Category: Religious

Tupungato – Spring of Miracles

The year, 1991. The month, January. The day, the 26th. The season, summer in the southern hemisphere – HOT! The place, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina. With whom? Elder Sergio Romero.

Elder Romero and I were companions in the city of San Martin in the Mendoza province of Argentina for only one week. Then we received word from our mission president that we were going to be transferred to the city of Tupungato together. Elder Romero had been there once before and so he knew his way around. We would be living in an apartment that doubled as the church house on Sundays with another companionship (two other elders – Elder Ward and Elder Benson). I was hoping this transfer would make things better, as I had been really struggling with the Spanish language and trying to adapt to the change in cultures from the United States to Argentina.

Left to right: Me, Elder Ward, Elder Romero, Elder Benson

From my journal comes this description: “I love Tupungato. It is so green here. At night it is fresh and cool (unlike Palmira or San Martin). We open our window each night – it is so much nicer. I love the area – there are side roads (dirt roads) that are lined with poplar trees, and the view of the mountains is fantastic (Andes Mountains). Mount Tupungato (a volcano – the name of this town too) is covered with snow. Vegetables can be bought pretty cheap here, but other things are more expensive.”

Many times we rode out into the fields and vineyards to meet with different families. The province of Mendoza is known throughout Argentina for its grapes, wine and olive oil. There are a LOT of grape vineyards. Many people, having excess grapes would give us grapes to eat.

I became very proficient and quick at popping a grape in my mouth, splitting it with my teeth, digging out the seeds with my tongue, spitting them out, and then eating the grape. These were some of the most delicious grapes I have ever tasted. Amazing!!! This is a picture of me with some of our spoils from visiting many people with grapes.

On March 21, 1991, Elder Romero was transferred to a different area, and I received a new missionary companion, Elder Owen Quass. Elder ward’s companion, Elder Benson, was also transferred to a different area. Elder Ward’s new companion was Elder Matt Cox. This was the new foursome that graced our missionary apartment. In my journal I described my companion, Elder Quass thus: “He can do back flips, hand stands, et cetera. He also loves to joke. He’s funny, yet knows a lot, and understands his responsibilities as a missionary very well.”

Left to Right: Me, Elder Quass, Elder Cox, Elder Ward

In April I wrote: “We also had another Noche de Hogar [Family Home Evening] last week. About 55 people showed up and the Elders from Tunuyan and the assistant [Assistants to the President or APs] were there too (Elder Bell and Elder Bradshaw), and it was crowded.

Elder Ward, Elder Galbuchi, and the arms of Elder McClellan – doing a skit

“We ate empanadas and pizzas — mmm! I love empanadas. They are like the fruit pies, but with meat inside. We did some skits and sang and had some testimonies and all.” It was always fun to have gatherings of the members of the church and friends in the area.

These type of activities were held with the intent to teach newer members of the Church what a Family Home Evening could include: spiritual messages, fun activities, and dinner. Basically just spending quality time together with our families and sometimes with friends and larger groups.

The month of April 1991 in Tupungato was was a month of some beautiful spiritual experiences and amazing miracles. The Maldonado family was blessed with Alberto (Tito) deciding to join the Church after a miracle of healing with his daughter, making a part-member family a whole-member family. Elder Quass baptized Tito on April 21, 1991. What a blessing to see families be able to find the truth and later be sealed in God’s temple for time and for all eternity. These are amazing people of faith and conviction!

My journal goes on to describe the conversion of another newlywed family: “A few days ago we taught a charla [discussion] 1 to a young husband who was just married. They had just moved into a small two room house way out of town (like 4 miles out). They didn’t have any electric lights when we taught him. We taught him by the light of one candle, standing up (they had no chairs). He seemed very willing to listen to us. It was a good charla. We found out later that last Sunday he brought his wife, who hadn’t even heard the charla, to town on the bus to come to church. They couldn’t find it.

“We came back and taught charla [discussion] 1 again, to the wife. This time they had an electric light hooked up and had two padded crates just for us to sit on. Then, tonight [April 17th] we went back and taught charla 2. When we asked if they had read any of the Book of Mormon (assignment – 3 Nephi, chapter 11), he kind of ducked his head, ashamed, and said he can’t read very well, and didn’t have much time to read. I asked how much he had read, and he said, holding his Book of Mormon open to 3 Nephi, chapter 13, ‘Only to here.’ We were shocked – he had read 2 1/2 chapters – more than we asked. That must have been hard for him because he doesn’t read very well.

