Finding the Lost Sheep!

Missionaries in the church consist of 52,225 elders and sisters out in the mission field spreading the gospel. So here are my thoughts on missionary work. In Alma 5:49 is reads, "And now I say unto you that this is the ^aorder after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be ^bborn again." As missionaries we are called to preach to the brethren. Our brethren consists of basically everyone in the world. We are here to share it with them. It is meant to be dwell in the land so basically everyone gets the chance to hear it. Everyone gets too! Whether you be old, middle aged, or a youngster that is growing up. The gospel really is for all of us. As missionaries we are here to bring our brothers and sisters closer to our Heavenly Father. We do this by inviting them to repent and be baptized. In the purpose as a missionary it states we "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in
Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance,& baptism." That is there first Covenant. To be baptized by water and by the Spirit. In Alma 5:60 it says this "And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed." 
 We can be protected from the ravenous wolf, the devil, if we come unto the fold by harkening unto the voice of the shepherd. The shepherd is the overseer of the flock. He can spot the danger that may be coming. So if we listen to his voice; he will gather us for protection. All those who aren't members can get the protection from the devil by repenting and being baptized.

The People of the Land

This week has been a struggle to blog about. I really dont have much to share. So I want to take the time to just share about the people here. Last week we baptized to youngsters. We had Blaine who is about 20 and had Kain who is about 18. These two young men are just amazing. They both like to come out with us and is a very special way for us to teach our investigators. These two young men get to share their testimonies with everyone they meet. It is a good way to show our investigators how these two young men decided to take the discusions and why they chose to join. Whenever they share their testimonies there is a special spirit that comes into the room. I really love the fact that they keep asking us if they can come out with us. It shows me how they are truely converted. They want to come out and help us help others. I cant believe the enthusiasm that they have for the church. It is simply amazing. This Church has to be true because Heavenly Father just doesnt prepare these people for no reason. Im so thankful to be here in Murfreesboro to meet these two young men who have helped change my life being out here as a missionary.

Angels Amoung US

One of my favorite songs is Angels Among Us by Alabama and goes as follows: I was walking home from school on a cold winter day
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone
But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home
Mama couldn't see him, oh but he was standing there
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers

Oh well I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love


When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone to come along and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand
And ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road
That someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/alabama-lyrics/angels-among-us-lyrics.html]


When we get lost for whatever reason I know that we can say a prayer and that Heavenly Father will answer us by sending an angel. Most of the time we wont physically see them but we can feel in our heart that they were there. They were guiding us.


Angels are sent to us to comfort us and to guide us. I believe that they are assigned to us to help us. Heavenly Father knows who can help us the most and he personally think he chooses the ones that he knows that will benefit us the most. I know that in our darkest hour that they will be there to help us along our way. They, as it says, "show us how to live" & "guide us with the light of love." I really love that part. They guide us through the power of love.


My favorite part is the second verse. "When life held troubled times and had me down on my knees; theres always been someone to come along and comfort me." Life is full of troubled times. It happens to all of us. We have a death in the family, loose a job, our life just falls apart for whatever reason, etc. Thats when we we need to get on our knees and humbly pray for help. Don't get me wrong. We always need to pray. But thats when we need to pray for extra help. Thats when people come to help us. Thats how Heavenly Father helps us. He sends strangers, or family, or friends to help and comfort us.


It might be a kind word from a stranger, or just someone lending us a hand like from a neighbor or friend. It might even be a phone call from a friend who justs is there to listen to us. Just for the sake of having someone to talk to. "And ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road that someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope." What a powerful phrase. Sometimes we dont think we will make it and then we do see that light at the end of that dark road  with a ray of hope. They show us that we can make it to the end and they encourage us to make it to the end.


I personally think that Heavenly Father blesses us with angels from heaven, but that he also places people on the earth at our time to serve as angels. I have had personal experiences that I have seen to comfirm this thought. I have angels in my life right now and I honestly don't know where I would be with out them. I know that when we have troubled times that we can pray for help and that God will send us Angels.

The Crossroads!

Sometimes the path isn't always clear on which way we should go. We have to pause and study out the direction we want to go. Like in this picture we have to make a choice.  Do we go down the path on the left or the one on the right side? Its the same with our lives. At times we come to a point where we have to make a choice on which direction to go. Every choice has a consequence. Whether it be good or bad it has an outcome. As we are all human we tend to make mistakes. Sometimes we make choices that takes us down the wrong path. We tend to get lost and aren't happy with where we are going. We are lost and confused on where we are going. We have to recognize that we don't like the road we are going down and have to make that U-turn. But thats ok. We recognized we made a wrong turn and have corrected it and are trying to get back to the right one.
 


There are a couple of good quotes by Dr. Suess that are helpful to us. "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You'll look up and down the streets. Look 'em over with care. About some you'll say, I don't choose to go there. With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street." At times we know that going down that not so good street is bad for us so we just have to choose not to turn onto it. But sometimes we dont recognize it 'til we have turned onto it. So we must make that U-turn and get off of it. Through the Atonement we can make those U-Turns and get back to that right road. I know that we can do it if we just will.

The Book of Mormon

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we believe in two important books. The Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. In the introduction to the Book of Mormon it simply states " The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible." Notice it doesn't state that it replaces the Bible. They work together. They need each other. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. They support each other. Being down here in the South many people call the book of Mormon the Mormon Bible. That is falsely incorrect. In no way does it ever replace the Bible. The Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel as does the Bible. Joseph Smith translated the gold plates in to what is known as the Book of Mormon. They are the records of the ancient ancestors of the inhabitants of the Americans. I like to think of it as the ancetors of the Native Americans. But through the will of God Joseph Smith was able to translate into what we have today as the Book of Mormon. Pres. Boyd K. Packer made this statement in General Conference  back in 2005 "We do not have to defend the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ will defend him for us. Those who reject Joseph Smith as a prophet and revelator are left to find some other explanation for the Book of Mormon."

