Missionary Work

Missionary work, why is that the world doesn't understand this great concept and principle of the Gospel?

You know having been a missionary in the " Bible Belt " for over 9 months now has helped to open my eyes more the Christian worlds view of religion and the importance of  sharing faith. I've had multiple people in the south tell me how much they respect what I'm doing as a missionary, and how much they appreciate what I do in spreading the " Word " to others. The thing is, very seldom do they think that they could benefit from anything that I have to share with them. It is difficult at times to spread and share the fullness of the Gospel to people who believe that they already have it all.

Christ commissioned his disciples in the New Testament: Mark 6: 7 & 12-13

 7 And he called unto him the ^atwelve, and began to send them forth by ^btwo and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

12 And they went out, and ^apreached that men should repent.

13 And they cast out many devils, and ^aanointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Christ's mortal ministry was one of missionary work. He taught His Gospel to all those that would hear and receive him, and told his disciples to do the same. Why does the world think that the principle of missionary work would no longer be one in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.?

Missionaries in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have such a wonderful message to share with the World that we willingly sacrifice 18 months to 2 years of our lives go out and knock on peoples doors
" two and two... preaching that men should repent. " Please do not be offended by our actions if we speak to you on the street, or knock on your door. We know the importance of the message that we share, and the joy and peace that it brings to lives of all those who will listen.                   

        

For those of you who respect and appreciate the sacrifice of what we do as missionaries, I would ask of you one thing. Please show that respect in not just a polite rejection of those two missionaries who are leaving their lives behind, and paying to be in a foreign place to them just to share with you their testimonies of the truth of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Show that respect and appreciation by hearing the message that we have to share with the world. I ask you to please not be like those who rejected the Prophets and Apostles of old. Open your ears and your hearts to the message of the Savior that we bear, and then you may determine whether or not we are deserving of your respect or time.

Slow Down and Appreciate the Beauty

This morning started off as a cloudy and rainy day. Anyone who looked outside would have thought that it would be waste of time to go out into such weather, but you know, sometimes we miss the beauty in everything that God has given us.

I think that sometimes we get so focused on what we want or are hoping for that we forget what we have been given all around us. We've had a lot of gloomy days in Kentucky and Tennessee this year. We've even had some even darker days in Missouri. Through all this though, lets not loose sight of the fact that this world has many beauties to behold.

Our Father in Heaven created this world for us to notice the beauty of the life that he has blessed us with. Sure sometimes things get dark and dismal, but really when we focus beyond what we see immediately with our eyes we can find a beauty we may not have known existed.

Let's not forget the beauty of the the simple things in life. Let's not forget the beauty of the things that matter most, like our families, our friends, our smiles, and our love for life. We should all remember to sometimes slow down in life and concentrate on the beauty all around us. We should never forget that this life is a blessing from a loving Father in Heaven.

Most importantly, let's not forget the biggest blessing that God our Father has given us. Let's all remember the importance of living the Gospel of his Only Begotten, Jesus Christ, whose life and sacrifice was the greatest gift of all.

Visit http://www.mormon.org/ for more information on the simple beauties of life and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.



Questions

Blogging. What is it all about? Why bother if you think nobody reads it? Does it really help anyone learn more about the Restored Gospel? Am I just wasting time trying to be a missionary online? Can people understand what Jesus Christ's Gospel is from a blog?

These are questions that I've had in these last few months I've been doing missionary work online. I don't know if they are as worth the time as I occasionally give them or not. I think about what makes me happy in life, what brings me joy, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has played a role in those aspects of my life. What is it all about? This blog is about the Gospel. It's about missionary work. It's about helping others come to know their Savior better, and the sacrifices that he went through for all of us.

Aside from the doubts that the human mind has about everything we strive to work for in life, there are some things that I know about this work. For example; Why bother if you think nobody reads it? The reason that I bother is because of a few things. First and foremost, I am a missionary called of God to preach the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that is a truth. Second is the hope that someone out there will read something that I post that will touch their heart, and inspire them to want to learn more. If there is anyone like that reading this now, please don't be afraid to ask God questions in prayer. I promise that he will listen and will answer. Another good reason to keep writing things out in a blog like this is the constant reminder it gives me personally of my own faith and testimony of the Gospel.

So, does it really help anyone learn more about the Restored Gospel? That is a good question too really. Do I know for sure? Not unless people actually start leaving comments on this thing. Do I still write in a hope that it will? Of course. This is part of my calling as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As long as the Lord wants me to fulfill this responsibility in my calling, then I know that if not at this very moment, then sometime this Blog will actually help someone learn about the Restored Gospel. The comfort that I receive from this can be summed up in the following scriptures.
Doctrine and Covenants 18: 10-16:
 10 Remember the ^aworth of ^bsouls is great in the sight of God;...

 13 And how great is his ^ajoy in the ^bsoul that ^crepenteth!

 14 Wherefore, you are called to ^acry repentance unto this people.

 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one ^asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the ^akingdom of my Father, how great will be your ^bjoy if you should bring many ^csouls unto me!