“We taught charla 2 and they accepted the commitment to be baptized. They said the prayers, asking God to help us keep coming to their house and to help them know if the Book of Mormon is true, etc. They put off a trip to Mendoza just so we can come again on Saturday. They are coming to church this Sunday. They are definitely chosen people. They seem so humble and willing to learn. I’m sure Heavenly Father is well pleased with them.”

From left to right: Me, Jose Nestor Perez, Rosa Rosario Elba Mamani de Perez, Elder Quass.

I continued in my journal on the day of the baptism: “They have to be the most humble people I’ve ever met. They accepted everything we taught in the first 5 charlas… They were chosen. They accepted the commitments and fulfilled them. We found Jose and Rosa only about 2 weeks ago. Elder Quass says this is the fastest he’s ever seen anyone baptized in the mission. I know that that could have only happened through the Spirit. They felt the Spirit and followed its promptings.

“Today they came and after church we had a baptismal service. I baptized them both and Elder Quass confirmed them both. The Spirit that was present was very strong. They were definitely the Lord’s ‘chosen.’ The chosen hear the voice of the Lord (through His servants – us) and follow it. They do everything you commit them to do. Jose and Rosa did just that. It was something special for me that I will never forget. Now I just hope and pray that they continue firm in the faith and continue reading the Book of Mormon and praying. It is something we all NEED to do. A prophet of God has commanded that we should.”

The month of April miracles spilled over into May of that year too. A granddaughter of a member was baptized a week after Jose and Rosa. Liliana Elizabeth del Rio was baptized by Elder Quass and confirmed by me.

But this was not all. Jose and Rosa shared the gospel with their neighbors. In my journal I wrote: “They were referred to us by Jose and Rosa – they are awesome – CHOSEN. I love seeing people change their lives to live the gospel. The Lord really helps people change and helps them see and understand the truth when they truly have sincere desires and seek it out.” Eduardo and Myriam Gordillo were baptized on May 19, 1991, another chosen couple prepared to accept the gospel. Elder Quass baptized them and I confirmed them.

How blessed I felt. I wanted to rejoice like Ammon in the Book of Mormon. He declared:

“…My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?

“And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?

“Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.”

“….Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

Alma 26:1-3,36

I felt as Ammon, that my joy was full and I wanted to rejoice in God’s love and mercy! The Holy Spirit spoke peace, joy, and excitement to my soul. I cannot deny what I felt – I know it was the Holy Ghost confirming the truth of these things to my soul.

The experiences I had in Tupungato helped me draw closer to God and to feel the joy of bringing souls to Christ. The preaching continued with Elder Quass, and periodically doing what we called “splits,” which was switching companions, usually for the purpose of baptismal interviews being done, but also giving us the opportunity to work with other missionaries for a day.

Me and Elder Quass sporting his leather jackets

Elders in our zone (la Zona Tunuyan) having a dinner at a member’s house

Hiking near the members’ house (from previous picture)

Flying around the apartment

and back again

December 6, 2020
The Book of Mormon IS another true testament of Jesus Christ

At church today, during our Elders Quorum class, I was filled with the Holy Ghost, testifying to my soul of the truthfulness of what I was hearing. The lesson’s topic included the most recent General Conference sermon delivered by Jeffrey R. Holland, a modern-day apostle of Jesus Christ, entitled “Behold, the Lamb of God.” This led me to open and start reading another discourse given by him just a few years earlier, in October of 2009 entitled “Safety for the Soul.”

The part of the talk that resonated with my soul today was Elder Holland’s witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, that this book, which testifies of Jesus Christ, was translated from an ancient record by Joseph Smith, Jr. through the power of God. I would like to include some of his words here:

“When Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum started for Carthage to face what they knew would be an imminent martyrdom, Hyrum read these words to comfort the heart of his brother:

“‘Thou hast been faithful; wherefore … thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.

“‘And now I, Moroni, bid farewell … until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ.’