What a great statement he made. The Book of Mormon really does defend him for us. Many people have tried to prove the Book of Mormon wrong but ALL have failed! If anything they come to know of its truthfulness. To hear more of this amazing testimony of the Book of Mormon check this talk out at: http://lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/the-book-of-mormon-another-testament-of-jesus-christ-plain-and-precious-things?lang=eng&query=book+mormon. I testify that the Book of Mormon is another witness of Christ and that it was translated by Joseph Smith through the will & mighty power of Heavenly Father.

Prayer! Communication with Heavenly Father

Prayer is the most amazing thing ever! We want our kids to call us and talk to us just like our parents want us to talk to them. Our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us. We do so by prayer. I know prayer can bless us in hard times as well as in good times. When we are struggling thats the best time to pray. Out here in the mission field I have to use it a lot. I might be having a bad day and just need some comfort. I might be praying to know what to study. I might need help to know who to study for.  When we pray we are talking with our Heavenly Father. He likes that. He wants us to do it often. We shouldn't forget to say gratitude prayers either. Just take the time to sit down and be thankful for everything we have been given and blessed with. Our prayers can be answered if we are very sincere with them. I know that.

Our Trials

Part of this life is being tested. These tests are often referred to as trials. In order to be strengthened we have to be tested. Sometimes they turn out to be major events that test us. Elder Orson F. Whitney said: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. I believe this to be true. Nothing that Heavenly Father does is wasted. It all has a purpose. I like this thought that Elder Paul V. Johnson gave in his talk this past General Conference. Some obedient Saints may ask, “Why me? I’m trying to be good! Why is the Lord allowing this to happen?”  Clearly we all have to be tested to grow. It also proves our obedience to the commandments that Heavenly Father has given us. Elder Johnson goes on to say "Not one of the trials and tribulations we face is beyond our limits, because we have access to help from the Lord. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us." How true that statement is. We can endure all things. We have the help from the Lord. I know this personally. When I was 9years old I lost my dad. Heavenly Father gave me the strength that I needed to move on. In 1 Peter 1:7 it reads "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." I like that scripture. Our trials are more precious than that of gold. I testify that through the power of Heavenly Father we can endure ever trial. That we can endure to the end.

The Waters of Baptism

We have some amazing investigators here in Murfreesboro. The work has been pretty busy. We have a baptism  date set with a kid named Blaine  Its been great because Blaine has been coming around with us as we go out and contact people and as we teach those who we have appointments with. He gets to explain why he he joining this church and the investigator gets to see an example of someone who is being converted and how it has changed their life. Its such an incredible feeling.
 So Blaine was with us when we had our first visit with Kain is this amazing teenager. Kain is really searching for the happiness of what our gospel seems to offer. 
 As we are teaching Kain a week later about the Plan of Salvation, we invite him to be baptized. He declines saying he really needs to pray and think about it. So we move on in our lesson and like a minute and a half later he randomly says he wants to be baptize. Me and Elder Heeb are freaking out cause we are so excited. Long story short he is saying he is thinking about serving a mission. Hes not even baptized yet. It is so amazing! The Lord is blessing us so much right now! Im excited for the excitement that Blaine and Kain are showing about being baptized and also about serving missions.  The Lord is preparing his children for greater blessings. Its great.

Warnings for Our Day!

Yesterday I experienced something incredible. It was my Preparation Day. I was at the Library at MTSU campus doing my emailing to my family at home. Over the intercom a voice repeats, "Attention everyone, a tornado warning has been issued for the MTSU campus. Everyone Report to the middle of the building on the main level." Everyone stops what their doing and starts heading down to the main level. We are all gathered in the library on that bottom level, away from any glass.

We were warned by a voice that we needed to stop what we were doing and immediately go down to saftey. We have just experienced a wonderful General Conference this past weekend. What a great experience it has been to hear from our beloved prophet and from the wonderful General Authorities.

Just as we were warned to go down to safety; we too are warned today. Our prophet and those apostles working with him warn us today! They tell us what we need to know about how to stay safe. Let us all remember to follow their council and warnings, so that we may be safe from the storms. We will be blessed if we do.

A Bad Night

So last night was pretty much the worst night ever. Me and my two companions are driving around town to different investigators houses and different less actives homes. It was a Friday night and no one was home. We tried like 24 dozen homes. And no one was home or would answer. So Im beginning to not like Friday nights. It was frustrating.

Called To Serve! In Cyberspace?!

As part of the Nashville Mission, we as a mission, have been called to use Facebook and our blogs for a hour or two everyday to share the gospel with those floating around cyberspace. The Lord is showing us missionarys new ways to share his gospel with others. We are one mission out of eight total missions that are testing this new tool. So please feel free to share these links with your friends and help us get the word out! Im so excited to watch General Conference this weekend! Its like the Super Bowl out here! Remember to watch it yourselves.

April Fools

So today is April Fools. Ya'll think Im fooling around on here. Im not. This is my new Blog. Im here to say that God has a plan for us all! He didnt just drop us here on Earth to fend for ourselves. He wants us to return to him. I know that we can. By being obediant we can return to him like he wants us too. Follow his word.

The Promised Land

Im new to this part of the country. I just arrived in the bountiful land of Tennessee. The southern people are great at the hospitality. They show a great sense of a warm welcoming. Everyone needs to experience this land!