Am I wasting my time trying to be a missionary online? No not really. If I was then I would feel guilty about writing this thing. Since I don't feel guilty, I must be doing something right, right? Really though my thought is this. If people are not outside, and are not willing to answer their door because they are sitting in front of their computer enjoying all the services of the Internet, then I will go through their computer. Yes that means you. Don't be offended please, that is just my way of understanding why I am writing a blog.

Last but not least. Can people understand what Jesus Christ's Gospel is from a blog? Well if they cannot then I have no one to blame but myself. If I am truly doing my job, then the things that I post on here shouldn't be hard to follow or understand. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Love. Love for God, love for ones family, love for your neighbor, and love for life and the many miracles that it brings to us.

Jesus Christ taught that love is the greatest commandment. ( Matthew Ch. 22 V. 37-39)

" Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy ^cmind. This is the first and great ^acommandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt ^alove thy neighbour as thyself. "

We show our love for the Lord by following his commandments. ( John Ch. 14 V. 15)

 " If ye love me, keep my commandments. "

Keeping those commandments all start with the Doctrine of Christ described simply in the Book of Mormon as five key principles and ordinances:

1. FAITH
2. REPENTENCE
3. BAPTISM BY IMMERSION FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS
4. LAYING ON OF HANDS FOR THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST
5. ENDURING TO THE END

The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi was better at teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ then I will ever be. If you read in (2 Nephi 31) of the Book of Mormon, then you can understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or at least how to get started. If you do that off of my recommendation from this blog, then yes, people can understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a blog.



Faith

This morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon about faith. (I love that book. It has all the answers and questions you could ever ask for.) I was pondering faith, and how the world defines it in comparison to the Gospel and how it's applied in the Gospel. Dictionary.com defines faith as the following :
–noun

1.

confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.

2.

belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3.

belief in god or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4.

belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

6.

the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

7.

the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.

The Bible Dictionary states this about faith:

Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11:1; Alma 32:21), and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation.... Miracles do not produce faith, but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith.

Faith is a principle of action and of power, and by it one can command the elements and/or heal the sick, or influence any number of circumstances when occasion warrants (Jacob 4:4–7). Even more important, by faith one obtains a remission of sins and eventually can stand in the presence of God.

All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action; it carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for. A lack of faith leads one to despair, which comes because of iniquity.

Notice how the world defines faith as a noun, whereas the Bible Dictionary states that faith is a principle of action, or in other words a verb. I love the absolute truth of the scrpitures. In the book of Ether, in the Book of Mormon, there is a prophet referred to as the Brother of Jared.



For those that don't know the story of the Brother of Jared, I will offer a brief description. Jared, his Brother, their families, and their friends were present at the destruction of the Tower of Babel, and the confounding of language recorded in the book of Genesis in the Bible. They exercised their faith in the Lord after pleading not to have their language changed. They were not only granted this blessing through thier faith, but where also granted the blessing of being led to the promise lands in the Americas. In order for the people to get to the Promised Land, they were commanded to build barges that were water tight. They are described as such in the scriptures:

 ETHER Ch. 2 V. -

17 And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly ^atight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish.



There arose some concerns from the Brother of Jared. One of these concerns was how to have light in Barges that are water tight? The Lord asked The Brother of Jared to present a plan to Him in which this concern could be overcome. Again we will turn to the scriptures:

ETHER Ch. 3 Vs. -

1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the ^amount, which they called the mount ^bShelem, because of its exceeding height, and did ^cmolten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent ^dglass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying: ....

 4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all ^apower, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy ^bfinger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have ^clight while we shall cross the sea.

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the ^aLord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his ^bfinger. And the ^cveil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared ^dfell down before the Lord, for he was struck with ^efear.



 7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?

 8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should ^asmite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

 9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me ^aflesh and blood; and never has man come before me with ^bsuch exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?

 10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, ^ashow thyself unto me.

 11 And the Lord said unto him: ^aBelievest thou the words which I shall speak?

 12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and ^acanst not lie.

 13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord ^ashowed himself unto him, and said: ^bBecause thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my ^cpresence; therefore I ^dshow myself unto you.

 14 Behold, I am he who was ^aprepared from the foundation of the world to ^bredeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the ^cFather and the Son. In me shall all mankind have ^dlife, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my ^esons and my daughters.

 15 And never have I ^ashowed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man ^bbelieved in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own ^cimage? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image.

 16 Behold, this ^abody, which ye now ^bbehold, is the ^cbody of my ^dspirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.

The Brother of Jared had great faith, but more than that he acted in the faith that he had. He presented a plan to the Lord, and was blessed because of his great faith. Let's all act in our faith like the Brother of Jared did. Will we see the Lord face to face? I couldn't say. What I can say though is that I know blessings come from faith, and faith is proved by action. I know that when we show the Lord that we are willing to take that first step without being pushed to it, we are given more blessings and opportunities then we could ever imagine.