“A few short verses from the 12th chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Before closing the book, Hyrum turned down the corner of the page from which he had read, marking it as part of the everlasting testimony for which these two brothers were about to die. I hold in my hand that book, the very copy from which Hyrum read, the same corner of the page turned down, still visible. Later, when actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph the Prophet turned to the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these two testators.

As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

“Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be ‘houseless, friendless and homeless’ and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor. Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

“For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, ‘No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.’

Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2009

September 22, 2019
Mission Stories

—Flag of Argentina—

The other day, as I was sharing some stories from the time I served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mendoza, Argentina, my son, Seth, was asking a lot of questions about the story I shared. I said to him that I realized that these stories have never been recorded. My journals have a lot of experiences in them, but not a lot of the stories I shared over and over agains with my children as bedtime stories when they were younger. Thus, I felt that I should begin a journey to record these experiences. I’m not sure yet if I want to do it in such a public venue as this blog – I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do, and how I want to record them. For now, I thought I would share a story that I don’t mind sharing on this blog:

When I first arrived in Argentina I had been studying Spanish in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah for four months (for those of you familiar with LDS missions, the usual time in the MTC for a foreign language mission was two months). I had been delayed because I had to have surgery to have a cyst removed before being shipped off to Argentina. I was anxious to get to the country to start preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a 13-hour flight from Los Angeles (we had to go to the Argentinian Consulate in LA to officially obtain our visas to be able to remain in Argentina for two years) to Buenos Aires. My first shock was going from three feet of snow in Provo in January to the middle of a hot, muggy summer in Buenos Aires. I stepped off the plane with my big heave trenchcoat on and quickly realized that I needed to strip down to just my white shirt and roll up my sleeves. I had been told about the seasons in the southern hemisphere being opposite, but it never really sunk in until I experienced it.

The next shock to me was getting into the airport with the small group of missionaries I was with and realizing that everyone but us was speaking in Spanish, even the announcements over the loudspeaker. Despite having studied it intensively for four months, I could not understand any of what people were saying. It was one thing to hear an instructor speak it in the classroom, but it was entirely different to be thrown into a place where my native language was no longer being spoken by anyone but those in my tiny group. Everyone seemed to be speaking so fast – I couldn’t make out where one word ended and the next word began. Only here and there was I picking out words that I could understand. I was more than a little nervous and scared. I realized that I was going to be here for two years.

We had to disembark at the Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires and then catch a bus from there to the other airport closer to downtown Buenos Aires.

Ministro Pistarini Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina

I don’t remember how that worked, but someone in our group knew where to go to catch the proper bus that would take us to the other airport (I think somewhere I still have the ticket from that bus ride). It was a ride that allowed us all to stare out the windows and get a good look at what Argentina was like. It took us on a freeway that went right past the LDS Buenos Aires Temple.

This was taken from the bus we were riding in (Buenos Aires Temple)

We also drove past residential areas and into the heart of downtown Buenos Aires, heading for the Aeroparque Jorge Newberry, another airport very near the bay of the Rio de la Plata, the large river that separates Argentina from Uruguay on its other side. From this airport we would catch another flight to the province of Mendoza on the other side of the country. It was an awesome sight seeing huge docks and shipping yards along the river as we neared the airport. Everything was so new and so beautiful.

Upon arrival at Jorge Newbery, we had to find our way to the right terminal for our next flight. In struggling to find our way around in a new place without the language skills to understand anyone, we were all a bit overwhelmed and scared. To our surprise and great relief, a woman who spoke English came to our rescue. She lived in the United States but was flying to Mendoza to visit her family there. She guided us to the right terminal. We were very appreciative of her and thanked her profusely.

While waiting for the next flight I decided I would go to the restroom before we had to board. The facilities were right across from where we were waiting. I entered and had another shock. There were no enclosed bathroom stalls whatsoever. There was one big urinal wall that was open all the way across. Then there was another wall, also all open, with holes in the floor and feet marks in front where one would squat to poop into the hold in the floor. This was too much! I wasn’t about to relieve myself openly in front of complete strangers, with absolutely no privacy. I turned around and left, deciding I’d wait and relieve myself on the plane.

