Our trip on the river of life. Part 1: The Dangers of the river Part 1

While on our trip of life there are many dangers we must be aware of. We have things such as tree/logs jams, shallow sand beds, whirlpools and dams. All of these dangers can be avoided and when we look at them in the right way can be of a benefit and growth to us. The first danger that I listed was tree/logs jams.
When we put this in the terms of the gospel tree/logs jams can be looked at as trials in our lives. As we float along the river we see the trees around us. They give shade and make the river trip more beautiful. But every once and a while one of the trees will fall down. When these trees create a hazard and then will made a tree/logs jam. These jams may be looked at as unforeseen trials. Since being on my mission a couple of these tree/logs jams has happened to me such as my grandma passing away and my uncle getting cancer. These have just been a few of the big trials for me. But how we react to these things is going to be the thing that makes or break us. Are we the type of people that will let those tree/logs jams stop us or do we get some help (from God our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer) to get them out of the way? As we use the Atonement (the action that Christ did for us when he paid for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane) Christ is able to get the crane to pull them out, something that we could not do on our own. We see in the book of Mormon, in the book of Ether, Chapter 12, verse 6 why we must go thought trials. As we continue down the river we are happy that we missed that tree/log jams. But as we are floating down we all at once stop! We begin to look around and we see that we had hit a shallow sand bed.
In my life I have hit those sand beds. Those sand beds can be related to something that someone tells us or something that we hear that gives us doubts. As we see our testimony needs to be deeper and for if we are deeper then we don’t run into those snags. So we can either sit on that sand bed and wait for someone to come by or we can get out and get us off the snag. When we wait around for someone to come down the river and help us we are just wasting time. That is like in our lives when he won’t fix a problem and we wait for our family or friends to find the problem and wait for us. Now I ran into a snag about 5-6 years ago and I waited for my family and friends try and find out what is wrong with me and fix it. But then one day I decided to get out of my boat and fix if. When I finally decide to act in stead of being acted upon (2 Nephi 2:14) I felt free and It was and is the best feeling ever. We will always have questions. I still have questions. But in the words of a LDS speaker John Bytheway, I use to have doubts but now I just have questions. But as we grow and strengthen out testimony through prayer, scripture study and church attendance we will be able to over come those snags of the Sand beds.

Our trip on the river of life. Part 1: How Flooding happens.

While being on my mission in Montana I have seen flooding all around me, physical and spiritual flooding. when flooding appears repair is possible, Clean up is longer and harder. But it is possible. the gospel is very much the same.
So in general rain is good. If it was not for rain we wouldn't have have water and our crops would not grow. so when the rain is used up and meets the needs of crops and humans that is very good and that is when we can live peacefully. Just like questions in our lives such as, is god really there and does he know me? when this question drives us to find out if God really is there and cares for us then we grow (like the crops) and makes our testimonies  stronger. so when questions are used to help us grow closer to our Heavenly Father it is good. But when we do not use or address the questions we have over time those questions will eat at us. This is just what the water does on the bend of a river. over time the river will eat away at the bank.
the bank is just simple dirt. Just like the commandments and the word of God given though the scriptures or through modern day prophets. These are very simple things that are taught to us and over time can become a safety  to us. But as we allow the doubts to eat away at us and push us to brake little commandments such as lying. Over time the water that eats at the banks will brake through.
So when the flooding happens and the water breaks through that is when we give up and allow the water (of the effects of the doubts) run our lives right?  Satan is the one that says it is to big or too much, give up. I'm not sure about you, but I'm going to do all that I can to fix if. But for little brakes some people can fix it on there own, with a pump and a shovel. Such as lying to some one we would go and tell the person we lied to and fix it and then pray for forgiveness to God. But when a big brake happens that is when we need to call a professional company to fix it. The professional company has big tools and many many pumps and tons of man power. For members that is when we call the bishop. He can help us be healed but for non-members that is where meeting with missionaries and following God's example by making covenants with God and be baptism by proper authority. So as we see when Flooding happens it can all be prevented checking our banks (our testimonies) we can see where we need help and where we can need to focus on in building up our testimonies.
So just watter eats away at the river banks, that is the same with your own testimonies. Never focus on the doubts that Satan tries to place in your mind. thought flooding may happen, repairs are possible and your life will be healed and you will be able to get back to life.

For onther Bloggs on flooding Click HERE

Swimming and The Mission

Before coming out on my mission the thought would come into my mind many times. Who am I to be a missionary? Do I really have what the Lord needs. And as I have thought about the question a great scripture comes to mind, Matt 11: 28-30 "28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

The think that keeps me pushing through the hard times with those doubts of how can anyone like me be preaching the gospel is this scripture. 

When I was in High School I was on the swim team and that is one lesson that I learned was when it hurts, when hard times come You have to push through it!!! The Pain of guilt and the "What if?" thoughts are the thoughts that will Kill you and eat you alive. I never cared if I lost or won in a race as long as I could look my self in the morning and be able to say you gave it all you had. 

That is the same way in life. Christ just asks us to give it all we got. He will be there. He will help us take first in the fight against Satan and the world that keeps bring us down. Christ has given us tools, the Bible, and the Book of  Mormon. Prophets, Prayer, Church, The Priesthood and the Holy Ghost. That is just like sports and training. If we don't use all the Things we have to help us train and make it to the end of the race how will we ever be able to look our self in the eyes and said we gave it all we had? How can we look our Family or Christ in the face and say I tried when we really didn't? If we ever have Questions He is only a prayer away.


For more bloggs on sports Click HERE

How to find more peace in this world

                                            Peace can be found if we follow Christ.

This World seems to be moving faster and faster with no brake insight. Many people feel that we need to keep doing more and more to feel like we are doing the thing we need to do. But this talk helped me to see that we do not need to do more but less, and to focus on what mattes most. Life will get better as we follow the promise by this apostle of Jesus Christ.

The Healing Power of the Atonement.

In this life we may mess up or things may just be hard. How do we heal ourselvs from the unfairness of this world, and the sins that we will commit? Also why is it so important to repent of the things we mess up on? I have found this answer in the Book of Mormon, in 3 Nephi, Chpt 27, Vers 20, on page 459. it says "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." So this scripture explain how to be cleansed and the blessing we will have to stand spotless before God. But also in Alma 5: 21 "it says I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins." As we see that we need to wash ourselvs. That is we need to give up all our bad things and dirt to the lord and start a new. But just as we do not only take one Shower of Bath. Me must be cleans daily. And that is why we have repentance and the Sacrement which we take weekly at our church. How amazing is the atonement!!!! It is so beautiful.

Be Still My Soul.

As we know life never goes as planed. But I have found great comfort in a Latter-day saint hymn. Hymn number 124, "Be still my soul" The second line, almost at the end. It says, Be still my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice who rule them while he dwelt below". He can heal ALL!! Jesus Christ is as real in my life as if He was walking next to me today. Sometimes we need to grow and learn from trails. But He will be there to strengthen us every step of the way.

One By One.

Often times in this world we are just part of a number. But in the Book of Mormon, We see how Christ treats The people he is with. First 3 Nephi 11:15 "And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come." and 3 Nephi 17: 21"And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them."

As we see Christ showed us the way, one by one. That is also how we must treat our relationship with God, personal. For that is how God touches our lives. Everyone of us is important to him.