually happened.

It truly was Non-Fiction!

How do I know this?

How do I know that as Joseph Smith knelt down in the grove of trees that he really did have his prayer answered by God and his son Jesus Christ

That They actually appeared to him in flesh and bone and spoke to him?

That he really was called as a prophet of God to restore Christ's true church on the earth once again?

Because I have knelt down and asked God myself.

As missionaries we don't want people to just listen to us and call it good,

No!

We want you to question it! We want you to honestly seek for the truth!

We want you to find out the same way we did, on your knees.

Talk to missionaries! Listen to what they teach!

But don't just leave it at that,

Get down on your knees and ask God, and listen to what your Heavenly Father teaches you through the Holy Ghost.

That is what we invite people to do, seek for themselves and ask the center of all truth, your Heavenly Father.

Imagine if this really was true,

It means that God speaks to his children today through a living Prophet

It means there is one true church on this earth

It means that the Priesthood power that Christ ordained his apostles with is once again found among members of his church on the earth today.

What we claim is miraculous.

How we ask you to find out is miraculous.

You Heavenly Father will answer your prayer.

Diligently seek and ask.

I say all of these things in the name of Him whose church is found once again on this earth, Jesus Christ, Amen.

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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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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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Power of God

"The Priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children."

The Priesthood is the result of the restoration of the true church of Christ, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on this earth once again. It makes baptism into our church a key to salvation and allows to have a prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson, to guide and direct Christ's church on this earth today. 

 God allows us, his children, to hold the priesthood and be able to act "all things necessary for the salvation of God's children."

I recently had the opportunity to do just that!

There is a sister that has decided to get baptized and the only thing in her way is her addiction to smoking. 

Having faith, she asked us to give her a priesthood blessing for strength to be able to overcome this addiction.

Walking in to her house she mentioned that she really had an urge for a cigarette and it was taking all of her will power not to go outside and satisfy the addiction. 

Through the authority of the priesthood we pronounced a blessing upon her.

Immediately following she said in amazement that she had "No desire for a cigarette."

The priesthood is real and truly is the power of God.

There are countless stories of miracles that have been wrought through the power and authority that God blesses his children with that they may serve others.

Seek the power and authority of God, allow it to bless your life, and have the faith to ask for it's power in your life when you feel that desire.

Those who hold the priesthood, always strive to be worthy, always be ready to be God's instrument in his composition of salvation in his children's lives. 

I say all of these things with a testimony of it's truth and power, in the name of he who wrought many miracles with the same divine power, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

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