It was about an hour and a half flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza (about 700 miles). We boarded the old-fashioned way – walking out from the terminal across the tarmac to the plane, going up the staircase that was set up against the side of the plane. I was happy to get on board and finally be able to privately relieve myself in the restroom. I was very aware as the flight attendants served us Sprite from glass bottles, realizing that soft drink brands here were very much the same as at home, but in glass bottles instead.

As we came in for a landing in Mendoza, I remember looking out the window and thinking that it was weird to see a large airport surrounded by what looked like ghettos and dirt roads. Strange to have such modern forms of transportation and yet find such poor conditions right next door. The mission president met us at the airport – he was from the United States. We loaded up our luggage into his car, a fairly newer model Peugeot, a popular make of car in Argentina at that time. We rode with wide eyes, staring out the windows and taking in all the new sites, to the mission home in downtown Mendoza, leaving the ghettos region behind as the freeway drew closer to downtown. We got into areas of smaller skyscrapers, busy with traffic. The mission home was in a fairly nice area of the city, and it was nice to be there with our mission president and his wife (President Charles Eastwood and his wife), both of whom were from the U.S. Sister Eastwood served us a delicious dinner and we received instruction from the mission president.

President Charles and Sister Eastwood, Mendoza, Argentina

Later on we were taken by the assistants to the president (the APs) in the mission van to a small hotel nearby for the night. This was a very old hotel, with a small office at the front for check-in, and narrow halls and steep staircases to the rooms. The APs got us checked in and showed us up to our room on the third or fourth floor – a shared room with several small single beds (4-5 of them) with hard matresses and no box springs. Then they showed us the bathroom, telling us all about the bidet attachment on the toilet. It was a lever that when moved, made a sprayer slide out into the middle of the toilet. It was for washing oneself off after doing “number 2 in the bathroom. The APs swore up and down how awesome the bidets were, and how they loved to use them instead of toilet paper. I was skeptical because I had never tried one before. Later on, I actually did try it, but I held the hot water lever too long and slightly scalded my rear-end – ouch!!! Looking out the back window of our room, I through the center of the block and saw the ruins of some very old brick buildings there. It made me wonder how long it had been that way.

Picture taken from the hotel room of the ruins behind the hotel

This all made me think that all the modernity of Argentina was sort of tourist trappy – all show on the outside to make a good impression on the visitors, but then deep down on the inside of everything there were run-down neighborhoods, dirt roads, old adobe brick houses with cane walls plastered with mud and dirt floors, and widescale poverty. This is what I started prepping myself for as I lay in that hotel room and dozed off to sleep. I wondered how the Lord would help me learn the language well enough to be able to communicate with people. I was anxious and nervous, yet at the same time, ready to dive into the Lord’s word in harvesting souls for his cause.

January 19, 2014
Don’t Forget to Pray

—Remember to Pray—

This evening I enjoyed being with my boys as they worked on the dishes. At our house, Sundays are the days boys are responsible to do all the dishes. Gavin, without fail, always pulls up and turns on some Sabbath music. He was playing different hymns through YouTube. That got me wanting to create a playlist that I could use for this – one with good Sabbath music. So, I added it to my YouTube channel and started searching for a lot of the songs Gavin likes to hear on the Sabbath. Then, after most of the kids were in bed, I continued adding some songs. This one in particular really strikes a chord with me every time I hear it:

So here’s the story behind it: The year: 1992. Location: General Alvear, Mendoza, Argentina. It was a Sunday morning and church services were starting. The branch president had asked me about a month previous to give a talk that day in sacrament meeting. I spent several hours over the previous week preparing a talk. However, when the branch president got up and announced the program that day, he announced different speakers, completely leaving me out. A flood of anger washed over me. How could he do this to me? I spent hours preparing my talk. He asked me in advance to do this and now he forgets? I was boiling inside, yet I knew I shouldn’t be.

The opening song started, and it was this one: Did You Think to Pray? I was just singing words that didn’t mean anything to me as the anger simmered inside. Then came the second verse:

When your heart was filled with anger, did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother, that you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day.
So, when life gets dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.

It hit me like a steam train. This was a message from God right to me at that very moment. I needed to pray for grace to forgive the branch president. I knew he didn’t do this to me maliciously. It was just a simple oversight, a human bout of forgetfulness. We all have this happen at one time or another. Tears rolled down my checks as God’s love rushed into my heart and I looked up with love at the branch president. He had no idea that this had even happened to me, and yet my heart swelled with love for him and his diligent service to the Lord.

Now every time I hear this hymn, it is like I feel God’s voice speaking directly to my soul. It moves me still almost to tears. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father loves us enough to help us get past our human foibles and has mercy enough to forget what we’ve done wrong in the past and see what we can become – he sees our potential. I am grateful that he loves me enough to encourage me on despite how many times I’ve let him down in the past. He loves us all this much. Let’s hear his voice and strive harder to be what he knows we can become. He reminds us all, “Don’t Forget to Pray!”

August 25, 2013
Lord, Hear my prayer!

—Jesus Christ suffered for me—

As I sit here listening to John Rutter’s Requiem, I am flooded with feelings of love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I marvel at how he could love me and want to redeem me when I continue to disappoint him and our Heavenly Father. I am a sinner – imperfect. I feel as Nephi exclaimed:

…my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 4:17 – 18)

I was overcome with the Spirit and overwhelmed with feelings of marveling in Sunday School today as I gazed at a picture of Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane while a brother in our class read this scripture:

For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 19:16 – 19)

The image of a wine press, pressing the juice out of grapes came to mind. Christ, under the weight of the sins of the universe, was crushed so that blood came out of every pore in like manner. It is beyond comprehension the excruciating pain that must have been. But how thankful I am that because of his love for me, his brother, he finished the task and bore that pain.

I pray that I can always live worthy of being able to bring this atonement into play in my life. As the hymn, Lead Kindly Light says in plea to the Lord, “Remember not past years.” Help me go forward and serve God with diligence and faith.

January 13, 2013
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden”

—I will give you rest—

I got to teach the Gospel Doctrine class today in Sunday School. We were studying third Nephi chapters 8-11. It seems that in preparing a lesson for something like this, it always seems to end up being more for oneself than for anyone else. I feel like I was edified and learned more than anyone else in the class.

These chapters talk about the destruction that occurred in the Americas after the death of Jesus Christ – the terrible storms, lightning, thunder, earthquakes, and the thick darkness that followed. The more wicked part of the people were destroyed. I was touched by the Lord’s invitation to the people that were spared to repent and come unto him. He descended out of heaven and showed himself – in his perfected, resurrected form – to the people, and taught them his doctrine: faith, repentance, baptism, and the receipt of the Holy Ghost. His whole message was one of love for the people, and his never ending mercy towards them, inviting them to come unto him and be saved.

This is the same invitation that he offers to you and me today. He does not want any of us to perish. He does not want anyone to lose their eternal inheritance. He is willing to forgive us all if we come unto to him and repent. I can be spiritually healed if I repent. The choice must be ours – this must be done willingly.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30)

He can make my burden light if I allow him into my heart, if I take the steps to repent of my sins. I can find the peace that only the Spirit can give and so can everyone. This is the message that Jesus Christ wants us to give to the world – a message of hope and of joy.

October 14, 2012
Prone to Wander, Lord, I feel it

—Bind my wandering heart to thee—

A scripture to consider:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God… ( 2 Timothy 3:1 – 4)

Every day the fulfillment of this prophecy becomes more and more apparent. The world today is a scary place, with all these evils all around us, even infiltrating our families. What can we do to fight this tide of evil, this wave of wickedness? One of the answers is found in the same chapter:

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:14 – 17)

As I consider the implications of these scriptures I am reminded of how imperfect I am in my attempts to implement daily personal scripture study. I tend to do all right for a while, then slack off. I need to be more steady in my efforts with both daily scripture study as well as with personal prayers. These are the basics by which we put on the armour of God. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)

When I fail to take the simple steps of personal scripture study and personal prayer, I leave myself vulnerable to the temptations of Satan. And he is not stupid – he is astute in his attacks. He knows our weaknesses – he knows my weaknesses. I pray that the Lord will strengthen me in my daily battles with this enemy, that I may come off conqueror and draw nearer to God. The words of the hymn become my prayer:

“O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.”

I am so grateful this day for Heavenly Father’s mercy and grace. I am so grateful for Jesus’ love and mercy too. I am grateful that I can repent of my sins. I know that I am so far from perfect, but I am trying. I am just grateful to know that the Lord loves us all so much and wants us all to return to him. I am grateful for my family and the gospel of Jesus Christ on this Sabbath day.

May we all follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he is my Savior.

July 29, 2012
The Spirit Matters Most

Today I had the opportunity to teach a Sunday School Lesson in the Teaching The Gospel Course – lesson 3, Teaching By the Spirit. I was overwhelmed with power of the Spirit in that class today. I wanted to share a few of my thoughts before they are gone.

One of the important points we talked about was the importance of bearing testimony of the truths of the gospel when teaching. Two quotations that relate to this lesson were very powerful:

President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, reflected on a lesson he learned while serving as a mission president. He wrote that his mission wasn’t progressing as it should. He didn’t know what it was that needed changing. During a testimony meeting at a zone conference, he heard the testimony of a frightened, new elder. President Packer recalled:
“The testimonies we’d heard from all the other missionaries went something like this: ‘I’m grateful to be in the mission field. I’ve learned a lot from it. I have a fine companion. I’ve learned a lot from him. I’m grateful for my parents. We had an interesting experience last week. We were out knocking on doors and. . . .’ Then the missionary would relate an experience. His conclusion would be something like this: ‘I’m grateful to be in the mission field. I have a testimony of the gospel.’ And he would conclude ‘in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.’
“This young elder was different somehow. Anxious not to spend an extra second on his feet, he said simply, in hurried, frightened words, ‘I know that God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that we have a prophet of God leading the Church. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.’
“This was a testimony. It was not just an experience nor an expression of gratitude. It was a declaration, a witness!
“Most of the elders had said ‘I have a testimony,’ but they had not declared it. This young elder had, in a very few words, delivered his testimony—direct, basic, and, as it turned out, powerful.
“I then knew what was wrong in the mission. We were telling stories, expressing gratitude, admitting that we had testimonies, but we were not bearing them” (Teach Ye Diligently [1975], 275,http://institute.lds.org/manuals/missionary-preparation-student-manual/miss-1-4.asp).

“A testimony is not an exhortation; a testimony is not a sermon (none of you are there to exhort the rest); it is not a travelogue. You are there to bear your own witness. It is amazing what you can say in 60 seconds by way of testimony, or 120, or 240, or whatever time you are given, if you confine yourselves to testimony. . . Every time you bear your testimony it becomes strengthened” (President Kimball Speaks Out on Testimony, by President Spencer W. Kimball [August, 1981],http://lds.org/new-era/1981/08/president-kimball-speaks-out-on-testimony?lang=eng).

I need to be more diligent in bearing my testimony so that it can be strengthened! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. His atonement is real and he does indeed live. I can be forgiven of my sins and become better. Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God, and I know that he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ face to face and talked with them. He translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. I know the Book of Mormon is true. There is a power in this book like no other. I know that the priesthood of God was restored to the earth. It is real. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today – President Thomas S. Monson. Heavenly Father loves me and is mindful of me and my family. I cannot deny these things that I know because they were made known unto me by the Holy Ghost. I want my family to know that I know these things. We can be an eternal family if we will but live according to these things that are true. I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for this knowledge he has given me through his Spirit.

January 15, 2012
Refreshing Reprieve

I am sitting outside in the cool weather of late August. I don’t think Summer is going to end yet, but we are getting a preview of what is soon to come. As I watch the evening clouds drifting overhead, the green trees waving in the breeze and the majestic mountains painted yellow as the lemon sun sinks toward the horizon, I am reminded that God loves me. Just as he grants a refreshing reprieve to the heat of Summer, so he grants me the chance to repent and receive the purifying reprieve of forgiveness. I am grateful for God’s mercy and love. His astounding creations have the power draw me close to him once again.

August 30, 2010
My Sabbath Day

What a beautiful day it was today! I enjoyed the meetings at church, soaking in the Spirit and feeling truly renewed. I am glad that the Lord has set aside this day to draw near unto him. How would we do it otherwise.

May 17, 2009